Author name: Mariana Franco

Mariana Franco is a Behavioural Nutritionist who helps women 35+ break free from dieting and navigate perimenopause with confidence. Through her Take Charge program and community Beyond Diets, she empowers women to rebuild energy, trust their bodies, and create lasting lifestyle shifts without restriction.

Perimenopause and Formication: Causes, Triggers & Ways to Cope

Have you ever experienced the sensation of tiny insects crawling on your skin, prickling, or unexplained tingling, especially as you enter midlife? This phenomenon, known as formication, is surprisingly common in women during perimenopause. Understanding the connection between perimenopause and formication can help you find reassurance and practical relief. What Is Formication? Understanding the Sensation […]

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Perimenopause and Heartburn: Causes, Triggers & Practical Relief

Heartburn is an unwelcome guest at the best of times, but for many women, it can become more frequent and bothersome during perimenopause. Understanding the connection between perimenopause and heartburn is a key step to managing this uncomfortable symptom and feeling more settled in your daily life. Understanding the Link Between Perimenopause and Heartburn As

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Perimenopause and Pregnancy: Chances, Risks & What to Expect

The journey through perimenopause is full of hormonal twists and turns. For many women, one of the biggest questions is about fertility: can you still get pregnant during this time, what are the odds, and what should you watch for?Here’s a guide to understanding the complex relationship between perimenopause and pregnancy, so you can make

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Perimenopause and Tinnitus: Causes, Triggers & Ways to Cope

If you’ve begun noticing a persistent ringing, buzzing, or whooshing sound in your ears while navigating perimenopause, you’re not alone. The experience of tinnitus can be alarming and confusing, but understanding the connection between perimenopause and tinnitus can help you feel more in control and proactive. Understanding the Link Between Perimenopause and Tinnitus During perimenopause,

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Close-up photo of a woman placing a sad face card over her pelvic area, visually representing vaginal discomfort, itching and recurrent yeast infections commonly experienced during perimenopause due to hormonal changes

Perimenopause and Yeast Infection: Causes, Triggers & Lasting Relief

Experiencing unexpected symptoms like vaginal discomfort or recurrent itching during your 40s can feel confusing and isolating. If you’ve noticed more yeast infections cropping up during this time, you’re not alone. Understanding the connection between perimenopause and yeast infection is key to finding both relief and confidence. Understanding the Link Between Perimenopause and Yeast Infections

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Perimenopause and Itchy Scalp: Causes, Triggers & Soothing Solutions

Experiencing an itchy scalp for the first time as you move through perimenopause can be both confusing and uncomfortable. While hot flushes and mood changes tend to get all the attention, scalp discomfort is another frequent but under-recognised issue during this phase. Understanding the link between perimenopause and itchy scalp can help you take practical

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Perimenopause and Odor: Causes, Signs & Practical Solutions

Many women are surprised to notice changes in body or vaginal odour as they enter perimenopause. This topic can feel sensitive or even a little embarrassing, but it’s important to know you’re not alone and that these shifts are often a normal part of your body’s response to changing hormones.   Here’s what you need to

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Three sanitary pads on a red background, representing different levels and appearances of bleeding or spotting during perimenopause.

Spotting and Perimenopause: Causes, Patterns & When to Seek Help

Have you noticed unexpected spotting, unusual colours, or light bleeding outside your typical period pattern? You’re not alone—spotting and perimenopause often go hand in hand. Understanding what’s happening can demystify these changes and help you feel in control during this important phase. What Is Spotting During Perimenopause? Spotting refers to light bleeding between menstrual periods

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Hip Pain and Perimenopause: Causes, Triggers & Ways to Cope  

Hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings—these are the perimenopause symptoms we all expect. But hip pain? Many women are surprised when this nagging ache appears (or worsens) during the transition to menopause. Let’s make sense of how hip pain and perimenopause are intertwined, what signals to look for, and how you can support your joints

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A tired-looking woman in her 40s experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and PMDD, such as a headache or fatigue, while sitting on a sofa holding a cup of tea.

Perimenopause and PMDD: Causes, Symptoms & Management Strategies

Many women are familiar with PMS, but premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) during perimenopause is a more severe condition. While PMS may cause irritability or bloating, PMDD brings debilitating mood shifts, anxiety, and physical symptoms that interfere with daily life.   During perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause, hormone fluctuations become more erratic. For women already

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Perimenopause and Itchy Skin: Causes, Signs & Ways to Cope

If you’re navigating perimenopause and finding your skin more irritable, dry, or inexplicably itchy, you’re not alone. “Perimenopause and itchy skin” is a far more common struggle than most imagine, and it arises directly from the shifting hormonal landscape your body is experiencing. Let’s break down what’s going on, why the sensation tends to get

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Perimenopause and Back Pain: Understanding Causes & Finding Relief

When you think about perimenopause, back pain probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But for many women, the link between perimenopause and back pain is real—and it can sneak up just when you’re juggling everything else that midlife throws your way. Let’s break down how perimenopause affects your back health, explore the

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Perimenopause and Cramps: Causes, Symptoms & Effective Relief

Thought cramps were only a period problem? Many women are surprised (and frustrated) to find pelvic cramps sticking around—or even getting worse—during perimenopause. This transition phase isn’t just about hot flushes and mood swings; fluctuating hormones can make your uterus, gut, and muscles more reactive. So why does it happen, what does it mean, and

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Woman with hand near ear showing discomfort during perimenopause

Itchy Ears and Perimenopause: Causes, Symptoms and Relief Tips

Have your ears suddenly become itchy, dry, blocked or unusually sensitive during perimenopause? You may have noticed other changes at the same time, such as ringing in your ears, ear pressure, a feeling of fullness, increased sensitivity to sound or occasional ear pain. Hormonal changes may play a role in some ear and hearing symptoms

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