Qualy #26 - What is Peter looking to achieve and monitor with his blood glucose monitor?

Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/ama03/">#26 – AMA #3: supplements, women's health, patient care, and more</a>. The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for "qualifying round," which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car—done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. The Qualys are short (i.e., "fast"), typically less than ten minutes, and highlight the best questions, topics, and tactics discussed on The Drive. Occasionally, we will also release an episode on the main podcast feed for non-subscribers, which is what you are listening to now. Learn more: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/qualys/">https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/qualys/</a> Subscribe to receive access to all episodes of The Qualys (and other exclusive subscriber-only content): <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/">https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/</a> Connect with Peter on <a href="http://facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD%5dFacebook">Facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD%5dTwitter">Twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD%5dInstagram">Instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD</a>

Actionable Insights

1. Use CGM for Behavioral Control

Employ a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as a powerful behavioral tool to avoid glucose spikes, especially if you are internally competitive, as seeing the data can deter unhealthy food choices.

2. Pre-Treat Fasting & Exercise

To minimize the negative impact of treats like fries, consider fasting all day and working out beforehand, as this strategy can help prevent a significant glucose spike.

3. Monitor Glucose Variability

Use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to track your glucose levels and, importantly, your glucose standard deviation (variability), aiming to keep variability low as a proxy for healthy insulin levels.

4. Consider Wearable Health Tech

Explore using a Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor and an Oura Ring, as these are highlighted as ‘sticky’ wearables that provide valuable real-time data and are hard to stop wearing once adopted.

5. Request CGM Prescription

If interested in continuous glucose monitoring for health insights, consider asking your doctor for a prescription for a medical-grade CGM like the Dexcom G6.

6. Question A1C Reliability

Be aware that hemoglobin A1C can be an unreliable measure of average glucose due to factors affecting red blood cell lifespan, and it doesn’t provide insights into glucose variability.

7. Embrace Feedback Mechanisms

Recognize that humans are ‘feedback machines’ and need data to perform optimally, suggesting the importance of seeking and utilizing feedback in various aspects of life, much like a race car driver needs an RPM tachometer.

To access more subscriber-exclusive content, including additional Qualies episodes and other growing resources, visit peteratiamd.com/subscribe.