I’m Ashley Koch, a licensed clinical nutritionist specializing in functional medicine and a proud aMYLK superfan. On Saturdays, you’ll often find me at the PSU farmers market picking up my favorite flavors like vanilla hazelnut and seasonal ginger snap. In my practice, I partner with clients both virtually and in-person, using nutrition and lifestyle medicine to boost energy, joy, and vitality through one-on-one and group support.
One of my favorite lifestyle tools for ending and starting my year is my annual continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This small, wearable device tracks your blood sugar in real time, providing immediate feedback on what is working for my body and what is slowing me down. It includes a tiny pain-free sensor that is inserted under your skin, usually on your arm, to measure your glucose levels in the fluid between your cells. It gives immediate data back to your phone to help you track your lifestyle habits.
Why Wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor?
Blood sugar balance is fundamental to how your body functions, influencing everything from energy levels to mood and sleep quality. Yet, most of us rarely consider it—unless we’re faced with a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes. But what if you could proactively improve your health by simply paying attention to your body’s glucose patterns? Waiting to address glucose management until after a diagnosis of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes means your body has already undergone significant physiological changes and damage. Insulin resistance develops silently over years, leading to tissue damage that accelerates aging, triggers chronic low-grade inflammation, promotes visceral fat accumulation, disrupts hormones, causes muscle loss, damages blood vessels, and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
For those already diagnosed with insulin resistance, prediabetes, diabetes, chronic inflammation, or related conditions, there’s even more reason to make this tool a part of your routine. Insulin resistance is reversible, and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can be a valuable ally in guiding you toward the right lifestyle and nutrition strategies to reverse it.
Why not leverage this advanced tool to protect your body and optimize your health instead of waiting for the perfect storm?
Better Energy and Reduced Fatigue
Ever experienced an afternoon crash or sluggishness after a meal? These dips often result from blood sugar spikes and crashes, which stress your body and drain your energy. A CGM can help you identify triggers and make smarter choices, such as pairing carbs with protein, fiber, or fat to slow glucose absorption. The result? Consistent energy, fewer crashes, and less reliance on caffeine to get through the day.
Better Sleep
Blood sugar fluctuations can disrupt sleep by triggering stress hormones like cortisol. High glucose levels in the evening may interfere with falling asleep, while low levels can cause nighttime wake-ups. A CGM helps pinpoint habits—like late-night desserts or poorly timed meals—that may be sabotaging your rest. With improved sleep, you’ll feel more refreshed, and your mood, metabolism, and overall health will benefit.
Weight Management
Frequent glucose spikes trigger insulin release, which, over time, can make it harder to burn fat. By using a CGM, you can identify the foods and habits that support fat loss while reducing cravings. Everyone’s glucose response is unique, and a CGM allows you to discover what works best for your body.
Mental Health
Blood sugar stability also plays a significant role in emotional well-being. Fluctuations in glucose levels can lead to mood swings, irritability, and even anxiety. Maintaining steady blood sugar can enhance focus, stabilize moods, and promote a greater sense of balance.
Which CGM do I recommend?
There are several options available to clients these days. We now officially have access to continuous glucose monitors without prescriptions for the first time. The most affordable over-the-counter option that doesn’t require a prescription is Stelo.
How do I get the most out of my CGM?
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) provides valuable insights into your body’s blood sugar patterns, giving you the tools to make targeted adjustments to your lifestyle. Think of these adjustments as “levers” you can pull to optimize your health. Here’s how we can use these levers to get the most out of your CGM:
Meal Composition: Adjust the balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber in your meals to stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Portion Sizes and Food Choices: Fine-tune how much you eat and focus on foods that keep your glucose steady.
- Meal Sequencing: Leverage the order of your food intake—starting with fiber or protein before carbohydrates—to minimize blood sugar spikes.
- Meal Timing: Eating at the right times of day and spacing out meals appropriately can improve glucose stability.
- Lifestyle Levers: Address factors like stress management, sleep quality, hydration, and alcohol consumption to further support balanced blood sugar.
Join My Group Program: Better Blood Sugar + Better Health
If you’re ready to harness the power of CGMs to transform your health, I invite you to join my five-week group program starting January 8th. Together, we’ll explore personalized strategies to balance blood sugar, improve metabolism, and achieve lasting results. To learn more visit here.