Alice, 48

Perimenopause, itchy skin, poor sleep, anxiety, weight gain, bloating

Alice came to me with numerous symptoms related to hormone imbalance (perimenopause) and general digestive health.

Her main symptoms included:

• Incredibly itchy skin particularly on the scalp and ears

• Anxiety

• Brain fog

• Night sweats that caused the need for a fan all night

• Poor sleep where she was waking in the night every 2 hours, and then was awake from 5:30am

• Weight gain of 2 stone in the last 2-3 years

• Digestive issues such as bloating, reflux and flatulence.

• Joint pain

• Headaches

• Low energy

She had also been diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as having asthma which still flared up, giving her a tight chest.

She had a few suspected allergies to contend with, including a coconut allergy which had installed a fear in her to never try any other nuts, as well as an intolerance to fresh fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, and strawberries, which also limited her desire to try new fruits and vegetables.

After being a vegetarian for a few years she was told by her doctor that she had an iron and folic acid deficiency. In her own words, she knew she wasn’t a healthy vegetarian and decided to seek help with me. ‘I’ve eaten a packet of crisps every day since I was 11’ she confessed.

After looking at her diet I noted that the choices she was making were causing insulin dysfunction which was contributing to blood sugar imbalance and weight gain. Her dietary and lifestyle choices were most likely impacting the balance of gut bacteria in her microbiome, which was having a knock-on effect to her immune system, metabolism, hormone signalling and cognitive function (e.g. anxiety) due to the gut-brain connection.

By supporting her blood sugar balance we could increase her energy, improve her sleep and reduce her weight. By addressing her gut microbiome we can reduce systemic inflammation that was causing skin and digestive complaints. Finally by supporting her liver and the load on that, we could safely optimise the detoxification of hormones and toxins that may be contributing to symptoms.

All these changes together can implement overall positive changes directed at reducing her cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well.  

She booked my 3 Month Menopause Package, and after our initial consultation I provided her with a protocol addressing the above factors, with a view to add some more changes when we had our first follow-up in two weeks - I like to implement dietary and lifestyle changes gradually over the course of the package so to not overwhelm.

After just two weeks Alice was amazed at the positive changes that had already happened to her body ‘I’m loving all the new flavours, I’ve got more energy, no bloating or gas, no heart burn, and I’m sleeping longer into the morning’ she exclaimed. This was after just some small initial tweaks, so she was very happy to continue taking on board the new changes in the next follow-up appointments.

By our second follow-up (a month since starting), Alice had lost half a stone, had reduced anxiety, and expressed how she ‘felt really good and pleased with how quickly symptoms have gone’.

The three months flew by as they always do, and by the final appointment, Alice had great joy in telling me she had no heartburn, no itchy skin, no joint pain, and was sleeping through the night and waking up naturally when she wanted to (not 5:30am!). She lost a stone, her anxiety had drastically reduced, and she felt happier, more energised, and was getting complements about how ‘fresh’ her skin looked. She was really enjoying cooking new foods that her and her children could enjoy, and had a new positive outlook on her health.