Understanding perimenopause & how to support your body

Menopause is often portrayed as a sudden event: hot flushes start, periods stop, and that’s it. But for many women, the reality is very different. What often goes unmentioned are the years leading up to menopause – the perimenopause phase.

Perimenopause can be a long, complex and often confusing prequel, and for many women, it’s these years that hit the hardest. Suddenly, your body feels unfamiliar; what you thought you knew about yourself is gone, and here you are learning about this new version of yourself – often with little support or guidance.

It’s not “just hot flushes”

Normally beginning in your 30s or 40s, perimenopause can last a couple of years to over a decade – yikes. During these years, the key reproductive hormones – oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone – don’t decline steadily; instead, they can fluctuate unpredictably. These hormonal changes don’t just affect your ovaries – their impact is felt throughout the body.

Symptoms can often feel random, as your hormones embark on an erratic rollercoaster. While menstrual changes, hot flushes, and night sweats tend to get the most attention, they’re only part of the picture. Many women experience a wide range of other symptoms during this time, including anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, mood changes, skin changes, heartburn, fatigue, weight gain and joint pain.¹

Sadly, these symptoms are often treated in isolation rather than as part of the bigger picture. Many women encounter resistance when seeking help, sometimes being told they’re “too young” for menopause. This can make an already confusing phase even harder to navigate.

Adjusting to a more sensitive body

Perimenopause symptoms can spill into every part of life, making family responsibilities, work, and even simple day-to-day tasks feel overwhelming.

It can feel like your body has suddenly flipped a switch – the diet you’ve thrived on for years now leaves you bloated, alcohol hits you twice as hard, sleep becomes elusive, and your body feels more inflamed and sensitive.

The good news? There are ways to support your body through these changes, helping you feel more balanced, resilient, and like yourself again.

Support your health as your body evolves

Hormonal shifts during perimenopause can affect multiple areas of health, including the gut microbiome. The microbiome plays a key role in metabolic health and helps regulate oestrogen metabolism. When this delicate balance is disrupted, inflammation can rise, and symptoms may worsen. Supporting a diverse, healthy gut becomes especially important during this transition.

Research shows differences in the gut microbiome between premenopausal and postmenopausal women, including reduced microbial diversity – highlighting just how impactful perimenopause can be on the gut.²

The gut also produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter essential for mood, sleep, and digestion.³ Supporting serotonin production can help improve wellbeing throughout perimenopause.

5 ways to support your wellbeing

Here are five key strategies you could implement to support your wellbeing throughout perimenopause and beyond –

Eat tryptophan-rich foods – Tryptophan is the building block of serotonin. Include turkey, chicken, eggs, tofu, and dairy products.⁴
Include daily fermented foods – Kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha are rich in beneficial bacteria, supporting gut diversity.
Prioritise fibre every day – Fibre feeds beneficial gut bacteria, producing helpful by-products like postbiotics. Include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and whole grains. Consider adding our Complete Prebiotic powder to your daily smoothies!
Lower stress levels – Perimenopause can bring anxiety, irritability, and low mood. Stress also disrupts the gut microbiome. Try mindfulness practices like meditation and breathwork, as well as ashwagandha, to reduce cortisol levels.
Use natural herbal tinctures – Shatavari is a gentle herbal tincture that may help balance hormones during perimenopause.

If your body feels different, it’s because it is. These changes are real, not imagined. Think of perimenopause as a whole-body recalibration. With the right support, this phase can become a period of greater resilience, understanding, and self-care.

For more menopause support, check out this article – Menopause? Here’s what you need to know!

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8am to 8pm.

Understanding perimenopause & how to support your body

It’s not “just hot flushes”

Adjusting to a more sensitive body

Support your health as your body evolves

5 ways to support your wellbeing

References

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!

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