As someone who does not have diabetes, I’ve never considered pricking my finger to monitor my health. Lately, though, I’ve seen CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) devices popping up in the fitness industry, and as someone who’s always drawn to ways of improving my health, I dove head first into the research.
I clearly remember being the ‘buddy’ to the nurse’s office with a classmate in elementary school that needed to regularly get her finger pricked to test her blood sugar levels. YES, it was to get out of class… but I also thought it was fascinating how that little drop of blood could tell her so much about her health! Imagine what we could do if that were to be monitored… continuously…
CGM devices like Nutrisense offer an easy, painless way of monitoring our blood glucose levels to teach us how effectively our bodies are digesting foods at different times of the day.
Table of Contents
Continuous glucose monitoring, or CGM, is a far more effective and less intrusive method of monitoring blood sugar. The CGM sensor uses a tiny filament to measure blood sugar levels. And unlike other forms of glucose monitoring, which poke you with needles to draw blood, the CGM sensor is inserted under the skin in a near-painless way.
While these devices are invaluable to someone who is diabetic, they also provide robust data to people who want more insights into their overall health – insights that they might not get from a scale or their own health monitoring. Athletes, biohackers, and generally anyone who’s health-conscious flock to CGM devices to monitor their blood sugar and see how it responds to food, exercise, stress, sleep, and more.
But not all CGM devices are the same. Many of these mess up the readings or start acting up on a whim. Some get the job done, but only barely. And only a few go above and beyond what they promise on the tin.
…whiiiich leads us to the NutriSense CGM Patch. It’s a blood glucose monitoring device that punches way above its weight for its small footprint. Let’s see how.
Key Takeaways
- Helps you stay on top of your diet and activity levels because it offers insight into how different foods affect your glucose levels, allowing you to make better decisions when it comes time to eat or exercise.
- Provides real-time, around-the-clock readings, meaning that the data is more accurate than those given by traditional methods.
- Can help prevent hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar).
- Can help prevent or manage metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other complications).
- Averts low blood sugar symptoms like shakiness, sweating, hunger, and irritability by letting your body sense when it’s out of range and sending it to your brain.
How can NutriSense’s CGM help you?
What is the best CGM Patch? NutriSense vs Signos vs Levels
What is a NutriSense CGM Patch?
We’re in the day and age of instant diagnosis, tracking, and monitoring. And yet, blood sugar never ranks high enough in anybody’s priorities until the first tell-tale signs of diabetes crop up. This is a pity because diabetes tends to sneak up on you and catch you totally off guard – without the appropriate attention, it can go undetected for years.
The CGM NutriSense Patch monitors blood glucose continuously and catches the proverbial bull by the horns even before it’s gotten out of the gate. It’s a tiny device that sticks to the back of your arm and keeps tabs on your blood sugar levels 24/7. Think of it as a slightly more convenient and less conspicuous version of a home glucose monitor—but automatic and non-invasive.
NutriSense users showing how easily the patch is worn
How does a NutriSense CGM Patch work?
A CGM by itself can do jack, unless it can send out real-time feedback about your sugar levels and metabolic performance. NutriSense achieves this by letting you pair your CGM patch with your phone and receive data through NutriSense’s proprietary app.
Think of MyFitnessPal or Apple’s health data – but on steroids.
NutriSense’s CGM Patch is not just a state-of-the-art piece of tech but also kills it at measurement, monitoring, and data accuracy. There are several reasons why it leaves the classic finger-prick blood sugar tests in the dust:
- Continually monitors – Traditional blood glucose meters only give one reading of glucose, but the NutriSense CGM can provide continuous, dynamic glucose information every 15 minutes and help you modify your diet and lifestyle to help you control your blood sugar.
- Analyzes trends in blood glucose data over time – provides in-depth information on spikes in your blood glucose levels and improves your management of diabetes.
- Measures blood sugar and oxygen levels – indicating when people are in a hypoglycemic episode.
- Unnoticeable & painless – comes in a small package that sits on the skin and quietly does its job. It’s soft, and pliable and doesn’t require any adjustments for 2 weeks after putting it on.
- You can sleep with it in place without getting it stuck somewhere uncomfortable or irritating your skin.
- Water-resistant – you can jump into the shower, work out with it, or take it into a pool if swimming is more like your jam.
- Corresponding app – The NutriSense App is no slouch, either. Its fully jacked-up features let you analyze how your calorie intake, sleeping patterns, exercise routines, and stress affect your blood sugar levels.
NutriSense’s CGMs stay on your arm for 14 days. After 14 days, the sensor is removed and discarded, and a new one is used (2 patches are included per month, so you’ll be tracking consistently for 28 days/month). While it’s on, the patch automatically alerts users when their glucose levels are too high or too low or if they’re moving from a normal range.
One user’s December vs March results after learning how to rein in their blood sugar monitoring through NutriSense’s data
Who can use NutriSense CGM Patch: Is it worth it for non-diabetics and athletes?
There is no denying the positive health effects of regular blood sugar monitoring for diabetics. Testing your blood sugar levels can help reduce diabetes-related complications, control medication use, and prevent diabetes-induced cardiovascular conditions.
Beyond allowing those with diabetes to manage their condition more efficiently and effectively, it also offers benefits for those who don’t have diabetes. The CGM data that NutriSense provides can offer insight into personalized diet regimens, lifestyle decisions, and quality of life.
Many of us already keep track of our weight, heart rate, and the number of steps we take per day, so the idea is similar. A CGM can also help with the following:
1. Accelerate weight loss efforts
Tracking your glucose levels can help you achieve your weight loss goals faster. Typically, insulin is secreted in response to increased blood glucose levels. If dietary habits lead to persistently high blood glucose levels and if insulin production remains the same, it leads to a condition known as insulin resistance.
You will need more insulin to get glucose into the cells, but your body isn’t producing that much insulin. Science says this will ultimately be a spoilsport for your weight loss efforts by creating more fat cells in your body.
But keeping track of the amount of glucose you consume and the number of grams of insulin you take daily can help maintain a healthy balance. This allows you to lose weight by reducing the amount stored in your body as fat.
2. Curb hunger pangs and sugar cravings
One of the most common symptoms for people with diabetes is wild and sudden hunger pangs (including carb cravings), which can be challenging to control with diet and exercise. But medical research indicates that people can train their bodies to suppress hunger if they restrict their eating to only when their blood glucose concentration drops below a certain level.
Even if you don’t have diabetes, only eating when your blood glucose level drops below a certain level can help you lose weight and train your body to stop feeling hungry. Tracking your blood sugar levels can help identify your blood sugar concentration baseline. You will gradually learn the number of calories they consume during these periods of fasting and how to increase them during other times.
3. Enhance athletic performance
CGM Patches are tuned to provide fast, real-time feedback on blood glucose and plasma levels, which makes them killer devices for athletes and active people. Multiple studies have found that continuous blood glucose monitoring improves athletic performance, endurance, recovery, and cell regeneration.
Because CGM devices measure blood glucose every few minutes, they can track changes in blood glucose more often and with less discomfort than traditional methods. Users can further use the CGM data to figure out how different foods with different glycemic loads and physical activity affect glucose levels and can help improve eating and exercise habits.
Athletes are always looking for ways to optimize their workout sessions and enhance their athletic performance on and off the track, and monitoring blood sugar levels can be a game changer for them.
4. Early detection of severe health conditions
You don’t have to be a diabetic or an athlete to enjoy all the flexes that CGM patches offer – being serious about your health is good enough. NutriSense CGM patches provide accurate data for identifying and predicting diseases like diabetes, hypoglycemic reactions, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, making it possible for you to stop these conditions dead in their tracks with proper diet and exercise or through medical intervention if required.
How else does NutriSense help optimize your health?
The NutriSense app features expert nutrition coaching and dieting tips literally in the palm of your hand. A vital feature of the app is that it delivers a dieting program based on your personal goals, lifestyle, and dietary needs.
NutriSense Dietician Coaching Program
This outstanding program matches you with a caring and experienced NutriSense Registered Dietitian who will guide you through the process of making the necessary lifestyle adjustments to achieve your fitness and wellness objectives.
- NutriSense Nutrition coaches will keep you in a positive mindset by providing encouragement and support while teaching you how to make simple changes that dramatically impact your body.
- They will enhance your nutrition, optimize your diet and exercise routine, help you manage your stress, and improve the quality of your sleep.
- Their coaches advise you about meals, calories, and macronutrients tailored to your body’s needs and limits.
- You will have your Nutrition coach at your beck and call through unlimited in-app chat support, with all questions and messages answered within 24 hours.
NutriSense’s Dietitian program offers an increased level of personalization in tackling your glucose monitoring and optimizing your health
How much does the NutriSense CGM cost?
NutriSense offers four different options for its CGM programs:
- Monthly – $350/month with no commitment
- Quarterly – $250/month. After an initial commitment of three months for $750, you only have to pay $250 every month.
- Bi-annual – $225/month. After an initial commitment of six months for $1,350, you only have to pay $225every month.
- Annual – $199/month. After an initial commitment of 1 year for $2,388, you only have to pay $199 monthly.
So clearly, starting with one year gives the most bang for your buck. There are otherwise no differences in what the plans offer. All plans include:
- Two 14-day CGM sensors are delivered monthly.
- One month of free consultations with a registered dietitian, with the option to continue for just $50 per month after that
- Healthcare worker discounts
How much does NutriSense Nutrition Coaching costs?
The cost per month is $175. However, you have to start with a three-month commitment. The price includes:
- One free CGM only for your first month.
- Unlimited in-app consultations with nutrition coaches
- Personalized nutrition and diet.
How to get started with the NutriSense CGM program?
When you are ready to get started with the NutriSense CGM program, the registration process will lead you through step by step:
1. Fill out the short survey.
Select what your health goal is. Complete the survey.
This is a crucial step in getting a program that is tailored to your specific needs. Be honest about your answers here.
2. Sign up.
After you have completed the survey, you will be asked to input your contact information for registration. Do that here.
4. Fill out the health questionnaire that follows.
You are all set to receive your sensors in the mail and start using the service.
NutriSense reviews: What are other NutriSense users across the internet and social media saying?
Athletes and health conscious individuals around the world are finding huge benefit in NutriSense’s data. Not only are they extremely convenient and non-invasive, they’re showing data that we’ve never had access to before. Sure, our watches are great, but a device that’s able to track real-time data at a deeper level? Unparalleled…
Check out what some real users have taken to the internet to share about Nutrisense CGM:
Redditor u/FromReelingToHealing is pre-diabetic and was excited to find NutriSense on her own. Not only does she appreciate not getting their fingertips poked multiple times a day, but she was able to get more of an insight on how her diet was affecting her, apart from the longer-term weight loss.
This review blew me away. As an already incredibly self-aware, diet-conscious, and healthy person, Redditor u/RelocationWoes explains how pumped he was with the data that his NutriSense CGM was able to shed light on.
He was able to see exactly what foods spiked his blood sugar and what time of day they affected him compared to other times. I’m not sure I personally want to give up all grains, but it’s super exciting to know that you can have access to this information!
Another NutriSense user appreciates CGM data and their dietitian support:
And so does this user:
TL;DR – Is NutriSense CGM for non-diabetics worth it?
If you’re looking for a next-level way to optimize your health, NutriSense offers all of the tools right at your fingertips to do so. Between the device itself, their Nutrition coaching, and their Dietitian support, you can’t go wrong. With real-time data feedback throughout your everyday life from your CGM device, you can optimize your body’s performance to reach your maximum health potential.
Sure, your Apple watch or activity tracker can share some great sleep, calorie burn, and performance data, but only with a CGM device can you do all that PLUS understand what foods, activities, amount of sleep, stress levels, and more trigger abnormal glucose levels. If you’re looking to take your body’s output and performance to the new level, NutriSense has all the data in one place for you.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring with NutriSense is a technology that’s changing the game – whether you are wanting to establish a new eating and lifestyle plan to achieve substantial weight loss, consistent positive behaviors, peak performance, or just an overall improved existence.
So, whether you have diabetes or not, this technology is a game-changer for the ultimate life and performance enhancement.