Enhancing Your Health With A Continuous Glucose Monitor
CGM’s and Holistic Nutrition Therapy by Well-Choices. We empower our clients to take control of their health by using cutting-edge tools like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in combination with our extensive variety of labs and diagnostic tools. Through real-time insights into how their body responds to food, exercise, stress, and sleep, clients can gain a deeper understanding of their metabolic health. Paired with personalized nutrition counseling, CGMs help our clients make data-driven decisions to optimize their diet and lifestyle. Whether their goal is weight loss, improving energy, or managing specific health concerns, CGMs allow clients to achieve better, longer-lasting results with tailored guidance from our expert dietitians.
$20 Off Your First Month
2 Nutrition Appointments + CGM
Good for those who need structure and information.
- Two 30-Minute Video Appointments with Your Nutritionist Each Month.
- 30-Day Supply of Dexcom Stello CGM
- Unlimited Messaging with Your Nutritionist.
- Weekly Nutrition and Lifestyle Plans.
- Articles, Videos, Webinars.
- Home & Lab Testing Available.*
- No Additional Taxes or Fees.
- HSA & FSA Accepted.
Upgrade, Downgrade, Pause, or Cancel at any time.
The Benefits of CGM's & Lab Testing for Different Populations
Pairing CGMs with diagnostic lab tests offers a full-spectrum view of a client’s health. While a CGM provides real-time insights into glucose fluctuations, lab tests offer critical information about underlying health conditions that may be influencing those patterns.
This combination allows for:
- A deeper understanding of the “why” behind blood sugar fluctuations: CGMs show what is happening in the body, but lab tests help explain why those fluctuations occur. This leads to more targeted and personalized interventions.
- A holistic approach to health: By combining CGM data with lab results, dietitians and healthcare professionals can create highly personalized plans that address both immediate glucose responses and underlying health conditions, leading to more effective outcomes.
- Working with a professional for actionable insights: A healthcare professional can interpret both CGM and lab data, providing clear guidance on lifestyle and dietary changes to optimize health. This approach ensures clients aren’t just managing symptoms but addressing root causes of health issues.
Pairing CGMs with diagnostic tests gives clients a comprehensive understanding of their bodies, allowing them to make informed choices for their long-term health and well-being.
Fitness Enthusiasts & Athletes
For fitness enthusiasts and athletes, understanding how the body responds to different types of workouts and nutrition is crucial for optimizing performance. A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) provides real-time data on glucose levels during various phases of exercise, allowing athletes to:
- Track the body’s response to different types of workouts: Whether it’s high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, or endurance activities, CGMs help monitor how each type of workout impacts glucose levels, providing insights into how to fuel optimally before and after exercise.
- Monitor glucose fluctuations to avoid performance dips: Glucose fluctuations during and after workouts can affect energy levels, recovery, and overall performance. By using a CGM, athletes can learn when to refuel to maintain optimal energy levels and avoid crashes during training or competition.
Paired Diagnostic Lab Tests
- Hormone Panels (e.g., Cortisol, Testosterone, Estrogen): These tests assess the levels of key hormones that impact performance, muscle growth, recovery, and stress management.
- Vitamin D, Iron, and B12 Levels: These nutrients are essential for muscle recovery, energy production, and immune function.
- Inflammation Markers (CRP, Omega-3 Index): Measuring inflammation levels helps in managing recovery, identifying potential overtraining, and optimizing nutrition for faster muscle repair.
Weight Loss Seekers
For individuals focused on weight loss, CGMs offer valuable insights into how the body reacts to different foods and meal timings. By tracking glucose levels, users can:
- Understand how different foods and meal timings affect glucose spikes and crashes: Personalized insights into how specific meals impact blood sugar levels can guide individuals toward healthier eating habits and avoid the cycle of sugar highs and lows.
- Learn how stress and sleep impact weight loss efforts: Poor sleep and high stress can elevate glucose levels, leading to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. A CGM tracks these fluctuations, allowing clients to better understand how lifestyle factors influence their progress.
Paired Diagnostic Lab Tests
- Thyroid Function Tests (TSH, T3, T4): The thyroid plays a critical role in metabolism and weight management. Monitoring thyroid hormone levels ensures that weight loss efforts are not hindered by underlying thyroid issues.
- Leptin and Ghrelin Levels (Hunger Hormones): These hormones regulate hunger and satiety, influencing eating behavior and weight loss success.
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP): This test provides a broad view of metabolic health, including liver and kidney function, electrolyte balance, and blood glucose levels.
Clients Focused on Gut Health
For clients focused on gut health, CGMs can help identify how specific foods and digestive issues are impacting blood sugar levels. By tracking the body’s glucose response, clients can:
- Track how foods affect blood sugar and identify possible gut-related glucose spikes: Some foods may cause unexpected glucose spikes due to poor digestion or inflammation in the gut. A CGM helps clients understand these patterns.
- Pair CGM data with symptoms of bloating or discomfort: Clients can identify how certain foods that cause digestive discomfort are also affecting their blood sugar, allowing them to make more informed dietary choices.
Paired Diagnostic Lab Tests
- Gut Microbiome Analysis: This test provides insight into the bacterial composition of the gut, helping to address imbalances that may be contributing to glucose irregularities.
- Food Sensitivity or Allergy Tests: These tests help identify specific foods that may be triggering gut distress or glucose spikes.
- Insulin Resistance Markers: Testing for insulin resistance offers insight into whether blood sugar irregularities are related to poor insulin sensitivity, which often links to gut health.
Individuals Concerned About Hormonal Health
Hormonal imbalances, such as those related to PMS, menopause, or conditions like PCOS, can have a significant impact on glucose levels. CGMs help clients track these fluctuations to manage their health better:
- Monitor how hormonal changes impact glucose levels: Whether it’s monthly cycles or life transitions such as menopause, tracking glucose can provide insight into how hormonal shifts are affecting metabolism and overall health.
- Track blood sugar to reduce hormonal imbalances: By tracking blood glucose, clients with PCOS, thyroid disorders, or adrenal fatigue can make dietary adjustments to stabilize their hormones.
Paired Diagnostic Lab Tests
- Comprehensive Hormone Panels (e.g., Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone): Hormone testing can identify imbalances that may be causing symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, or weight gain.
- Cortisol Levels (Stress Hormone): High cortisol levels can lead to elevated blood glucose and insulin resistance. Monitoring stress-related hormones provides a more complete understanding of metabolic health.
- Insulin Sensitivity Tests: These tests help identify how the body responds to insulin, which is essential for clients dealing with hormonal issues that affect glucose metabolism.
General Health Optimization
For individuals looking to maintain and optimize their overall health, CGMs provide continuous insights into how everyday lifestyle choices impact their bodies. With real-time data, clients can:
- Gain continuous insights into the body’s reaction to food, stress, and sleep: Whether it’s tracking how a specific diet affects energy or how stress influences glucose levels, CGMs provide a constant stream of data to make informed adjustments.
- Make data-driven adjustments to diet and lifestyle: Clients can use their glucose data to fine-tune their daily habits for optimal health, including nutrition, exercise, and sleep patterns.
Paired Diagnostic Lab Tests
- Lipid Panels (Cholesterol, Triglycerides): Measuring blood lipids provides an overview of cardiovascular health, which is closely linked to glucose management.
- Inflammatory Markers (CRP, Homocysteine): Chronic inflammation can lead to insulin resistance and glucose imbalances, so monitoring these markers helps optimize long-term health.
- Fasting Insulin and A1c: These tests provide a snapshot of how the body manages blood glucose over time and indicate potential risks for conditions like prediabetes or metabolic syndrome.
What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)?
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a device designed to provide real-time tracking of glucose levels, offering continuous insight into glucose fluctuations throughout the day and night. Unlike traditional finger-prick tests, which provide a snapshot of glucose at a single point in time, CGMs offer dynamic feedback, allowing individuals and healthcare providers to monitor trends and patterns in glucose responses to food, exercise, stress, and other lifestyle factors.
Key Components of a CGM System
Sensor: A small, flexible sensor is inserted just under the skin, usually on the abdomen or the back of the upper arm. The sensor measures glucose levels in the interstitial fluid, which is the fluid surrounding cells in the tissue, as opposed to directly from the blood.
Transmitter: The transmitter is attached to the sensor and sends glucose data wirelessly to a receiver or a smartphone app.
Receiver/Display: This device, or more commonly a smartphone app, displays real-time glucose readings. Some systems also send alerts if glucose levels reach predefined high or low thresholds, providing an early warning of hypo- or hyperglycemia.
How CGMs Differ from Traditional Glucose Monitoring
Frequency of Monitoring: Traditional glucose monitoring via finger-prick only provides glucose data at discrete moments, while CGMs measure glucose levels continuously.
Data Insights: With finger-prick monitoring, glucose levels can fluctuate between readings, providing a less comprehensive view. CGMs capture these fluctuations, giving insight into how various lifestyle factors—meals, exercise, sleep—affect glucose.
Real-Time Alerts: Many CGMs offer notifications when glucose levels are too high or too low, allowing timely interventions.