How I'm Navigating My Perimenopause Journey as Functional Health Dietitian
Last week I celebrated World Menopause Day. I felt this was a perfect time to share my journey with navigating perimenopause with you all. This is something that was not easy for me to do, as it was a tough thing for me to accept that I would already being going through this transitional period at age 43.
Now knowing that the average age of menopause is 51, with normal being 45-55, allowed me to not feel so ashamed of what I was experiencing. Especially knowing the fact that perimenopause starts 7-10 years before this normal age. Therefore it is completely reasonable for a woman to start having menopausal symptoms as early as 35 years old.
And why should I feel ashamed? This is just a natural process that every female goes through or will go through. But unfortunately our society has made this normal life transition taboo.
I think over the last few years I was definitely feeling different. However, this past February was when the intense symptoms hit me out of nowhere. I was experiencing mood issues, insomnia, hot and sweaty nights, low libido, severe low back and knee pain, bloated belly, skin changes, anxiety out of nowhere, hungover feeling in the morning, heart palpitations, headaches and horrible PMS. My runs felt sluggish. The brain fog was so bad that I couldn’t even form sentences when talking to clients. And the list goes on.
I was told to go on birth control, anxiety meds and to seek out a dermatologist for my skin issues. That I didn’t need my hormones tested because my period was regular.
I luckily have an awesome PCP who ordered a full hormone panel for me to find out that during a certain part of my cycle where progesterone should be peaking, it was completely bottomed out.
One month later I started bioidentical micronized progesterone, and let me tell you…every single symptom vanished.
I felt like myself again, but even BETTER!
Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to those naturally produced by your body. Natural progesterone is essential, as synthetic progesterone (called progestins) mimic harmful estrogen rather than providing benefits of natural progesterone. Bioidentical progesterone benefits extend far beyond menopause, effectively modulating your stress, supporting neurological health, reducing allergic responses and helping maintaining myelin sheath health (the myelin sheath is a fatty membrane that insulates and protects nerve cells, allowing electrical impulses to travel quickly and efficiently).
Hormone balance is not achieved through hormone therapy alone. Addressing lifestyle factors that can contribute to hormone imbalance; diet, stress management, sleep, and detoxification.
Hormone systems are intricately connected and imbalances in one affect others. Progesterone interacts with insulin, cortisol and thyroid hormones to maintain overall health. Insulin resistance and high cortisol levels deplete progesterone levels, leading to a cascade of health issues, including anxiety, weight gain and sleep disturbances.
This is why I wanted to share with you what I focused on to improve my perimenopausal symptoms. Now remember, everyone’s journey is different, but the foundational health pillars need to be in place.
1) I focus on healthy nutrition that encompasses good blood sugar balance, as during this state of decreased hormones it can result in a higher risk of insulin resistance. I focus on protein first, then add carbs and healthy fats in the right balance for me and my physical activity level.
2) My exercise is much less endurance focused: Long runs would bottom out my progesterone further. I would feel moody and tired (vs calm and patient, like I used to feel). Because of this I incorporated more strength, lots of walking and short bursts of HIIT 1-2x per week.
3) I use adaptogens to help manage stress, along with creatine, Magnesium, b-complex, probiotics/prebiotics, fish oil, nitric oxide, collagen, curcumin & gluathione which are all very important during this stage.
4) I cut out gluten. This made a huge difference on my skin and puffiness. Foods that can trigger inflammatory responses in the gut can have a huge impact on our skin.
5) I decreased alcohol. This is a no brainer. Once I hit my 40’s, even one glass of wine felt horrible, negatively affected my sleep and mood. Not to mention, our estrogen levels increase for four hours after one serving of alcohol. This is a recipe for disaster when in perimenopause.
6) I practiced stress management daily by incorporating deep breathing during stressful moments. I take 5-10 minutes to sit with no distractions to be still and think. I may journal if I feel overwhelmed or stressed. I try not to overpack my schedule (which is a tough balance with little kids and a private practice). I also make more time for myself to do things that I love.
7) I prioritize sleep. This is my #1. I go to bed at the same time every night, use adaptogens and Magnesium for sleep, sleep in a dark and cool room, and I don’t eat past 6:30pm. I noticed a difference physiologically even with one hour less of sleep.
8) As mentioned, I use bioidentical progesterone, which was a major game changer for me and made me realize I was feeling this way for longer than I thought.
9) I read books, listen to podcasts and blogs and educate myself on every level, to include becoming a functional health coach to not only help myself, but also to help others that are experiencing this hormonal transition.
Feeling overwhelmed about what you should do? I offer a female hormone program where I analyze your hormone status (either through blood work from your doctor or through the DUTCH test). Based on your results and goals, I provide customized meal and exercise planning, supplement recommendations, and lifestyle strategies to help mitigate unwanted symptoms and support your goals; whether it be weight loss, performance improvement, better energy or just feeling yourself again! I also provide specific resources that I trust if in need of hormone therapy.
Unsure of what to do? We can hop on a quick call to see how I can help and what would be the next best steps for you to take.
Here is what one client experienced:
““Katie was wonderful to work with. I came to see her having already a healthy lifestyle, and on whole-food-plant-based nutrition. Katie worked with my diet but tweaked it to better suit my energy and metabolic needs. We also did the hormonal panel to better understand and cater for my hormonal changes during menopause. Katie was great at educating me on the latest in nutritional research; that was important for me coming from the medical and wellness fields. All in all, my nutrition now helps support my active, wellness-focused lifestyle, I eat really yummy food and feel great with how my body looks and feels. I highly recommend Katie for anyone looking to use nutrition as a tool to improve their health, and as my experience showed, specifically for women going through menopause and want to better balance all those changes through nutrition.”