Sally, 51
Perimenopause, energy, headaches, digestive issues
Sally is an endurance runner who came to see me with goals to increase her energy, understand how to fuel her running, increase her endurance capabilities, and reduce her hair from thinning.
She was amid perimenopause and was taking oestrogen tablets and a progesterone patch to help control night sweats, irregular cycles and poor sleep.
On top of this she was experiencing the below symptoms:
Fatigue which had been on going for 3 years where she felt constantly tired and demotivated. This was especially upsetting as it interfered with her love of running.
Anxiety which had become significantly worse after some personal issues.
Headaches that occurred nearly daily
Bloating, abdominal pain, and yo-yoing between constipation and diarrhoea due to laxative use
Nasal congestion
Sally’s diet certainly wasn’t terrible, but she was lacking the food that would really help with her energy levels and training, and in addition she was consuming a little too much of those food and drinks which may hinder her performance and intensify some of her other symptoms. She had a notion engrained in her that certain foods (that were necessary to thrive) were ‘bad’ (for example carbs), and on top of this her nervous system had taken a hit after some traumatic life experiences and a very busy job.
Holistically, this was a perfect storm for neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms due to her dysregulated stress response feeding down to her gut, and vice versa.
I put together a protocol with an emphasis on supporting the parasympathetic nervous system to promote balance in her stress response system, whilst re-inoculating her gut with beneficial bacteria to increase energy, metabolism and mood. We altered her macro and micro nutrients to support her blood sugar balance (energy), and to support her level of training. Finally, I considered the symptoms collectively and questioned the possibility of histamine intolerance causing the headaches, congestion, gastrointestinal issues and some rashes she occasionally experienced.
Four weeks into her package she was ‘sleeping well, her energy levels were very good, and she had no bloating’. She was still experiencing headaches as well as a sore throat, so I took this as the time to implement a low histamine diet to see if this could be a contributing factor.
By week eight, Sally ‘had loads more energy, and felt great after a half marathon’. She felt much more motivated and had found the love for running and general life again. After removing high histamine foods and drinks her headaches had decreased and she felt much better in mentally and physically.
I was thrilled to receive an email from her a few weeks after she completed her package saying ‘Did a PB (personal best) on a half marathon yesterday - over the moon!!’
