Chaos to Calm

I was 42 when I was told I was too young for perimenopause. I believed it, went home, tried harder, and lost two years working on the wrong things.

If you're in your late 30s or early 40s and your sleep, your cycle or your mood has changed, but you've been told you're too young, this episode is for you. Because "too young" usually means something much smaller than it sounds.

In this episode:

• What "too young" is actually based on, and why an average is the middle, not the minimum
• Why the early signs are usually more, not less, and why waiting for hot flushes means you might be waiting a while
• Why a normal hormone blood test doesn't necessarily rule perimenopause out (your result on a Tuesday can tell a different story by Friday)
• The second reason it gets missed: the one clue most of us are told to watch can be hidden
• What to track, and the question to ask when you're told "it's not perimenopause"

Want a head start on that pattern? Take my free Perimenopause Decoder quiz. Ten questions, about two minutes, and you'll know if it's perimenopause, which phase you're likely in, and what to do about it. https://theperimenopausenaturopath.com.au/decoder/

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/JJLeMYs0sv8

Read more: How is perimenopause diagnosed? https://theperimenopausenaturopath.com.au/how-is-perimenopause-diagnosed/

Sources: Jean Hailes for Women's Health, Menopause and Premature and early menopause; NICE guideline NG23, Menopause: identification and management.

General information, not personal medical advice. Please discuss with your preferred health professional.

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Fact: More tips, hacks, and info aren’t going to help you feel any better in perimenopause

If you’ve tried every supplement, diet tweak, and “perimenopause hack” without seeing real change, this episode is for you.

You don’t have a lack of information — you have an overload of it. And it could be the very thing keeping you stuck feeling rubbish in perimenopause.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why consuming more advice, tips, and hacks often makes symptoms worse — and how it chips away at your confidence in knowing your own body.
• The real drivers behind perimenopause symptoms (spoiler: it’s rarely “just perimenopause”) and why generic solutions often fail.
• The three things that actually drive transformation — and how to use them to feel better in your 40s and 50s without wasting more time, money, or energy.

You’ll also hear Sharon’s story — how she went from a pantry full of half-used supplements to finally understanding what her body needed, and the steps we took to make those changes stick.

SNEAK PEEK

“…when you consume too much info, you don't know what's actually relevant to your body. You don't know if that info's good or bad, unless you know you've trained in in the field, and you can get paralysed and really stuck in that research mode and start second guessing your own intuition and understanding of your body.”

If you’re ready to stop collecting tips and start creating real, lasting change, this episode will help you shift your focus to where it really counts.

🎧 Listen now to learn how to cut through the noise and finally get results that last.

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Book your FREE Clarity Call
• The Chaos to Calm Method
• Related episode #47: Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work in Perimenopause

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

It’s 3 p.m. and your third (or is it fourth?!) coffee isn’t even touching the sides. You’re bone-tired, feeling like you’re living in a fog, no matter how much you sleep, it never feels like enough. (Though let’s be honest, in perimenopause, decent sleep feels like a fantasy anyway!)

If you feel like you’re dragging yourself through mud day after day, and your blood tests look normal, these 5 clues might finally explain why.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Why “normal” blood tests miss the real reasons for your crushing fatigue
• 5 hidden drivers of exhaustion in perimenopause
• What you can actually do to change things without giving up your whole life

This episode will help you connect the dots behind that relentless, no-matter-how-much-you-sleep exhaustion, and give you practical, doable ideas to get your spark back and feel more like your usual self again.

SNEAK PEEK:

“…too often, feeling tired is dismissed as 'standard' for women, especially those over 40 in perimenopause or menopause. Even when tests are run, standard blood test ranges catch full-blown diseases, not the subtle shifts affecting your energy, mood, and metabolism years before a clear diagnosis.”

If you’re done dragging yourself through each day on autopilot, this is your chance to figure out what’s actually going on.

🎧 Listen now to learn the 5 clues behind your perimenopause exhaustion, and what to do about them so you can finally feel like yourself again.

Links & resources mentioned in the episode:

• Book your free Clarity Call 
• Iron Deficiency in Perimenopause
• Thyroid health in perimenopause
• Sleep and weight loss
• Sleep better in perimenopause
• Symptoms of stress

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Why Are ALL My Hormones So Low at 41? And What About DHEA?

If your blood tests are “normal”… but you feel anything but — this episode is for you.

You’re tired. Moody. Gaining weight. Your thyroid results are borderline. Your estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are low.

And your doctor says… “Everything looks fine.”

What now?

In this episode of Chaos to Calm, Sarah answers a listener’s question that gets to the heart of what so many women in their early 40s are experiencing — hormone shifts that don’t show up clearly on bloods, but are still impacting every part of how you feel.

Whether you’re wondering if you’re in perimenopause, confused by your DHEA result, or questioning if your thyroid could be behind it all — this conversation will help you understand how it all fits together (and what to do next).

What You’ll Learn:

• How early perimenopause can actually start — and why it’s often missed
• Why low hormone levels at 41 don’t mean there’s something wrong with you
• Why female hormone testing can be a waste of time (and what’s more helpful instead)
• The truth about DHEA: what it is, what it does, and when it matters
• How stress impacts your hormones and thyroid — and why nervous system support, not more supplements, needs a seat at the table

Sneak Peek:

“If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, running on coffee and cortisol, or simply juggling busy mum life for the past 10 years… your DHEA may be low because your body has been in survival mode.

Tune in now to learn:

• What’s really driving your low hormone levels
• Why the thyroid often gets blamed (but isn’t usually the culprit)
• The first step to take if you’re wondering, “Is this perimenopause?”

Links & resources mentioned in the episode:

• Download The Perimenopause Decoder
• Blog: Phases of Perimenopause
• Blog: Early Menopause
• Blog: High Cortisol + Stress
• Blog: Diagnosing Perimenopause
• Blog: Optimal Blood Test Ranges

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Eat Less, Move More? Why That Stops Working After 40

It’s not that your body is broken. It’s that your body changed the rules and didn’t tell you.

If your old weight loss strategies are making things worse... this episode is for you.

You’ve cut back on calories. You’ve done more cardio. You’ve skipped breakfast, pushed through the hunger, and skipped family pizza night and wine time with the girls more times than you care to remember. But the weight won’t shift, and your energy, mood and sleep keep getting worse.

Sound familiar?

This episode explains why the “eat less, move more” advice fails in your 40s and what to do instead - so you can finally start seeing results again, without restriction or burnout.

What we cover in this episode:

• The 4 hormone shifts that change how your body uses fuel
• Why insulin resistance is the hidden reason for cravings, belly fat, and post-meal crashes
• How cortisol, muscle loss, and poor sleep slow your metabolism
• The 4-step strategy that works with your body—not against it
• Real-life insights from Sarah’s own 20kg weight gain (and how she reversed it)

Sneak Peek:

“By the time I hit my early 40s, I’d gained 20 kilos, without really changing anything. I was bloated, exhausted, snoring, sweating through the night, hot all the time, moody, anxious, and completely overwhelmed... what scared me most was thinking, ‘If I feel this bad now, how am I going to feel in ten years?’ The missing piece wasn’t more willpower - it was understanding the metabolic changes that come with hormone shifts.”

🎧 Tune in now to learn:

• Why your symptoms are signals, not failures
• The real root cause of stubborn weight gain (and how to fix it)
• How to eat in a way that restores metabolic flexibility and balances hormones naturally

🔗 Links & resources mentioned in the episode:

• 4 Hormones Free training
• PerimenoGO program
• The Chaos to Calm Method
• Ozempic for Weight Loss episode
• Muscle Loss blog
• Phytoestrogens blog

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Your 3pm cravings aren’t about willpower. They’re messages from your body — and they’re louder in perimenopause.

If chocolate, chips, coffee or wine feel like the only thing getting you through the afternoon, this episode is for you.

So what’s really going on at 3pm?

It’s not a lack of discipline. It’s a biological (and emotional) response to hormone shifts, blood sugar drops, low dopamine, and overstimulation. In this episode, I walk you through the real drivers of perimenopause cravings — and how to gently change the pattern without guilt, restriction, or giving up the things you love.

Here’s what you’ll learn (and why it matters):

• Why your blood sugar crashes harder in perimenopause — and how to avoid the crash-and-crave cycle
• How fluctuating estrogen, progesterone and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin affect your mood, motivation, and cravings
• What the “monkey mind” is, and why it hijacks your 3pm choices
• How emotional buffering and autopilot patterns get wired in — and how to gently rewire them
• What actually helps: from stabilising meals to building daily joy (yes, joy is part of the strategy!)

Sneak peek:

“It is not like it is in your head, it's not a lack of willpower. It's actually your biochemistry, your neurochemistry, the way you're wired is driving you to that.”

Links & resources mentioned in this episode:

• Blog: The Real Reasons You’re Craving Chocolate, Chips, Coffee or Wine
• Free Training: The 4 Hormone Shifts You Can't Ignore

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

You’re not lazy — and it’s not just “life.” There are real biological reasons you're still exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep.

If you’re waking up tired every day and wondering what’s going on, this episode is going to connect the dots for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why your exhaustion isn’t just about sleep quantity — but quality, hormones, and motivation too
• The hidden impact of blood sugar crashes, gut issues, and inflammation on your energy levels
• How to figure out what’s really draining your energy — and the first step to changing it

This episode is your permission slip to stop blaming yourself — and start asking better questions about what your body needs. We explore why so many women in their 40s feel completely wiped out, even when they’re technically doing everything right.

You’ll learn how hormonal fluctuations, disrupted cortisol patterns, nutrient deficiencies, and gut dysfunction all interact — and more importantly, how to begin untangling it.

And if you’re ready to stop pushing through the fog and start feeling more like yourself again, you’ll hear how to uncover the real reason behind your fatigue.

SNEAK PEEK:

"That flat, heavy feeling? It’s not always a lack of physical energy — sometimes it’s a lack of motivation, thanks to low dopamine.”

So if you're tired of being tired — and sick of being told it's just stress, age, or being a busy mum — this episode is for you.

Tap play and let’s get you one step closer to clearer mornings, better sleep, and more energy.

Links & resources mentioned in the episode:

• Free 4 Hormones Training – understand your perimenopause hormone shifts
• PerimenoGO
• Thyroid Blog – Understanding thyroid in perimenopause 
• Cholesterol Blog

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Feeling like a stranger in your own body lately?

It’s not just "getting older" — and it’s definitely not "all in your head."

In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s really happening inside your body during perimenopause. We’ll talk about why it’s not just about your hormones dropping, but about the chaos and flux happening behind the scenes. You'll learn how your metabolism, mood, and body are changing, even when you feel like you’re doing “all the right things.” And I’ll explain why calories and cardio aren’t cutting it anymore — and what your body actually needs now.

Key Takeaways:

• The hormone shifts that cause more chaos (not just decline) in perimenopause
• Why your body’s ability to adapt is the real game-changer
• A high-level strategy to help you downgrade the hormonal rollercoaster without overhauling your whole life

Sneak Peek:

“You’re not broken. You’re in the messy middle — and with the right support, you can help your body adapt, thrive, and feel good again.”

Links and resources mentioned in the episode:

• Episode 3: The estrogen roller coaster
• Episode 81: Estrogen excess
• Episode 4: The progesterone decline
• Episode 67: The appetite hormones messing with your hunger
• Episode 53: Insulin’s role in perimenopause
• Episode 42: Cortisol
• Learn more about PerimenoGO

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

You’ve been told your whole life that your period is meant to be awful.
Painful. Messy. Something you just have to put up with.
But what if that’s not true?

Because just like your blood pressure or body temperature, your period is a vital sign — and when you know how to read it, you can actually use it to feel better, not just dread it coming each month.

Key Takeaways:

• The signs that your period might be trying to tell you something — and how to start listening before things feel out of control.
• What a truly healthy cycle looks like (hint: it’s not what most of us were taught)
• Why things feel harder in your 40s — and how to support your body without overhauling your whole life

Sneak Peek:

“Every cycle, every bleed, every single symptom — or lack of symptoms — it’s all feedback from your body. And when you know how to interpret it, you can stop just surviving your cycle… and actually be pleasantly surprised by its arrival.”

If your period feels like it’s running the show — or like your body is doing things you don’t understand — this episode is for you.

Listen to Episode 88 now and start changing your cycle to a “new normal.”

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.

Is this just how it’s going to be now?

If you’ve started wondering whether you’ve missed your chance to feel good again - this one’s for you.

Because no, you’re not too old. You’re not past it. And you haven’t left it too late.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why all your effort (fasting, lifting, tracking protein) might not be working - and what to do instead
• The real reason your symptoms have built up over time (hint: your body’s not broken, it’s just not being supported the right way)
• What it means to stand at a “fork in the road” in perimenopause - and how to choose a path that supports your health for decades to come

This episode will help you shift the way you see your body and this stage of life, and show you why now is actually the perfect time to make a change (even if you’ve tried everything before).

Sneak peek:

“Perimenopause is a fork in the road - literally and figuratively. What you do now? It matters. Not in a pressure-y, perfect way - but in a hopeful, you’ve got more control than you think way.”

If you’ve been doing everything you were told to do and still feel flat, foggy, tired and like nothing’s working - press play on this one.

It’s not too late. It’s just time for a new approach that works with your changing body.

Listen now to hear what your body’s really asking for - and how to respond in a way that actually works.

Links & resources mentioned in the episode:

• Book a free Clarity Call
• Learn more about Metabolic Balance
• Follow Sarah on Instagram
• Episode 46: Why ‘normal’ isn’t good enough for your health anymore.

Send us a question for the FAQs segment or your feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about Sarah, her services and the Freebies mentioned in this episode at https://ThePerimenopauseNaturopath.com.au

• The Perimenopause Decoder is the ultimate guide to understanding if perimenopause hormone fluctuations are behind your changing mood, metabolism and energy after 40, what phase of perimenopause you're in, and how much longer you may be on this roller coaster for.
• For more, follow on Instagram at @theperimenopausenaturopath.

WORK WITH SARAH THE PERIMENOPAUSE NATUROPATH:

• PerimenoGO (because who wants to pause anyway?!)  A self-guided program to help you reverse weight gain, boost energy, and reclaim your mood — without extreme diets or cutting carbs. Perfect for women who want a realistic plan that fits around kids, work, and actual life.
• The Chaos to Calm Method: A 1:1 program for women who want a more personalised plan and support — especially if you’ve got 10kg+ to lose, other health issues, or feel like your body’s just stuck. Includes blood test analysis, personalised nutrition, and expert support.