Chapter 2: The Science of Glucose and Hormones

[00:00:00] Caring for myself is not self indulgence. It is self preservation. [00:00:06] Audre Lorde Chapter 2 the Science of Glucose and hormones. [00:00:12] You've probably heard the phrase it's all about hormones when it comes to midlife body changes. That's true, but not in the way many people think. [00:00:22] Hormones aren't just about hot flashes, mood swings or reproductive cycles. [00:00:27] They are powerful chemical messengers that determine whether you burn fat, store fat or build muscle. [00:00:34] And at the center of this system is glucose, the fuel your body uses for nearly everything. [00:00:41] When glucose is stable, you feel energized, focused and satisfied. [00:00:47] When it spikes and crashes, you feel tired, hungry, irritable and primed to store fat. [00:00:55] The good news is that by learning how glucose interacts with your key hormones, you gain back control of your body. [00:01:03] Meet your metabolic cast of characters. [00:01:07] Insulin Think of insulin as the traffic cop for glucose. Its job is to move sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells. But when insulin levels stay high from frequent glucose spikes, your body stores more fat, especially in the belly. [00:01:24] Women become more insulin resistant during and after menopause, which is why glucose control matters more now than ever. [00:01:34] Insulin's opposite when glucose is low, glucagon tells your body to release stored fuel and burn fat. [00:01:42] In a well balanced system, insulin and glucagon work like partners, keeping your metabolism flexible. [00:01:50] GLP1 glucagon like peptide one. [00:01:54] You may recognize this hormone from the buzz around medications like ozempic and WeGovy. GLP1 slows digestion, helps you feel fuller longer and lowers appetite, all while supporting glucose control. [00:02:09] While medications harness GLP1, lifestyle choices like protein, rich meals and fiber can naturally boost its effects. [00:02:19] Leptin and GHRELIN Leptin signals fullness, while ghrelin signals hunger. [00:02:26] After weight loss, ghrelin tends to rise and leptin falls, one reason why it can be hard to maintain results. [00:02:34] But glucose stability helps calm these fluctuations, making hunger signals easier to manage. [00:02:41] Cortisol the stress hormone. [00:02:45] Chronically elevated cortisol raises glucose levels and makes belly fat harder to lose. [00:02:51] Poor sleep and high stress keep cortisol high, which is why stress management isn't optional for body transformation. [00:02:59] It's essential. [00:03:02] What the RESEARCH shows Studies on women consistently show that Even a modest 5 to 10% weight loss improves insulin sensitivity, lowers fasting glucose and reduces fat storage signals. [00:03:17] GLP1 receptor agonists like Ozempic demonstrate how powerful glucose regulation can be, producing both weight loss and improved blood sugar control. [00:03:29] But studies also show that exercise, protein intake and food timing can mimic many of the same mechanisms. Naturally, women who combine resistance training with glucose aware eating maintain more lean mass during weight loss compared to diet alone. [00:03:47] Lifestyle changes can even reverse prediabetes, improving glucose control and insulin sensitivity without major weight loss. [00:03:57] THE TAKEAWAY Glucose isn't just a number on a lab report it's the central switch that determines whether your hormones are working with you or against you. [00:04:09] Case study Tanya, 52 Reversing prediabetes without medication Tanya's annual checkup revealed something she feared prediabetes. [00:04:25] Her fasting glucose was creeping up, and her doctor warned she might need medication if it continued. [00:04:32] Frustrated, Tanya wanted to take back control naturally. [00:04:36] She started by wearing a continuous glucose monitor for two weeks. [00:04:40] What she discovered shocked her. Her healthy morning smoothie, fruit juice, banana and yogurt sent her glucose soaring, leaving her tired and hungry. By mid morning, she swapped it for eggs and vegetables with avocado and her glucose numbers lowered instantly. [00:05:00] By pairing her carbs with protein, walking for 10 minutes after meals, and adding two days of strength training per week, Tanya lowered her fasting glucose back to normal range within three months. [00:05:13] She didn't just lose 12 pounds she gained confidence that her body wasn't broken it just needed a new approach. [00:05:23] SUMMARY CHAPTER Reflection the Science of Glucose and Hormones if chapter one helped you understand why midlife feels different, this chapter revealed how your body's chemistry responds and how to finally work with it, not against it. [00:05:46] You learned that your metabolism isn't a mystery or a matter of willpower. It's an orchestra, one where hormones like insulin, glucagon, leptin, ghrelin, and GLP1 each play a role in hunger, fullness, energy, and fat storage. [00:06:02] When those instruments fall out of tune, as they often do in perimenopause and postmenopause, the result is fatigue, cravings, and that stubborn weight gain that seems to appear overnight. [00:06:18] But harmony is possible. [00:06:20] This chapter showed that glucose regulation is the quiet conductor behind it all. [00:06:25] When blood sugar stays steady, the rest of the hormonal symphony begins to play in rhythm again. [00:06:30] Appetite calms, energy stabilizes, fat burning becomes effortless rather than forced. [00:06:40] You also discovered that medical tools like GLP1 receptor agonists aren't magic. They simply mimic what your body can do naturally. When supported by balanced meals, methods, movement and mindful recovery, lifestyle can replicate the same benefits slower digestion, greater fullness, fewer cravings, and sustainable energy without dependency or side effects. [00:07:07] Tanya's story reminded us that it's never too late to turn your numbers or your narrative around. [00:07:13] Her Pre diabetes reversal wasn't powered by pills but by awareness. [00:07:18] Each walk, each meal, each choice was a message to her metabolism. I'm on your side now. [00:07:27] The takeaway from this chapter is simple but profound. Your hormones aren't the problem. They're the feedback. And when you nourish your body with consistency instead of restriction, it responds in kind, balancing healing and thriving. [00:07:44] Because the secret to midlife metabolism isn't control. It's conversation, the glucose connection, one of the most intimate relationships we have with memory, comfort and nourishment. [00:08:00] These reflections invite you to listen to your body's feedback instead of outside noise. [00:08:06] Here you'll begin to recognize patterns in energy, cravings and calm, and discover how balance tastes. When it's personal. [00:08:15] Food is more than fuel. It's communication. [00:08:19] Every bite sends your body a message. [00:08:22] Reflect and reinvent. [00:08:25] How do your meals affect your energy, focus and mood throughout the day? What foods make you feel balanced and nourished and which leave you sluggish or or craving more? [00:08:38] Have you ever noticed emotional triggers tied to when or how you eat? How could pairing meals with movement become a natural rhythm instead of a rule? [00:08:48] What would it look like to eat in partnership with your biology, not against it?