Perimenopause & Menopause

Suddenly bloated after every meal? Constipated in a way you never were before? Your clothes fitting differently even though nothing else has changed? You’re not imagining it. As estrogen and progesterone shift through perimenopause and menopause, your gut feels it too.

We help women feel like themselves again through this transition, with colon hydrotherapy to relieve the constipation and bloating that so often come with shifting hormones, and restorative infrared sauna and PEMF sessions to ease aches, calm stress and support better sleep.

New or worsening bloating and constipation
Weight gain, especially around the middle
Poor sleep, fatigue and brain fog
Mood swings, anxiety or feeling “not yourself”

Understanding Hormones & Your Gut

Your gut and your hormones are in constant conversation, and when one changes, so does the other. Open each section below to learn what’s happening in your body and how we can help.

What's Happening in Perimenopause & Menopause

Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause, and it often begins in your early to mid-40s, sometimes earlier. It can last anywhere from a few years to over a decade. Menopause is officially reached after 12 months in a row without a period, and everything after that is postmenopause.

Perimenopause isn’t a smooth, steady decline. Estrogen can swing higher and lower than you’ve ever experienced, sometimes in the same month, while progesterone typically falls earlier and more steadily. That means many women spend years with estrogen that’s high relative to progesterone, before both settle at lower levels after menopause.

Common signs of this transition:

Irregular, heavier or lighter periods
Hot flashes and night sweats
Poor sleep and waking through the night
Bloating, constipation and new food sensitivities
Weight gain, especially around the abdomen
Mood swings, anxiety and irritability
Brain fog and fatigue
Joint aches and dry skin

Digestive symptoms are among the most common and least talked about. A 2025 study presented at The Menopause Society found that 94% of midlife women reported digestive symptoms, with bloating and constipation leading the list.

How Hormones Affect Your Digestion

Your digestive tract is lined with receptors for estrogen and progesterone, so as these hormones shift, the way your gut moves, senses and protects itself shifts too.

Slower motility: hormone changes affect the muscle contractions that move food through your gut. When transit slows, stool sits in the colon longer, becomes harder and drier, and traps gas behind it, causing constipation and bloating.
Progesterone shifts: progesterone relaxes smooth muscle, including the bowel. Its ups and downs can swing digestion between sluggish and unsettled.
A more sensitive gut: estrogen helps regulate how sensitive the gut is to pain and pressure. As it changes, normal digestion can feel uncomfortable.
A weaker gut lining: estrogen helps keep the gut barrier strong. As it declines, the lining can become more permeable, contributing to inflammation, bloating and new food sensitivities.
Changes in gut bacteria: microbial diversity tends to decrease through menopause, which affects digestion, immunity and even how your body processes hormones.
Stress and poor sleep: night sweats and broken sleep raise cortisol, which slows digestion and increases gut sensitivity through the gut-brain connection.
Reflux: many women notice new or worsening heartburn and reflux during this transition.

The Gut-Estrogen Connection

Your gut plays a surprisingly big role in how much estrogen circulates in your body, through a group of gut bacteria known as the estrobolome.

How it works:

Step 1: once your body has used estrogen, your liver “packages” it so it can be eliminated, and sends it into your gut through bile.
Step 2: certain gut bacteria produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which can “unpackage” that estrogen back into its active form.
Step 3: that reactivated estrogen can then be reabsorbed into your bloodstream instead of leaving your body in your stool.

Why your bowels matter: when your gut bacteria are out of balance, or stool sits in your colon for too long, there’s more opportunity for estrogen to be reactivated and recirculated rather than eliminated. In perimenopause, when estrogen is already swinging high, this can add to symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, heavy periods and mood swings.

After menopause, a healthy, diverse microbiome continues to matter for metabolism, weight, bone health and inflammation.

This is why regular, complete bowel movements, one to three times a day, and a well-balanced microbiome are so important through every stage of this transition. Your bowels are one of your body’s main exits for hormones it has finished using.

Supporting Your Body Day to Day

Every woman’s body is biochemically different, and so is every transition. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan, but these are the foundations we guide our clients through:

Keep your bowels moving

Stay hydrated with electrolytes, and start your morning with warm lemon water or herbal tea.
Be thoughtful with fibre: fibre helps carry used estrogen out of your body, but when you’re already constipated or bloated, the wrong kind or too much at once can make things worse. Gentle, soluble fibre like chia, ground flax and oats is usually easier to tolerate, and it’s best increased slowly with plenty of water.
Move daily: walking, strength training and yoga all support motility, muscle and mood.

Support healthy hormone balance through food

Cruciferous vegetables, with care: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts contain compounds that support healthy estrogen metabolism, but they’re also high in gas-producing fibre. If you’re constipated or bloated, hold off or keep portions small and well cooked until your bowels are moving well again.
Protein at every meal: to protect muscle and bone, which decline faster after menopause.
Fermented vegetables and plant variety: to support a diverse microbiome and a healthy estrobolome, introduced gradually.
Limit alcohol and sugar: alcohol raises estrogen and worsens hot flashes and sleep, and sugar spikes fuel cravings and weight gain around the middle.
Skip coffee on an empty stomach: it raises cortisol and can worsen anxiety, hot flashes and digestion.

Calm the nervous system

Prioritize sleep: a cool, dark room and a consistent bedtime help.
Manage stress: slow breathing, time outdoors and restorative practices lower cortisol, which supports both hormones and digestion.
Magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy greens, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, support relaxation and sleep.
Targeted supplement support: the right supplements can make a real difference through this transition, but they should be chosen for your body, guided by your blood work and any medications you take. Ask us what we recommend for you.

Is Colon Hydrotherapy Right for You?

Your safety comes first. We review your health history before every first session. For your safety, we’re unable to offer colon hydrotherapy if you have any of the following:

Kidney (renal) failure
Liver cirrhosis
Heart failure
Intestinal perforation
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Diverticulitis
Lupus
Abdominal hernia
Pregnancy
Anal fissures
Colon cancer

Hemorrhoids: we can’t treat hemorrhoids that are severe, bleeding, or have been operated on or treated. If your hemorrhoids have bled, please wait three weeks from the last time you saw blood on wiping.

Surgery: any colon or abdominal surgery, abdominal repair or liposuction in the last six months must be cleared with us first, and we may ask for a doctor’s note. If you’ve had any recent surgery, please confirm with us before booking.

Mobility: you’re welcome to come with an attendant. If you need one and don’t have one, we’re unable to do the colonic at our clinic.

Weight: we can’t treat anyone over 300 lb or under 80 lb.

Age: we can’t treat anyone over 80. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign off and be present.

Not sure if colon hydrotherapy is right for you? Call us at (905) 940-7373 and we’ll talk it through.

How We Can Support You

Colon Hydrotherapy

Your bowels are one of your body's main exits for used hormones. Colon hydrotherapy gently relieves constipation and bloating, supporting regular, complete elimination.

Infrared Sauna

A calming ritual for body and mind that eases muscle and joint tension. If you're prone to hot flashes, we'll start with shorter, gentler sessions.

PEMF Therapy

Deep, restorative time on the mat. Many women use PEMF to unwind, ease aches and support better sleep through the transition.

Nutritional Counselling

We'll build a plan that supports healthy hormone metabolism, a balanced gut and steady energy, tailored to where you are in your transition.

Ready to Feel Lighter?

Whether you’re just entering perimenopause or you’re well into menopause, you don’t have to accept feeling bloated, sluggish and unlike yourself. Book your first visit, call us at (905) 940-7373, or visit our FAQ page for answers to common questions.