I am not a diabetic, so I am not making life or death decisions. For however inaccurate glucometers may be, its been instrumental in helping guide my dietary and exercise choices. Here are some examples, each with the info provided by glucometer and the action taken as a result:
Biggest Example:
In folks with healthy metabolisms, BG will rise after a meal and return to basal levels within 3 hours. People who have insulin resistance have elevated BG many hours later. My “decay rate” is 15-20 mg/dL per 12-18 hour period. By comparison, my dad’s rate is triple that. So if I eat dinner that spikes my BG to 120, it will still be 100 in the morning. My dad’s BG will be back down to his fasting level. If I exercise, my decay rate will double. I eat/fast such that I keep my morning BG under 85 most of the time.
Smaller examples:
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Some folks are sensitive to artificial sweeteners, while others are not. I’ve used my glucometer to determine if artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin response in me. They don’t. I use stevia when possible, but don’t avoid the more readily encountered, sucralose.
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Some protein sources are more insulinogenic than others. Beef spikes my BG more than chicken. Fish spikes my BG the least. Seafood has always been my favorite, now I have a justification for spending the extra money. I also eat canned sardines and anchovies at least once a week.
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Eating raw foods doesn’t increase my BG much. I can eat a ton of sushi or huge salads. Ditto with eating cooked veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. To keep hunger at bay, at times I’ve literally eaten 16 oz bags in one sitting.
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Though I’m not lactose intolerant (to my knowledge), diary products cause large increases in my BG. I now try to avoid dairy, and use coconut cream/milk as a substitute. I now longer use butter, only ghee.
I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. I don’t measure food or count macros, the glucometer eliminates the guesswork. It allows me to quickly and efficiently figure out what works for my body. YMMV.