Prediabetes and The Path to Better A1C: Blood Sugar, Energy, Brain Focus & Insulin Resistance

Episode 87: 5 Prediabetes Nutrition Myths You Need to Stop Believing

The Prediabetes Myth Series, Part 1 of 4

Do you really need to stop eating carbohydrates after a prediabetes diagnosis? Is fruit too high in sugar? And is oatmeal always the best breakfast choice?

In this episode, Jenny breaks down five common prediabetes nutrition myths that can leave you feeling confused, restricted, and afraid of making the wrong food choices.

You’ll learn:

• Why carbohydrates do not need to be completely eliminated
• How to enjoy fruit while building a more balanced meal
• Why not every bowl of oatmeal affects you the same way
• What “whole grain” and “sugar-free” labels actually tell you
• Why there is no single carbohydrate limit that works for everyone

Instead of focusing on taking more foods away, Jenny shares how adding protein, fiber, healthy fats, and greater awareness can help you create meals that support your energy, satisfaction, and health goals.

Your action for the week: Choose one meal you eat regularly and ask, “What could I add to make this more balanced?”

This is Part 1 of the four-part Prediabetes Myth Series. Upcoming episodes will cover exercise, sleep and stress, and supplements and medications.

Ready for a simple place to begin? The 5-Day Sugar Fix Reset gives you one focused step each day for five days, delivered directly to your inbox.

Get started at energy.subscribepage.io.

Grab your free Prediabetes Roadmap Guide:
https://starterguide.subscribepage.io

Ready for personalized support? Book a free Clarity Call:
https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

Can you really lower your A1C without cutting out carbs or following another restrictive diet?

In this episode, I'm joined by registered dietitian Katy Harvey, who specializes in helping women break free from chronic dieting and build a healthier relationship with food.

Together we unpack why so many people with prediabetes and insulin resistance feel trapped in the cycle of restriction, guilt, cravings, and "food noise"—and what the science actually says about creating lasting blood sugar balance.

Inside this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Why dieting can actually make blood sugar management harder

✔️ The surprising truth about food noise and cravings

✔️ Why carbs are not the enemy

✔️ How to enjoy treats without feeling guilty

✔️ Mindful eating that doesn't feel complicated

✔️ Why Katy isn't a fan of intermittent fasting

✔️ How to handle social situations, vacations, restaurants, and family members who police your food

✔️ Practical mindset shifts that make healthy eating sustainable

If you've ever felt like managing prediabetes means giving up everything you enjoy, this conversation will leave you feeling empowered, not restricted.

About Katy:Katy is a non-diet dietitian and intuitive eating coach for women who are in or near perimenopause. She's all about eating the foods you love, unapologetically, while also honoring your health with realistic nutrition strategies that work and are sustainable.

• Connect with Katy Harvey:
IG @katyharvey.rd - https://www.instagram.com/katyharvey.rd/Facebook Group -

• Download Katy's free Food Noise Guide:
https://nondietacademy.com/food

🎁 Ready to stop guessing what to eat?

Download my FREE Prediabetes Roadmap Guide to learn my simple 1-1-1 method for building balanced meals that support healthy blood sugar—without giving up the foods you love.

https://starterguide.subscribepage.io/

💚 Ready to take the next step?
Let's chat! Book your complimentary Clarity Call HERE and we'll explore the best path for your goals.

💬 Have a question, an idea for a future episode, or just want to say hi? I'd love to hear from you! Send me a DM on Instagram @coachjenp or email me at [email protected]

Before we kick off the Blood Sugar Myth Files series in August, there's one important conversation we need to have.

If you've ever felt like you just needed more willpower, another meal plan, or the "perfect" diet to lower your blood sugar, this episode is for you.

In today's episode, we're exploring how diet mentality shapes the way we think about food, health, and even ourselves.

Jenny shares her own journey with prediabetes, why she no longer believes restrictive diets are the answer, and how shifting your mindset can help you build healthier, more sustainable habits.

In this episode, you'll learn:• What diet mentality is and how it can keep you stuck in the cycle of restriction and guilt.
• Why willpower isn't the reason most diets fail.
• How a sustainable approach to nutrition differs from a restrictive one.
• Why understanding your body is more powerful than following the latest diet trend.
• What's coming in the Blood Sugar Myth Files series and why you won't want to miss it.

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Have you ever wondered why frozen shoulder seems to affect so many women in midlife?

After developing frozen shoulder myself, I assumed it was simply an overuse injury from strength training. But as I went through physical therapy and eventually an MRI, I started asking a bigger question:

Could hormones and blood sugar play a role?

In this episode, I'm sharing my personal journey and breaking down what current research actually says about the relationship between frozen shoulder, menopause, blood sugar, and overall metabolic health.

We'll cover:

✔️ What frozen shoulder actually is
✔️ Why women between 40 and 60 are affected more often than men
✔️ The surprising connection between blood sugar and connective tissue health
✔️ What the research says about hormones and menopause
✔️ My recovery journey and what has helped so far
✔️ Simple lifestyle habits—including nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management—that support overall health

If you've been dealing with shoulder pain, stiffness, prediabetes, or you're navigating perimenopause or menopause, this episode will help you understand how these pieces may fit together.

🎁 Free Resource: Download my 3-Day Summer Kickstart Guide, featuring three days of balanced meals averaging about 90 grams of protein per day, along with fiber-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats to support steady blood sugar.

Download here

Need support for your blood sugar? Let's chat!

Book a call with me HERE

Have you been eating healthier, exercising more, and trying your best... but your A1C still isn't going down?

You're not alone.

In this episode of Prediabetes & The Path to Better A1C, I'm sharing the 3 most common mistakes I see that can keep A1C levels elevated, even when you're making healthy changes.

We'll talk about:

✅ Hidden sugars in drinks that can spike blood sugar
✅ Why poor sleep makes it harder to improve insulin sensitivity
✅ How chronic stress impacts your blood sugar
✅ BONUS: Why strength training has become one of my favorite strategies for improving insulin sensitivity and boosting energy

I also share part of my own journey recovering from frozen shoulder, why I made strength training a priority this year, and how working with my personal trainer helped me safely rebuild strength and confidence.

If you've been feeling frustrated because your numbers aren't changing, this episode is for you.

📘 Prediabetes Roadmap Guide
If you've recently been diagnosed with prediabetes and aren't sure where to begin, download my free guide here:
https://starterguide.subscribepage.io/

☀️ FREE 3-Day Summer Kickstart Guide
14 pages packed with practical tips, balanced recipes, and a complete 3-day meal plan to help you improve your energy and support healthy blood sugar this summer.
https://jennypena.my.canva.site/summer2026

A special thank you to my personal trainer, Elizabeth Tucker, for helping me safely return to strength training while recovering from frozen shoulder. Follow Elizabeth here:
https://www.instagram.com/eatucker09/

🌐 Website: https://jennypena.com

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If you enjoyed this episode, please:
👍 Like this video
💬 Leave a comment and let me know which mistake surprised you the most.
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📤 Share this episode with someone who is working to lower their A1C.

Remember: Better blood sugar isn't about perfection. It's about building small, sustainable habits that add up over time.

#Prediabetes #A1C #BloodSugar #InsulinResistance #DiabetesPrevention #HealthyHabits #BloodSugarBalance #HealthCoach #StrengthTraining #Wellness #Nutrition #LifestyleMedicine #PrediabetesPodcast

What can a soccer match teach you about lowering your A1C? More than you might think. ⚽

In this special episode, I'm stepping away from my usual format and sharing five surprising lessons soccer has taught me about building healthier habits, balancing blood sugar, and preventing type 2 diabetes.

As someone who didn't grow up watching soccer but became a proud soccer mom after my son started playing, I've discovered that the same principles that help teams succeed on the field are the same principles that help us succeed with our health.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why consistency matters more than perfection
• How every healthy habit plays a different role in blood sugar management
• Why prediabetes is your opportunity to make adjustments before it's too late
• The biggest mistake people make when trying to improve their health
• Why support and coaching can make all the difference

Whether you're working to lower your A1C, prevent type 2 diabetes, or simply build healthier habits, these lessons will change the way you think about your health journey.

🎁 Free Resource:

Download my 3-Day Summer Kickstart Guide, featuring three days of simple, protein-packed meals that average 85-90 grams of protein per day. Perfect for busy schedules and anyone looking to support healthy blood sugar.

👉 Download here: https://jennypena.my.canva.site/summer2026

Want to work with me? Book a clarity call to chat!

https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's cheering on their favorite soccer team this World Cup!

Your doctor says, "Your liver numbers are a little elevated. It's probably nothing." So you move on.

But what if those "slightly elevated" liver enzymes are actually an early warning sign of metabolic dysfunction?

In this episode, Coach Jenny Peña breaks down the surprising connection between fatty liver, insulin resistance, and blood sugar—and why this often-silent condition deserves more attention.

You'll learn:

✔️ What fatty liver is (and why doctors recently changed its name)

✔️ Why fatty liver and blood sugar create a two-way cycle that can worsen insulin resistance

✔️ Why elevated liver enzymes shouldn't always be brushed aside

✔️ Three simple, science-backed habits that help support both your liver and your blood sugar

The hope rests in the fact that fatty liver is often one of the most reversible metabolic conditions when caught early.

If you've been told your liver enzymes are elevated, have prediabetes, insulin resistance, or simply want to protect your long-term health, this episode will help you understand what your liver may be trying to tell you.

🎁 Download my free Prediabetes Roadmap to start improving your blood sugar with simple, sustainable habits:

https://starterguide.subscribepage.io/

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who has ever heard the words, "Your liver numbers are a little high."

Ever walk into a room and forget why you went there? Read the same sentence three times? Feel like your brain simply shuts down around 3 PM?

Many people blame aging, stress, or lack of sleep. But there's another possibility that often gets overlooked: your blood sugar.

In this episode, Coach Jenny Peña explains why blood sugar swings—not just high blood sugar—can affect your focus, memory, energy, and mental clarity throughout the day.

You'll learn:

• Why your brain needs steady glucose, not more sugar

• What actually causes the afternoon energy and focus crash

• How blood sugar spikes trigger inflammation and stress hormones

• Three simple strategies you can start today to improve focus and steady your energy

If you've ever struggled with brain fog, cravings, or that "wired but exhausted" feeling, this episode will help you understand what's happening inside your body—and what you can do about it.

🎁 Download my free Prediabetes Roadmap Guide for the first steps to balancing your blood sugar:

https://starterguide.subscribepage.io/

If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a little more energy and mental clarity.

What if the same blood sugar issues affecting your waistline were also impacting your brain?

In this episode, Jenny Pena, NBC-HWC, explores the growing body of research connecting blood sugar, insulin resistance, and dementia risk. While most people associate high blood sugar with diabetes, fewer realize it may also affect memory, cognition, and long-term brain health.

You'll learn:

✅ Why blood sugar matters for brain health

✅ The connection between insulin resistance and cognitive decline

✅ Why men may be at greater risk than they realize

✅ Common warning signs that shouldn't be ignored

✅ The role of belly fat, inflammation, and testosterone

✅ What researchers mean when they talk about "Type 3 Diabetes"

✅ Four science-backed lifestyle habits that help protect both your brain and your blood sugar

If you're over 40 (or care about someone who is) this episode will give you practical steps you can start using today to support healthier aging and reduce your risk factors.

Remember: your genes are not your destiny, and it's never too early (or too late) to start protecting your future health.

Connect with Jenny:

Book a clarity call: https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

Website: https://www.jennypena.com

Instagram: @coachjenp

Grab my free prediabetes roadmap guide: https://starterguide.subscribepage.io/

Most men assume that feeling exhausted, gaining belly fat, and losing energy is just part of getting older.

But what if it isn't?

In this Men's Health Month kickoff episode, I break down the surprising connection between blood sugar, insulin resistance, testosterone, energy levels, and that stubborn belly fat that seems impossible to lose.

You'll learn:

✅ Why the afternoon energy crash happens

✅ How blood sugar affects focus, mood, and productivity

✅ The connection between insulin resistance and testosterone

✅ Why belly fat can make blood sugar and hormone issues worse

✅ Three simple strategies to improve energy and blood sugar starting today

✅ Why every man should know his A1C number

If you've been told that fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and low energy are simply signs of aging, this episode may change the way you look at your health.

Whether you're concerned about prediabetes, insulin resistance, weight loss, or simply feeling like yourself again, this episode is packed with practical and science-backed insights you can start using immediately.

🎁 Free Resource: Prediabetes Roadmap Guide

Book a free clarity call - https://calendly.com/coachjenp7/call

Learn simple strategies to balance blood sugar, improve energy, and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.