From managing schedules to get the whole family together, to monitoring your food choices, to making sure the turkey comes out perfectly — Thanksgiving can be tricky, especially for those living with diabetes.

You're at Thanksgiving dinner. You're with your loved ones, maybe for the first time since the pandemic started. You say your hellos and head to the kitchen. You see your favorite foods that you missed last year.

Green bean casserole. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce. Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Pumpkin pie.

Year after year, Thanksgiving tempts with comfort foods and childhood favorites. And when Mom's cooking, forgoing the meal isn't an option. She's handing you a plate before you've taken off your coat.

Still, health-conscious choices are the name of the holiday game for those living with diabetes.

Thankfully, you're equipped with your FreeStyle Libre 2 flash glucose monitor — the only integrated continuous glucose monitor with real-time alarms that measures glucose levels every minute¹ — worn on the back of your upper arm.

With your free hand, you pull out your phone. The peanut gallery of uncles laments over how attached to our phones we all are these days. You open the FreeStyle Libre 2 app² and you scan your sensor to get your latest glucose levels, a trend arrow and 8-hour historical graph showing how your glucose is reacting to food, exercise and more.

You're a little low, so you grab some mashed potatoes and a slice of turkey. You eat, chat, catch up with the cousin that you (either consciously or subconsciously) don’t check in with enough, and check your FreeStyle Libre 2 app again.

Much better.

You go back for some stuffing, green bean casserole and another slice of turkey. You're too full for pie just now, so Mom saves a slice in the fridge for later.

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy with those you love, not to add any stress. FreeStyle Libre technology lets you make quick, easy and informed decisions, so you don't have to miss a moment of everyone in attendance, one-by-one, asking you about how your job is going. Joy!

Still, you're thankful — for your loved ones, for togetherness and for your health.

Thanksgiving can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be.

References

¹ Based on FDA iCGM special controls.
²The FreeStyle Libre 2 app is only compatible with certain mobile devices and operating systems. Please check our compatibility guide for more information about device compatibility before using the app. Use of the FreeStyle Libre 2 app requires registration with LibreView.