🩸 Diabetes Awareness Month: How Perimenopause Impacts Blood Sugar and What Women Can Do About It
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By Aleyna Besmer, MS, RD — California Registered Dietitian
🌸 Perimenopause and Diabetes: What Every Woman Should Know
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to shine light on how lifestyle and hormone changes impact women’s health. For women in their 40s and 50s, perimenopause can bring more than hot flashes and mood changes—it can also increase the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Understanding the connection between perimenopause and blood sugar is key to protecting your long-term metabolic health.
🔍 How Perimenopause Affects Blood Sugar
During perimenopause, estrogen levels naturally decline. This hormonal shift can:
Reduce insulin sensitivity, leading to higher blood sugar
Increase abdominal fat, especially visceral fat around organs
Slow metabolism, making weight management harder
Disrupt sleep and raise cortisol, which elevates glucose levels
Together, these changes can make women in midlife more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes, especially if combined with a sedentary lifestyle or poor diet.
🥗 Top Nutrition Strategies for Blood Sugar Balance
Balanced nutrition can significantly improve glucose control and hormone regulation. Here’s how to eat for blood sugar balance during perimenopause:
1. Prioritize Protein
Aim for 20–30 grams of protein per meal to keep blood sugar steady and preserve muscle mass.✅ Best choices: eggs, salmon, Greek yogurt, chicken, tofu, or protein shakes
2. Fill Half Your Plate with Non-Starchy Vegetables
Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, and zucchini are high in fiber and antioxidants that reduce inflammation and support hormone metabolism.
3. Choose High-Fiber Carbs
Aim for at least 25–30 grams of fiber daily to improve glucose response and gut health.✅ Sources: lentils, beans, oats, chia seeds, quinoa, and whole fruits
4. Add Healthy Fats
Healthy fats from avocado, nuts, olive oil, and salmon improve satiety and reduce blood sugar spikes.
5. Stay Hydrated
Water helps flush excess glucose. Skip sugary drinks and limit alcohol, which can worsen insulin resistance and hot flashes.
🧘 Lifestyle Habits That Improve Hormone and Glucose Balance
Beyond food, these daily habits can have a major impact on blood sugar and hormone regulation:
Move daily: Aim for 30–45 minutes of activity—walking, resistance training, or yoga.
Get enough sleep: 7–8 hours supports cortisol balance and glucose control.
Manage stress: Try deep breathing, stretching, or mindfulness breaks to reduce stress hormones.
Track your glucose: A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) can help you understand your body’s response to meals and stress in real time.
💡 The Takeaway: Protecting Your Health During Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a window of opportunity to improve your metabolic health. By focusing on balanced nutrition, stress management, and consistent movement, you can stabilize blood sugar, maintain energy, and lower your diabetes risk.
This Diabetes Awareness Month, make your health a priority—because the small changes you make now can have a lasting impact on your future.
👩⚕️ About Aleyna Besmer, MS, RD
Aleyna Besmer is a California Registered Dietitian who helps women thrive through perimenopause and menopause with personalized nutrition, hormone balance strategies, and practical lifestyle tips.
Follow @yourcaliforniard on Instagram for more science-based insights on women’s health, nutrition, and hormone balance.
