PMOS & Insulin Resistance: Symptoms, Sugar Crashes & Natural Management Tips

Bloated, exhausted, and breaking out like you're 15 again. And your doctor keeps saying, "your reports are fine." If your body has been continuously sending signals like this, then PMOS/PCOS could be the real villain here. One thing that might be making the situation worse and often goes unnoticed is insulin resistance.
So, in this blog, we will discuss thoroughly how insulin resistance is linked with PMOS and how it is making it worse. This will help you in making a lot wiser lifestyle choices that can support your overall hormonal and metabolic health.

What Is Insulin Resistance In PMOS?

First, let's understand what insulin actually is. Well, you may remember from school that it is a hormone produced in the organ called the pancreas. This hormone is essential in the cycle of turning glucose into energy.

In simpler language, it helps the glucose in the bloodstream reach the body’s cells and is used as energy. In normal circumstances, when you eat food, it breaks down into glucose and enters the bloodstream, where insulin helps in making it a fuel (energy) to run your entire body.

However, in insulin resistance, your body's cells become less responsive to insulin, which results in glucose struggling to enter your body cells. In response to this, the pancreas starts producing more insulin to compensate. So, in this way, insulin spikes and your body becomes less efficient in managing your blood sugar.

Note: if this state persists for a longer period, it is called hyperinsulinemia.

Now, what makes it related to PMOS is that high insulin is one of the major metabolic drivers behind PMOS.

Here, it is also essential to understand that PMOS and insulin resistance do not always go hand in hand. Not every woman with PMOS will have insulin resistance, although a significant percentage do, but not in every case. PMOS is a hormonal condition, whereas insulin resistance is more of a metabolic condition.

How Insulin Resistance Causes PMOS Symptoms

Many of you would have been thinking that insulin resistance is just about blood sugar, but it affects the body in multiple ways. From reproductive hormones to ovulation to energy levels.
Here are some of the other ways it is affecting your body:

Increasing the Androgen Level: It is a hormone present in higher percentages in men but also present in women, and an increased insulin level often stimulates the ovaries to produce this hormone. This further leads to acne, facial hair, oily skin, and irregular periods. As per research, insulin resistance and Androgen imbalance reinforce each other.
It can Disrupt Ovulation: Hormone balance is so essential for a female's body that if it is disrupted, it affects the regular ovulation cycle. And insulin resistance is one of the major factors that affects ovulation. Because of this, a woman may face problems like missed or irregular periods. She can also face fertility issues in some severe cases.

Promotes Weight Gain: Continuous high insulin levels can cause your body to store energy in the form of fat, mainly in the abdominal region. So, this way it makes it really difficult to lose weight. Also, there will be constant hunger pangs with very strong cravings and fluctuating energy levels. So, if you are working really hard to lose weight and not seeing the results, your hormonal and metabolic health might be the villain.

How Sugar Crashes And Insulin Resistance Are Connected

Whenever you eat something that is high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, such as soft drinks, white bread, and more. Swapping refined white bread for a gluten free bread made with better ingredients is one simple change that helps. They get digested easily, and sugar enters the bloodstream. Now, to make it reach the cells, insulin is secreted. But in insulin resistance, higher insulin is released to maintain the blood sugar.
The higher insulin level in the body sometimes may lead to a sudden fall of sugar level, which is called a sugar crash, which further leads to fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, irritability, sudden hunger, and more.

Best Foods For Managing Insulin Resistance In PMOS

If you are thinking that carbs are the real villain and they should be eliminated completely, then you are actually planning to harm your body more. So, while managing PMOS, eliminating carbs entirely shouldn’t be the aim. Instead, focus should be on creating a balanced meal to maintain blood sugar, which can be done through the following ways:

Add Protein-Rich Food: Everyone online is speaking about including more protein in the diet, as it helps in improving satiety and reducing uninvited cravings. Adding simple foods in your diet like egg, paneer, tofu, lentils, and more can help you fulfil your required protein intake.
Nowadays, you do not have to compromise on taste for protein. Almond Flour Cacao Cookie by The Cinnamon Kitchen contains 7.8 grams of protein, which is perfect for indulgent protein-rich bites. You'll find more options like these among our gluten free snacks, handy for keeping balanced bites within reach.

Incorporate Fibre-Rich Foods: Simple food choices like vegetables, fruits, oats, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and a fibre-rich granola can help increase the fibre content in your food. Fibre not only helps in keeping your gut healthy but also promotes slower digestion and supports the blood sugar level.

Choose Healthy Fats: Simple swaps can help you avoid trans fats. Good/healthy fat options like nuts, seeds, olive oil, nut butters, and more can be added to daily food choices, which can further help in maintaining insulin levels.
Try to go for healthy nut butters available in the market without any preservatives or additives.
Choose Low-Glycaemic Carbs: Avoiding carbs is never the solution, but choosing the right source of carbs is. Millets, quinoa, brown rice, and many more are the staples with a low glycaemic index. Food choices like this promote digestion.

A Simple PMOS-Friendly Plate Method

One of the simplest ways to manage your meals is by the plate method. Ideally, half of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, carrots or leafy green vegetables. Then one quarter should contain protein, maybe in the form of paneer, tofu, egg, or any protein-rich food item. Another quarter should be of complex carbohydrates, including millets, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.

Note: Adding healthier/good fats also improves satiety.

How To Reduce Insulin Resistance Naturally In PMOS

Insulin resistance does not happen overnight; sometimes it takes years to reflect on the tests. Similarly, it can not be treated instantly. Although a few lifestyle changes and improved eating habits can help naturally to improve insulin resistance. Some of those habits are:

Pair Carbohydrates: It is advised to avoid eating carbohydrates alone. You can pair it up with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. This will prevent sudden sugar spikes.
Protein can be the game-changer: Including protein-rich food in your diet keeps you fuller for a longer time and simultaneously reduces cravings. This, in turn, supports stable energy and a stable blood sugar level.
Increase Fibre Intake: Fibre keeps your gut happier by promoting better digestion and improving satiety. This further regulates the blood sugar level.
Add Physical Activity to Your Routine: Simple activities like walking, cycling, or yoga help your body move and keep your muscles utilising the glucose efficiently. Regular movement also supports insulin sensitivity, making it easier for your body to manage blood sugar levels.
Improve sleep cycle: We all know how important sleep is. Poor sleep increases the cortisol levels, reduces the insulin sensitivity, and causes fatigue. Ideally, one should have 7-8 hours of sleep every day.
Manage stress level: Today's lifestyle induces stress, and long-term stress can lead to hormonal imbalance, induce sugar cravings, and cause insulin resistance. To counter this, activities like meditation, yoga, and journaling can be very useful.

Why PMOS Is Becoming More Common Today

The running lifestyle we are living right now, stress is bound to happen. We are all constantly in a race where there is some or the other type of FOMO we experience. Along with this, constant consumption of ultra-processed foods like soft drinks and chips, with a sedentary lifestyle, and poor sleep habits may contribute to the rising cases of PMOS among women.

However, PMOS is a complex body condition influenced by multiple factors like genetics, hormones, and one's metabolism.

Conclusion

PMOS is not just a hormonal condition but something that is closely linked with how your metabolic health is doing. So, to manage it, a holistic approach should be followed, and insulin management can help in many ways.
While moving towards healthier changes, it is essential to understand that it is always the balance that helps and not the extremes. As one of the top 10 bakery websites focused on better-for-you baking, our philosophy at The Cinnamon Kitchen promotes balance. We never wanted our customers to choose between health and taste, which is why even a keto cake can fit a balanced approach. While maintaining one, we never compromised on the other. This is the reason we receive so much love from our customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can lean women with PMOS have insulin resistance?

Yes, lean women with PMOS can have insulin resistance. Hence, a normal body weight should not be the measure of insulin resistance in a lean woman.

Q2. Can weight loss alone fix PMOS?

it's a myth that losing weight alone will resolve PMOS. You need to understand that it is a combination of hormonal, metabolic, and lifestyle factors that affect it. So, ideally, the solution will also be the combination of balanced nutrition, regular movement, quality sleep, stress management, and appropriate medical support.

Q3. Do women with PMOS need to avoid all carbohydrates?

Not at all; carbs are food for your brain. Eliminating them completely will affect your body further. Instead, focus should be given to more fibre-rich, protein-rich food and minimally processed millets.

Q4. If my blood sugar levels are normal, can I still have insulin resistance?

Yes, in some cases, insulin resistance can take years to show. That is why many women with PMOS face symptoms like sugar cravings, brain fog, and more despite having normal sugar levels in tests.

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PMOS & Insulin Resistance: Symptoms, Causes, Sugar Crashes & How To Manage It Naturally

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