What to Write About: Your Guide to Wellness Journaling

If you're using a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) as part of the Insulin Sensitivity Method, there's one habit that can make or break your results: journaling.

It might feel like an extra chore on top of an already data-heavy process. But here's the thing — your CGM only tells half the story. Your journal fills in the rest.

Why Journaling Matters

Your CGM shows you what is happening to your glucose. Your journal tells you why.

Without notes on what you ate, how you moved, how you slept, or how stressed you felt, a glucose spike on the chart is just a spike — a mystery with no context. But when you can connect that spike to a specific meal, a rough night's sleep, or a stressful afternoon, it stops being a mystery. It becomes a pattern. And patterns are what actually help you make changes that work.

The rule of thumb: the more complete and accurate your journal, the easier it is to spot what's helping you — and what's holding you back.

You Are Not "Everyone Else"

One of the most important things to remember: we are all different.

What works beautifully for your friend, your coworker, or some influencer online might do nothing for you — or even work against you. There's no universal formula here. The whole point of pairing a journal with your CGM data is to learn your body's specific responses, so you can build an approach that's actually built for you.

To do that, we look at how your body responds across the 6 Pillars of Human and Planetary Health: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, emotional connection, and exposure to substances.

You've been given a journal with some starter prompts — but don't feel limited by it. Add your own notes freely. Here's what to pay attention to in each pillar.

🍽️ Nutrition

Log everything you eat, in as much detail as you can — what, how much, and when. A quick photo works great if writing it out feels like too much.

Just as important: how did the food make you feel? Mentally sharp, groggy, light, heavy, tired, gassy, sleepy, crampy, bloated — all useful data points.

A few things to track through the day:

• Breakfast — Aim for savory, with plenty of protein, fiber, and good fats, and go light on sugar (yes, including fruit). This meal sets the tone for your blood sugar the rest of the day.

• Mid-morning snack — Something with fiber and protein is your best bet.

• Lunch — How did you feel afterward? Sharp and productive, or foggy and sluggish?

• Mid-afternoon snack — Notice any cravings here. A fermented option like kefir, kombucha, or yogurt can help.

• Dinner — What did you eat, how much time passed before bed, and was there any alcohol or dessert involved?

A few extra things worth tracking daily:

• Protein — Are you hitting roughly 1g per pound of ideal body weight? If not, how close did you get, and what could you add? (Animal sources: beef, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, organ meats. Plant sources: tempeh, tofu, beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, chia, edamame.)

• Plants — How many did you eat today? This includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

• Color — Did your plate include a range of colors — green, red, yellow, purple, orange?

• Fermented foods — Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, kombucha, yogurt?

• Vinegar trick — Did you have a little vinegar in water before carbs or treats?

• Fluids — Coffee, tea, alcohol, water, soda, energy drinks, smoothies — it all counts.

🏃 Physical Activity

Movement doesn't just mean formal exercise — walking, gardening, cooking, and cleaning all count too.

• How long did you sit today, overall?

• How long did you move, and how intense did it feel?

• Did you move after meals?

• Any weight-bearing exercise?

• Any cardio? What was your max heart rate — were you winded?

• Any balance or rhythmic activity (yoga, dance, tai chi, etc.)?

• Did you enjoy it? Was it solo or with others?

😴 Sleep

• What time did you wake up and go to bed — and is that your usual pattern?

• How many hours did you sleep total?

• On a scale of 0–10, how rested did you feel when you woke up?

• Did you wake up during the night? What woke you, at what time, and did you notice any specific sensation?

• Could you fall back asleep? How long did it take?

• Did you nap the day before — and how did you feel afterward?

• Any snoring or sleep apnea? Allergies?

• Was your room cold, dark, and quiet?

• Did you sleep alone or share a bed?

• Anything (or anyone) keeping you up?

• Did you follow a bedtime routine — a bath or hot shower, reading, meditation, progressive relaxation?

🧘 Stress Management

• What was your stress level today, and what caused it?

• What do you do to relieve stress — and did you do it today?

• What did you do for fun, and were you alone or with others?

• Did you spend any time outside, in nature, or in the sun?

❤️ Emotional Connection

• What was your overall mood — sad, happy, excited, angry, in love? Was there a clear cause?

• What brought you joy today?

• Did you connect with friends or family?

• Did you do something kind for someone else, or for the planet?

🌿 Substances

• Any medications today?

• Any vitamins or supplements — and were they NSF Certified?

• Any alcohol? How much, at what time, alone or with others?

• Any recreational drugs? How much, at what time, alone or with others?

The Bottom Line

Your CGM gives you the data. Your journal gives you the story. Together, they help you connect the dots — so you can figure out what truly works for your body, not just what's supposed to work in theory.