Silent Insulin Resistance Increases Your Risk of Depression

What do your blood sugar, cholesterol levels and triglycerides have to do with your mental health? They’re all quite connected, as it turns out. 

Gone are the days of us treating mental health issues as a purely psychological phenomenon. We now know that biological factors like inflammation, hormones and blood sugar greatly influence our state of mind. 

Insulin resistance is common and often ignored until it progresses to diabetes. This is unfortunate because science tells us that insulin resistance can impact our wellbeing even before it leads to diabetes. Research consistently shows a connection between insulin resistance and mental health. A 2021 study by Rasgon et. al. found that those with insulin resistance had an increased risk of developing major depressive disorder over the 9 year follow up period of the study–even for those who never had depression or anxiety in the past.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is not a specific disease in the same way that we think about diabetes. Insulin resistance is a state that the body can be stuck in long before diabetes shows up. When the body is in a state of insulin resistance, it means that it’s ignoring (or resisting) the instructions that insulin is trying to give to your body: make use of that sugar! When the body ignores those instructions from insulin, sugar is not used well by various parts of the body so it remains floating in the blood stream leading to elevated blood sugar. 

It can be tricky to measure early stages of insulin resistance because it can fluctuate easily from moment to moment. There are many ways to test it and it’s common for some tests to come back normal and for others to show signs of insulin resistance. 

In the study mentioned above, researchers measured insulin resistance in three validated ways:

• They calculated the ratio of triglycerides to HDL

• They measured abdominal fat 

• They assessed fasting plasma glucose levels 

An increase in the triglyceride-HDL ratio, an increase in abdominal fat and rising plasma glucose levels over the years all suggest insulin resistance and they were all associated with a higher risk of developing major depressive disorder. 

How do we treat insulin resistance?

Causes of insulin resistance include:

• Being sedentary 

• Consuming more calories than your body needs

• Not getting enough sleep

• Poor stress management

So in many cases, the way to manage insulin resistance is the same old, simple advice we’ve all heard over and over: 

• Exercise

• Eat healthy and keep moderation in mind (culturally appropriate Mediterranean Diet principles are a great way to do this)

• Go to bed on time and get help addressing any sleep issues

• Work on stress management

• Some supplements can play a role in managing insulin resistance but they can’t replace lifestyle changes

The thing is, we may all know about these lifestyle changes but the challenge becomes motivating ourselves to do them and dealing with life situations that make it difficult to implement these healthy changes. Depression is serious and devastating, hopefully more awareness about how these lifestyle changes can prevent depression will help keep us all motivated to take care of ourselves in the best way we can. If you need help coming up with a practical plan to manage insulin resistance and your mental health, book an appointment and I would be happy to help.

PCOS, Anxiety and Depression

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that involves irregular periods, metabolic issues like weight gain and insulin resistance, and symptoms of excess androgen hormones like acne and hair loss (or excess growth). It’s a common condition but what is often not talked about is its connection with mental health.

Women with PCOS are more likely to have anxiety or depression. This could be because some of the symptoms (like acne, hair loss, and infertility) take a psychological toll on those who experience them by impacting self esteem, relationships, and important life goals. It’s possible that the biological factors in PCOS like insulin resistance and elevated androgens are contributing to the anxiety or depression directly but there is limited and inconsistent information on this from studies. 

Associations have also been found between PCOS and eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. 

Treatment 

Treating the mental health aspects of PCOS means treating the PCOS itself by balancing the hormones that are out of range and improving the symptoms. Because it can take time for symptoms to improve, treating anxiety and depression directly can also be beneficial. Some of the natural remedies that help with PCOS can help improve mental health too. Talk to your naturopathic doctor to get a treatment plan that address both your mental and physical PCOS symptoms.

Testing For Anxiety - is it Necessary?

Anxiety can involve a whole bunch of confusing and overwhelming symptoms. For some people, all of the symptoms are thought based - overthinking, catastrophizing, constant worrying etc. For others, physical symptoms are associated with the anxiety like heart palpitations, diarrhea, irregular periods, sweating, nausea and so on.

Whether or not you need testing depends on your signs and symptoms. The type of testing you need will be completely individualized to you. Testing can help us figure out potential root causes that could be contributing to your anxiety.

Here are some tests that can be run for certain cases of anxiety:

Thyroid testing - this is sometimes tested when heart palpitations, jitters, constipation or diarrhea, cold or hot flashes, irregular periods, hair issues or skin changes occur.

Iron deficiency testing - this can be considered when symptoms like weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and heart palpitations are present.

Blood sugar testing - this is sometimes done when symptoms like lightheadedness, weakness and shaking are present.

Other tests like liver testing, triglycerides, reproductive hormones, vitamin d, B12 and many more may also be considered on a case by case basis.

I often get asked if I offer testing as a naturopathic doctor. I have access to many common tests and I often run tests for my anxiety patients when we feel it’s necessary. If you want to talk more about how I can help you with testing, please book a free 15 minute consultation.

Household Hormone Disrupting Chemicals and Anxiety

We are exposed to many hormone disruptors in our day to day life. This is something that scientists have been talking about for a while now. The commonly used name for these chemicals is “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals” or EDCs. They include plastics used to line cans, coat store receipts and store food in, chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, household cleaners and so on. 

EDCs are an issue because they can lead to confusion in our hormonal systems. For example, chemicals that look and behave like estrogen can enter our bodies and trigger all kinds of responses that may not have happened from our own naturally occurring estrogen. 

The impact that these chemicals have on reproductive issues and certain cancers is widely discussed. The impact on mental health is less known. 

Some research shows that EDCs can affect brain function and may impact addictive behaviours and other behaviours in animals. Other research is showing that EDCs can impair memory, learning and focus. Because of this impact on the brain and nervous system, some scientists wonder if these chemicals can worsen anxiety and other mental health disorders. A lot more research needs to be done but many individuals are eager to take action now to reduce EDCs in their life. 

It’s hard to avoid EDCs completely because many persist in our environment in our soil, water and air. That being said, there may be some simple things you can do at home to attempt to reduce your exposure. This includes reducing plastic containers, being cautious about the cosmetics, creams and soaps you use and swapping some common household cleaners for simple DIY ones you can make yourself out of kitchen ingredients. 

If you have more questions about your hormones and what could be impacting them, feel free to contact me about setting up a free 15 minute consultation so we can discuss your hormone health goals. 

Is This Early Menopause or Anxiety?

Heart palpitations, hot flashes, feeling more irritable and frazzled, period getting irregular - these symptoms can all be part of the menopause transition. But they can also be anxiety symptoms as well. It’s often difficult to tell the difference and the two can occur simultaneously. 

Typically, once the period has stopped for a year, menopause is diagnosed. That window of time when the period becomes irregular and menopause symptoms like hot flashes start is called “perimenopause”. This is because “peri” means “around” or “near”. If you’re taking contraceptive or hormone therapy this can sometimes make diagnosis more complicated. 

Sometimes, depending on your age and health history, your naturopathic or family doctor can do blood testing to help determine if you’re near or in menopause. The age you enter into menopause can also be impacted by genetics. Knowing the age that your mother and sisters went into menopause can give you some clues. 

Both menopause and anxiety can be a challenge to face alone. Make sure you’re getting the right medical care and support to help you figure out not only what is going on, but how to manage it. 

Do Birth Control Pills Affect Mood and Anxiety?

I see so many patients who have noticed that their mood has shifted ever since starting or stopping birth control medication. I’ve heard this observation from people who take birth control pills, IUDs or other forms of birth control medication. The experience varies widely among individuals. Many are left wondering if their birth control really is affecting their mood or if it’s all in their imagination. There is actually not as much research on this topic as you would think. Because there are so many different types of birth control medications, it’s difficult for scientists to study how they impact mood.

Here is what some studies have found about birth control medication and mood:

• Some women notice no change in mood whereas other women actually notice an improvement in mood.

• Birth control may improve mood and anxiety during certain times of the month (e.g. before your period) and worsen mood and anxiety during other times of the month.

• Certain birth control options may have less of a negative impact on mood like:

  • Non oral birth control medications.

  • Options with less androgenic properties (you can speak to your health care provider to learn more about what this means).

• If you tend to have existing issues with mood (e.g. anxiety or depression), birth control medications may be more likely to worsen your mood.

• Some people may be more susceptible than others to negative mood effects but scientists have not figured out why.

• Negative impacts on mood may decrease with age (e.g. adolescents may experience more negative mood side effects from birth control medication compared to adults).

Ultimately, this is your health so if you feel like your mood is being positively or negatively impacted by your birth control medication, it’s worth speaking to your health care providers about it.  

A Key Trick for Easing PMS

Most of my patients with anxiety tell me that the time before their period is extra difficult. This is a time when already high anxiety levels can soar even higher and mood can plummet. For some women, they feel great all month long and then the week before their period, they feel like a different person.

A big stumbling block for women is that they wait until they’re in the middle of their premenstrual woes and then start looking for way to manage their symptoms. A better approach is to start preparing in advance. I see a huge difference in my patients who start preparing for PMS before symptoms actually start.

This takes planning. It’s easy to forget about how bad PMS can get when you’re not in the middle of it – so it’s easy to forget to prepare. But preparation is key. For example, if you’re taking certain supplements for your PMS, consider starting to take them the week before your PMS symptoms start. If that doesn’t work, you may need to start taking them earlier. Work out a plan with your naturopathic doctor.

If anxiety is an issue for you around the time of your period, consider adding certain foods into your diet before your PMS time comes a long. For a list of foods that can help you with anxiety click HERE.

How do I Know if my Hormones are Out of Balance?

Do you suspect that your hormones are off balance? Are you a little unsure if that’s actually true? How do you know if you’re feeling crummy because of hormones or if it’s just because of life situations?  

Symptoms of hormone imbalances are often super general so it’s easy to not suspect hormones as the culprit. Here are some common signs and symptoms that you can experience if your hormones are in need of some TLC:

• Fatigue

• Anxiety, depression, irritability and mood swings

• Hair loss or excess hair growth

• Weight gain or loss

• Oily or dry skin

• Insomnia

• Cravings

• PMS

• Irregular, painful, heavy or light periods

• Brain fog

• Breast tenderness and fibrocystic breasts

• Fibroids and ovarian cysts

• Hot flashes, night sweats or feeling cold all the time

• Acne

• Muscle aches

• Bloating, nausea and water retention

(Note - you don’t have to have all of these symptoms to have hormonal imbalances).

We can’t know for sure which hormones are out of balance without testing. We can make some educated guesses without tests but testing hormones gives us a clearer picture of what’s going on and therefore saves time and money wasted on trial and error. I encourage you to talk to your naturopathic doctor about your hormone testing options.

The good news is that in many cases it’s possible to re-balance hormones naturally without birth control pills or other medications. Given that I focus my practice on treating anxiety and depression, I’ve seen some wonderful improvements in mood as a result of crafting a solid hormone balancing plan for my patients.

If you want to know what steps would be involved in your own hormone balancing plan, click the book now button below to get your free 15-minute consultation.

Let’s scratch some of those symptoms off of your list!