Jennifer Peters - Guess What Knocked Me Down This Year?

I WAS BULLDOZED, AND I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU SO YOU CAN NAVIGATE TOO. 

If you've been subscribing for awhile, you know that I tend to put the more "blog type" emails out a couple times a month and I'm active on social media. But in 2024 I've stepped back from both - not consciously. BEcause I was bulldozed by something that truthfully, I'm still navigating, but at least I know what it is. 

On the 1st Jan - one of my favorite days to do so much self-care, be in nature etc - I woke up with rage that I had never experienced. What followed was an undeniable degree of sadness and rage for months that at times, was out of body-like. Meaning, I could observe it - I watched myself engulfed in it - but I couldn't get out of it. 

No amount of the usual nervous system deregulation tactics worked. Journaling, sauna /cold plunge time, meditation, breathwork, exercise - none of it took away the episodes that bulldozed me whenever it pleased. 

Neither functional nor traditional doctors uttered the one word that was the cause - I had to figure it out myself. In fact, my doctor wanted to prescribe me SSRI's to which I declined as I intuitively felt that wasn't what I needed. You know what the one word is? PERIMENOPAUSE. 

If you're a 35 to 50 woman you're prone to the wonderful Peri Problems. These can be wide ranging from "typical symptoms" like: night sweats, insomnia, heart palpitations, hot flashes, low libido, abdominal fat increases/slow weight gain, irregular periods (more or less frequent or more / less heaviness of flow), changes in metabolic health. 

However, if you're not having common symptoms - like me - here's some highly normal and pretty common but not as discussed symptoms: rage, sadness, skin itchiness, minor hip pain, frozen shoulder, hair loss, body odor changes, urinary changes, urinary tract infection increases, eye twitches/styes, periodontal issues, cognition issues / trouble concentrating, bone or muscle loss, vertigo and there are more! 

For the few men that are still reading after uttering that very important word…love on your women during this time. Even if she's rageful or sad. Let her know she's extraordinary. You alone can't fix it, but lovingly let her know she's not broken. 

Women - my strong recommendation is to see a hormone health specialist and ONLY if they are a female 40+ – Women who have experienced at least some symptoms, will understand it. Symptoms can start as early as 35 and let me tell you - it can be SUBTLE. I now know that things I had years ago were subtle signs of Peri (very minor hip pain for example and slow weight gain). It took the rage and sadness to bulldoze me to really have the light bulb go off in my head! I just thought that you  had to be 50+ to have any kind of menopause or symptoms - but you do not! 

I spent so much time (and money!) doing all kinds of things that doctors under the age of 40 recommended for what a little Progesterone & Testosterone did in a couple weeks when I finally figured it out FOR MYSELF.  So yes, I started taking "hormone replacement therapy" also known as HRT a couple months ago. Do not listen to ANYONE that says you can not take HRT while still cycling and NOT officially in menopause - there are providers that WILL help you with this! BTW, Perimenopause is a 4 to 15 year period (!!!!) prior to Menopause - with the latter simply meaning the 366th day without a period. ONE DAY! After that you're "Post Menopause." Everything before is Perimenopause! 

There's SO much information to provide but I wanted to give you a quick snapshot in case this is you. If you have had doctors put you through parasite, mold, heavy metal detoxes and more and you are frustrated AF & you have symptoms that are not disappearing - check your hormones!!! I did ALL the things, I swear to you. 

Even if they have tested them and the Dr's say they are "normal", think about your age and symptoms regardless of what the levels say. We are ALL different in our hormone levels and it shifts at each stage of your cycle so testing can be hard to determine if you're low. When you get your blood test for hormones - write down what stage of your cycle you're in - because "normal" blood levels are based on each cycle. 

Ok, this is a lot so I'll stop here - but let me say this: We (me / Just BE Kitchen) will BE launching a program around this…I'm not sure exactly what yet, I need to navigate a bit more but I can not NOT put out some content / class / nutrition protocol for something that every woman will go through. And I have a LOT to say about this. However, please if you're still reading - shoot me back an email here to tell me what you'd love to hear about, what would be valuable and if you want to send me a ragey email I'll honor that too ;-) 

You are loved. You are normal. You are not broken. And all women go through this, but you can feel better, I promise you!