Bellevue Natural Health Clinic

Bellevue Natural Health Clinic www.bnhc.ca Bellevue Natural Health Clinic helps individuals restore health through functional medicine. Full laboratory testing available.

Bellevue Natural Health is a multi-disciplinary alternative health clinic offering: naturopathic medicine, registered massage therapy, acupuncture, and far-infrared sauna therapy sessions. We focus on women's health, hormone balancing, sports medicine, injury rehabilitation, allergies and more!

Still waiting on your hormones to tell you if it’s perimenopause?You might be looking in the wrong place.Here’s the thin...
11/24/2025

Still waiting on your hormones to tell you if it’s perimenopause?
You might be looking in the wrong place.

Here’s the thing most people aren’t told:
We don’t actually need hormone labs to diagnose perimenopause.
And in many cases, they aren’t helpful for treatment either.

Why?
Because your hormones are constantly shifting. A blood test gives us a snapshot in time—but perimenopause is a moving picture.

Instead, we look at:

Your symptoms

Patterns over time

And we rule out other causes for what you’re feeling

That’s why I often run labs like:

HbA1C and fasting glucose (for metabolic shifts)

Lipid profile (for cardiovascular risk)

Iron and ferritin (especially with heavy periods)

Thyroid panel

B12 and Vitamin D

Liver and kidney function (to support safe treatment)

These give us a clearer picture of your health—and a safer path forward.

Curious about what testing makes the most sense for you?
Let’s start with your symptoms, and build from there.

11/21/2025

ADHD can feel louder during menopause.
And for some women, that brain fog might be undiagnosed ADHD.

The hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause don’t just affect hot flashes and sleep. They also impact how your brain works—and for those with ADHD, that impact can feel intense.

Here’s why:
Estrogen supports dopamine.
Dopamine supports focus, motivation, memory, and task initiation.
So when estrogen drops, dopamine signalling often struggles—and ADHD symptoms can spike.

This means:

Brain fog feels heavier

Focus and follow-through are harder

Emotional regulation can feel non-existent

Routines that used to work might fall apart

And for women who’ve been unknowingly managing undiagnosed ADHD for years?
Perimenopause can push those symptoms to the surface—hard.

The symptoms often overlap:

Word-finding issues

Forgetfulness

Low motivation

Sensory sensitivity

Mood swings

It’s not “just hormones” and it’s not “just ADHD”—it’s how the two interact.

If your cognitive symptoms feel like they’ve intensified lately, it’s worth taking a closer look.
Let’s stop minimizing the brain in this hormone conversation.

11/20/2025

If your mood’s been flat, heavy, or just “off”… you’re not alone—and you’re not out of options.

Low mood during perimenopause is common, but that doesn’t mean you have to just live with it.

Hormonal shifts can impact neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, making you more vulnerable to mood dips—even if nothing else has changed.

One gentle but powerful tool?
Acupuncture.

Research shows that acupuncture may help:

Regulate the nervous system

Improve circulation and energy flow

Support neurotransmitter activity

Reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms

In practice, I often combine acupuncture with nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and targeted supplementation—for a whole-person approach to emotional health.

If your mood has taken a hit and nothing seems to help, acupuncture might be worth exploring.

Have you tried acupuncture for mood support? I’d love to hear your experience—or answer any questions you have.

You wouldn’t hand a baby an iPad and expect them to drift off peacefully.So why do we expect our brains to shut down wit...
11/18/2025

You wouldn’t hand a baby an iPad and expect them to drift off peacefully.
So why do we expect our brains to shut down without a wind-down routine?

Sleep is a biological process—but it’s also a transition.

And most of us try to skip that step.

After a full day of multitasking, screen time, and problem-solving, we head straight to bed and expect to fall asleep.
No wonder it’s not working.

A proper wind-down routine tells your nervous system:
“It’s okay to slow down now.”
And that’s not optional in perimenopause, when cortisol, melatonin, and hormone shifts all start playing by different rules.

Here are some of my go-to strategies:

Warm bath or sauna

Reading (a real book, not the news)

Journalling or brain-dumping

Deep breathing or guided relaxation

Dimming the lights an hour before bed

It doesn’t need to be elaborate.
But it does need to be consistent.

Do you have a wind-down ritual that actually works for you? I’d love to hear it.
Or save this post for the next time your brain won’t shut off.

Heavy periods and low iron often go hand in hand—and not in a good way.If your cycle has you doubling protection, changi...
11/17/2025

Heavy periods and low iron often go hand in hand—and not in a good way.

If your cycle has you doubling protection, changing your schedule, or planning life around your flow... it’s worth asking: Have I checked my iron lately?

Here’s the thing most people don’t realize:

Heavy bleeding depletes iron

Low iron can worsen fatigue, mood, and… yes, even bleeding

This creates a loop where your symptoms feed each other

Low iron isn’t just about feeling tired.
It can also affect your thyroid, your energy, your hair—and how your body regulates your menstrual cycle.

The fix?
Test your levels. Don’t guess.
Knowing your iron status is a simple step that can change how you feel all month long.

Have you ever had your iron tested because of your period? What did you learn?
Share your experience—or save this to come back to before your next bloodwork.

She used to miss work, family time, and entire weekends—just trying to survive the pain.This patient came to me with chr...
11/13/2025

She used to miss work, family time, and entire weekends—just trying to survive the pain.

This patient came to me with chronic migraines—the kind that showed up multiple times per week and left her in a dark room for hours, unable to function.

She had tried everything: pain meds, supplements, hydration, lifestyle changes.
But nothing was helping consistently.

We started a treatment plan using Botox for chronic migraines—a Health Canada-approved, evidence-based approach for patients with 15+ headache days per month.

After just four treatments, her words?

“I feel like a new person.”

She’s no longer living on Tylenol and triptans.
She’s back at her kids’ games.
She’s not afraid to plan her week.

And that’s the power of the right care, at the right time.

If migraines are disrupting your life, don’t settle for survival mode.
Let’s talk about what’s possible—there are more options than you’ve been told.

If you’ve been taking all the right supplements but still feel wiped out, there may be a reason they’re not working.When...
11/11/2025

If you’ve been taking all the right supplements but still feel wiped out, there may be a reason they’re not working.

When you're chronically fatigued—and especially if you’re slow to respond to supplementation—it’s often not about what you’re taking... but how well your body is absorbing it.

Stress, inflammation, poor gut function, and years of overextension can impair nutrient absorption.

And if your cells can’t access what they need? Energy production flatlines.

This is where IV nutrient therapy can help.

By delivering a customized blend of nutrients and minerals directly into the bloodstream, we bypass the digestive system and allow for immediate use by your cells.

This can be especially helpful for:

Persistent fatigue

Slow recovery

Brain fog

Mitochondrial dysfunction

Nutrient deficiencies that don’t resolve with oral supplementation

Every formula I use is tailored to your body—based on symptoms, clinical history, and lab data.

If your body isn’t responding to what you’ve tried, it might be time to try a different route.
Ask me about IV therapy or send a message to learn more.

Is intermittent fasting actually helping you—or just making you hangry?Let’s cut through the hype.Intermittent fasting h...
11/10/2025

Is intermittent fasting actually helping you—or just making you hangry?

Let’s cut through the hype.

Intermittent fasting has been promoted as a cure-all for weight, brain fog, and blood sugar. But when we look at the research, the real benefit seems to come from calorie control, not the fasting window itself.

And for many women in perimenopause, fasting can backfire—especially if your mornings feel moody, sluggish, or overly anxious.

Here’s what to try instead:

Eat a protein-rich breakfast within an hour of waking

Stabilize your blood sugar early in the day

Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime to support sleep and digestion

This simple shift often leads to better energy, fewer cravings, and less morning anxiety—without needing to push your body harder.

Have you tried intermittent fasting? What did you notice?
Let’s compare notes in the comments.

11/07/2025

We need to stop prescribing exercise just for how it makes us look—and start focusing on how it helps us live.

For too long, exercise has been marketed as a way to “shrink,” “tone,” or “fix” our bodies.

But the research is clear:
Muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness are two of the biggest predictors of healthspan—the number of years you live with vitality.

More muscle (and holding onto it as we age) is linked to:

Better metabolic health

Reduced injury risk

Lower inflammation

Greater independence in later years

Movement matters for your muscles and your heart.
Strength training. Walking. Cardio. Mobility work.
It all counts—and it all compounds.

There’s nothing wrong with having aesthetic goals.
But the real question is:
What kind of health are you building for the next 10, 20, 30 years?

What’s your movement goal right now—and how does it support your long-term health?
Let’s normalize training for life, not just for looks.

Is that weird new anxiety or random insomnia just from getting older? Or is something bigger going on? 🤔Every woman asks...
11/07/2025

Is that weird new anxiety or random insomnia just from getting older? Or is something bigger going on? 🤔

Every woman asks this! In perimenopause, it’s so confusing to tell the difference, but you don’t have to guess anymore.

𝗦𝗪𝗜𝗣𝗘 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀:

The "Switch Flipped" Clue: If symptoms like anxiety or trouble sleeping showed up suddenly, it's likely hormonal chaos crashing the party (Slide 3).

The "Decade" Clue: If changes are super gradual and tied to less activity, it might just be the simple passing of time (Slide 4).

The Secret Weapon: Why tracking your weird symptoms is better than any lab test right now (Slide 5).

Save this post and listen to the full episode of Pause, Please! to get the clarity you deserve. You're not crazy—you're transitioning! 🎧

Let’s talk about one of my favourite adaptogens for energy and resiliency: Cordyceps.If you’ve been feeling worn down—me...
11/06/2025

Let’s talk about one of my favourite adaptogens for energy and resiliency: Cordyceps.

If you’ve been feeling worn down—mentally, physically, or both—Cordyceps might be worth knowing about.

Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, Cordyceps has more recently caught the attention of researchers for its impact on:

Cellular energy production

Respiratory health (especially asthma and bronchitis)

Immune function

Healthy cholesterol levels

Antiviral and anti-tumor properties

I often reach for it in perimenopausal care when a patient is:

Wired and tired

Recovering from chronic stress

Feeling depleted or immune-compromised

Managing ongoing respiratory conditions

Unlike stimulants that push your system harder, Cordyceps works by improving how your body adapts to stress—supporting energy from the inside out.

As always, quality matters, and it’s important to match the herb to the person.

Curious if Cordyceps might be right for you? Let me know in the comments or check with your practitioner.
And if you’ve tried it, I’d love to hear your experience.

We plan everything—except our recovery.And in perimenopause? That’s exactly what needs more attention.If you’re feeling ...
11/05/2025

We plan everything—except our recovery.
And in perimenopause? That’s exactly what needs more attention.

If you’re feeling overstimulated, exhausted, or like you’re constantly “on,” it’s not just stress—it’s your nervous system telling you it needs more support.

Estrogen and progesterone influence how your body regulates stress.
As they decline, your capacity to buffer day-to-day demands often goes with them.

The solution isn’t to push through.
It’s to create small, intentional moments of rest.

I call them self-care snacks.

They’re short, restorative practices that don’t require a full day off or a perfect routine. Just small choices that shift you out of survival mode.

Try:

Ten minutes of reading something light

A hot bath before bed

Five minutes of quiet (no tasks, no phone)

Tea in your favorite chair, just breathing

Small acts of recovery create real change in a nervous system that’s doing more than ever.

What’s your go-to recovery ritual these days? Let me know in the comments.
And if this resonates, save it for a day when you need the reminder.

Address

22-285 17th Street
West Vancouver, BC
V7V3S6

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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