Discover how Continuous Glucose Monitoring can transform your metabolic health through real-time tracking, smarter food choices, and improved workouts.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is revolutionising metabolic health management. Here's how it can help you:

1. Real-time blood sugar tracking

2. Smarter food choices

3. Optimised workouts

4. Better sleep quality

5. Stress management

6. Early health issue detection

7. Informed daily decisions

CGMs provide 24/7 glucose insights, helping you make better health choices. They're not just for diabetics - anyone can benefit.

Quick Comparison:

How CGM Works

CGM is changing the game for blood sugar tracking. It's not just a one-time reading - it's 24/7 monitoring.

Here's the rundown:

1. Sensor Placement

A tiny filament goes under your skin. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt.

2. Constant Measuring

This little gadget checks your glucose levels every 5 minutes. That's a lot of data!

3. Wireless Updates

Every 5 minutes, it sends the info to your phone or a receiver. No wires, no fuss.

4. Always On

You can check your glucose trends anytime. Even when you're snoozing.

CGM vs. Fingerstick: What's the Difference?

Here's a heads up: CGM readings are about 9 minutes behind your actual blood sugar. Why? It's measuring fluid around your cells, not your blood directly.

CGM Perks:

- No need for constant finger pricking

- Spots patterns in your glucose levels

- Shows how your life affects your glucose

But it's not perfect. It's a bit less accurate than old-school glucose metres. And you might not want to make snap decisions based on its readings.

Even so, CGMs give you a bigger picture of what's going on with your glucose. That's gold for managing your metabolic health and making smart choices about food, exercise, and lifestyle.

1. Tracks Blood Sugar in Real Time

CGM devices are like having a glucose watchdog. They check your blood sugar every 10 seconds and update you every 5 minutes. That's 288 readings a day!

Here's the deal:

- A tiny sensor goes under your skin

- It measures glucose between your cells

- Data goes to your phone

This real-time tracking? It's a big deal. You get a non-stop glucose data instead of occasional finger pricks.

But here's the catch: CGM readings are about 9 minutes behind your actual blood sugar. Why? It's measuring fluid around your cells, not your blood directly. If you are measuring your glucose responses to better understand overall patterns this isn’t as big a deal.

Quick comparison:

CGM isn't just for people with diabetes. It's becoming a tool for anyone curious about their metabolic health. You can see how food, exercise, and stress affect your blood sugar right away.

With CGM, you're not just reacting to your blood sugar - you're staying ahead of it. This real-time data can help you make smarter choices about food, exercise, and lifestyle.

2. Guides Food Choices

CGM data helps you eat smarter. Here's how:

Real-time feedback: See how foods affect your glucose instantly. Adjust your diet on the spot.

Personalised insights: Your body's unique. CGM shows how YOU react to different foods. Seeing the data in real-time allows you to experiment with different foods and exercise patterns to find the right fit for your metabolic needs.

Balanced meals: Use CGM data to keep your blood sugar steady:

- Mix carbs with protein and healthy fats

- Add fibre to slow carb absorption

- Pick complex carbs over simple sugars

Ideally, we are aiming for glucose levels to stay under 8mmol/L after meals, and return back to normal in a 2 hour window.

Food experiments: Test different foods and see what happens:

Experimenting with different combinations of foods, different times of the day for carbohydrate intake and exercise timing around meals can really help to make informed decisions about what is best for your body.

Portion control: See how much you eat affects your glucose. Right-size your meals.

The goal? Balance. Keep levels healthy while enjoying various foods.

"CGM changed my eating habits. I know which foods spike me and which don't. It's like a 24/7 nutritionist." - Sarah, CGM user for 6 months

3. Improves Workout Results

CGMs can supercharge your fitness routine. Here's how:

Real-time glucose tracking: Your CGM shows blood sugar changes during exercise. This helps you:

- Dodge low blood sugar while working out

- Prevent post-workout sugar spikes

- Adjust your intensity on the fly

Smart fueling: Use CGM data to fuel up right. Seeing how your body responds to your fueling strategies can help you make tweaks and optimise your training. You can see how exercise influences your glucose responses for up to 24 hours after the workout and fuel appropriately.

Timing is everything: CGMs help you pick the best workout time. One Vively member, Craig says:

"I was hitting the wall in my workouts and could see my glucose crashing after the 30 minute mark. I now ensure that I am increasing my carbohydrate intake after bigger workouts to help build up my glucose stores for my next session and am feeling the differences.”

Recovery fuel: CGMs guide your post-workout eating:

- Aim for 1-1.2g carbs per kg body weight each hour after exercise

- Go for fast-absorbing carbs like oatmeal or white rice

- Insulin sensitivity after workouts is often higher so your body will be more efficient at utilising the carbohydrates.

Exercise type matters: Different workouts affect blood sugar differently:

- Cardio (running, cycling) often drops blood sugar

- Strength training (weights, HIIT) can cause temporary spikes

4. Helps with Better Sleep

Your CGM isn't just for daytime use. It's a sleep-improving tool too. Here's the scoop:

Night-time glucose trends: Your CGM shows what your blood sugar does while you snooze. This info helps you:

- Spot glucose swings that might be messing with your sleep

- Tweak your evening meals for steadier overnight levels

- See the importance of enough snooze time on metabolic health

Sleep-glucose connection: Poor sleep and wonky blood sugar go hand in hand:

Want better sleep? Try this:

1. Optimise the amount of sleep that you get and aim for at least a 10pm bed time

2. Consistency is key! Try to get to sleep at the same time each day

3. Check your CGM's overnight data

4. If you see spikes, swap that carby bedtime snack for some protein

5. Understand the impact of alcohol on sleep quality

‍CGM-guided breakfast: Bad sleep can make your morning glucose go haywire. If your CGM shows high morning levels:

- Go for protein and healthy fats at breakfast

- Think eggs with avocado on sourdough, not sugary cereal

Your CGM isn't just tracking numbers. It's your ticket to better sleep and steadier blood sugar. It can take time to see these changes and to build new habits.

5. Aids in Managing Stress

Stress and blood sugar are buddies. Not the good kind. When you're stressed, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, pumping out hormones that can make your blood sugar go crazy.

Your body releases stress hormones. These trigger your liver to dump glucose into your bloodstream. Result? Your blood sugar shoots up, even if you haven't touched any food.

This is where your CGM becomes your stress-busting sidekick. It shows you these spikes in real-time. So you can take action, fast.

Let's say you've got a big presentation. Your CGM might show something like this:

Seeing this pattern can help you prepare for future stressful events. You might:

- Do some deep breathing before big meetings

- Plan for a walk to destress afterwards.

- Take a breather after stressful events

Your CGM data can also show long-term stress patterns. You may notice differences in your readings on work days vs holidays or days off. Seeing the data can be a helpful tool for looking at bigger picture lifestyle changes to support your health.

Some CGM-powered stress-busting tips:

- Rate your stress daily, 1-10. Compare it with your CGM readings.

- Spot your stress triggers. Look for blood sugar spikes that match stressful events.

- Test drive some stress-busters. Use your CGM to see how exercise, meditation, or deep breathing affect your levels.

6. Spots Health Issues Early

CGM isn't just for diabetics. It's a health detective that can catch problems before they blow up. Here's the scoop:

Prediabetes: The Silent Threat

CGM can spot prediabetes when you don't even know you have it:

- 96 million U.S. adults have prediabetes (that's 38%!)

- 90% of them are clueless about it

- 70% will get diabetes if they don't act

Previous methods of measuring glucose levels only showed single time points which may have missed bigger picture trends that could be pointing towards pre-diabetes.

Your Body's Early Warning System

CGM is like a check engine light for your body. It shows:

- Weird blood sugar patterns

- How different foods affect you

- What stress does to your sugar levels

- Differences in responses at different times of the day

Catch these early, and you can steer clear of bigger problems.

Be Your Own Health Detective

1. Wear a CGM for a week

2. Look for patterns

3. Show your doctor

4. Make small tweaks based on what you learn

A CGM allows you to learn more about your individual responses and therefore act on the data to optimise your health. They also provide a greater level of detail to work through with your healthcare providers.

7. Helps Make Better Daily Choices

CGM isn't just about numbers. It's your personal food detective, exercise coach, and lifestyle guru. Here's how:

Food Detective

CGM shows you how different foods affect your blood sugar:

- Allow you to experiment with different combinations and portions of carbohydrates to see the response

- See the response from changing the order you eat your meals. Starting with a fibre load helps to reduce the size of the spikes

- Optimise protein intake to see stable glucose levels

Exercise Timing

CGM data helps you nail workout timing:

- 47% of users exercise more when they see blood sugar rising

- 42.5% report being more active overall

Stress & Sleep

CGM spots stress spikes and late-night snack effects. Use this info to:

- Manage stress (deep breaths, quick walk, meditation)

- Improve sleep habits (eating cutoff times, bedtime snacks)

- Explore fasting window that suits your body

Real Results

CGM users report:

- 90% healthier lifestyle

- 87.5% more aware of food effects

- 22.5% cut back on rice

"CGM gives direct feedback on lifestyle choices, leading to lasting behaviour changes." - CGM user survey

The real time data allows you to make truly informed decisions based on your own data!

Using CGM Data in Daily Life

CGM data can transform how you manage your blood sugar. Here's how to use it:

Bringing your average data together

Your 14 day CGM data shows:

- CGM metrics including average glucose, estimated Hba1c, glucose variability

- Daily glucose patterns

- Time in Range (TIR)

Aim for at least 70% TIR (4-6mmol/L) for good control.

Spot Patterns

Check your daily glucose profiles for highs and lows. When do spikes happen? Are there consistent dips? Use this info to adjust your habits.

Make Food Choices

Use CGM data to guide your meals:

- Check glucose before eating

- Monitor post-meal spikes

- Adjust portion sizes, food combinations or add in exercise after a meal

Time Your Workouts

Exercise can lower blood sugar. Use CGM to check levels before and during workouts. Adjust intensity if needed.

Improve Sleep

Night-time data matters. Look for overnight lows and check morning fasting levels. Adjust evening habits if needed.

Manage Stress

Stress can spike blood sugar. When you see a rise, try deep breaths, a quick walk, or short meditation.

Share with Your Doctor

Bring 14 days of CGM data to appointments. This helps your doctor see trends, spot problems, and make informed treatment changes.

Conclusion

CGMs have revolutionised metabolic health management. Here's how they help:

CGMs aren't just for diabetics. They're for anyone aiming to boost their health. Vively in combination with CGM data allows you to explore the best fit for your body and put these learnings into action.The ability to personalise your health and understand your own responses is a game-changer in preventable health.