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How Glooko is Transforming Diabetes Care: My First Six Months as CEO

Glooko's Mike Alvarez

Glooko CEO Mike AlvarezOver the past several months since stepping into the role of CEO at Glooko, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible progress we’ve made, and the immense opportunities that lie ahead. Each day has reaffirmed my belief that our mission to transform diabetes care is both urgent and achievable. I’m more energized than ever to guide Glooko toward a future where we deliver an even greater impact for people with diabetes and those who care for them.

When I think about the future of diabetes care, one word comes to mind: transformation. Across the globe, health systems, clinicians, and people living with diabetes are looking for a holistic approach, one that brings together cutting-edge technology, patient-centric insights, and secure, scalable solutions. At Glooko, we’ve made it our mission to deliver exactly that.

Our Vision: Transforming Diabetes Care

We believe in transforming diabetes care by making it simpler, more connected, and fundamentally centered on people with diabetes. This vision underpins every decision we make, whether we’re enhancing our platform’s EHR integration, partnering with global device manufacturers, or expanding our footprint in new markets.

Our Mission: Simplifying Care and Strengthening Connections

At Glooko, we say: “We simplify care, strengthen connections, and together create a brighter future for people living with diabetes, healthcare providers, and caregivers.”

Simplify Care

We hear time and again about fragmented workflows and siloed data, forcing providers and patients to juggle multiple device platforms (mobile and web), apps, and logins. Our platform intends to change this, meaning clinicians can potentially spend less time on administrative tasks and more time where they’re needed most: caring for patients and focused on improving outcomes.

Strengthen Connections

We also see the power of community and shared decision-making. Through Glooko, patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams can collaborate more effectively, share real-time data, and gain insights that drive meaningful change in care plans. We aim to reduce the cognitive burden of diabetes data and decision making.

In my view, these are the five biggest differentiators that make Glooko stand out:

  1. Patient First Mindset: Everything we do revolves around putting patients first. We collaborate closely with clinicians, caregivers, and people living with diabetes to ensure our technology meets real-world needs.
  2. Commitment to Quality and Security: From ISO 27001 to HiTrust and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, our platform is backed by enterprise-grade security and rigorously tested reliability. We understand that healthcare data is precious and that trust is earned through quality.
  3. Innovation That Matters: Our platform is more than a “data upload tool.” It’s an engine designed to support clinical decision making. Whether it’s EHR interoperability or automated patient nudges, we constantly push boundaries to develop meaningful solutions that scale globally.
  4. High-Performance Culture: Within the company, we’re building a talented, global team that challenges the status quo. This energy fuels our drive to expand into new markets, partner with industry leaders, and improve access to diabetes care around the world.
  5. Better Together: Collaboration is in our DNA, and that includes partnerships with device manufacturers, healthcare providers and hospital systems. By joining forces with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, we have the opportunity to create value that benefits everyone, especially people living with diabetes.

Scaling for the Future

Our work has already touched millions of lives, but we’re just getting started. With rising rates of diabetes worldwide, the need for an integrated, secure, and human-centered solution has never been greater. That’s why we’re investing in global expansion, forging new alliances, and refining our platform to make sense of the high volume of data in diabetes care.

Scaling effectively also means staying true to our roots. Our commitment to patient outcomes, uncompromising quality, and secure innovation will remain the bedrock of Glooko’s growth. As we continue to expand, our North Star will always be the same: transforming diabetes care on a global scale and making diabetes easier to manage for everyone in the diabetes care ecosystem.

A Commitment to People Living with Diabetes, Above All

Behind every data point or device upload is a person managing a complex, life-altering condition. We never lose sight of that human element. As Glooko grows, our Patients First value continues to guide us toward solutions that truly make a difference, reducing clinical burdens, improving outcomes, and helping people with diabetes live fuller, healthier lives.

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Making Diabetes Management Easier for All:
Glooko’s Renewed Vision for the Future

As I begin my new role as CEO of Glooko, I’m filled with both excitement and a deep sense of responsibility. Diabetes management has always been a deeply personal and complex journey for so many individuals, and the opportunity to lead a company dedicated to easing that burden is truly inspiring. This is more than just a new chapter for me; it’s a chance to make a real difference in the lives of people living with chronic conditions.

With the $100 million Series F financing, Glooko is in a strong position to accelerate our mission—simplifying diabetes management for patients, clinicians, and their care teams. As someone who has spent the majority of my career in healthcare technology and chronic condition management, I’m particularly excited to lead a company that is committed to easing the burden for patients with diabetes and their care teams. I’ve seen firsthand how data—while crucial—can become overwhelming, especially for those managing a condition like diabetes that requires constant monitoring. Whether it’s managing blood glucose levels, using insulin pumps, or trying to make sense of data from multiple apps, patients and clinicians are often left navigating a complex web of information. Particularly for physicians, sifting through and trying to make sense of that same sea of data to provide timely, effective care can be a daunting task.

At Glooko, we’re focused on tackling these challenges head-on. Our platform has the potential to provide actionable insights that streamline the management of chronic diseases like diabetes. We aim to simplify workflows, so that endocrinologists and diabetes care teams can focus on what matters most—to develop early intervention and care pathways that improve patient outcomes. We are also focused on expanding our work with our life sciences partners to enable clinical research and improve outcomes.

Our goal is clear: to make diabetes management easier for everyone—patients, clinicians, and partners. With the recent funding, we’re able to invest further in expanding our platform to support even more customers and to strengthen our integrations with electronic medical records (EMRs). This not only helps clinicians manage their workloads more effectively but also improves care coordination across the board.

I couldn’t be more excited to lead Glooko through this next phase of growth. We are at the forefront of changing how chronic diseases are managed by leveraging data to create new care pathways that make a real difference in patients’ lives. The possibilities for what we can achieve together are limitless, and I’m eager to work with our incredible team to bring these innovations to life.

This moment marks the beginning of an exciting journey, and I’m confident that, together, we’ll continue to set new standards for chronic condition management—making it easier, more efficient, and more effective for all.

Blood Sugar-Friendly Leftover Hacks from Glooko’s Resident Registered Dietitian

Healthy Eating and Living

It’s hard to believe that my favorite time of the year is here again-the holidays! We’ve been working so hard all year towards the goals we set for ourselves earlier this year and now it’s time to relax, celebrate and enjoy family.

Last year we focused on tips like how to practice mindfulness during the holidays, but this year I figured we would focus on something that combines last year’s theme and the theme of sustainability.

Besides the actual holiday dinner feast, meals made with the leftovers from the holidays tend to be some of the things I look forward to most. Let’s face it-after meal 4 or 5 of the same exact thing, it starts to get old!

This year I’m focusing on something fun and providing you ideas for some blood sugar friendly meals to repurpose some of your holiday leftovers!

TURKEY
Turkey

Turkey is the star of many holiday meals and can continue to be a protein packed base to a breakfast, lunch or even dinner, days after you first enjoy it with family.

Turkey is a lean protein and has about 25 grams of protein for a 3 oz serving of turkey breast. You can add leftover turkey to create:

Turkey Breakfast Hash: Chop up your leftover turkey and saute with bell peppers, onions, and leftover sweet potatoes for a fun breakfast the next morning, filled with fiber and flavor! Pair with eggs for a protein packed scramble.

Turkey Salad: Leftover turkey replaces chicken as the star for this holiday themed chicken salad alternative. Swap mayonnaise for plain low-fat greek yogurt for lower calories, fat and extra protein and add dried cranberries for a fun seasonal twist.

Mini Turkey Shepherd’s Pie: Your leftover turkey and mashed potatoes can be repurposed to make the perfect personal sized shepherd’s pies! Your leftover turkey is transformed with the addition of nutritious veggies like carrots, onions and celery and can be portioned into mini ramekins or mason jars to keep the portion size blood sugar friendly. Top the meat, veggie and gravy mixture with your leftover mashed potatoes-having them mini and pre portioned makes it easier to plan your meal dosing strategy!

SWEET POTATOES

As someone who is originally from the South, “sweet potato casserole” and yams hold a special place in my heart. While you can absolutely enjoy the regular tried and true versions of these during your holiday time with your family, there are several different ways you can repurpose your leftovers (if there’s any left!) into new blood sugar friendly traditions for you and your family to enjoy.

Try blending and using your leftover sweet potatoes as an addition to a seasonal smoothie, soup base, and even some high fiber sweet potato pancakes for the breakfast the morning after your holiday dinner to wow your guests! I recommend a protein pancake or homemade oat flour pancake recipe to keep it more blood sugar friendly.

Simply add the blended sweet potatoes to any of your favorite recipes.

CRANBERRY SAUCE
Cranberry Sauce

Whether it is homemade or store bought, cranberry sauce doesn’t have to be just a sidekick. Even canned cranberry sauce can be cooked down and added to low glycemic fruits like berries to make a topping for things such as greek yogurt parfaits, oatmeal, and desserts like fruit sorbet and homemade nice cream. By melting it down and adding low glycemic fruits to the cranberry sauce, you can minimize the amount of added sugars per serving while still enjoying the holiday flavor that you love!

Whether it be these new takes or your own creations, I hope you find creative ways to enjoy your holiday leftovers that won’t take away from the festivities due to battles with blood sugars. Make sure to use the food tracker, fitness activity tracking, and notes features on your Glooko Mobile App to make notes of all your food and diabetes related experiments-it will help to know what worked and what didn’t.

Don’t forget to tag Glooko in all of your creations and I hope you have a happy holiday season and find joy in all your holiday food adventures!

Season’s Eatings,

Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES

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Design a New Resistance Exercise Program With Glooko’s Resident Fitness Expert!

Move More

Welcome back to my blog. I hope you’ve read my previous blog post on how to increase your daily physical activity and how to design an aerobic exercise program. In the previous post, I talked about how to design a new aerobic exercise program for yourself. This time, I’m going to discuss the benefits of adding resistance exercise to your exercise routine. I will explain some of the benefits of resistance exercise and will give you some tips on how to design and stick to your program.

*Just remember that before you start any exercise program, it’s always important to ask your healthcare provider to make sure you are medically cleared to exercise.

What is resistance exercise?

Workout Equipment

Resistance exercise, also called weight lifting or strength training is a mode of exercise in which you will use a form of resistance (body weight, elastic bands, weights) to build strength and increase muscle mass.

Benefits:

Resistance exercise is beneficial for many reasons. As we age, we lose muscle mass and bone density and research has shown that resistance exercise can help prevent the loss of both muscle and bone.

Additionally, since muscle tissue is sensitive to insulin, research also shows that by building more muscle mass and increasing insulin sensitivity, most individuals with diabetes can better manage their blood glucose.

There is also evidence that indicates adding resistance exercise and improving muscular health can be beneficial in helping us maintain independence in performing activities of daily living, preventing the risk of falls and injuries, and the risk of other age-related chronic conditions.

Programming:

Starting a resistance exercise program on your own can seem challenging, but by being aware of key factors and knowing how to address them, you can set yourself up for success. Here are important things to consider and how to approach them when beginning your resistance exercise program:

  • Mode: You can choose between free weights (such as dumbbells and barbells), weight machines, resistance bands, or simply your bodyweight. It’s best to start with weight machines if you have access to the gym. Resistance bands and bodyweight exercises are also excellent options to start with and learn the movements especially if you don’t want to go to a gym.
  • Intensity: For adjusting intensity, you need to determine your movements, weights, sets, repetitions, and rest period:

    • Movement selection: It’s always best to choose movements that involve more than one joint such as squat, deadlift, push up, row, and shoulder press. There are lots of variations to these exercises. For the start, let’s stay away from free weights (dumbbells and barbells) and instead do bodyweights (meaning use your own body weight as resistance), resistance bands, or weight machines.For bodyweight movements like squats and push-ups, your body weight provides the resistance. Focus on proper form and technique before adding external weight or resistance. If using resistance bands, choose bands with a level of resistance to match your current strength level. Start with a lighter band and gradually progress to heavier ones as you get stronger. If using weight machines, pay attention to how to load, unload, and adjust the machine for optimal body positioning.

    • Weight selection, sets, repetitions, and rest period: You can load your movements by adding weights, choosing different body positions, or using different bands. The more you load the movement (meaning the more you add resistance), the lower the number of repetitions. And you should always feel challenged towards the end of the repetitions in each set. For example when doing 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions, when you get to the 7th or 8th repetition in each set, you should feel that it gets noticeably more challenging. That’s how you know you have chosen the right amount of weights!

      If it’s the first time doing resistance exercise, start with bodyweight movements, and bands and aim at doing 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions regardless of how hard it feels. As you get better at doing the movements and learn the technique, you can start using machines, free weights, or heavier bands and follow the rule above to choose the right amount of weights. When choosing machines and free weights, you can start with 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions and work your way up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions or 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions. Remember the lower the number of repetitions, the heavier the weights.

      Also, you need to rest for 30 to 90 seconds between each set.

  • Frequency: Start off with 1-2 times per week and aim at increasing it to 3 times per week.
  • Duration: Always aim at completing about 8-10 exercises (3 sets of 8-10 reps) that cover major muscle groups in each session.
  • Progression and variation:
    • Progression and variations are two key elements to help you get stronger, build muscle mass, and help keep you motivated. You can do this by:

      • Changing the order of exercises you do

      • Doing different exercise variations (for example, if you’ve been doing barbell back squats, switch to front squats)

      • Changing the number of sets, repetitions, and weights

      • Choosing between machines, free weights, bodyweights, or resistance bands

  • Exercise form and technique: Exercise form is crucial when doing resistance exercise. That’s why it’s recommended that beginners start with bodyweight exercises and resistance bands to learn and master movements first. Multi-joint movements such as squat, deadlift, shoulder press, chest press, and row all need practice. Never rush to begin loading your movements. If you are not sure of your technique, join a local gym and ask for a free personal training session. You can also use online resources such as this exercise library from American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Best Practices

Adherence is crucial to the success of any exercise program. Here are some valuable tips to help you stick to your new resistance exercise routine:

Working Out

  1. Pay attention to your form. Proper form and technique are important to avoid injury. One of the reasons people drop out of exercise programs is experiencing pain or injuries. So, make sure that you learn the proper forms and techniques with minimal loads before loading your movements. You can watch yourself in the mirror or even film yourself to see your form later.

  2. Make it fun: Choose exercises and variations that you enjoy. If you like what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stick with it.

  3. Prevent excessive muscle soreness. Pay attention to how your body responds after each workout. Some soreness is normal, especially when starting a new program or increasing intensity. However, excessive soreness that interferes with daily activities is a sign that you may have progressed too quickly. And let’s face it, excessive muscle soreness after exercise is not fun! You can avoid this by progressing slowly. For example, if your goal is to do 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions, increase the weights only when you can complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions without feeling excessive fatigue or soreness the day after.

  4. Allow for recovery: Give your muscles time to recover between workouts. Adequate rest is essential for muscle repair and growth, as well as reducing soreness.

  5. Be patient and realistic: Understand that progress takes time. Avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on your own journey.

  6. Reward yourself: Celebrate your achievements, both big and small. Rewards can help reinforce positive behavior.

  7. Overcome barriers: Identify potential obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them. Whether it’s lack of time, motivation, or resources, having a plan in place can help.

  8. Monitor your blood glucose. Remember to monitor your blood glucose before, during (if possible), and after an exercise session to learn how your body reacts to your new exercise routine. Take a look at this resource from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and see how you can get started safely with exercise while monitoring your blood glucose.
    One way to keep track of your blood glucose is to download and use the Glooko app. You can also connect and sync your activity tracker app, including iHealth, Fitbit, or Strava, to Glooko. This way, you can see both your blood glucose and activity data in one place. This way, you can always review your own data and determine what works best for you.

Now, it’s time for you to start creating your resistance exercise program using the guidance above. I hope this information can help you in your journey to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Sanaz Nosrat, PhD, CSCS, ACE PT

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Tips for Better Diabetes Management When Travelling

Tips for travelling wtih diabetes

Welcome to a new series from Nurse Amanda full of useful health tips for people with diabetes! I’ve been a registered children’s nurse for over 23 years and I’ve had a special interest in diabetes for over 11 years.

To kick off this new series, our first blog post will cover travel. With school out for the summer, you may have a holiday booked. I certainly look forward to the family holiday every year. However, living with diabetes and organising a holiday is not just about what clothes to pack, it’s a whole load more. Diabetes also needs to be planned for during vacations.

TRAVEL TIPS

  • Insulin for people with diabetesSet an alarm on the Glooko® Mobile App to remind you to order your consumables and GP prescription well in advance.
  • Take double the amount of equipment you need and carry it in your hand luggage. If you are travelling with a partner, split the equipment between both bags, just in case one gets lost. Sometimes airlines will permit extra luggage if they are contacted prior to arriving at the airport.
  • Always wear some form of diabetes I.D. to alert others to your chronic condition.
  • Make sure you have adequate travel insurance and the company has been made aware that you have diabetes.
  • You can ask for a customs letter from your health care team to help you through security with your insulin and pen needles.
  • Always carry some hypo treatment and be prepared to test your blood glucose more regularly. You could use a Bluetooth enabled blood glucose meter (BGM) to sync your results with Glooko for your care team to support you whilst you are away.
  • If you use an insulin pump to manage your diabetes, some companies can provide a holiday pump service, so you can take a spare insulin pump with you. There’s no harm in asking. If this is needed, you can login to your Glooko account and see your latest device settings to programme the spare pump. Don’t forget to take your back up insulin pens as well!
  • You can keep an eye on your glucose control through the recently redesigned Glooko® Mobile App.
  • Track your food during your holiday with the Glooko Mobile App on your phone so you can see how different foods affect your diabetes.
  • You may have a change in your activity levels. You can also track these within the Glooko® Mobile App to review how it affects your glucose control.

You also need to think about what kind of holiday it is. Will it be warm or cold?

TIPS FOR TRAVELLING IN HEAT

Insulin pen for people with diabetesPlease note, not everyone with diabetes will react the same to weather changes or changes in physical activity. Although some find heat can increase the sensitivity of insulin resulting in hypos, it is not always the case. Experiment how your body responds to heat changes and be fully prepared. You can keep a log of your symptoms in the Notes section of the Glooko app and also log any physical activity.

  • Keep your insulin and meter as cool as you can without freezing it so the insulin does not get damaged.
  • Store spare insulin in a cold or cool place. Most hotels have a fridge.
  • If you are using an insulin pump, consider changing the insulin cartridge more regularly than at home, especially if your blood glucose is rising.
  • Keep your pump and insulin out of the sun as much as possible. Consider using an insulin cooler bag.
  • Your cannula may not stick as well being in and out of the pool or the suncream formula, so consider some form of extra adhesive.

COLD WEATHER TRAVEL TIPS

  • Keep your BGM close to your body as much as possible to keep it warm.
  • Add some extra wrapping around your BGM and insulin.
  • If you’re sleeping in tents or somewhere cold at night, make sure your BGM is in bed with you next to your body. Be careful not to roll on it and cause damage.
  • If the insulin has frozen or does not look clear with specks or lumps in it, throw it away and open a new vial.

Another worry may be if you are travelling across time zones and treating your diabetes with an insulin pump and basal settings. To alleviate anxiety, try these tips.

TIPS FOR TRAVELLING ACROSS TIME ZONES

Glooko for diabetes management when travellingA time zone change of up to four hours can be managed by adjusting the insulin pump’s clock to the new destination time.

Time zone changes of four hours or more can be managed by adjusting the insulin pump’s clock by four hours before you board the plane. After a couple of days, you can change it to the destination time. On return, use the same method to revert back to your home local time. You can also set reminders in the Glooko app to alert you to change the time.

Remember to check blood glucose levels more frequently whilst doing this and treat any short-term complications accordingly.

I hope you follow my tips for a better diabetes management experience while travelling.

And most of all, enjoy your holiday!

Amanda Stoney, RN (CHILD), BSc (HONS), Specialist Practitioner, PG Certificate

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An Educational Summer Internship Experience at Glooko

Glooko Summer Interns

This summer, we have interns across various functions at Glooko who are working in administrative and technical positions. Through their rewarding roles, they’re making an impact at our digital health company and helping us better our connected care technologies that improve the lives of people with diabetes and related chronic conditions.

Meet our summer interns and hear about their experiences at Glooko.

SUMMER INTERNS

Glooko Summer InternsBased in California, Salvatore Colli, a supply chain major and senior at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, is working on the corporate finance team on projects aligned with sales. He’s using his knowledge to help guide global data and reporting projects around contracts, lead and accounts within Salesforce. He’s found that Glooko has helped prepare him for his future career in a variety of ways, including perfecting multitasking, getting a better grasp of industry software platforms and learning how to better communicate and be organized. His favorite part of interning has been connecting with his colleagues, who are always insightful, professional and have a sense of humor.

Hailing from Connecticut, Jess Innes, a senior at Southern New Hampshire University, is working on our cybersecurity team. Her projects this summer have included audits, policy revisions and security alerts. Through her work, she believes Glooko is helping prepare her for her future career in cybersecurity. She’s found her team to be very enjoyable while working remotely and getting closer to completing her major in cybersecurity.

Jacob Liclican, a recent graduate from University of San Francisco with a major in marketing, joined our human resources team for the summer. He’s working meticulously on maintaining HR Information Systems (HRIS) records and learning more about databases each day. While Glooko has been teaching him the responsibilities and tasks associated within various departments to prepare him for his future career, he’s also had the opportunity to meet many of his colleagues in-person and virtually who he’s found to be very welcoming and supportive.

Tran Nguyen, a Connecticut-based senior at Southern New Hampshire University majoring in information technology, is spending her summer on our IT operations team. During her experience, she has been able to gain working knowledge of various softwares and processes, audits and policy revisions, while managing multiple help desk tickets from employees. She found her tasks this summer to be very interesting and her teammates to be quite helpful.

In our product management department, Lukas Nykaza, a student at Mahomet-Seymour High School in Illinois, is helping document the activation workflows of the recently redesigned Glooko® Mobile App. At our connected care company this summer, he’s learning if product and data management could be a future career. He’s enjoying the flexibility that Glooko provides to their interns and the opportunity to gain knowledge that he will be able to put to future use.

We’re thankful for all the contributions of our interns this summer!

Interested in furthering your career at Glooko? Explore open roles around the world.

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Keep Cool This Summer with Healthy Eating Tips from Glooko’s Resident Registered Dietitian

Glooko's Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES with Tasty Frozen Treats for People with Diabetes

​​Summer is one of the best seasons for multiple reasons: we’re in full vacation mode, the sun is shining, the grills are sizzling and the beach is calling more often than not. There is only one not necessarily welcome thing that the summer brings…the heat!

Staying hydrated and avoiding being overheated is important for everyone, but it can be especially critical for people with diabetes and other related chronic conditions. Overheating can potentially lead to dehydration, which may impact your time in range. If you’re someone using insulin, it can get impacted if it’s left out in the heat for too long. Certain medications used for cholesterol and blood pressure management can also cause you to be more sensitive to the sun.

While your own personal care team can help you with solving some of these potential concerns, never fear your favorite RD is here with some tips that will help in the tastebud department and keep you cool all summer long!

FROZEN TREATS

Frozen treats are notorious for having lots of carbohydrates and sugar. While all foods can work for people with diabetes and related chronic conditions, it is important to discuss with your care team how to best moderate these and incorporate them into your own way of eating. Check out some typical frozen treat favorites and some diabetes friendly versions below!

Popsicles

In the grand scheme of things, popsicles aren’t really the highest carbohydrate frozen treat. You can make them even more nutritious by crafting your own with fruit and either a liquid of your choice or Greek yogurt and freezing in molds until ready to enjoy. The fruit will add some additional vitamins and Greek yogurt will add protein to the treat to keep you fuller and aid in stabilizing blood sugars.

Pro Tips:

  • Make sure that when choosing your yogurt or liquid that you aim for foods with 10g of added sugar or less to promote a favorable blood sugar response.
  • Try chocolate coconut water and chopped strawberries for a hydrating chocolate covered strawberry treat on the go!

Ice Cream, Smoothies and Sherbet

Smoothie Bowl for People with DiabetesIce cream is one of the most classic frozen treats around, but can be seen as a hard-to-bolus for food for some due to its high sugar and fat content. The high saturated fat can also be seen as a concern for those with chronic conditions such as high cholesterol.

Grocery stores sell sugar-free or low carb ice creams, smoothies or sherbets, but it is even easier to just make it yourself at home! Typically, I have some form of unsweetened non-dairy milk (great for people on a vegan diet, but also low in carbs) and frozen fruit around for smoothies that can be repurposed to make sherbet. Dairy milk can also be used, but keep in mind that it can add more carbohydrates and dietary fat to the sherbet. As long as you have a high powered blender and 5 minutes, you can make your own treat in no time or effort!

Pro Tip:

  • I usually add a sweetener, such as erythritol or monk fruit, to minimize the impact to my blood sugars without having to think about it. You can also use real sugar or honey as long as you are mindful of your portion sizes and the amount used.

Frozen Fruit

Frozen Strawberries for People with DiabetesAs simple as this seems, frozen fruit is one of the most underrated frozen treats out there for people with diabetes. You can buy and store a large amount at a time, the fruit is frozen at its peak ripeness, and it’s so versatile! From freezing and enjoying as-is to adding to sparkling water for an ice cube that doubles as a snack, frozen fruit is definitely something that you can use to keep you cool, hydrated and meeting your personal fiber goals.

Pro Tip:

  • You can also freeze fresh fruit, especially those that have been hanging out in your fridge for a couple weeks! Watermelon is especially a great choice for this as its water content is more than 90%. Just blend fresh watermelon cubes and place in an ice cube mold. Freeze until solid and you have a natural popsicle, or a fun addition to your sparkling water or low carb summer cocktails. The watermelon cube eventually melts and transforms the beverage into something more fun and substantial. Remember to talk to your healthcare provider about incorporating alcoholic beverages before trying this one out though!

While you can have a slice of ice cream cake and eat it too, the simple swaps above can help to keep you beat the heat and help you conquer your diabetes and related chronic conditions during these summer months!

Here’s a recipe to also keep you cool this summer. This smoothie bowl recipe is packed with heart healthy ingredients and can easily be transformed into a refreshing acaí sorbet. Just add a lower sugar or plain yogurt to help increase thickness and creaminess!

Smoothie Bowl Recipe (PDF)

Glooko Mobile App for People with DiabetesBe sure to track your food intake and write down the recipes for your creations in the notes section of the recently redesigned Glooko® Mobile App. You can share the data with your provider and tweak the recipe to continue to improve the response it has for you.

Don’t forget to tag @Glooko or myself (@BalancedWithBridgetWood) on Instagram, and use the hashtags, #BetterTogether and #BalancedWithBridgetWood, to showcase your fabulous frozen treats!

Stay cool (and hydrated!),

​​Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES

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Top 3 Things You Don’t Want to Miss from Glooko at ADCES23

Glooko at ADCES23

​​If you’re planning to attend the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists’ ADCES23 in Houston, Team Glooko wants to meet you at booth #1101 to share the latest updates to our digital health technologies.

​​Some of the exciting activities that you can expect from us at the meeting:

    1. Product Demos: We’ll provide live demos of the recently redesigned Glooko® Mobile App, available now in the App Store and Google Play Store. The sleek, new design improves onboarding for patients with diabetes and makes it even easier for them to input, view and understand their health data.
    2. Ask An Expert: Our booth will host experienced clinicians who will share how their clinics and patients are benefitting from Glooko’s connected care platforms and achieving better health outcomes. Experts at these informal sessions include:
      • Gary Scheiner, MS, CDCES, Integrated Diabetes Services (Friday: 9 to 10 a.m.; Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) He will cover data analysis and interpretation for a variety of devices, including CGMs, insulin pumps and AID systems. Gary will walk through the various Glooko reports he relies on for different patients and the insights they provide.
      • Susan Weiner, RDN, CDCES, Susan Weiner Nutrition (Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Saturday: 9 to 10 a.m.) She will review how best to support patients in their self-care by leveraging and incorporating Glooko into their daily lives. She’ll also review various functionalities within the Glooko Mobile App and what she likes most about them from a patient engagement and user experience standpoint.
      • Allison Nimlos, LMFT, CDCES, Greater Than Counseling & Coaching (Saturday: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.) She will focus on the psychosocial aspects of diabetes care management, including how data can be both empowering and anxiety inducing. Allison will discuss how she onboards newly diagnosed patients by leveraging the app’s different data visualization tools to best support the patient’s mental well-being and desired behavioral changes.
      • Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES, Glooko (Friday: 10 to 11:30 a.m.; Sunday: 9 to 11 a.m.) She will discuss how she uses Glooko as a person living with Type I diabetes. Bridget will also share how to enhance a virtual diabetes coaching practice using the health data in the Glooko Mobile App from both the provider and patient experiences.
    3. Glooko App's Food TrackerFood Tracker: People with diabetes can use the innovative food tracker feature of the Glooko® Mobile App to easily log their food intake, view their food data alongside data from compatible diabetes and health monitoring devices, medications and insulin, and keep a historical account of how food affects their chronic condition.

​​Be sure to also check out our blog series from Glooko’s very own experts.

See you in Houston!

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Glooko Showcases its Connected Care Solutions that Improve Health Outcomes at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 83rd Scientific Sessions

Glooko at the American Diabetes Association's 83rd Scientific Sessions

​​Team Glooko at the American Diabetes Association's 83rd Scientific SessionsAt the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 83rd Scientific Sessions in San Diego, Team Glooko was thrilled to connect with so many old and new friends on the tradeshow floor and during industry events.

​​During the conference, our team showcased how our innovative connected care platforms for people living with diabetes and their healthcare providers improve health outcomes. We also provided live demos of the Glooko® Mobile App, which has a sleek new design that makes diabetes management even easier. The redesign boasts improved patient onboarding and streamlined data visualizations that allow for easy inputting, viewing and understanding of health data.

Glooko Product Demo at the American Diabetes Association's 83rd Scientific SessionsAt our booth, we hosted “Ask an Expert” where leading clinicians, including University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine’s Mark Clements, MD PhD CPI FAAP, Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. M. Cecilia Lansang, Rady Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Carla Demeterco-Berggren and Integrated Diabetes Services’ Gary Scheiner, shared how their clinics and patients benefit from the Glooko connected care platforms. The expert clinicians also discussed Glooko’s EHR integration, patient engagement, remote care and population health capabilities with attendees.

Representatives from Dexcom, one of our many device partners, visited our booth to share how their continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) work with our platform for improved diabetes management.

On the tradeshow floor, our team talked with some users of our connected care platforms to hear how Glooko has positively impacted their clinics. Here’s what they said:

Team Glooko at the 2023 DiabetesMine #DData ExChangeWe were also a proud sponsor of the sold-out Summer 2023 DiabetesMine D-Data ExChange, where we held live demos of Glooko. The event was packed with informative and inspiring discussions on the latest developments in diabetes technology.

We look forward to showcasing our latest digital health innovations next year at ADA 2024 in Orlando!

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Discussing All Things Diabetes with Glooko’s Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES and her Diabesties

Glooko's Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES and Her Diabesties

​​This month, we’re celebrating diabesties, people with diabetes who understand your experiences living with the chronic condition.

​​As you know, I’m fully immersed in the world of diabetes, whether it’s my experience as an RD and diabetes educator or my experience working for a diabetes company, I definitely can get my fair share of all things diabetes.

​​With that said, my most memorable experiences and friendships have come from being a part of the diabetes online community. You can find healthcare providers, organizations and other peers all living with diabetes all around the world. There is nothing more uniting than someone else who “gets it” and in the words of my friends here at Glooko, we certainly are better together.

​​Watch my conversation with two of my diabesties at Glooko, Clinical Trial Specialist Sam Rapp and Senior Partner Manager Hadley Horton, as we cover how and when they were diagnosed, how they manage their diabetes, how Glooko makes their day-to-day easier, what they wish people without diabetes knew about living with the chronic condition and what their favorite hard-to-bolus food is.

​​Check out some resources below to help find your own diabesties online or in person near you.

Your friend in food and health,

​​Bridget Wood, RD, LD, CDCES

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