Glucometers

As a non-diabetic, I rely on glucometers to take my blood sugar readings. Glucometers are small, portable devices used to manually check blood glucose levels at a specific moment in time, and are not continuous. Glucometers do not rely on a prescription and can be purchased at any pharmacy store.

Throughout my videos, I will be using glucometers to take my blood sugar readings at specific time intervals in order to analyze trends and patterns in my blood sugar levels. Although they do not give consistent readings unlike Continuous Glucose Monitors (refer to the CGMs section for more information), they can give a general idea of how fast blood glucose spikes, falls, and rises after eating a certain food.

To use a glucometer:

1. A lancet (a very small needle inside a spring-loaded pen) is used to gently prick the fingertip.
2. A drop of blood is placed onto a disposable test strip.
3. The strip is inserted into the glucometer, which analyzes the sample.
4. The device displays the blood glucose reading within seconds.

How to Measure Blood Glucose Reading

Refer to the video below to understand how we take blood sugar readings:

▶ Play video

Watch on YouTube