My friend, when estrogen starts to decrease, and inflammation starts to increase in your 30s and 40s, it can lead to a ton of health issues like weight gain, digestive problems, anxiety, and fatigue. Sound familiar? Confused about why it’s happening now? This episode is for you! If you're still having periods, even irregular ones, your symptoms aren't actually due to menopause. And from my years of experience (and the research to back it), I know that understanding and managing perimenopause, the transition stage before menopause, is crucial for your overall health and well-being. 

Today, I talk about the connection between estrogen and inflammation, the differences between perimenopause and menopause, and 3 key things to know about perimenopause. Plus, you'll hear my top practical steps to manage inflammation, like diet changes, stress management, and strength training, so you can get ahead before it's too late! 

Want FREE access to my brand new four-week strength training plan, Strength Without Stress? Head over to hollyperkins.com/review where you can upload a screenshot of your review and gain immediate access. This is a limited-time offer before it sells for $197, so be sure to grab it now!

Topics Covered:

• The reasons I’m so passionate about perimenopause 
• How your estrogen and inflammation changes in this stage
• Why you need to pay attention to changes in your body 
• Strategies for addressing inflammation before it becomes unmanageable 
• 3 ways to reduce stress 

Resources Mentioned:

• Listen to the first 36 episodes of Holly Perkins Health Podcast HERE
• Listen to Episode 3: When Your Workout Isn't Working HERE
• See the research on women’s knowledge and attitudes to the menopause HERE
• See the book The End of Alzheimer's HERE
• See the research on Perimenopause: From Research to Practice HERE
• See the research on the cognitive decline in early and premature menopause HERE
• Transcripts can be found on the official blog page for this episode at hollyperkins.com/blog

Follow Me: 

Find me on Instagram: @hollyperkins

Learn more on my website: hollyperkins.com

Connect with me on Facebook: facebook.com/HollyPerkinsFitness/

Disclaimer: Content and information as part of The Holly Perkins Health Podcast is for general interest, education, and entertainment purposes only. The use of information on this podcast or materials or products linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

How surprised would you be if you've learned that declining estrogen is the root cause of most health issues in your 30s and 40s. If you were to address the inflammation that comes with that decline, you could reduce or eliminate the symptoms that are impacting your life. So keep listening. Hello, and welcome to a brand new episode. I am so glad that you're here. Truly, this episode is very special and touches upon one of the basic tenants in my practice, this core foundational principle is more relevant than ever, because so many women in their late 30s and 40s are suffering. Some of those women mistakenly blame menopause, although all shed some light here because it's not actually menopause. And some of those women have no idea what's causing their health struggles, even though their life is very seriously being impacted by their symptoms. If you're over 35, but not yet fully menopausal, and struggling with health issues, or frustrating body changes in general, and you believe menopause is to blame. This one is so for you. Because the research and my experience shows that this is when estrogen begins to decline for many women, and that decline causes an increase in inflammation. And inflammation is a big problem. If you're struggling with weight gain, or increased belly fat, or even the inability to lose weight like you used to. If you're struggling with digestive issues like bloating, or irregularity, anxiety, depression, or a general sense of imbalance or overwhelm. If you're struggling with fatigue that is new or different than the standard fare, or allergies, you might find that this episode is illuminating and helpful, because it could provide some answers to the otherwise confusing and mysterious health issues that you're struggling with.

In this episode, you'll learn why perimenopause is the topic that we should be talking about how estrogen and inflammation are linked, the symptoms and health issues that you should be watching out for, and three specific things that you need to know about this critical life stage. I believe there's a lot of misunderstanding around what's happening to women in this life stage. And if you're young enough, the idea of menopause might be far from your mind, and rightfully so. And if you're around the age of 50, there's a good chance that you're confused by the onslaught of issues that are coming up, seemingly out of nowhere. I'm so thankful that menopause is getting talked about a lot more these days. Shout out to Mary Claire Haber. But if you're still menstruating at all, even if it's irregular, your issues aren't actually menopause. Your issues are related to a change in hormones, that leads to inflammation. perimenopause is what we should be talking about. And perimenopause is the new menopause. My goal is to spread this message far and wide. So please share this episode with all of your girlfriend's sisters and co workers because this episode will help you realize that inflammation could be the underlying problem to all of life's struggles. Not really, but a lot of your health struggles. And there are some really powerful things that you can do to feel better.

This happens to be territory that I know very well around the age of 44 I was walled up with a collection of debilitating health issues that honestly nearly took me out. At the time I was in peak shape. I was the example of optimal health. Unbeknownst to me, I was being exposed to toxic mold in my apartment. And if you don't know there are few things more disrupting in life to your health than toxic mold. It is very dangerous, and it is very problematic for some people. I'm one of those people. The toxic mold literally destroyed my immune system. and therefore exacerbated my life stage related change in hormones. The combination of inflammation from declining estrogen was compounded by inflammation coming from the mold exposure. And it caused some very serious issues for me. Now, I had no idea that either was happening at the time, all I knew was that I was the picture of healthy habits, and excellent body composition. And yet my world was crumbling. And I didn't know why. It was a complete mystery. And it took numerous doctors several years and 1000s and 1000s of dollars to figure it out. Because every time I walked into a doctor's office, I looked like the picture of health, I now know that the root cause was inflammation from declining estrogen. And therefore I had to address all the things impacting my hormones, like the mold, so that I could reduce that inflammation and preserve my estrogen. Now listen, I know that there are people out there that love to belabor the details and the trauma and the tragedy of their struggles. There are people out there who build their entire platform on their personal life struggles. And that's not me. I actually hate talking about this. But please know that this stretch of my life nearly killed me. And it was a radical departure from the life that I knew. And therefore, I'm committed to helping other women identify the symptoms caused by this life stage, which is ultimately declining or changing estrogen. And while you may not also be dealing with toxic mold, symptoms from hormonal change can also be debilitating.

An interesting survey was conducted out of University College London and published in BMC, women's health and 2023. The results showed that quote, most women were completely uninformed or only had some knowledge of menopause. before the age of 40. Most women thought that the menopause should be taught at school, and over 80% had received no menopause education at school themselves. perimenopausal women are significantly more likely than postmenopausal women to use online sources for menopause information and quote and a 2023 review in the International Journal of molecular sciences states that quote, studies suggest that female sex hormones have long lasting neuro protective and anti aging properties. estrogens seem to prevent cognitive disorders arising from a cholinergic deficit in women and female animals in middle age premature menopause, that affects the central nervous system directly and indirectly, both transiently and in the long term leads to cognitive impairment and even dementia, mainly due to the decrease in estrogen levels and comorbidity with cardiovascular risk factors, autoimmune diseases, and aging and quote, even the research tends to lump the entire conversation under the umbrella of menopause. So no wonder so many of us are confused. But to be clear, menopause is an event. It's the 13th month after the absence of menstruation. You are only in menopause. Once you've stopped menstruating for a full 12 months. perimenopause is the terrible stage before that event, and it can last as long as 14 years for some women. From this perspective, the entire life stage can be referred to as the menopausal transition. But true menopause is actually very different from perimenopause. And it's important to understand the difference because treatment requires different actions. Menopause gets a lot of attention, but perimenopause is your opportunity to address your symptoms and protect your future health before it's too late.

There are three things to know number one, if you're over 35 and still menstruating to any degree If you're in or approaching perimenopause, your estrogen is beginning to change. And this causes inflammation. A big mistake I see is not realizing, being aware of or accepting that you're in this life stage. Even at 44. I refused to accept that I was in perimenopause, and I rolled my eyes when my doctor mentioned it. The truth was, I was terrified of menopause, and I was desperate to stay young. But just because you're 38, or 42, and possibly 10 years from full menopause, it doesn't mean that your estrogen isn't changing. In my practice with clients, I see this all the time, women come to me because they want to become lean and fit and healthy. And then as we navigate the obstacles in that journey, I have to look at their levels of inflammation because inflammation directly impacts muscle, it destroys it, and it makes it harder to build inflammation, disrupts blood sugar regulation, causing hunger, food cravings, and a preoccupation with food in general. Inflammation is directly linked and in my opinion, the cause of depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Inflammation creates aches and pains of the joints and muscles and is related to fibromyalgia. And the book, the end of Alzheimer's states that quote, persistent systemic inflammation is implicated as the root of practically all known chronic health conditions, including everything from rheumatoid arthritis, and high cholesterol to dementia and cancer and quote, and as your estrogen declines, you can assume that your total level of systemic inflammation, aka silent inflammation is also rising. If you want to hear even more from me about inflammation, be sure to listen to episode three of the holly Perkins health podcast. Up next, you'll get my take on your strange, mysterious and out of nowhere health issues. But first,

if you're in the age window between 35 ish and early 50s, and have developed weird or annoying symptoms that don't make any sense, my friend, I got you. The second thing to know is to please keep your eyes wide open to anything about your body or your health. That is new, especially if it seems subtle, mysterious, or even minor at this time. Something I hear all the time is I've always been able to work out hard, but lately, it seems to cause me more harm than good. Or, I've always loved to eat eggs. But now they seem to give me gas. Why would eggs start bothering me now all of a sudden? Hint, it's not all of a sudden, it's been brewing for 30 some years. And one more that I hear all the time is in the past, I could clean up my diet and work out a bit more and lose weight. Now it won't come off no matter what I do. These are all signs that your biology is changing. And a big mistake is to shrug it off or dismiss it as you being crazy. You are not crazy, you are not imagining things. Instead, your body is changing. Please don't overlook health issues. Even if they seem weird, mysterious or bothersome in any way. And if they're bad impacting your life, you may even wonder if you're losing your mind. As I mentioned in the research above, a decline in estrogen has a profound effect on your brain. Other symptoms to watch for are allergies, bloating, anxiety and depression a general feeling of confusion or existentialism if you find yourself saying WTF more than usual, this could be you I know it was me. It could also be deep fatigue, especially around your workouts, feeling weak in your normally powerful strength sessions. It can be a cycle of being on and feeling motivated about your health initiative for a few weeks, and then crashing and burning and starting the cycle over. If you're struggling with anything along these lines, that, like I said, is just new or weird. You want to pay attention, do some research and get some help. I realize that you might feel like your body is changing during the stage and that there's nothing that you can do about it. And that's a really empowering thought, hmm. But the truth is, there are things that you can do to address your issues, and you must, before they become truly life threatening.

And this is the third thing to know. These slow build subtle chronic health issues are the whisper that silent systemic inflammation is creeping up. If you don't address them now, they will continue and quite possibly become worse. And in the worst case scenario, these things can lead to truly life threatening issues, like cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other metabolic disorders like diabetes. Take action now to address inflammation by reducing any contributors and training your body for a higher tolerance, and ability to manage inflammation, you can teach your body to manage it better. This means number one, use strength training to improve your lean muscle mass, because it improves your body's inflammation management system. I talk about this in a number of my earlier episodes. So please make sure that you go back and listen to the first 10 episodes of this podcast. Because this is yet another reason why I teach women how to strength train, right? Because it's not just a vehicle for looking good or being fit. It is literally a life saving practice. Number two, revise your diet. The foods that used to work for you might now be disrupting your gut ecology and causing blood level inflammatory markers, the foods that I see the most problematic, and I see this through blood level IgG testing our eggs, especially egg whites, I know don't shoot the messenger eggs are a favorite of mine as well. And they are all over social media because they are a great source of protein and healthy fats. And here's my prediction. In about three to five years, it's going to be revealed the eggs are highly inflammatory. Number two dairy, especially whey and casein powders. Now to me, this does apply to all dairy, especially cheese. But in my community, I'm seeing a lot of whey protein powders and casein protein powders, which again, don't shoot the messenger. I love them too. I'm just reporting what I'm seeing in both my practice as well as the research. Number three, wheat, I know. And it's a sneaky one, because it's pretty much in everything, even salad dressings, and for corn. And in bad cases where people are really struggling with something that looks like an autoimmune response, grains in general. And so this could include oats another beloved, it could include things like rice and brown rice grains, in general, can be inflammatory. It's the sounds like you reduce the frequency of these food items or depending on your personality, you can remove one or all of them altogether. Now, that was my personality. Once I learned that something was impacting my health. There was a line in the sand and I was done with it. And so once I finally got diagnosed, I completely eliminated everything. And it was revolutionary. I mean, within about three weeks, my debilitating allergies were gone. I released 13 to 15 pounds of inflammation and fat. Overnight, my energy changed my depression lifted my anxiety went away. I know it sounds too good to be true. But you also have to understand that I was strict. I was literally eating clean proteins, vegetables, a little bit of fruit, and some sweet potatoes. And that was about it 24/7. So it was extreme, but it worked. Depending on your personality, you don't have to be extreme, just cut back the frequency and or volume of some of these foods that I have found to be the most problematic.

And number three, address your stress, that should be my new tagline. stress causes inflammation. And inflammation causes stress, it is a terrible feedback loop. And way worse for you than you may realize, I've noticed a tendency among women, especially moms, who dismiss their stress and downplay it, they just dismiss it. And there's a pretty good chance that you've got more stress in your life than you realize or you're willing to admit. Also, keep in mind that there are three different kinds of stress, environmental, emotional, and physical, environmental are things in your environment, that are impacting your health that you're being exposed to, this could be chemicals, it could be toxins in the environment, air pollution, mold, if you have that in your house, and too much mold in the foods that you're eating. Emotional is obviously what it is emotional stress, whatever that looks like for you. It's a disruption in how you're relating to the world around you. And physical is things like workouts that are too hard or too lengthy or too frequent. It could be extreme heat or humidity, it could be dehydration, lack of sleep, those are physical sources of stress.

Here are three things that you can try to reduce stress, number one, reduce the sources of stress, if you can, what are the things causing you stress that aren't worth it? Can you eliminate those? Number two, if you can't eliminate your source of stress, you've got to change how you're relating to it. Can you reframe the situation in a new light so that it isn't as burdening and number three? Can you use practices to neutralize the stress in your life, this is powerful. And most of the time, this is what I end up relying on because admittedly, I'm not so good at necessarily being aware of how much stress is in my life, that's my personality, I tend to charge through and just show up and push through. And so I'll get the feedback that my stress is high. And so I will use meditation, yoga, positive mental attitude, mantras, prayer. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of my hands down favorite that I am using all day, every day, infrared sauna use two or three times per week, and even maybe a cold plunge. These are all simple things that you can add into your life to neutralize the stress that's there. Listen, you don't have to suffer. Truly, the first step is awareness. And if you're still listening, and you're here with me, now you can consider yourself now informed and aware. The second step is to do something about it. And there's so much that you can do. You have way more influence over the events in your life than you realize. And you have infinite influence over how you react to those events in your life. Don't underestimate your ability to address and tackle hard things. You can do hard things, my friend, and your health is worth it. And if someone ever dismisses your complaints, come on over to my table. You can always sit with me. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Do you have a question for me? If so, come on over to Holly perkins.com forward slash ask Holly all one word and send it to me. From time to time I'll be answering your questions right here on the podcast. Once again, you can submit your question to me over at Holly perkins.com forward slash ask Holly and stay tuned for another a brand new fabulous Episode on Tuesday of next week stay strong my friend