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Gina Lopez | Clinical Nutrition + Gut Health

@sherowellness

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Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner | Supporting women 40+ to make sense of perimenopause ☀️Nourish Your Inner Hero

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One of the first signs of my perimenopause was a 3am wake-up I blamed on stress.

Even with all my training, I didn’t connect it. The early signs are quiet, and most of us were only ever told about hot flashes and missed periods.

Progesterone tends to dip first. It’s the hormone that calms your nervous system and helps you stay asleep, so the earliest changes often show up in your sleep and your mood, well before your period does anything dramatic.

If any of this sounds familiar, here’s a simple place to start. For the next two or three cycles, jot down:

🔹 What time you wake in the night
🔹 The length of your cycle
🔹 Your mood in the week before your period

A few weeks of notes gives you a pattern you can see, and something concrete to bring to your provider. Your pattern won’t look exactly like mine or your best friend’s, and that’s useful information too.

There is no fear in feedback. Your body is telling you a transition has started, and once you can name it, you can start supporting it.

Which of these early signs showed up first for you? I’d love to hear.
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#perimenopausesymptoms #perimenopausesupport #hormonehealth #womenover40 #midlifewellness by @sherowellness

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3 days ago

If you’ve ever been told your bloating is “normal,” I want you to hear this:

Occasional bloating happens. Daily bloating is information.

Especially when it comes with fatigue, mood swings, skin changes, or that “what is my body doing now?” feeling.
Welcome to perimenopause, where the plot loves to thicken.

Your gut helps process estrogen through a group of bacteria called the estrobolome.
When that system is out of balance, bloating can be one of the first signals.

👉🏼Start simple.
Chew slower.
Add fiber or fermented foods gradually.
Notice which meals leave you uncomfortable.

Your body is giving you information.
There is no fear in feedback, only data worth listening to.

I’d love to hear - has bloating been a regular thing for you lately?
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#guthealth #estrobolome #hormonebalance #bloatingrelief #womenshealth by @sherowellness

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5 days ago

The mornings are getting darker and your body noticed before you did.

As the days get shorter, the light cues that tell your body when to wake up and when to wind down get quieter.

That can show up as a harder time getting out of bed, a slower start, or that foggy feeling that lingers past your morning coffee.

Your circadian rhythm takes its cues from light, not just the clock.

Getting outside within the first 30 to 60 minutes of waking, even for five minutes without sunglasses, helps set that internal clock for the day.

No app or supplement replaces this one.

It’s a small shift, but your hormones are listening to cues like this constantly, whether you’re paying attention or not.

Have you noticed the shorter days affecting your energy yet?

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#circadianrhythm #morninglight #hormonebalance #womensfunctionalhealth #seasonalwellness by @sherowellness

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9 days ago

If your energy crashes by 10am no matter how much coffee you drink, this is for you.

For years my breakfast was whatever I could eat standing up, usually just coffee and whatever was in reach on my way out the door.

By mid morning I’d be digging through my bag for something sweet, wondering why I felt so drained already.

What I found out is that crash usually comes from blood sugar.
A breakfast without protein gives you a quick spike and a quick drop, and in perimenopause that dip can hit harder than it used to.

Now I aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein first thing.

This could look like:
👉🏼 3 eggs + 3 egg whites
👉🏼 1 cup Greek yogurt
👉🏼 A protein shake on busier mornings

Adding a little fiber or healthy fat on top slows things down even more and keeps your energy steadier through the morning.

Small changes here tend to add up fast. Most women notice a difference within a week or two.

Tell me below -what does your typical breakfast look like these days?
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#perimenopausenutrition #bloodsugarbalance #hormonehealth #womensnutrition #midlifewellness by @sherowellness

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10 days ago

Coffee was my breakfast for most of my 30s and 40s.

Black coffee, a full calendar, and a to-do list that thought it was the boss of me. The shakiness and jitters felt so normal that I stopped noticing them.

Here’s what I wish I’d known sooner. Cortisol naturally rises in the first hour after waking. That’s your body helping you get going. When I poured coffee on top of that with no food, my blood sugar had nothing to steady it.

By 2 p.m. I was foggy and reaching for another cup that left me wired and still tired. It was always loudest the week before my period.

In my late 40s I started experimenting with eating something within 60 to 90 minutes of waking. Protein made the biggest difference for me. My energy, focus, and mood all felt steadier.

And if you don’t have time to cook a whole breakfast, same, friend. The bar is lower than you think:

🔹 Boiled eggs and avocado
🔹 Greek yogurt with berries
🔹 A hearty protein shake
🔹 Last night’s leftovers

Simple, real food that tells your body the day isn’t starting in survival mode.

If your morning is coffee first and food maybe later, no shame. I lived there for a long time. Your body might be asking for more support than caffeine and good intentions, and it’s never too late to start nourishing it.

Try it for a week and notice what you feel. There is no fear in feedback.

What does your morning look like right now, and what are you willing to experiment with? Tell me below.
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#perimenopausenutrition #proteinbreakfast #bloodsugarbalance #womenover40health #cortisolsupport by @sherowellness

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12 days ago

For years, I couldn’t understand why I felt so depleted.

I was eating healthy. Taking supplements. Trying to do all the “right” things.

And still, my energy kept dropping. My hair was thinning. My nails became brittle. Brain fog was becoming way too normal.

When I finally did comprehensive functional lab testing, one big clue showed up: **malabsorption**

In plain English? I was eating nutritious foods, but my body wasn’t absorbing the nutrients efficiently.

Suddenly, so much made sense. My body wasn’t just asking for more vitamins. She was asking for help in *using* the nutrients I was already giving her.

That shifted everything.

Instead of chasing every symptom like a full-time job, we looked at what was happening in my digestion and why my body wasn’t getting what it needed.

This is why I’m such a believer in finding the **why** symptoms are happening instead of just silencing them.

Especially in perimenopause, our bodies get louder for a reason.

Your body is intelligent. She’s always leaving clues.

🧡 Have you ever had a test reveal something that changed how you understood your health?
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#guthealth #functionalmedicine #womenshealth #hormonehealth #healthdetective by @sherowellness

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19 days ago

Ever feel like you spend all week building healthy habits...

Only to wake up Monday morning feeling like you’re starting from scratch?

Samesies. You’re not alone.

I hear this from women all the time. “I eat well, move my body, get into a good rhythm, and then the weekend shows up with later nights, sleeping in, snacks, plans, and “just one more episode.”

Monday arrives... And suddenly I’m groggy, and sluggish, like my energy packed a weekend bag and forgot to come home.

One reason could be something called **social jet lag**

Even if your bedtime only shifts a little, sleeping in significantly on the weekends can throw off your body’s internal clock.

Your circadian rhythm loves consistency. So when your wake-up time shifts by a couple of hours every weekend, your body can feel like it got dragged into a new time zone without consent.

The good news? You don’t have to become a weekend robot.

Sleep a little later. Enjoy the slower morning. Live your life.

But keeping your wake-up time fairly consistent can help your body stay anchored, especially in perimenopause when sleep, energy, and mood can be a little more dramatic than requested. Your morning routine is what helps set the tone for your body’s internal clock.

Progress doesn’t disappear over the weekend. Sometimes your body just needs a steady rhythm.

🧡 What does your weekend sleep routine usually look like?
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#circadianrhythm #perimenopause #hormonehealth #sleephealth #womenswellness by @sherowellness

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20 days ago

One of the biggest mistakes I see women make in perimenopause?

Cutting out an entire macronutrient like carbs or carbohydrates. It’s as if carbs personally offended us.

Somewhere along the way, we were told that if we want to lose weight, balance our hormones, or feel healthier, carbs had to go.

So we skip fruit. Fear potatoes. Side-eye rice. Pass on oats.

And sure, it may feel like it’s “working” for a minute. Until the energy drops, workouts feel harder, mood gets spicy, and cravings show up wearing a name tag.

Here’s the truth: carbs are not the enemy.

Your body uses carbs for energy. The goal isn’t to eliminate them. It’s to choose the ones that nourish you.

Think colorful fruit, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beans, lentils, quinoa, oats, and minimally processed whole grains.

When you pair quality carbohydrates with protein, healthy fats, and fiber- you have steady energy, better blood sugar support, and a body that feels less like it’s running on fumes.

Your body doesn’t thrive on restriction. She thrives on nourishment.

🧡 I’m curious, what’s your relationship with carbs these days… do you embrace them, avoid them, or are you somewhere in between?
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#perimenopause #hormonehealth #womenshealth #bloodsugar #nutrition by @sherowellness

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25 days ago

Ever feel hungry... even though you just ate?

You’re not imagining it.

Many women notice their hunger cues change during perimenopause. You finish a meal, clean up the kitchen, and an hour later your brain is whispering, “Wanna snacky snack?”

One reason may be that your signals to indicate “hunger and fullness” aren’t working as efficiently as they used to.

A hormone called **Leptin** helps to tell your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. But poor sleep, chronic stress, blood sugar swings, and ultra-processed foods can make it harder for your body to respond and hear that message clearly.

So instead of blaming willpower, let’s look at support.

One of my favorite simple shifts is building meals around **protein and fiber**.

Eggs with sautéed vegetables.
Greek yogurt with berries and chia seeds.
Grilled salmon with roasted vegetables.

Protein helps with fullness. Fiber slows digestion and supports steady blood sugar. Together, they help your body feel satisfied longer.

You don’t have to fight your hunger. Yay!

Sometimes your body is asking for steady nourishment.

🧡 When does hunger show up most for you: afternoon, after dinner or all day?
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#perimenopause #hormonehealth #bloodsugar #womenshealth #nutrition by @sherowellness

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a month ago

When did waking up stiff and achy become “normal?”

So many women tell me it feels like it happened overnight.

Knees creaking when you get out of bed. Hands feeling stiff in the morning. A body that suddenly feels older than you do.

And it’s easy to think, “Well, I guess this is just aging.”

But hold on, ma’am. Let’s not blame every ache on birthdays. Sometimes your body is asking for more support.

Inflammation can be influenced by blood sugar, gut health, stress, sleep, hormones, and the foods we eat. And in perimenopause, those signals can get a little louder.

For me, one simple shift was adding more foods that support a healthy inflammatory response: wild salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, sardines, colorful vegetables.

And yes, I eased up on the ultra-processed snacks. Not perfect. Just supportive.

Because feeling achy, exhausted, and inflamed shouldn’t automatically be dismissed as “just getting older.”

Sometimes your body is asking you to listen.

🧡 Where do you notice inflammation showing up?
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#inflammation #nutrition #hormonehealth #womenshealth #perimenopause by @sherowellness

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a month ago

Have you ever noticed your body about to brace itself… before the stressful thing even happens?

Mine did.

Before a meeting. Before opening my inbox. Before answering a phone call. Even before walking out the door some mornings.

My shoulders would tense. My jaw would clench. My breathing would get shallow.

It was as if my body was preparing for danger, even though it was a regular Tuesday.

I didn’t realize my nervous system had gotten stuck in “go mode.” It wasn’t waiting for an actual emergency. It was responding to a life that rarely slowed down.

One of the simplest things that helped me in perimenopause wasn’t another supplement or wellness routine.

It was giving my body two minutes to feel safe again.

Feet on the floor. One hand on my heart. Slow breath in...
...and an even slower breath out.

Just a minute or two. Nothing fancy. No wellness retreat required.

Over time, those moments added up. I felt calmer, more present, and less like I was sprinting through my own life.

Sometimes supporting our hormones, energy and well-being starts with reminding the nervous system, “We’re safe.”

🧡Does your body tense up before stressful moments too?
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#nervoussystem #stressrelief #hormonehealth #womenshealth #perimenopause by @sherowellness

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a month ago

You can drink water all day...

...and still not feel hydrated.

Ask me how I know. I used to carry a giant water container everywhere like it was a personality trait.

And I STILL felt thirsty, dragging and drained more often than I expected.

That’s when I learned hydration is more than drinking water.

Your body also needs minerals and electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium to help maintain fluid balance and use the water you’re drinking.

Now I don’t just focus on drinking more water. I focus on helping my body hold onto it and use it well.

How? Mineral-rich foods. Electrolytes. Mineral drops. Sometimes a tiny pinch of good sea salt in my morning water.

Just small support that makes a difference, especially in perimenopause when our bodies can feel a little more sensitive to stress, sleep, heat, and hormone shifts.

💧 Hydration isn’t just about drinking more water. It’s about nourishing your body enough feel hydrated.

Use code *SHERO* with BEAM MINERALS to get the hydration your body needs- in your cells!

🧡Do you carry a container for water everywhere too and what do you put in your water?
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#hydration #minerals #water #nutrition #womenshealth by @sherowellness

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a month ago