5 Sneaky Signs You’re in Perimenopause (and What to Do About It)
How to Thrive Through Menopause with Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, and Support
For many women, their 30s and 40s bring more than just career growth and family milestones. Suddenly, sleep feels elusive, moods swing unexpectedly, and weight creeps up despite eating the same. If you’ve chalked it up to stress or aging, you’re not alone—but there’s something bigger at play: perimenopause.
This midlife transition isn’t something that happens overnight. In fact, menopause and the years surrounding it span nearly one-third of a woman’s life. Yet, most women are blindsided by it, with little education or support. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to suffer through it. You can thrive.
Understanding the Stages: What Is Perimenopause?
What is Menopause?
Menopause marks the natural end of a woman’s reproductive years, officially defined as the point when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. It typically occurs between ages 45 and 55, though the transition can begin much earlier. Menopause isn’t a sudden event—it’s the culmination of hormonal shifts that begin during perimenopause. As levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decline, the body experiences a wide range of physical and emotional changes, from hot flashes and weight gain to mood swings and memory lapses. While menopause is a normal life stage—not a disease—it can significantly impact quality of life without the right support. Understanding and managing these shifts holistically is key to thriving through this phase, rather than just surviving it.
Menopause isn’t a moment—it’s a transition. And like any major life stage, it comes with phases:
1. Perimenopause
This can begin as early as your mid-30s, but more commonly starts in your 40s. It’s the 5–10 years before your period stops completely. During this time, hormone levels—especially estrogen and progesterone—fluctuate wildly, causing a cascade of symptoms.
2. Menopause
Defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, typically around age 51. At this point, estrogen production has significantly declined.
3. Postmenopause
This is everything after that one-year mark. Symptoms may lessen, but the effects of low hormones persist—like bone loss, gut changes, and increased risk of chronic illness.
Sneaky Symptom #1: Brain Fog & Forgetfulness
You walk into a room and forget why. You lose your train of thought mid-sentence. You question if you’re developing early dementia—but it’s likely your hormones. Estrogen directly impacts cognitive function, memory, and clarity.
As levels decline, neurotransmitter activity is disrupted, especially serotonin and dopamine, which help with mood and focus. You may also feel:
- Low motivation
- Trouble concentrating
- Word recall issues
Sneaky Symptom #2: Sudden Anxiety or Mood Swings
If you feel like your emotions are riding a rollercoaster, blame the estrogen-progesterone imbalance. These hormones affect your brain chemistry and GABA levels, a calming neurotransmitter.
You might feel:
- Irrational irritability
- Waking up with anxiety
- Crying over things that never used to faze you
- Increased tension or panic
Sneaky Symptom #3: Weight Gain, Especially Around the Middle
Perimenopausal weight gain is not your fault—it’s hormonal. Estrogen drops, insulin sensitivity declines, and cortisol becomes dominant. This leads to:
- Belly fat accumulation
- Slower metabolism
- Carb and sugar cravings
- Muscle loss
Sneaky Symptom #4: Sleep Disruptions and Night Sweats
Poor sleep is one of the most frustrating symptoms—and it makes everything else worse. Progesterone is a natural sedative, and when it declines, so does deep sleep. Combined with cortisol spikes and night sweats, you wake up exhausted.
Did you know:
Women in menopause get 20–30% less deep sleep than premenopausal women.
Poor sleep leads to increased cortisol, insulin resistance, inflammation, and mental fatigue—a perfect storm for burnout.
Sneaky Symptom #5: Bloating, Food Sensitivities & Digestive Issues
Hormones don’t just affect your mood and metabolism—they affect your gut. Estrogen helps regulate gut motility, microbiome diversity, and intestinal lining integrity. When it dips, you may experience:
- Bloating
- Irregular BMs
- Food sensitivities
- Gas or indigestion
- Leaky gut
Your immune system, 70% of which lives in the gut, also becomes more reactive. Hello, histamine issues and autoimmune flares.
So What’s Actually Happening to Your Body?
Hormones
- Estrogen declines erratically, affecting mood, weight, bone health, and cognition
- Progesterone plummets, impacting sleep and anxiety
- Testosterone decreases, reducing muscle mass, libido, and motivation
- Cortisol rises, increasing belly fat and inflammation
Immune System
- Increased inflammation
- Elevated histamine
- Heightened autoimmunity risk
- Increased food intolerances
Gut Health
- Decreased microbial diversity
- Slower digestion
- Increased gut permeability (“leaky gut”)
- Impaired nutrient absorption (especially magnesium, B12, D)
Why Functional Nutrition is Key in Menopause
Most women are offered one of two things: hormone replacement therapy or nothing at all. While HRT may help some, it doesn’t address the root cause.
As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P), I’m trained to:
- Interpret hormone and gut testing (like the DUTCH test and GI-MAP)
- Identify imbalances beyond symptoms
- Use data-driven protocols for food, lifestyle, and supplements
- Restore balance naturally
- Help you build resilience in your hormone, immune, nervous, and digestive systems
Introducing: Thrive Through Menopause
A 4-week holistic workshop for women who want to feel like themselves again
This isn’t a cleanse or a bootcamp. It’s a supportive, science-backed program designed to guide you through this transition with confidence.
What’s Included:
- Weekly videos covering hormone, gut, immune, and nervous system changes
- A comprehensive nutrition guide focused on hormone-supportive meals
- Daily accountability via Healthie app messaging
- Sleep, stress, and movement protocols tailored for midlife
- Optional functional lab testing (like DUTCH or GI-MAP)
- Downloadable tools, journals, and tracking forms
- Expert coaching, community support, and personalized feedback
The Nutrition Protocol: Feed Your Hormones
This isn’t about restriction. It’s about nourishment.
Eat 4x/day, every 4 hours:
Each meal includes protein, fat, and complex carbs (yes, carbs!).
Hormone-supportive foods:
- Protein: Grass-fed meat, eggs, chicken, wild salmon, Greek yogurt
- Fats: Avocado, olive oil, nuts/seeds, omega-3s
- Carbs: Sweet potatoes, oats, lentils, berries, cruciferous veggies
- Fiber: Flax, chia, leafy greens, beans
- Detoxifiers: Broccoli sprouts, beets, dandelion, lemon
- Hormone helpers: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, turmeric, bone broth
Avoid:
Seed oils, alcohol, processed sugar, inflammatory dairy, artificial sweeteners
Exercise: Build Strength, Not Burnout
As hormones decline, muscle and bone mass drop too. The key is not excessive cardio, but smart training.
Weekly plan:
- 2–3 strength sessions (heavy weights + functional movements)
- 1–2 low-impact workouts (walking, pilates, yoga)
- Daily movement (10k steps)
- Stretching + mobility work
Why it works:
Strength training boosts testosterone, insulin sensitivity, bone density, and metabolism. It also helps regulate cortisol.
Sleep: Your Secret Weapon
Sleep is when your body heals, balances hormones, and regenerates tissues.
Quick sleep facts:
- 7–9 hours per night is essential
- Deep sleep enhances growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin balance
- Chronic sleep deprivation raises cortisol and ghrelin (the hunger hormone)
- Night sweats disrupt REM sleep, reducing emotional regulation and focus
Tips for better sleep:
- No caffeine after noon
- Avoid alcohol and sugar at night
- Use magnesium glycinate + protein before bed
- Keep your room cool and dark
- Try guided breathing or journaling before bed
Cortisol: The Silent Saboteur
Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone. It’s necessary in short bursts but dangerous when chronically elevated—which is often the case in perimenopause.
What happens when cortisol is high:
- Increased belly fat
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Sleep disruption
- Anxiety
- Hormone suppression (especially progesterone and DHEA)
Lifestyle practices to lower cortisol:
- Sleep 7–9 hours/night
- Morning sunlight within 30 minutes of waking
- 10 minutes of deep breathing or meditation daily
- Daily movement, not overtraining
- Social connection and laughter
- Limit stimulants like caffeine
- Eat regularly with protein to balance blood sugar
- Evening wind-down routine (no screens an hour before bed)
It’s Time to Take Back Your Power
You’re not “just getting older”—your body is changing, and it’s asking for support. You don’t need to white-knuckle your way through menopause or suffer silently.
There’s a path forward that doesn’t involve guessing or hoping. It involves understanding your body, nourishing it, and working with someone who sees the big picture.
Let’s Thrive—Together
Join my 4-week THRIVE THROUGH MENOPAUSE workshop starting this May. You’ll get clarity, confidence, and a community of women walking through this season with you.
Registration opens May 1
Spots are limited.
CLICK HERE to register
Let’s make this next chapter your most powerful one yet.
