T Minus Two Type Two Diabetes and Other Passions

Fantasy Diabetes Device: The Incredible Mythical Magical Mathematical Food Log

Thursday's topic for Diabetes Blog Week is to imagine our ultimate diabetes device. I can see no way that my dream device could be made, but twenty years ago I couldn't have imagined the device I'm typing on.

What I want is a magic food diary that would track whatever I eat and store that information with the food's nutritional information, all with little or no effort by me. Though keeping a food diary is often encouraged as an important weight loss strategy, I've never been able to pull it off for a couple of days at a time. Further, the blood glucose tests I do would be analyzed in the context of what I'd eaten recently. Additionally, if the Rent-a-CGM I want ever becomes available, the data from that would be folded into the food data as well.

Over time - and not all that much time with a CGM - the data would return highly usable information about how my particular metabolism responds to what I eat. I picture the device as being able to alert me to trends in blood sugar impact. And, by being able to look at a complete record of my eating, I could look for patterns in what food choices I make when. Plus, I'd gain the benefits of accountability for my eating, even if it's accountability only to myself.

The device would NOT, however, be able to ask "Good heavens, Pedersen, why are you putting THAT in your face?"