Insulin Influence
The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and apples are ready for picking – fall is in full swing! The month of October brings the beginning of the sweet treats season – Thanksgiving, Halloween, and fast approaching Holidays. This is the perfect time of year for staying cozy, sipping hot drinks, and learning about insulin.
Typically, when insulin is discussed, it is usually in conversations around type 1 or 2 diabetes, but today we will be discussing it with a different lens of focus; hormones – more specifically estrogen. Before we discuss the connection between the two, it is important to better understand the importance of insulin.
Insulin is a hormone itself, an essential one that the body cannot function without. Its main job in the body is to convert the foods we eat into energy for all the body systems. It does this by being the key that opens the door into the body’s cells, allowing the glucose energy into the cell. Working alongside insulin is glucagon, which helps to raise the blood sugar levels as needed. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels after food consumption causes an increase, and if dropping too low, glucagon can increase them until food is consumed. This cycle repeats all day to provide lasting energy levels for all of the body’s cells.
All cells use glucose as their main source of energy. Glucose comes from all our food sources and can be stored in the body for future energy use. If the body’s insulin system decides to stop working, such as what happens in type 1 and 2 diabetes, it leads to high blood sugar levels because the glucose in the blood stream is not transported into the cells. If left untreated, high blood sugar levels can cause an increase in disease in the body and be deadly. The body can stop responding to insulin in two different ways. First, as in type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin for the needs of the body. Secondly, in type 2 diabetes, insulin stops responding to the blood sugar levels, becoming resistant to its vital function.
There are many factors that influence how insulin functions in the body. The composition of the meals and snacks, along with when and how often they are consumed, influences the response of insulin. Activity levels and types of activities (such as cardio, or weight training) also influence insulin responses in the body. Being sick, stressed, or changes in sleep routines can also influence how insulin is working in the body. Other hormones, such as estrogen, also influence insulin's ability to function in the body.
Estrogen is the lead hormone of a female's menstrual cycle, and peri-and post-menopause changes that happen in the body. Estrogen also influences the way that insulin functions in the body. The research is showing that estrogen plays a role in maintaining insulin homeostasis in female bodies. As estrogen levels drop throughout the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and in post-menopause, this can lead to higher rates of insulin resistance during these cycle times.
During this luteal phase, when estrogen levels drop and the body is more insulin resistant, this leads to more cravings for carbohydrates and sweets. These give the body a quick energy and mood boost. Focusing on complex carbs that are full of fiber and adding protein with them can help conquer the craving but also provide some blood sugar stability.
For post-menopausal females, the new normal levels of estrogen can lead to an increased chance of type 2 diabetes. For some women, hormone replacement therapy can be used as a tool to help manage insulin resistance. Some women, and men do find that dietary and lifestyle changes are supportive enough for stable blood sugar levels. While some do require the tool of medicated insulin to maintain homeostasis.
Bonus: Pelvic Floor Health and Metabolic Balance
It’s worth noting that the same metabolic and hormonal shifts affecting insulin and estrogen can also influence your pelvic-floor health. Emerging research shows that women who exhibit insulin resistance (even if they’re not diabetic) may have measurable differences in pelvic floor muscle function and support compared with women without insulin resistance.
For example, impaired insulin response can accompany low-grade inflammation, changes to muscle-connective-tissue quality, and hormonal changes (e.g., lower estrogen) — all of which may impact the strength, coordination and resilience of the pelvic floor.
Here are some recommendations for dietary and lifestyle supports for balanced blood sugar levels and your pelvic floor:
Macro-balancing meals and snacks: combining fibrous carbs, with protein, and healthy fats help lessen blood sugar spikes after meals. (for links to our blogs on this click the words!)
Hydration, fibre and healthy weight: These support metabolic health (insulin sensitivity) and indirectly help the pelvic floor (for example, by reducing strain from constipation or heavy lifting).
Colourful fiber: add a variety of colourful foods, and high fiber foods to your diet to help with the body’s wide variety of nutritional needs, and anti-oxidants to help with inflammation in the body and pelvic floor.
Move your body: muscle stimulation helps increase insulins response. Find your favourite way to stimulate your muscles like hiking, strength training or lifting weights, walking, or yoga. This will also help the pelvic floor by stimulating muscle and connective-tissue strength.
Mind your intra-abdominal pressure: when doing lifting, core work or even heavy coughing/sneezing, a well-conditioned pelvic floor supports these forces. Balanced meals + movement + good posture help reduce excessive strain.
Sleep and destress: help the body find its balance by allowing for adequate sleep and relaxation. High levels of stress stimulate nutrient breakdown and increased blood sugar levels.
In short — by treating your body’s metabolic health, hormones and movement habits as part of one integrated system, you’re also doing a favour for your pelvic-floor function.
If you are having concerns about your blood sugar levels, please contact your doctor for further testing. As always, please consult your doctor or pharmacist before stopping or changing any medications.
Learning about the influence that estrogen has on insulin can help you manage your blood sugar levels throughout your menstrual cycle, then into your peri-post menopausal phase of life. By nourishing the body with fiber, healthy fats, a variety of colours we can help insulin do it’s job at keeping the body energized. Finding your favourite ways to move your body also helps with the metabolic processes and insulin response. And finally, focus on sleep and stress management to help your body, pelvic floor, and insulin response.
References:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22601-insulin
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6341301/
Next Level by Dr Stacy Sims
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-insulin-sensitivity
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01443615.2024.2381569
