What’s Insulin Resistance and What Can I Do to Help Reverse It?

Do you often feel tired, even after a full night’s sleep? Do you find yourself craving sweets or carbs, especially in the afternoon? Have you noticed weight gathering stubbornly around your middle, despite eating well and staying active?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. These are common signs of insulin resistance  –  a condition that affects millions of women, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.

The frustrating part? Many women don’t realise they have it. Blood tests often come back “normal,” yet the symptoms persist, leaving you feeling dismissed and confused about what’s really happening in your body.

Let’s break down what insulin resistance actually is, why it becomes more common in midlife, and most importantly  –  what you can do about it.

What Is Insulin Resistance?

To understand insulin resistance, it helps to first understand what insulin does.

Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas. Its main job is to move glucose (sugar) from your bloodstream into your cells, where it’s used for energy. Think of insulin as a key that unlocks the door to your cells, allowing glucose to enter.

When your cells respond well to insulin, your blood sugar stays balanced, and your body functions efficiently.

But when your cells stop responding properly to insulin, problems begin. Your pancreas has to produce more and more insulin to achieve the same result. This is insulin resistance  –  when your cells have become “resistant” to insulin’s signal.

Over time, your insulin levels remain chronically elevated as your body tries harder to keep blood sugar under control. Eventually, this can lead to persistently high blood sugar and, if left unaddressed, Type 2 diabetes.

Why Does Insulin Resistance Increase in Midlife?

Insulin resistance doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not your fault. For many women, it develops gradually over years  –  often accelerating during perimenopause and menopause.

Several factors contribute to this:

Hormonal changes

As oestrogen and progesterone decline, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin. These hormones play a protective role in how your body processes glucose, and when they fluctuate or drop, insulin resistance can worsen.

Increased stress and cortisol

Midlife often brings increased responsibilities  –  caring for ageing parents, supporting teenage or adult children, managing careers, relationships, and household demands. Chronic stress raises cortisol, which directly interferes with insulin function and blood sugar control.

Changes in muscle mass

Women naturally lose muscle mass as they age, particularly after 40. Muscle is one of the most important tissues for glucose uptake, so less muscle means reduced capacity to manage blood sugar effectively.

Sleep disruption

Poor sleep  –  whether from hot flushes, night sweats, or stress  –  affects insulin sensitivity. Just one or two nights of disrupted sleep can significantly impair how your body responds to insulin.

Inflammation

Chronic low-grade inflammation, which becomes more common with age, also contributes to insulin resistance. This inflammation can be driven by stress, poor diet, lack of movement, and hormonal changes.

All of these factors create a perfect storm for insulin resistance to develop during midlife.

The Connection to Symptoms You’re Experiencing

Insulin resistance doesn’t always show up clearly on standard blood tests, especially in the early stages. However, your body often gives you clues long before your blood sugar rises high enough to be labelled as “prediabetes” or “diabetes.”

Common signs of insulin resistance include:

• Persistent fatigue, especially after meals
• Strong cravings for sugary foods or refined carbohydrates
• Weight gain around the abdomen that’s resistant to diet and exercise
• Difficulty losing weight, even when eating healthily
• Brain fog or trouble concentrating
• Mood swings or feeling irritable when hungry
• Feeling hungry soon after eating
• Darkened skin on the neck, armpits, or groin (a condition called acanthosis nigricans)

Many women experience these symptoms for years without understanding the underlying cause. They’re often told their blood tests are “fine” and sent away without answers or support.

Why Insulin Resistance Matters

When insulin levels remain chronically elevated, it affects far more than just blood sugar. High insulin acts as a powerful fat-storage hormone, making weight loss extremely difficult  –  particularly around the waist.

But the impact goes beyond weight.

Insulin resistance is linked to:

• Increased risk of Type 2 diabetes
• Higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol
• Worsening hormonal imbalance, including more difficult perimenopause and menopause symptoms
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in younger women, and continued metabolic issues as they age
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Increased inflammation throughout the body
• Higher risk of certain cancers
• Cognitive decline and increased dementia risk in later life

The good news? Insulin resistance is not a life sentence. It can be improved  –  and often reversed  –  through targeted lifestyle changes.

What You Can Do to Help Reverse Insulin Resistance?

“The most empowering thing to know about insulin resistance is that you have significant control over it. While medication may be necessary in some cases, I’ve seen direclty how many women can reverse insulin resistance naturally through sustainable changes to diet, movement, stress, and sleep.” ~ Jeannette Scapens

Here’s what helps:

1. Choose whole, unprocessed foods

Your body handles whole foods very differently to refined and processed foods. Whole foods  –  vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and quality proteins  –  are digested more slowly, leading to gradual, steady rises in blood sugar rather than sharp spikes.

Processed foods, on the other hand, are often stripped of fibre and nutrients, causing rapid blood sugar surges and demanding high insulin responses.

2. Include quality protein and fibre at every meal

Protein and fibre are your allies when managing insulin resistance. Both slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream, helping to keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Aim to include a source of protein (such as eggs, fish, chicken, tofu, legumes, or Greek yoghurt) and plenty of fibre-rich vegetables at each meal. This combination helps you feel satisfied, reduces cravings, and supports steady energy throughout the day.

3. Reduce sugary foods and refined carbohydrates

Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates  –  such as white bread, pastries, biscuits, sugary drinks, and many packaged snacks  –  cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin.

While you don’t need to eliminate these foods entirely, reducing them significantly can make a meaningful difference. When you do choose carbohydrates, opt for whole-grain versions and pair them with protein, fat, or fibre to slow digestion.

4. Prioritise good sleep

Sleep is often overlooked, but it’s critical for insulin sensitivity. Poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones, increases cravings for sugary foods, raises cortisol, and reduces your body’s ability to use insulin effectively.

Aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night. If sleep is disrupted by hot flushes or night sweats, addressing these symptoms with natural or medical support can have a positive ripple effect on your metabolic health.

5. Manage stress

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which directly interferes with insulin function and promotes fat storage around the abdomen.

While stress is an inevitable part of life, how you manage it matters. Consider practices such as deep breathing, meditation, gentle yoga, time in nature, or simply building moments of rest into your day.

Even small changes  –  such as a five-minute breathing exercise before meals  –  can help lower cortisol and improve how your body responds to food.

6. Move your body daily

You don’t need intense exercise to improve insulin sensitivity. In fact, gentle, consistent movement is often more sustainable and effective than sporadic high-intensity workouts.

Walking after meals is particularly beneficial, as it helps muscles take up glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar and reducing the insulin response.

Strength training is also important. Building or maintaining muscle mass improves your body’s ability to manage glucose and supports long-term metabolic health.

Aim for daily movement you enjoy  –  whether that’s walking, swimming, dancing, cycling, or gardening. Consistency matters more than intensity.

How Metabolic Balance^® Supports Insulin Resistance

While the principles above are helpful for everyone, personalised support can make a significant difference  –  particularly when insulin resistance has been present for some time.

This is where the Metabolic Balance^® programme fits beautifully.

Unlike generic diet plans, Metabolic Balance^® creates a nutrition plan tailored specifically to your unique biochemistry. Using over 36 of your own blood markers, the programme identifies the foods that support your metabolism and help restore insulin sensitivity.

The plan is designed to:

• Rebalance blood sugar by matching your food intake to your metabolic needs
• Reduce insulin spikes through carefully timed, balanced meals
• Support hormone regulation, which is particularly important during perimenopause and menopause
• Reduce inflammation by identifying foods that may be contributing to metabolic stress
• Promote sustainable weight loss, especially around the abdomen
• Restore energy and mental clarity as your metabolism stabilises

You receive ongoing support from a qualified naturopath throughout the programme, with regular check-ins, guidance, and adjustments as needed. This isn’t a quick fix  –  it’s a personalised roadmap to help your body function as it’s designed to.

Many women find that not only does their weight begin to shift, but their energy improves, cravings reduce, sleep becomes more restful, and they start to feel like themselves again.

Next Steps To Reset Your Metabolism

If you’ve been feeling tired, frustrated, or stuck despite your best efforts, insulin resistance may be playing a role.

The good news is that you don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to accept feeling this way as “just part of ageing.”

Understanding what’s happening in your body is the first step. Taking action with personalised, sustainable changes is the second.

If you’d like to explore whether Metabolic Balance^® could support your journey back to balance, I offer a free, no-obligation discovery consultation. We can discuss your health concerns, your goals, and whether this approach is right for you

You can book your free discovery call [here].

Balanced Health Naturally

Supporting women in midlife and beyond to reclaim energy, balance, and vitality.