Over the past few years, I’ve used Mynbsp and Oura Ring to monitor my slumber, treatment, and stress. But lately, Oura unlocked a fresh perspective I didn’t realize I needed: blood sugar levels. Since I’m continually trying out the newest health technology, I was obviously intrigued when I learned that Oura Ring had collaborated with Dexcom to create Stelo, a continuous glucose screen for individuals without insulin. The goal of this partnership is to enable regular people like me understand how food and general breakfast habits effect blood sugar and general health. &nbsp,

” By combining Stelo data with Oura’s existing insights, we’re empowering members to better comprehend the cause-and-effect relationships between eating patterns, strength, feeling and recovery– and eventually make responsible, science-backed lifestyle changes”, Maz Brumand, vice president of product for Oura, told CNET.

My Oura Ring and I had two days of eating and moving changes after I tested the Stelo CGM. This type of biofeedback is good for everyone, even those without insulin.

Why is continuous glucose monitoring significant, and what is it?

Your blood glucose, or blood insulin, refers to the dimension of sugars in your blood. The Cleveland Clinic claims that sugar is the body’s primary energy source; it powers your muscles, head, and also cells. When you eat certain foods ( particularly carbohydrates ), your glucose rises, and your body responds by releasing insulin to shuttle that sugar into cells for energy or storage. On the other hand, if you frequently spike or crash ( even if you don’t have diabetes ), it can have an impact on your energy, sleep, feeling, and even long-term metabolic health. When your system doesn’t need insulin quickly, it stores it as glucose in your muscles and liver.

Tracking glucose levels is important for those who have diabetes. But is it important to do the same for the rest of us without a treatment? In some ways, I believe thus. Monitoring your heart sweets throughout the day and seeing how your body reacts to different products you show a lot about your desires, rest and metabolic health. According to Brumand, “glucose is a real-time windows into physiological health, which underpins how we feel every time, our energy, target, disposition, and sleep, and how resilient we become over period.”

With the rise of wearable glucose sensors like Stelo, those without diabetes can now get insights into how their eating habits impact their bodies ( without finger pricks or a prescription ).

What is the “normal” glucose variety, and how bad are spikes?

Before using a CGM, I thought blood glucose was either firm or chaotic, with no place for in-between peaks. I quickly realized that peaks are completely normal, especially after eating and consuming snacks, when I started monitoring my glucose everyday.

Most people will notice sugar rates rise and fall throughout the day. A general target range for adults without pre-diabetes or diabetes is between 70 and 140 mg/dL ( note that Usersa also adheres to this range, and it’s what they can expect to see in their graphs ) according to the American Diabetes Association. It’s also worth highlighting that 70 to 100mg/dL is considered normal for fasting ( particularly in the morning before having food ), and under 140 mg/dL is common, especially after meals.

A moderate glucose spike ( rise above 140 mg/dL ) can occur on a daily basis, according to clinical studies. In fact, research suggests that good adults will sit above 140mg/dL for about 30 minutes, up to 2 hours a day, which is usually 1 to 3 short-lived sugar spikes”, says&nbsp, Renee Fitton, registered nutritionist and director of training at&nbsp, L-Nutra, a diet technology company.

Additionally, Fitton added that various variables affect how frequently and how frequently you experience glucose spikes, generally what you eat. These rose can also be affected by other factors like pressure degree, exercise, dehydration and also whether you have a sunburn.

Some glucose monitors use a practice range that changes over time according to your heart’s foundation and patterns. When looking at your diagram, it’s important to keep in mind that perspective and changes subject more than one-off peaks. For instance, a rise after snack doesn’t indicate that something is wrong. It’s a signal that your body is doing its work. What matters most is how fast your blood sugar returns to normal and how frequently your blood sugar stays elevated over period.

” I would not see signs for concern for occasional ( one to three times per day ) moderate spikes ( less than 160mg/dL ) that resolve within about 30 mins. There may be concerns about metabolic health when the spikes become more frequent, especially when they are higher ( for example, above 180mg/dL ), which take longer to resolve ( over 60 minutes ), Fitton explained. ” A absolutely straight fructose curve is not something that we aim for, you want some sweet ups and downs as a sign of good metabolic freedom”.

How do I use my Oura Ring to set up the Stelo monitor?

You can order the Stelo sensor directly from Oura ($ 99 for two sensors ). I received a small box with simple instructions and the sensors. Applying it to the back of my upper arm took less than 2 minutes and was surprisingly painless. Yes, a tiny needle is involved. I’m terrified of needles, so I spent some time mentally preparing to prick myself, but to my disbelief, I didn’t feel it at all. However, the ejector produces a pretty loud sound. I sometimes think the sound acted as a diversion to my brain, and that’s why I didn’t feel anything. However, it was a fairly painless experience.

Once in place, I paired it to the Stelo app, and it automatically reflected within the Oura app. Your glucose level is monitored by each sensor for up to 15 days, per day.

I could see how my glucose levels varied throughout the day from the Oura app. You can easily access it at the top of the app, where you also see other data metrics like sleep, ritmul cardiac, activity and readiness score ( a personalized score, ranging from 0 to 100, that provides a snapshot of how well your body has recovered from the previous day’s activities and sleep).

How even my “healthy” food choices increased my blood sugar ( and that’s okay ).

One of the most eye-opening parts of my testing was seeing how some of my favorite healthy staples played out on the glucose graph. My favorite pressed juice is a prime example of this.

I had a pressed juice in the morning that contained pineapple, beets, carrots, ginger, cucumber and lemon. Although it is nutrient-dense, it also spiked my glucose for about 6 minutes above what is considered my normal range ( a small window but still regarded as optimal for my age and overall metabolic health ). This was enough to make me rethink how and when I consume fruit-heavy beverages.

I tried a fruit smoothie the next day instead of a juice the next day. I made a homemade smoothie with berries, banana, plant-based protein powder, peanut butter, soy milk and oats. This smoothie kept my blood sugar level within a certain range ( no minutes above my personal reading threshold ). The added protein and fiber from the fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter and protein powder helped slow the absorption of natural sugars into my bloodstream.

What I learned: Even natural fruit juices can cause glucose spikes, especially when consumed on an empty stomach and without any protein or fiber. Smoothies that include protein, fat, and fiber can help you control spikes and maintain your energy levels.

Balance your meals with protein, fats and fiber&nbsp,

For dinner, I had sushi rolls with an edamame side later that week. To my surprise, my glucose levels stayed within range the whole time. Oura Advisor, Oura’s AI coach, even claimed that this food combination provided both protein and fiber, which likely contributed to the steady glucose levels. This moment was really encouraging for me. It made me realize that I don’t need to drastically alter what I eat. By just being more intentional about how I pair my foods, I can drastically improve the impact they have on my blood glucose. Altering the composition of your food with healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil may also slow down digestion and sugar absorption. &nbsp,

According to Fitton, this is primarily due to what occurs in our digestive system before nutrients enter our bloodstream. Protein, fiber and healthy fats work in their own way to slow the absorption of simple carbohydrates into the bloodstream, making a slower, more gradual release of sugars into the blood. What might seem like a glucose spike is transformed by these factors into a steady rise that your body can gradually clear.

” The biggest area of concern when managing our blood sugar levels is limiting refined carbohydrates. When you decide to go for a refined-carb item ( such as cookies or plain crackers ), ), try to pair it instead of eating it solo: add cheese, nut butter or a handful of edamame to blunt the glucose rise, and choose a higher-fiber version of your carbohydrate source when possible ( for example, whole-grain crackers ) so the carbs come packaged with their own speed limit”, Fitton says.

Blood sugar levels equal steady after a walk and cake.

One of the more surprising things I learned was that blood sugar stability isn’t just about what you eat. It’s also about what you do following your meal. One afternoon, I had a slice of cake for a snack. Just the cake ( I had lunch a few hours before ) and no protein or fiber.

Instead of my blood sugar spiking, my glucose levels remained steadily in range. The restriction? I took a brisk walk after having my dessert. Just a quick 15-minute walk around my neighborhood, not much going on. But it was enough to help my body process and use the glucose more efficiently.

The body is aware that exercise requires more energy, so it helps open our cells to reclaim energy and store it in our blood. A 10-minute walk burns about 30 to 40 calories, and your body will get that energy from circulating glucose or stored glycogen”, Fitton explained.

Experts have long recommended going for a walk after eating, but seeing the effects in person made it work for me. I do think that having the cake after having a balanced meal with protein and fiber also contributed to my steady levels of blood sugar.

Sometimes, it’s more about timing, food pairing, and movement than it is about completely eliminating our favorite treats or carbs.

3 ways I learned to flatten my glucose curve without sacrificing my favorite meals

Before using the glucose sensor with Oura, I assumed that the main concern with blood sugar spikes was with food and how they affected your body. I also thought the only way to manage them was to cut carbs or drastically change my diet. However, over the course of these two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to witness firsthand how and when I eat ( and move ) mattered. I learned that these three strategies helped keep my glucose levels in check.

Protein, fiber, and healthy fats are paired with carbs and sweets.

When I had a berry smoothie with protein powder and soy milk, my glucose levels stayed steady. In contrast, my blood sugar levels spiked and crashed more quickly when I had a fruit smoothie earlier that week.

Takeaway: Carbs on their own, especially refined and processed carbs, can spike blood sugar quickly, but adding protein or fat slows digestion and leads to a more gentle spike.

Examples of food pairings include rice with beans or another protein, toast with avocado, and apples and peanut butter.

Walk it out (especially after sweets ).

When I had cake as a snack, I was sure my graph would spike dramatically, but it didn’t because of my walk ( and eating a balanced meal before ).

A quick walk, even for just 10 to 15 minutes, can help reduce blood sugar spikes. This small but simple habit helps me now enjoy treats without the crash later.

What time is important for food?

I also noticed that when I ate higher-carb foods earlier in the day, my body processed them better than when I had them later at night. My levels were stable during breakfast smoothies and bowls, but the same smoothie after 9 p.m. caused more spikes.

” When it comes to blood sugar management, we see that in the morning our body usually has a spike in cortisol ( a stress hormone ) that can actually help our body take up sugar very quickly and quickly manage blood sugar. Eating in the morning will also help to lower body stress, as well as lower your cortisol levels. If you wait too long to eat, excess cortisol can create inflammation and also produce larger glucose spikes when you do eat”, explained Fitton. &nbsp,

Fitton further explained that, conversely, in the evening, the sugar management systems in our bodies start powering down and are not as good at helping blood sugar get into the cells. Therefore, it is crucial to try not to eat too late because otherwise, you’ll likely see blood sugar rise and stay at an increased level for longer.

That doesn’t mean you can’t eat carbs or treats at night, but eating them earlier in the day when insulin sensitivity tends to be higher can make a real difference.