Navigating the Change: A Simple Map for Perimenopause and Menopause
- Vanessa Lahey
- Nov 13
- 8 min read
For women, the journey through perimenopause and menopause can feel like a solitary and confusing path. It can also be really confronting as it challenges our identity and what it feels like to be a woman once you're no longer fertile.
Up until recent years, the entire subject was shrouded in mystery and misconception, as it wasn’t a topic of polite conversation.
It is, though, a natural, unavoidable transition and a significant life stage, not a medical condition to be endured. So, understanding the process is the first step toward attempting to accept it with grace and vitality (which is hard!).
The Three Stages of The Menopausal Transition
The end of a woman’s reproductive years is not a single event but a gradual process with distinct phases. The whole process from start to finish could last up to 10 years.
1. Perimenopause: The Start of the Transition
Often called “the menopausal transition”, perimenopause is the stage where most women begin to experience noticeable symptoms of their fertility changing. It typically begins in a woman's mid-to-late 40s but can start earlier.
What’s Happening Hormonally? Your ovaries begin to produce estrogen inconsistently—fluctuating wildly rather than following a predictable monthly cycle. These fluctuations are the primary drivers of perimenopausal symptoms. Progesterone levels also begin to decline. You still have periods, but they can become wildly irregular.
Key Symptoms Associated with Perimenopause:
Irregular Periods: This is the hallmark sign. Cycles may become shorter (2 weeks apart), longer (up to 3 months apart), heavier, or lighter.
Anovulatory Periods: These are often the cause of irregular periods. An anovulatory period is a menstrual bleed that occurs without ovulation, meaning an egg was not released from the ovary during that cycle. In an anovulatory cycle, the progesterone surge is absent.
Hot Flushes & Night Sweats: Sudden feelings of intense heat, often disrupting sleep.
Mood Swings & Irritability: Fluctuating hormones can significantly impact neurotransmitters, leading to feelings of anxiety, tearfulness, frustration or irritability (often with no trigger or obvious reason).
Sleep Disturbances: Even without night sweats, you may find it harder to fall or stay asleep.
Brain Fog: Difficulty with concentration, memory lapses, and a feeling of mental cloudiness are extremely common.
Changing Libido: Interest in sex may decrease.
Worsening PMS: Symptoms you may have experienced before your period can become more intense.
Perimenopause can last for several years, ending when you have gone 12 consecutive months without a period, marking the official start of menopause.
2. Menopause: The Official Milestone
Menopause is a single point in time, defined as the day you have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. The average age for this in Australia is around 51 (but that age is said to be getting older due to us living healthier and for longer).
What’s Happening Hormonally? Your ovaries have significantly reduced their production of estrogen and progesterone and no longer release eggs. Your body has completed its reproductive chapter.
Key Symptoms Associated with Menopause: The symptoms experienced during perimenopause often continue into the first few years of postmenopause. In addition, the long-term decline in estrogen can lead to:
Vaginal Dryness: This can cause discomfort or pain during intercourse.
Urinary Issues: Increased frequency or a higher risk of urinary tract infections.
Long-Term Health Considerations: Lower estrogen levels can impact bone density (increasing osteoporosis risk) and heart health.
3. Postmenopause: The New Normal
This term refers to the rest of your life after the 12-month mark of menopause has passed. While symptoms like hot flushes often ease for many women, the low estrogen environment requires ongoing attention to long-term health. Of particular importance is bone density.
Commit to a whole food diet of unprocessed foods and don’t let your exercise drop off. Or if you haven’t typically exercised much in your life, START NOW before it’s too late to prevent runaway bone density shedding.
A Holistic Approach to Navigating the Shift
While this transition is natural, the symptoms are very real and can significantly impact your quality of life. A holistic approach—combining a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management, and natural support—can make a profound difference and may even negate the need for HRT or BHRT. This is where the wisdom of herbal medicine can offer gentle yet powerful support.
Herbal Path's Woman Remedy: Your Companion for Balance and Calm
As a woman and a herbalist, I get that a female’s body needs nurturing support to navigate the hormonal ebbs and flows of perimenopause and menopause. I personally and meticulously formulated our Woman Remedy to honour this journey, working with your body’s innate wisdom to restore balance and promote vitality.
Below are the key, farm-grown and organic ingredients that directly address the common challenges of this life stage:
1. Reishi Mushroom (The Queen of Calm) The profound stress and sleep disruptions of perimenopause and menopause are often linked to an overburdened nervous system. Reishi, known in traditional medicine as “the mushroom of immortality”, is a premier adaptogen. This means it helps your body adapt to stress, both physical and emotional.
Linked to Your Journey: By supporting the adrenal glands and promoting a calm nervous system, Reishi can help soothe the feelings of anxiety and irritability that accompany hormonal fluctuations. Its gentle, non-sedative nature also makes it an excellent ally for improving sleep quality, helping you wake up feeling truly rested.
2. Lion's Mane Mushroom (The Clarity Catalyst) If “brain fog” has become a frustrating intrusion on your daily functioning, Lion's Mane is here to help. This brain-looking mushroom is renowned for its neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties.
Linked to Your Journey: Lion's Mane supports the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which is crucial for the health and maintenance of your brain cells. By incorporating Lion's Mane into our Woman Remedy it works to sharpen your focus, clear the mental cloudiness, and support memory function, allowing you to feel mentally agile and clear-headed.
3. The Herb Helpers (The Adaptogenic Effect)
I selected a unique combination of herbs on the Woman Remedy specifically to assist with hormone regulation. Many of the herbs are phytoestrogens.
A point I would like to make here is that it’s simply not true that women should avoid estrogenic foods during these phases. However, you should avoid ‘xenoestrogens’ at all times (see my breakdown of what these are and why you should avoid them as a postscript to this blog).
Linked to Your Journey: Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds with a chemical structure similar to the body's own estrogen, specifically a weaker form called estradiol. This similarity allows them to interact with estrogen receptors in the body, but their effect is modulating, not overwhelming.
They act as a natural hormonal balancer through two key mechanisms:
When Estrogen is Low (e.g., Menopause): They act as a weak estrogen substitute. By binding to the receptors, they can gently mimic the effects of estrogen, helping to alleviate symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. They provide a mild, natural boost.
When Estrogen is High (e.g., Estrogen Dominance): They act as a buffer. Because they occupy the estrogen receptors, they can block your more potent, naturally produced estrogen (and harmful xenoestrogens) from binding. This can help reduce the overall estrogenic effect in the body, promoting balance.
Key Benefits for Women's Health
This dual action makes phytoestrogens particularly beneficial:
Reduction of Menopausal Symptoms: This is the most well-documented benefit. Populations with diets high in phytoestrogens (like soy in Japan) report significantly lower rates of hot flushes and night sweats.
Bone Health Support: Estrogen is crucial for bone density. By providing a mild estrogenic effect, phytoestrogens can help slow bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis post-menopause.
Cardiovascular Protection: Phytoestrogens have been shown to support heart health by improving blood vessel elasticity and helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Potential Cancer Risk Reduction: Their blocking effect against stronger estrogens is thought to be one reason why high consumption of phytoestrogen-rich foods is associated with a lower risk of certain hormone-related cancers, like breast and endometrial cancer.
A Synergistic Blend for Modern Women
Together, these organic, farm-grown mushrooms and organic herbs create a powerful synergy. While Reishi works to calm the physical and emotional turbulence of hormonal shifts, Lion's Mane supports the mental clarity that can feel just out of reach.
The herbs provide essential phytoestrogens (among other medicinal benefits) for the endocrine system. This combination directly addresses the core triad of perimenopausal challenges: nervous system support, cognitive function and hormonal balance.
Embracing Your Journey with Confidence
The path through perimenopause and menopause is a unique and personal one. By understanding the different stages and symptoms and listening to your body’s needs, you can move from merely coping to owning the whole process.
Our Woman Remedy offers a natural, gentle, and effective way to support your body through this change. It is a testament to our belief in farm-to-bottle quality, providing you with a remedy you can trust to help you find your new equilibrium.
Ready to embrace this chapter with more balance and clarity? Explore Woman Remedy and discover how this nurturing blend can support your 'change'.
Postscript on Xenoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are synthetic industrial chemicals that mimic the behaviour of natural estrogens in the body. They are harmful for several key reasons:
They Cause Hormonal Chaos (Endocrine Disruption): Your body's endocrine system relies on precise hormonal levels and delicate feedback loops. Xenoestrogens are “endocrine disruptors” because they bind to estrogen receptors on cells, fooling your body into thinking they are the real hormone. This can:
Overwhelm the System: Create an artificial state of “estrogen dominance”.
Block Natural Hormones: They can block your natural, more beneficial estrogen from doing its job correctly.
Disrupt Cellular Communication: They send weaker or altered signals, disrupting normal cell function.
They are Potent and Persistent: Unlike your body's own estrogen, which is metabolised and cleared, many xenoestrogens are bioaccumulative (they build up in fat tissue over time) and are not easily broken down. This means even low-level, chronic exposure can lead to significant internal concentrations.
They Are Linked to Serious Health Concerns: By disrupting the delicate hormonal balance, xenoestrogens have been linked to a range of issues, particularly those driven by estrogen dominance. Research suggests associations with:
Fertility Problems: Irregular cycles, anovulatory cycles, and reduced fertility.
Severe PMS and Perimenopausal Symptoms: Worsening mood swings, heavy periods, and breast tenderness.
Certain Cancers: Especially hormone-sensitive cancers like breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer.
Thyroid Dysfunction: They can interfere with thyroid hormone receptors.
Early Puberty: In young girls.
In the context of perimenopause, when your body's own estrogen levels are already on a rollercoaster, adding a constant stream of synthetic, disruptive estrogens from the environment can significantly worsen symptoms like hot flushes, brain fog, and weight gain, making the transition much more challenging.
Common Sources of Xenoestrogens:
Plastics: Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates are found in food containers, water bottles, and receipts.
Pesticides & Herbicides: Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are a major source.
Personal Care Products: Parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances in lotions, makeup, and shampoo.
Non-Organic Meat & Dairy: From animals treated with growth hormones.
Teflon Cookware: PFOA, a chemical used in non-stick coatings.
Reducing exposure is a powerful step toward supporting your body's natural hormonal balance.
Phytoestrogens vs. Xenoestrogens: A Critical Difference
It's crucial to distinguish these plant-based compounds from the synthetic ones:
Phytoestrogens (from plants): Have a weak, modulatory effect. The body can metabolise and excrete them relatively easily. They are seen as supportive.
Xenoestrogens (from plastics, pesticides): Are potent, persistent, and bioaccumulative. They disrupt the endocrine system with a strong, chaotic signal and are destructive.
In summary, phytoestrogens from a whole-foods diet (like flaxseeds, tempeh, lentils, and chickpeas) offer a gentle, adaptive way to support the body's hormonal rhythm, helping to ease the transition through perimenopause and beyond by promoting balance, not causing disruption.
