How this dietitan benefits from glucose tracking

Practitioner perspective: What I learned wearing Stelo as a dietitian | Stelo by Dexcom
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Practitioner perspective: What I learned wearing Stelo
Written by
Emily Cornelius, RD
Published
:
Jul. 31, 2025
Updated
:
Aug. 20, 2025
5 min read
Table of contents
What first sparked my interest in glucose tracking
What I learned from using Stelo myself
My advice for anyone curious about glucose tracking
The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Hi! I’m Emily Cornelius, a Registered Dietitian. To set the stage, I’m not someone who’s living with diabetes, so I never considered wearing a glucose biosensor. But with growing curiosity about the connection between lifestyle habits and glucose levels, I decided to try
Stelo , a tool built specifically for non-insulin-dependent people like me and my clients.
Now that I’ve used it, I can say with total confidence that wearing a glucose biosensor has completely changed the way I approach nutrition.
What first sparked my interest in glucose tracking
A few years back, I started noticing a disconnect between what some of my clients were experiencing—things like low energy and disrupted sleep, or unexpected weight changes—and what their lab results were showing. I began to dig deeper and came across research showing that
insulin resistance
can develop years before glucose levels or A1c reflect it. That realization shifted how I approached metabolic health and made me want to understand what’s happening beneath the numbers.
I dove deep into the science behind insulin resistance and eventually started incorporating glucose biosensors into my work. That’s when I saw the biggest shift.
My clients were getting results faster because they could see how their food and lifestyle were impacting their glucose levels. They became motivated to change their behavior and to try new things. Glucose tracking became an accountability tool and a way for them to take a deeper look at their health.
One of the biggest changes I saw was that they were actually excited about their health again. Instead of guessing what was working, they were able to see what was going on with their glucose 24/7.
What I learned from using Stelo myself
Here are five key things I’ve learned through my experience with Stelo:
1. Stelo helped me spot meals that were causing unexpected spikes
I was surprised to see how often meals I thought were balanced caused unexpected glucose spikes . Some examples:
Portions that were too large, even when balanced with protein, fat, and fiber
Restaurant smoothies with hidden sugar that I didn’t know about
Caffeine on an empty stomach
A couple of my breakfast protein bars that were higher in carbs than I realized
My overnight oats recipe (this included ½ cup oats, soymilk, protein powder, peanut butter, and a little maple syrup)
Seeing this data helped me make simple adjustments without having to cut out the foods completely.
2. Sleep and stress have a real impact on glucose
I noticed that when I didn’t get a good night’s sleep , I would spike much higher on foods during the day. Poor sleep increases cortisol (a stress hormone), especially in the morning. This causes less insulin sensitivity—and I really noticed this while using Stelo.
One big indicator that this was happening: I would eat the exact same meal two days in a row. On a day I slept well, my glucose stayed steady. But after a bad night’s sleep, I would spike very high even though I ate the same exact meal.
Another thing I noticed was that when I was stressed, my glucose would rise and stay elevated for hours. I really noticed this when I flew to New York City. I was feeling anxious about the flight. I didn’t eat anything but noticed that my glucose spiked and then stayed elevated the entire time. When I got to New York, I ate a balanced meal, hydrated, did 20 minutes of yoga, and my glucose came down and stayed there for the rest of the evening.
3. The timing of physical activity matters
Logging my exercise in the Stelo app to see how my workouts impacted my glucose has been so helpful. At first, when I had a spike while working out, I was very worried. But after researching, I learned that my muscles need quick energy, so my body releases glucose from the liver into my blood to fuel the workout. This can cause a temporary spike, even if I didn’t eat anything. This is normal and healthy, and I even noticed I had better glucose control and carb tolerance all day despite the spike.
I also experimented with hydration and discovered that when I started my workouts dehydrated, I would have a bigger spike compared to a workout where I was properly hydrated. Now I always focus on hydrating before a workout, especially if it’s early in the morning.
Something else that was really exciting for me to see on my Stelo was that when I went on a walk after meals , my glucose would come down right away. I even got a walking pad that goes under my desk to help me walk after breakfast and lunch while I work.
4. Carb tolerance is real—and it's personal
One of my favorite ways to use Stelo is to identify which carbohydrates work best for my body and in what amounts. I learned that the most optimal time for me to eat carbohydrates is in the afternoon. If I eat half a sweet potato at lunch, I have a vastly different result than if I eat it for dinner.
Another experiment that I did was I ate one cup of rice with chicken and broccoli one night, and then a half cup of rice with chicken and broccoli the next night to see which portion I could eat without spiking. I discovered that I tolerated the half cup of rice very well. By trying different portions and carbs, I was able to identify which ones work best for me and how to eat them in the amounts that work for my body.
5. The power of small tweaks (that make a big difference)
Stelo has really opened my eyes to how powerful small tweaks can be when it comes to glucose management. Here are a few strategies that I have been using that I feel have made the biggest difference in my glucose levels:
15–20-minute walks after meals
Eating at least 30g of protein for breakfast
Proper hydration throughout the day
Keeping my carb portion to about 30g per meal
Focusing on whole foods over processed foods
Eating 7–10g of fiber with each of my meals
Eating a veggie starter before dinner (bonus to add 1 tbsp of vinegar)
Getting 7–10 hours of sleep per night (8 is my perfect amount)
My advice for anyone curious about glucose tracking
If you're curious about your glucose and want to make changes based on your own body, Stelo is a powerful tool that provides 24/7 insights into how food, stress, sleep, and exercise affect your glucose levels.
I’m so glad I started wearing Stelo, and I truly believe it can help you feel better, eat smarter, and get results faster.
The production of this article was sponsored by Stelo by Dexcom.
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References:
Insulin Resistance
Use of Continuous Glucose Monitors by People Without Diabetes: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
The efficacy of using continuous glucose monitoring as a behavior change tool in populations with and without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Does Inefficient Sleep Increase the Risk of Developing Insulin Resistance: A Systematic Review
The Effects of Postprandial Walking on the Glucose Response after Meals with Different Characteristics
Effect of a High Protein Diet at Breakfast on Postprandial Glucose Level at Dinner Time in Healthy Adults
Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects with Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes
Author profile
EC
Emily Cornelius, RD
Emily Cornelius is a registered dietitian and owner of a private practice focused on helping women reverse insulin resistance and lose weight.
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