The first week of the Hello Inside Challenge is behind us - and what a start it has been! Our participants have shown impressive curiosity and commitment to better understand their health. In this blog post, we take a look at the most common questions, surprising insights and shared experiences from the week.
There were some exciting questions right at the start of the challenge:
- How do I interpret the values of the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensor correctly?
- Why do my glucose levels fluctuate so much?
- What does a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar mean?
- How do meals or infections affect my blood sugar?
- Why should I track my diet in the Hello Inside app when I already use another app?
- Why do we recommend personal coaching from week 3 or 4 at the earliest?
Many of us were new to using the sensor, especially at the beginning. Questions about calibration, possible time delays in the measured values and the interpretation of peaks (e.g. after meals) were discussed intensively. It became clear how valuable the exchange within the group is for our journey together.
How do I interpret the values of the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensor correctly?
The sensor shows the glucose level in the tissue fluid under the skin and not directly in the blood. This can mean a delay of about 5-15 minutes. Make sure to recognize patterns in your readings instead of focusing on individual measurements. Observe trends - how meals, stress or sleep affect levels - and use these insights to adjust your habits.
Is it normal for my glucose levels to fluctuate so much?
Your values fluctuate due to factors such as:
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Nutrition & order: High-glycemic foods such as white rice, pasta or juices can cause rapid spikes. Combinations with fat, protein or fiber help to mitigate the reaction. The order in which you eat the individual components is key: start with fiber, then all the proteins and finally the carbohydrates and watch the difference!
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Time of day: Insulin sensitivity is often lower in the morning than in the afternoon, which means that you usually react more strongly to carbohydrates in the morning.
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Stress: Hormones like cortisol raise your blood sugar. Relaxation techniques can help if you notice that your blood sugar is significantly higher than usual on a particular day.
Is that already an elevated fasting blood sugar in the morning?
A fasting blood sugar between 100-125 mg/dL indicates impaired glucose tolerance. However, this does not automatically equate to pre-diabetes: stress, an infection or late meals can strongly influence these values. More important than a single measurement are trends over several days, with sufficient sleep and ideally without an acute cold or flu.
Why should I track my diet in the Hello Inside app when I already use another app?
We understand that double tracking may seem cumbersome at first glance. However, there are clear advantages to tracking your diet directly in the Hello Inside app:
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Holistic view: Your blood sugar is influenced by many factors, not just what you eat. Symptoms, exercise, moods and sleep also play a role. By tracking in a single app, you can combine this information and recognize real patterns.
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A concrete example: Some users reported that a clear broth with an egg in it unexpectedly raised their blood sugar at night. However, the cause was not the food itself, but a concurrent flu. The infection in the body leads to increased stress hormones, which affect blood sugar levels.
By merging all data points in the Hello Inside app, you can recognize such correlations more quickly and classify them better.
Why don't we recommend personal coaching before week 3?
We advise you to wait until at least week 2, preferably week 4, for personal coaching. Why?
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Time for pattern recognition: It takes at least two weeks to recognize clear trends and correlations between your diet, exercise, stress and blood sugar levels. These insights are the basis for effective coaching.
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Effective coaching: With a solid basic understanding, you can use coaching to get targeted tips for change that you might not have recognized on your own.
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No time pressure: Take your time to familiarize yourself with the sensor and the app. The more you know about your body, the more effective the coaching will be for you.
Amazing insights from meals and individual reactions
One highlight of the week was the meals, which had an unexpectedly strong impact on the participants' blood sugar. Some foods that are considered healthy, such as fruit on an empty stomach, led to unexpectedly high glucose spikes. Other combinations, such as adding fats or fiber, helped to keep the values more stable - a first big learning step!
One example: eating whole grain oatmeal alone causes spikes, while a combination with nuts and yogurt significantly mitigates the reaction. Such findings show how individual the metabolism is - and how valuable real-time data from the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensor can be.
A joint first step has been taken!
This first week has shown how active and motivated our group is, which makes us extremely happy and motivated! The journey of discovery has begun and the insights gained are a valuable step towards a deeper understanding of our own bodies. We are looking forward to the coming week and to clarifying more exciting questions and celebrating successes!
Sources:
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WHO. (2020). Definition and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and Intermediate Hyperglycemia.
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German Diabetes Association (DDG). (2023). Guidelines for diabetes diagnosis and control.
