If you’re in your reproductive years, your period occurs regularly and lasts for about 5-7 days. Your menstrual cycle—which typically occurs over 28 days—is divided into phases, where levels of four main hormones fluctuate with the goal of releasing of an egg, to either become fertilized or if not, have your period. It’s the ebb and flow of these hormones that can make you more insulin resistant during certain phases.
- Menstruation: This is your period (aka bleed week). Estrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) are low
- Follicular phase: This starts on the first day of your period and goes until about midway through your cycle. During this time, FSH & estrogen levels rise in order to release an egg
- Ovulation: Days 13-16 is when the selected egg is released from the ovary and moves through the fallopian tube to your uterus. Here, luteinizing and FSH are high, estrogen is low, and progesterone is rising
- Luteal phase: This is the two weeks right before your period when the uterine walls are thickening for the possibility of pregnancy if the egg is fertilized. In this phase, progesterone and estrogen are high, with progesterone at its peak. FSH & LH are low
Here’s How Your Period Affects Your Blood Sugar
While FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone are all key players of the menstrual cycle—it is progesterone and estrogen—and the ratio of the two hormones that have the most effect on blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.
At the tail-end of the luteal phase—when PMS often occurs—is where menstruators may experience changes in blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. The luteal phase is where progesterone peaks and estrogen is also high, and research shows that women experience higher levels of circulating insulin, which is the fat storage hormone. If you do not become pregnant during ovulation, that progesterone spike will increase insulin resistance temporarily.
On the flip side, it’s estrogen that is associated with improved insulin sensitivity which suggests that the end of the follicular phase (right before ovulation) may be when you are most insulin sensitive, since estrogen levels are at their peak, and progesterone levels are low.
The takeaway here is that if you’re in your reproductive years—with an optimally functioning menstrual cycle—the higher levels of progesterone in the luteal phase override the insulin-sensitizing effects of estrogen which means you may experience insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar. If you are concerned about weight gain, limit or avoid refined carbohydrates & sugary foods during this time, as they may have more of an impact on your blood sugar and insulin levels. It’s always important to listen to your body and nourish yourself with nutrient-dense foods, optimal water intake, stress management, and sleep.
Here’s How Perimenopause Affects Your Blood Sugar
During your reproductive years, it’s estrogen that enhances insulin sensitivity. So as estrogen fluctuates—and eventually declines in late perimenopause—it also reduces the production of sex hormone binding globulin causing your androgenic hormones to increase. These higher levels of androgens are associated with insulin resistance and PCOS—and estrogen loss is associated with increased total body fat, which is all linked to increased inflammation. It's not just your sex hormones that get wonky during perimenopause—insulin is particularly susceptible during this transition, making it imperative to eat in a way that prevents spikes in insulin—which, in turn will help stabilize all of your hormones. Because once your cells begin to ignore insulin, they are less able to uptake the glucose in your bloodstream – a state that not only leads to cravings and weight gain – but also, can eventually result in Type 2 diabetes.
Although not a guarantee, improving your metabolic health—specifically, keeping glucose levels more stable and improving insulin sensitivity—may lessen the harsher symptoms during the perimenopause to postmenopause transition. And by focusing on controlling your blood glucose levels, you are also going far to reduce the risk for chronic conditions (metabolic syndrome) associated with this transition such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
The Relationship Between Blood Sugar & Menopause Symptoms
Weight Gain
The average woman gains 5-10 pounds during the menopausal transition, so let’s talk about where this weight comes from in the first place. When your blood sugar spikes, insulin is released from your pancreas to tell your cells to use it—but the excess amounts of insulin also cause you to want to eat again to balance excess insulin with more sugar…this vicious cycle is also what makes losing weight difficult as insulin is your fat-storage hormone. You should also know that excess body weight can exaggerate hormone levels that are linked to symptoms since body fat can act as an endocrine gland and produce its own hormones.
When it comes to maintaining balanced blood sugar with no big spikes or drops—it all starts with having PROTEIN+FAT+FIBER for each meal while avoiding hyper-palatable, refined and ultra-processed foods. Because here’s exactly what happens in your body when you eat these types of foods:
First, you consume a simple carbohydrate such as a soda, sweet-treat, or toast etc. This gets broken down and absorbed quickly by the body which gives you a short burst of energy as your blood sugar level increases. Your pancreas then releases insulin to decrease blood sugar. When your body struggles to regulate insulin secretion, it takes too much sugar out of the bloodstream, and that's when your energy crashes. Then your brain tells you to eat again. This blood sugar rollercoaster promotes stress in the body as well. Balancing your blood glucose levels is one of the best ways to keep stress at a minimum and prevent afternoon slumps and the seemingly endless cravings you might feel after eating too many starchy carbs.
Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
Hot flashes & night sweats are some of the most common and frustrating symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. During a hot flash, the hypothalamus, which is your body’s thermoregulator, causes an abnormal heat-releasing response—but hot flashes are also associated with higher levels of insulin resistance. The nervous system may also play a role when the sympathetic nervous system (a branch of the autonomic nervous system) is overactive—which is linked to higher circulating glucose levels and lower insulin production.
Stress
Know what messes with your blood sugar more than you think? Stress…in all its forms. Because when you’re stressed, this elevates your cortisol levels, which causes spikes in blood sugar and natural insulin resistance as your body goes into a fight-or-flight response. And when there’s excess sugar in the bloodstream, this wreaks havoc on all of your metabolic processes like detoxification, hormones, immune function, your microbiome, and it contributes to inflammation & weight gain.
If stress is ongoing or chronic, your body is forced to keep generating more energy for you to use. And at some point, blood sugar levels drop at an alarming rate. When this happens, cells aren’t receiving glucose and you may find yourself craving sugar while feeling shaky, tired, and even weak. To avoid this state, optimize stress management, take breaks throughout the day to breathe & chill, and eat adequate PROTEIN+FAT+FIBER at each meal.
Key Takeaways
Understanding the phases and hormonal fluctuations of your menstrual cycle can not only help you better understand your blood sugar—it can also help you navigate the menopause transition. Keep these things in mind:
- The menstrual cycle is divided into four phases: menstruation, follicular, ovulation, and luteal
- Progesterone & estrogen levels fluctuate throughout these phases and affect insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. Your luteal phase when progesterone is highest is when you are most insulin resistant (hence why cravings tend to be higher here). The follicular phase, on the other hand, is when you are most insulin sensitive, due to high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone (a great time to practice intermittent fasting)
- During your luteal phase, focus on sleep, doing low-intensity exercise such as yoga or Pilates, and eating real, nutrient-dense foods for optimal nourishment
Menopause — perimenopause, rather — starts sooner than you think. I am passionate about sharing information and helping women dial in their diet & lifestyle habits for a smoother menopause transition—my Make Menopause Sexy online course was created for this purpose. So if you’re ready to learn about the steps you need to take to go from feeling hormonally unbalanced, stressed, or overweight to consistently nourishing yourself well into your midlife years and beyond in an empowered, balanced and enjoyable way…Then THIS COURSE is for you!
