I wore a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and here’s what I learnt
Have you ever been curious about what is actually happening with your blood glucose?
Call me crazy, but I chose the Easter school holidays to start wearing a blood glucose monitor. Each sensor lasts 2 weeks, so it felt like a good opportunity to dive in and give it a go (despite the Easter chocolate situation happening all around me at the time!).
I already have plans to do another round in winter… mainly because I’d like to hide the sensor under a jumper a bit more discreetly next time!
There are plenty of CGM (continuous glucose monitor) options on the market, but I went with Vively, which is GP-backed and co-founded by Dr Michelle Woolhouse. What stood out to me was that it sits more in the lifestyle and education space rather than being purely clinical.
The sign-up process was very straightforward. You become a member online, and they send you everything you need — including the sensor, which is surprisingly easy to apply (far less intimidating than I expected).
You then download their app, which is very user-friendly. The app allows you to log and track factors that influence your blood glucose across the day, including:
food intake
sleep
stress
exercise
energy levels
This context is where things get really interesting.
Firstly, why care about your blood glucose levels?
Despite what many people think, blood glucose control is not just for people with diabetes.
It affects all of us and is one of the single most important (and often overlooked) factors in overall health.
When blood glucose is not well regulated these 3 areas are negatively affected:
What can impact blood glucose levels?
A lot more than just sugar.
Some of the key influencers include:
sleep quality (and quantity)
stress levels
meal composition (protein, fat, fibre balance)
timing of meals
physical activity
caffeine intake
individual differences (genetics, hormones, gut microbiome)
This last point is important — because what spikes one person may barely affect another.
What I found in my own blood glucose data
Overall, my blood glucose control was pretty good — which I’d expect given I teach a lot of these strategies.
But the interesting part is always the nuance.
Even when we “know the theory,” real-life data can still surprise you.
Insight #1: Sleep had a bigger impact than expected
The biggest insight for me was how poor or reduced sleep significantly worsened my blood glucose control the next day. Even when my food choices stayed the same, my responses were noticeably less stable.
Insight #2: Breakfast made a huge difference
A savoury, protein and fibre-rich breakfast was a total game-changer.
During school holidays, we were eating veggie-rich omelettes almost daily, and I was seeing barely any glucose spike at all afterwards.
In contrast, during school term life, I’m more often relying on quicker breakfasts like:
overnight oats
protein smoothies
These are still nutrient-dense and generally supportive, but the omelette days were on another level in terms of stability.
Insight #3: The chai latte surprise
One of the most interesting spikes came from something I didn’t expect to stand out so much — chai lattes.
Even when ordering them “weak” and knowing they can be sweet, I still saw a very noticeable glucose spike.
This was a good reminder that:
sweetness isn’t always obvious
liquid carbs often behave differently
and individual responses can be surprisingly strong
Final thoughts on wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
Wearing a CGM was genuinely eye-opening — not because it completely changed what I “should” be doing, but because it showed me how my body actually responds in real time.
And that’s the part we don’t usually get to see.
It’s also a reminder that health isn’t just about knowledge — it’s about patterns, consistency, and understanding your own physiology.
I’ll definitely be doing another round (winter version, hidden under a jumper this time).
For more tips on how to better manage your blood glucose control check out my free guide here.
Book your FREE 15 minute Nutrition Discovery Session here
I welcome any opportunity to connect with you to discuss your health concerns and see how I can best service your needs.
Book your FREE 15 minute Nutrition Discovery Session today here or contact me via email to request your session at info@nutritionbyleanne.com
