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"If we believe in the rebirth of our civilization...then clearly this renaissance must begin in the chambers of our own hearts...We cannot wait for society to change, or for our institutions to be renewed. We, as individuals, must assume responsibility for our own personal transformation."
-- George Feuerstein

"When we have our body and mind in order, everything else will exist in the right place, in the right way. But usually, without being aware of it, we try to change something other than ourselves, we try to order things outside us.  But it is impossible to organize things if you yourself are not in order. When you do things in the right way, at the right time, everything else will be organized."
-- Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Master

Perimenopause
Mood and Energy Management Program

Shift your health and self-care focus to provide for your new hormonal, mood, energy and well-being needs.

Mid-life and menopause mark the beginning of a second life. Perimenopause represents a major life passage for women and there is no way out - except to go through it.

The choices you make in this second half of life are extremely significant.

Choices about health, nutrition, lifestyle, wellness, and performance require knowledge and a commitment to make them work. The Perimenopause Passage to menopause and mid-life offers new possibilities and opportunities for you. Women today can individualize their choices and design their second life to their liking so that it is in line with their particular requirements, needs, dreams and desires.

There are more women entering menopause – in perimenopause - than ever before. An estimated 40 million American women are now in or past menopause. And another 20 million - the baby boomer - generation, will reach that stage of life in the next decade.

Mid-life and menopause promise wonderfully rich times And perimenopause is the journey you will take to your second life.

The more you know about perimenopause - how you are changing and how you need to change - the greater the promise of menopause holds for you.

The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program provides you with the knowledge and support to create a healthy, vibrant and joyous second life.

• Reduce your anxiety
• Increase your positive moods
• Have more stable moods
• Be more engaged with life
• Find relief from depression
• Increase your vitality and energy
• Weight normalization
• Eliminate:
  • Frustration
  • Irritability
  • Impatience
  • Fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • "Brain fog"
• Resolution of persistent health problems such as:
  • Generalized aches and pains
  • Digestive problems
  • Sleep dysfunction
  • Poor immune response
• Greater awareness and control in the experience of your life, plus:
  • Continuing use of empowering tools and techniques to leverage your new found self mastery

Are you in perimenopause?

If you are, you will need to take special care to manage your moods and energy. Do you have any of these symptoms:

• Hot flashes, night sweats, perspiration and/ or chilly sensations
• Numbness and/ or tingling of skin
• Insomnia, sleeplessness, and/or restless, fragmented sleep
• Fatigue, feeling of weariness of mind and body with desire for rest; disinclination to make further effort
• Vaginal dryness
• Irregular menstrual bleeding
• Changes in frequency of menstrual cycle
• Irritability, feelings of anxiety or apprehension
• Feeling of depression, sadness, unhappiness and / or being miserable without any obvious reason
• Pain affecting joints and/or muscles
• Headaches of any kind
• Dry skin
• Urinary problems
• Digestive problems
• Sexual / desire changes
• Quickening or acceleration of heartbeat or a fluttering/pounding heartbeat in a sitting or resting position
• Sensation of "crawly skin"
• Forgetful, scattered and/or suddenly disorganized
• Clumsiness and /or in-coordination
• Difficulty remembering past events and/or learning new material
• Slow to recall a name or to find the right word

The more symptoms that you experience the more likely that you are entering perimenopause. It may be time for you to reassess how you take care of yourself and to take steps to make the journey to menopause a healthy and happy time of your life.

Steps You Can Take

You can take steps to move more smoothly through perimenopause and into the new life patterns of menopause by following a contextual program that focuses on:

Proper nutrition for perimenopause

Adequate dietary supplementation

Increasing your understanding of the hormonal changes occurring and how these affect your neurotransmitters, neurons and brain chemistry

Paying attention to your sleep patterns and ensuring adequate rest and recovery during the day

Taking time for yourself

Increasing your self-awareness

The Perimenopause Passage

Menopause is defined as the period in life when you have had no menstrual periods for one year. Perimenopause is the period that leads to menopause when the reproductive hormones begin to fluctuate widely. During this time the dialogue between your brain and your ovaries changes it’s conversational pattern. Perimenopause may last as long as 7-10 years or last only a year or two. Women in perimenopause rank insomnia, irritability, and depressed mood among the most common complaints. Mental health is the most prevalent difficulty and not hot flashes.

During perimenopause, there are wide fluctuations in the hormones estrogen, testosterone, FSH, LH, and progesterone. Perimenopause is not simply a time when estrogen diminishes. It is a time when you don’t have enough estrogen and then you have too much estrogen. Perimenopause is a time of wide fluctuations in hormone levels. These fluctuations result in the mood disturbances associated with perimenopause.

Eventually you will have no more eggs but your brain still attempts to make the ovaries respond by stimulating the secretion of FSH and LH. Hormone levels of FSH and LH increase at menopause and remain high thereafter. When there has been no response from the ovaries and your periods have ceased for one year, perimenopause is over and menopause has arrived. Your brain, your hormones and your mood

The relationship between your hormones and your brain is critical because the relationship is very vulnerable to the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause and menopause.

Estrogen is integral to your health and brain function. It influences the way your serotonin and other neurotransmitter pathways react to normal hormonal shifts. It is common to experience mood variations related to these reproductive hormone fluctuations across your cycle and over the changing years.

Many women will develop mood and sleep difficulties during perimenopause. Women who have had mood disturbances before in the form of anxiety or depression disturbances are especially vulnerable to the hormone/brain dialogue changes during perimenopause. The loss of estrogen can significantly worsen anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. Some women are especially sensitive to the loss of estrogen and its effect on the brain.

You do not need to have hot flashes, night sweats, or significant changes in your menstrual periods to be in perimenopause. Your brain may be the first and the only manifestation of the changing hormonal levels in the form of mood or cognitive changes.

It’s More Than Just Psychological.

Mood and energy imbalances are not simply psychological in origin.

These unstable feelings and accompanying physical symptoms are the result of unbalanced brain chemistry driven by unbalanced body chemistry.

Due to the physical imbalances in your body, your brain is not able to maintain optimal balance. When the brain is not able to maintain optimal balance, this increases the imbalance in the physical systems and organs of the body. The result is unstable emotions, mood, and moderate to severe energy reduction. Wear and tear on physical processes in the body are part of the root cause. Some of these physical processes are genetic and some are a result of becoming depleted by stress. Often lifestyle choices (e.g. too little sleep and exercise) and dietary choices (e.g. skipping meals, living on junk food) result in your own mal-nourishment.

Without balanced mood and energy, few resources are available to you for achieving your personal level of success and experiencing a high quality of life.

We'll target 7 crucial physical imbalances.

An essential part of the solution to mood and energy imbalances in women lies in correcting crucial physical imbalances in the body. The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program addresses many of these including:

• Stabilizing your blood sugar levels
• Balancing key neurotransmitter levels including: serotonin, gamma butric acid, acetylcholine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, histamine
• Reducing your anxiety through the use of targeted supplements and tonics
• Eliminating food allergies, candida, and restoring proper GI health
• Implementing a brain chemistry friendly diet
• Designing a brain chemistry friendly exercise program
• Introducing stress reduction techniques to reconnect you to your resonate frequency and reestablish physiological coherence.

Key Factors Contributing to Mood and Energy Imbalances During Perimenopause

Mood and energy problems are anchored in the physical realm and a comprehensive program includes correcting important physical imbalances in the body. Some of the key physical processes that are related to mood and energy imbalances include:

Hormone fluctuations and mood changes

Estrogen fluctuations can alter neurotransmitter levels in the brain resulting in mood disturbances. The hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause and their effects on the brain result in fatigue, loss of the feeling of subjective well being, difficulty sleeping, mood alterations, anxiety, poor concentration, depression, changes in thinking patterns and abilities, and problems with memory. Hormone replacement therapy can relieve night sweats and the loss of well being associated with perimenopause but often it will not alleviate the symptoms that arise from depression.

It is not unusual for women with a history of mood disturbances to find that their moods become harder to manage as they enter peri-menopause. They may find it difficult to find a regime – medication or otherwise - that stabilizes their moods and restores coping abilities. Women who have been taking antidepressants may find that when they enter perimenopause these medications may not work as well and their symptoms may worsen. Those with mood disorders may destabilize despite adequate medication.

A woman’s mild or severe life long or occasional depression may worsen significantly under the influence of perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations. A history of mood disturbances and depression indicates that a woman’s brain already requires precise management in self-regulation. Due to hormonal fluctuations, perimenopause may further compromise the brain’s ability to self-regulate.

When a woman notices that "this feels hormonal," it is appropriate and advisable to look to management of the reproductive hormones to destabilize mood disturbances. Perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations can greatly influence the brain and may cause something in the brain to shift, overwhelming a woman’s normal coping mechanisms. We can balance these hormonal mood fluctuations with diet, supplement, herbs and lifestyle changes.

Prescription drugs – Many of these drugs interfere with your absorption and metabolism of essential nutrients. We can compensate with tailored supplement and nutritional programs.

Malnutrition- Most of us do not eat a well balanced diet. A recent USDA food consumption survey of 20,000 people showed that none of them consumed 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of all major nutrients. The RDA is barely adequate to prevent vitamin deficiency diseases in healthy people. The RDA seriously underestimates the needs of people suffering from depression and other mood disorders and from chronic and degenerative diseases. We can correct this with a tailored supplement and nutritional program.

Lipid peroxidation – Oxidation ages you and irreversibly damages the intricate workings of your brain. This type of damage comes from exposure to toxic fumes in cigarette smoke, paint, gasoline, cleaning fluids, solvents, rancid oils, and chemicals of all sorts. An antioxidant program can protect your brain and body cells and nerves from being damaged by oxidation.

Essential fatty acid depletion – Essential fatty Acids (EFAs) are required for your survival, but they are not produced by your body. The average diet has few foods that can supply the proper essential fatty acid balance in your body. Without the proper ratio of essential fatty acids your brain never gets enough EFAs to provide for adequate mood regulation, to control hormone levels and to stabilize your emotions. Without the proper EFA ratio in the body and brain, inadequate levels of important prostaglandins can not be made - resulting in auto-immune disease, inflammatory disorders, coronary disease and serious depression. We can correct this with proper supplementation and diet.

Pancreatic enzyme insufficiency – If your pancreas fails to deliver adequate digestive enzymes to your intestinal tract the absorption of fats and proteins will be impaired. This can result in malnutrition - with your brain and body being deprived of nutrients essential for health. We can correct this with proper supplementation, herbal tonics and diet.

Betaine hydrochloride insufficiency – Insufficient stomach acid is a significant health problem. More people have too low gastric acidity than too much stomach acid. If you have this deficiency it can result in a number of digestive symptoms, chronic conditions such as eczema, auto-immune disease and compromised moods and energy. We can correct this with proper supplementation, herbal tonics and diet.

Hormone fluctuations and cognitive changes

The hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause may also affect your memory and learning. Estrogen is involved in maintaining specific cells in your hippocampus that are responsible for detailed communication between nerve cells. Estrogen is also related to supporting your acetylcholine levels. When estrogen levels fluctuate or decline, acetylcholine levels fluctuate or decline. Acetycholine is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for memory, creative pursuits, and retrieval of words.

Estrogen is involved in maintaining verbal memory (the recall of spoken material) and enhances the capacity for new learning in women. (Estrogen does not seem to affect what is learned visually.)

Estrogen changes in perimenopause may also affect other cognitive functions such as recognition, interpretation, decision-making, and eye-hand coordination. Compensating for the changes in estrogen is important for maintaining peak cognitive functioning. We can balance these hormonal cognitive changes with diet, supplement, herbs and lifestyle changes.

Unstable blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) – Your brain requires glucose and oxygen for survival. Without a steady, balanced supply of glucose to your brain you can experience mental instability, anxiety, depression, fatigue, mental confusion, phobias, fears, muscle pains, crying, headaches, heart palpitations and more. We can correct this with the proper diet, targeted supplements, and appropriate lifestyle routines.

Low fat diet – A low fat diet can be dangerous to your health and well being. The gray matter of the brain is predominantly composed of fats. Without the right kind of fats - in the right amounts and ratios - you will experience unstable emotional health and run serious health risks. Anger and negativity both increase with a low fat diet. Moods deteriorate right along with reduced fat intake. . We can correct this with proper supplementation and diet and the proper inclusion of natural fats in your diet.

Use of stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, and nicotine – These stimulants rapidly shoot up your blood sugar, energizing you temporarily. Caffeine does this by stimulating your adrenals to release adrenaline and thereby emergency sugar into your bloodstream. Continually stimulating your adrenals like this burns them - and you - out. Adrenaline circulating in your bloodstream makes you irritable, anxious, shaky, and restless. It leaves you prone to panic and anxiety attacks and drives you further into energy depletion. Nicotine addiction also drives hypoglycemia. We can correct this with an appropriate detox and stimulant withdrawal recommendations.

Rushing, attempting to meet impossible deadlines, high stress lifestyle – These kinds of lifestyle choices also stimulate your adrenals to release adrenaline and thereby emergency sugar into your bloodstream. Again, continually stimulating your adrenals like this burns them - and you - out. Adrenaline circulating in your bloodstream makes you irritable, anxious, shaky, and restless. It leaves you prone to panic and anxiety attacks and drives you further into energy depletion. . We can correct this with targeted supplements and herbal tonics, a balanced diet and non-adrenaline lifestyle routines.

Adrenal insufficiency/ burnout – This creates poor production of glucocortical hormones. When more blood sugar is needed, the adrenals can’t secrete enough adrenal hormone to trigger a fast conversion of glucose from the liver’s stored sugar reserves and hypoglycemia results. . We can correct this with targeted supplements and herbal tonics, a balanced diet and non-adrenaline lifestyle routines.

Slow oxidation – Slow oxidizers change food to energy very slowly. The slow oxidizer can not transport enough glucose across the cell membrane because of too little sodium and potassium. And the burning of glucose within the cells is inefficient. The slow oxidizer has chronic symptoms of fatigue, constant cravings for sweets, depression, and mental confusion. . We can correct this with targeted supplements and herbal tonics, a balanced diet and appropriate lifestyle routines.

Fast oxidation – Fast oxidizers change food to energy very quickly. Fast oxidizers have low calcium and magnesium levels. Their high sodium to potassium ratio is linked with the alarm stage of stress and produces the rapid metabolism of foods and overactive thyroid and adrenal glands. This adrenal activity produces a continual conversion of stored sugar to blood glucose and severely depletes glycogen reserves. Hyperactive thyroids rapidly burn glucose and further deplete sugar reserves. Under stress, fast oxidizers experience precipitous falls in blood sugar with significant negative emotional, mental and physical symptoms. We can correct this with targeted supplements and herbal tonics, a balanced diet and appropriate lifestyle routines.

Hormone replacement and mood stabilization

Estrogen replacement by itself during perimenopause is not capable of resolving the mood symptoms in women with a history of depression and other mood disorders. Once the neuroreceptors and pathways in the brain have sustained the biochemical changes of depression, estrogen alone is ineffective in treating the symptoms of depression. Estrogen can, however, help antidepressants to work more effectively during perimenopause and menopause.

Some women, when placed on hormone replacement therapy, may actually worsen in their depressive symptoms because progesterone tends to affect moods negatively.

Women with a history of mood problems often can not tolerate the use of progesterone during perimenopause. Progesterone acts against estrogen in the brain and acts as a dysphoric hormone causing mood and anxiety changes. Various forms, dosages, and regimes, however, may be better tolerated than others. Women with bipolar disorder are particularly subject to the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause.

Normal hormonal fluctuations during this time can destabilize moods. Taking progesterone may worsen your depressive symptoms and adding estrogen may make you fluctuate rapidly between mood states. We can balance these hormonal mood fluctuations with diet, supplement, herbs and lifestyle changes.

Incompatible chemical reactions between your blood and the foods you eat – Different blood types may relate differently to diet. Sometimes foods incompatible with your blood type may upset your hormonal imbalance. This can cause water retention and thyroid problems; compromise the production of insulin; slow your metabolic rate; cause weight gain; inflame your digestive tract lining; disrupt your digestive process, and cause bloating. We can correct this with appropriate supplements, herbal tonics and diet.

Use of artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame (NutraSweet)- These contain excitatory amino acids and other excitatory nutrients that effectively block your production of the calming neurotransmitter serotonin. Low serotonin levels are related to depression. We can correct this by eliminating the use of these substances and any damage done healed with appropriate supplements, herbal tonics, and diet.

Plus more:

• Skipping meals
• Parasites
• Lack of sleep
• Irregular wake-sleep cycle
• Eating the wrong kind of carbohydrates
• Altered histamine levels
• Altered blood lactate levels
• Subclinical or unrecognized thyroid gland or hormone problems
• Candida and other GI disturbances
• Gluten grain sensitivity
• Low protein diets and eating the wrong kind of protein
• Depressed metabolism
• Disrupted circadian rhythms
• Disrupted ultradian rhythms
• Out of phase seasonal rhythms
• Insulin resistance
• Low calorie diet
• Food allergies
• Parasympathetic/ sympathetic imbalance
• Low DHEA levels

The Program

The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program gives you comprehensive screening and follow up to ensure identification of critical physical factors that may be impacting your moods, energy and physical symptoms.

The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program is individually designed to address the most likely and most crucial physical factors contributing to your specific mood and energy problems.

To begin the program, I meet with you individually in an initial history taking session. During the history taking session, I gather information about your present and past health and well-being and your current stress levels, lifestyle patterns and other factors that may be affecting your mood and energy and your health and well-being.

I then begin designing your personal Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program.

We Will Focus on Eight Health Parameters.

In installments, I give you key recommendations in the following areas:

• Diet
• Lifestyle
• Exercise
• Stress Reduction
• Body Maintenance
• Personal Foundations
• Herbs
• Nutritional Supplements

The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program is uniquely comprehensive - focusing on integral health, wellness, and well-being. It not only addresses the underlying physical and neurotransmitter imbalance causes of mood and energy imbalances but it also highlights the importance of lifestyle choices, personal foundation issues and emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual energy imbalances. All in the context of your perimenopausal passage..

Built into the Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program are assessments, recommendations, and individual personal life coaching that focus specifically on rebalancing "soft" contributors to mood and energy problems.

Here are just a few of the life changing actions you will implement as part of this comprehensive program.

• Reconnecting with your life purpose for the second half of your life
• Establishing circadian and ultradian friendly routines around sleep and your morning and evening activities
• Addressing important personal foundation issues such as: boundary setting, values and needs, and self-care
• Redesigning non-supportive physical environments
• Implementing lifestyle and scheduling routines that are brain and body chemistry friendly
• Introducing proven psychological techniques for reducing and eliminating anxiety attacks

Functional Health Tests

As a Certified Nutritionist, I have access to many functional tests that allow us to assess the foundations of your health. The data provided by these tests will give us a wealth of information about your health status and those patterns and trends that contribute to optimal health and mood and energy balance or those patterns and trends that may signal a need to restructure some of your current health care habits.

The Perimenopause Mood and Energy Management Program gives you comprehensive screening and follow up to ensure identification of critical physical factors that may be impacting your moods, energy and physical symptoms.

To gather information pertinent to the discovery of these factors, your Perimenopause Mood and Energy Management Program includes the following six functional health test panels.

Adrenal Stress Salvia Test- The Adrenal Stress Salvia test is compromised of a series of saliva tests that measure the level of cortisol four times a day to establish its circadian rhythm. Additionally, it measures a two sample average of the sulfated form of DHEA (DHEA-S). Plus, it gives a measure of insulin levels and 17-OH progesterone.

GI Health Panel - Tests 22 parameters to investigate GI function and health (includes tests for pancreatic enzymes, a candida screen, gluten grain sensitivity, SIgA levels, and tests for certain pathogens and parasites)

Hair Mineral Analysis – Tests for heavy metal toxicity, mineral imbalances, and parasympathetic/sympathetic dominance

The Bloodspot IgG Food Antibody Assay - Measures the amount of antibodies that are the primary cause of adverse food reactions. IgG mediated food allergies are the most common type of food reaction. Therefore, this type of antibody profile gives very useful data to design appropriate diets that exclude major offending foods.

NeuroSelect Profile - the most comprehensive neurotransmitter panel available. This profile reports on the levels of creatine, ten neurotransmitters and one amino acid: serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, GABA, PEA, histamine, taurine, glycine,  glutamate, and glutamine.

The Prophyrins Profile - Porphyrins measured in urine serve as biomarkers of toxic effects on the heme biosynthetic pathway. Heme is the deep red, nonprotien, ferrous component of hemoglobin and is essential for the proper function of many proteins for oxygen transport, energy production, and detoxification. Patterns of specific porphyrin elevations in urine serve as functional markers to specific toxins, including toxic metals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium.

The Organix Profile - Your body is constantly generating products from metabolic reactions. This comprehensive profile provides a view into your body's cellular metabolic processes and the efficiency of metabolic function. Many of the compounds that are found give clues about how your body is working and where specific additions of vitamins or minerals may be needed. Identifying metabolic blocks that can be treated allows individual tailoring of your wellness program that maximizes your responses and leads to improved health.

Expanded Cycling Female Hormone Panel- The Female Hormone Panel uses 11 salvia samples collected during specific time slots (a window of 2-3 days) throughout the menstrual cycle. This panel is for women who are still cycling. It reports on your:

• Progesterone
• Estradiol
• Testosterone average
• DHEA average
• FSH
• LH
• Ovarian output and reserve estimates
• Follicular Estrogen Priming Index

I order these tests and send them to your home. You do not need a doctor’s prescription to have these tests processed. These tests are simple enough that you do each yourself at home and send it back to the lab. When I get the results, I will forward the results to you and incorporate the results into your recommendations.

Brain Chemistry Optimization Profile

Each Perimenopause Mood and Energy Program include a Brain Chemistry Optimization Profile at no additional cost (normally $250). This is an online assessment that provides information about your major brain neurotransmitters. This enables us specifically to tailor activity, diet, behavioral, exercise, spiritual and nutritional recommendations to enhance your brain chemistry. Enhancing your brain chemistry maximizes your health and well being.

Gathering Information

There are a number of information gathering profiles, tools, assessments and questionnaires you complete that supply information pertinent to your program. These include:

A weekly diet sheet - Write down what you ate and drank and when. No need to weigh or measure serving size but do include an estimate if the serving size is either a smaller or a larger serving than normal. Plus, jot down any significant symptoms you notice.

Taking your temperature several times throughout the day for one week with a digital quick read thermometer.

Tracking your moods every day using the Mood tracking charts that I will e-mail to you. We use these throughout the program.

Keeping a list of significant signs and symptoms that indicate stress in your body that you would like to monitor during this program for resolution.

Plus, you may be asked to track factors that are specific to your situation such as: taking your blood pressure; keeping a sleep dairy; or monitoring GI symptoms.

Seven Additional Health Assessments Are Included

• Adrenal Burnout assessment
• Comprehensive Health Appraisal form
• Energy Blockers Assessment
• Quick Symptom Checklist
• Energy Audit
• Pyrroluria screening
• Histamine screening
  • And others pertinent to your own situation

You need to complete some of the information, assessments, and functional tests before the first installment of your program is delivered to you. As you continue to complete the remaining tests, assessments and information, the results are integrated into your ongoing recommendations.

Program Installments and Check-Ins

Your Perimenopause Mood & Energy Program is delivered to you in installments. This makes the program more manageable, more meaningful, and more fun for you. Plus, it will help us leverage progress into deeper, more specific and more comprehensive results.

You will receive your first installment of recommendations within 3-4 weeks of beginning your program. You take this installment and begin working with the recommendations for a month.

Once or twice a month we meet for a check-in session. Our check-in sessions are held on the phone or, if you prefer, you may come to the Mood and Energy Wellness Center for in-person meetings. During these check-in sessions we discuss:

• How you are doing
• What improvements you see with regards to your symptoms
• What is not changing with regards to your symptom picture
• What is working for you with the program
• What does not work for you
• What you have been able to implement
• What you have not been able to implement

In addition to monitoring the program, our check-in sessions also include Personal Wellness Coaching. When implementing a Perimenopause Mood & Energy Program it is common for many life and personal foundation issues to surface that are directly related to the successful implementation of the program. At these times, it is important to get some coaching about these issues in order to facilitate the successful implementation of the program.

Our check-in and Wellness Coaching sessions last approximately one hour.

Based on your feedback, I tailor the next installment of recommendations for you.

Because of the comprehensive nature of mood and energy problems, it may not be possible to adequately address all of your symptoms in one phase of a Perimenopause Mood & Energy Program. Additional phases including additional functional tests, retesting for progress and changes, further recommendations, and follow up time may be advantageous.

Six Month Follow Up Period

Your Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program includes a 6 month follow up period. The purpose of the follow up period is to provide a format for monitoring your progress on the program, adjusting the program if needed, answering your questions regarding your program and provide a forum for your Personal Wellness Coaching.

The follow up period begins when we meet for our history taking consultation. During the follow up period, you complete assessments and functional tests, gather information, and actively implement your program recommendations.

We keep in touch by email and by phone to monitor your progress and the results. There are regularly scheduled check-in and Wellness Coaching sessions during the follow up period. During our sessions, we assess the progress that is being made, answer any questions you have, address important life and personal foundation issues impacting the program and assess the next appropriate set of recommendations. If at any time during the follow up period, you have questions concerning the program and your results feel free to contact me by email or phone

There is a high support and accountability factor built into the program. During the follow up period you make daily or weekly email contact with me giving a brief update on diet, schedule, moods, etc. Most Updates receive a follow up from me with suggestions for gaining more effective results and support highlighting your achievements.

You keep a daily Diet, Schedule, Mood, and Activity Log, and do a number of self-assessments and tracking assessments some of which we review daily/ weekly and some that we review in our Check-In sessions. You also keep a Symptom Checklist to monitor the progress in resolving your symptoms.

It's a lot, but these assessments and tracking measures are what enable us to obtain effective results.

The Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program is designed to be implemented with regular and consistent follow up with me as your clinician and Wellness Coach.

Healing can be a mysterious process. Yet I'm sure that healing is an inter-relational activity. Healing works best when there is a strong and active relationship between at least two people focused on the healing. In order to get the best results from the program it is important for us to stay in close contact with each other. Even if you are not making the progress you hoped for – especially then – we should still make contact on a regular basis – you never know what that a little extra support can do for you.

To get the most out of your program you should plan to maintain regular and consistent contact with me during the follow up period.

Fees and Payments

The fee for the standard Perimenopause Mood and Energy Management Program as outlined is $4224. This includes:

• Six recommendation installments over a six month period
• Six to twelve Check-In and Personal Wellness Coaching sessions
• Six months follow up, support and personal contact
• Unlimited email contact and follow up
• Brain Chemistry Optimization Profile
• Eight functional health test panels for a total of more than 80 individual tests
• Numerous screening and assessment forms, profiles and questionnaires
• Regular and consistent follow up with me as your Nutritionist and Wellness Coach.

You can make your payment all at once or in scheduled partial payments.

Remember that you will be working to produce an optimal physical environment for your body to activate its own healing responses and to reconnect with your natural vital energy.

You are not working simply to eradicate a symptom, problem, or condition.

You are working at building the optimal environment for health and well being to support your own natural vitality and healing.

You can create within yourself balanced, stable and positive moods. You can live with vitality and enthusiasm. You can take steps that will permanently improve your health and the quality of your life. You can reap all of the riches and rewards of your Perimenopause Passage into menopause.

Getting Started

If you are not yet sure if the Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program is the right program for you give me a call at 434-263-4996 or email to schedule a time to go over your questions and review your situation.

If you feel ready to begin the Perimenopause Mood & Energy Management Program - Great! Let’s get started. You can call me at 434-263-4996 or email

to schedule a complimentary session so that we can talk about your unique, individual needs and how we can design a Perimenopause Mood and Energy Management program that is exactly right for you.

Once we are both sure that we have the unique program that will work for you we will schedule your first history taking session and begin the program.

Congratulations! You will be taking an exciting, rewarding, and life-changing journey.

Call 434-263-4996 to find out if this is for you
or e-mail for more information.

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