
Perimenopause presents a complex metabolic journey, characterised by hormone fluctuations that directly influence blood sugar, energy levels, weight management, and sleep quality. Navigating this transformative life stage requires a nuanced understanding of metabolic stabilisation. The recent Channel 4 programme featuring the Glucose Goddess has generated significant public interest in metabolic health, and as a nutrition professional, I aim to offer a critical and comprehensive perspective on her proposed so-called ‘glucose hacks’.
A Balanced Approach to Metabolic Wellness
Hack 1: Eating Foods in the Right Order
Perimenopause amplifies insulin sensitivity challenges. While food order can help moderate glucose responses, avoid turning this into a rigid ritual that increases stress – the last thing perimenopausal women need.
Hack 2: The Veggie Starter
Nutrient density matters more than ever, and prioritising vegetables goes beyond simple glucose control. Vegetables play a crucial role in supporting hormone balance, reducing inflammation, enhancing metabolic resilience, and managing perimenopausal weight fluctuations. However, a practical challenge exists: most individuals lack the time or inclination to consistently prepare a separate vegetable starter. Effective nutrition strategies must be realistic and seamlessly integrated into daily life, recognising the real-world constraints people face when trying to maintain optimal health.
Hack 3: Stop Counting Calories
A progressive approach recognises that not all calories are metabolically equivalent. Individual variations in calorie absorption, particularly with whole foods, render calorie counting an oversimplified metric. Metabolic changes during perimenopause often render traditional weight loss strategies ineffective. Instead, the focus should shift to nutrient quality, consuming hormone-supporting foods, and understanding individual metabolic responses that uniquely impact weight management and overall health.
Hack 4: Have a Savoury Breakfast
Metabolic Benefit: Supports blood glucose stabilization.
Practical Challenge: Morning time constraints make this unrealistic daily. Convenient options like overnight oats can be equally effective in managing glucose responses. Make sure that breakfast always includes 20-30g of protein plus fibre and healthy fats too to combat muscle loss, improve metabolism and avoid energy crashes leading to sugar cravings.
Hack 5: Have any Type of Sugar, they’re all the same
Despite marketing claims, whether it's maple syrup, honey, or white sugar, the body metabolises these similarly. The "natural sugar" narrative is largely marketing-driven. However, in perimenopause, I would recommend limiting all added sugars as they can contribute to insulin resistance, inflammation, sleep disruption and stress hormone elevation.
Hack 6: Dessert Over Sweet Snacks
For perimenopausal women, the key to managing sweet cravings lies in strategic eating. Instead of grazing on sweet snacks throughout the day, choosing a well-planned dessert can be more metabolically beneficial. The critical approach is to pair any sweet component with protein, fibre, and healthy fats, which helps stabilise blood sugar, reduce cortisol levels, minimise mood swings, and support sustainable energy.
Hack 7: Drink an Apple Cider Vinegar Solution 20 minutes before eating
While the Glucose Goddess suggests drinking vinegar before meals, perimenopausal women can embrace a more palatable approach by incorporating apple cider vinegar and other fermented foods into their diet. These natural ingredients offer gentle metabolic support, helping to moderate blood sugar responses without the unpleasant task of drinking diluted vinegar.
Hack 8: Movement After Eating
The evidence is clear that movement after eating can significantly impact metabolic health, especially during perimenopause. For women navigating this life stage, this doesn't necessarily mean a long walk – even gentle household chores, resistance training, or stress-reducing movements can help moderate blood sugar responses, preserve muscle mass, and support overall metabolic resilience.
Hack 9: If you have to snack, go savoury
Perimenopausal metabolism demands smarter snacking strategies that support hormonal balance and energy stability. Opting for savoury snacks that combine carbohydrates with protein, fibre, and healthy fats can help manage blood sugar fluctuations, prevent energy crashes, and support overall metabolic health during this transitional life stage. However, this does not mean that a well-balanced sweeter snack cannot be enjoyed too.
Hack 10: Put Clothes on your Carbohydrates
This hack is a fundamental strategy I always recommend to clients, especially those navigating perimenopause. By pairing carbohydrates with proteins, healthy fats, and fibre, women can create a powerful nutritional approach that helps manage weight, stabilize energy levels, support hormone balance, and mitigate the stress impacts of metabolic changes. This strategic macronutrient combining not only keeps you feeling fuller for longer but also prevents blood sugar crashes and reduces sugar cravings that are common during the perimenopausal transition.
Beyond the Hacks: Holistic Perimenopause Metabolic Wellness
It's crucial to understand that glucose fluctuation is a natural physiological process for individuals without metabolic disorders. Blood glucose management can support energy, weight management, and mood optimization. Remember, these strategies aren't about perfection but progression. Metabolic health during perimenopause is a journey of understanding your unique body's signals.
It should also be noted that it is not necessary for people who are not diabetic to use a continuous glucose monitor. Indeed, studies have shown that they are not as accurate as the more traditional capillary blood glucose test.
While the Glucose Goddess presents engaging content, it's important to recognise that she is not a formally trained nutritionist, dietician, or physician. Her approach, while often referencing research, includes significant personal anecdotal elements.
The Glucose Goddess's approach to the man struggling with emotional eating reveals a critical oversight in addressing the psychological underpinnings of food-related behavior. By focusing solely on glucose management without exploring the emotional triggers and providing therapeutic tools to manage compulsive eating, her advice fails to address the root cause of the individual's relationship with food. Emotional eating is often a complex coping mechanism rooted in stress, trauma, or unprocessed emotions, and requires a holistic approach that integrates psychological support, emotional regulation techniques, and compassionate self-understanding.
Key Takeaway: Personalisation is paramount. While the Glucose Goddess offers valuable insights, your perimenopausal metabolic strategy should be as unique as you are.
Consultation Recommendation
For personalised metabolic and nutritional guidance tailored to your perimenopausal experience, consult a specialised nutritionist like me or other healthcare provider.
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