If you've been following me on Instagram, you probably saw that last year I went through a pretty tough health season.

In mid-2024, I once again found myself battling a severe iron deficiency — so severe that for almost two months, I could barely get out of bed. My energy was completely drained, even simple daily tasks felt exhausting. Sadly, this wasn’t my first time going through this. The exact same thing had happened two years earlier, back in 2022.

What’s interesting is that in both instances, the pattern was pretty much the same:
I was feeling great, going to the gym consistently — about 5 times a week — doing strength training, feeling strong, and seeing great results. And then, after about a month or so of progress, the crash would happen. Out of nowhere, extreme fatigue, mood swings, and just an overall sense that something in my body was not right.

Back in 2022, I tried to seek answers. I saw a GP, a naturopath, and even had conversations with my trainer who happens to have a PhD in metabolism and physiology (he’s a pretty smart guy!). I shared everything with them — including changes I had noticed in my period — but none of them could really connect the dots. Everyone landed on the same conclusion: take some iron pills and rest. And so I did. Eventually, after a few months, the iron levels normalized, but I had stopped exercising altogether and kind of just moved on.

Until it happened again.

In 2024, during July and August, I had gotten back into a really consistent gym routine again. Eating well. Feeling great. And then, like clockwork, the same crash. This time, I recognized the feeling instantly. I knew it was iron deficiency, so I immediately went to see a doctor, hoping that this time we could actually dig a little deeper.

Unfortunately, I was met with the same protocol: iron pills. This time, because I was feeling even weaker than before, I asked if I could do an iron infusion — something my naturopath had suggested back in Vancouver, but that I never pursued (mainly because I absolutely hate needles). The doctor pretty much laughed at my request and dismissed it, telling me I didn’t need it. Not only did I feel physically unwell, but now also frustrated and unsupported by a system that wasn’t really taking my concerns seriously.

By this point, I knew there had to be something else behind it. It couldn’t just be random.

The trip that gave me answers

Fast forward seven months. I traveled to Brazil to see my family (as I do every winter), and this time, I booked an appointment with an integrative doctor there. She happens to specialize in gynecology — even though I wasn’t specifically looking for that — and honestly, that may have been the key to finally connecting the dots.

Unlike the doctors I had seen before, she really took the time to investigate, review my entire health history, and run a series of tests. In addition to standard bloodwork, she ordered an ultrasound — something that had never been suggested to me before. To be honest, I almost didn’t do it (since I was paying out of pocket), but I’m so grateful I did. Because that ultrasound is how we discovered everything.

Uncovering the causes: Fibroids

Through that ultrasound, we found out I have multiple uterine fibroids — benign growths that develop in or on the uterus.
For context: fibroids are fairly common in women of reproductive age - over 70% of women under 50 have them. Symptoms may or may not show up. While they’re non-cancerous, they can cause significant symptoms depending on their size, number, and location. One of the most common symptoms? Heavy menstrual bleeding.

Suddenly, everything started to make sense.

Since around COVID (I can actually remember very specifically when my periods started to change), I had been experiencing extremely heavy flows. To the point that for the first two days of my period, I could barely leave the house. But I had somehow normalized it over time, thinking it was just “how my body works now.” In reality, I was losing massive amounts of blood every single month — which explained why my iron levels kept plummeting. Iron pills were never really solving the problem because I was losing iron faster than I could replace it.

Another layer: Insulin Resistance

But the discoveries didn’t stop there. In addition to identifying the fibroids, my doctor also spotted that I have insulin resistance.

👉 For those who may not be familiar:
Insulin resistance happens when your body’s cells don’t respond well to insulin, the hormone that helps glucose (sugar) enter your cells for energy. As a result, your body compensates by producing more insulin, leading to elevated insulin levels over time.

Over time, this can contribute to:

Weight gain (especially around the abdomen)
Difficulty losing weight
Increased hunger or cravings
Fatigue
Hormonal imbalances
And even — as in my case — reproductive system issues such as fibroids.

While insulin resistance can have many contributing factors (genetics, lifestyle, stress, diet, hormonal shifts, etc.), the key point is: it’s highly manageable if you catch it and address it early.

And in my case, we now believe that the insulin resistance likely played a role in developing the fibroids, which led to the heavy bleeding, which led to the iron deficiency. A domino effect.

A path forward

With this clarity, I finally feel like I have a plan.

While in Brazil, I was able to do two iron infusions, which definitely helped bring my levels up more quickly. I also decided (together with my doctor) to move forward with a hormonal treatment option: the IUD. The goal here is to control the bleeding and prevent further fibroid growth without needing surgery (which is another option, but with its own risks and limitations).

I’ve now had the IUD for about two and a half months. While I’m still adjusting to the hormones, I can already say: my periods are back to what I remember them being many years ago. Light. Manageable. Normal. And honestly, I had forgotten what that even felt like.

My education phase: learning about glucose

All of this also pushed me into a bit of a learning phase. I finally read a book that had been sitting on my list forever: Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé . The book is a fantastic read if you're trying to understand blood sugar, insulin resistance, and metabolic health and its audio book version is available for free on Spotify Premium.

Here are the 10 hacks Jessie shares in the book to help flatten glucose spikes:

The Glucose Goddess 10 Hacks:

1️⃣ Start meals with fiber (vegetables, salads)
2️⃣ Add vinegar before meals (1 tbsp diluted in water)
3️⃣ Eat carbs *last* at meals
4️⃣ Avoid sweet breakfasts
5️⃣ Move after meals (light walk or activity)
6️⃣ Don’t snack on naked carbs (always pair with protein/fiber)
7️⃣ Have a savory breakfast
8️⃣ Prioritize whole fruits over fruit juices
9️⃣ Dress your carbs (add protein/fat/fiber)
🔟 When possible, optimize your sleep and stress levels
These are simple, practical habits that help balance glucose, reduce insulin resistance, and ultimately support metabolic health.
Some reminders:
*The same food can affect different people very differently.*
Your hydration, physical activity, stress levels, sleep, and even your menstrual cycle phase can all change how your body responds to food on any given day. Which is why CGM data has been so helpful for me — I’m not reading about averages, I’m watching *my own body* in real-time.

Experimenting & monitoring

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve also been experimenting with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) to track how my body responds to different foods and combinations. It’s been fascinating (and sometimes surprising) to see which foods spike my glucose and which don’t.

While I’m still early in this journey, I already feel more empowered and better equipped to support my body in a way that works for me — finally understanding not just what was happening, but why.

Re-learning Nutrition: My Ongoing Education Around Food, Glucose & Insulin

The more I dive into this journey, the more I realize how confusing nutrition can be.

We grow up surrounded by endless waves of studies, trends, headlines, and diet cultures that — frankly — contradict each other all the time. One decade it’s "low fat," the next it’s "high fat is great." First cholesterol is the enemy, then it’s not. Carbs are bad, then good, then bad again. Intermittent fasting, keto, paleo, plant-based, carnivore... and on and on it goes.

What most people don’t realize is that a lot of these nutritional guidelines are heavily influenced by studies that may be small, short-term, or even funded by the food industry itself — all of which shape public perception in ways that may not reflect full scientific consensus or long-term data. In Outlive, Dr. Attia discusses many of these long-standing myths — like how certain types of cholesterol aren’t inherently bad, or how dietary fat isn’t automatically the villain many of us were taught it was.

And so, even though I’ve always considered myself someone who eats fairly healthy and who is fairly knowledgeable about nutrition, I now see how many gaps I had. In fact, when it came to insulin resistance and glucose management — I basically knew nothing.

This entire process has been a major re-education for me.

Glucose Revolution: Personal tests & Learnings so far

Here are a few personal takeaways from my experiments so far:

1️⃣ Wine vs. Beer — surprisingly different

One of the biggest surprises was seeing how alcohol affected me.

When I had wine with dinner (especially when paired with a balanced meal), my glucose level was very good. No spike, no crash.
When I had beer, it was a completely different story: a huge spike followed by a sharp drop — and I could actually feel the energy crash afterward.

2️⃣ Starting meals with fiber makes a difference

One of Jessie’s key hacks is starting meals with vegetables or salad — and I’ve seen how much this helps flatten my glucose curve. It’s such a simple shift, but one that creates a noticeable impact.

3️⃣ The hypoglycemia connection

As a child, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, but that was so long ago - I don't even remember the details or have thought on that impacting my life today. Interestingly, I’ve noticed some echoes of that pattern recently as I’ve been working to lose fat and improve insulin resistance by lowering my carb intake.

On days where I cut carbs too aggressively — especially at dinner — my glucose would drop significantly overnight. Thanks to my Oura Ring sleep tracking, I could directly correlate those drops with waking up multiple times in the night, feeling restless, or lightheaded the next morning.

When I included some healthy carbs in my evening meals, my glucose stayed much more stable throughout the night, leading to better sleep and better recovery.

4️⃣ Snacking vs. bigger meals

Jessie generally recommends having 3 larger, balanced meals rather than lots of smaller snacks throughout the day — mainly because frequent grazing can lead to more frequent glucose spikes.

That said, I’ve noticed that small, balanced snacks do help keep me stable on certain days. This is one area I still want to experiment with further — but again, it shows how individualized this can be.

5️⃣ Apple cider vinegar: simple but effective

Another hack is drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (diluted in water) before meals. Jessie recommends using a straw to protect your teeth and mixing it with 200ml of water to avoid any irritation to your digestive system. This simple habit can help reduce the glucose spike that comes from the meal that follows.

TLDR Takeaways (so far):

Nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Even "healthy" foods can impact glucose differently for each person.
Tracking your own body’s data can be incredibly insightful.
Small, simple habits (fiber first, vinegar before meals, walking after eating) can make a big difference.
Overly restrictive low-carb diets can sometimes backfire for people prone to hypoglycemia or insulin dips.

And most importantly:
Be curious. Ask questions. And don’t be afraid to challenge what you think you know.

The takeaway

What this experience taught me — beyond the specifics of fibroids, iron, or glucose — is that sometimes you need to keep asking questions, advocate for yourself, and keep digging until you get to the root. For years, I was treating symptoms. But now, I finally feel like I’m treating the cause.

If you’re going through something similar, or navigating your own version of this, know that you’re not alone. And sometimes, the answers lie one layer deeper than what we initially see.

My iron deficiency journey