Conversations around hormonal changes and cycling through perimenopause and menopause are a day-to-day occurrence at The Reset Lab, a professional health studio focused on guiding women through life’s changes.

The Wānaka based business is led by functional medicine practitioner Kaz von Heraud-Parker, a New Zealand registered naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist.

“ Many women have no idea what is going on with their own cycle or where they are at on their hormonal journey,” says Kaz. “ Increasingly they are looking for guidance as there can be a lot of confusion particularly with perimenopause around what solutions are available to stabilise their hormonal balance.”

“ Menopause is a transition from having regular periods to not having any. It doesn’t just happen overnight and can take a women up to ten years. This process generally starts around 42 years of age and finishes around 52 years.”

Transitional indicators can include weight gain, a change in the length of a period cycle, mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats, digestive issues and insomnia. 

The Reset Lab takes a holistic approach including using the gold standard in functional medicine testing called the Dutch test that is conducted in a US laboratory.

“ Every woman is individual and health can be a complex puzzle so we go through a comprehensive list of questions and testing including reviewing standard blood testing,” she says. “The Dutch test is incredibly helpful in understanding the balance of a client’s hormones and how they are detoxifying. It shows the markers for adrenal health which is important as adrenals are the backup operating system when ovaries start to slow down hormone production.”

“ From this test we can also see if cells are absorbing B vitamins and get a snapshot of a client’s brain chemistry and anti-oxidant status. From here we design a very tailored approach including effective nutrition, herbal and supplement options for symptom relief.”

The Reset Lab programme takes approximately two to three months and Kas says it provides women with a good understanding of how to rebalance their health.

Kaz says making pivotal shifts in nutrition and lifestyle before hormone production lowers can make a significant difference.

“ It is really good to get your health and hormones in balance before your body starts to shift and we work with women in their late 30s to early 40s to prepare for this.  However you can always reset at any stage during the process and we work with many clients already in the process.”