Eureka!

Have you ever experienced an “Aha!” moment? A couple centuries ago, Archimedes was contemplating a physics problem when he stepped into a public bath. Noticing the water spill over the side as he entered, he discovered the solution to his problem. “Eureka!” [I have found it] he shouted, and the Archimedes Principle was born.

For the past several years, I have been contemplating why one of my theories was not “working”. Maybe this will sound familiar. After several decades of enjoying good food, fine wine, and drinks with friends, I found myself on the wrong side of the border between healthy and unhealthy. My theory has been that you can exercise your way out of the ill effects of what might be politely called a “prosperous lifestyle”. In a conversation with a sports cardiologist, I described my theory and exercise regimen. He shook his head. “If it weren’t for that idea,” he said, “my profession would not exist.” So much for my theory.

Seeking to clean things up, I quit drinking a few years ago. I was shocked at how easy it was and pleasantly surprised by the variety of tasty non-alcoholic beers on the market these days. Sleep was more satisfying, and I had more calories to enjoy elsewhere, which I did. It was a modestly positive change, but I was surprised by how little it moved the healthy/unhealthy needle.

I won’t bore you with all the other stuff I tried, Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, 10,000 steps, multivitamins, no red meat, protein powder.

The Eureka! moment came about a week after I snapped on my first CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). I was shocked to find that half the “healthy” stuff I had been eating was spiking my glucose. I began to avoid glucose spikes and about a week later, I felt better than I have felt in decades. And that’s saying something because I have felt pretty good for decades. The difference was so shocking, I felt compelled to speak out.

Obviously, this is anecdotal evidence at best, based on a sample size of two (me and my wife), and has no scientific weight behind it. But I challenge you to take it seriously. If you are (still) reading this, chances are you have enjoyed a prosperous lifestyle. You may be among the 74% of Americans who are overweight, or among the nearly half of Americans who have Diabetes or Prediabetes. Maybe you have tried lots of approaches to improve your health but have had limited success. Believe me, I can relate.

If you have a modicum of curiosity, a modest amount of attention, and $90 to spare, I highly recommend you investigate Dexcom’s Stelo or Abbot’s Libre 3 CGM offerings. Both are now available over the counter. Enjoy a blowout Thanksgiving, then snap on a CGM, manage your glucose levels for two weeks, and see if you notice a difference. It might just lead to a Eureka moment!

Mike Masters