Insulin resistance is a hormonal condition associated with chronically high insulin. It’s also called hyperinsulinemia, metabolic syndrome, or pre-diabetes and is a major player in many women’s health conditions, including PCOS, acne, fibroids, perimenopause, and heavy periods.
Insulin resistance also causes abdominal weight gain and is a risk factor for diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, dementia, and heart disease.
Do you have insulin resistance? It’s time to find out.
Testing for insulin resistance
Signs and symptoms: Signs of insulin resistance include feeling hungry all the time, a tendency to reactive hypoglycemia, fatty liver, weight gain around the middle, and high blood pressure.
Blood tests: Signs of insulin resistance on a blood test include high triglycerides, low HDL, high cholesterol, high ALT, high uric acid, and high C-RP. The hormone insulin can also be tested, and high insulin indicates insulin resistance. See Metabolism Repair for Women for more information.
Waist measure: A high waist-to-hip ratio is a good indicator of insulin resistance. As a woman, your risk starts with a waist circumference of greater than 32 inches (80 cm).
💡Tip: You don’t have to be overweight to have insulin resistance. You can have a normal BMI and still have elevated insulin.
How to reverse insulin resistance
Avoid sweet drinks
High-dose fructose can induce fatty liver and insulin resistance. So, a simple strategy is to shelter from fruit juice (or other sweet drinks), desserts, or dessert-like foods. That means no sweetened yogurt, no granola bars, no date balls, no agave, or other “natural sugar” healthy desserts.
Supplement magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is a significant contributor to insulin resistance. Fortunately, taking magnesium can improve insulin sensitivity.
Magnesium has many nice side benefits, including regulating the HPA (adrenal) axis, improving sleep, supporting progesterone, curbing sugar cravings, and reducing inflammation. Read 8 ways magnesium rescues hormones. It combines well with taurine, an amino acid that improves insulin sensitivity.
Maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and sleep
Circadian rhythm, or the body clock, has a profound effect on glucose metabolism. Whole-body insulin sensitivity and dysregulation of circadian rhythm are contributing causes of insulin resistance. The best way to support circadian rhythm is to maintain regular diurnal patterns of eating and light exposure, such as protein and bright light in the morning, followed by rest and dim light in the evening. Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm can also promote better sleep, another important strategy for maintaining healthy insulin levels.
Move your body
Exercise or movement improves insulin sensitivity in the muscles by increasing the number of mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of the cell and turn food into energy. Building healthy muscle also requires sufficient dietary protein.
💡 Tip: Certain types of hormonal birth control can cause or worsen insulin resistance.
For more information, including a treatment strategy, see my 2024 book Metabolism Repair for Women.
