Episode #9: PCOS and the Insulin Effect

What you’ll learn in this episode

Medical research has shown that Insulin resistance is a primary factor for over 70% of women with PCOS and yet most women I work with and talk to have been told by their doctor that their blood sugar is fine and that they are not insulin resistant. 

So that is the deal with insulin and PCOS and is it something that you should be addressing in order to reverse your PCOS? Well, my friend that is what this episode is all about so hit play below to listen now!

The insulin effect

Notice how I didn’t say insulin resistance. There is a big difference and it is really important to understand the importance of the insulin effect if you want to reverse your PCOS naturally. that I want you to understand.

So what is insulin and how does it affect your PCOS hormones?

When you eat something it is broken down and released into your body as glucose (that’s another name for blood sugar). So by choosing the foods you eat smartly and combining certain foods to lessen their insulin effect you can greatly improve your PCOS hormones. 

In this episode, you will learn about what foods worsen the insulin effect and your PCOS (spoiler alert….it’s not just sugar).  And more importantly, you will learn what foods will help to improve your insulin effect and assist you in reversing your PCOS…..and it doesn’t require you to never eat certain foods again. 

When you are armed with the food knowledge packed into this episode you will be able to make serious progress toward reversing your PCOS! 

Are you ready? Go ahead and listen to this episode where I not only share how insulin is working in your body but some simple actionable steps to use this information to heal your PCOS naturally! 

Happy listening! 

Here’s a glance at this episode…

 [00:00:07.090] 

Insulin resistance is a primary factor for over 70% of women with PCOS. And yet most women I work with and talk to have been told by their healthcare provider that their blood sugar is fine, that they are not insulin resistant, and that they have a normal hemoglobin A1C, and that insulin is not their problem when it comes to PCOS. But is this true? 

[00:01:30.130] 

Welcome back to the PCOS Repair podcast, where today I’m going to be talking about the insulin effect. Notice how I didn’t say insulin-resistant? That is because there’s a big difference, and I want you to understand what that difference is. So let’s start with what is insulin? 

[00:02:38.390] 

So how does what we eat affect insulin when you eat something that is broken down and released into your body as glucose?

It [the food you eat] is broken down and enters the bloodstream quickly in large amounts, or it trickles in slowly over time. This is where the glycemic index or glycemic load of the food that we eat becomes interesting!

[00:04:59.570] 

When your body is constantly exposed to insulin, it becomes less responsive. It’s kind of like when you hear someone keep repeating themselves over and over and over, you start to just tune them out. Insulin sensitivity and resistance are on the spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, your body is very sensitive to insulin. On the farther end of the spectrum, the body is hardly responding at all, and you may even need medication. At this point, you may be diagnosed with diabetes. 

[00:06:03.700] 

Now it’s important to note that testing for insulin resistance is kind of a meh kind of test. The insulin effect can be impacting your PCOS greatly before it would ever show up on a lab test. 

[00:07:14.630] 

Just the presence of insulin in and of itself increases testosterone. With these elevated levels of testosterone, you’re going to have cycle disturbances leading to irregular or absent periods. You may have reduced ovulation and lower fertility. You can have increased acne, excess facial or body hair, or thinning of hair on the head.

Resources Mentioned during this Episode

Reset Your Hormones with The PCOS Detox

Get your FREE copy of the PCOS Fertility Meal guide

Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal

Medical Journal References for this Episode:

Adipocyte Insulin Resistance in PCOS: Relationship With GLUT-4 Expression and Whole-Body Glucose Disposal and β-Cell Function

Association of Insulin Resistance and Elevated Androgen Levels with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): A Review of Literature

The Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The Hypothesis of PCOS as Functional Ovarian Hyperandrogenism Revisited

The role of miRNAs in polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance

Review of Novel Potential Insulin Resistance Biomarkers in PCOS Patients—The Debate Is Still Open

To Assess the Association between Glucose Metabolism and Ectopic Lipid Content in Different Clinical Classifications of PCOS

All Women With PCOS Should Be Treated For Insulin Resistance

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

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