CGM INSIGHTS
2 IDEAS FROM ME
CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitors) have been used by diabetics to get real-time feedback on their blood glucose to improve health. Dr. Peter Attia recommended CGM experimentation for non-diabetics in his book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. I discovered the following insights after experimenting with a Dexcom G7 CGM for one month in a 50,000 person study for non-diabetics at https://levelshealth.com.
Metabolic Health blood tests are part of the initial health assessment (Hemoglobin A1c, Fasting Insulin, Triglycerides, ApoB, Uric Acid). Optimal ranges are essential for increasing healthspan and lifespan.
Lowering blood glucose to optimal ranges using a CGM helps bring metabolic biomarkers into optimal ranges and reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, gout, kidney stones, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The CGM has helped me understand my specific nutrional biochemistry response to exercise, stress, sleep, and different foods. I’ve reduced my blood glucose through the following changes: Avoid added sugar and refined foods. Reduce foods that spike blood glucose (oatmeal, oatmilk, some protein shakes). Reduce overall caloric intake. Increase exercise. Prioritize sleep. Minimize stress through mindfulness practices. Get 50 grams/day of fiber. Eat protein and fat before carbs. Limit saturated fat. Implement intermittent fasting. Eat earlier in the day. Add vinegar to my salads. Use cinnamon in protein smoothies, coffee, and tea. Offset water intake by 1-2 hours from meals. I still have a lot to learn. The CGM insights have been enlightening.
Measuring metabolic health biomarkers and using a CGM are powerful tools to reduce mortality risk and increase healthspan and lifespan through lowering blood glucose.
2 QUOTES FROM SAGES
“…longevity itself, and healthspan in particular, doesn’t really fit into the business model of our current healthcare system. There are few insurance reimbursement codes for most of the largely preventive interventions that I believe are necessary to extend lifespan and healthspan. Health insurance companies won’t pay a doctor very much to tell a patient to change the way he eats, or to monitor his blood glucose levels in order to help prevent him from developing type 2 diabetes. Yet insurance will pay for this same patient’s (very expensive) insulin after he has been diagnosed. Similarly, there’s no billing code for putting a patient on a comprehensive exercise program designed to maintain her muscle mass and sense of balance while building her resistance to injury. But if she falls and breaks her hip, then her surgery and physical therapy will be covered. Nearly all the money flows to treatment rather than prevention—and when I say “prevention,” I mean prevention of human suffering.”—Peter Attia (Outlive: The Art and Science of Longevity).
“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” —BISHOP DESMOND TUTU
1 QUESTION FOR YOU TO EXPLORE
Will reading “Outlive” by Peter Attia and doing a two-month experiment with CGM provide you with personal insights that will improve your health, longevity, and life experience?
Namaste,
Duane Nelson
