Is Your Gut Wrecking Your Hormones? The Perimenopause Connection No-One Is Talking About
If you've been trying to fix your hormones and getting nowhere, this episode might completely change how you look at your body.
Because here's the thing: everyone's focused on hormones. But your gut is the one running the show.
Your gut microbiome produces neurotransmitters, metabolises your oestrogen, regulates your blood sugar, and determines how well you absorb every nutrient you eat. When it breaks down and in perimenopause, it often does, everything suffers. The bloating, the brain fog, the exhaustion, the mood swings, the weight that won't shift. All of it.
In this deep-dive episode, Kylie breaks down the gut-hormone connection in a way that will make everything finally make sense.
The Hormone Code
Tailored program for high achieving women to regain your energy and focus, conquer mood swings, lose unwanted weight and rebuild your confidence, knowing how to work with your changing hormones.
All without sacrificing your quality of life.
Let’s rewrite the narrative on perimenopause and menopause and do it differently.
This is an incredible time to course-correct your life so let’s start with resetting your menopause symptoms.
The Hormone Reset
Who says you have to feel tired all the time? Let’s change that!
The Hormone Reset is designed to reboot your system so you have more energy, feel less bloated, sleep better and kick those pesky cravings.
The Hormone Reset has no calorie counting, no expensive meal replacements and no crazy “detox in a box” that leaves you on the loo!
Simply fresh whole foods designed to support what your body does naturally.
Transcript
Hello, hello. Okay, you might want to grab a cup of tea for this one. It's a proper deep dive, and I promise it's worth it. Now, fingers crossed the audio is okay. For whatever reason, my microphone is not working today, and I do not have the hormonal brain space to figure that out. So anyway, I figure it's better to get it done without overthinking it and getting it perfect.
So grab that cup of tea. Now, I want to start with a question. So how much time have you spent trying to figure out your hormones? So the supplements, the blood tests, the 3:00 AM Googling. Now, how much time have you spent thinking about your gut? Because here is what I've come to believe after years of working with women who are in this beautiful perimenopause-menopause space.
Most of us are trying [00:01:00] to fix the wrong thing first. So your gut, and you know, we've talked about gut health for, for a long time now, but your gut isn't just about digestion. It is literally running your hormones. And when it's not working properly, nothing else works properly either. So today, we are going deep.
We are going gut microbiome, we're going stomach acid, we're going bloating, we're going constipation, we're going hydration, food basics, all of it. Okay, let's go.
So the gut... So let's start with the gut-hormone kind of connection and why this changes everything. So your gut microbiome contains what we call the estrobiome.
So it's a specific collection of bacteria that's responsible for metabolizing and recirculating estrogen through your body. So when this microbiome is healthy, estrogen is processed and it's cleared [00:02:00] properly. So when your microbiome is not so healthy, it's disrupted. So estrogen either starts to build up or it gets cleared too fast, and both cause problems.
So when we're in the earlier stages of perimenopause, and we've got these peaking and troughing, like these high and low levels of estrogen, it's recycling that extra estrogen and when it's clearing it out too fast, that's usually when we're low estrogen, and we wanna hang on to that.
So, when we are going through perimenopause, a struggling gut makes, the hormonal chaos so much worse. And if we think about why our gut matters, so this is where all of our neurotransmitters are made, there's a lot of research into the link between your gut microbiome and your mental health.
So 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut, and serotonin is our, kind of our happy hormone, so this helps regulate our [00:03:00] mood, anxiety, our sleep quality. It's all influenced here. And the gut microbiome directly also influences our insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation. So it's partly what we eat, but it's also about what our gut does with it once we've eaten.
So when I talk to women and they come to me and sort of saying, their hormones are all over the place, their moods are going on all over the place, one thing w- where we always start is what is your gut doing? Like how's your bloating? How's your constipation? How often are you going to the toilet?
That sort of stuff. So we'll, we'll dive into that a little bit in- down the track. So your healthy gut. So what's actually going on here? So a healthy gut has thousands of species of bacteria. Good things and bad things. And what the goal is of a healthy gut and these good [00:04:00] microbia that are in our gut, the goal is diversity, so not just the quantity.
So this is why, you know, a probiotic is not always my first go-to. So women who've worked with me know that I'm all about feeding the good gut bacteria, starving the bad guys, so we get a better balance. And then, if we need to, we can look at topping up with a probiotic.
So our bad guys are our pathogenic bacteria.
It's yeast overgrowth. So this is all the candida, it's dysbiosis. So this is what, what this actually means. And what our bad guys do is they wreck the biome. You know, they wreck that microbiome. So that change in estrogen, that decline in estrogen itself changes the gut environment.
And then you throw on top, like, years of stress, antibiotics, alcohol, caffeine, processed food, uh, under-eating, skipping meals. And [00:05:00] signs that your microbiome's struggling. So this is where we get bloating is a really common one in, you know, our 40s and 50s. Irregular bowel movements. So we want to be going to the toilet every day.
If you're not going every day, that's a big red flag. If you have skin issues, so this could be acne breakouts, it could be hives, it could be rosacea, rashes, you know, anything weird going on with your skin. Frequent infections, so, always getting a cold or always coming down with something. Being slow to heal. Sugar cravings is a massive one. Brain fog, most definitely, and mood instability, so that up and down mood swings.
Now, the good news is your microbiome is really responsive, so it can shift really meaningfully in a couple of weeks with some dietary changes. So we don't need anything- wacky.
We just need to have a look at what food we're eating. [00:06:00] So what feeds our good gut bacteria is the diversity of plant foods that we give it. It's a big mix of fermented foods. It's the prebiotic fiber. So, rather than just eat yogurt, are we eating lots of different colors of foods, lots of different textures of foods?
Are we having, not just yogurt, but are we having some sauerkraut or some kimchi? Sourdough is an example of a fermented food. Kombucha in, you know, the right types or the right forms can be helpful as well. So, those prebiotic fibers, so good kind of veggies and good examples of prebiotic fibers are things like sweet potato, leeks, garlic, those kind of foods.
And, when you think about it, they're quite different to each other, so different textures, different colors. And one of the most disruptive thing for your gut microbiome [00:07:00] is alcohol, sadly. For a lot of women wine is their coping strategy because there's life going on.
There's a whole bunch of stuff. And there's no kind of judgment here, but I'm just giving you the facts. So your body has to go into kind of overdrive to break down that alcohol first. So it stops doing what it needs to, and alcohol doesn't help those. It doesn't contribute to your gut wellbeing by any means.
So where do we wanna start? So where I start with my clients is hydration, which is the thing, it's most obvious and everything overlooks. I actually find it easier to convince women- to buy $200 worth of supplements than it is to convince her to drink more water. You know we buy into the supplements because we think that they're... that's what we need. But water goes a long way. It really [00:08:00] does. Particularly, good, filtered, clean drinking water. So are you drinking enough? Most women aren't, and dehydration just makes all of our gut symptoms worse. If we think about it as like a big, uh, hose, so it just helps wash everything through.
Now how much water? How much is enough? It's not a one-size-fits-all number. Definitely depends on your activity level, uh the climate. So it's getting colder in Australia right now, which makes it harder. And we drink less water in winter naturally without realizing. So what we wanna do is make sure that we are.
So whether that is, comes in the form of warm or hot herbal teas or iced water with sliced fruit in it in summer. It doesn't matter what form that water comes in. Wine does not count as water. Coffee does not count as water. But your herbal teas and plain water 100%.[00:09:00]
So what dehydration does to your gut is it slows down that motility, so things moving through. It thickens that mucus lining, and it reduces the production of your digestive enzymes, which all help break down your food. So if that's not happening, this makes constipation worse. Going back to, circling back to coffee and alcohol. For every coffee you have or every glass of wine you have, you need extra water to compensate for that.
So a good tip is start every day with a big glass of water. So big glass of water first thing out of bed. Can be a herbal tea, can have lemon juice in it, can have ginger in it, can have all sorts of things in it. Broths count as hydrating. So, your bone broths certainly are really good.
And if you're active or sweat a lot or live in a warm climate, 100% I would be thinking about adding in some electrolytes to that just to keep that electrolyte balance here, [00:10:00] 'cause we do lose salts when we sweat. So yeah. I know, I don't wanna be preachy here, so you know, this is one of the biggest things that you can actually, and the most simple thing that you can actually do.
So now let's have a look at bloating and why it gets worse in perimenopause, and also, you know, women who are in menopause, this can be a really common thing as well, and let's have a look at what we can do.
It's not random. So as our estrogen and progesterone levels decline, our stomach acids production decreases, so this is a direct hormonal effect that we don't really think about. And we're not talking about enough. So our production of digestive enzymes also slows. So this means that our food sits longer in our digestive tract, and it ferments in the gut and produces gas.
Now, naturally as we age, we produce less stomach acid, so this means [00:11:00] that, again, our nutrients from our food aren't properly being broken down and absorbed. So even if you're eating really well, you might not be getting the benefit. So signs of low stomach acid could be bloating shortly after eating, feeling really full very quickly, undigested food in your stool, which is quite common.
Uh, it's easy to have a little peek and that includes corn. Uh, reflux. So counterintuitively, reflux is often caused by too little stomach acid, not enough. So this is why a lot of women, have that burping. And medically, if you go in and see your doctor with reflux, they'll put you on something like a protein pump inhibitor, which will suppress the production of stomach acid, which actually then makes it worse.
So it will fix the symptom, but it's not addressing the cause. So the cause is we wanna produce more [00:12:00] so things are breaking down the food and acting the way they should be. So ways to address bloating, And reflux and things like that is, you know, bitter foods stimulate our stomach acid production and our digestive enzyme production naturally.
So this is ancient evidence-based approach. So practical examples are things like rocket in salad, radicchio, that beautiful bitter, red-y, purple-y salad leaf, endive, dandelion leaves, fresh ginger, garlic, apple cider vinegar. We don't have to drink it. We don't have to go crazy. But just drizzled on salads is a really easy way to consume apple cider vinegar. If you have a small amount diluted in water before meals that can help because, that bitter sort of apple cider vinegar... And please always dilute it in water, don't have it straight, it hits our stomach, [00:13:00] and our stomach recognizes that bitterness, and it then stimulates that production of stomach acid and those digestive enzymes naturally. So same mechanism for lemon juice on food or in water. So it's a similar kind of process, and what I would suggest here is, have that and then have a glass of water.
Because we do know that vinegar, lemon juice, things like that can take, can erode the enamel on your teeth. So we don't want that. So just rinsing your mouth out with water afterwards can really help. And lemon juice is a bit easier to stomach for a lot of women than apple cider vinegar.
Certainly digestive enzymes as a supplement, they're definitely worth considering. Chewing properly and slowing down. So this isn't very sexy, but by taking a mouthful of food, putting your knife and fork down, chewing your food, and not picking up your knife and fork again until your next mouthful, this can really help.
And just that [00:14:00] slowing down, being mindful, tasting your food, enjoying your food. The other one which I hear people say, "Oh, have a big glass of water with your meal." Now this is actually what I don't want you to do. I would rather you have water, say, 30 minutes before or after your meal rather than with your meal.
Because what this does is it dilutes our stomach acid further, so it makes it even harder for that food to digest. So yeah. So this is really simple stuff, and it works really quickly. And you'll notice a difference just within a couple of days by taking these, these steps.
Okay, now we're gonna get on to the really sexy stuff.
So let's talk about constipation. Okay. This is one of the most common things I see ever. And it matters, like, beyond kind of not feeling very comfortable. So estrogen is supposed [00:15:00] to... And not just estrogen, but all of our... Everything that our body doesn't need, it's our garbage disposal. So it's meant to exit via the bowel.
So estrogen is one of those things. It gets broken down in our liver, it goes through our digestive system, we poop it out, gone. But when transit is slow, estrogen and also all the other nasties we are trying to get rid of are reabsorbed back into your body. And this is the and I'm talking specifically estrogen here.
Recirculating estrogen is what can drive symptoms like breast tenderness, bloating, mood swings, particularly in early perimenopause, and we're looking at, you know, the sort of estrogen dominance. This is a really big one. So we want to be pooping at the very least once a day, ideally two or three times a day.
And what a healthy poo looks like is we sit on the toilet, [00:16:00] we poo, we wipe, the toilet paper comes out relatively clean, and we are done. It shouldn't be overly smelly. It shouldn't be explosive. It shouldn't be hard to pass or anything like that. So it should just be one and done.
So yeah. So- If you need support, I would highly recommend looking at something like, oh gosh, there's so many foods. But I would s- start with something like a partially hydrolyzed guar gum. This is particularly effective and also it's very low reactive. So anyone with kind of FODMAP issues or any kind of food sensitivities, this is usually a good one, and it just helps.
It feeds that good gut bugs, those good gut bugs, and it just helps everything move through so you feel more comfortable, and we're reestablishing a healthy environment [00:17:00] for your good gut bugs to live. So if you would like I have a beautiful product which I can prescribe for all my Aussie and Kiwi listeners.
Shoot me an email or shoot me a DM and I'll set you up because seriously, this can be life-changing. So, just what causes this constipation can also be, again, this life stage, so that declining estrogens, naturally slowing your gut motility, being dehydrated, not eating enough fiber, stress, having thyroid issues can certainly impact your body.
Certain supplements, some nasty forms of iron supplements and calcium supplements. If you are needing to take those, again, I have some really gut-friendly options for you. So let me know. I'd rather put you on the good stuff. So if you are definitely feeling constipated, your hormones are all over the place, these two [00:18:00] things are connected. It means your bowels aren't clearing your hormones properly.
Okay, so there's a lot of stuff going on. So what do we, what do we fix first, okay? So if this is resonating with you and you're going, "Yep," I want you to start with hydration. Genuinely, just start here. A large glass of water with, say, lemon first thing in the morning is one of the most effective things for bowel motility.
The second one is fiber. Like, it- everyone's talking about protein at the moment, but seriously, we want more fiber in your diet. And this is soluble fiber, so this looks like oats, chia seeds, always soak them. Flaxseeds are awesome. Legumes. These all draw water into the bowel and soften the stool.
Then your insoluble fibers, which is your veggies and your whole grain, adds bulk, and it, it's kind of like helps move [00:19:00] things along. So fiber is like a broom for your bum and a feast for your good gut bacteria. So you need both.
The next one is... Or the next thing to try is movement. Move your body. So even a 10-minute walk after meals can help stimulate that gut motility.
Magnesium can help. So a magnesium glycinate or a magnesium citrate at night. You got the double whammy of, you know, it does help support your nervous system and your... help you nod off and go to sleep. But it's also gentle and effective. And look, let's face it, we could all do with some magnesium regardless.
Look at, what in your life might be slowing things down. So this could be stress, it could be certain medications, not enough fat in your diet. Are you getting enough olive oil drizzled on your salad or drizzled on your veggies?
Are you [00:20:00] getting enough oily fish? So are you having salmon a couple of times a week? Are you having avocado, nuts, seeds, all of those good things? So fat helps stimulate bile, which again helps move the bowel. So if you are going every two or three days, think that's normal, it's not. Daily at the very least is your goal. So your hormones need you to clear things out.
Okie dokes. So what should we be eating? So this is where eating for optimal health shifts from when we are in perimenopause. So when we're cycling, our needs change. It's not completely different, but there are a few, a few... I guess let's call them upgrades that really matter now. So protein. Protein is non-negotiable. So this is, when it comes to our gut, important for, uh, like repairing that gut lining. It's important for our [00:21:00] neurotransmitter production, so our happy hormones. It's important for muscle maintenance, and muscle loss accelerates in menopause.
And it- protein's essential for our blood sugar stability. So we want protein at every meal, including breakfast. So if we can get it in at breakfast, if we can get protein in at lunch, and we're talking a palm size, and a palm size at dinner, we are gonna hit our protein needs. We do not need to eat buckets of cottage cheese, I promise.
So fiber, most of us, most women are getting about half of what they need. So we want... If you think about a diversity of sources, not just one type. We wanna have a look at fermented foods, so getting some kefir, some natural yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso. So these all contain live cultures that actively add to the microbiome.
So these are your probiotics. So I highly recommend starting [00:22:00] small if you're sensitive to it. Then we want some anti-inflammatory foods. So fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, colorful veggies, berries. Real food focused, not a supplement dependency, okay? Nothing replaces real foods. We wanna have a look at nutrient density over calorie counting.
So absorption of nutrients matters more than quantity right now. So a nutrient-poor diet eaten in large amounts is still a nutrient-poor diet. So let's focus on what is in the food we're eating. Creatine is getting a lot of attention for women right now. There's a lot of studies coming out to say, uh, five grams...
Five grams? Milligrams, grams. Grams or milligrams, can't remember. Uh, anyway, generally it comes with a scoop, so one scoop. Just to be on the safe side. [00:23:00] Creatine helps support muscle mass. It plays a huge role in cognitive function, so anyone with brain fog, creatine can be really helpful. It helps support your energy.
And I thought this was worth mentioning as an option. Definitely this is one where we would want to look at supplementing. Another one is calcium and vitamin D right now. So our bone health is non-negotiable. So once we start losing bone, it's really hard to get that back. So we wanna make sure that we are looking at good food sources, but also supplementation might make sense, and that's okay.
Omega-3s is our oily fishes. Anti-inflammatory. It supports gut lining integrity, brain health, joint health. We want to limit ultra-processed foods, excess alcohol, excess sugar, artificial sweeteners. So basically packaged food and refined seed oils. [00:24:00] So, things like our processed vegetable oils, safflower oils. All of those sort of things. Just stick with olive oil, avocado oil. It's... They're beautiful. Macadamia nut oil. Like also remember, like we're not asking you to be perfect. We just want you to be consistent. So small food upgrades done regularly, genuinely move the needle.
So, you know, there's a lot going on, and this has been a, a big episode, I know. But, I see a lot of women who come, you know, they're bloated, they're constipated, exhausted, foggy. They're doing Pilates. They're walking the dog. They're eating reasonably well. But then, when we dig into it, they're skipping breakfast. They're having two coffees before eating anything. They're barely drinking any water. They're having a glass of wine most nights just to wind down. And her gut is running on empty. Her hormones are paying the price. And the fixes [00:25:00] are, you know- simpler than you think.
It really is. Like start with water, ladies.
Okay. So if your brain is buzzing right now and you're thinking, "Where do I even start?" I've got you. So The Hormone Reset is my 28-day program, and we talked about everything today. Everything we talked about is baked into this program, so the food, the gut support, the blood sugar piece, all of it.
So it's $97 Australian. It's online. You can start today. I'll link it in the show notes. And honestly, please share this episode. Print out the notes. Send it to your bestie, because too many women are walking around with a broken gut, wondering why their hormones are a disaster, and no one is connecting the dots for them.
So go be that person for someone today. Okay. Thanks for listening. I'll talk to you in the next episode.