Perimenopause
During ‘Peri’, our body is adjusting to a new way of being, but there’s a lot of bad information out there
The dictionary says that perimenopause is ‘the period of a woman’s life shortly before the occurrence of the menopause’. I prefer to think of it as puberty in reverse, a handover that takes place as we stop using our ovaries to ovulate and the adrenals pick up the slack.
Is perimenopause always a hideous affair?!
If you listen to the narrative surrounding perimenopause (and menopause because the two are so often lumped together) then you could end up believing that this very natural change is dangerous to your health.
The common symptoms that we hear about are hot flushes, dry vaginas, night sweats, brain fog and mood swings to name a few, so how do you navigate this without HRT? Is it possible? Yes it is! I believe a big part in that lies in our overall health. There is no denying now the evidence is there, our diet and lifestyles have a direct effect on our hormones and not always in a positive way.
How can I reduce perimenopausal symptoms?
It’s all about getting good information about your cycle and symptoms so that you can really understand your body. With that understanding in place, you’ll find it easy to make the right choices to help ease symptoms.
It’s not a big list of things you can’t do, but rather a big list of ‘Ooo, this is going to make me feel better and it’s so easy’. It is a confusing time because we haven’t been taught any body literacy. Really supporting yourself through this time will serve you well in the future. Taking hormones isn’t a panacea, but understanding your body like a pro gives you all you need to make informed choices. That matters to me greatly and is the core of why I do what I do with everyone I work with.
Naturally, I have plenty of tinctures and potions that can help you navigate this stage of life with more ease, and you can listen to some good podcast episodes that I’ve done for more information. I cover perimenopause in my book as well.