Are you struggling to reach your weight loss goals? It could be due to poor metabolic health. But what exactly is metabolic health? It refers to how well your body processes glucose, the sugar that fuels your body. Poor metabolic health can increase your risk of developing conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and cancer.
So, how can you know how metabolically healthy you are?
- One way is to monitor your blood glucose levels, and that’s where Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) come in. Blood glucose variability and oscillation are two critical measures of metabolic health. These measures look beyond your fasting blood glucose levels and provide a better understanding of how your blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day. A CGM will tell you almost everything you need to know about your metabolic health.
- HgbA1c is another measure of metabolic health that looks at your blood glucose trends over a 90-day period. This test you will have to get tested at a lab. Your healthcare provider must order the labs, or you can pay out-of-pocket through an online lab such as Ulta Lab Test®.
Chicago Online Nutrition Coach Gwen recently wore a CGM (FreeStyle Libre 2) for eight weeks to learn about her glucose trends and how her food affected her blood glucose. Her experience showed that smaller meals, pairing carbs with fat and protein, and fasting for 12-14 hours improved her metabolic health. She also learned that some foods, such as cookies, cake, ice cream, rice, potatoes, and granola, spiked her blood sugar to unhealthy levels, so she eats them in smaller quantities and less frequently. Her metabolic health had improved significantly by the end of the eight weeks. Overall, Gwen’s experience with wearing a CGM showed her the importance of paying attention to her metabolic health and making changes to improve it. If you’re struggling with weight loss or want to improve your overall health, consider monitoring your metabolic health with a CGM or speaking with a nutrition coach to create a personalized plan.
Monitoring your metabolic health is crucial for preventing chronic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and cancer. But when should you start monitoring your metabolic health? Here are some signs that you should consider assessing and monitoring your metabolic health:
- Your healthcare provider has told you that you are pre-diabetic.
- Your fasting glucose and HbA1c levels are on the high end of the “normal” range, or you are out of the normal limits of “normal” based on your lab results.
- You are experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, frequent carb cravings, mood swings, frequent urination, or difficulty losing weight.
So, how can you measure your metabolic health?
Monitoring your fasting blood glucose and blood glucose after meals is a great way to determine which foods affect your blood glucose levels. You can buy a Glucometer over-the-counter and test strips to monitor your glucose levels. Another option is to wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) on your arm, which monitors your blood sugar 24/7. The CGM provides detailed glucose information and can help you understand which foods are best for your metabolic health and weight loss.
Several clients have also worn CGMs, which helped them improve their metabolic health and even lose weight. As online weight loss coaches, we have a dashboard to see trends and better guide our clients to a personalized weight loss solution. One client, a 53-year-old woman, is down to her lowest weight in several years, and her one glass of wine a night does not impact her blood sugar. Different foods affect people differently, so knowing which foods spike your blood sugar is helpful.
If you want to improve your metabolic health and reach your weight loss goals, consider hiring a health coach from Beyond the Box Nutrition®. They offer personalized plans based on your health and wellness goals, whether that includes weight loss or not. Request a complimentary call with one of their nutrition coaches to learn more.
If you want to wear a CGM to monitor your blood glucose and improve your metabolic health, you can get a discount here. When you order a CGM from Veri, your prescription is ordered by one of their physicians, so you don’t have to get a prescription from your healthcare provider! Your health insurance may cover the CGM, but often it doesn’t unless you already have diabetes.
At Beyond the Box Nutrition®, several clients have become metabolically healthier and lost weight by wearing CGMs and implementing what they learned. If you want personalized guidance to improve your metabolic health, consider hiring a nutrition coach from Beyond the Box Nutrition®. They’ll create a personalized plan based on your health and wellness goals, whether that includes weight loss or not. Request a complimentary call with one of our nutrition coaches.