Marieke Steen

Navigating perimenopause and menopause requires understanding hormonal shifts. 📈 Getting the right lab work can help you gain a sense of where you are in your journey and allow you to monitor and manage your health and symptoms during this time.

I know all of this may seem overwhelming, but that is exactly why I am here — to help you navigate perimenopause with confidence 💪 and assist you in managing your symptoms along the way.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! My DMs are always open. 💬 You can also check out my latest blog for more info on lab testing during perimenopause. (Link in bio!)

AMEN!!! 🙏🙏

There you have it! I’m not the only one saying this and it’s time that everyone knows about taking women seriously on this journey and also talk about all the solutions that are out there to manage the unpleasant symptoms!

Please help me share this and spread the word! 🙏

No shame here: how many of this list have you checked?

As I said, these are the most common mistakes many women are making that are hurting their hormone balance… So go ahead and scrap off number 7 from your list, it’s an easy one and especially to be aware of now that the gloomy days are coming up!

Which other item are you going to scrap off your list?

Let me know in the comments!

What a great conversation I had last Friday with Dan Young BCTN, BCN, CNC on his podcast Total Wellness Radio. We really just chatted about my story and what brought me to the functional medicine realm.

If you want to check out the episode, go find Total Wellness Radio with Dan Young on your favorite podcast platform.

As promised, here is my pumpkin pie recipe: check out the slides for details.

If you want more recipes like this, check out my Hormone Balance Cookbook with blood sugar friendly recipes (link in graphic). I’ve just added a protein cheat sheet and 5 new recipes.

It’s much more than a cookbook! You’ll get a ✅ kitchen staples overview, ✅ meal plans, ✅ focus foods for hormone balance, ✅ eat and ✅ not to eat list, ✅ shopping list etc. It’s essentially a guide to blood sugar friendly eating. ❤️

Have you ever waited to see if things wouldn’t resolve on their own?

How successful was that strategy?

When it comes to our health, waiting can make things worse. ⏳

Those sleepless nights, the fatigue and cravings that come with it, that extra weight that just won't budge, the mood swings that take over, migraines – these are not things we should be waiting on. They're signs from our bodies, telling us that it's time to take action.

Hormone imbalances during perimenopause can wreak havoc on our well-being, causing increased anxiety, irritability, and more.

So, why wait when we can make a change now? Here's your call to action:
✨ Prioritize self-care: Make time for relaxation and stress management techniques to ease anxiety and mood swings.
✨ Talk to me or a healthcare professional of trust who can help you navigate the hormone imbalance journey, offering solutions that work for you.
✨ Support each other: Reach out to friends who understand and share your experiences.

You're not alone in this!

Let's take charge of our health and well-being, because we deserve to feel our best at any age. Don't let "waiting" be the reason things get worse – make a change now! 💪💕

Intermittent fasting has huge benefits.The main thing is that it will help reduce inflammation overall in your body.

If done correctly, it can be a great tool for better energy, sleep and weight loss! Check out the slides for more details on why you should try intermittent fasting in perimenopause.

Also check out my blog article from 20th October for more details! (link to blog in bio)

What test tells you if you are in perimenopause?

Do you know the right answer?

Tell me in the comments!

What can you do to keep the bugs in your gut happy? Eat the rainbow 🌈 and especially eat food high in flavonoids!

👉Check out the slides to see examples of foods high in flavonoids!

Sadly, there’s a huge lack of communication between specialists and doctors, and that’s one of the reasons why I became a functional nutritionist, to fill in the gaps of our sad medical system. But what I wanted to highlight here is the intricate connection between your microbiome and hormones and vice versa.

Did you know that there’s a wealth of estrogen receptors in your intestines, brain, bones and adipose tissue?

The drop in estrogen and progesterone levels in perimenopause and menopause can cause changes to your gut microbiota and make you more prone to inflammation and food sensitivities.

The result? You’ll be more prone to WEIGHT GAIN, BLOATING, GAS AND SKIN CONDITIONS arising from food sensitivities and leaky gut SIGH.

There’s also something called the ESTROBOLOME which is a collection of bacteria in your gut that impacts your body’s circulating estrogen. So these bacteria can impact your levels of estrogen!

Gut health is one of the pillars I always address when working 1:1 with my clients - if you feel that your digestion has gone downhill since you hit your 40s then we should talk!

Book your free clarity call (link in bio) to see if you are a fit for my 1:1 program.

My best reward for the work that I do is to get my clients the results they want.

While I have worked with clients with various issues in the past, I’m now solely focussing on helping women 35+ with hormone balance. One of the keys to success here is to respect everyone’s bio individuality.

Every woman experiences different symptoms and also needs different nutrients and lifestyle remedies that will work for her. It can take a while sometimes to find the right formula but it’s well worth it!

Although many practitioners don’t believe in hormone testing in perimenopause (because hormones fluctuate so much) I still see it’s important to know your baseline and fill in the gaps from there.

Hormone balance sounds like no fun?

No alcohol, no sugar, no stress, no this no that pfff 🤨 You may think: where’s the fun in that?!

The thing is, if you have not known the benefit of balanced hormones and how good you can feel when everything runs smoothly, you may not see why you should “give up” all these things!

What if you could feel great and not feel like you’re missing any of these stimulants?

That’s what we’ll be doing in my 1:1 program: improve your diet, your lifestyle, work on stress management tools, get your gut health, digestion and nutrient absorption back on track and fine-tune your hormones so that you can feel like yourself again without the feeling that you’re missing out!

Apply now https://l.bttr.to/QZvDD

If you suffer from anxiety, not only your gut, but also your hormones might be at play…

Your hormones are closely interacting with neurotransmitters in your brain, which can contribute to increased anxiety.

Especially that low progesterone in perimenopause often sets off increased anxiety for many women…

👉Swipe to see which hormones impact anxiety

Join our last round of Perimenopause like a Boss on 6th November to learn how to reduce your anxiety with stress management tools and bioidentical hormone therapy!

More info at link in bio!

Diet and lifestyle (aka stress management) do have a big impact on anxiety levels, but of course, there’s also the lack of progesterone in perimenopause that makes women much more prone to anxiety once they hit 35.

For some people just cutting out caffeine is doing the trick: the first step really is to find out what’s triggering your anxiety.

If your anxiety has increased since you hit 35, they’re likely linked to decreasing levels of hormones. Good news: this can be fixed!

Join our last round of Perimenopause like a Boss on 6th November to learn how to reduce your anxiety with stress management tools and bioidentical hormone therapy!

More info at link in bio!

Could gut health be the key to your weight gain in perimenopause?

➡️The drop in estrogen levels ⬇️ in perimenopause and menopause can cause changes to your gut microbiota. And you guessed it - it’s unfortunately not a positive change: you’ll be more prone to weight gain and insulin resistance SIGH. 😩

➡️And that’s not all: low levels of estrogen AND progesterone have been found to increase gut permeability. ➡️This means a higher risk of food sensitivities and inflammation that drives insulin resistance and weight gain. 😩😩😩

➡️This is the time in your life when you need to take care of yourself, you just can’t cut corners anymore!

Have you noticed reacting to foods? More gas and bloating? Maybe it’s time to rebalance your microbiome AND your hormones to feel like yourself again?

I’d be happy to help, drop me a DM if you want to talk!

You might be familiar with the rollercoaster ride 🎢 that is perimenopause or maybe you’re just starting to get to know the hormone chaos that perimenopause can bring. 🤯 As if sleep issues and mood swings weren't enough, many of us are also gaining weight, especially around the belly. 😩

Ladies, perimenopause might throw a few curveballs our way, but we're armed with knowledge and strategies to take control. 💪

Embrace this transitional phase as an opportunity to prioritize your health, happiness, and well-being. ❤️

Remember, you're not alone in this journey, and that belly fat?
Well, with a 🪄dash of exercise, a sprinkle of stress management, and a dollop of bio-identical hormones, you've got this!

👋 If you are looking for support with weight gain or other peri symptoms and would like to do so in a group setting with like-minded women, then consider our live program Perimenopause like a Boss: we’ll run one last session this year from 6th October to 8th December.

Check out more details and sign up for the waitlist at link in bio!

You may not love this, but opting for low sugar & non alcoholic beverages could vastly improve your health and hormone balance…

Hear me out:

Women have less alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol in the stomach. That’s why we tend to absorb far more alcohol into our bloodstream than men.

So our baseline is lower than that of men…
But alcohol also has a huge impact on our liver and when your liver is overburdened, it deprioritizes normal body functions like hormone production, processing other toxins etc.

It will also negatively impact how your estrogens are metabolized or you could say decomposed. Yep that means that drinking alcohol can lead to estrogen dominance.

So you're not only creating hormone chaos but also high inflammation levels in general.

But that’s not all: alcohol intake will create a blood sugar high that results in a blood sugar low and that leads to carb, sugar or more alcohol cravings.

Not even to mention that alcohol has a negative impact on your quality of sleep and can also be a trigger for hot flashes, migraines or headaches.

Have you tried kombucha, water-based kefirs with a spritz of lemon for instance? Or biodynamic wine?

Are you going to try? Give me a 👋 if you are

ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴘᴇʀɪᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴅᴀʏ!

You could say that it's unfair that women are going through their hormonal cycle in a month, whereas men do that in one day... 🤨

So yes we are different and this hormone thing does make it much harder for women to
✅be balanced emotionally
✅lose weight
✅get a good night sleep

Just to name a few!

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴! 😩

Well, I hate to say so, but hello perimenopause (yes that’s right that time in our life that’s referred to as the second puberty starting anywhere from 35 years on depending on genetics and lifestyle)

𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙨…

In the end, what does a label help you, the importance is to enjoy your life right?!
𝘉𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵 🏎 and not have your hormones control your life! 💪
My colleague Christine and I have created a program to help women navigate perimenopause like a boss! If you feel overwhelmed, don’t know what’s hormonal and what’s not, feel like a stranger in your body?

➡️ Consider joining our program: we’ll be running a last round this year starting on 6th November. Check out the link in bio for more info or send me a DM, I’d be happy to chat!

Quiz time! Which answer is correct?

Tell me below!

I get asked all the time what’s the difference between low progesterone and estrogen dominance or excess estrogen, so I thought I’d address it here to hopefully clear some foggy thinking ;-)

What’s really confusing is that you can have estrogen dominance SYMPTOMS although your estrogen may actually be too low and that’s because your progesterone is also too low.

It’s all about the balance between estrogen and progesterone! ⚖️

First off, estrogen dominance and excess are the same. They are caused by either:
➡️Too little progesterone, due to a lack of ovulation or ovulation that occurs but the corpus luteum health is compromised so it produces less progesterone.
➡️Estrogen detoxification pathways not working as they should, which lead to higher levels of estrogen in the body

It’s important to remember that there are various reasons for “estrogen dominance”, which can be due to blood sugar issues, gut and liver detoxification problems, stress, thyroid hormone imbalance and of course perimenopause!

Here are 5 scenarios of “Estrogen dominance”:

1️⃣ High estrogen, normal progesterone
2️⃣ High estrogen, low progesterone
3️⃣ Normal estrogen, low progesterone
4️⃣ Low estrogen, even lower progesterone
5️⃣ Normal estrogen, normal progesterone with accumulation of xenoestrogens (environmental chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body).

No matter which of these scenarios may apply to you, the SYMPTOMS you’re experiencing will be VERY SIMILAR.

Yep, you can have low estrogen and be estrogen dominant if your estrogen is too high in relation to your progesterone.

Hope that was helpful?

Are you experiencing estrogen dominance and, if so, do you know which scenario?

Protein is about the most important macronutrient, especially as we age our need for protein increases.

Protein, or rather the amino acids that it delivers, provides the building blocks for just about every structure and tissue in the body!

It also:
✅keeps you fuller longer,
✅supports hormone production
✅and immune health,
✅helps keep up your muscle mass and metabolism and
✅is crucial to keeping your blood sugar stable.

You can see that as we age, it’s even more important to support these systems 🏋🏻‍♀️

You should have protein with every meal, but especially for breakfast it’s important to get a minimum of 20-30g.

Don't know what to eat for breakfast?

👉Download 5 high protein breakfast recipes https://bit.ly/3EKhZ7D

Quiz time! Which answer is correct?

Tell me below!

There is never 1 root cause for migraines - but hormonal imbalances can play a significant role in triggering migraines.

➡️ Estrogen imbalance
When your estrogen levels are too high or too low, it can trigger headaches and migraines. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and peri- and menopause all affect estrogen levels.

➡️ Progesterone imbalance
Low levels of progesterone can cause headaches in some women. Progesterone helps to relax blood vessels in the body, and low levels may cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict, leading to headaches.

➡️ Thyroid imbalance
An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can lead to headaches. Hypothyroidism especially has been linked to headaches and migraines because of reduced blood flow to the brain.

➡️ Cortisol imbalance aka increased stress
Cortisol, your stress hormone, plays a role in regulating inflammation and pain in the body. Imbalances in cortisol levels due to chronic stress or other factors can trigger headaches.

➡️ Prolactin imbalance
High levels of the hormone prolactin, which is involved in milk production, can cause headaches in some women. Prolactin can affect blood vessels in the brain, leading to headache pain.

Figuring out what’s going on with your hormones is a big piece of the puzzle, and one that I can help you figure out!

DM me your questions! ❤️

Aging is a natural part of life, but that doesn't mean we have to sit back and let it take its toll on our vitality and confidence. 💪

AGING = DECLINING HORMONE LEVELS ⬇️ that can wreak havoc on your well-being, from mood swings to reduced energy and vitality etc. Bioidentical hormone treatment helps restore this delicate hormonal balance, allowing you to feel like your vibrant, youthful self again.

A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: These hormones aren't just about looking younger; they're about feeling younger too! 🏋🏻‍♀️ Increased energy, improved skin tone, better sleep 💤, and enhanced cognitive function are just some of the benefits that come with bioidentical hormone therapy.

So, why do I believe bioidentical hormone treatment is the best anti-aging treatment❓

Because they are derived from plant sources and are structurally identical to the hormones produced by your own body. This natural compatibility means they are readily accepted and utilized by your body, minimizing the risk of adverse effects and addressing the root causes of aging, helping you age gracefully and confidently.

Ready to turn back the clock and embrace a more youthful you? Explore the power of bioidentical hormone treatment.

As if sleep issues 💤and mood swings 😩 😠 weren't enough, many of us are also gaining weight in our 40’s, especially around the belly.

Let's dive into the science 🤓 behind why most of us put on weight in perimenopause and what we can do about it.

You could say that low estrogen is one of the main culprits👉 of weight gain in peri, but also insulin resistance, slower metabolism, loss of muscle mass and increased stress play a role in this weight gain. 😲

So it’s 3 hormones: estrogen, insulin & cortisol that we need to balance ⚖️ in order to keep the belly fat away…

❓Want to learn how? 👉 Check out my blog for more details (mariekesteen.com/blog)

🤯 Did you know that stress can be one of the biggest hormone killers ever? 😱
When stress levels soar, your hormones can take a serious hit, leading to a cascade of negative effects. 😓

CORTISOL: One major hormone affected by stress is cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone." Prolonged high cortisol levels can disrupt your sleep, trigger food cravings, and cause weight gain.

THYROID: But cortisol isn't the only hormone in the firing line. Stress can also mess with your thyroid hormones, impacting your metabolism and leaving you feeling fatigued and sluggish. 😴

PROGESTERONE: stress will cause low progesterone which can cause irregular cycles, PMS, increased anxiety and again, sleep issues.

The problem with stress is that there’s no pill 💊 for it - it requires change and action to either eliminate stressors and/or learn to manage stress better and this is often something I see WOMEN struggle with because they ARE NOT USED TO PUTTING THEMSELVES FIRST!

❓Let me ask you this: if you are broken, how can you take care of your kids or be a good spouse, fun friend etc? You can’t!

I really want to encourage you to make self care and stress management a priority for yourself 💪

What’s your favorite stress management tool? Tell me in the comments!

We worked on her diet to balance blood sugar levels ⚖️ that already brought down the number of migraines and also her anxiety.

But she also had IBS, constipation 💩 and her stool panel and food sensitivity test revealed leaky gut, food sensitivities and overgrowth of dysbiotic bacteria.

She went through a 3 month gut healing protocol where we addressed the 🦠 dysbiotic bacteria, nourished her gut lining and gave her immune system a break 🧘🏻♀️ by avoiding foods she was reacting to.

✅RESULTS: She hasn’t had any more migraines, no more constipation, no more dizziness, stable energy throughout the day, no more IBS symptoms and her anxiety came way down. 🥳

Brain fog 🤯 one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause!

For me this is actually double-scary because I know I have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease but it’s mainly annoying when it happens because I’m so used to my quick mind.

When I get brain fog, I know it’s time to extra support my blood sugar levels again and to also pay more attention to what could be causing extra stress on my brain besides the blood sugar roller coaster.

❓Have you noticed you get more brain fog in the luteal phase❓

Hit 40? Start doing this!

1️⃣ Don’t take crap from anyone & take care of yourself !
Any type of stress will trigger the release of your stress hormone cortisol. The more cortisol you have, the less s*x hormones your body will produce.

But that’s not all: it can disrupt your sleep, trigger food cravings, cause weight gain and chronic fatigue…

In “Perimenopause Like A Boss” we explain this in detail and also what you can do to manage your stress & cortisol levels.

2️⃣Lift weights
You may not realize that from 30 years on, your bone mass is decreasing naturally and from 40 years on, this process accelerates.

So it’s crucial to lift weights in your 40s: not only to keep up your bone mass, but also to boost your metabolism.

For a lot of women, cutting down on cardio is also important, as it’s triggering the release of cortisol.

3️⃣Support estrogen metabolism
Many of the symptoms women start dealing with in perimenopause are linked to your estrogen - progesterone balance getting disturbed.

This leads to heavier, longer periods, worse PMS, shorter cycles, fibroids, cysts, and more.

So it’s really important how your liver is breaking down that estrogen. This is key to improving symptoms but also steer clear of the risk of cancer.

In “Perimenopause Like a Boss” we provide you with all the details on how to do this.

4️⃣Test your hormones

There’s different opinions on whether it’s worth getting hormones checked in perimenopause, as they fluctuate so much.

Most lab tests are just a snapshot of a day in your cycle, but we still see a great benefit of knowing what’s happening at that time to be able to fit it in the bigger picture.
It also allows you to see what YOUR normal is, so that you can track how things change over time.

It’s important to know *when* to test your hormones, so we cover that in the program as well.

Interested in learning more about Perimenopause Like a Boss? Head over to the link in my bio, or drop me a DM!

Can’t function without coffee in the morning? ☕

You may think that your daily coffee is helping you function: you need that cup of joe to wake up and switch your brain on.

Well, here's what you may not realize: if your blood sugar and cortisol levels were normal, you wouldn’t need that coffee!

Also, when you become dependent on caffeine, your baseline level of energy, mood and performance actually decreases. Sounds crazy right?!

Take my hormone quiz to find out if you have high or low cortisol or both: https://bit.ly/hormoneq

Swipe to learn more!

It’s happening‼️ Join us live at 12PM EST/6PM CEST for an exciting IG Live session!
We're diving deep into the peri questions you submitted – get ready for an enriching hormone discussion!

Don't forget to bring your hormone questions if you haven't already shared them.

and I are thrilled to be hosting this IG Live event, where we'll provide invaluable tips to empower you navigate Perimenopause like a pro! 💃

🗓️ Join us today on August 19th at 12PM EST/6PM CEST.