You’re Not Broken: Making Sense of Perimenopause When You Don’t Feel Right
If you’re a women in your 30s, 40s, 50s or early 60s, you are likely to have felt some changes creeping or even crashing in. Perhaps your sleep patterns have altered, your moods have shifted, maybe you’ve gained weight that won’t budge, noticed you’re losing hair, or your energy just isn’t what it once was.
As a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, I’m committed to helping women to navigate these changes and to find a new rhythm, new forms of nourishment and priorities that work for them. Whether you choose to take HRT / MHT (menopause hormone therapy) or not, there are powerful tweaks you can make to your diet and lifestyle that can have a huge impact – not only during this time, but for your future health as well.
It’s Time to Rethink Perimenopause
I really like the way that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is called the Second Spring and is associated with a season of powerful transformation and rebirth. I’d encourage you to think of perimenopause as a fresh beginning, not a fading away. It’s a useful time to reconnect with your priorities and think about what really matters to you. If you are experiencing difficult symptoms such as brain fog, stubborn weight gain, sleeplessness or hot flushes, then you don’t need just to put up with them. They are signs that your body is shifting and asking for a new kind of support.
More Than Oestrogen
Many people now know that during perimenopause our levels of oestrogen and progesterone decline. But did you know that in early perimenopause, oestrogen levels usually rise first? When it comes to hormones, oestrogen and progesterone are only part of the picture. For instance, during perimenopause and menopause women also experience changes to their blood-glucose and insulin levels that have been shown to negatively impact mood and contribute to weight gain.
Image: Camilo Contreras
Asking Questions…
Here are some questions that I consider with clients in clinic to help determine what might really happening to their bodies during this time:
Is your liver processing your hormones effectively?
How stable are your blood-sugar levels?
Is your digestive system working optimally? Menopause has been linked to lower gut microbiome diversity.
What are your stress levels?
How is your thyroid functioning?
Are you getting enough quality sleep?
… And Finding Answers
Beyond our own perceptions about the changes within our bodies, functional tests can be a valuable tool for understanding the hidden root cause of any issues. The DUTCH test is known as the gold standard of hormone testing. It can help to provide important insights into hormonal symptoms as well as valuable information on how the body is processing hormones, information that is not possible from a blood test. The DUTCH test uses dried urine samples so is easy to do at home.
Image: Konstantin Kitsenuik
Cutting Through the Confusion
It’s great news that conversations about menopause and perimenopause are now happening – but with that comes an avalanche of often conflicting advice and information. That’s where working with a registered professional can help you to cut through the noise, to save money on expensive supplements that may not be right for you, and to put in place joyful habits that make you feel like your Second Spring has sprung.
If you’re interested in finding out more, I have a limited number of free discovery calls slots available so click here to book now.