Many of my clients tell me they have noticed a significant drop in energy as they go thru their menopause transition.
Fortunately, we can manage our fatigue without drinking pots of coffee.
But before we can manage our fatigue, we need to have an idea of the cause.
A common condition during a woman’s menopause transition, especially if you are tired and having difficulty losing weight, is insulin resistance.
Interestingly, the symptoms of insulin resistance are so much like menopause, it can be challenging to set them apart.
So let’s start with what is insulin why does it matters and how does insulin resistance develop.
Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that helps maintain balanced blood sugar.
Your body secretes insulin to direct the transfer of blood sugar from food into your cells for either energy or storage.
When working well, insulin helps your body maintain energy balance by not allowing blood sugar to spike too high or for too long.
But sometimes, your cells can stop responding normally to insulin. This makes your pancreas work harder to release enough insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels.
If this continues to happen, your pancreas’ ability to release insulin decreases and insulin resistance develops.
When there is excess insulin and sugar in your blood, it signals your body to store that excess sugar…and it gets stored as fat.
Some symptoms of insulin imbalance are:
- fatigue or energy fluctuations
- shakiness or lightheadedness
- cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
- headaches
- irritability if meals are delayed.
- mood swings
- brain fog
- unstable blood sugar levels
- increased thirst
- increased urination, especially at night
- blurry vision or vision changes
So how can we naturally regain control?
As with any discussion about a healthy lifestyle, it all starts with your fork. Eating a low-glycemic whole-food diet is where to start. The meals in my 5-day detoxes are a perfect example of this way of eating.
Eating foods that are rich in fiber, along with lots of vegetables, legumes, high-quality proteins like wild fish and grass-fed meats and healthy fats contribute to more balanced weight and fat distribution, and less insulin resistance.
Studies have shown inactivity as being strongly associated with insulin resistance. So adding in movement throughout your day will also help. I like movement snacks because they are easy to implement. A movement snack is 5 minutes of moving 6-8 times a day.
Lastly, unmanaged chronic stress and inadequate or disrupted sleep are associated with insulin imbalances. Finding meaningful ways of managing stress and maintaining adequate sleep is vital for a balanced metabolism in the long term.
So what does this mean for your day-to-day? Well it’s all about the choices you make. Because your food and lifestyle choices can either protect you from insulin resistance or put you into insulin resistance.
BTW… My free hormone assessment can help you get a good picture of what’s going on with your hormones. You can grab that here.
Until next time,
