Lessons learned from 1 month of a CGM
What is a CGM? It's a continuous glucose monitor, you may have heard of them especially if you or anyone you know has diabetes. These are little devices or sensors that are usually applied to the back of your arm and measures the level of glucose in the interstitial fluid (fluid surrounding the cell) every 10 seconds and changes it into an electrical signal. The signal represents the amount of sugar in the blood.
A bit different from a fingerstick glucose monitor, but gives similar data without the multiple needle sticks!
In September 2021 when I turned 50, I invested in 1 month of a CGM just for fun. Yes, my idea of fun isn't really the average person's idea of fun. LOL
At that time, I noticed that my fasting glucose was continuously higher than I would expect due to my healthy food and lifestyle habits. The nutritionist that was assigned to me through the app helped me sort through the data and we thought that my glucose was abnormally high likely due to the many years I had done very low carb diets. My body just didn't know what to do with the sugar.
So I took that data, and filed it away, literally and figuratively and went on with my life.
Shortly after that experiment I asked my PCP to run a fasting insulin on me, as I knew that it was a better marker of glucose problems than even an A1C level. My fasting insulin was VERY low. She was not concerned, so I brought this up to my Functional Medicine Practitioner.
VERY low insulin and high blood sugar can mean that my body is not releasing insulin as needed to move the sugar into the cells. This can also be seen in people with diabetes and insulin resistance. However the difference there is that generally they have HIGH insulin levels.
Ok... So if I haven't lost you yet, let me move onto my most recent experience with a CGM.
I found a new practitioner who could prescribe the CGM so it was a LOT more reasonable as far as price goes and started tracking my glucose 12/2/23.
And after completing my Functional Nutrition Counselor certification I now understand that balanced blood sugar is at the FOUNDATION of all hormone balance. Now I am even more motivated to sort this piece out, because it literally is the first domino to fall and makes everything else imbalanced!
As expected, since I knew this from my last time with the CGM, my fasting glucose was high almost every morning. By high, I mean over 90. Ideal is 75-85 and prediabetic is 99 and over. I was in the prediabetic range quite frequently and was almost never in the ideal range.
Then, my glucose never really went down all day. I would get to work, it jumped about 20-25 points after being at work for 1 hour then the only time it went down was just before lunch. This is NOT ideal.
Yes, our glucose is expected to be a bit variable throughout the day, but the fact that mine just never really came down points to my low insulin. Our bodies are supposed to release insulin in response to the blood sugar to push the sugar into our cells to be used by the body. I don't release enough insulin to do this throughout the day.
Much to my surprise(or not really), it's NOT about the food. It's stress. I don't necessarily feel super stressed, however stress comes in many forms.
- nutrient deficiencies
- lack of rest and relaxation
- type A personality
- working at a job that emphasizes output/productivity
- emotionally taxing work
- hidden infections
- toxins
- lack of sleep
- dysregulated nervous system
- lack of time in nature
I could go on, but you get the point.... It's not just "stress" as we initially think about it.
I WISH it was the food. That is easier to fix.
The lifestyle piece is definitely more difficult for me.
So here I go.... on another adventure with my health... finally ready to tackle this stress piece that has been brewing for basically my whole life.
**Part 2 to come after another month with the lifestyle changes
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