Raw Truths About the Perimenopausal Transition from inside The Vitality Conversations

Send me a text if you liked this episode.In this rich and wide-ranging episode, Dr Kirstey Holland opens with a deep dive into Phase 1 of the Hierarchy of Healing — and it all begins in the gut. She explains why the gut is not a side topic but the central hub of perimenopausal symptoms, and how the gut-brain, gut-nervous system, and gut-skin axes are all connected to the brain fog, anxiety, bloating, and breakouts so many women are experiencing.But this episode goes far beyond gut health. Dr Kirstey is joined by two women from the Vitality Conversations community, and together they explore some of the most profound — and rarely spoken about — aspects of the perimenopausal transition:- Why perimenopause is a full neuroendocrine upgrade, not a breakdown- The second puberty no one prepares you for — and why it's actually a graduation- How your gut instinct is your first brain, and why healing your gut sharpens your discernment- The friendship shifts, identity shifts, and even sexual shifts that come with this phase- Why perimenopause is being dangerously confused with menopause in mainstream medicine — and what the difference actually means for your hormones- The radical permission you need to rest, to be whole, and to stop abandoning yourself- How to bring your partner into the journey so you grow togetherThis episode is part science, part soul work — and exactly the conversation most women are having behind closed doors but rarely out loud.Mentioned in this episode:On Our Best Behavior by Elise LouenThe work of Dr. Emeran Mayer (gut-brain axis)Lara Briden & Professor Jerilynn Prior on progesterone and perimenopauseJane Hardwick Collings on the phases of a woman's lifePhotographer Anne Bloom (natural aging photography, Amsterdam)Support the showThe information shared in this podcast does not substitute working with your primary health care provider; it is general in nature and not considered personalised advice.Visit us online for more information or if you wish to work with Dr Holland.thehollandclinic.comFor your daily dose of women's health related info and ideas  on how to gracefully live through health and wellbeing transitions your body experiences, visit our Instagram instagram.com/thehollandclinic