Part 3: What can be done to optimize health before menopause? (Yes, we can talk about this)
You can be strong and healthy when you get there.
Today we focus on the third of four key areas to focus on in the years before menopause, and beyond.
Avoid or reverse insulin resistance (IR)
Address insulin resistance before hormone decline, while it is easier to build muscle
WHY?
IR is a precursor to many chronic diseases including prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer
Risk of IR increases with increasing age over 45
Address factors that influence IR before hormone decline while it is easier to build muscle, which helps increase insulin sensitivity
HOW?
Increase physical activity - get moving and build a muscle reservoir that burns fuel and is not dependent on insulin to uptake glucose
Pair carbohydrates with protein and fat to decrease the spike in blood sugar
Pair higher glycemic intake with physical activity so that it gets used right away instead of being turned into fat
Consider checking your hemoglobin A1c and fasting insulin to figure out where you are relative to insulin resistance
Consider using a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) for 14 days to help you learn how different foods, food combinations, exercise, sleep, and stress impact your blood sugar
WAIT, WHAT is insulin resistance (IR)?
For years the body will try to keep up with high glycemic loads, using insulin to maintain normal blood levels
Early insulin resistance includes weight gain and elevated insulin levels as the body requires more insulin to manage the same load
The body produces plenty of insulin but the system to transport the glucose into the cells has become less able to respond to the constant heavy load
Baseline blood sugar levels finally start to rise and excess glucose that can’t be transported into the cells is used to make fat
Signs of IR can also include abdominal weight gain, elevated fasting triglycerides, elevated fasting glucose, low HDL
Insulin resistance can start even a decade before full blown type 2 Diabetes is diagnosable, and in the meantime also increases risk for many other preventable chronic diseases. Increasing physical activity, building a reservoir of muscle, and paying attention to how foods impact your individual blood sugar can help to avoid or reverse insulin resistance.