What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)? A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small wearable device that tracks your blood sugar levels in real time, 24 hours a day. Originally developed for people with diabetes, CGMs have become an invaluable tool for anyone looking to understand how food affects their metabolic health—and that’s exactly why we use them in The Blood Sugar Method.
How Does a CGM Work?
A CGM is a small sensor that you wear on the back of your upper arm or abdomen. It stays on at all times—through showers, workouts, and sleep—and takes a blood sugar reading every few minutes.
The sensor sits just under your skin, measuring glucose levels in the fluid surrounding your cells. These readings are sent wirelessly to your smartphone, where you can see your blood sugar patterns in real time.
Most CGMs last 10-14 days before they need to be replaced.
Why I Recommend CGMs (Even If You Don’t Have Diabetes)
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with (and wearing CGMs myself) and helping thousands of women optimize their blood sugar: everyone responds differently to food.
You might spike from oatmeal while your friend doesn’t. Your sister might handle sourdough toast beautifully, while it sends your glucose on a roller coaster. Even identical twins can have completely different blood sugar responses to the same meal.
This is why generic nutrition advice falls short—and why personalized data is so powerful.
What a CGM Reveals:
✔ How specific foods affect YOUR blood sugar (not a textbook average)
✔ The impact of food combinations, timing, and order (veggies and protein first makes a difference!)
✔ How sleep, stress, and movement influence glucose
✔ Which “healthy” foods might be spiking you unexpectedly
✔ What keeps you stable, energized, and satisfied for hours
Why Blood Sugar Stability Matters
When you eat, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (sugar), which enters your bloodstream. This causes blood sugar to rise. Your cells then take in that glucose for energy, and levels come back down.
This rise and fall is normal. But frequent, large spikes and crashes can lead to:
- Energy crashes and brain fog
- Intense cravings and hunger
- Mood swings and irritability
- Disrupted sleep
- Increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease over time
- Difficulty losing weight (especially around the midsection)
- Hormonal imbalances, particularly in perimenopause and menopause
For women in midlife, blood sugar dysregulation compounds the metabolic changes already happening. Stabilizing glucose is one of the most powerful levers we have for energy, weight management, and long-term health.
How We Use CGMs in The Blood Sugar Method
In our course, wearing a CGM for 2-4 weeks is optional but highly recommended. Here’s why:
The CGM gives you immediate, personalized feedback on the foundational principles we teach—like eating protein first, balancing your plate, and timing your meals strategically.
Instead of guessing whether a food works for you, you’ll know. You’ll see exactly how:
- That “healthy” smoothie affects your glucose
- Adding protein and fat to breakfast changes your energy levels
- Walking after meals blunts your post-meal spike
- Stress or poor sleep impacts your numbers
It removes the mystery and empowers you to make informed choices based on YOUR body’s unique responses.
Who Can Benefit from a CGM?
You don’t need diabetes to benefit from a CGM. In fact, I’d argue that CGMs are most powerful for prevention—catching blood sugar dysregulation before it becomes a diagnosis.
A CGM is especially helpful if you:
- Struggle with energy crashes, brain fog, or afternoon slumps
- Experience intense cravings or feel “hangry” between meals
- Have difficulty losing weight despite eating well
- Are in perimenopause or menopause (when insulin sensitivity naturally declines)
- Have a family history of diabetes or metabolic dysfunction
- Want to optimize performance, focus, and longevity
- Are curious about how specific foods affect YOUR body
How to Get a CGM
There are now multiple ways to access a CGM, both with and without a prescription.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Options
As of 2024, you can purchase CGMs directly without a prescription:
- Available over-the-counter at pharmacies and online
- Designed for people without diabetes who want metabolic insights
- Lasts 15 days
- Works with a smartphone app
- Budget-friendly option for those paying out-of-pocket
- Another OTC option focused on wellness and metabolic health
- Similar technology to Stelo with slightly different app features
Metabolic Health Programs (No Prescription Required)
These programs pair a prescription CGM with education, app technology, and support:
Levels Health (my personal recommendation)
- Pairs the Stelo CGM with their comprehensive app
- Provides detailed insights, recipes (mine!), meal scoring, and metabolic health tracking
- Offers educational content and actionable recommendations
- Month-to-month membership or annual plans available
- This is what I used during my time at Levels, and I still think it’s the gold standard for metabolic health optimization
- Includes optional dietitian support and coaching
- Uses Stelo sensors
- Monthly subscription with flexible plans
- Focuses on weight loss and metabolic health
- Includes AI-powered recommendations
- Uses Stelo sensors
Prescription Options
If you prefer to go through your healthcare provider, you can ask about:
- Widely prescribed for diabetes management
- 14-day wear time
- No finger pricks required for calibration
- Available OTC at Costco in Mexico
- Highly accurate sensor
- 10-day wear time
- Real-time alerts and trend tracking
- Can share data with family members
Note: Insurance typically only covers CGMs for people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes requiring insulin. For metabolic health purposes, you’ll likely pay out-of-pocket.
What I Recommend for Blood Sugar Method Members
If you’re joining The Blood Sugar Method and want to use a CGM, here’s my guidance:
- Best overall experience: Levels Health — comprehensive app, excellent education, and seamless integration
- Most budget-friendly: Stelo OTC — straightforward and accessible
In the course, we provide detailed setup instructions and teach you exactly how to interpret your data, regardless of which CGM you choose.
What If I Can’t Get a CGM?
No CGM? No problem. While they’re incredibly insightful, they’re not required to benefit from the course.
You can still learn to stabilize your blood sugar using symptoms as your guide—tracking energy levels, hunger, cravings, mood, and sleep quality. Many of our members have made dramatic improvements without ever wearing a CGM.
That said, if you have access to one, I highly recommend the experience. The real-time data accelerates your learning and builds confidence in a way that nothing else can.
The Bottom Line
A CGM is a powerful educational tool that reveals how food, stress, sleep, and movement impact your unique metabolic health. It’s not about perfection—it’s about progress and self-knowledge.
Whether you’re managing perimenopause symptoms, trying to lose stubborn weight, or simply want to feel more energized and clear-headed, understanding your blood sugar is foundational.
Ready to take control of your metabolic health? Join us in The Blood Sugar Method and learn how to nourish, protect, and energize your cells—one meal at a time.
