Why We Need to Know More

For years, many of us have been diagnosed with diabetes, insulin resistance, or PCOS, given medications, told to walk more, eat less sugar, and manage our weight. But how often has someone actually explained what’s happening inside our bodies?

Understanding how food, insulin, sugar, and hormones interact helps us manage our health better and make informed lifestyle choices. Whether you’re taking metformin, insulin injections, or GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, this guide will help you understand exactly where your disease and medications fit into the bigger picture.

How Your Body Processes Food and Sugar

When we eat, our food is broken down into glucose (sugar) in the intestines. This sugar enters our bloodstream, and our muscles and organs use it for energy. But for that to happen, we need insulin, which acts like a transport cart carrying sugar from the bloodstream into our cells.

If everything works well, our body balances sugar, insulin, and energy use perfectly. But in diabetes, insulin resistance, or PCOS, something goes wrong in this process.

What Happens in Insulin Resistance & Diabetes?

There are two main problems that can occur:

1. Insulin Resistance (Type 2 Diabetes & PCOS):

   • Your pancreas makes insulin, but your muscles and organs don’t respond properly.

   • This leads to high blood sugar (because sugar isn’t moving into cells properly) and high insulin levels (because your body keeps making more insulin to compensate).

   • Over time, this can lead to fatty liver, weight gain, and even heart problems.

2. Low Insulin Production (Type 1 Diabetes & Advanced Type 2 Diabetes):

   • Your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, so there aren’t enough “carts” to move sugar from the bloodstream to cells.

   • This leads to high blood sugar and the need for insulin injections or medications that help insulin work better.

Where Do Diabetes Medications Fit?

Doctors prescribe different medications depending on whether your problem is insulin resistance, low insulin, or both:

1. Metformin:

   • Helps your body use insulin more effectively.

   • Lowers how much sugar your liver releases into the bloodstream.

   • Usually the first medication given for Type 2 diabetes & PCOS.

     

2. Insulin Injections:

   • Given when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin.

   • Helps move sugar from blood into cells when the body can't produce enough insulin on its own.

3. SGLT-2 Inhibitors (Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, and Empagliflozin):

   • A newer type of medication that helps remove excess sugar directly through urine.

   • Works well in combination with other diabetes medications.

     

4. GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, etc.):

   • These mimic the natural hormone GLP-1, which does the following:

     • Increases insulin production when blood sugar is high.

     • Lowers glucagon (stops the liver from releasing extra sugar).

     • Slows down digestion so sugar enters the blood more gradually.

     • Reduces appetite (leading to weight loss, which also helps insulin resistance).

       

How This Helps PCOS and Younger People with Insulin Resistance

Many younger people today (ages 25-40) are dealing with insulin resistance and PCOS, which are closely related to diabetes risk. The treatments overlap because:

• Metformin and GLP-1 medications help regulate blood sugar, which also stabilizes hormone levels in PCOS.

• Managing weight through proper glucose control improves both diabetes and PCOS symptoms.

• Intermittent fasting and exercise improve insulin sensitivity and reduce excess insulin levels.

  

Why Understanding This Matters

Many of us take medications without fully understanding how they work. But when we do, we can make better lifestyle choices:

• Knowing that excess carbs turn into sugar and then into fat helps us eat smarter.

• Understanding how exercise helps burn stored glycogen prevents excess fat storage.

• Learning how insulin resistance develops helps us make diet and activity changes earlier, before diabetes progresses.

Your doctor can prescribe the right medications, but managing diet, activity, and lifestyle alongside medication can truly change your long-term health outcomes.

Let’s Take Control of Our Health

Instead of just taking medications because they were prescribed, let’s ask more questions and learn how they work in our bodies. Whether you're managing diabetes, insulin resistance, or PCOS, understanding your condition empowers you to make better decisions and take control of your health.

Now that you understand how sugar, insulin, and medications fit together, you can share this knowledge with others, help friends and family make informed choices, and work with your doctor to find the best approach for your personal health journey.

Let’s move beyond just following prescriptions—let’s truly understand our health!