What we learned from wearing a CGM might just flip everything you thought you knew about food, sleep, and stress in midlife.

Wearing a CGM is becoming a “thing.” It’s almost trending. 

I wish every doctor would recommend wearing a CGM to patients. 

After completing a 28-day Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor (CGM) and Blood Sugar Challenge, I’m sharing exactly what they learned from wearing a CGM on day 29. 

It’s certainly evolved. The CGMs are easier to use and give immediate feedback. You pop it on, connect to the phone by bringing them close and within an hour you get results. But it’s eye opening. And human nature is that we need data and feedback and seeing a finish line makes putting in effort to change easier. 

In this episode I share in the words of our participants how wearing a CGM made a difference. 

Here are the comments and learnings directly from our month-long BS & CGM monitor challenge: (Listen to the episode for full details.)

Carolyn 

• Discovered 3–4 a.m. wake-ups were from low blood sugar.
• Added more protein/fat each meal. 
• Debra suggested 4 almonds before bed → no dips, no spikes, better sleep.

Suzanne 

• Runs low blood sugar overnight.
• Balanced dinner with high protein, fat, fewer carbs to improve sleep.
• Stress spikes glucose — protein first, carbs last stabilized levels.
  
  

Real Women. Real Data. What We Learned from Wearing a CGM in Midlife

Elizabeth 

• Period returned; learned carbs caused big spikes.
• Added fiber → steadier glucose.
  Mixed psyllium husk with mushroom broth in the morning.
• Even the healthiest sounding foods can send you spiking. Unless you make it yourself.
• Eats protein and vegetables first which lessens the urge to eat a lot of carbs.

Shirley

• Deep breathing and walking helped stabilize glucose.
• Sleep is linked to glucose fluctuations.

Susan 

• Blood sugar is highly dependent on stress level.
• Eating sequence is key: protein → veg → carbs.
• Adding healthy fats stabilized blood sugar.
• Now there is proof that eating a snack in the evening impacts blood sugar and sleep.

Jenny

• Her previous “balanced diet” wasn’t right. Low glucose alarm was consistently going off throughout the day due to not enough protein and fat.
• Fixing macros improved sleep, energy and muscle.
• Adjusted diet and exercise routines improved sleep.
• “This challenge has been an improvement on my quality of life.”

Elizabeth (#2)

• Understood the body’s relationship with food and stress, through the challenge.
• Saw stress spikes even when she didn’t feel stressed.
• Improved food sequencing and meal prep → steady energy, 100g protein/day.
• Now eats more protein, veggies and legumes.

Jeri 

• Didn’t see expected morning glucose rise.
• By watching the numbers, it’s proven that food choices affect the body.
• Stress, illness, or fasting can impact numbers.
• ACV, walking, and box breathing manage spikes.
  
  

What We Learned from Wearing a CGM Will Flip How You Fuel Your Midlife Body

Carolyn (#2) 

• Needed more frequent meals with protein, fiber and healthy fats to stabilize blood sugar.
• Eating dinner by 6pm and not eating again until 10am was the reason for sleepless nights.
• ⁠Movement is my most powerful tool. Frequent 10-minute walks are better than 1 long walk, which adds stress.
• Late-night TV spiked glucose; short walks helped reduce it.
• CGM challenge helped understand the body.

Stacy

• Apple cider vinegar gummies before meals lowered spikes.
• Coconut “nice cream” didn’t raise glucose like real ice cream.
• Champagne after meals caused smaller spikes than drinking champagne before meals.
• Coffee does not raise my blood sugar.
• The antidote is more protein and fat, with lower carbs.
• Almonds before bed prevented overnight dips.

Key Takeaways

• Seeing is believing — real-time glucose data transforms how women understand food, stress, and sleep.
• Small changes matter — simple tweaks like 4 almonds before bed or post-meal walks stabilize glucose.
• Sleep is blood sugar–driven — stable glucose equals better rest, energy, and hormone balance.
• Stress shows up in your blood sugar — even when you don’t feel stressed.
• Food order and timing matter — protein and fiber first, carbs last minimize spikes.
• Menopause adds complexity — hormones, glucose, and recovery are tightly linked.
• You don’t need to wear a CGM forever — one 28-day experiment can change lifelong habits.
• Data builds confidence — women learned to listen to their bodies, not just follow diet trends.
• Movement is medicine — even short walks lower glucose quickly.
  
  

How Much You Can Learn from Wearing a CGM in Just 28 Days?

Join the next CGM Challenge on Jan 1!
Here’s how it works:

• Order the membership and two sensors, each lasts 14 days. 
• If you use my link, you’ll be invited to join the Whatsapp group to get daily responses to questions, a cheat sheet, audio messages and support understanding your results.
  
  

Other Episodes You Might Like:

• Previous Episode – The Menopause Gut Health Fix You Did Not See Coming
• Next Episode – From Cancer to Coaching Women Through Change with Eliza Riley
• More Like This:
  • • 28-Day CGM Experiment: What I Learned This Time
    • Answers to Your CGM Questions: For Nondiabetics

Resources:

• Join the next CGM Challenge on January 1, 2026.
  Use this link for freebies and support!
• Don’t know where to start? Book your Discovery Call with Debra. Leave this session with insight into exactly what to do right now to make small changes, smart decisions about your exercise time and energy.