Histamine overload can drive anxiety, bloating, hormonal symptoms, and that wired but exhausted feeling. For many women, the root cause is genetic.

If PMS, migraines, gut sensitivity, or burnout keep cycling despite doing all the right things, you are not broken. Your DAO, COMT, and MTHFR genes may be shaping how your body responds to histamine, hormones, and stress.

Here is what every woman needs to know to finally make sense of her symptoms.

Feel dismissed by your doctor about MTHFR or methylation issues? Clinical Nutritionist Kirstie Vesseur explains why you’re not stuck—and how nutritional genomics and gene testing in NZ can help you take back control of your health.

Hormonal birth control can influence mood, gut health, nutrients, and hormone balance. Learn how it works, common side effects, and how to support your body during and after birth control use.

Understanding Somatic Experiencing, Stress Responses, and the Path Back to Safety

Most women who come through my doors aren’t just tired — they’re wired, foggy, and wondering why their body seems to be working against them.

They’ve cleaned up their diet. They’re taking the supplements. They're doing the work.

But they still feel anxious, inflamed, hormonally chaotic, and “off.”

The truth?

You can’t out-supplement a body stuck in survival mode.

And until your nervous system believes it’s safe, your body won’t prioritise healing — no matter how “healthy” your choices are.

Dear Stress,

I see you.

I see how hard you’ve worked to keep me going when my body was shutting down, when the tears wouldn’t stop, when the to-do list didn’t care. You rose up like a fierce protector.

You kept me focused. You kept me safe. You helped me survive.

But you’ve also kept me disconnected.
From rest.
From joy.
From the quiet voice inside me that knows what I truly need.

Now, my body isn’t healing the way it should. And I think I know why.

Why this overlooked gene may be sabotaging your mood, hormones, and mental load — and what to do about it.

Let’s talk about a gene that doesn’t get enough attention — but probably should.

She’s called COMT (Catechol-O-Methyltransferase), and if you’re a high-performing, emotionally sensitive, mentally wired, hormone-rollercoaster-riding woman — this one’s for you.

What does COMT do, anyway?

COMT is the gene responsible for breaking down catechols: think oestrogen, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These are your feel-good and stress-response molecules. In other words? COMT is one of your body’s clean-up crews for both hormones and neurotransmitters.

When it’s working well, you metabolise and clear those chemicals at a healthy rate. When it’s not? You might feel overstimulated, anxious, wired but tired, PMS-y, moody, or stuck in emotional intensity.

We live in a world where the demands on women—especially mums—are ever-increasing. Between juggling work, family, and personal life, it can often feel like we’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of chaos. The reality is, many women are running on empty. And as this constant state of "doing it all" takes its toll, it's no surprise that burnout has become a buzzword in the world of motherhood.

But burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s about the physical and mental strain that comes from trying to balance everything with little to no support. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the challenge of nutrient depletion, which is becoming more common for women leading busy lives.

You’re moody, bloated, craving chocolate, and wondering if you’re going mad—or just about to get your period.
If your cycle feels like a chaotic ride each month, you’re not imagining it—and the root of the problem might not be your hormones. It might be your gut.

At Legacy Nutrition, we see this pattern over and over again: women experiencing heavy periods, intense PMS, hormonal acne, and fatigue, despite doing all the right things. And often, the gut is the missing piece no one’s talking about.

Let’s unpack the gut-hormone connection and how rebalancing your digestion can completely transform your cycle.

You’re eating clean, exercising when you can, taking your supplements, and trying to keep it all together. But still, your energy is on the floor, your moods are unpredictable, your cycle feels off, and your weight won’t budge.
Sound familiar?

You’re not lazy. You’re not making it up. And you’re definitely not alone.
At Legacy Nutrition, we see women every week who are doing everything right—but not getting the results they deserve. There’s a reason for that. In fact, there are usually several.

Let’s unpack the hidden health saboteurs that are quietly working against women, and what you can do to finally start feeling better.

ADHD is often the first explanation for a child who’s constantly fidgeting or an adult who can’t seem to focus. But what if some of these neurodivergent behaviours are not true ADHD at all? Modern life is full of hidden factors – from our genetic blueprint to the food on our plate and the stress in our day – that can mimic or exacerbate ADHD-like symptoms. In this post, we’ll explore how genetics (and epigenetics), nutrient deficiencies, and daily environmental stressors interplay to influence behaviour. Understanding these factors can help parents and adults discern between genuine ADHD and lookalike symptoms caused by lifestyle imbalances.

You’re told you’re “all clear” at your 6-week check-up. Maybe you’re even cleared for sex and exercise. But inside? You still feel exhausted, fragile, puffy, anxious, or just not yourself.
Welcome to the unspoken truth of postpartum recovery.

At Legacy Nutrition, we work with women who’ve been left to “get on with it” after their 6-week appointment, despite still experiencing brain fog, crashing energy, thyroid shifts, mood swings, and strange new symptoms they’re told are “just being a mum.” But you deserve more than that.

Let’s talk about what real postpartum recovery looks like—and why your body needs far more than 6 weeks to heal.

“You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
– Alexander Den Heijer

Modern-day burnout doesn’t always look like a dramatic collapse. Sometimes it’s subtle. It’s the constant exhaustion, the short fuse with your kids, the numbness in your body as you push through another load of washing, another packed lunch, another meeting. It’s the ache in your chest when you realise you can’t remember the last time you laughed—really laughed—or felt excited about something just for you.

At Legacy Nutrition, we see this all the time. Women who are capable, smart, and deeply caring—but utterly depleted. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, hormonally, and spiritually. It’s a kind of chronic fatigue that no amount of coffee can fix.

And here’s the kicker: it’s not always because you're doing too much. It’s because you’re doing too little of what nourishes you.

What the Research Says

The Indian Journal of Psychiatry put it powerfully:

"Nutrition can directly affect the brain, altering its structure and influencing neurotransmitter function. Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging discipline that focuses on the use of food and supplements to provide essential nutrients for the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders."

This is not fringe science. This is real, evidence-backed, and it’s not being talked about enough.

I always knew Sophia was special.
She’s fiercely smart, deeply intuitive, and full of sparkle.
But she also struggles in ways that seemed confusing — anxiety, picky eating, intense emotional outbursts, and constant sensory overload.

Like many mums, I asked myself:
“Am I doing something wrong? Is something going on beneath the surface?”

So I turned to what I know best — functional nutrition and genetics — to better understand her needs.

What I found changed everything.

We often talk about food as medicine.
But what if your genes were part of the prescription?

As a clinical nutritionist, I’ve guided hundreds of women through hormone chaos, gut distress, postnatal depletion, and burnout. But this year, I turned the lens inward — not just as a practitioner, but as a woman, a mother, and someone rebuilding her own vitality after the whirlwind of pregnancy, birth, and a demanding life season.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac® (fluoxetine) and Zoloft® (sertraline), and tetracyclic antidepressants such as Remeron® (mirtazapine), are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety. These medications can be life-changing, but many people wonder: Do they deplete your body's nutrient stores? In this post, we'll explore the scientific and clinical evidence behind SSRI nutrient depletion and tetracyclic antidepressant side effects related to nutrition. We'll also discuss potential nutrient deficiencies (B vitamins, magnesium, CoQ10, etc.), their implications for health and wellbeing, and safe nutritional strategies to support your journey. Our tone is encouraging, empathetic, and forward-thinking – because taking care of your mental health and your nutritional health can go hand-in-hand.

There’s a moment after birth where you're meant to feel settled. The baby’s here, the family’s adjusting, and life is slowly moving forward again. But what if you don’t feel like yourself — weeks or even months later? What if your energy’s still gone, your mood is low, your libido is missing, and your skin just won’t heal the way it used to?

For many women, this isn’t a sign of failure — it’s a sign that something deeper is going on. And that’s exactly where functional testing and nutritional support can offer clarity, direction, and real solutions.

At Legacy Nutrition, we believe that true wellness begins from within — and that includes the essential vitamins that nourish your body and mind. Whether you're balancing hormones, supporting your gut health, or working to achieve optimal energy levels, micronutrition plays a crucial role in your journey toward lasting health. Here's how key vitamins can help support your wellness goals, with a focus on their transformative effects on hormone balance, mood, and overall vitality.

To address the root causes of endometriosis and adenomyosis, a holistic approach that integrates nutrition, lifestyle modifications, and stress management is key. This approach aims to restore hormonal balance, reduce inflammation, and support immune function, ultimately enhancing overall wellness.

When it comes to bariatric surgery, many people — even some healthcare professionals — still think it’s just about eating less and taking a multivitamin. But the truth runs much deeper.

Obesity, from a medical perspective, is a multifactorial disease.
It can be driven by:

• Medication side effects

• Hormonal disruption

• Environmental influences (like learned eating habits from family)

• Cognitive and neurobehavioral factors (such as dopamine-seeking behaviors)

• Immune dysfunctions (like vitamin and mineral deficiencies)

• Genetics and epigenetic factors

Sometimes it’s just one cause; often, it's a combination.
The main point?
Obesity is complex, and healing must address the whole picture — not just food intake.