Reverse Puberty

Itchy skin in perimenopause is more common than you might think. It usually just happens one day, and you don’t think much of it. Your nipple becomes inexplicably itchy. Or you get out of your nice hot shower and are driven to insanity with having to scratch every square inch of skin off your shins. Your eyes get itchy, and all of a sudden you think you have hayfever when you never had it before. You chalk it up to a bad day, then move on.

But what's going on behind all that itching is a change in oestrogen levels. Depending on your type of itch, it could be too much oestrogen or a drop in oestrogen.

Perimenopause is generally a time when women either first experience migraines, or start getting them worse, and more frequently. These type of migraines very regularly turn up as a result of hormonal changes, especially during perimenopause. The reason is obvious, hormones, but understanding exactly why they happen and what you can do about it can make you feel less like a sitting duck at the mercy of migraines.

With increasing awareness around the number of women experiencing symptoms that look like ADHD in menopause, or even a diagnosis of ADHD during the onset of perimenopause, it is interesting to take a look at the overlap in presentation between the cognitive challanges that come with hormone imbalance, and the typical signs and symptoms recognised in a diagnosis of ADHD.

It is something to tread carefully with, as a diagnosis of ADHD is only to be undertaken by a qualified professional, and, there really isn't too much in the way of published studies - however the annecdotal "chatter" has raised an increased recognition of ADHD-like symptoms in women going through the menopause transition.

For this reason, there could be a possibility to help women with an ADHD diagnosis who find their symptoms worsening during perimenopause, and conversely, an opportunity to help women with ADHD-like symptoms with common treatment strategies for ADHD.

Chinese medicine has a wealth of information about what the colour of your menstrual blood means. Understanding the different things that change the colour of menstrual blood may give you clues about what might be causing your hormone imbalance, and if you are still menstruating, is a useful tool to measure your health.

There is so much going on as you begin your menopause transition that sometimes it can be difficult to sort out what is a hormone imbalance problem, and what you really should go and see your doctor about. For that reason, tracking your cycle can give you a lot of information, put your mind at ease, and help you understand what your body might need.

Heavy bleeding and other perimenopause changes are often the first indicator that you are in perimenopause. However when you start experiencing heavy periods or begin to have "flooding" periods, perimenopause can be the last thing on your mind - especially if you you believe you are about to bleed out and expire!

Knowing when to try and resolve your heavy period naturally and when it is time to go to your GP is very important for your health, as heavy bleeding might be a sign of other underlying health issues. In this episode we will look at how you determine if your period is heavy, what to do about heavy bleeding and what clots in your period blood mean, and when to go and visit your GP.

Understanding which perimenopause foods to avoid can really fast track getting on top of all your symptoms. In fact, food is usually one of the first places you need to start when trying to resolve your hormone imbalance.

In this podcast session we are going to go over:

• What macronutrients are
• Which macronutrients to focus on in perimenopause and why skewing your macros towards protein or fat will bring you unstuck in the long-term
• Which foods to avoid
• My favourite perimenopause superfoods

My email address is: sharon@peonytiger.comau

If you're at the beginning of your perimenopause and your standard answer is "I'm soooo busy" when someone asks you how you're doing, it's time for you to understand the connection between your adrenal glands and perimenopause - before your adrenals sucker punch you.

If you're constantly stressed out, your adrenals are being loaded up - and I promise, it doesn't end well.

In this episode I'm going to cover the connection between your adrenal glands and perimenopause. So that you can understand the connection I'll be covering the following things in this episode:

1. What your adrenal glands are and what they do
2. The connection between your adrenal glands and perimenopause
3. Why I think adrenal fatigue is not a thing...and what I think it is instead (CONTROVERSIAL!!)
4. Symptoms of being too stressed out
5. What to do if you're beyond fatigued and tired

Join me as I explore why being stressed can amplify your perimenopause symptoms, what the connection is between your adrenal glands and perimenopause, and what you can do if you have crashed and burned.

Want to make some suggestions or ask questions? Email me here: sharon@peonytiger.com.au

Bone health is important throughout life, but of particular interest as women near menopause because reduced oestrogen levels may have a large impact on bone health. In this episode we look at what osteoporosis is, how the menopause transition can affect bone density, what other risk factors there are and three things you can do to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

Here is the link I mention in the podcast:

One of the most common questions I get from patients is “what’s the best supplement for perimenopause”. I think this is deeply rooted in our western psyche that taking a pill heals all ills.

The truth is that I’m not a huge fan of large amounts of supplements, or supplements being taken for a prolonged amount of time. In fact, supplements rarely form part of my initial treatment plan for a patient; they usually only come after blood tests are done, and are usually done in conjunction with herbs, if they are required.

That said, there are three supplements that I usually request my patient to take during their treatment with me, and in this episode, we are going to look at those, and why I recommend them.

Blood tests can be really useful at the beginning of your menopause transition, but not for the reasons you think.

In episode 9 I talked about the five different health risks that increase after menopause, and how you can do a lot to reduce those risks as you go through the menopause transition. One of those things is to keep an eye on your blood work to ensure your systems are functioning correctly and that you are not suffering any nutrient deficiencies, and so this episode is all about what I recommend for blood tests for perimenopause.

The symptoms and signs that typically plague women in the beginning of their menopause transition cannot be directly tested for with blood tests, however, nutrient deficiencies from poor diet and lifestyle choices will already be showing up in blood tests, indirectly underpinning the early signs and symptoms of perimenopause.

In this episode we are going to cover the eight essential blood tests that I routinely request my patients to get, and why I like to do them. I'll also cover my thoughts on getting blood tests from your GP.

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Any suggestions for topics you would like me to cover? Email sharon@peonytiger.com.au

If you’re struggling through perimenopause, it is the perfect opportunity to promote your health.

That may seem counter-intuitive, but often health challenges through this period are a result of many years of missed opportunities for good health, including stress, poor diet, and lifestyle choices. And given the health risks that increase after menopause, now is the time to get your health on track. You can then look forward to being in the best health you can be as you go through the menopause transition and come out the other side.

In this episode, we are going to first understand what I mean by health, and then look at the health risks that increase after menopause and why now is an important time to get your health in the best shape it can be - remember, health challenges during reverse puberty give you a little clue as to where you may face challenges post-menopause. Instead of looking at your health challenges now with disdain, it’s a great practice to be thankful to your body for communicating what needs fixing now.

During the show these things were mentioned:

Stress is a nasty and insidious cause of so many health problems, not least of which hormone imbalance takes centre stage. But let's be honest - the very statement “reduce your stress” causes even more stress, as often our external stressors are not something we can control. You can, however, control the way you react.

The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But hormonal changes alone don't necessarily cause menopause weight gain. There are so many other factors involved in the dreaded menopause belly!

There are three main reasons I see in the clinic. 

I'll address the elephant in the room first:

1. Hormones. Yes and. You can't entirely blame hormones - whilst they do signal your body's changing needs and their very fluctuation can cause your weight to wobble, they aren't the reason for your weight gain.
2. Body mass shift - your bits just kind of...move. And not just south.
3. Food. Here's the big one, and the primary cause - what's on the end of your fork.

Listen in to the podcast as I explore the three main reasons you put on weight during the menopause transition, and outline a couple of things you can do to get started - because the truth is you absolutely can have a healthy body weight through the menopause transition and beyond.

Many of us drink because…well, that’s just what we do - but for many women there comes a point where it’s just not fun any more. We’re sick and tire of feeling sick and tired! We try to cut back and discover just how hard it is. This is Grey Area Drinking. And it is the root cause of many perimenopause symptoms including insomnia, weight gain, mood regulation..and more.

In this podcast session I’ll go through

• How we come unstuck with alcohol
• what the health department recommends for drinking
• How alcohol affects the body
• What to do if you think alcohol could be a problem

In the podcast I did mention two other podcasts you may be interested in. They are:

If you’re pretty sure you’re going through the menopause transition and you’ve got some health issues going on, it’s important you know how to talk to your GP about perimenopause. This relationship is really important to develop!

In this week’s episode of the Reverse Puberty podcast, I’m going to go through:

- how to choose and make an appointment with your GP for perimenopause symptoms

- how to prepare for the appointment to make the most of your time

- what to do with the advice you receive

Chinese medicine patterns of disharmony inform the treatment needs of a patient, in terms of herbs used, acupuncture points chosen, and food, lifestyle and exercise advice. And so, discovering your Chinese medicine pattern enables you to make better choices around food, lifestyle and exercise.

Chinese medicine patterns are a collection of signs and symptoms that are similar to the Western medicine concept of a syndrome. There are hundreds of different types of patterns in Chinese medicine, sometimes nuanced so finely that it can be difficult to differentiate - but this is the beauty of Chinese medicine: it is a very personal diagnosis that allows for a targeted treatment plan based on what is going on specifically for you.

Once you can discern your Chinese medicine pattern, there are lots of things you can do outside of the clinic to help balance your hormones. In this episode we will go through:

- a basic understanding of the Chinese medicine organs involved in the menopause transition

- the five most common patterns I see in clinic (there are many, many more, however this is what I commonly see)

- a basic understanding of the energetics of food and exercise in Chinese medicine and how they apply to a pattern

As a special bonus for this session, I have created a guide for you to use so you can determine your Chinese medicine pattern, and make better choices around exercise, food and lifestyle.