CGM week 1 – 5 early notes

Inspired by Good Energy, I’m trying out a CGM or Continuous Glucose Monitor for 4 weeks. It’s been eye-opening to see how my body metabolizes carbohydrates. A few early notes –

(1) Movement after meals helps metabolizes carbs. This is simple – but seeing it in action is eye opening.

(2) The absence of such movement results in carbs getting converted to triglycerides. Our body has evolved to do this to use as stores of energy during times of famine. That isn’t relevant today. And all we’re left with is heart trouble.

(3) That then leads to the next learning – eating foods with high glycemic index requires a lot of movement after the meal. So, eat as early as possible in the evening. For example, fully metabolizing a half cup of white rice takes an hour or so of walking. The process can take two hours or so. Red rice can cut this metabolism time by 25%.

I’ve reflected on this a lot as I had the bad habit of not moving after eating. Or worse – sleeping.

(4) The ordering of nutrients helps a lot. Starting with nuts, greens, or protein and then ending with carbs makes a big difference to these glucose spikes. Eating “naked carbs” – e.g., oatmeal with maple syrup – as a result contributes to crazy spikes.

(5) Metabolism works marginally faster during the day. This needs more testing. But it seems to be true so far.

I don’t think I’ll ever look at diet the same way again. More to follow.