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How to use CGM for diet/food selection type 2 patients?

tan800

Active Member
Messages
28
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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running
Wonder if anyone using CGM for diet/food selection based on BG reading for type 2 patients by observing blood sugar after 2 hour eating? For instance, have heard people saying that it's no good to eat fruits such as banana, or carb rich veg, like potato, etc. However different person may reactive differently, it would be great to use CGM reading to find out what are the right food/diet, right time, right amount of the food, for yourself.

I did some web search as well as from this forum, could not find much, so hope to see people to share their findings, especially for those type2 who have been using CGM to manage their BG level and diet.

Thanks for sharing.
 
That’s an interesting question and one that there has been debate over. Clearly the CGM device can be used for the very purpose that you ask about. There are a number of sources that cover this topic and a number of individuals that have experimented to that end including T2 diabetics, prediabetics, non diabetics and those in remission or reversal or whatever you want to call it.
 

Hi there,

I use a CGM set up as a T1. But what I will do is tag in some users that are T2. @Goonergal & @Brunneria .

I can certainly help as much as I can with regards to the tech involved in the meantime.

Edited to tag in @LittleGreyCat too.
 
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Yes I've used a Libre sensor for checking my response to food (as well as for other possible issues affecting glucose levels). It has given me a far better picture of what goes on, where my meter can only give spot checks and may miss (unexpected!) spikes, etc.
 
Hi @tan800

many, many T2s find testing extremely useful in tailoring their way of eating to improve blood glucose control.

However, a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) is just one way to do this. It is also the most expensive way to do it.

I’m assuming (pls correct me if I am wrong), that you would need to self fund any testing equipment, so I will list various different ways to self test, in descending order of cost (as available here in the UK).
Costs are obviously very variable, depending on brand and frequency of use.

CGMs - high cost, offering 24/7 glucose graphs and alarms for hypos and hypers, mainly used by T1s
https://diatribe.org/continuous-glucose-monitors

flash glucose monitors - slightly lower cost, less likely to offer alarms, gives an automated reading every few minutes
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...our-diabetes/testing/flash-glucose-monitoring

Finger prick testing with a glucometer
Very variable price of meter and test strips. These offer just a simple snapshot of your current blood glucose.
Many T2 forum members use this to track bg fluctuations around food by testing before food and then 2 hours later. A high rise means some food choices are up for examination.

the cheapest option is likely to be prick testing, but of course that depends on brand and how often you need to re-order test strips.

hope that helps!
 
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Thanks @Jaylee for the tag

Hi @tan800 I’m type 2 (unmedicated) and using the Freestyle Libre in preference to finger pricking at the moment. Although use of the Libre started once I’d pretty much figured out what I could and couldn’t eat and gone very low carb, it has proved to be very useful in identifying things that wouldn’t get picked up with finger pricking. A few examples are below.

I should add that I did have quite a vigorous finger pricking routine - on waking, before and after every meal and before and after any defined exercise (i.e.something more than my usual walking to and from a to b, which is fairly substantial in itself), so I’m not just comparing the Libre to the odd finger test here and there.

- My peak post meal BG level is never at the 1 hour mark and fairly often not the 2 hour mark either (likely because of the fat content of my meals).
- Some foods cause a ‘double’ spike - i.e they rise, fall and then rise again.
- Some foods that I may have thought ok if just finger pricking are not. A good example would be last summer on holiday in New York, when walking past an ice cream/chocolate shop that I’d always assumed to be out of bounds, I spotted some 100% chocolate in the window. On further inspection they had sorbet made from 82% chocolate and ice cream made from 75% chocolate. I needed no second invitation. After 1 hour, BG was down. After 2, within an acceptable limit for such an item. After 3, well, higher than I ever like to go. I did choose to eat it again, but at least that was in full knowledge of the consequences.

Above all, I love the freedom of the Libre. So much easier to pull the reader out of my pocket while out and about and wave it at my arm than to find somewhere to stop and test more conventionally (ever tried doing a finger prick test with no surface to rest on in high winds while walking along a canal?!)

In short, if you’re interested and have the means, I’d give it a shot. One last point, the Libre readings are usually lower (in my case by about half - 1mmol) but the overall trends are just as valid.
 

Hi, Thank you for sharing your extensive experience on food selection based on BG level monitoring, such as figure out "what I could and couldn’t eat and gone very low carb", selection of right ice creams, etc.

BTW, all your figures now are remarkably good in view of that you are not taking drugs at all, congratulations to you for the great achievement, wish you the best! Wonder if your case can be considered as "reversed" T2?

Like to hear more on how to reduce oral drug dosage with low carb diet, love to be type 2 (unmedicated). I understand my case can be more challenging because 20 years long type 2 history.

To everyone replied, thank you all, great to see so many replies, I have learned a lot from you all. Thanks for the great forum.
 

Great to know that you are off metformin since April 2017! I have reduced my daily metformin from 1800mg to 1000mg now by low carb diet, but somehow my recent HbA1c were not good at all, higher than 8%, that's why I want to see if I could adjust my food by closely watching my BG level response to different types of foods.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.
 
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