Catherine Heilig, FNP-BC, with over 20 years of experience in diabetes management and primary care, invites you to a unique learning opportunity. In this class, she shares how innovative tools can transform weight management and support lasting health.

Read about this class:

In a recent master class, Catherine Heiling, a family nurse practitioner from Maryland, shared valuable insights on how Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) can play a pivotal role in diet and weight management. Hosted by Dr. Bryan Atkinson, Chief Medical Officer at GoldCare, this session offered a comprehensive overview of how these devices, initially developed for diabetes management, have become powerful tools for broader health applications.

Understanding Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)

Originally developed in 1999 by MiniMed and later advanced by Dexcom in 2006, CGMs were designed to help people with Type 1 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels without the need for frequent finger pricks. Over the past decade, CGMs have evolved to be more user-friendly, offering real-time blood sugar readings every five minutes through a simple app on your phone.

Today, these devices are not limited to diabetic patients. Many healthcare providers, including Heiling, are utilizing CGMs to help non-diabetic individuals understand how their diet and lifestyle choices impact their blood sugar stability.

How CGMs Work

A CGM sensor is worn on the skin, typically lasting about two weeks. It continuously monitors glucose levels, providing data that can help users understand:

• The impact of different foods: From fast food to home-cooked meals, CGMs reveal how choices affect blood sugar.
• Exercise benefits: How physical activity can stabilize glucose levels.
• Daily patterns: Whether blood sugar remains stable or experiences frequent spikes.

The app displays glucose trends using easy-to-interpret arrows:

• Upward arrows: Blood sugar is rapidly increasing.
• Flat arrow: Glucose levels are stable (the ideal state).
• Downward arrow: Blood sugar is dropping quickly.

Users can set custom alarms to alert them when levels fall outside their target range, providing both safety and motivation to maintain a balanced diet.

The Role of CGMs in Weight Management

Insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar, also plays a significant role in fat storage. By maintaining stable blood sugars through diet and exercise:

• Lower insulin production: Leads to reduced fat storage.
• Balanced blood sugars: Supports weight loss and metabolic health.

CGMs can act as a powerful motivator by giving instant feedback on how dietary choices affect the body. For example, seeing how a slice of pizza versus a healthy homemade meal impacts glucose can inspire healthier decisions.

Using CGMs Beyond Diabetes

CGMs are also useful for diagnosing other health concerns. For example, Heiling shared how CGMs can identify hypoglycemic reactions in patients who experience unexplained dizziness, even if their heart health is optimal.

The technology offers valuable data that can help both patients and healthcare providers understand whether symptoms are related to blood sugar fluctuations.

Dietary Insights from CGM Data

Heiling emphasized the importance of diet in maintaining blood sugar stability:

• Protein first: Make protein the primary focus of meals to avoid glucose spikes.
• Lower glycemic foods: Apples, whole grains, and sweet potatoes are better choices than high-glycemic foods like white bread and bananas.
• Fiber matters: Increasing fiber intake can reduce post-meal glucose spikes.

She also recommended experimenting with CGMs to understand personal responses to different foods and situations, such as exercise or fasting.

Accessing CGMs: What You Need to Know

CGMs require a prescription from a healthcare provider. While Medicare only covers CGMs for intensive insulin therapy patients with diabetes, some private insurance plans offer broader coverage. Heiling noted that out-of-pocket costs are around $75 per sensor, which provides about two weeks of data—often enough time to identify patterns and make meaningful lifestyle adjustments.

Final Thoughts

Catherine Heiling’s insights highlight how CGMs are no longer just for diabetes management. They offer a window into how everyday choices affect blood sugar and overall health. Whether you are looking to improve your diet, lose weight, or gain better control over blood sugar levels, CGMs provide valuable, actionable data that can lead to lasting health benefits.

For those interested, Heiling is available as an advisor through GoldCare’s platform, offering consultations about glucose monitoring and diabetes management (though prescription services are limited to Maryland residents).

Stay tuned for more master classes like this on the GoldCare platform, where practical tools and expert insights come together to support better health outcomes.