Bonza Health Blog
Gain the tools and understanding you need to help manage the challenges of perimenopause and beyond.
Women experiencing perimenopause or menopause can reclaim their health and vitality. At Bonza Health, we help women see hormone changes as a natural midlife transition and provide the doctor-backed information women need to navigate hormonal health conditions with confidence.
Check out our latest blog posts from our leading physician’s best tips and tools for easing hormonal symptoms, special announcements on our courses and services, and much more! Be a part of our ever-growing community of like-minded women who are thriving in health -- even with perimenopause or menopause conditions.
How Perimenopause Impacts the Parasympathetic Nervous System, Sleep, and Mental Health
Perimenopause often arrives as a storm of unpredictability—restless nights, a rollercoaster of emotions, exhaustion with a mind that won’t quit. Fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone, two pivotal hormones for women’s mental and physical wellbeing, are responsible for these changes. These hormones help regulate cycles, modulate the nervous system, shape sleep and mood, and buffer stress.
10 Ways Your Hormones Can Impact Intimate Relationships in Midlife – and How to Navigate Them
If you’ve noticed changes in your partnership during the menopausal transition, you’re not alone. Hormonal fluctuations can ripple through every layer of connection: physical intimacy, emotional closeness, and day-to-day communication. Fortunately, it’s possible to navigate these changes with awareness, grace, and compassion.
Hysterectomy in Perimenopause: Beyond the Physical
Research shows that changes in sexual desire and sensation after hysterectomy are highly individual. Some women experience improved sexual satisfaction, especially if pain or bleeding was a problem before. Others notice a decrease in desire or sensation, particularly if the cervix is removed or if hormonal changes occur following removal of the ovaries. What matters most is that your experience is honored and that you have space to process the changes—physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Microdosing GLP-1 Receptor Agonists During Perimenopause: A Clinical Approach to Hormonal Weight Gain
The emergence of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, particularly through microdosing protocols, offers a promising therapeutic approach to address the unique metabolic challenges of perimenopause. Microdosing represents an innovative approach to GLP-1 therapy that involves using smaller, more flexible doses than standard protocols. This strategy allows for precise dose adjustments to optimize treatment outcomes while minimizing gastrointestinal side effects.
The Hidden Agony: Undiagnosed Endometriosis in Perimenopause
If you’re a woman in your late 30s or 40s with a history of painful periods, unexplained abdominal pain, or IBS-like symptoms that have not responded to standard GI workups, consider endometriosis as a possible cause, especially if your pain worsens with hormonal fluctuations. Undiagnosed endometriosis is a condition that can become especially troublesome during the hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause.
Battling Menopausal Weight Gain: Beyond GLP-1 Agonists
Menopausal weight management demands a multipronged strategy. While GLP-1 agonists offer robust benefits, alternatives like 5-Amino-1MQ, LGD-4033, and LDN provide targeted solutions for visceral fat, muscle preservation, and metabolic repair. Integrating these with plant-based nutrition, stress management, and tailored exercise can transform midlife health.
Migraines During Perimenopause: Understanding the Role of Estradiol
The relationship between perimenopause, migraine, and estradiol is complex and highly individualized. While traditional guidelines have cautioned against estrogen therapy in women with migraine with aura, transdermal estradiol, used at the lowest effective dose and in continuous regimens, may offer benefits for perimenopausal women with migraine.
DEXA Scans in Perimenopausal Women: The Case for Earlier Bone Health Screening
The current medical paradigm typically recommends bone density screening through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans beginning at age 65, yet mounting evidence suggests that the most critical period for bone health occurs during the perimenopausal transition. Early screening and intervention are not just beneficial, but essential for optimal long-term outcomes.
Understanding Body Shape Changes During Menopause: Hormones, Leptin, and Evidence-Based Strategies
Many women experience shifts in body weight during perimenopause, usually due to fluctuating hormone levels. We often hear about estrogen, but there's a more complex picture involving additional hormones such as leptin and ghrelin.
Under-Eye Dark Circles After 40? It Could Be Perimenopause—Here’s What Your Skin Is Telling You
Dark circles under the eyes often appear as a shadowy discoloration around the lower eyelids. In midlife women, these circles can be one of the first subtle signs of hormonal changes. Instead of dismissing under-eye circles as mere “vanity issues,” consider them a potential early clue of perimenopause.
Creatine Supplementation During Perimenopause Mitigates Sarcopenia, the Age-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Strength
Estrogen levels decline sharply during perimenopause, reducing muscle protein synthesis and accelerating sarcopenia. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate enhances cellular energy production and muscle protein synthesis, protecting against muscle catabolism during perimenopause.
Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer in Women: Evidence-Based Guidance
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) remains one of the most debated topics in women’s health, especially for those with a personal or family history of cancer. This blog provides clear, practical guidance for clinicians and patients navigating MHT in the context of cancer risk.
Reclaiming Your Spark: A Physician’s Guide to Libido in Menopause
Menopause reshapes your hormonal landscape. Estrogen decline thins vaginal tissues, reduces lubrication, and dulls sensitivity—a trifecta that can make sex feel like a chore. Progesterone fluctuations disrupt sleep and amplify anxiety, while testosterone plummets—sapping desire and arousal. But hormones alone don’t tell the whole story.
How Muscle Building Boosts Testosterone and Libido in Women
As estrogen and testosterone levels decline in perimenopause and menopause, many women experience reduced libido, vaginal dryness, and fatigue. However, emerging research reveals a powerful, often overlooked tool for reclaiming sexual health: strength training.
The Science of Libido in Menopause: Hormones, Stress, and Solutions
While libido changes are common during the menopausal transition, they stem from a complex interplay of hormonal, physical, and psychological factors. Understanding the science behind these changes—and the solutions available—can empower women to reclaim their sexual vitality.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women
While testosterone is commonly associated with men, it plays a vital role in women’s health as well. For perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing symptoms such as low libido, fatigue, or brain fog, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be a transformative option. By addressing issues like low libido, fatigue, and cognitive decline, TRT has the potential to restore vitality during this transitional phase of life.
Rethinking the Pill in Perimenopause: Why Menopause Hormone Therapy May Be a Better Fit
For years, the go-to solution to managing perimenopause symptoms has been oral contraceptives. And in certain situations, they can help—especially when contraception is still a must. But here’s the catch—and it’s an important one: oral contraceptives suppress your body’s natural hormone production. That’s where menopause hormone therapy (MHT) comes in. This approach mimics the way your body would naturally produce hormones if you were still ovulating regularly. Instead of suppressing your hormonal landscape, MHT can support and strengthen it.
Body Composition Changes During Perimenopause and Menopause: A Comprehensive Guide
Perimenopause and menopause bring significant shifts in body composition, from increased abdominal fat to muscle loss, driven by hormonal changes. This blog unpacks the science behind these changes and offers evidence-based strategies—nutrition, exercise, stress management, and hormone therapy—to help women maintain strength, metabolic health, and vitality. Learn how to take control of midlife metabolism and turn this transition into an opportunity for long-term wellness.
Perimenopause and Sleep: Why Your Nights Are Restless and How to Reclaim Rest
Sleep disturbances are a common and frustrating challenge for women in perimenopause, often caused by hormonal fluctuations, especially declining progesterone levels. This blog explores why sleep is essential for mood, memory, and long-term health, and how changes in progesterone—and its calming metabolite, allopregnanolone—disrupt the body’s ability to rest.
Understanding Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Why Vaginal Estrogen Matters
This blog sheds light on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM), a commonly overlooked condition involving vaginal and urinary changes after midlife. It underscores the role of local estrogen therapy in easing dryness, preventing infections, and improving quality of life. A real-life patient example illustrates how GSM can manifest through recurrent urinary tract infections and discomfort. By citing key research and insights from The Menopause Society, the blog highlights practical approaches and encourages open communication with healthcare providers. It reinforces that relief is attainable, and no one should feel alone or dismissed when seeking answers for these concerns.