Have you ever looked at your calendar, noticed your mood, and then found yourself reaching for a random bag of chips and wondering, “What is going on with me?”

If you’re in your late 30s or 40s and things suddenly feel a little off—your sleep isn’t the same, your patience feels thinner, and your body doesn’t quite respond the way it used to—you may be moving through perimenopause. Some people call it a “second puberty.” But instead of growth spurts, it can show up as shifting hormones, changes in energy, and moments of brain fog.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this stage is often seen as a kind of “second spring”—a time of transition, renewal, and shifting energy. The good news is, this isn’t something going wrong—it’s your body moving through a natural transition. It’s simply asking for a different kind of support and rhythm.

What Exactly is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause is basically that long runway leading up to menopause. While “menopause” itself is technically just one single day—the 12-month anniversary of your last period—perimenopause is the actual journey there, and it can last anywhere from 2 to 10 years.

During this time, your hormones—especially estrogen and progesterone—start doing a bit of a roller coaster act. They shift and fluctuate, and because of that, you might feel a little less steady than usual. It’s completely normal for those internal shifts to show up in how you feel day to day, whether that’s your energy, your mood, or just that general feeling of being “off.”

The “Clue” List: Signs You Might Be There

It’s not always just about hot flashes! Sometimes the signs are much subtler:

• The Incredible Shrinking Cycle: Your 28-day cycle suddenly becomes 24 or 21 days.
• The 3:00 AM Wake-up Call: You’re wide awake for no reason, staring at the ceiling.
• The “Short Fuse”: Feeling a surge of irritability over things that never used to bother you.
• The Uninvited “Poof”: Unexpected bloating or weight shifts around the middle, even if your diet hasn’t changed.

A Holistic Way to Navigate the Storm

In a world that’s always telling us to “just push through” and keep grinding, perimenopause is actually a bit of an invitation to slow down and restore. We don’t need to fight our bodies or treat them like they’re broken; we just need to nourish them back into balance.

1. Savour Your Palate (Eat for Your Hormones)

I like to think of my meals as a “Kitchen Pharmacy.” Instead of focusing on what to cut out or restrict, try focusing on what you can add in—specifically mineral-rich nourishment that makes you feel good.

• Mineral-Rich Broths: Think of slow-simmered soups and broths as a simple way to get nutrients back into your system. When you’re stressed, your body burns through minerals much faster, and a good broth is an easy, digestible way to replenish those levels.
• Healthy Fats: Think of healthy fats as the fuel your hormones need to do their job. Adding things like avocado, a good drizzle of olive oil, or a handful of walnuts provides that nourishing support your system is looking for right now.

2. Honour Your “Stress Bucket”

In perimenopause, your body naturally becomes more sensitive to stress and cortisol. When that “stress bucket” starts to overflow, you’ll likely notice it in how you feel—whether that’s more irritability or just feeling wiped out.

Ancestral Wisdom: If we look at how people lived generations ago, there was a much bigger emphasis on slower rhythms. It’s not about doing nothing; it’s about choosing activities that don’t add to your stress load. A long walk outside or the simple, quiet ritual of making a cup of herbal tea can give your nervous system the break it needs to reset.

3. The Power of “Slow Restoration”

This isn’t the time of life to try and run on empty. If you’re tired, the best thing you can do for your hormones is actually allow yourself to rest. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to say no to extra commitments.

Supporting your sleep is a huge part of this balance. Simple shifts like taking a magnesium-rich bath before bed or keeping your room cool and dark aren’t just “self-care”—they are practical ways to help your body regulate your mood and energy for the next day.

The Bottom Line

Perimenopause isn’t just some hurdle you have to “get through”—it’s a season of life that’s actually inviting you to start putting yourself a little higher on your own priority list. It’s a real opportunity to support both your body and your mind as they go through these big changes.

You aren’t losing your spark or who you are; you’re just shifting into a version of yourself that’s a bit steadier and more grounded.

Simply Salt & Soul

The Salt (The Science): During perimenopause, your body can become much more sensitive to shifts in blood sugar and stress.  As progesterone—which is basically our natural “calming” hormone—starts to drop, you might notice your fuse is shorter or your energy is a bit of a roller coaster.

From a nutrition standpoint, keeping your blood sugar steady is one of the best ways to keep your energy from crashing. I try to always pair healthy fats and proteins with fibre-rich foods, like root vegetables. This helps your body release energy gradually instead of all at once. When your blood sugar is stable during the day, it actually helps your body rest and recover much better overnight, too. I like to think of blood sugar balance as a steady anchor—it’s the thing that holds you down while everything else is shifting.

The Soul (The Wellness): In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the transition toward menopause is often called a “Second Spring.” It’s seen as a natural shift in how your body manages its energy. I’ve started to see this phase as a time when the energy we’ve spent our whole lives directing outward—toward kids, work, and everyone else—finally starts to turn inward. It creates space for a different kind of renewal.

If I notice I’m feeling irritable or just completely drained from overextending, I try to see it as a signal. It’s not “PMS” or me being difficult; it’s my body asking for more care. In those moments, I try to soften instead of push. Whether it’s a quiet walk, sitting in stillness for five minutes, or just saying “no” to a plan I don’t have the energy for. For me, this isn’t about being difficult—it feels more like a quiet return to myself.