Early Glucose Monitor Results
On Wednesday of this week I started wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for the first time in my life. More than a year ago I started to toy with the idea of wearing one for experimental purposes. I wanted to see how different foods might affect me, and I also wanted to see what (if any) behaviors I would change as a result.
But I kept putting it off until I read this article by Peter Attia, M.D. advocating for wearing one to take better control of your health. So I ordered one from Levels, a company I’ve been following for over a year. As far I can tell, they’ve been one of the pioneers in the space of at home CGMs.
The package of 3 CGMs came about a week after I placed my order. They came in a nice box, with alcohol swabs to clean your arm before applying the CGM, as well as Levels branded stickers to go over the CGM and hold it in place.
My experience got off to a rough start. I applied the CGM to the wrong spot on the back of my arm (right on my tricep). Based on the instructions it’s where I thought it was supposed to go, but I immediately experienced pain and discomfort. I thought the pain would go away. But after nearly 3 days I decided to remove it and put on the second one.
This time I applied it correctly, placing in on the outer part of my arm in the space between my shoulder muscle and tricep muscle (pictured here). Now I forget it’s even there.
After the initial mess up, I’ve been amazed to see what foods impact me the most. The two most surprising, on opposite ends of the spectrum, are purple sweet potato and lentils.
Eating 1/2 of a purple sweet potato mixed with 1 tbsp of ghee, with 1/4 pound of ground beef, brussel sprouts, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, spiked my glucose 52 points.
On the contrary, a 1/2 a cup of cooked lentils, 2 chicken thighs, onion, olive oil, salt and peppers, actually lowered my glucose levels by 10 points before it rebounded (the 30 point spike is from a sauna session, which is expected).
So what gives? Because 1/2 a purple sweet potato actually contains less carbs (17 grams) than 1/2 a cup of cooked lentils (20 grams). The difference, is in their protein and fiber.
A 1/2 a purple sweet potato contains 1.5 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein, while a 1/2 a cup of cooked lentils contains 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein.
All that fiber and protein in the lentils is helping for your body to absorb the carbs slowly. The ratio of 8 grams of fiber to 20 grams of carbs is actually 2x the ratio you want (a minimum 1 to 4 ratio is the target).
1/2 Sweet Potato 1/2 Cup Lentils
Carbohydrates 17 grams 20 grams
Fiber 1.5 grams 8 grams
Fiber/Carbs Ratio 1/8 2/5
Protein 2 grams 9 grams
What’s scared me is after eating each of these meals, I felt the same. I didn’t feel like anything was going on inside of me that potentially was harmful. They both felt like balanced meals. But obviously I was wrong.
The next time I eat sweet potato (because I will continue to have it), I’m going to make sure I add enough fiber, protein and healthy fat to offset the sweet potatoes nutrient deficiencies.
I can’t wait to see what else I learn.