Keto Mojo: How Frequently Should You Test?

The Keto-Mojo meter is a blood glucose monitor that can be used to test ketone and glucose levels. It is recommended by leading keto experts, healthcare professionals and researchers for accurate testing of ketosis and glucose monitoring. The meter comes with a free smartphone app that allows users to sync their readings and track their ketones and glucose on other popular health apps. The app also automatically calculates the Glucose Ketone Index (GKI), an important measure of metabolic health. The meter has several enhanced features, including auto-coding, a large memory, individually foil-wrapped strips and control solutions for glucose and ketones. The Keto-Mojo website also provides users with information and resources to help them on their keto journey, including hundreds of free articles, videos and recipes.

How to prepare your hands and lancing device for a Keto-Mojo test

To prepare your hands and lancing device for a Keto-Mojo test, follow these steps:

Preparing your hands:

• Wash your hands with warm water and dry them thoroughly with a clean paper towel. This is important to avoid contaminated test results.
• Alternatively, use an alcohol swab to sterilise the part of your finger that you will prick and let it dry.
• To encourage better blood flow, rub or massage the area of your finger that will be pricked. Warm hands result in better blood flow.
• Shake your hands energetically.
• Grip the finger you are going to test with your index finger and thumb of your other hand and squeeze for about 12 seconds before using the lancet. This increases hypostatic pressure.

Preparing your lancing device:

• Twist off the top of the lancing device.
• Insert a new lancet into the device. Press down firmly on the expansion gap, then twist off the plastic lancet cap and place the device cover over the lancet.
• Adjust the depth selector. There are five or six settings for the depth of the lancet's pierce, ranging from the lightest to deepest puncture. Choose the depth that you think is best for your skin type. For average skin, it is recommended to start in the middle at number 3.
• Pull the grey knob at the end of the device until it clicks. You will see an orange colour in the button on the side of the lancet device.

Now that your hands and lancing device are prepared, you can proceed with pricking your finger and testing your ketone and glucose levels with the Keto-Mojo meter.

How to use the lancing device to prick your finger

To use the lancing device to prick your finger, follow these steps:

First, prepare your hands by washing them with warm water and drying them thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use an alcohol swab to sterilize the part of your finger that you will prick. Warm hands will result in better blood flow.

Next, prepare the lancing device. Remove the top of the lancing device by twisting it off. Insert a new, sterile lancet into the device and push it in firmly until it stops. Twist off the plastic cap and place the cover over the lancet. Do not touch the exposed needle.

Now, adjust the depth selector to your preferred setting. The depth selector can usually be adjusted between 5 and 7 levels, depending on your skin type and comfort level. Smaller numbers are for a shallower puncture, while larger numbers are for a deeper puncture. For average skin, it is recommended to start in the middle at level 3.

Before pricking your finger, prepare your hands to encourage better blood flow. You can do this by rubbing or massaging the area to be pricked, shaking your hands vigorously, or gripping the finger you will test and squeezing for about 10-12 seconds to increase hydrostatic pressure.

Now, you are ready to prick your finger. Hold the lancing device firmly against the side of your finger and press the release button. It is recommended to test on the side of your finger where the skin is softer and the prick is less painful.

After pricking your finger, gently squeeze or massage your fingertip to form a round drop of blood. If the blood smears or runs, dry the area and try again.

Finally, use a clean paper towel or tissue to wipe away the first blood droplet before testing. This will ensure a more accurate result, as the first droplet may contain more interstitial fluid than capillary blood.

By following these steps, you can effectively use the lancing device to prick your finger and obtain a blood sample for glucose and ketone testing with the Keto-Mojo meter.

How to apply blood to the test strip

To apply blood to the Keto-Mojo test strip, follow these steps:

Firstly, prep your hands to avoid a contaminated test result. Wash your hands with warm water and dry them thoroughly, or use an alcohol swab to sterilize the part of your finger that you will prick. Next, prep your lancing device by twisting off the top of the device, inserting a new lancet, pressing down on the expansion gap, twisting off the plastic cap, and placing the device cover over the lancet. You can then adjust the depth selector to one of the five settings, depending on the type of skin being pricked.

Now, prep your hands to encourage better blood flow. Rub or massage the area to be pricked, as warm hands result in better blood flow. You can also shake your hands energetically or grip the finger you are going to test with your index finger and thumb of your other hand and squeeze for about 12 seconds to increase hypostatic pressure. Insert a fresh, unused Keto-Mojo glucose or ketone strip into your Keto-Mojo meter, ensuring the strip is pushed all the way down in the port and facing up. Do not touch the top of the strip where the blood will be absorbed, or you may contaminate the sample.

Wait for the meter to display a flashing droplet icon, signifying that the strip is now ready to accept your blood sample. Prick your finger with the lancing device, using the side of your finger where the skin is softer, and wipe away the first blood droplet to ensure a more accurate result. Apply gentle pressure to help form a blood droplet, avoiding excessive squeezing of your finger. If you are having difficulty forming a blood droplet, you can use gravity by lowering your hand below hip height and gently squeezing your finger, starting at the part closest to your palm and working your way down.

Finally, with the strip still in the meter, bring the tip of the strip to the droplet on your finger. On contact, the strip will draw the blood in via capillary action. Make sure you get a good fill; if the blood sample is too small, you may get an inaccurate reading or an error message. Keep the strip to the blood droplet until you see the channel is completely full of blood and the meter starts to countdown. Then remove it and watch the meter screen for your reading.

How to set up your Keto-Mojo meter

To set up your Keto-Mojo meter, follow these steps:

First, insert a fresh, unused Keto-Mojo ketone or glucose strip into the meter. Make sure the strip is pushed all the way down into the port. The meter will automatically turn on when a strip is inserted. The Keto-Mojo website recommends starting with a glucose strip as the reading takes only five seconds, whereas a ketone reading takes nine seconds.

Next, wait for the meter to display a flashing droplet icon on the right-hand side of the screen. After the strip is placed into the meter, the meter will display the droplet icon above an image of the strip. The icon will flash to indicate that the strip is now ready to accept your blood sample.

Now, prick your finger with the lancing device. It is recommended to test on the side of your finger, where the skin tends to be softer, and to alternate fingers for comfort if you are testing regularly. Ensure you get a blood droplet about half the size of a matchstick head. You have three minutes to get a reading before the meter will shut off.

With the strip still in the meter, bring the tip of the strip to the droplet on your finger. On contact, the strip will draw in the blood via capillary action. Do not place blood on the top of the strip, as this may contaminate the sample and give an inaccurate reading. Make sure you get a good fill; if the blood sample is too small, you may get an inaccurate reading or an error message. Keep the strip to the blood droplet until the channel is completely filled with blood and the meter starts to countdown. Then, remove it.

Finally, watch the meter screen for your reading. Glucose results will appear in five seconds, and ketone readings will take nine seconds.

To set up your Keto-Mojo meter for the first time, you will also need to set the date and time, and adjust various settings. Your meter comes with batteries installed. To activate the batteries, pull the clear tab on the back of the meter to expose the battery connection. Then, press and hold the main power button for more than two seconds until the meter beeps. The meter is now in set-up mode and will prompt you for the clock format. Follow the instructions in the Keto-Mojo meter manual to adjust the time format, date, and time. You can also set up to five alarms per day if you want to test at the same time each day.

How to sync your Keto-Mojo meter with the Keto-Mojo app

To sync your Keto-Mojo meter with the Keto-Mojo app, you must first ensure that you have taken at least one glucose or ketone test with your meter. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to sync your Keto-Mojo meter with the Keto-Mojo app:

• Turn on Bluetooth within your smartphone settings.
• Download the MyMojoHealth app on your smartphone and create an account in the app settings. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices. For Android users, ensure that Location services and storage permissions are turned on within the in-app settings.
• Turn on your meter by pressing the home button. The meter will beep, and the Bluetooth icon will flash.
• Take a test with the meter before syncing for the first time.
• Open the settings in either the Keto-Mojo Classic App or the MyMojoHealth App. Click "Sync", and it will search for the device, connect, and download the readings. Ensure that the device or meter is near your phone.

You can also connect your Keto-Mojo data with other popular health apps that Keto-Mojo has partnered with, such as Apple Health, Cronometer, Carb Manager, and Heads Up. However, note that you must first set up an account with these apps before initiating the sync with Keto-Mojo, and some of these app partners are fee-based.

Frequently asked questions