With menopause, many women find themselves struggling with unexpected challenges that go beyond the typical symptoms. One often overlooked aspect is blood sugar management. For some women, fluctuating blood sugar levels can exacerbate menopausal symptoms, making this transition even more challenging. Others may find that menopause itself triggers a sudden difficulty in managing their blood sugar, even if they've never had issues before. This intricate connection between hormonal changes and glucose regulation can significantly impact women during this life stage. Understanding this could be key to effectively managing both menopause and metabolic health.
What is Diabetes and Blood Sugar Regulation?
Sugar in it's simplest form is glucose, and it is the primary energy source for the human body. Regulating blood glucose is fundamental to everything and can influence your energy, focus, weight and your cravings.
Insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas, helps your body use glucose for energy and also regulate the blood sugar levels.
Diabetes is the condition characterised by the body's inability to properly regulate blood sugar levels. There are two main types:
1. Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune condition where the body doesn't produce insulin.
2. Type 2 Diabetes: The body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough.
Over time, blood sugar dysregulation can lead to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and unfortunately this is becoming quite prevalent in the UK. The NHS recently, identified over half a million more people at risk of T2D. It's important to understand that diet and lifestyle can actually influence this and ideally you want to be working on regulating your blood sugar, so you don't experience this, and ideally, you want to regulate your blood sugar to avoid erratic highs (hyperglycemia) or lows (hypoglycemia). But you also don’t want the body to keep high levels circulating.
How do we measure blood glucose?
Typically, a blood test is used to measure blood glucose, and this can be done through the GP.
1. HbA1c (haemoglobin A1c) is often used as a marker to assess blood glucose as it measures how sticky or glycated your blood is:
Normal: Below 42 mmol/mol (6.0%)
Prediabetes: 42 to 47 mmol/mol (6.0 to 6.4%)
Diabetes: 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or higher
2. Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test:
Normal: Below 5.5 mmol/L
Prediabetes: 5.5 to 6.9 mmol/L
Diabetes: 7.0 mmol/L or higher
These guidelines are based on recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Diabetes UK. However, it is important to note that individual target ranges may vary based on personal circumstances and should be discussed with your doctor.
Understanding Hormones, Blood Sugar and Diabetes
The Role of Hormones
Female hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, play a vital role in regulating various bodily functions, including:
• Blood sugar control
• Metabolism
• Fat distribution
• Cardiovascular health
During your reproductive years, these hormones help maintain a delicate balance. However, conditions like Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is quite common amongst women, is also considered to be a sign of insulin resistance.
As women start to enter perimenopause and menopause, this balance shifts dramatically.
Metabolism can start to slow down, and with that the ability to regulate blood glucose, potentially giving rise to insulin resistance but also unstable blood sugar levels can exacerbate common menopausal symptoms:
• Mood swings and irritability
• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight gain, especially around the midsection
• Increased risk of urinary tract infections and vaginal health issues
Long-term Health Complications
And in the long-term unmanaged diabetes and blood sugar during and after menopause can lead to serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and also an increased risk of certain cancers.
Risk Factors for Developing Diabetes During Menopause
A few of the risk factors include:
Age (being over 45)
Family history of diabetes
Obesity or overweight
Sedentary lifestyle
History of gestational diabetes
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Ethnicity
Tips for Managing Blood Glucose Through Menopause
If you experience energy dips, need coffee or sugar as a pick-me-up, or have difficulty focusing, consider testing your blood sugar. Effective strategies to support you include:
Prioritise Stress Management: Practice mindfulness, yoga, or other relaxation techniques.
Balance Your Diet: Focus on whole foods, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Avoid and limit refined carbohydrates.
Stay Active: Regular exercise helps improve insulin sensitivity and manage weight.
Get Adequate Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration helps regulate blood sugar and may reduce hot flashes.
Regular Check-ups and Tests: Ensure you are being tested regularly and discussing your symptoms with your doctor. This is where a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), could be a useful tool to support you.
Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Discuss whether this option is suitable for you but bear in mind HRT is not a panacea for all your symptoms, you still need to make diet and lifestyle changes.
Understanding Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a wearable device that provides real-time insights into your blood sugar levels. Unlike traditional finger-prick tests that offer only snapshots, a CGM gives you a comprehensive view of your glucose trends throughout the day and night.
How does a CGM work?
A CGM system consists of three main components:
Sensor: A small, disposable sensor is inserted just under your skin, typically on your upper arm. This sensor measures glucose levels in the interstitial fluid (the fluid between your cells) every few minutes.
Transmitter: Attached to the sensor, the transmitter sends the glucose data wirelessly to a receiver or your smartphone.
Receiver/Smartphone App: This displays your glucose readings, allowing you to view your levels at any time and track patterns over days or weeks.
Benefits of a CGM
Continuous monitoring: Get readings real time, 24 hours a day.
Trend insights: See how your glucose levels change in response to food, exercise, stress, and sleep.
Alerts: Set alarms for high or low glucose levels, helping prevent emergencies.
Improved decision-making: Make more informed choices about food, activity, and medication based on real-time data.
For individuals with diabetes, a CGM can be a pro-active tool for managing their condition. However, even for those without diabetes, a CGM can provide valuable insights into how different foods and lifestyle factors affect their metabolic health.
By trialling a CGM, you could gain a deeper understanding of your body's unique responses and make more personalised decisions about your diet and lifestyle.
My Recent Insights from Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
I recently wore the Hello Lingo CGM and the experience revealed some fascinating insights into how my daily activities affect blood sugar levels:
Stress and Blood Sugar: Periods of high stress, such as losing my keys or feeling overwhelmed, caused significant spikes in my blood sugar levels and kept them elevated.
Post-Meal Activity: Engaging in work immediately after meals kept my blood sugar elevated for longer periods. But going for a walk or doing some physical activity helps to bring the levels down much quicker.
Specific Foods: Even "healthy" options like smoothies or lentil soups can cause unexpected blood sugar spikes if eaten on their own. The combination of foods, adding more greens and other non-starchy vegetables to lentils, provides a better glucose response for me. Interestingly, meat based proteins v. lentils with the same sides and accompaniments gives me a much better response and actually I physically feel better.
The Hello Lingo CGM app also alerts you when your glucose levels spike suggesting exercises you can do to help manage the spike. It's a useful device for personal insights and allows you to record your daily food intake and routine, as well as take action. If you want to try out the Hello Lingo CGM, you can use my affiliate code for a 10% discount, MYLINGO-JTK - one per customer.
Take Control of Your Blood Sugar and Metabolic Health
Being able to balance hormones and blood sugar is crucial for managing this life stage. If you're concerned about your metabolic health during menopause, it's time to take action.
The Metabolic MOT service could be for you:
benefit from wearing a continuous glucose monitoring, for your personalised insights into your unique metabolic patterns
bespoke metabolic health blood test
in depth consultation and personalised plan to support you
Don't let menopause and diabetes control your life. Take the first step towards optimal health today. Contact me to learn more about the MOT and my other services. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. With the right knowledge and support, you can thrive during menopause and beyond, keeping your blood sugar – and your life – in balance.
Book your free 30-min call to find out more.
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