Perimenopause is a transformative time in a woman’s life—one I know intimately. I started experiencing symptoms at 36, which contributed to hyper-ovulation and, eventually, the birth of my triplets.
This time of change isn’t just about fluctuating hormones. It’s a whole-body shift—with your gut, brain, liver, and nervous system deeply involved. As a Registered Nurse specialising in functional testing—including gut microbiome, food intolerance, and oral microbiome testing—I help women uncover the root causes of their symptoms and guide them through a personalised, natural reset.
🔬 Why Gut Health Matters in Perimenopause: The Science
Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria that influence your digestion, immune system, metabolism, and even your estrogen levels.
As estrogen declines, the diversity of your gut bacteria often does too. This imbalance (called dysbiosis) can lead to:
- Weakened gut lining (a.k.a. “leaky gut”)
- Poor absorption of vitamins like B12, iron, and magnesium
- Impaired breakdown and elimination of excess estrogen via the liver and bowels
In simple terms: if your gut isn’t working properly, neither are your hormones.
🧪 Functional Testing: The Data Behind the Symptoms
Instead of guessing, I use advanced lab tests to map out what’s happening inside:
- Food Intolerance Testing: Identifies delayed immune responses causing inflammation and bloating
- GI Microbiome Mapping: Reveals bacterial imbalances, overgrowths (like Candida), parasites, and inflammation markers
- Oral Microbiome Testing: The mouth mirrors the gut and can reveal systemic issues starting at the top of the digestive tract
These give us a precise roadmap to healing.
🌿 How to Naturally Reset Your Gut During Perimenopause
Here’s my evidence-informed, nurse-crafted guide:
1. Repair with Collagen & Amino Acids (Vegan + Animal-Based Options)
Your gut lining is made of epithelial cells tightly connected by proteins like collagen. These cells renew every few days—but only if they have the right building blocks: amino acids.
During perimenopause, collagen synthesis drops (thanks to lower estrogen), weakening your gut barrier.
✅ Vegan Options:
- L-glutamine: Repairs gut lining and fuels intestinal cells
- Vegan collagen boosters: Combine vitamin C, zinc, silica, and plant-based amino acids to stimulate your body’s own collagen production
- Whole foods: Citrus, leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and avocados
✅ Animal Options:
- Grass-fed collagen peptides and bone broth: Provide direct sources of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline (key for gut lining)
- Liver and organ meats: Rich in vitamin A and copper for tissue repair
2. Rebalance with Probiotics & Prebiotics
A diverse gut microbiome is essential during perimenopause, especially for estrogen detoxification via the estrobolome—a group of gut bacteria that regulate estrogen levels.
✅ Eat:
- Probiotics: Live bacteria in fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso)
- Prebiotics: Plant fibers that feed good bacteria (leeks, onions, asparagus, oats, flaxseeds)
🚫 Avoid:
- Refined sugars (they feed harmful bacteria)
- Artificial sweeteners (can damage gut lining and alter microbiota)
- Frequent antibiotics and NSAIDs (can reduce good bacteria)
3. Support Detox Pathways
Estrogen is metabolized in the liver and excreted through bile and stool. If any part of this process is sluggish, estrogen recirculates, leading to symptoms like breast tenderness, heavy periods, and mood swings.
🔹 Glutathione: The liver’s master antioxidant
- Supports Phase 2 liver detox, neutralizing estrogen by-products
- Boost naturally with sulfur-rich foods (garlic, broccoli), or supplement with NAC or liposomal glutathione
🔹 Castor Oil Packs: Applied to the liver area, stimulate blood flow, bile production, and lymphatic drainage
🔹 Bitter Herbs: Dandelion, artichoke, and milk thistle promote bile flow, which is essential for estrogen clearance
4. Chew Slowly, Digest Better: Mindful Eating & Digestion
Digestion begins in the brain. When you smell and prepare food, it activates your parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”).
Here’s the science:
- Chewing releases amylase, the enzyme that starts carb digestion
- It signals the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, crucial for breaking down proteins
- Without this phase, food enters the gut poorly digested, causing gas, bloating, and inflammation
✅ Practice:
- Sit down and eat without screens
- Smell your food before the first bite
- Chew each mouthful 20–30 times
- Take 3 deep breaths before meals
5. Sync with Your Circadian Rhythm
Your gut has its own circadian clock, and digestive enzymes, gut motility, and microbial activity all follow a rhythm.
When your eating, sleeping, and light exposure are irregular, you disrupt your melatonin and cortisol cycles—affecting both sleep and digestion.
✅ Reset by:
- Getting sunlight within 30 minutes of waking
- Eating at regular mealtimes
- Avoiding late-night eating (it disturbs gut motility and insulin regulation)
- No screens 1 hour before bed to enhance melatonin production
6. Adjust Your Diet: Nourish, Don’t Deprive
What you eat becomes the material for every hormone, enzyme, and gut cell.
✅ Focus on:
- Cooked, warm vegetables for easier digestion
- Omega-3 fats (chia seeds, flax, walnuts, wild fish) to reduce inflammation
- Slow-cooked stews and soups to soothe the gut lining
- Herbs like ginger, turmeric, and fennel for bloating and gut motility
🚫 Watch out for:
- Gluten (can increase intestinal permeability in sensitive people)
- Dairy (common trigger, though not an issue for everyone—testing helps)
- Processed seed oils (high in omega-6s, linked to inflammation)
7. Reduce Stress to Heal Your Gut-Brain Axis
Your gut and brain are connected via the vagus nerve—your body’s superhighway of communication.
Chronic stress increases cortisol, which:
- Shuts down digestion
- Reduces stomach acid
- Weakens your immune defenses in the gut
✅ Support with:
- Daily breathwork or vagus nerve toning
- EFT tapping to calm anxiety
- Gentle movement, nature time, and meditation
- Restorative sleep (7–9 hours)
💬 Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone in This
If you’re in your 30s or 40s and feeling foggy, bloated, irritable, or just not yourself—it’s not “just aging”. Your gut is likely under strain from the hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause.
But the body is brilliantly designed to heal—when given the right inputs.
With functional testing, mindful eating, targeted nutrients, and lifestyle support, you can reset your gut, reclaim your energy, and feel deeply aligned with your body again.
🌿 Ready to start your healing journey?
📞 Book your FREE 15-minute discovery call to chat with me about your symptoms and the best testing and healing path for you.
📧 Email me at: info@medsniff.com
