Experimenting with a CGM
I just got done experimenting with a continuous glucose monitor for two weeks. The goal wasn't to restrict my diet but to see how my usual diet impacted my glucose level. This is how most experts recommend you use a CGM as a non-diabetic.
After the first week, I started getting a better sense of what foods caused glucose spikes. So my second week was focused on avoiding the spikes by abstaining from certain foods and going on walks after meals.
I was surprised to see that foods that were conventionally considered to be healthy were often causing spikes. For example, oatmeal and apples have low glycemic index levels due to their fiber content. However, they caused some of the biggest spikes for me. In contrast, certain types of processed carbohydrates like bread were barely affecting my glucose level. Although I should caveat this by mentioning that my bread of choice is Ezekiel bread.
I learned that your blood glucose level will react to the same foods differently based on the time of day. For me, long periods of fasting or early meals in the morning would cause my glucose level to increase more compared to eating the same food in the evening. This is most likely due to fiber having already coated the inner linings of my intestines, slowing down the digestion of carbs. Michael Snyder, a well-renowned researcher at Stanford, had previously done a study that showed that longer fasting periods lead to higher glucose spikes and that this could put you at a higher risk of diabetes. This can be a bit confusing since fasting is often tied with longevity. It goes to show you that metabolic health is a delicate balance of several factors.
By the second week, I started getting extremely precise in my food intake to prevent spikes of more than 20 points, even if it was within my target range. This meant I would only consume a moderate amount of carbs for dinner and 1-2 hours before my workout. This had a negative impact on me, especially on lifting. I started noticing a downward trend in the number of reps I could do for bodyweight exercises. My compound movements were similarly affected, reaching failure by the second set vs. the fourth. This was all despite continuing my creatine supplementation. After a few crude experiments, what I found to be the most effective was carbohydrate consumption earlier in the day (6-7 hours before a workout) or even the night before, in addition to some carbs 1-2 hours before my workout. I also realized that I canβt be fully fueled without avoiding a spike at some point in the day.
Overall, this was one of my most insightful biohacking experiments. I've been tracking my sleep since 2021 using my Apple Watch and Oura Ring. I've also experimented with different fasting schedules and macro ratios to get a better understanding of how my body and focus levels are affected. But the CGM, with its short feedback window, was by far the most impactful.