S2 E18: Normal Blood Sugar, Still PCOS? What Fasting Insulin & HOMA-IR Are Really Telling You

You’ve been told your blood sugar is “normal”… but your body is telling a very different story. In this episode, we’re breaking down fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and HOMA-IR — three pieces of data that can completely change how women with PCOS understand their symptoms, their cycles, and their hormones. As a former laboratory scientist turned hormone coach (and a fellow PCOS gal), I’ll walk you through: What fasting glucose actually measures — and what it misses Why fasting insulin is one of the most overlooked labs in PCOS How insulin resistance can exist long before diabetes What HOMA-IR is, how to calculate it yourself, and why it gives a clearer big-picture view How elevated insulin can impact ovulation, cycle regularity, inflammation, and weight We’ll translate the science into everyday language so you can finally understand what your labs are showing — and what they’re not. This episode is about replacing confusion with clarity and giving you real data you can use in conversations with your provider. If you’ve ever felt dismissed because your labs looked “fine,” this episode is for you. Here's the HOMA-IR Calculation we discussed: (Fasting Glucose x Fasting Insulin) / 405