52. The One Where Insulin Resistance is Stealing Your Energy

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If you’re struggling with fatigue, abdominal weight gain, brain fog, and cravings, you may be dealing with a very common metabolic dysfunction: insulin resistance.

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur unpacks one of the most common—but often overlooked—causes of low energy: insulin resistance. You'll learn what insulin resistance actually is, why it can develop years before prediabetes, how muscle, sleep, stress, and hormones influence blood sugar regulation, and which lab tests can help identify it early. Most importantly, you'll walk away with practical, sustainable strategies to improve insulin sensitivity without restrictive diets or all-or-nothing thinking.

If you've ever been told your blood sugar is "normal" but you still feel exhausted, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

Insulin resistance often develops years—or even decades—before prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.
Normal blood sugar does not necessarily mean your insulin levels are normal.
Common symptoms include:
- Afternoon energy crashes
- Brain fog
- Increased cravings for sugar or carbohydrates
- Feeling irritable or "hangry" when meals are delayed
- Weight gain around the midsection
Muscle acts as one of the body's biggest glucose sinks, making strength training and movement powerful tools for prevention.
Chronic stress, poor sleep, perimenopause, PCOS, a history of gestational diabetes, and certain medications can all increase risk.
Waist circumference is one of the strongest predictors of future insulin resistance and metabolic disease.
Whether or not Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are helpful for understanding your blood sugar levels
Which exact labs can show early signs of insulin resistance

Resources & Additional Episodes:

Download my free lab guide The Missing Piece, to learn which lab markers every woman should know, and the optimal ranges I use in clinical practice.
32. The One That Sets The Record Straight on Cortisol
47. The One Where I Changed My Mind About Cholesterol
44. The One Where Exercise Stops Feeling So Hard

Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur is a Naturopathic Doctor, mom, and fatigue fixer who’s on a mission to help women fix their fatigue and get the health care they deserve. You can find her talking about all things fatigue on Instagram and learn more about her services at drsarahv.ca.

The Fatigue Fixer is produced by Story Studio Network.

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