The blog

What to eat, drink, and do in perimenopause

Practical, science-backed articles from Sarah McLachlan, The Perimenopause Naturopath. Because perimenopause doesn't have to be a sh!t show.

Pot of soup simmering on a gas stove in warm light

Too exhausted to cook? 10 easy meals for perimenopause

Healthy Eating, Burn Out, Family's Health, Fatigue, Health

Exhaustion is the most common perimenopause complaint there is. Here are 10 genuinely easy, nourishing meals for the nights you can’t face cooking, plus the blood tests worth asking for.

Why am I so hungry in perimenopause? Your appetite hormones, explained

Perimenopause Hormones

Constant hunger in perimenopause isn’t a willpower problem. Meet leptin and ghrelin, the appetite hormones, and learn what throws them out and what helps.

Red push pins marking dates getting closer together on a calendar

Why are your periods closer together in your 40s?

Perimenopause Hormones

Shorter menstrual cycles are often the very first sign of perimenopause. Here’s what’s normal, why cycles shorten and get heavier, and what actually helps.

Blood sample tube resting on a printed page of blood test results

Why “normal” blood test results aren’t good enough in perimenopause

Perimenopause Hormones, Health

“Normal” blood test results describe a statistic, not your best health. Here’s how optimal ranges work, and how to read your results like a naturopath does.

Woman's legs standing in calm, clear shallow water, gentle water-based movement that helps manage lipoedema in perimenopause

Lipoedema in perimenopause: is it fat, or something else?

Weight Loss

Lipoedema is a common, under-diagnosed fat condition that often flares in perimenopause. Here’s how to tell it apart from ordinary weight gain, and what actually helps.

Red lentils spilling from a measuring cup with red onions and garlic, iron-rich foods for perimenopause

Iron deficiency in perimenopause: why it’s so common (and how to fix it properly)

Health

One in three women bleed heavily or for longer in perimenopause, and iron quietly drains away. Why “normal” iron on a blood test isn’t the same as enough, and what actually restores it.

Glowing bedside clock in a dark bedroom, representing the night waking that is often the first sign of perimenopause psychosis

Perimenopause psychosis: symptoms, causes and where to get help

Perimenopause Hormones

Perimenopause psychosis is rare, real and treatable. Learn how to tell common mood changes from the signs that need urgent help, why oestrogen changes can affect the brain this way, and Fiona Weaver’s story of the early signs everyone missed.

Woman in her 40s with hands on bloated stomach - how to reduce bloating in perimenopause

How to reduce bloating in perimenopause (and why it’s suddenly worse)

Perimenopause Hormones, Gut Health, Health

Bloated by lunchtime, even on foods you’ve eaten for years? Here’s why perimenopause causes bloating and exactly how to reduce it, from tonight onwards.

A woman pinching her nose and with glasses off, feeling overwhelmed in perimenopause. The Perimenopause Naturopath shares why you're feeling overwhelemd and simple things to help change that in perimenopause

Why you feel overwhelmed all the time in perimenopause

Stress, Perimenopause Hormones

Feeling overwhelmed all the time in perimenopause isn’t a personal failing. Here’s what’s actually driving it, including the ADHD overlap nobody talks about, and what helps.