Understanding Insulin and Estrogen

Insulin: Insulin is the hormone responsible for moving glucose (aka sugar) from your bloodstream into your cells so it can be used for energy. Think of it like a VIP pass that gets sugar into the exclusive “energy club” inside your cells. When insulin is working properly, your body efficiently burns glucose for fuel. When it’s not? That’s when blood sugar levels spike, leading to weight gain, fatigue, and insulin resistance.

Estrogen: Estrogen isn’t just about periods and pregnancy—it’s involved in bone health, brain function, heart health, skin elasticity, and even metabolism. In reproductive years, estrogen is produced primarily by the ovaries. But when menopause hits and ovarian estrogen production slows down, your body has to get creative (more on that in a minute!).

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance happens when your cells stop responding to insulin’s signals, leaving excess sugar to float around in the bloodstream. Over time, this can lead to weight gain (especially around the belly), fatigue, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Here’s where estrogen comes in: Estrogen helps keep insulin sensitivity in check, meaning it supports your body’s ability to use glucose efficiently. But as estrogen declines during menopause, insulin resistance becomes more common, leading to stubborn weight gain and energy crashes.

Hear Dr. Robyn talk about this in more depth:

Fat Cells and Estrogen

Once the ovaries slow down estrogen production, your body has to find alternative sources—enter your fat cells! Fat tissue can actually produce a type of estrogen (estrone), which is why many women notice an increase in belly fat after menopause. Your body isn’t betraying you—it’s trying to compensate for the estrogen loss by holding onto more fat to keep hormone levels somewhat stable.

The downside? This process can also fuel insulin resistance, making weight management even trickier.

What Can You Do?

• Support insulin sensitivity with balanced meals that include protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
• Exercise regularly to improve glucose uptake and keep metabolism running smoothly.
• Consider hormone support if needed—bioidentical progesterone or estrogen therapy can help regulate metabolism and fat distribution.
• Manage stress since high cortisol levels can worsen both insulin resistance and fat storage.