So, how does Sync work?

The way to Sync between who you are and what you do.

I’ve spent my last blog posts explaining my transition to becoming a health-tech focused entrepreneur, and why monitoring our health in real-time, and especially our blood sugar, is critical for our long-term well-being. But I feel it’s about time to provide everyone with a more concrete description of what the Sync app (my new venture) will do for us.

The Goal

My partners in the company and I are set out to help our customers achieve one main goal, and this is to constantly keep their blood sugar levels within an acceptable range (read here for details on why you should do it). There are pharmaceutical approaches to help someone achieve this goal (like taking Metformin or other drugs), but we believe that adapting our diet to control our glucose is the more natural way to achieve this goal, and hence, the best for the long term.

That is why the second part of our goal is to help Sync users identify the right foods and other activities that help them keep their glucose in check; knowledge is power. By recording both the meals we eat and our glucose levels throughout the day, we can get the insights we need to adapt our choices and improve over time. It’s all about improving through experimentation and finding out what works for each of us individually.

The How

If you subscribe to to our waiting list and get access to the Sync programme, we will send you a package containing two Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices (Freestyle Libre manufactured by Abbott). At the same time, you will get access to the Sync app which is still in closed Beta and not available on the AppStore (available only for iPhones, for now).

The next step for you will be to “install” the sensor on your arm - a totally painless experience, attaching a coin-sized sensor. Here’s Daphne, our Head of Content, presenting how it all works on video. Each sensor can operate for 14 days before it needs replacement to continue. So with the two sensors, you’ll receive from Sync, you will have a full 28-day program to fully align your diet with your body’s biorhythm - the Sync between who you are and what you do.

When you open the Sync app you will be prompted to “activate” your newly installed sensor and then you’ll be able to scan the sensor by using the Sync app. “Scanning the sensor” means that every 8 hours (or more frequently, if you wish so) you will have to hold your mobile device close to the sensor, so the two devices can “talk to each other” by using the NFC protocol and transmit your glucose data from the sensor to the Sync app (you don’t have to have your arm naked, it will still work even if you wear heavy clothing).

Why every 8 hours? Because the sensor can hold up to 8 hours of glucose data from your body. So if you scan your sensor every 8 hours you will have a full 24-hour view of your glucose data - but personally, I’m scanning much more frequently because I can’t wait to see my numbers. This new technology is miraculous compared to the finger pricks diabetics had to go through up until a few years ago, which gave them only a static view of their glucose levels.

This is the one out of two actions you can do using the Sync app. The second action is to manually record the meals and drinks you consume every day. We’re building a very intuitive and user-friendly experience to make it as easy as possible for you to make this a habit you enjoy, but more improvements will come soon. So what do we do with every meal you record with Sync? We’re looking at the way your glucose evolves after the time you had your meal, and then we give it a score. 

The algorithm behind this score is calculated based on how much your glucose levels increased as a result of your meal, and how long they stayed up before going down again, with the help of insulin. This score (we call it the Sync score) is the most intuitive way for you to understand which foods are right for you and which you should avoid, and it’s expressed on a scale of 1 to 10.

Et voilà! After a few weeks, you’ll know how to adapt your diet to your body and you’re on your way to personalized nutrition and getting your metabolic health in top shape. 

PS: Naturally, our glucose levels are impacted by more activities than just our food. We’ll soon be able to give you access to more tools that allow you to better understand how all your daily activities impact your glucose levels and hence your health, mood, and energy. Stay tuned!