Introduction

We will examine two case studies that illustrate key lessons throughout this course.

Candice

A 32-year-old woman, Candice, has always been health conscious, even amidst the busyness of life. She prioritizes sleep over getting ‘stuff done’ late at night. She has a very healthy circadian routine including at least 8 hrs of sleep and going to bed before 10 pm each night. She exercises regularly, but not excessively. Her meal choices are diverse, balanced, and full of colorful whole foods. She savors her food when she eats and does not engage in binging or extreme dieting. 

She can easily step down from unnecessary volunteer activities without guilt. She has addressed the areas of tension in her life instead of holding her tongue for years. She has deep friendships that are reciprocal and supportive with clear and kind communication. But she also communicates clearly with her close friends and spouse about the work part of relationships. She sets clear yet loving boundaries in all relationships, including her extended family and her children. She is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it, relying on her husband and/or her community for support in times of stressful challenges. When dealing with a stressful situation she has tried and true coping methods to release stress and restore peace that are healthy and nourishing. She has utilized therapy to address past wounds or traumas. She has a clear purpose in life with realistic goals that fuel her daily activities but also knows how to let her hair down and have some fun. She has a spiritual practice that gives her reassurance and a divine perspective. She has been taking care of her health regularly and treated any small imbalances, pains, or infections allowing them to resolve quickly and avoid chronicity. She has allowed herself to grieve fully and completely any losses in life. She has stayed off oral birth control for the majority of her life, has routine restorative and detoxification practices (grounding, cold plunge, sauna, cranio-sacral, massage etc) and she takes quality supplements ensuring that she has no overt deficiencies.

Candice will likely move through her 40s with only improved health. She may have more time and money than she did in her 30s and engages in more activities that she enjoys rather than ones she feels obligated to do. Her nutrition is even more stellar, as now she has the resources to buy more organic and make more home-cooked meals. She takes a few supplements that support healthy aging. She recognizes the adjustments she needs to make in exercise and sleep to accommodate her changing body. Her purpose in life may have shifted, but is more present and forefront in her day. She takes breaks before she breaks and has plenty of margin in life including weekend leisure and an annual restorative vacation.

Candice will likely experience a gradually increased space between her menstrual periods which will get progressively lighter and shorter. At 52 they stop altogether. She has minimal hot flashes and night sweats. Her hair texture may have changed and grayed, but she still has a full head of hair. Her libido has changed from the monthly rollercoaster she had before but is still very much pleasurable. While her body composition and calorie needs have changed, she has been able to maintain a healthy weight. Her moods are stable and peaceful and she is enjoying life to its fullest. She can sleep when she wants and has the energy to engage in what she desires. 

Heather

Heather is 45 years old and has been experiencing perimenopausal symptoms for the past 3 to 4 years. Heather has an auto-immune disorder and has struggled to maintain a balanced life. She was recently divorced and her life goals having drastically changed, causing her to be inconsistent in creating nutritious meals and exercising. Some days she gets up early for a daily walk and creates wonderfully balanced home-made meals, other days she oversleeps her alarm and runs by McDonald’s on the way home from work.

Since her divorce, Heather has worked hard to find community and support in her relationships. The past few years have been a test of who her true friends are, and she feels even closer to them after sharing her struggles and receiving help. She goes to fun dinner parties, theater productions, and often meets with friends for coffee. Some of her long-distance friendships have been harder to maintain, but she is slowly reaching out to people and rebuilding relationships.

Heather has moved beyond cognitive behavior therapy and with her therapist discusses the spiritual and emotional impact of what she experienced as a child. However, her divorce was expensive and she is inconsistent in scheduling her therapy sessions as she cannot always afford them. She still has a strong inner life and spiritual resilience that sees her through even the worst days. Journaling, meditating, and using the various tools in her toolbelt she addresses what she can, when she can.

Heather will likely experience a more intense introduction to perimenopause with hot flashes throughout the day where she finds herself standing in front of her freezer from time to time. What has worked before no longer serves her when she tries to maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle. She takes medicine to help her get to sleep and reduce the night terrors she experiences but these are also causing some side effects. Some nights she gets the recommended amount of sleep but she also often deals with excessive night sweats and insomnia. Heather has learned to appreciate all of life’s phases but wishes her moods were more stable and her vitality was what it used to be.

We all want to enter menopause with low inflammation, optimal metabolic health, and excellent adrenal and hormonal balance, but that may not be the case for everyone. However, we can learn how to cultivate the soil for a smooth transition into our best years, no matter where or when we start.

What’s in this Course

This course is designed to educate you on the changes that happen in a woman’s body as she transitions into her golden years. We will discuss the symptoms that women commonly struggle with, their underlying causes, and how to prevent or treat them by correcting the underlying imbalances. We will review recommended screenings as well as alternative options and lastly finish with how to optimize your health through perimenopause and beyond. 

This course is for educational purposes. None of the information within this course is meant for the diagnosis or treatment of disease. Always consult your healthcare professional before engaging in any treatment

Video Transcript

Welcome, I’m so glad you’re joining us for this course, What to Expect When Your Meno is Pausing. We’re going cover eleven lessons of everything that you’ve ever wanted to know about perimenopause that you may not be receiving from your healthcare providers. We’re going to discuss what perimenopause actually is, we’re going to go over all the symptoms that women commonly experience, as well as, some symptoms that are less common but equally problematic. 

We’ll go over the testing that you can explore, functional medicine and standardized testing, for how to determine what exactly is the underlying cause of your particular symptom. We’ll discuss the treatment options, everything from basic lifestyle approaches, how to exercise to combat the weight gain of perimenopause, what eating styles are best for what your symptoms are showing - your labs are showing, as well as supplements that are beneficial, herbs that can help with perimenopause symptoms and hormone levels. We’ll then review hormonal replacement therapy and how to use it effectively without causing harm. And lastly, we’ll discuss screenings that are recommended as well as alternative options. And an overall positive outlook and view for perimenopause and menopause. 

I’m so glad you’ve joined us. Get ready to take notes and listen to the videos for each lesson - you can listen in the car. The written material has a lot more information than the videos do so be prepared to reference that in the future, if you need to, for years to come. 

I’m so glad you’re joining us. I can’t wait to get started!

How to Use This Course

As you are going through this course each lesson starts with a video that overviews the material and gives a personable understanding of the topic. If you are someone who has very little capacity in life due to busy-ness or brain fog, listen to each video for an easy to comprehend synopsis. The Summary at the end of each lesson will also provide you with the key points to remember.

The bulk of the lesson is within the written material. If you love the science and all the facts this is where you will find it.

The Resources for each lesson have a dearth of links, books, websites, devices, products and more to promote your journey into perimenopause wellness.

Finally, the quizzes are optional but will test your comprehension and solidify your learning.

Are you ready? Let's dive in!