Navigating Menopause: Expert Tips for Natural Hormone Support

Navigating Menopause: Expert Tips for Natural Hormone Support

Many women feel confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted when menopause begins - but you’re not alone. Menopause is a natural stage of life, and with the right guidance, it can be a time of empowerment, self-care, and renewed vitality.

In celebration of Menopause Awareness Month this October, we spoke with Ilene Gardner, Naturopath and Founder of WonderWomb, about natural ways to support women’s hormone health and navigate menopause with confidence.

Menopause marks the natural decline of reproductive hormones, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. Every woman’s experience is unique, and it’s important to remember that menopause is part of a wider journey:

  • Perimenopause: The transition leading up to menopause, which can start several years before your last period. Symptoms may include irregular cycles, hot flushes, mood changes, and sleep disturbances.

  • Menopause: Defined as the point when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months. Hormone levels decline more significantly, and symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, and changes in metabolism are common.

  • Post-menopause: The years following menopause. Some symptoms may ease, but changes to hormone balance, bone health, and heart health continue to be important considerations.

To provide deeper insights into the menopause journey and natural support, we asked Ilene:

1. Which menopause myths do you hear most often, and what’s the truth?

MYTH 1: 'It’s all down-hill from here and that everything falls apart/we permanently decline.'

Truthfully this is an intended process in the body, switching the biochemistry of a woman from a reproductive nurturer to a mature wisdom-keeper with a more consistent, steady and rejuvenated energy for life. In the early phases of menopause/perimenopause, as the ovaries begin signalling to regulating glands in the brain that their egg supply is limited, certain hormones like Follicle Stimulating Hormone begin to surge to encourage the final push of the egg supply to continue the cycle. This “push” can create large surges in estrogen as a result, which is precisely why we can feel more anxious or irritable, have trouble sleeping, are more sensitive to certain foods, especially things like that wine and cheese platter, or we may experience heavier periods and clotting, changes in cycle length, more headaches and migraines and this is also why it is common for women to develop fibroids, cysts, polyps or flairs in their endometriosis/adenomyosis symptoms.

Pre-menstrual depression is also common as the ratios of hormones become more radically imbalanced. Moving through this time with grace looks like supporting these final ovulations (egg releases) with progesterone supportive therapies like ANNA’S Wild Yam Cream and estrogen detoxifying foods like mushrooms, broccoli (sprouts if possible) as well as turmeric and rosemary, minimising stress, getting enough sleep, creating great gut, liver and bowel health, minimising toxins like alcohol, plastics and other endocrine disruptors. 

As you progress closer to the final stages of menopause, you may have a period and then skip for a few months, perhaps a change/lessening in vaginal mucous, increased joint pain, dry skin, perhaps hot flushes, greater fatigue and cognition issues, you really want to support the estrogen receptors and it’s really at this point that the adrenal glands pick-up and support the creation of the sex hormones that the ovaries no longer are - which is why having healthy nervous system regulation and minimising cortisol stress hormone production is imperative - the more stressed out we are, the more symptoms we still suffer with as our adrenal glands do not have the reserves to support this hormone production.

Testing can show where you are at with this - checking on things like your cortisol and DHEA levels is a great start. We have specific herbal medicines to support adrenal health and attach to the estrogen receptor sites, giving us significant relief - naturally. Some of my favourite herbs here are wild yam, sage, hops and lavender, plus cooling herbs like zizyphus and rehmannia that also support those adrenals - these incredible plants have multiple actions to support us during this time. Vitamin D is also critical as we can actually manufacture estrogen and testosterone from this essential vitamin as well as helping to protect our bone density and regulate insulin - it’s a very powerful hormone in itself and at least half the women I consult with have average to low levels. 15 - 20 minutes of sun on the torso most days is excellent for supporting Vitamin D, but many women supplement as work and other commitments mean many of us are not getting what we need.

MYTH 2: 'Without HRT our brains will shrink forever.'

FALSE! Dr Lisa Mosconi, associate professor of Neuroscience & Director of the Womens’ Brain Institute conducted a study where they did scans on womens’ brains during this decade. None of these women were on any hormone replacement therapy (HRT/MRT).  What they found was the brain goes through an entire recalibration and there is a gradual decline in some of the white matter, which relates to functions of focus, balance and co-ordinated movement. Astonishingly though, there was a significant increase post-menopausally in grey matter in the brain which related to increased reasoning, learning and problem solving, the storing and retrieving of memories, experiencing and processing emotions, speech and decision making as well as sensory perception like seeing and hearing and movement. What a wonderful natural progression our body moves through - this is not a process to be delayed or avoided, it’s perfect by design, but also explains why some of us may struggle with a high workload during this time - which I must say is often more tied to lack of progesterone and sub-optimal functioning thyroid.

MYTH 3: 'Not until you are riddled with hot flushes or have stopped menstruating for over a year do you “qualify” for support.'

This is the standard in todays’ “modern medicine”.  Many women are being offered the oral contraceptive pill or anti-depressants, anti-anxiety or sleeping tablets until they qualify for HRT. When in fact, this is a decade to embrace - be kind to ourselves, maybe work a little less and play a little more, get sunshine, go for walks and connect with other women, use your ANNA’S Wild Yam Cream and select herbs and nutrients that support those key areas you know you need - whether it’s stress or blood sugar or more progesterone, or detoxification and prioritise sleep. Remove the toxins from your life - whether it’s household cleaning products, skincare, excessive alcohol, processed food, or even toxic people!

MYTH 4: 'The only answer is synthetic hormone therapy.' 

Basically the sooner you get support, the less you will need (ie early peri-menopause – mid 30s to early 40s) – and you can do this naturally. If you still need a step-up in support, advocate for yourself and find a Dr who will prescribe bio-identical hormone therapy and avoid synthetic.

Looking through a lens that this is purely a reproductive sex hormone issue Your entire hormone/endocrine system involves your ovaries, thyroid, pancreas, liver, gut, pituitary, hypothalamus and adrenal glands - which is precisely why the natural, lifestyle, nutritional and holistic approach is essential - even if you put hormones in you have not addressed many systems that created these symptoms in the first place.

MYTH 5: 'There’s no point in testing hormones because of how much they change.'

Absolutely false. This is what allows us to shine a light on which systems/hormones are really driving the scene for you - maybe it’s excess testosterone and estrogen or low DHEAs i.e. adrenal fatigue - it provides real insights into how to target your herbs/nutrients, diet and lifestyle and potentially hormone support. For some women it will highlight that progesterone support and detoxification protocols will restore balance. Saliva or urine testing is best practice, especially tests that provide the ratios of the hormones as your hormone levels can be “within range and everything is normal” but the ratios haven’t been calculated and this is in fact why we get symptoms.

2. Which natural remedies really work to ease symptoms at different stages, and how should women use them?

ANNA’S Wild Yam Cream is my favourite place to start and is a wonderful baseline balancing formula. In the early peri-menopause years, focus on supporting progesterone with your diet (progesterone supportive foods), minimising stress, ANNA’S Magnesium Bedtime Lotion is wonderful for sleep but also magnesium is necessary for progesterone production - as are B vitamins and Zinc. Estrogen detox and good gut health will make a big difference. Then as we progress further and things like the painful joints, less vaginal lubrication and perhaps hot flushes begin, the herbs I mentioned above are wonderful plus maca, flaxseeds and soy (like tempeh). Extracts of Turkish Rhubarb or Black Cohosh are game-changers for some. I also find 3mg of Boron can be a wonderful relief for inflamed joints which also has a hormonally supportive effect too. If your drive, emotional resilience and libido have taken a vacation, herbs like Shatavari, Tribulus, Tongkat Ali and Damiana might be for you. Acupuncture and Homeopathy should also be considered.

3. How can small changes in lifestyle and diet make a big difference for hormone balance?  

I don’t want to sound like I’m over-simplifying it, but so many of us are still far from it - a spray-free, whole foods diet that includes 3 steady meals a day is the platform to work from. That means each meal contains salad or veg (1/2 the plate), protein (the size and thickness of the palm of your hand) and some healthy fat like avocado, nuts and seeds, olives plus whole food carbohydrates depending on your goals. Taking 10ml of apple cider vinegar before a meal and eating the salad and veg first, then the protein and fat and lastly the carbohydrate e.g. potato, will massively reduce the blood sugar spike - even though it’s the same plate of food. A good serve of mushrooms at least 3 x per week for gut and estrogen detox is powerful for uterine and breast health.

Dry skin brushing and self-lymphatic massage will improve your detox pathways and overall health to no-end, as does jumping on a trampoline or skipping.  

Walking, stretching, yoga are best practice if you are adrenally fatigued, and if you are feeling balanced and strong then stepping up the resistance exercise from swimming to more weight bearing is good medicine.

This basic food and lifestyle prescription once integrated into your daily routine covers the whole endocrine system - which is why it’s so powerful and for some women is enough without further intervention. Yes it takes time, which is more precious than ever, yet when clients are faced with a serious health challenge, they would give anything to go back and have that opportunity to make those adjustments to prevent it - this is preventative medicine, investing in our future. Some of my most severe cases of peri-menopause with layers of endometriosis and or fibroids have achieved symptom relief within a matter of months on this program.

4. What practical advice would you give women feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed during any stage of menopause?

Implement the foundations suggested above. Talk to your friends about it and create a health care network where you feel heard, respected and understood. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and listen to your gut - if you feel like something isn’t right or that it may be linked to your hormones, keep going until you find someone who will really explore that with you and provide a holistic care plan.

5. What’s one empowering tip or message you’d share with women navigating the menopause journey?

It’s a time for radical self-acceptance and permission to change. There is loss but there is also massive gain. It's never too late for self-love and self-care and that as our reproductive years wind-up and that woman who was bio-chemically primed to nurture and give all to others we shift into a wisdom-filled, treasure chest of love and awareness of our own needs and interests. This is a time of reflection - to let go of what’s not serving us anymore and move into a new and exciting rhythm of life.

By understanding the changes your body is going through during perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, and embracing natural, holistic support, you can navigate this stage with confidence, energy, and empowerment.

We are so grateful to Ilene from WonderWomb for sharing her knowledge and inspiring women to approach the menopause journey with clarity, confidence, and care.

Take control of your hormone health today:

“Many women come to me feeling exhausted or frustrated by their symptoms. With the right guidance, we help them regain energy, balance, and confidence,” Ilene Gardner

 

Disclaimer: This article contains general health information. It is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personalised medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, diet, or treatment plan.

Back to blog