How to Stay Healthy during Perimenopause
If you’re wondering how to stay healthy during perimenopause, you might feel overwhelmed by advice that pushes you toward endless doctor visits, countless tests, and running from specialist to specialist.
But here’s the truth: staying healthy during perimenopause is not about chasing one medical appointment after another, perfect diets, or pushing yourself through intense workouts.
After six years navigating my own perimenopause journey, I realized that this phase is less about “fixing” symptoms and more about realigning with your body’s natural rhythms. Western medicine often treats perimenopause like a problem to solve with tests and medications. However, ancient healing systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offer a very different—and deeply supportive—perspective.
Perimenopause Is a Time to Work With Your Body, Not Against It
Both Ayurveda and TCM teach us that perimenopause is a sacred transition, inviting you to slow down, listen deeply, and nurture yourself in new ways. Instead of constant medical checkups and quick fixes, these traditions focus on restoring balance on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.
1. Balance Your Dosha or Element Instead of Over-Medicalizing
In Ayurveda, your dosha (body type and energy pattern) shifts during perimenopause. You don’t need a doctor to tell you what to eat—your body will signal what it needs. Whether your dominant dosha is Vata, Pitta, or Kapha, adapting your lifestyle and diet to support that balance is key. This approach helps reduce symptoms naturally, without relying on pharmaceuticals or repeated doctor visits.
Similarly, TCM understands perimenopause as a change in Kidney and Liver energies—vital forces that govern your hormonal balance and vitality. Instead of endless tests, TCM uses acupuncture, herbal remedies, and dietary adjustments to restore harmony, supporting your body’s own healing ability.
2. Nourish Digestive Health, the Root of Wellbeing
Both traditions agree that strong digestion is foundational. Rather than seeking endless medical opinions for bloating or brain fog, focus on eating warm, easy-to-digest foods that nurture your Agni (digestive fire in Ayurveda) or Spleen Qi (in TCM). This simple shift can reduce toxin buildup, support energy, and ease many symptoms naturally.
3. Prioritize Rest and Relaxation Over Rushed Checkups
Your body is working overtime during perimenopause, and pushing through fatigue or skipping rest only worsens symptoms. Instead of rushing to clinics or relying on tests, make rest, quality sleep, and relaxation your priority. Both Ayurveda and TCM emphasize the healing power of rest—through practices like self-massage, meditation, acupuncture, and deep breathing—to replenish your energy reserves.
4. Move Mindfully, Not Excessively
Exercise doesn’t have to be intense or exhausting. Ayurveda encourages gentle, grounding movement that supports your current energy state. TCM promotes Qi-cultivating practices like Tai Chi and Qi Gong, which nourish your whole system. This mindful movement supports your health more sustainably than pushing through high-impact workouts or gym sessions, which often lead to burnout.
5. Cultivate Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
Perimenopause isn’t just a physical shift—it’s a spiritual awakening. Ayurveda and TCM remind us to care for the mind and spirit as much as the body. Instead of seeking external validations via medical tests, turn inward with meditation, journaling, creative pursuits, or acupuncture to process emotions and cultivate deeper self-awareness.
The Bottom Line: How to Stay Healthy During Perimenopause
It’s not about running from doctor to doctor, piling up tests, or forcing yourself through a rigid regimen. Staying healthy during perimenopause is about listening to your body, honoring your unique needs, and embracing holistic practices that restore balance naturally.
This journey requires patience, compassion, and the willingness to slow down—and when you do, you’ll discover a deeper, more vibrant energy that no test or pill can provide.
