Health by Design owner Jeannie Peck says, “The transition between peri-menopause, a point in time usually lasting approximately 12 months after a woman’s last period and menopause, or the absence of a monthly period, usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 65.”

Peck, a traditional naturopath and functional nutrition clinician, explains that while up to 80 percent of women going through menopause are affected by temperature disregulation or vasomotor symptoms, otherwise known as hot flashes and night sweats, more than 70 percent of women with menopausal symptoms go untreated. Weight gain, bloating, migraines, fatigue, vaginal dryness, low libido, breast tenderness, spotting, heavy flows, clotting, irregular periods and even depression and anxiety can all be symptoms of pre- and post-menopause.

While Peck will work with lab test results that have been ordered by a medical doctor, she most often recommends a saliva hormone test that can be done at home, explaining, “I can see the whole picture of what your steroidal hormone levels are within a 24-hour period.”