7 Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Perimenopause

Why blood sugar balance matters more than ever — and what to do about it

If you’ve hit your 40s and suddenly feel like your body’s working against you — stubborn belly weight, wild energy crashes, mood swings, intense carb cravings — you’re not imagining it. It could be a sign your insulin sensitivity is shifting, and your blood sugar isn’t as stable as it once was.

So what is insulin sensitivity — and why should you care?

Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key — helping move sugar (glucose) from your blood into your cells, where it can be used for energy. When your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, it needs to produce more of it to get the job done. Over time, this can lead to chronically high insulin levels, blood sugar instability, increased fat storage (especially around the belly), and even a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.

And during perimenopause, declining estrogen levels can make insulin resistance even more likely. Estrogen actually helps regulate how our cells respond to insulin, so as levels drop, so can insulin sensitivity.

This shift doesn’t just affect your weight — it impacts your energy, mood, sleep, inflammation levels, and even your risk of heart disease.

Symptoms of Poor Insulin Sensitivity in Perimenopause:

• Energy crashes after meals

• Strong cravings for carbs or sugar

• Brain fog

• Trouble losing weight (especially belly fat)

• Mood swings or irritability

• Increased hunger or feeling "hangry"

• Trouble sleeping or staying asleep

Here’s the good news: you can absolutely take steps to improve insulin sensitivity and feel more stable, energized, and in control. Here’s how:

1. Build meals with protein + fiber first

Eating protein and fiber-rich foods before carbs can significantly lower post-meal blood sugar spikes.
→ Aim for 25–35g of protein per meal + non-starchy veggies.

Protein is your friend in perimenopause. If you aren’t eating enough protein, you’re setting yourself up for blood sugar chaos. Protein and fiber together keep you full, which means less snacking on the crap that’s going to send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster.

2. Strength train 2–3x per week

Muscle tissue improves insulin sensitivity and soaks up glucose like a sponge. Although we still need cardio for heart health, all that cardio is not going to fix the stubborn belly fat - muscle will. Strength training is where the magic happens. Why? Because building muscle makes your body more efficient at using glucose. More muscle means less insulin resistance.

A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that women who engaged in resistance training significantly improved their insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. This is huge, especially for midlife women.

→ Resistance bands, bodyweight, dumbbells — all great options.

3. Prioritize sleep

Just one night of poor sleep can impair insulin response the next day. Lack of sleep increases cortisol (the stress hormone), which raises blood sugar. That means your body has to pump out more insulin, which, you guessed it, leads to insulin resistance over time. And if you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you know sleep disturbances are all too common—thanks to those wild hormone fluctuations.
→ Aim for 7–9 hours, reduce screen time before bed, and create a cool, dark sleep environment.

4. Minimize ultra-processed carbs + sugar

These spike blood sugar and require more insulin to process — which over time, wears down your sensitivity. Here’s the kicker: as we hit midlife, our bodies become even more sensitive to sugar—meaning it takes less to throw everything off balance. This is why you can’t eat the same foods you used to without seeing the number on the scale creep up. Refined carbs cause a massive spike in blood sugar, forcing your body to release a ton of insulin to try to bring it back down. Over time, your cells stop responding to all that insulin, and voila—insulin resistance.
→ Replace them with whole food carbs like fruit, oats, quinoa, or sweet potatoes.

5. Walk after meals

A 10–20 minute walk after eating helps shuttle glucose into your muscles without needing as much insulin.
→ Even light movement counts. Take the dog, call a friend, or do laps around the kitchen.

6. Manage stress

Chronic stress = elevated cortisol = increased blood sugar. And let’s be real—midlife isn’t exactly stress-free. Between hormonal changes, juggling work, family, and life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But here’s the truth: if you don’t find ways to manage your stress, it’s going to wreck your health in more ways than one.
→ Breathwork, nature walks, journaling, yoga, and laughter all help reset your nervous system.

7. Avoid naked carbs

Eating carbs alone (like crackers or fruit by itself) can spike blood sugar.
→ Always pair carbs with protein or fat — think: apple + nut butter or crackers + cheese.

Insulin sensitivity affects everything from your metabolism to your mood, and while hormonal shifts are natural, blood sugar crashes and stubborn weight gain don’t have to be.

With a few intentional changes to how you eat, move, sleep, and recover, you can support your hormones and feel so much better in your body.

xoxChristie

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