Ah, navigating health in middle age. What fun, right? Perimenopause in the house, y’all.

I had my yearly physical a few weeks ago, and we did some fasting bloodwork about it, as you do. And then I had to have a telehealth visit about those results, to talk about my cholesterol, mainly, but also highlighting a bit of insulin resistance. Is this a shock, at 47, when I’ve been having many other symptoms of perimenopause over the past three years, including weight gain, heart palpitations, my hair going wavy, hot flashes, mild sleep apnea, BO like a 14yo, and some highly irritating general sweatiness? No. Seriously, this phase of life is like being a teenager all over again, except with more metabolic health worries and less excruciating embarrassment in front of your peers. And it’s fair to mention, also (though my doctor didn’t, during this visit), that I was diagnosed a decade ago with PCOS, which is another wonky-hormone rollercoaster that can play merry hell with one’s metabolism.

So here I was, having looked over my test results glancingly online, fairly prepared for the discussion, ready to advocate for myself as needed. But it seems that my own 3+ years of diving into Intuitive Eating and anti-diet content have finally outpaced my practitioner’s generally weight-inclusive care. You guys. She tried to tell me I have “pre-pre-diabetes” which is the fakest unscientific bullshit I have ever heard from a medical professional. Type 2 diabetes? Real. Pre-diabetes? Not science based, but pushed by drug companies et al to sell weight loss interventions, GLP-1s, etc. “Pre-pre-diabetes”??? Come on. If you want me to respect you, just start a conversation about minor insulin resistance, and I am all ears.

So she brings up lifestyle factors, as she has in several previous checkups and other visits. She doesn’t seem to remember our earlier discussions about my exercise, despite the fact that I have been working consistently with my physical therapist for 3+ years, and have come back from barely being able to walk half a mile or stand for five minutes to currently managing 2.5 miles on the elliptical 2-3x a week, going for walks as the weather permits, *and* doing 3-6 strength training PT workouts a week, each 45 minutes to an hour long.

Well. At least she’d probably be pleased to hear about my 2026 project, cooking with beans more, right? Beans are a terrific food for stable blood sugar, with a nice balance of complex carbs, fiber, and protein. They are frequently recommended to *actual diabetics*. Alas, no. I proudly brought up my cooking resolution, and she responded with “Well, beans are a carb. I’d really like to see you getting protein, fiber, and healthy fats.” (Did she go on to explain which fats are ‘healthy’? No she did not.)

My loves. Let this be your lesson. Do not assume that a primary healthcare provider knows anything about diet and nutrition. They may be giving you advice based on their own food fears, diet behaviors, and weird prejudices.

All is not lost, though, because there are plenty of great resources out there, if you want to know about REAL nutrition to support health. Here are a few of my favorites:

Podcasts: Nutrition for Mortals; The Midlife Feast; The Full Plate Podcast; Maintenance Phase
Newsletters: Weight and Healthcare by Reagan Chastain (Substack)
Books: Gentle Nutrition by Rachael Hartley, RD; [I am about to read Eat to Thrive During Menopause by Jenn Salib Huber, host of The Midlife Feast; chances are it’s also worth your time.]

And as for me? I’m happy to keep pushing on with my movement goals. I prize having the ability to do my activities of daily living, and there’s nothing like maintaining one’s bone density to make a woman happy. I’m also researching good things to add to my diet, with absolutely no interest in weighing, measuring, tracking, or taking on food rules of any kind. But I also started on low doses of a couple medications to support my metabolic health. After all, what’s the point of modern medical science, if I do all the heavy lifting without any support?

And for the love of the Goddess above, if you like beans, eat beans. They’re amazing for you, and not too expensive.