WAIT… What Exactly Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is everywhere on social media right now.
Can’t lose weight? Insulin resistance.
Tired after lunch? Insulin resistance.
Belly fat? Insulin resistance.
Ate a piece of bread? Apparently, the internet thinks your pancreas is in trouble. 😂
But what does insulin resistance actually mean—and how do you know if you have it?
In this episode of Discover Your Personal Power: Hormones, Metabolism & Midlife, Peggy Moore, RN, MSN, breaks down the science without the fear, blame, or carb-shaming. Insulin is not the enemy, carbohydrates aren't automatically the problem, and one laboratory number doesn't tell the whole story.
We talk about how insulin communicates with your muscle, liver, and fat tissue, why your glucose can still look normal while your pancreas is producing more insulin to compensate, and how insulin resistance can eventually progress toward prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
You'll also learn about fasting glucose, A1C, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, oral glucose tolerance testing, triglycerides, waist circumference, visceral fat, menopause, muscle, sleep, nutrition, and exercise—and why none of these should be interpreted in isolation.
Most importantly, we talk about what you can actually do to support insulin sensitivity: use your muscles, strength train, walk after meals, build meals around protein and fiber, prioritize sleep, and look at your health trends rather than chasing perfect numbers.
Because the goal isn't to fear glucose or keep insulin as low as humanly possible.
The goal is metabolic health that lets you live your life—travel, play with your grandchildren, build your career or business, and enjoy the future you're working so hard for.
💙 I do the research so you don't have to.
The American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 is the key current clinical reference for this episode. It supports the diagnostic ranges discussed above, recommends screening beginning at age 35 for adults without other indications for earlier testing, recognizes gestational diabetes, PCOS, hypertension, dyslipidemia and other insulin-resistance-associated conditions as relevant risk factors, and emphasizes that fasting glucose, A1C and OGTT measure somewhat different aspects of glucose metabolism.
Bueno-Notivol J, Calvo-Latorre J, Alonso-Ventura V, et al. Effect of programmed exercise on insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2017;24(12):1404–1413. Seven randomized trials involving 580 women were included; shorter-term structured exercise interventions significantly reduced fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, while effects varied by intervention duration.
González-Gálvez N, Moreno-Torres JM, Vaquero-Cristóbal R. Resistance training effects on healthy postmenopausal women: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Climacteric. 2024;27(3):296–304. Twelve randomized trials were included, with significant improvements in upper- and lower-body strength and cardiorespiratory fitness.
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