Perimenopause can leave women feeling tired, bloated, and mentally foggy without a clear reason why. Energy drops in the middle of the day. Digestion feels slower. Food that once worked fine now feels heavy. It’s frustrating, especially when nothing obvious has changed. Hormones are part of the picture, but they’re not the whole story. As estrogen and progesterone shift, digestion can change too, which may affect how well the body absorbs certain nutrients. When nutrients aren’t absorbed efficiently, energy production can feel less steady. The result is fatigue that sleep doesn’t always fix and brain fog that coffee can’t fully cover up. What if the issue isn’t a lack of effort, but a change in how the body is processing fuel?

In this episode, host Sara Estes explores what may be happening beneath the surface. She walks through how shifting hormones can influence digestion and nutrient absorption, and why that matters for steady energy. When key nutrients like iron and B12 aren’t absorbed as efficiently, the cells that produce energy may not function as smoothly. Sara breaks down why bioavailability matters, why some nutrient forms are easier to use than others, and why supporting the gut often works better than pushing through fatigue. Instead of forcing energy, this episode offers a more sustainable way to support how the body processes fuel.

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