What is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)?
Overview
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a small wearable device that tracks your blood glucose levels 24/7. It gives you real-time data on how your glucose is changing throughout the day and night.
At Everlab, food tracking is the primary tool we use for your Nutrition Review. A CGM isn’t required, but some clients choose to wear one for the extra insights it provides.
Benefits of Using a CGM
A CGM helps you and your Care Team understand how your body is responding to food, exercise, stress, and sleep. It provides:
Glucose trend insights – Spot patterns related to lifestyle choices (e.g. food, sleep, exercise)
More personalised adjustments – Additional context to help your dietitian or nutritionist fine-tune your plan
Early detection – Identify early signs of insulin resistance or pre-diabetes
Improved glucose stability – Stay within a healthy glucose range more consistently
How is a CGM Different from Other Glucose Tests?
Traditional blood tests like:
Fasting glucose or HbA1c only give a snapshot in time
Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (OGTT) show how your body handles sugar over a couple of hours
These methods don’t track long-term glucose trends.
By contrast, a CGM can show patterns over several days or weeks, making it a useful supplementary tool for long-term glucose and metabolic health tracking.
Summary
A CGM is an optional, easy-to-use tool that can provide continuous data to complement your food tracking. While not required for your Nutrition Review, it can support more personalised planning and help your clinician gain a deeper understanding of your health.