The Glucose Never Lies® Podcast

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Every few months, The Glucose Never Lies stops and takes stock. No single guest, no single topic: three CGM Series episodes have landed since the last round-up, Grace has a new model, and John has appeared on two podcasts that are not his own. This episode covers all of it.

Anjanee Kohli is Co-Director and Creative Director of The Glucose Never Lies® and the host for this episode. John Pemberton is founder of The Glucose Never Lies® and a paediatric diabetes dietitian at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; he is also a person living with T1D. This episode reflects the independent views of both.

This episode covers:
- CGM Series catch-up: episodes 38, 39, and 40 in one conversation
- The IFCC glucose stress test: what it measures, the CE-versus-FDA accuracy gap, and the car crash analogy for insulin-dosing sensors
- The MDI generation gap: why people on injections have had one generation of CGM while pump users have had five
- What 17 early adopters actually reported about Night Low Predict and Glucose Predict on the Accu-Chek SmartGuide
- Grace's new model: free for people with T1D, HCP at £25 a month, Max at £60 a month, plus-one at £5 a month
- The near-bankruptcy moment: flat architecture to wiki retrieval layer, cost reduced to roughly five per cent
- Why Grace has no memory by design: the deliberate reasoning behind a deliberate constraint
- John on Diabetech (Gary Shiner's show, hosted by Justin): CGM international testing standards
- John on Tomorrow's Medicine with Arseniy Arsentyev: how Grace was built, the antibody result that started it, and what nearly ended it
- AI and healthcare work: the people who adapt, the people who hide behind procedure, and what cannot be automated

Show notes: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-41-cgm-series-grace-diabetech/

Before this episode, John appeared on:
Diabetech (Gary Shiner's show, hosted by Justin): https://youtu.be/6sxM1HOxcP4?si=2B3lHzyjSBgPKYfb
Tomorrow's Medicine with Arseniy Arsentyev: https://youtu.be/60MZGAk86NY?si=l3oF1J37EiI7fcCE

Have more questions? Ask GNL Grace, a diabetes educational advisor built by a team with skin in the game. Grace gets you 80% of the way there with 20% of the effort; the final 20% takes self-discovery, guided by human expertise and trial-and-error learning. https://theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-grace/

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.

The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gnlfree

Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton, [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli, [email protected]

Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
LinkedIn Anjanee Kohli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjanee-kohli-chohan-1b22a217b/
Instagram Anjanee Kohli: https://www.instagram.com/anjanee.dietitian
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.

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People on MDI have had one generation of CGM technology: a sensor that tells you what your glucose is doing now, with a 15-minute trend arrow. While pump users have moved through five iterations, injection users have been waiting. The Accu-Chek SmartGuide is the first attempt at a second generation - and this episode asks whether it delivers.
Amy Jolley is a Highly Specialised Dietitian, Lead Educator at the Diabetes Technology Network UK, and Lead for the Young Adult and Transition Service at Salford NHS Foundation Trust. This episode is not endorsed by Roche Diagnostics, but the experience of a healthcare professional's experience of putting 17 people onto the SmartGuide in one week, running group onboarding sessions, and asking them to come back and tell her what actually happened. Her host, John Pemberton, is founder of The Glucose Never Lies® and a person living with T1D. 
This episode covers:
- Why MDI has been stuck at Generation 1 while pump technology moved through five iterations
- Night Low Predict: RAG ratings, first-half versus second-half of the night, and how to teach it
- Glucose Predict: the 45-minute action window versus the two-hour awareness window
- What 17 early adopters actually reported back
- How the 45-minute look ahead reduces the rage bolus
- Why calibration is an educational opportunity, not a drawback
- CGM market saturation and the DTN quality standard
- The DTN Competency Assessment Framework: four tiers, self-assessment, a training passport for clinicians
- GNL Grace in clinical practice: Amy's feedback from a specialist service supporting 700 AID users
Show notes: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/accu-chek-smartguide-mdi-cgm-series/
Have more questions? Ask GNL Grace, a diabetes educational advisor built by a team with skin in the game. Grace gets you 80% of the way there with 20% of the effort; the final 20% takes self-discovery, guided by human expertise and trial-and-error learning. https://theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-grace/
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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gnlfree
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton, [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli, [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
LinkedIn Anjanee Kohli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjanee-kohli-chohan-1b22a217b/
Instagram Anjanee Kohli: https://www.instagram.com/anjanee.dietitian
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Michael Skarlatos from Abbott UK Medical Affairs joins John Pemberton for the second manufacturer episode of the CGM Series. A former diabetes specialist dietitian at University Hospitals of Leicester, Michael brings real clinical experience to an honest breakdown of the FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus and 3 Plus.
This episode covers:
- Why Abbott accuracy data qualifies these sensors for insulin dosing: ICGM approved, 20/20 performance ~95-96%, outside-40/40 error rate 0.2%
- What 70% smaller means in practice: form factor, stigma, and the all-in-one applicator on Libre 3 Plus
- Pump integrations now and the roadmap: CamAPS FX, Omnipod 5, and what is coming
- Libreview: why Abbott moved off Glooko and what population health management enables
- Libreview Pro in SystmOne and EMIS with SNOMED-coded CGM metrics
- A critical data nuance: glucose measured every minute on the patient app but recorded every 5 minutes in clinical downloads
- Continuous ketone monitoring: what Abbott has in development and who benefits most
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and CGM Series overview
00:57 Michaels background and Leicester NHS Trust
02:25 Moving from NHS to Abbott Medical Affairs
03:27 Accuracy credentials: ICGM approval and 20/20 performance
05:44 FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: size and form factor
09:25 Pump integrations: CamAPS FX, Omnipod 5, and the roadmap
10:19 ICGM interoperability: US vs CE marking in Europe
12:05 Fifteen-day wear period
12:28 Abbott market history: free samples and patient-led adoption
14:04 Simplicity of onboarding and multi-language support
16:58 Starter clinics: taking onboarding off the HCP
19:33 Libreview and population health management
23:21 EHR integration, SNOMED codes, and QOF implications
25:46 Practical tips: Bluetooth connectivity and the app cache
29:23 Minute-by-minute data vs five-minute trend recording
30:58 Low glucose event thresholds and hypo underreporting
31:42 Continuous ketone monitoring: what is coming from Abbott
37:52 CGM beyond type 1 and patient advocacy
40:17 Closing thoughts
LINKS
Show notes: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-38-freestyle-libre-abbott/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/IW1sa5APHU8
CGM Series: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/10-13-cgm-series/
GNL Explorers: https://theglucoseneverli
Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Three months ago, GNL was a website full of excellent content that was genuinely hard to find. In Episode 38, John Pemberton and Creative Director Anjanee Kohli talk through what happened next: a complete website rebuild, five interactive explorers, the launch of GNL Grace, real-world validation on 1.5 million patient days, and what the Robin Hood model of type 1 diabetes education actually means.
In this episode:
CGM guide update and the five-out-of-five accuracy chart
How the five GNL Explorers work and how clinicians are using them in practice
GNL Grace: a bounded AI educational advisor built on 2,000 curated citations
Three Grace tiers: Basic (free), Pro (30 queries/month for subscribers), Max (manuscript-grade output)
The Robin Hood model: industry grants fund free education for everyone
Real-world validation: 33 assessments on 1.5 million patient days
Why the skill of the future in healthcare is compassion, not knowledge
Phil Hayes joining as Technical Director
GNL merch and the Diabetes UK giveaway
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:55 GNL Grace announcement
02:32 CGM guide and accuracy chart
05:30 Phil Hayes and the explorer infrastructure
09:40 GNL Grace: the six-layer bounded AI
10:50 Grace tiers and the Robin Hood model
13:31 Grace Max: manuscript-grade output
17:31 Real-world validation on 1.5 million patient days
19:58 The skill of the future is compassion
30:09 What went wrong and lessons learned
35:06 GNL merch
36:10 Closing
Links:
Show notes: theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-38-quarterly-review
GNL Grace: theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-grace
GNL Explorers: theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-explorers
CGM Series hub: theglucoseneverlies.com/10-13-cgm-series
Host: John Pemberton. Director of Creativity: Anjanee Kohli.
This content is for educational exploration only. It is not medical advice and cannot replace individual clinical guidance from your diabetes care team.
Support GNL: https://buy.stripe.com/9B63cx4UO3KEdKC0Sp7Re00
The Glucose Never Lies® is a registered trademark of The GNL Ltd. Company No. 16733595. UK VAT No. GB 516 3272 08.
Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suggest guests or get in contact
Most people with T1D have switched their CGM high alert off. Not because they do not care - because it goes off every time they eat and there is nothing they can do about it. Episode 37 is about what Dexcom built to fix that.
Adam Dawes, Senior Medical Affairs Manager at Dexcom UK and Ireland - and a former paediatric diabetes nurse specialist - joins John Pemberton for the third manufacturer episode of the CGM Series. An honest clinical conversation about the Dexcom G7 and ONE+, what separates them, and where Dexcom is heading next.
This episode covers:
- Dexcom G7 vs Dexcom ONE+: same hardware platform, different software, and what that means for matching the right sensor to the right patient
- Delay 1st Alert: why it is one of the most underused alerts in CGM, how it eliminates alarm fatigue without reducing safety, and how John uses it himself
- AID integrations: Tandem T:slim X2, Omnipod 5, mylife, and the Tandem Mobi
- CGM for type 2 diabetes: the biofeedback argument and why immediate glucose feedback changes behaviour in ways a quarterly HbA1c never can
- The Dexcom roadmap from ATTD 2026: 15-day sensor, Dexcom G8 next generation sensor, EPIC integration, Clarity updates, and generative AI
- Why insulin dosing will never be a commodity market - and what people with T1D need to understand as new CGMs enter the UK
- The FDA manufacturing findings: what happened, how Dexcom responded, and why the new Ireland factory matters
Show notes: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/episode-37-dexcom-g7-one-plus/ | CGM Series: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/10-13-cgm-series/
Have more questions about CGM, the Dexcom G7 or ONE+? Ask GNL Grace: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/gnl-grace/
Support GNL: https://buy.stripe.com/9B63cx4UO3KEdKC0Sp7Re00
The Glucose Never Lies® is a registered trademark of The GNL Ltd. Company No. 16733595. UK VAT No. GB 516 3272 08.
Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for individualised care.
The Glucose Never Lies® is independent by design
We do not accept sponsorships and advertising. We operate via education grants and donations from listeners who value independence. So, consider:
Buying the GNL a Coffee:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jspfree2
Enquiries
Collaboration: John Pemberton — [email protected]
Creatives: Anjanee Kohli — [email protected]
Follow The Glucose Never Lies®
Website: https://theglucoseneverlies.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theglucoseneverlies
LinkedIn: John Pemberton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pemberton-587104361/
X: https://twitter.com/GlucoseNLies
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
© The Glucose Never Lies Ltd. All rights reserved.