Articles
When your symptoms don't make sense, start here
Clinical insights from my work with women on hormones, gut health, fatigue, burnout, fertility and the big transitions like postpartum and perimenopause. Evidence-based, NZ-focused and written so you can act on it.
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These articles are where I share clinical insights from my work with women experiencing fatigue, hormonal disruption, gut symptoms, burnout, and periods of transition such as postpartum and perimenopause.
Your Nervous System Is Talking: Are You Listening?
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.
Why Your Body Isn’t Healing: A Letter to Stress and the Nervous System
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.
COMT: The Burnout Gene?
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.
How Busy Mum Life is Affecting Your Health: Burnout, Nutrient Depletion & What to Do About It
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.
Burnout Isn’t Always About Doing Too Much: Sometimes It’s About Doing Too Little of What You Love
“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.
Are we eating our way to poor mental health?
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.
Do Antidepressants Deplete Nutrients? Understanding SSRIS, Tetracyclics, and Your Nutritional Needs
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.
The Power of Your Mind: How Your Inner Dialogue Affects Your Health & Wellness
How Your Inner Dialogue Shapes Your Health
Your thoughts and beliefs are incredibly powerful. They affect how you show up in your world, how you interact with others, and how you respond to the challenges life throws your way. When you have a positive belief system, you are better equipped to navigate life’s ups and downs. You can stay focused on your long-term goals, whether that’s balancing your hormones, managing PMS, or supporting your postnatal recovery.
But what happens when your beliefs are negative? When you carry beliefs like, “I’ll never lose weight” or “I’m not good enough,” these thoughts become self-fulfilling prophecies. You may find yourself engaging in self-destructive behaviors—like overeating, emotional eating, or using alcohol or other substances to cope—that derail your progress.
Is Sleep Just As Important As Diet And Exercise?
When we sleep, there’s is a co-ordinated stepwise pattern that occurs in the mind, almost like a computer system doing a ‘shutdown and update’ so we can function as best we can. That’s amazing!
Let’s dig into the research a little further to find out exactly what is happening at each stage so we can walk away with a bit more understanding on the importance of each phase.