THE BIGGEST MISTAKES A WOMEN MAKE WHEN TRYING TO FIX THEIR PERIMENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

One of the most frustrating things about perimenopause is thinking you’re on the right track - doing everything you’ve been told will help, the “right things” - yet still feeling exhausted, foggy, uncomfortable in your clothes and body. It’s like your body is working against you.

You clean up your diet even more - less treats, wines, and calories. You take the supplements. You do even more exercise. Maybe you’ve even started HRT. But nothing seems to change. Your body isn’t cooperating.

H2: Why does this happen?
That’s exactly what we’re diving into today - the biggest mistakes I see women making when trying to fix their perimenopause symptoms, and what you should be focusing on instead.

By the end of this, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of why you might be feeling stuck and what to do next to start feeling better - without trial and error.

MISTAKE #1: THINKING HRT (OR SUPPLEMENTS) WILL FIX EVERYTHING

I want to be clear - I’m not anti-HRT. Many of my clients take it, and for some, it can be a helpful tool.

But it’s not a magic fix, and for some women - especially in early to mid-perimenopause - it can actually make symptoms worse.

HRT DOESN’T HELP YOUR BODY ADAPT TO THE CHANGES OF MENOPAUSE

There’s a growing narrative online that every woman should take HRT indefinitely, but that’s far too simplistic. The reality is, HRT doesn’t actually help your body adjust to perimenopause - it just replaces declining hormones. And if the underlying dysfunction isn’t addressed? You’ll still feel awful.

Many women on HRT still struggle with:

• Flushes and sweats
• Fatigue and brain fog
• Weight gain and bloating
• Mood swings and anxiety

Take Sharon, for example. She came to me already on HRT, thinking it would solve everything. But she was still flushing bright red in meetings, sweating through her clothes, and struggling to focus at work.

Why? Because perimenopause isn’t just about estrogen levels dropping—it’s about how well your body processes, regulates, and adapts to these changes. If your liver isn’t metabolizing hormones properly, your gut health is off, or your insulin is dysregulated, no amount of HRT will fix that.

HRT NEEDS TO BE PERSONALISED

Adding estrogen at the wrong time - especially in early to mid perimenopause when estrogen is fluctuating wildly - can actually make things worse. If your body is already riding the estrogen rollercoaster, adding more can push levels even higher, intensifying symptoms like mood swings, flushes, and breast tenderness.

This is why HRT should never be a blanket recommendation - it needs to be personalised based on your symptoms, health history, and where you are in your perimenopause transition.

And what about supplements? If you’re buying random perimenopause blends off Instagram, hoping they’ll fix everything, you might just be creating expensive wee. Over-the-counter supplements are often low dose, the wrong form, or missing key nutrients and/or herbs your body actually needs.

What actually works? Supporting your whole body’s ability to adapt to the hormone changes - which leads me to mistake #2.

MISTAKE #2: IGNORING THE REAL UNDERLYING ISSUES

Perimenopause symptoms aren’t just about estrogen or progesterone. If you’re only focusing on hormone replacement or stopping symptoms, but ignoring the bigger picture of what’s really driving how you’re feeling - then you’ll stay stuck in the cycle of fatigue, bloating, brain fog, and weight gain.

THE REAL DRIVERS BEHIND YOUR PERIMENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

There may be many other contributing factors to your perimenopause symptoms, factors that are blocking your body from adapting to the hormone changes of perimenopause.

🔹 Insulin resistance: this is a major factor in weight gain, fatigue, and cravings. It’s not just about calories - if your body isn’t responding well to insulin, you’ll store more fat and feel exhausted.

🔹 Blood sugar highs and lows: if you’re skipping meals or eating erratically, your energy, mood, and cravings will be all over the place.

🔹 Thyroid dysfunction: a sluggish thyroid can make weight loss nearly impossible and contribute to brain fog and low energy. Many women in perimenopause develop thyroid dysfunction without realizing it.

🔹 Liver function: your liver is responsible for processing and clearing out hormones. If it’s not working efficiently, estrogen and other hormones can build up, worsening symptoms.

🔹 Nutrient deficiencies: nutrients are the building blocks for your hormones, energy production, mood molecules (neurotransmitters), and more! They are also the compounds that assist the biochemical reactions in your body. If your levels are low on key nutrients like iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins, your liver can’t/won’t work as efficiently, and neither will your key hormone organs like your thyroid or adrenal glands.

🔹 Chronic stress and high cortisol: if your body is constantly in fight-or-flight mode, it will hold onto weight, disrupt your sleep, and increase anxiety. Gen X women, in particular, are dealing with overwhelming workloads, caregiving responsibilities, and burnout, which fuels perimenopause symptoms.

One of my Chaos to Calm Method clients said to me recently:
“I don’t want to go on HRT. But even if I did, I don’t think it would help - my sister’s on it and still feels awful!”

And she’s right. If you don’t address these deeper issues, no amount of HRT, supplements, or “hormone balancing” will fix things.

MISTAKE #3: TRYING TO DIY YOUR WAY THROUGH IT

If you’ve spent hours Googling, trying different diets, and buying every supplement under the sun - but still feel awful - this is why:

You can’t see the forest for the trees when it’s your own body.

• There’s too much conflicting advice online.
• You don’t have access to proper testing to see what’s really going on.
• You might be focusing on the wrong things while missing what actually matters.

One of my clients, before she joined Chaos to Calm Method, told me:

“I’ve wasted so much money on different programs, supplements, and advice that didn’t actually help. I wish I’d just worked with someone sooner.”

Would you Google “how to fix a broken car engine” and try it yourself? No! You’d go to a mechanic.

 YOUR BODY DESERVES THAT SAME LEVEL OF EXPERT SUPPORT.

SO… WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS?

If you take one thing away from this, let it be this: you can’t just suppress perimenopause symptoms and expect them to go away.

The real solution isn’t found in a pill, a random supplement, or a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, what actually works is:

✔ Identifying and addressing the real driver behind your symptoms. Whether it’s insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, gut health, or chronic stress, understanding the root cause is the key to long-term relief.

✔ Supporting your body’s ability to adapt to perimenopause. Instead of overriding symptoms, we want to help your body adjust - so you feel better now and set yourself up for a strong, healthy future.

✔ Getting expert guidance that’s tailored to you. When you work with someone who understands how all the pieces fit together, you’ll get an efficient, effective resolution - instead of wasting time, money, and energy on trial and error.

This is exactly what I do inside my programs and 1:1 consults with my clients.

👉 PerimenoGO: a self-guided, food-first program to help your body adapt to perimenopause.
👉 Chaos to Calm Method: a high-support, in-depth program with personalised nutrition based on your blood test results and analysis.

We’re really excited to let you know that you can now also work with The Perimenopause Naturopath to create a customised perimenopause or menopause strategy for your body with the team in 1:1 sessions!

👉 BOOK 1:1 SESSIONS HERE