Balancing the Ride: Women’s Hormones, Perimenopause, and What You Can Do About It

There’s a moment in every woman’s life—often creeping in around the late 30s to mid-40s—when things start to feel a bit… off. You might notice your sleep is lighter (or elusive), your cycle is less predictable, your patience wears thinner, and the workouts you used to bounce back from now leave you feeling wiped out. You might not feel old, but your body is sending new signals.

Welcome to perimenopause, the often-overlooked runway to menopause.

This isn’t just “aging” or “life getting stressful.” It’s hormonal, it’s real, and it deserves attention. The good news? There’s a lot you can do to help yourself feel better—and it starts with understanding what’s happening and giving your body the tools it needs to adapt.

What’s Actually Happening?

During perimenopause and menopause, your hormone levels shift significantly—and not always smoothly. Here's what you might experience:

Irregular Periods

Your estrogen and progesterone are no longer following a tidy 28-day cycle. This can cause skipped periods, longer or shorter cycles, heavier or lighter bleeding—and a whole lot of unpredictability.

Hot Flushes and Night Sweats

As estrogen drops, it messes with your hypothalamus—your internal thermostat. Cue sudden heat, sweats, and disrupted sleep.

Mood Swings and Brain Fog

Fluctuating estrogen can also affect neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, making you feel anxious, low, irritable, or just plain foggy.

Sleep Disturbances

Hormonal shifts, night sweats, and a drop in melatonin production can leave you waking up tired and staying that way.

Changes in Body Composition

As Dr. Stacy Sims puts it, “Women are not small men.” And yet, many approaches to training and nutrition overlook the hormonal reality of the female body. With the drop in estrogen, women lose some of the natural muscle and metabolic protection that kept things easier in younger years.

Lower Libido and Vaginal Dryness

Yes, we’re going there—because it matters. Estrogen plays a big role in keeping tissues elastic, blood flow optimal, and desire humming. When it declines, these areas are often the first to raise the alarm.

So… What Can You Actually Do?

The good news? This transition doesn’t mean decline—it means change. And change can be supported. Here are 5 tips grounded in both Chinese medicine and modern science (yes, we’re looking at you, Dr. Stacy Sims) to help you balance your hormones and reclaim your energy.

1. Focus on Strength Training (Not Just Cardio)

As estrogen drops, your body becomes more prone to muscle loss and insulin resistance. Stacy Sims’ research is clear: women in perimenopause benefit hugely from resistance training—especially heavy lifting (safely, of course). This boosts muscle mass, supports metabolism, and even improves insulin sensitivity.

Bonus from Chinese medicine: Strengthening your Kidney Qi—associated with your foundation of vitality—can be supported through movements that build internal strength and consistency.

2. Prioritise Protein—Especially at Breakfast

Estrogen helps your body use protein more effectively. With less of it around, your body needs more high-quality protein, especially early in the day. Sims recommends aiming for 30g of protein in your first meal to stabilise blood sugar, reduce cravings, and support muscle repair.

In Chinese medicine, mornings are a Yang time—an ideal moment to fuel the body and set the tone for the day. A warm, nourishing breakfast also supports the Spleen system, which governs digestion and energy.

3. Regulate Stress Like It’s Your Job

Cortisol (your main stress hormone) gets crankier as estrogen declines. Your nervous system is more easily tipped into "fight or flight"—so it’s essential to build in calm, not just wait for a holiday to relax.

Try:

• Gentle breathwork

• Walking in nature

• Acupuncture

• Saying "no" more often than "yes"

In Chinese medicine, stress disrupts the flow of Liver Qi, which is closely tied to mood, menstrual health, and sleep. Keeping Qi flowing helps everything feel more manageable.

4. Support Sleep (Don’t Just Hope for It)

If you’re waking up hot, restless, or anxious at 3am, you’re not alone. Sleep becomes lighter as progesterone and estrogen drop. But it can be improved.

Some sleep-supporting options:

• Magnesium glycinate or taurinate before bed

• A regular bedtime and wind-down routine

• Herbal support like Chinese Suan Zao Ren Tang (consult a practitioner!)

• Cooling foods in summer, like watermelon, cucumber, or mint tea

In Chinese medicine, nighttime is Yin time, when your body should rest deeply. If there's Yin deficiency, you overheat and wake easily. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can replenish this.

5. Work With Your Body, Not Against It

This is not the time for extreme diets, skipping meals, or pushing through exhaustion. Your hormones are asking for balance, nourishment, and rhythm.

That might mean:

• Eating regularly, without restriction

• Cutting back on alcohol and caffeine (both strain the Liver and disrupt sleep)

• Trying acupuncture or herbs to support specific symptoms

• Listening to your body’s feedback—and adjusting without guilt

Menopause is a second spring in Chinese medicine—a chance to redefine yourself with wisdom, strength, and intention. It’s not an ending; it’s a transformation.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Broken—You’re Changing

Perimenopause and menopause aren’t problems to fix. They’re transitions to support. They ask us to slow down, tune in, and get smarter about how we care for our bodies.

If you’ve been feeling out of sync lately, know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it. With a little support, a little science, and maybe a few needles (😉), you can feel strong, clear, and connected again.

If you're curious about how acupuncture or coaching could support you in this season, reach out. This is what I love to do—help women find their centre, rebuild energy, and navigate change with grace and power.