Lingo is a mobile application linked to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) which is a non-invasive device that attaches to your upper arm. The CGM is made by Abbott and is identical in its appearance and use as their Freestyle Libre which I have used and reviewed previously in connection with the Zoe app.
The difference between the Freestyle Libre and the Lingo app is that the Libre device is aimed at diabetics whereas the Lingo is targeting pre-diabetics and individuals interested in better managing their lifestyle behaviours that affect blood glucose levels and overall health.
I have been using Lingo now for 2 months to assess its functionality, ease of use and effectiveness in helping me to understand the impact of diet, exercise and sleep on my blood glucose levels. The device is attached to the upper arm, a process with takes less than a minute. The Lingo mobile application then connects via Bluetooth to the device and once paired will begin to show blood glucose levels after a period of 60 minutes whilst it calibrates.
The Lingo app continuously monitors the CGM and ideally needs to be running constantly in the background 24/7. If you close down the app, it will prompt you to reload it. If you do this, you can easily check your blood glucose level at any time and, more importantly, track the blood glucose spikes and begin to understand better how diet, exercise and sleep can be adjusted to improve your health. Lingo uses gamification techniques to set a personalised daily target for the consistency of blood glucose levels and avoidance of “spikes”. It also provides advice on diet, exercise and sleep as well as tools to prompt you to provide details of events (diet, exercise, stress etc) at times when the blood glucose levels spike.
I found Lingo very easy to use and setup and, for me, it proved an aid to managing what I eat, when I eat, how quickly I eat and when and how I exercise.
My only criticism is that I found the process of entering food time consuming and not as good as other apps I use. Please not that this review is not intended to be a promotion or recommendation for Lingo and I have no conflict of interest in making this review.