How Your Blood Sugar Affects Your Menstrual Cycle (and 4 things you can do about it)
So you think (or you’ve been told) that your blood sugar is irregular.
Maybe it’s chronically high glucose, or hypoglycemia, or you tend to get weird symptoms after meals. You might have been told that your nutrition or your weight are to blame, and (unfortunately) you could have been made to feel like going low/no carb (keto) is your only option.
I’m here to assure you, it’s not!
Mild blood sugar fluctuations are normal, but some people tend to have higher highs and/or lower lows, leading to metabolic stress and symptoms that aren’t fun.
Symptoms like:
irritability
anxiety
fatigue
hanger
unpredictable energy
headache
These symptoms tend to be especially strong during the week prior to your period. So if you feel like sugar is a “problem” for you, or you experience any of the above symptoms on a regular basis, keep reading.
First, let me reassure you that irregular blood sugar can happen to anyone.
I’ll reiterate that:
Your blood sugar issues are not your fault.
You have genetics, trauma, or a chronically stressful life that makes your body more sensitive to changes in blood sugar, or more likely to have trouble regulating it. If you’re like most of my clients, you have a combination of underlying factors for your blood sugar issues. There’s no cut-and-dried reason why this has happened.
Good news! You can accept that your body is doing the best with what it’s been given while also acknowledging that your actions make a difference.
So take a deep breath, and stop beating yourself up. Once you get over the blame game, you can start to do something about it.
First, let’s explore how blood sugar fluctuations affect your cycle:
Blood sugar crashes can lead to difficulty ovulating and low progesterone production. This can affect your ability to conceive or have a healthy menstrual cycle.
Low progesterone can make your luteal phase (the week before your period) feel like hell - and also make your period cycle irregular.
Blood sugar spikes prompt an increase in insulin release (to process your blood sugar), which tends to promote androgen production (my PCOS people know that's not helpful).
During your luteal phase, blood sugar irregularity gets worse - prompting those uncontrollable cravings. Having a higher sugar intake in general is also associated with more painful period cramps. Bleh.
So what can you do about it?
These are some basic suggestions that could be useful for you. Filter this information through what you know about your unique body, and consult your doctor and/or nutritionist if you have specific questions about how to make these blood sugar solutions work best for you.
1) Eat enough fibrous carbs.
Some doctors, nutritionists, and nutrition “enthusiasts” think that eliminating almost all carbs (AKA “going keto”) is the best way to stabilize your blood sugar. They claim that limited carbohydrate consumption is the only way to reverse insulin resistance.
While that may be the case for some, you probably don’t feel great after a week or two of minimal carb consumption. This is because carbs are an essential macronutrient (hint - there are not non-essential macros)! When you start to eat more carbs (out of desperation), you tend to reverse whatever benefits occurred during the low/no carb phase. And get this: long-term low/no carb consumption can create metabolic stress that leads to increased insulin resistance - the opposite effect of what these “experts” advocate!
The truth is that your unique genetics, stress level, preferences, and tolerance for discomfort all play a part in your ability to minimize carbs…and if it’s not working for you short-term, it’s not going to work for you long-term either!
I prefer to recommend a more moderate approach: eat plenty of fibrous carbohydrates, balanced out with protein and fat. Fiber stabilizes your blood sugar by increasing the amount of time it takes to break down your food into glucose, giving your body more time to do something with the extra energy. It also improves your digestion and detoxification processes, helping eliminate metabolic waste, excess estrogen, and heavy metals that may be contributing to your health concerns.
Some common examples of foods high in fiber include:
Almonds
Apple
Avocado
Beans (navy, pinto, black, lima, garbanzo/chickpeas)
Berries (especially blackberries and raspberries)
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Flax, chia, sunflower, and sesame seeds
Lentils
Oats (old-fashioned or steel-cut)
Pear
Peas
Spinach
Squash (butternut, acorn, kobocha)
Sweet potato
2) Eat enough protein & fat
Protein and fat are the other two (essential!) macronutrients. They promote satisfaction with your meal and overall food intake, and slow down the time it takes to turn your food into blood glucose (thus balancing blood sugar). When I work with clients who have blood sugar issues, one of the first things we do is make sure they are eating enough protein and fat. It’s very common to accidentally minimize one or both of these macronutrients out of fear - you might be afraid that too much protein will hurt your kidneys, or maybe you’re still living under the 90s-era fear of fat.
While I don’t recommend tracking your food all the time, it can be helpful to see how much protein and fat your are getting for 3 typical days. This assessment can help you know whether you may need to eat more in order to feel your best. Your ideal amount of protein and fat is unique to you and will fluctuate with your changes in age and activity level, so think of these numbers as a baseline to help you be aware as you care for your body over time.
Adult women need at least 50 grams of protein daily just for organ/hormone function, and possibly quite a bit more depending on body size and activity level. A good general protein minimum (consult your doctor and/or nutritionist for a more precise recommendation) is 1 gram of protein for every kilogram you weigh.
For reference, a kilogram (kg) is 2.2 pounds.
Fat needs are much more variable according to your genetics and preferences. Focus on fibrous carbs and protein, and fat can fill in the gap to help you feel satisfied! Quality matters a more than quantity.
You’ll need to add more protein and fat if you have an active job, lift weights, or do any kind of endurance exercise. Additional adjustments may be needed if you desire to grow muscle tissue or have a chronic illness. That’s why I can’t and don’t give out recommended macros - it’s completely unethical as it’s likely inaccurate without a full intake session and understanding of your unique situation.
3) Move your body!
Movement of any kind helps your body use up excess glucose/energy and supports normal insulin levels. This is beneficial for both prevention and management of any insulin issue, including reactive hypoglycemia, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, etc.
Strength training, yoga, and walking are especially helpful, but any movement counts! That includes daily chores, dance parties, playing with your kids/dogs, home improvement projects, etc.
If you already are moderately active, but would like to improve your blood sugar balance, I recommend adding some sort of resistance training. When you challenge your muscles with body weight exercises, resistance bands, or weight lifting, you help your blood sugar in two ways:
Use up stored glucose in your muscles for energy
Cause your muscles to become more insulin sensitive (improving future absorption of glucose).
It’s a win-win!
Not sure what exactly to do? I’ve got a YouTube channel with short instructional videos and slightly longer movement routines, many using minimal or no equipment. These videos are mostly low-impact and provide a ton of verbal and visual cues so you can feel the movement - your mind to muscle connection is really important!
4) Eat mindfully
You might think that means “watch what you eat” - it doesn’t. Mindful eating is the practice of noticing your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations before, during, and after you eat. Mindful eating helps you fully appreciate your treats, improve your digestion, and eat the amount of food your body actually needs. Each of these aspects can improve your blood sugar stabilization!
There are so many ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your meals. I recommend reading this book by Jan Chosen Bays. I’ve also written other blogs on intuitive eating, which has a mindfulness component. You can read more about it from me here and here.
Want the TL;DR version?
You can boil down mindful eating to 3 super simple steps:
Smell your food.
Chew your food.
Stop looking at your phone.
I said they were simple, not easy!
As you eat mindfully, you may notice that some foods or portion sizes create those pesky blood sugar symptoms you’re trying to avoid. Rather than feeling guilty for “letting” this happen, use this information to help you inform future food choices!
To recap, the 4 things you can do to improve your blood sugar balance are:
1) eat plenty of fiber/carbs
2) eat plenty of protein & fat
3) move your body
4) pay attention when you eat
I’d love to hear how these things have helped you! Comment below with your favorite way to support blood sugar balance. And if you need additional support, schedule your free consultation here.