Let’s talk about nettles & perimenopause

Episode #197: Let's talk about nettles & perimenopause

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In this episode I'm still savoring the spring by highlighting one of my favorite wild greens, nettles. I share more about it and what it helps with particularly as a women's hormones ally. Then I opened up a conversation about perimenopause from my own personal perspective then with my practitioner hat on too. I would love to hear from you once you listen as to any take-aways you may have had.

Last year marked a significant milestone for me: I successfully harvested all my own nettles from the wild for personal use, sharing some with friends along the way. It was a goal I had set for myself, and I’m grateful to nature for her abundant nourishment. During my last harvest, I found myself singing to the nettle patch, and I've realized how important it is to connect with the plants we gather from the earth.

I’d like to share my song with you:

**Amazing Nettles**

Amazing nettles, how sweet your medicine,
That saved a witch like me.
I once was burned out,
But now I’m turned on.
I was tired, but now I have energy.

Twas nettles that taught my body to be nourished,
And nettles my ailments relieved.
How precious did those nettles appear,
The hour I first believed.

The stinging nettles in my woods thrive abundantly—lush, green, and healthy—without any cultivation. I only collect the tops of the plants.

[Nettles Video Link]

Nettles are a versatile food source. When cooked, their sting is removed, allowing them to be enjoyed in soups or as pesto. They can also be dried to make nettle salt or gomasio, or steeped as an infusion. I prefer combining nettles with other herbs to create a balanced infusion, as nettles can be quite drying and cooling to the body. Having worked with nettles since 2012, I’ve found them incredibly beneficial for most people. For those who are more sensitive, consuming the whole plant may be particularly helpful, especially for histamine or allergy issues. You can also try nettle salt or a seaweed gomasio made by my herbalist friend Johanna—she has an amazing product available through a link in the show notes.

Foraging for your own nettles can lead to endless possibilities in the kitchen. In spring, these wild foods can support natural cleansing, stimulating your liver, lymphatic system, and digestion. Incorporating them into your diet can help clear out residues left from heavier winter foods, leaving you feeling bright and energetic.

Recently, I took someone on a mini foraging tour. After tasting a few plants, she remarked on their vibrant flavors, noting how they seemed to nourish her body at a cellular level. It’s fascinating to see how in-tune some individuals are with their bodies.

However, a lifetime of consuming unnatural foods can lead to issues like impacted mucus in the colon. While mucus is a natural protective lining, a diet high in processed foods can irritate this layer, resulting in an excess that can interfere with nutrient absorption and contribute to sensitivities and allergies.

Nettle tea promotes the growth of intestinal villi, making it an excellent tonic for those healing from digestive issues such as leaky gut or IBS. Nettles stimulate the lymphatic system, boost immunity, and are packed with minerals, B vitamins, and vitamin K1. They serve as a balancing food for overall health and hormone regulation.

Nettles can be particularly beneficial for women experiencing hormonal transitions, such as PMS and perimenopause. Common symptoms during this time can include night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, depression, joint pain, and insomnia, among others. Interestingly, I've even experienced tingling sensations that felt like insects on my skin, which I later learned is a common symptom.

What’s truly remarkable is that stinging nettle only interacts with hormone receptor sites as needed. If there’s an excess of estrogen, it remains inactive at the receptor site; if there’s a deficiency, it steps in to help. This unique quality makes nettles a valuable ally in maintaining hormone balance, providing a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy during this transitional phase of life.

Let’s dive into the topic of perimenopause.

I’ve come to see this phase not as a challenge but as a rite of passage—a natural process and healing journey that every woman with ovaries will experience.

Unfortunately, there’s little cultural appreciation for women transitioning into their roles as wise elders. We often overlook the value of the crone—women who know themselves, embrace their wisdom, and speak their truth. I believe we can reframe perimenopause as a beautiful rite of passage, a time that offers not an ending but a rebirth into potency, truth, and wisdom.

Personally, I am navigating the dance of perimenopause. I’ve moved from resistance to acceptance, recognizing that I will eventually lose my cycle and become a new version of myself. While I may no longer give birth to human life, I can create and nurture in different, meaningful ways, drawing on the wisdom I’ve gained over decades of menstruation.

Initially, I struggled with confusing symptoms, which felt like an identity crisis. It struck me as curious that I couldn’t find sage advice from the women in my life; their perspectives were often steeped in frustration or a sense of relief that their menstruating years were over. While I can understand that sentiment, my soul told me something different. My period has been my guide, a barometer of my being, and losing that connection made me acutely aware that a significant shift was approaching—one whose outcome and feelings were unknown.

Ultimately, I found the most compassionate guidance from two wise men in my life. They understood this phase as sacred and deserving of respect.

Many women feel confused and conflicted about this transition, which saddens me. In the nutrition community, there’s often a lack of acceptance regarding this phase, with some women insisting, “That won’t be me,” or opting for hormone replacement therapy to avoid losing themselves. While I respect everyone’s choices, it’s important to acknowledge that this is a transition we will all face. We may as well embrace it with grace, be gentle with ourselves, and seek the best support possible.

As I navigate my own transition, I’ve surrendered to the flow instead of resisting it. I’m actively supporting myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Remarkably, my intuition has become a superpower, and I feel more like myself than ever. This era has unearthed many suppressed emotions, and now that my children are older (ages 25, 21, 18, and 16), I can focus on my own needs.

For me, this phase has prompted deep self-exploration. I've become more open to my emotions; my heart has cracked open wider, allowing me to sit with my feelings, process them, and invite more to surface. It’s crucial during this transition to confront the emotions that arise, as doing so prepares us for our “second spring”—the post-menopausal years—where we can embody the wisdom of the sage and the role of the elder.

In the busyness of raising children and managing life, we often lack the time and space to process deep-seated emotions. I’ve begun to unpack my feelings, and the more I allow myself to face what comes up, the greater my capacity to grieve, process, and heal. This journey now unfolds with greater flow and ease.

Now let me put on my practitioner hat to explain what’s happening in our bodies.

Many women are unaware of what perimenopause is, which leads into menopause, often referred to as "the great pause." There’s often confusion surrounding this phase; we tend to label the symptoms of late perimenopause as menopause. However, menopause itself is simply the end of our menstrual cycles. Once we stop menstruating, we enter the postmenopausal stage. It’s essential to discuss perimenopause, as it’s a phase all women will experience. With the right support, we can navigate this transition more gracefully and set the stage for a healthier postmenopausal life.

Understanding Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause. As this phase progresses, it’s normal for menstrual cycles to become irregular and hormone levels to fluctuate. You may experience cycles that seem to vanish for months, only to return sporadically. As ovarian reserve decreases and egg health declines, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) levels rise, leading to increased irregularity until menstruation ultimately ceases.

Menopause is defined as the absence of menstruation for a year or longer. It can also be confirmed by elevated FSH levels between 60 and 100 mIU/mL on two tests conducted at least a month apart, along with LH (luteinizing hormone) levels greater than 50 mIU/mL and estradiol levels below 50 pg/mL.

While natural therapies can support women through this transition, they cannot reverse the aging process or restore menstrual cycles for those who have already crossed this threshold.

Now, let’s discuss the connection between irregular cycles and histamine.

Hormones and histamine are closely linked, particularly in relation to estrogen. As women, our estrogen—produced primarily by the ovaries—peaks at various life stages, such as during puberty, ovulation, and throughout perimenopause. During perimenopause, estrogen levels can become erratic and significantly elevated.

When estrogen levels rise, the body releases more histamine, which in turn stimulates the ovaries to produce even more estrogen, creating a vicious cycle. Additionally, elevated estrogen can inhibit the effectiveness of DAO (diamine oxidase), an enzyme that helps break down histamine. For women with histamine intolerance, this can lead to an inability to tolerate their own estrogen levels. Symptoms often become more pronounced during times of high estrogen, which is why women with histamine intolerance (HIT) may experience issues during their menstrual cycles or around the onset of perimenopause, such as diarrhea or migraines.

Interestingly, many women with HIT report feeling significantly better during pregnancy. Although estrogen levels are elevated during this time, the body adapts by increasing DAO levels by up to 500 times, effectively breaking down histamine and alleviating symptoms. This positive experience during pregnancy can serve as a crucial indicator in a woman’s health history.

During perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations can lead to periods of low estrogen, which may cause common menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, low mood, anxiety, joint pain, and palpitations. Conversely, when estrogen levels are high, and if histamine levels are managed, these symptoms may subside. However, for those with histamine intolerance, rising estrogen can exacerbate symptoms, leading to experiences that closely resemble histamine intolerance.

For women using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, if symptoms worsen instead of improve within three to six months, it may indicate that estrogen is further aggravating histamine intolerance.

Given that histamine intolerance is a prevalent issue for many women today, it’s essential to recognize it as a significant factor that can complicate the perimenopausal experience. Rather than battling our hormones, we should focus on supporting the body’s ability to regulate its histamine response. Tools like HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) and BiomeFX can help identify where the body may be struggling with this issue. If you have a history of leaky gut or allergies, your perimenopausal journey may be more challenging due to these underlying factors.

Supporting your hormonal balance is crucial to your overall health. Many women overlook this aspect before entering perimenopause, which can result in missing vital signals that menstrual cycles provide about systemic health. As we transition, it’s important to build a reserve, as our ovaries begin to hand off hormonal responsibilities to our adrenals.

Before menopause, the adrenal glands serve as a secondary source of sex hormone production—estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. After menopause, they become the primary source of these hormones.

In my experience, many modern women exhibit some degree of adrenal burnout. I addressed this on a broader level in an episode titled "Reviving Our Resilience: Unmasking the Silent Pandemic of Adrenal Exhaustion." If you haven't had a chance to listen, I highly recommend checking it out. 

The microbiome also plays a crucial role in regulating our sex hormones and overall health. When gut health is compromised, hormone imbalances often follow. Unfortunately, achieving optimal gut health is rare in today’s environment, which often divorces us from nature. If you haven’t yet, take a look at my episodes on histamine intolerance and gut health, as well as leaky gut (links are in the show notes).

Recent research shows that the microbiome significantly influences estrogen regulation. In the BiomeFX test I conduct, we can assess whether someone has a properly functioning estrobolome. Poor estrogen recycling can lead to discomfort and various symptoms.

Takeaway

This is just the beginning of our conversation, but I hope it provides valuable insights. I want women to know that there are proactive steps they can take to support their health before entering this phase. It's not a matter of resigning to "I went through it, and there's nothing I can do" or worrying that "my mom had a tough time, so I will too."

You are not your mother. While you may share genes and inherit certain patterns, you also have unique differences that shape your journey. It's essential to view this phase as your own and determine how you want to navigate your later years.

There is so much we can do and explore during this era of our lives. I hope this discussion has given you some food for thought and a broader perspective. We can delve into the nuanced details on a case-by-case basis moving forward.

Call to Action

I sense there may be a part two to this episode! I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, as it often shapes future discussions. Feel free to reach out and share any takeaways you have from this episode; my email and Instagram info are provided below for easy connection.

If you need additional support on your health journey—whether you’re navigating perimenopause, preparing for it, or seeking to enhance your well-being post-transition—let's explore how we can work together. My HTMA and BiomeFX package is an excellent way to understand your current health picture and create a plan to recover and rebuild so you can enter menopause with greater grace and ease, less overwhelm or confusing symptoms that keep you up at night!