The Problem with Modern Peri & Menopause
Menopausal symptoms are now the norm for women in midlife. The last 3 decades of stress, poor diet and hormonal interventions mean that when it comes to peri to post menopause the natural transition has become an increasingly difficult experience. We see many women in our clinics who are looking for education, empowerment and solutions, who have often tried the traditional routes and found they have offered very little improvement.
Menopause Symptoms
Below is a list of common menopausal symptoms. Click here for a post on the top 34 symptoms of menopause. Unfortunately, peri and menopausal symptoms can be missed or misdiagnosed leading to unnecessary interventions and treatments.
Fatigue
Irregular periods
Vaginal dryness
Reduced libido
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Sleep problems
Mood changes
Weight gain and slowed metabolism
Thinning hair and dry skin
Itchy scalp and skin
How are Balanced Wellness different?
We are trained in the cutting-edge research around menopause. We know that putting more oestrogen into the body is not always the answer, especially in peri menopause when most symptoms can be caused by “oestrogen dominance” or a progesterone deficit. We review all aspects of your health including
- whether contraceptive hormones are contributing to hormone imbalances
- the stress in your life and how you are managing it
- how much exposure you have to oestrogen mimicking chemicals
- how your diet and any food intolerances are impacting your hormones and gut
- how you process and absorb your hormones
- if any regular lifestyle choices are potentially contributing to hormone disturbances
- order hormone or digestive lab tests to gain more information on where your health and to action these results with diet, supplements and recommendations
It is important to understand all the different aspects so we can get to the bottom of your menopausal symptoms.
How do we work with peri and menopause?
The Pregnenolone Steal
The pregnenolone steal explains the relationship between stress and sex hormones and how this affects menopause. This is one of the most empowering explanations we can give to clients to explain how stress and diet can be contributing to hormone symptoms.
Our adrenal glands make some progesterone and oestrogen/testosterone, this becomes important during menopause when the ovaries no longer do this job.
Pregnenolone is a precursor hormone that makes progesterone. The body will prioritise cortisol over progesterone during a periods of stress. For example, it is more important to run away from danger than prepare the womb for a baby.
If this continues women end up with low levels of the calming hormone progesterone and menstrual cycle and hormone issues often follow. To learn more, check out our video on the pregnenolone steal.
How many sessions will I need?
We recommend 6 sessions to resolve hormone imbalances. Once optimum health has been attained, regular appointments keep the body balanced and prevent further ill health.
Where is your clinic?
We offer remote consultations via zoom so can work across the UK and internationally.
How long is an appointment?
Appointments take 30 minutes. Prior to the first session, all new clients will be required to fill in a comprehensive medical history form and consent form.
What happens in an appointment?
All our sessions are on video call and within your session, your coach will review your health history form, analyse your food and nutrition, discuss your priorities, offer hormone education where necessary, offer food, lifestyle and supplement recommendations and coach you on areas in your life you are finding challenging. There is often homework for you to adopt and your coach will discuss further sessions with you.
Interested in becoming a menopause coach?
We partner with the College of Functional Wellness to offer diplomas in menopause coaching. This 2 year training is delivered online and via zoom and is accredited by the Federation of Holistic Therapists. Click here to discover more.
Oestrogen Dominance
Oestrogen dominance (or progesterone deficiency) is on the increase because of the following, all of which is explored in your appointment.
- Hormonal birth control
- Impaired metabolism, detoxification or poor digestion
- High refined carbohydrate diet and blood sugar instability
- Xeno-oestrogens
- Stress
For more on this, watch this video.
Will I need any lab tests?
We order lab tests if necessary from Nordic Labs who provide DUTCH testing.
We can use kinesiology muscle testing in our clinic to test a hair sample which can be a quick route to identifying imbalances and the best supplementation.
Where issues are out of our remit and you require specific medical prescriptions, we work with a team of functional doctors and will refer you to the appropriate practitioner. An example would be if you require medication for SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) we will recommend you work with a Gastroenterologist or if you required specific HRT then we would recommend the right Endocrinologist.
