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16. The One Where We Talk About Perimenopause (Without Freaking Out)
51 Plays1 month ago
This week on The Mindful Educator Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Melissa Hohaia—a naturopath, health coach, and all-round powerhouse when it comes to women’s health.
Melissa’s passion for helping women understand and embrace their bodies began as a teenager, and since then she’s worked across the fitness industry, personal training, and natural therapies before specialising in women’s hormonal health.
Together, we dive into:
✨ What perimenopause actually is (and why it’s often misunderstood)
✨ Early signs and symptoms you might notice—beyond hot flushes and night sweats
✨ Why stress is the biggest piece of the puzzle for navigating your 40s with more ease
✨ The role of progesterone and oestrogen, and Melissa’s brilliant “foundation bottle” analogy
✨ Why traditional advice like intermittent fasting and HIIT might not serve women in this stage of life
✨ The truth about Ozempic and weight loss drugs—and what natural alternatives can offer
✨ Simple, everyday ways to support your body through hormonal changes
Melissa brings both professional knowledge and personal lived experience (she’s navigating perimenopause herself) to this conversation, making it honest, practical, and deeply empowering.
This is an episode for every woman—whether you’re preparing for this next chapter, in the thick of it, or just curious about understanding your body better. And if you’re in your 20s or 30s, trust me, you’ll want this info in your back pocket for later!
Connect with Melissa
- 🌐 Website: https://www.melissahohaia.com/
- 📸 Instagram: @melissa.hohaia.naturopath
- 📘 Facebook: Melissa Hohaia - Naturopath
🎁 Free Resources from Melissa
Melissa is kindly offering some free downloads for listeners, including:
- Hormone-supportive recipes
- A protein & fibre cheat sheet
- Details on her upcoming 4-week Perimenopause Reset Program (starting October)
Connect with Victoria
- 🌐 Website: www.victoria-r.com.au
- 📸 Instagram: @the.victoria.r
- 📘 Facebook: Victoria R
✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who might need to hear it, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s chat!
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction to the Mindful Educator Podcast
00:00:39
Speaker
Okay. Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Mindful Educator podcast. And I'm excited about um my guests that I have today. We're going to be covering lots of juicy topics, um especially for women and those of us that are kind of heading up into that, um you know, late thirties, early forties and above but age demographics. So I know this is going to be very relevant to me. So we've got Melissa. Hi. hia Have I got it right?
00:01:05
Speaker
Oh, you did well. Oh, yay.
Melissa's Journey into Natural Therapies
00:01:08
Speaker
And Melissa is, well, she's kind of a, got many different talents, but I suppose mostly you're a naturopath at the moment. That's your main focus, but you have been in the health and fitness industry for quite a while.
00:01:20
Speaker
um And you've got a few other certifications under your belt. So welcome, Melissa. Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited. Yeah. Awesome. so I thought, why don't we just start off with you just telling us a little bit about yourself, kind of your background and what you're doing now.
00:01:37
Speaker
Yeah, sure. So I first got into natural therapies through, i had a younger sister who was really sick um and we kind of had done the whole Western medicine route and then took her to a naturopath and her life was dramatically changed.
00:01:51
Speaker
And I remember sitting in that naturopath's office when I was like 12 and going, want to that. Like I want to have that impact on people's lives. So that started my journey. But then i while I was studying, I did personal training.
00:02:03
Speaker
And I worked in a gym and managed a gym for a lot of years and found myself training women and doing all the right thing in the gym. Like, you know we were kind of the workouts were on point, felt like their nutrition was on point and they still weren't getting the results. And so that kind of led me down this kind of area specialty um through those years of really wanting to understand ah woman's physiology a lot more, what kind of impacts her metabolism, what allows her to get the results or, you know, inhibits or hinders her results. um
Understanding Women's Physiology and Empowerment
00:02:35
Speaker
So I kind of, yeah, that opened up a whole new world. And then through my own health struggles, you know, I was a 20 year old who had debilitating periods and didn't understand any part of my own body in a really empowered way. So i also really use my own health journey as fuel to understanding more about a woman's physiology and the magic of our hormones and all that stuff. So now I'm perimenopausal and I'm in the thick of it. And I guess that's where now that the last probably five years, I've really dived into that area and gone, I want to I want to understand this for me, but also then sharing that knowledge with other women and getting absolute joy from helping women feel more empowered and in control and in the driver's seat of their health.
00:03:23
Speaker
Oh, I love that. And it's really interesting that you're saying like, you know, learning about your own body and that empowerment side of things, because how often do we kind of, when we're having our cycles and all the rest of it, we aren't empowered with it It's almost like a shame thing, or it's like, oh, you know, we kind of look down on it and we don't really get to understand it. And I know for me personally, it took me ages to actually understand my cycle and how my body worked. And, you know, when I was going to be at my peak at the gym and when I wasn't and all the rest of it. So It's great that you're doing this. And, you know, I love that you're kind of now heading into the perimenopause side of things, because it's probably something that isn't really spoken about that much um at the moment, is it? It's kind of getting there, but it's not. I feel like, yeah, there's like a and more awareness and there's a trend, but I also, um what I'm witnessing is this potentially like
00:04:11
Speaker
avalanche trend where it's like women now are becoming way more aware of it like I think of my mother's generation and i doubt she was sitting at coffee talking with her friends about their hormones and their you know changes in their periods and how their emotions are feeling and all that kind of stuff around the changes of life um so you know i think of that generation and then now to us you the next generation going through it and we are like a lot more aware. And we're happy to have those conversations with the girlfriend be like, what the hell is going on?
00:04:44
Speaker
And so I think there's this, there's definitely like this increase in awareness, but again, I'm worried that it's a bit like an avalanche that's going to take over because I think what's also happening is with that awareness.
00:04:55
Speaker
A
Navigating Perimenopause: Strategies and Signs
00:04:56
Speaker
lot of women now are getting a lot more fearful and there's a lot more anxiety around 35 and I'm approaching that time. And like, what is my body going to be experiencing? And it's like almost this this dread and this kind of anticipation of what's around the corner because they're hearing all this stuff or, you know, it's coming up on their Instagram feed or they're, know, Googling symptoms or talking to their older friends. And it's like, what I'd love to do is maybe stop the avalanche from being quite so big and bring it back to this kind of middle ground where the information, like I guess what we know is and more of an empowerment versus it being fuel for fear.
00:05:35
Speaker
Yeah. So how, like, how are you navigating that then? Cause that, that is a tricky thing. Cause I know a lot of people I do talk to you kind of in my age range are like, Oh, I think perimenopause might've started. And it is like, ah Oh no.
00:05:47
Speaker
Yeah. And then like, you know, I, I hear women, like I'll be out at lunch. I'll hear all this like group of moms all talking about like, i need to go talk about like HRT to my doctor or any, and it's like this kind of.
00:05:58
Speaker
Yeah. or Overwhelming, almost fascination or fear or concern around it. When I think again, it's like what we're saying, being it's it's going back and tapping in to your body and going, what, what do I need to listen to for me, as opposed to all the noise and all the external stuff that might be coming your way what is my body asking for?
00:06:19
Speaker
And understanding how to read those signs and symptoms and using that to navigate your journey versus allowing the anxiety of st or the overwhelm to take over.
00:06:30
Speaker
yeah Because most women will go through perimenopause and sail through it and it won't be an issue. Like this just is this is the reality. Like some of us, and I think like when we look at stats, like majority of women, like over 50% of women, if, you know, will literally get through to that menopausal kind of time, like when they've been said, oh, you're now in menopause. Yeah.
00:06:50
Speaker
And they'll look back and go, actually, that was pretty cool. That was pretty smooth sailing. So we don't have to expect it to be terrible. Yeah. And it's interesting you say that because I know I've got some family members that, yeah, they sailed through menopause. And then I've got others that feel like they're still going through it. So, you know, it is quite interesting. And I guess it's the same as when we do have our periods, like we experience such different ends of the spectrum when it comes to that. Like some people have really heavy, really, you know, painful periods, other people don't. So yeah, I guess that is really important that we do take that time and listen.
00:07:21
Speaker
And I guess um just for people that maybe aren't aware of um what perimenopause looks like, like, can you give us some idea as to how do you know when you're kind of approaching that? Like, are are there any main things that will come out?
00:07:33
Speaker
Yeah. And look, and it's interesting because a lot of the early signs, aren't really ones that we associate typically. Like, you know, we always think of like the lady with the fan at dinner, like going fucking having a hot flash or, you know, the vaginal dryness or the, um yeah, the night sweats kind of stuff. Those are more like end, like if we think of perimenopause, it can be like an eight to 12 year journey for most women.
00:07:54
Speaker
Yeah. Wow. So that eight to 12 years of fluctuation, it's basically like a reverse puberty, you know, like they're trying to pick when it starts and when it finishes, um we haven't finished points because obviously. Yeah.
00:08:05
Speaker
not having a period anymore for 12 months then you get kind of told that you're in menopause yeah but like that timeline before that it's a bit of a gray area so we don't really have an exact start date but the signs and the symptoms or the way your body's going to be talking to you early on is very different to as you actually approach more of that kind of menopausal point um so that's more when the the hot flushes and that sweats and vaginal dryness all that kind of stuff kicks in whereas the early kind of signs perimenopause they're more subtle and they're more kind of maybe like mood and kind of a big one I see is like confidence changes and this kind of like dropping in self-worth and this kind of like I can't show up the same way that I used to like I feel more insecure in myself or there's more anxiety there's more kind of doubt there's more overwhelm um there also might be kind of sleep disruptions or
00:09:00
Speaker
um Hair loss can be another one Increase in allergy symptoms is also interesting enough can be one. And what the early stages are is more about the progesterone changes. So what we're seeing, and I have this really my favorite analogy for describing perimenopause, is, you know, like makeup bottles, right? Like foundation bottles, like the pump one.
00:09:21
Speaker
yeah And you know, like when it's getting to the end of the bottle and you like doing your makeup every morning and some mornings you'll go in and you'll be like, know, pump and a nice little spurt of foundation comes out. Whereas other mornings are there going, like I'm pumping away and nothing's coming. And then all sudden it's like, like kind squirts out like, okay, now I've got too much.
00:09:39
Speaker
And that's kind of like perimenopause like a foundation bottle. Like each month is going to be a little bit different. Like you don't quite know what you're going to get. And some mornings it's going to be this flood of hormones and this flood of foundation.
00:09:51
Speaker
Other mornings it's going to be like a little, like that's all you're getting this month and now I'm less vulnerable. sorry yeah it's So it's a tumultuous ride for some women. Some women sail through that without kind of feeling as impacted by it.
00:10:05
Speaker
But the reality is it's that progesterone, dropping first i can't because our ovulation is being kind of moreratic more more inefficient. So we're
Challenges in Diagnosing Perimenopause and the Role of Health Professionals
00:10:16
Speaker
not getting the progesterone that our body's used to having every month when we ovulate.
00:10:21
Speaker
And so because ovulation becomes more erratic and less predictable, then the progesterone levels drop off and we're kind of left with this lower progesterone to estrogen ratio. And the progesterone, I think of progesterone as like the calming, chilled, like then,
00:10:38
Speaker
it's grounding like it's just it's the hormone that basically like makes everything feel okay and so if we're missing that then that's where we can get more of these kind of more mood or emotional changes in the early stages of perimenopause um whereas when the progesterone kind of then has done its thing and it's tapered off then it's the estrogen drop that then results in more of the hot flushes and that's the vaginal stuff yeah yeah Interesting. So I guess so if someone's kind of listening to this and going, oh, you know, like I have noticed some little changes, like how can they, is there a way to confirm whether you are in perimenopause? Like, is there something that could be done to say, oh, yes, you are. Or is it just kind of like, oh, I think I might be.
00:11:20
Speaker
Maybe, maybe not. this Great question. Really sticky point because like a lot of women will then at this point go their doctor, right? They've talked to their friends, they've Googled, they've heard the things that, Ooh, I think it might be perimenopause.
00:11:32
Speaker
So I go their doctor and they say, can we run some tests? And the doctor's going to look at you and be like, um like I can tell you if you're menopausal, like we get to a point with blood tests where we've got, you know, certain hormones. So basically our brain is always talking to our ovaries um yeah and what happens in like menopause when we've stopped having a menstrual cycle what's happening is the brain is literally like screaming at the ovaries and the ovaries are like not listening like i'm done so we can measure those and kind of see those brain hormones are through the roof then the estrogen progesterone are low and that then tells us we're menopausal okay very menopause because it is so different you know every month we're getting that foundation bottle going like whoa or no like what are we doing to test it is quite challenging and to have like
00:12:21
Speaker
reference ranges to go, well, yes, you are now perimenopausal. It is quite, it's so varied and so different. So it is a lot of symptom collection, um looking at the actual, the way the menstrual cycle is playing out, the way the period's showing up.
00:12:36
Speaker
And really, kind of doesn't matter what a test result said, because we're going to like from my point of view, when we're listening and we're in tune with our body, we're supporting that despite maybe a test result.
00:12:51
Speaker
But there also is some really beautiful functional testing we can do. So in my world, we have different types of hormone testing. um One of my favorites called a Dutch test, which is like a urine and saliva um combination okay where we do actually, you know, there's a lot of women who I will actually test to get a baseline idea, like what is when we, and we tested a very specific time in the cycle to try and capture the peak of progesterone.
00:13:17
Speaker
So then we're getting this kind of like baseline of at that peak time, what is the, what is the, the maximum progesterone your body's getting exposed to? And we can see then quite quickly, like that's nothing like that's not definitely reaching that optimal level. So therefore that makes sense. Why you're feeling anxious, not sleeping,
00:13:38
Speaker
Maybe brain fog or mood changes or like even ADHD type symptoms can be worse without the progesterone in the mix as well. So there is some testing and, you know, in my world, then we support that very functionally.
00:13:51
Speaker
But if you go to a doctor, they're going to look at you like you're crazy because it's like they don't have anything really to offer. Yeah. And this is where I find, um yeah, like the natural therapies do, like ah like I had my naturopath on here a few weeks ago and it's just really interesting because you they look, like you look at the whole person, which it blows my mind.
00:14:12
Speaker
but This isn't just happening when you go to the doctors. Like I know there's such a discrepancy here, but that's probably for another day. but but but like how would you support someone? But I also want to say on that, that I'm kind of glad they don't do what I do. yeah Like they have a place. And this is where I think, unfortunately, the way our medical system is set up, they're accessible to most people, right? And we've been trained, if you've got something wrong with your health, you go talk to your doctor and then, you know, they're the ones that can help.
00:14:40
Speaker
yeah But what the reality is, is they have a really beautiful skillset and their skillset is very helpful, very needed in times of disease management, But there's this, you know, and there's other times in our life where our health might not be optimal, but it actually isn't going to fit in the categories and the boxes that then they would be treating.
00:15:01
Speaker
So
Addressing Past Health Issues During Perimenopause
00:15:02
Speaker
then that's where, you know, enter a practitioners like me who can offer something different. And I'm glad doctors don't do that because then I wouldn't have a job. So yeah we all have a role. We all have a platform. There's no part to play.
00:15:13
Speaker
um But it's it is sign a shame that I guess my type of work and my line, like my industry, isn't, I guess, as included and as accessible to most people so that they can get that type of support or help.
00:15:27
Speaker
um So it is a little bit, you know, of a luxury item or something that's on the side, although private healthcare has reinstated it which is exciting oh that's good yeah yeah and this is already as good like think it's nice that we can have these conversations now and put out there that you know this is something that you can help with because you know you it's probably a time where you know whenever your body's going through any changes everyone's just like oh my gosh like what is going on so to know that there's someone that you can go to that can support you and have that knowledge and have that um yeah just be able to be there for you is such a big thing because you know as women we go through many changes in our lifelike
00:16:04
Speaker
It's very up and down. um And obviously every month is different as well. So I guess for, for those listening, like how would you support someone that came to you and was like, all right, Melissa, this is what's happening. These are my symptoms. Like what, what's going on?
00:16:18
Speaker
Yeah. um So what generally happens though, and we sit down and we go through perimenopausal, like the symptoms that might be worrying a woman is if we actually create a timeline and we go back, what we're often seeing is there's themes and there's patterns.
00:16:35
Speaker
Normally the things that pop up in perimenopause, they're not new. They're not something that's just kind of like the body's decided to magically make up and just make life shitty.
00:16:46
Speaker
It's normally something that's been bubbling there under the surface. And what happens is, and this is where also in this kind of, I guess, a mission of not feel it like not um making the avalanche worse,
00:16:59
Speaker
is also understanding that these kind of these subtle shifts, they're not the hormones fault. You know, it's not perimenopause's fault that all of a sudden you're not sleeping as well, or you're gaining weight or your, you know, mood's gone a bit cray cray, or like it's normally there's something there that if we look back on the timeline, your body's actually been maybe managing or just kind of getting by with.
00:17:25
Speaker
And then all of a sudden it's the hormonal changes that literally like exacerbate or no longer allow the body to like keep it in check. Right. So it's kind of like, then the lid gets let off the Pandora's box and all the things come up. Like I often, um, we use analogy with patients that,
00:17:43
Speaker
And I think I'm pretty sure every household has ah junk drawer, you know, like that drawer where you get home, you're I don't know where it goes or just shove it in there. Like we've got a massive junk drawer. It's got the most random collection of things.
00:17:55
Speaker
And this is kind of like what the body does all through your life. Like it goes, Oh, I don't know what to do with that gut health stuff. I'll just chuck it in the junk drawer. Or I don't know what to do with those blood sugar imbalances. I'll just chuck it in the junk drawer.
00:18:06
Speaker
And then when we go through perimenopause and those estrogen and progesterone levels particularly ah changing, what's often happening is it's like the body is gone. Here's the junk drawer, dump it out. Now deal with your shit. Like you've got to face this.
00:18:21
Speaker
So it's kind of, I guess if a woman comes to me, creating that timeline and looking back on what are the things that your body's actually maybe been asking for sooner and has been neglected are often where we start.
00:18:34
Speaker
So yeah, I don't know. No, that's really, he no, that's interesting, isn't it? Cause it's, yeah. And I love the way you've used that analogy. I'm like, oh gosh, what's in the junk drawer?
00:18:45
Speaker
yeah There can be a lot of stuff in the junk drawer you forgot about. Yeah. and this sure there You know, things like, especially this losing progesterone, like in those early stages of perimenopause, progesterone has such a big role neurotransmitter balance and detoxification pathways working effectively and thyroid hormone activity and you know, metabolism and blood sugar management. And so, you know, when, when losing that progesterone, like if your body entered, entered perimenopause with some blood sugar regulation issues, then all of a sudden take away the progesterone. and It's like, well, you've got, you know, insulin resistance now, like that's needs to be like seriously considered. right so
00:19:29
Speaker
you know, these are the types of things where the body doesn't just make it up on the spot or decide to like, again, make life shit for you. Like it's gone, Hey, I've been trying to talk to you You know, you've had the sugar cravings, you've been relying on the caffeine and you've been, you know, doing the things through your twenties and thirties. And now like, I'm sorry, ah can't do it any longer. yeah And that's, you know, it's, it's that breaking point. And this is where
Managing Stress and Lifestyle Changes
00:19:54
Speaker
then things like you know, i guess, again, this avalanche of like scare and fear of like women then go, oh crap, I've got to go on HRT.
00:20:02
Speaker
That doesn't fix your insulin resistance. That doesn't fix your poor sluggish detoxification pathways. That doesn't fix your, you know, it again, just kind of band-aids over it. So, know, from my perspective, there's a place and a you know time where HRT is really beneficial, yeah but I like to also make sure we're supporting those other things for a woman.
00:20:23
Speaker
So how would you um suggest that we best support ourselves? Like what are some basic things as women that we could be doing even now um or even, you know, from, you know, 20s, whatever age people are that are listening, what can they start doing that is going to help them when we kind of get to that pointier end of it? So one of the biggest ones and like, you know, we use this term, I guess, overuse like stress reduction, you know, what is that?
00:20:48
Speaker
um It covers so many different areas, right? But to be like 100% honest, that actually is where a lot of the treasure lies for navigating perimenopause smoothly.
00:21:00
Speaker
um and if I kind of, I guess, define what I mean by stress reduction, it's not just the, you know, taking deep breaths and meditating every morning.
00:21:11
Speaker
It's the things like, you know, all the different layers of stress that our body is exposed to. So things like underlying infections, nutritional deficiencies, like iron deficiency for women is huge. And you, you know, enter perimenopause with iron deficiency and there's this whole kind of like flow on effect that can happen from that.
00:21:29
Speaker
There's things like alcohol and medication use. There's things like, um like tox, I think I mentioned, we went to detox already. You know, there's sleep deprivation that, you know, all the different things. There's like,
00:21:45
Speaker
patterns and traumas and you know, limiting beliefs and all those things that also kind of our nervous system is constantly then interpreting a source of stress in our life. So yeah all those different layers of stress, the more that we can navigate that because our adrenals actually ah kind of like the backup plan.
00:22:04
Speaker
So as our ovaries are stopping ovulating as effectively or as efficiently, and that progesterone is dropping, our ovaries are kind of like, hey, adrenals, can you help me out? Like the adrenals have a capacity to produce some progesterone and kind of buffer some of that that decline that's happening from the ovary production.
00:22:22
Speaker
And it's like, if the ovaries are like, hey, can you help me out? And the adrenals are like, fuck, I'm exhausted. Like, I'm literally trying to, you know, keep this woman alive and all the other things. Then it's like, there's going to be more of a, I guess, a sudden drop or a sudden, um like an extreme extreme transition. Like, it's not going to be as smooth.
00:22:43
Speaker
So we have this kind of like relay of the ovaries handing the baton over to the adrenals. And if that, you know, relay kind of the baton gets dropped, it's like, oh, it's races over. Like I'm done. Yeah. right stress reduction in all its different forms is like number one priority.
00:22:59
Speaker
And then, you know, there's things that need to be adjusted. Like what our body can cope with in our 20s and 30s is very different than what our body can cope with now. So that, and you know, glass of wine that you have every night is that you've been doing all through your twenties and maybe early thirties.
00:23:16
Speaker
And all of a sudden it's like, man, that's, that's not being processed or appreciated by the body in the same way. So again, it's that kind of junk drawer analogy, like that's going, yeah, I have to deal with that now.
00:23:30
Speaker
You know, so, and then there's other things like the way that we fuel our body as well is very different. So looking at those nutritional needs, um you know, how, There's a lot of, actually had one of the questions came up um that one of the ladies asked me to cover today was intermittent fasting and how, um you know, our body, I guess, responds to that differently. yeah And, you know, we have this these, you know, fads, these ideas that put out there in the health world that, you know, intermittent fasting is great. Cold plunging is great. Like, you know, let's all get on the bandwagon and do these things.
00:24:05
Speaker
A woman in your 40s, No. It's not going to fly. Like the the the benefits that been have been shown in a lot of those things are on men. And men's physiology is extremely different to women, yeah especially women in our 40s.
00:24:21
Speaker
And the main difference, again, comes back to the stress piece. I was about say, doesn't it add stress to the body, some a lot of those things? Yeah. And our like odd stress, like our spidey, spidey senses for stress are so super,
00:24:36
Speaker
like sensitive. So, you know versus a man, they kind of can cope, like their body can take all those kind of breath signals coming in and they won't have the same intense.
00:24:47
Speaker
It won't be, I guess, interpreted by the body as intensely. Whereas for a woman, you go without food extended period of time, you skip breakfast, you do cold plunging, you go, you know, do intense cardio sessions or, you know, that intense training,
00:25:03
Speaker
And your body goes, oh, that's stressful. Like we're going to have to like really protect and, you know, bring in all the, you know, all the resources to keep this woman safe.
00:25:14
Speaker
Whereas the man's body is like piece of cake. I got this. And it's like that physiological programming. Like we think of it from an evolutionary point of view, the survival the species depends on the woman's body, knowing, like being able to look at her environment externally and internally and go, okay, everything's safe.
00:25:35
Speaker
We're good as a tribe. I can now have a baby. I can bring another baby into the world. And so if we weren't, like our physiology it wasn't as physiology wasn't as primed to be sensitive to stress,
00:25:48
Speaker
then we'd be having babies left front center and bringing them up in times of you know famine or if there was threats in our environment or if we were nutritionally depleted and that wouldn't be great for the survival of our species. So women have to have this spidey sense ability to really be tuned into stress versus men. And so things like intermittent fasting, like skipping breakfast and going, it's just easier just to not have breakfast because I'm running around doing all the things and not eat till lunch.
00:26:17
Speaker
What's actually happening in the morning is your body is freaking the hell out and going, crap, we got nothing to go on. So that whole kind of stress cortisol, you know, the flow on the pathways that all get triggered from doing something simple like that, the body is interpreting very intensely. So going back to that kind of first piece of the puzzle is that stress reduction. yeah Things like intermittent fasting that you maybe could have gotten away with in your 20s are not going to work for you now.
00:26:45
Speaker
Yeah. so Same as like I mentioned, you know, intense cardio, cold plunging and the other ones that I see, like a lot of women, you know, got this conditioning that, well, if I'm, you know, gaining some extra weight around the middle or I'm not feeling good about myself, then need to do the, you know, the intense cardio, I need to burn the calories, I need to, you know restrict my eating, I need to go and, you know, do these bad things that I've heard are great.
00:27:08
Speaker
But inside our body is then freaking out and going, don't feel safe. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's really interesting. Cause I know for me, I think organically I've kind of moved away from like the, the high intensity workouts and things like that. I don't know whether it's just, I look at that and go, just don't have the energy for that anymore.
00:27:28
Speaker
and Maybe that's what it is. Yeah. but I mean, that was something like I used to like, you know, like the body attack classes and things like, oh my gosh, I frothed on them when I was in my twenties and stuff. And um I know for me now, like if I go to the gym, it's it's to do weights and it's to do heavy weights.
00:27:44
Speaker
and I enjoy that yeah you know and that and walking like walking yes it's one of the most powerful thing like we don't do enough of it there's like a beautiful so many beautiful benefits from just going for a walk and especially after eating like the blood sugar and the insulin sensitivity that happens from doing that type of routine like those the kind of hacks and those are the things that are in in their forty s needs to be playing with um or you know and also like the joy and the like I I'm a dancer I love dancing only got back into it in my 40s but like this kind of revival of like oh this is this is fun like those types of like movement that celebrates and you know just feels good like that's what we need to be exploring because that stress reduction piece is then being looked after from so many different
00:28:33
Speaker
and angles, not this kind of like, I'm going to go to my gym and I'm going to, you know, punish my body and, you know, flog it that I can burn as many calories. Like
Embracing Changes and Empowerment in Perimenopause
00:28:41
Speaker
not, not working. Yeah. Yeah. And that's, yeah. And I'm so glad you said this as well, because there is ah there is almost like too much information that comes from people. And I know, you you know, you go speak to one person who um is the personal trainer and they'll be like, Oh, you need to do this, this and this to lose weight. And then you go speak to someone else and they would tell you the exact opposite. And it's like,
00:29:01
Speaker
oh, you know, no wonder people feel so overwhelmed and kind of just don't know what to do because there is so much information out there that it's, yeah, almost kind of information overload. So I'm glad you've kind of said that because, and I think, I mean, I don't know whether it's just me, but I almost like, it's almost been like instinctual for me not to necessarily want to do those things anymore. So I don't know if other people feel the same as they're getting older as well, but it's, yeah, for me, I've kind of felt that shift organically, I think. So, yeah And I think if you are again, like going back should we send the meeting that ability to tap in to your own experience, your own body science, your own kind of, you know, every symptom that our body gives us is like, it's a whisper trying to say like, Hey, it's up. I need something.
00:29:44
Speaker
Like if we're listening and in tune to that, then yeah, like having an extra hour in bed in the morning might be what your body needs from a recovery, from a hormonal point of view, versus like that alarm going off at 5am and you're going, well, need to get up, you know, cause if i don't get up, I'm lazy or I'm, you know, I'm a fat slob or whatever, the kind of internal voices. So, you know, it's, it's really kind of leaning into yeah that intuition and that, and that's what I think is actually really beautiful about the perimenopausal time and that menopausal transition.
00:30:20
Speaker
It's like what I see and what I witness and what I feel in myself is this kind of like, It's a call to go inward. It's this opportunity to really go, no, I call the turn into external ways.
00:30:31
Speaker
Like I'm going to block that out. Like all the expectations, all the like stories that I've been told of who I need to be, like, let me go and just really figure out what's true to me. What do I need to do And then getting out the other end, like I talked to some of my patients who are actually then like menopausal.
00:30:48
Speaker
There's like this like reclamation of like, like this like, you know, lioness that comes out. like, I am here. Like i have landed and this is who I am. And I just, I love that energy shift. And this is where, again, like this doom and gloom and this worry, like there's so much beauty that can come out of perimenopause and menopause when we tap into um our own bodies and our own experience. And yeah, just honor that.
00:31:15
Speaker
um Yeah. All the craziness. And there's only like, I think it's like five species that actually have the pleasure of going through menopause. So it's like humans, elephants, um and there's a few species of whales.
00:31:29
Speaker
Oh my gosh, I didn't know that. Yeah, every other animal on the planet basically is fertile to the day they die. Oh, wow. Oh gosh, can you imagine that? know, but like how cool is it in the way of like,
00:31:42
Speaker
We've been chosen, like for some reason, beyond our fertility, beyond our ability to reproduce and bring, you know, expand our tribe or our species, we're still seeing a value.
00:31:53
Speaker
Like there's a value in us as women beyond our reproduction. And that's kind of cool. that is That is very cool when you think of it like that. Oh, I love that.
00:32:04
Speaker
Yeah. What a nice little fact. I love it. So I have to ask, I know you mentioned before that you had um some followers have some questions. Were there any other questions that you kind of got asked um to talk about as well?
00:32:18
Speaker
Did any others through? I did asked about a Zen pic and like. Oh, Yeah. yeah Because that's always a big topic, isn't it? I'll probably do like ah a post on in a separate thing. But yeah what I see through patients and, you know, what I'm kind of getting the vibe on is, you know, there's so many women in their 40s who feel like their body is failing them.
00:32:38
Speaker
You know, they're looking in the mirror and they're not seeing this version of themselves that they want to see, whatever that is. yeah There's pressure. You know, there's women who sit around at coffee talking about HRT, talking about a Zempic. And, you know, there's people who have friends that go on these like magic miracle drugs and they see these results and they're like, hmm, maybe that is an easier option out.
00:33:03
Speaker
And so I think, you know, in that space, what I would love to just say is if you are, you know, a woman who's considering or feeling that there's this pull towards considering something like asempic, again, it's not a solution. Like if you're gaining weight through your forties, it's looking at what is your body trying to tell you? Like to me, when i you know, help a woman with weight loss,
00:33:28
Speaker
Weight gain is the same kind of symptom as if she had bloating every single day or she had headaches or if she was not sleeping well, if she had fatigue, like it's no different. We have a lot of, I guess, the vital pressures or personal pressures around body image and body composition.
00:33:44
Speaker
But really at end of the day, if your body's gaining weight, it needs to be listened to the same as any other health symptom. And so if you're looking at something like a ZenPIC as ah solution,
00:33:56
Speaker
then you're kind of missing the opportunity to tune into what your body needs. um And it's hard because I've, you know, i've and I've got patients who choose to go on Ozempic. And this is where I also, in the way that I practice, and I don't judge.
00:34:12
Speaker
Like there's a place for everything. If you, if you as an individual decide that's what you want, that's what you need. Like I will support you no matter what, like there's, there's never any fear of my patients coming to me and saying, Hey, this is what I want to do. They know I'm going to support that. And,
00:34:28
Speaker
the reality is, is then I can support their body through that even better as well, because things like as MPEC, there are side effects, you know, there are things that, you know, especially gut side effects, pancreatitis. There's even like vision side effects, things that can happen.
00:34:45
Speaker
and so we're
Discussion on Weight Loss Drugs and Alternatives
00:34:46
Speaker
supporting the body through that naturally and still listening to the signs and symptoms alongside of using something that maybe is more of a quick fix or like a a magic pill to make you feel better.
00:34:58
Speaker
There is place for both. And so, you know, there are, it's tempting, you know, the the feedback I get from a lot of patients when they go on as then pick is the food night noise stops.
00:35:09
Speaker
Like there's this kind quietness, you know, where you previously are constantly thinking like, you know, what should I be eating? What am I having for lunch? What am I you know doing for dinner? Like that food noise just disappeared, which can be really,
00:35:24
Speaker
freeing for a lot of people um so you know that's the benefit that can come out of it and when we're looking at things like the isempic type medications so that um glp antagonists or agonist um medications where you know they're going in and they are changing that gut um communication you know they're having an impact on the hormones that help our satiety levels um and also will there's like an insulin sensitivity piece as well. So, you know, there's things that they're going in and those medications are manipulating and changing.
00:36:00
Speaker
The reality is we don't know long-term implications of those as well. So that's always, I guess, a concern of mine. yeah but again, like, I think the most important thing we to do is tune into why the weight gains are in the first place, but also it's something like that is what you want to try or consider.
00:36:21
Speaker
then looking at how do we still support the body alongside that? Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Cause I know um like I've, you know, you see it kind of come up and it's always a good headline when you see it, but I know, I think there was actually something the other day um was it 60 minutes or something. I had, so I think teenage girls on that were on it.
00:36:40
Speaker
And I think one of them had come off it and had gained the weight back on pretty much straight away. So she's now gone back on the medication. So yeah, Yeah. It's quite interesting. There's, I know that's a very big topic and it's probably like you said, one that's probably needed for another day, but.
00:36:55
Speaker
They're also like on that still that they are kind of designed to be like a forever thing because when you're on them, the main um like percentage of of weight loss is muscle.
00:37:07
Speaker
So we're getting some really high quality muscle loss, which when we understand like muscle is a metabolically active tissue, it keeps like the metabolic furnace, like you know, yeah stroke and and working really effectively. So if we're on a medication that's kind of forcing weight loss, but also forcing a lot of muscle loss, you stop that medication and you've, you're, you're left kind of quite vulnerable. You've, you've lost that metabolic efficiency.
00:37:33
Speaker
And so that's where there is this yet real risk of rebound weight gain. So a lot of the patients that I'm supporting who are on those medications, we're doing a lot of, you know, behavioral shifts,
00:37:45
Speaker
yeah know like there's ah There's a whole lifestyle that needs to alongside that. If we're looking at those medications as being the magic fix on their own, then be prepared to lose a lot of muscle, be on it forever. Otherwise, there is going to be...
00:37:59
Speaker
the rebound weight gain for sure. Interesting. I think it's, yeah, good for people to know that as well, because yeah, again, it's one of those things that there's lots of conflicting information about it. I know that's something that's what I've, I've read has never really said anything like that at all.
00:38:12
Speaker
Um, that it's kind of a lifetime thing. so yeah, interesting. Thanks for that. naturals things like This is a cool thing too, right? Like if we look at, um, that whole kind of but what that those medications are working on in our gut to create the outcome.
00:38:26
Speaker
There's some really like natural approaches that can do the same thing, right? So things like protein and fiber in your diet. Like i I spruik on, like, I don't spruik on, don't even know if that's the word, harp on about it, like, so much to women. And literally, first thing most women will change when they start working with me is we will literally, like, look at, okay, how much protein you need? How much fiber do you need? Let's work out what that looks like in your day.
00:38:51
Speaker
And that alone can make the world of difference. Because all of a sudden, like, protein in itself is, like, call it little safety signals to our body. So when you're eating protein, all of a sudden your body goes, ah, I'm safe, I'm good.
00:39:03
Speaker
And so when we talk about that stress reduction piece, like that nutritional being looked after is huge. So protein fibre also does the same kind of thing as Olympic.
00:39:14
Speaker
yeah When we're also looking at there's certain natural herbs, so
Empowering Women's Health and Final Thoughts
00:39:21
Speaker
berberine containing herbs and also turmeric have the same kind of influence as well.
00:39:27
Speaker
I... i disclaimer would always suggest that you talk to a health professional, get personalized advice when it comes to those. yeah There's other options out there, you know, and this is where, you know, I think to explore those things and, you know, see how you can get your body looked after a more holistic way.
00:39:47
Speaker
um And that's also where the long-term health outcomes are way better. Yeah. ah I like that. It's good to know. And I Yeah. Pro-Ted is what I've heard a lot of the last few years.
00:39:57
Speaker
Yeah. no i knew you can't even do it like um you know there's there's a sense of sweet spot it's like anything like we can we can take it too far yeah um and also so have seen the flip side where women then go so far into the protein rabbit hole that they've like they're not seeing the results and they're wondering why their body's not so there is a sweet spot um and that's where kind of again like sitting down and getting it worked out but i will generally start like it was a recommendation was telling everyone when you need at least 20 grams per meal so a total of 60 grams of protein over the day fiber about 30 grams of the day so if we're looking at like a breakfast 20 grams of protein 10 grams of fiber as a minimum perfect um and i'm also i have some freebies i can include in your oh love it some links to some freebies for some recipe ideas and also like some cheat sheets and stuff
00:40:46
Speaker
Oh, that'd be great. and access right But, you know, that's a really great place to start. Like it's just the flow and effects, excuse me, to like hormones, metabolism, gut health, blood sugar regulation, like simple things like that, that can often be overlooked and missed are like,
00:41:03
Speaker
they They're game changers. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's so good. Thank you. No, it's good to know because, um yeah, like I said, all these little things, all these little things that end up being big things, I like it.
00:41:16
Speaker
um Were there any other questions? They aren't overwhelming. It's like we don't need to yeah add the fear, add the overwhelm. Like let's just break it down to simple. Yes. um Yeah. And, yeah, it's great that you got those freebies as well. They'll definitely come in handy for many, I'm sure. Yeah.
00:41:32
Speaker
So were there any other questions that you were um kind of posed with to bring up on cover the other ones? I wove the other ones in, but yeah, oh that was the only kind of like, the Olympic was a bit of ah a left of field one. Yeah. But no, it's a good question still though, that they came up with. Cause yeah, like i said, I keep seeing it come up on my Facebook feed all the time. Like all the news articles. I know it's listening.
00:41:59
Speaker
I like, oh, here we go. It's like when you're trying to look for a new couch or something and all of a sudden all the furniture shops come up. So, oh, thank you so much for today, Melissa. So where can um our listeners find you? Like where, where do you hang out the most?
00:42:13
Speaker
I'm probably most active on Instagram yeah and then whatever kind of syncs from Instagram to Facebook, then Facebook gets. So I'm on both those platforms. I have a website, Melissa will hire if you do.
00:42:25
Speaker
my crazy surname.com where I have all the information about different programs I offer. I have um a few different programs. There's a 10 week lighten up program that I run with women where we basically lighten up their whole life. Like this is a metabolic and you know mind glow up. Like it's where we go in and we we really do work through all the different layers um with the intention of losing weight and you know fighting hormonal happiness and all the things that you know it's very personalized through that 10 weeks.
00:42:55
Speaker
And then I'm also going to be launching soon a four-week group, I guess like perimenopause, reset, you know, really kind of go in, dive in, learn what your body needs through perimenopause four-week group program. I'm going to launching that soon and it's going to kick off in October. Oh, I love that so much. I'd love to put that link in your show notes. Definitely. Yes. If you want to join me, I'm looking forward to running that.
00:43:18
Speaker
Awesome. Yeah. All this would be in the show notes as well. So you don't have to worry about the spelling. ah but And we'll be in there. and got blessed. um I married married a man with a hard surname. Yeah, I know, we're right?
00:43:30
Speaker
ah So before we finish up, one thing I like to ask um each of the guests that comes on and it could be a bit of a tricky one, because it's if you could leave and the listeners with just one piece of advice, what would that be?
00:43:43
Speaker
Oh, that is tricky. Yeah, i' to narrow it down to just one. Yeah. And I know you've given us so much good stuff. Yeah, wow.
00:43:55
Speaker
I would, oh. And wow, yeah, I'm stumped. I'm stumped haven't I? But like literally, I guess maybe the idea of like tuning into your body, trusting yourself, you know, like blocking out the noise, just really kind of knowing that, you know, your body has such a beautiful innate healing ability. And when it's given the right stuff and the right support,
00:44:19
Speaker
It doesn't want to work against you. It's like, you're not broken. There's nothing to fix. Like, it's like yeah your body is just trying to talk to you. So the more you can tune into that and, and utilize that power, I think.
00:44:32
Speaker
i mean I love that. Yeah, no, that's so good. And I think, yeah, i'm I'm hoping that as we move through, we can get the young girls and the young generation and all the young boys and everyone to to do this as well. i know it only seems to be like something that comes with age, but I think we need to definitely push it for our little ones too, because yeah, yeah, yeah. and be right you know Along the shift of us being more aware of perimenopause is also part of the flow on is, ah you know, I've got a 15 year old daughter and a seven year old daughter and, you know,
00:45:03
Speaker
I do see their awareness, the conversations they have with their friend, their embrace, you know, the way my 15 year old daughter has embraced getting her period. And, you know, like her friends brought her a chocolate bar when she got her first Like, you know, there was this, it's just, a there is a shift. There is this kind of, I guess the tides are changing in the way of we're embracing you know, what it is to be a female and the power and the magic that comes with that.
00:45:30
Speaker
And it's not so taboo and it's not so off topics. And, You know, she's a 15 year old girl going through, you know, life with a mother who's perimenopausal at the same time. And it's like, you know, we all just talk about it in the house. like Yeah, I love that.
00:45:43
Speaker
So yeah, it's, I reckon it's changing. A course for celebration instead of commiseration. ah but That's so good. Oh, awesome. Thank you so much for joining me me Melissa. I've absolutely loved chatting with you and yeah, I'm sure everyone's going to love listening. So I'll make sure everything's in the show notes and people can contact you and check you out and all the rest of it. So amazing really appreciate you jumping on. Stalkers are welcome.
00:46:06
Speaker
Yep. No worries. Awesome. Thanks, Melissa.