Utilize continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for real-time feedback on how activities, especially food, impact your glucose levels. This immediate data can drive significant behavioral changes, helping you avoid choices that lead to undesirable glucose spikes, as demonstrated by the host’s experience with trail mix.
For individuals with Type 1 diabetes, using a CGM can lead to significantly better glycemic control, with reported average A1C drops of 0.5 to 1.0 percentage points and a reduction in hypoglycemic events. This enables tighter management, moving from a ’normal’ A1C of 7.5% to 5.6% without hypos, as seen in pediatric patients.
If you experience hypoglycemia unawareness, use a CGM with alert and alarm features to be notified of low blood sugar. The system’s ‘share’ feature can also alert caregivers, potentially preventing hospitalizations that can cost $10,000 to $30,000.
Pay attention to the role of evening cortisol levels on your nighttime glucose, as high cortisol can raise glucose levels even after a normal dinner. Tracking this correlation can help you understand and mitigate unexpected morning glucose elevations.
Use CGM to discover how specific foods, even seemingly healthy ones like grapes or trail mix, can cause unexpected and significant glucose spikes. This real-time information allows you to make informed dietary adjustments to avoid such reactions.
Observe how exercise transiently raises your blood glucose (e.g., a 30-point spike during a workout) but subsequently lowers your average glucose for the rest of the day (e.g., 10 points lower). This insight helps in understanding the overall benefits of physical activity on glycemic control.
Recognize the significant impact of stress and poor sleep on your glucose levels. High stress and crappy sleep can lead to higher glucose readings, highlighting the importance of managing these lifestyle factors for better metabolic health.
Even though the Dexcom G6 doesn’t require daily calibration, consider calibrating it once a day to potentially achieve even greater accuracy. The host notes this practice often results in readings that are within 3% of fingerstick measurements.
Always wash your hands thoroughly before performing a fingerstick glucose test. Food residue on your hands can cause false elevations in your glucose readings, leading to inaccurate measurements.
As a parent, don’t be afraid to let your children fail, as learning from failures can be as valuable, if not more so, than successes. This approach helps them develop resilience and motivation to achieve great things.
In professional settings, ensure you are better prepared and more thoughtful in delivering your messages, especially when presenting strategic ideas to decision-makers. This increases the likelihood of your proposals being accepted and avoids ‘beating your head against the wall’ in futile efforts.
Learn to identify situations where your efforts are not yielding results and be willing to disengage if the situation isn’t going to work out. This can prevent prolonged misery and open doors to better opportunities.
Recognize that your success is highly dependent on the people around you. Cultivate a team that is committed, works hard, and is deeply engaged in their work, as this collective dedication is crucial for achieving company goals.
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