Ever wonder how a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) can help you eat well while managing diabetes? Because there isn’t one way everyone should eat when managing diabetes, a CGM is useful to help you learn about what works for you! You can use a CGM to figure out which foods, meals, and drinks (in what amounts) work best for your body. Here’s what you need to know and tips on how to get started.
CGM Basics
A CGM is a small wearable device that provides readings based on the fluid around your cells (interstitial fluid) and reports these readings as “glucose.” Unlike a blood glucose meter (BGM) which tests blood glucose (blood sugar) when you prick your finger, a CGM reports glucose regularly throughout the day and night—letting you know whether your glucose is trending up or down. Once you spot trends and look for patterns, you can make small changes and see big results!
Get Personal
You may already know that carbs raise glucose levels the most, while protein and fat won’t impact it much. But you might still sit down at mealtime and wonder, “If I eat these turkey tacos, what will my glucose do?”
To discover the impact of specific foods, meals, and drinks on your glucose:
- Use your CGM to note your glucose and trend arrows before you eat.
- Eat the food or drink the drink.
- Check again about two hours later to see if you stayed in your target range. For most people, the goal is to stay below 180 mg/dL after eating.
- If your glucose went above your target, try eating less of that food next time, or change what you have with it. If you’re finding it hard to reach your target range after eating, you can also talk with your doctor about if changes to your medications are needed.
Try this on a regular basis with different foods, drinks, and combinations of each. The more you do it, the easier it will be to see what works for you!
Get Trendy
Remember, food isn’t the only thing that impacts glucose. You can also use data from your CGM to look for overall glucose trends and explore what other factors impact your glucose readings. Check out our webpage to learn more about how to get the most out of your CGM!
Need help?
Your healthcare team can guide you through this process. For more support in using your CGM to change your eating plan, talk with a registered dietitian nutritionist.
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