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.
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.
Perimenopause Weight Woes? This Could Be the Best-Kept Secret for Healthier Aging
Metformin, also known as Glucophage, is an affordable and effective option for women in perimenopause or menopause who aren’t eligible for GLP-1 medications but still want to manage weight and support healthy aging. This well-studied drug enhances insulin sensitivity and can stabilize blood sugar levels, potentially reducing stubborn midsection fat. Some women also report better bowel regularity, which can be a welcome relief during hormone fluctuations. One patient, Cassandra, lost eight pounds of body fat over six months without major changes to her lifestyle. Metformin’s decades of data and accessibility make it a compelling choice for those seeking a steady, evidence-based approach to weight control and vitality.
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.
Healthy Eating Habits During Menopause: Nourishing Your Body Through Change
Menopause triggers hormonal changes that often result in hot flashes, mood swings, and altered metabolism. Emphasizing fiber, healthy fats, and phytoestrogens can help balance hormones and reduce symptoms. Staying hydrated, limiting added sugars, and including antioxidant-rich foods promotes well-being. Supporting emotional health completes a holistic, positive approach for women everywhere.
How Menopause Affects Your Sex Life
Menopause marks a season of significant change that may impact your body, mood, and relationships—particularly when it comes to intimacy and sexual wellness. Learn how shifting hormone levels, including declines in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, can affect your libido, vaginal comfort, and emotional state. Understand how to find balance through medical options like localized or systemic hormone therapy, along with practical steps such as pelvic floor exercises and thoughtful communication. While menopause can bring challenges—like dryness, pain, or lower desire—it can also introduce a newfound sense of freedom once fertility concerns fade.
Working with a Trainer During Perimenopause: Why Strength Matters and How Guidance Can Help
This blog offers practical guidance and personal reflections on working with an exercise trainer during the physical shifts of perimenopause. It explains why strength training matters at this stage, not only to maintain muscle and manage changes in body composition, but also to support bone health and help prevent osteoporosis. Readers will find straightforward discussions on technique, form, and how a trained professional can provide steady support, accountability, and tailored programs to keep them progressing safely.
Why Your Body Doesn’t Feel Full in Perimenopause: A Physician’s Look at Leptin
Perimenopause's hormonal shifts can disrupt leptin signaling, creating a disconnect between our fat cells and brain. This leptin resistance often results in difficulty feeling full and increased stress eating, especially after demanding days.The interplay between leptin resistance and perimenopausal metabolic changes creates a complex scenario affecting weight, energy, and overall well-being. However, there are effective strategies to improve leptin sensitivity
Perimenopause: The Power of Protein for Muscle Health and Weight Management
As hormones shift, maintaining muscle mass becomes more challenging, and you might notice unexpected changes in your body Increasing protein not only supports muscle maintenance but also aids in managing weight by promoting fullness and boosting metabolism.
Sipping Through Perimenopause: Health Benefits of a Warm Cup of Tea
Perimenopause can feel like an unpredictable journey filled with hot flashes, mood swings, and sleepless nights. Embracing the concept of "food as medicine," we can find comfort in the simple ritual of sipping healing teas. In my latest blog, I delve into how teas like red clover, sage, and chamomile offer not just warmth but potential relief from perimenopausal symptoms. These natural remedies have been cherished for their soothing properties—red clover may help balance hormones, sage could reduce night sweats, and chamomile might ease sleep disturbances. By integrating these teas into our daily routines, we create moments of mindfulness and self-care, nurturing ourselves from the inside out. Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider before introducing new herbal teas, especially those affecting hormone levels. Here's to finding tranquility and support in each comforting cup as we navigate this significant life transition together.
Understanding VO₂ Max During Perimenopause and Menopause
Menopause brings significant changes, and understanding your body's needs is crucial during this time. This blog explains VO₂ max—a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness—and its importance for women in perimenopause and menopause. It offers practical advice on improving VO₂ max through exercises like High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and hill training, tailored to support your health and well-being during this transition.
Understanding Menopause: What’s Happening in Your Body
Menopause is a natural stage of life, but its symptoms can feel anything but natural. From hot flashes and night sweats to mood swings and fatigue, these changes often leave women wondering how to regain a sense of balance. The good news is that while menopause symptoms can be disruptive, there are practical, evidence-based steps you can take to feel better and support your overall health during this transition.
The Power of Magnesium in Perimenopause
This blog explores the vital role of magnesium for women in perimenopause, highlighting how it supports metabolism, stress management, heart health, and muscle relaxation. Magnesium helps ease common symptoms such as sleep disturbances, muscle cramps, and fatigue, making it essential for maintaining energy and resilience in midlife. We’ll also cover recommended forms, like magnesium glycinate, for optimal absorption and digestive comfort.
Mindful Moments or Moving Muscles? The Benefits of Meditation and Exercise During Perimenopause and Menopause
Perimenopause and menopause bring unique physical, mental, and emotional changes, and combining meditation and exercise can be transformative in navigating this phase. Meditation helps manage stress, improve sleep, and build emotional resilience, while exercise boosts energy, strengthens bones, and sharpens mental clarity. Together, these practices create a balanced approach to wellness, helping women feel strong, focused, and grounded as they reclaim their vitality.
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection: What It Means for Us as Our Reproductive Years Wind Down
This blog explores how Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the concept of entropy relate to the menopausal transition, reframing this life stage as a powerful new beginning rather than an end. By understanding menopause as an opportunity to enhance both lifespan and healthspan, women can embrace this phase with renewed vitality, focusing on proactive health strategies to mitigate entropy’s effects and reclaim their well-being.
Reimagining Menopause: Insights from the New Pause Symposium Experience
Highlights from the New Pause symposium on October 19, 2024
Endometriosis & Perimenopause: Unlocking Relief with Traditional and Functional Medicine Approaches
Understand the intersection of endometriosis and perimenopause, focusing on traditional versus functional medicine approaches for diagnosis and treatment. Combining both approaches offers women an integrative path to managing endometriosis and hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause.
The Biological Functions of Estrogen: Understanding It’s Role in Perimenopause and Beyond
Estrogen is often referred to as the "fountain of youth" due to its vital role in maintaining cognitive function, bone strength, skin elasticity, and cardiovascular health. As women approach menopause and estrogen levels decline, the protective effects of this powerful hormone wane, making it essential to explore ways to support estrogen levels and reclaim vitality during this life stage.
The Menopausal Transition: A Critical Time for Your Health and Wellbeing
At Bonza Health, we believe menopause offers an opportunity to set the stage for a vibrant, healthy future. This blog highlights the importance of addressing the cardiovascular risks, body composition changes, and increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease that come with declining estrogen levels.
The Hormonal Triad: Estrogen, Progesterone, and Thyroid Health in Perimenopause and Menopause
Discover the intricate relationship between estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid health during perimenopause and menopause in this blog. Hormonal shifts in these life stages can disrupt thyroid function, leading to symptoms like fatigue, hair loss, and dry skin. Understanding how these hormones interact is essential for optimizing thyroid health and improving overall well-being. Learn how to manage these changes and when to get your thyroid levels checked for better hormonal balance.
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Ten reasons why menopause hormone therapy is preferred over birth control pills in perimenopausal women.
Understand the advantages of menopause hormone therapy (MHT) over birth control pills for perimenopausal women. MHT is specifically designed to address menopausal symptoms more effectively, offering lower hormone doses, better bone and cardiovascular protection, and improved management of irregular bleeding and sexual function.