Due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its serious potential complications, it is considered a top health concern globally and continues to have a significant impact on life expectancy and substantial economic costs.
For those living with diabetes, it is very important to manage their glucose in order to increase their life expectancy and decrease their risk of serious complications related to unmanaged glucose levels.
One of the simplest, most straightforward ways to manage glucose levels is knowing what your actual glucose levels are. It is important to start off knowing what normal glucose and A1C values are, having personal targets, and then having a way of tracking and monitoring
Managing glucose for diabetics is imperative for their overall health and prevention of acute and chronic complications.
A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a device worn on the body that tracks glucose levels in real-time. They are connected to a reader or to an app on a smart phone.
Lets explore 5 ways the data provided by a CGM can contribute immensely to hitting the target of lowering glucose and A1C levels without even having to add medication.
Understanding A1C and the Role of the CGM in Lowering A1C Without Medication
The A1C is a blood test ordered by your doctor to check the level of your average glucose in your blood over a period of 2-3 months. This test is usually what the doctors initiate if you have a family history of diabetes and or are experiencing any symptoms of diabetes.
A normal A1C level is < 5.7% (estimated average glucose eAG - <117), prediabetes is 5.7% - 6.4% (eAG - 117- 137), and diabetes is diagnosed with an A1C of 6.5% or > (eAG - 140 or >).
Every time you have a glucose spike, this drives the A1C slightly up. If spikes in glucose are a frequent occurrence, (usually related to simple carb intake, imbalanced diet, some medications, and lack of exercise) this will drive the overall A1C up.
Without having a continuous monitor, it is very challenging to be able to identify, in real- time, the patterns of spiking glucose levels and what is impacting these spikes.
Having a CGM allows the user to identify the spikes in real-time and even be alerted right away, which helps them to know exactly what is impacting their glucose levels. They are able to log this date and can review the data at a later time to better identify patterns and make adjustments accordingly.
The CGM is very convenient, as it eliminates the need to stick your finger for a glucometer check. The systems are becoming more and more accurate as they are adjusting for accuracy, and again the real-time insights are invaluable in understanding what is happening with glucose levels.
Real-Time Data to Identify Problem Foods
The real-time data provided by CGM’s helps the user to identify the foods that are causing the glucose spikes. There are several foods that many people aren’t even aware of that cause drastic spikes in glucose levels.
The more these foods are consumed and the spikes are happening, the more wear and tear is being inflicted on the beta cells to produce more insulin to cover the spikes. Over time, this over activation often leads to stress, dysfunction, and eventually failure.
These foods include highly processed simple carbohydrates such as cereals, processed snacks, fast foods, and sugary foods and beverages such as soda, juice, and candy.
Being on the CGM enables the user to identify and see in real-time what these simple carbohydrates are doing to their glucose levels.
Other meals or snacks that may not have simple carbohydrates in them, can still impact glucose if not eaten in moderation or without there being a balance in the overall meal or snack.
With the CGM, people are able to identify which foods provide more glucose stability when combined with others or in smaller portions etc.
When the user can see the positive effects of a well balanced meal or snack, they will be more prone to adjust their intake accordingly to prevent future spikes and even dips related to high simple carb consumption that often happen and leave people feeling awful.
With the CGM providing such valuable data, you are able to adapt your dietary intake based on the data provided.
Timing Your Meals and Physical Activity
There is also a connection between blood sugar and meal timing. Without the data from a CGM, a lot of people do not realize how much night snacking, for example, may impact their fasting glucose. Or, how going for several hours between meals may also impact their glucose levels.
Having the CGM data, you are able to use it to track different glucose levels at different times of the day and identify trends that are likely happening without your awareness if not on a CGM.
The data can help you to optimize your meal timing and identify the best times to eat based on your glucose trends.
Physical activity also has a great impact on glucose levels and the CGM can provide real- time insights on what this looks like and how you can use this to your advantage in stabilizing your glucose levels.
Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and can therefore reduce glucose spikes. If you have a CGM in place, you can monitor post meal glucose levels and optimize your exercise timing as well.
Many people, after starting on a CGM, see the benefits of walking after their largest meal and have more motivation to implement this consistently as they are able to see for themselves the direct and immediate impact it has.
Identifying Stress and Sleep Patterns that Impact Glucose
Many people do not realize that their stress levels and sleeping patterns can and often do impact their glucose levels. The stress hormones, cortisol especially, impact blood sugar levels when released.
For a person experiencing stressful workdays or situations in other aspects of their lives that are causing a release of additional cortisol, their glucose will be impacted. If they are on a CGM, they will be able to detect these stress-related patterns and work to implement change in the management of their stress.
Otherwise unexplained glucose elevations can then be accurately correlated with stress and anxiety and a plan implemented to decrease the incidences or manage them better in the future.
Similarly, sleep quality, or lack thereof, can have a great impact on glucose levels and overall
A1C. Poor sleep patterns can lead to insulin resistance and impact morning glucose levels.
Being able to track glucose trends following poor sleep vs quality sleep, using the CGM data can help you implement practical solutions to adjust the impact these factors are having on your glucose levels.
With the knowledge of the glucose trends from the CGM data, stress management and better sleep hygiene techniques can be implemented and real time proof of the efficacy be noted.
Preventing Dangerous Highs and Lows
Having and maintaining consistent blood sugar levels is very important in lowering A1C levels as it reflects an average glucose level over 2-3 months. Preventing the spikes and dips in glucose will help keep you safe from the risks of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
Large glucose fluctuations can mask poor glucose control as you could be fluctuating between 50 and 300 and have an A1C that is similar to a person who has an average glucose of 140.
This is where the CGM helps in identifying the frequent and often extreme fluctuations by providing alerts when too high or too low.
This enables the user to not only identify the fluctuations, but then implement personalized strategies and adjust habits to eliminate these severe fluctuations.
You can utilize the information provided by the CGM by identifying the trends which will help in creating balanced routines for meals, snacks, and exercise.
Empowering Self-Management and Accountability
Additionally, there are psychological benefits derived from tracking your progress. Being able to see, in real time, the improvements made, helps boost motivation and accountability. Having this motivation and accountability, from the use of the CGM and the data provided, often leads to long-term lifestyle changes.
Having the ability to personally track glucose often empowers users to be more comfortable with making more informed decisions and changes that will help improve their glucose.
Even starting small, with simple and gradual improvements, add up to significant A1C reductions over time.
CGM’s have the ability to be connected to your doctor’s office's software as well, which enables doctors and other healthcare professionals to be able to fine-tune their management plan and provide beneficial personalizations.
Do You Want to Learn How a CGM May Help You Lower your A1C?
Understanding these 5 key ways a CGM helps lower A1C without medication, I urge you to speak with your healthcare provider and discuss options for starting on one.
Being able to identify food triggers, optimizing meal time and exercise, addressing stress and sleep patterns, preventing dangerous lows and highs, and the empowerment to continue long-term glucose management, are only 5 of the benefits a CGM provides in helping lower A1C without medication.
A continuous glucose monitor is very helpful for people who want to control their blood sugar and lower their A1C without taking medicine.
Hitting your goal A1C is not only possible, it's attainable if you keep at it and use the information this new device gives you.
Try a CGM and add to this list to identify the many ways it can help you in your diabetes journey. Reach out to learn more!
Hi! I’m Beth, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator. I provide diabetes coaching for newly diagnosed people with diabetes and also work with people who have been living with diabetes for some time.
With 1:1 coaching, you will feel Empowered and supported to confidently manage your diabetes effectively - without it controlling your life! I can help you make sure that you feel good, stay in optimal health and take care of your well-being at all times.
First call is on me! Let’s talk.
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