Dr. Jenny Ma, DC ND inc

Dr. Jenny Ma, DC ND inc Dr. Jenny Ma is a naturopathic practitioner and with a commitment to enhancing her patient’s well-being through a holistic approach.

She focuses on optimizing hormonal balance, supporting reproductive health, and fostering overall vitality.

05/23/2026

Perimenopause may be considered a second form of puberty.
In many cases, the skin and hair reflect these hormonal changes.

During perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate and decline, while testosterone often does not decrease at the same pace. This temporary hormonal imbalance can result in a relative “androgen dominance,” meaning the effects of testosterone may become more pronounced.

Common effects may include:
• Acne along the jawline and chin
• Increased oil production in the skin
• Increased facial hair growth
• Hair thinning or shedding on the scalp

At the same time, declining estrogen levels can affect collagen production, scalp circulation, and hair growth cycles, contributing to thinner hair and reduced skin resilience.

Many women are surprised by these changes, particularly if they believed acne was a concern left behind in adolescence. It can feel unexpected to manage both breakouts and visible signs of aging simultaneously.

The encouraging news is that these experiences are common, there are physiological explanations behind them, and there are evidence-based strategies to support hormonal balance, skin health, hair health, sleep, stress management, nutrition, and metabolism during this transition.

Perimenopause is not simply a matter of “getting older.” It is a significant hormonal transition — one that shares many similarities with puberty, though often accompanied by the demands of adult life.

Hormones HairLoss AdultAcne MidlifeHealth MenopauseSupport

05/19/2026

MYTH: Your metabolism suddenly crashes in middle age.
TRUTH: Muscle mass loss plays a much bigger role than age alone.

Starting in our 30s and 40s, we naturally begin to lose muscle if we’re not actively maintaining it. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue, less muscle can mean fewer calories burned at rest.

But that’s not the whole story.

Many women in midlife are also:
• More sedentary due to busy careers, stress, or family demands
• Sleeping less and recovering poorly
• Struggling with increased stress and hormonal shifts
• Finding nutrition harder to maintain consistently
• Exercising the same way they did in their 20s — but needing a different strategy now

The good news?
Your metabolism is not “broken.” Midlife is often a signal to adapt, not give up.

Strength training, adequate protein, sleep, stress management, and supporting hormone health can all make a significant difference in how you feel, function, and maintain muscle as you age.

This is not about punishment. It’s about supporting your body differently in this phase of life.

Have you noticed your body responding differently to exercise or nutrition in midlife?

05/06/2026

Blood work every woman in perimenopause should start asking about 👀

Perimenopause is not “just hormones.”

Many symptoms women blame on aging or menopause can actually overlap with nutrient deficiencies, metabolic changes, inflammation, stress physiology, or thyroid dysfunction.

If you’re dealing with:
• fatigue
• poor sleep
• weight gain
• brain fog
• anxiety
• low mood
• hair changes
• irregular cycles
• low energy
• decreased recovery from exercise

…it’s important not to assume it’s ONLY hormones.

Some blood work worth discussing with your healthcare provider may include:

✔️ Ferritin + CBC
Low iron stores are incredibly common in women in their 40s — especially with heavy or changing periods.

✔️ Thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4)
Thyroid symptoms can mimic perimenopause almost exactly.

✔️ Fasting glucose + insulin / HbA1c
Blood sugar regulation often shifts in midlife and can contribute to abdominal weight gain, fatigue, cravings, and inflammation.

✔️ Lipid panel
Estrogen changes can affect cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.

✔️ Vitamin D + B12
Low levels may impact mood, immunity, energy, and muscle function.

✔️ Liver and kidney markers
Important before starting certain medications or hormone therapy.

✔️ Hormones (when appropriate)
Hormone testing can sometimes help provide context — but symptoms, cycle patterns, and overall clinical picture matter most.

Perimenopause is a transition — but that doesn’t mean you should feel dismissed, exhausted, or confused while going through it.

You deserve answers, support, and a plan. 🌿

📍If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and want an evidence-based approach to your health, we’re here to help.

MidlifeHealth LivingWellnessCentre MenopauseSupport HormoneBalance South

05/04/2026

Why it feels harder to build muscle in menopause (and what’s actually going on)

If you’ve been working out the same way for years and suddenly… it’s not hitting the same?
You’re not imagining it.

One of the biggest shifts in menopause is the drop in estrogen — and that hormone plays a much bigger role in muscle than most people realize.

Here’s what estrogen was quietly doing for you:

• Supports muscle protein synthesis
Estrogen helps your body build and repair muscle after workouts. With lower levels, your response to exercise isn’t as strong — meaning the same workout gives you less return.

• Improves muscle recovery
It has anti-inflammatory effects and helps stabilize muscle cell membranes. Translation: you used to bounce back faster. Now? You feel it for longer.

• Protects lean muscle mass
Estrogen helps preserve muscle and limit breakdown. As it declines, your body shifts more toward muscle loss (sarcopenia), especially if strength training isn’t prioritized.

• Enhances insulin sensitivity
Better estrogen = better nutrient delivery to muscles. With menopause, your body becomes a bit more resistant, making it harder to use protein and carbs effectively for muscle repair.

• Supports neuromuscular function
It even influences how your brain and muscles communicate — which affects strength, power, and coordination.

⸻

So what does this mean for your workouts now?

You don’t need to work out more.
You need to work out smarter.

What shifts actually make a difference:

• Prioritize strength training (at least 2–4x/week)
• Lift heavier than you think (progressive overload matters more now)
• Increase your protein intake (aim ~25–30g per meal)
• Give yourself longer recovery between hard sessions
• Support your body with sleep + stress management (this is not optional anymore)

⸻

The bottom line:

Your body didn’t “stop responding.”
It just needs a different strategy.

And when you meet it where it’s at?
You can absolutely build strength, muscle, and resilience in this phase

04/27/2026

Hot flashes and vaginal dryness are the symptoms that truly define menopause.

Not mood swings.
Not weight gain.
Not fatigue.
Not poor sleep.

Those symptoms are real—and incredibly common—but they’re also non-specific. Meaning… they can come from a lot of different things.

When someone tells me:
“I feel exhausted, I’ve gained weight, I’m not sleeping, I feel off…”

Yes—perimenopause could absolutely be part of the picture.
But it shouldn’t be the only explanation we consider.

Because before we label it as hormonal, we need to ask:
• Is there iron deficiency?
• Is protein intake or overall nutrition adequate?
• Is sleep quality truly restorative (or is something like sleep apnea in play)?
• Is stress or cortisol dysregulation driving symptoms?
• Is exercise supporting or depleting the body?

Hot flashes and vaginal dryness, on the other hand, are much more directly tied to estrogen changes.
They’re the body’s clearer signal that the menopausal transition is underway.

Everything else?
That’s where good medicine matters—looking deeper, connecting the dots, and not missing something treatable.

Because not everything in midlife is “just hormones.”
And not everything should be dismissed as such either.

The goal isn’t to guess—it’s to understand what your body is actually asking for.

If you’ve been told “it’s just perimenopause” but something doesn’t feel right… it’s worth a closer look

If you’re navigating midlife changes and want a clear, personalized plan—book a consultation. We’ll sort through what’s hormonal, what’s not, and what to do next.

04/20/2026

Perimenopause is often blamed for everything.
And while hormones absolutely play a role… it’s usually not just one thing. It’s all the things.

Midlife is often the season where women carry the heaviest load:

• Demanding careers
• Aging parents
• Growing kids
• Relationships needing attention
• Eating on the go
• Less time to exercise
• Broken sleep
• Constant stress
• Running everyone else’s life while neglecting your own

Then add fluctuating estrogen and progesterone on top of that, and it can feel like your body has suddenly changed overnight.

Mood swings. Weight gain. Brain fog. Anxiety. Exhaustion. Poor sleep. Irritability. Low resilience.

This is why perimenopause deserves a bigger conversation. It’s not just hormones. It’s hormones meeting real life pressure.

What helps lighten the load:

✔️ Protecting sleep like it matters (because it does)
✔️ Asking for help and sharing responsibilities
✔️ Strength training and movement for stress resilience
✔️ Eating enough protein and regular meals
✔️ Boundaries with energy-draining commitments
✔️ Hormone support when appropriate
✔️ Stress regulation: walks, breathwork, therapy, downtime
✔️ A care plan designed for your real life

Midlife women don’t need to do more.
They need support, strategy, and space to care for themselves too.

If you’ve been feeling unlike yourself lately, there may be a reason — and there are solutions.

Reach out! We can commiserate together 🤣

04/17/2026

Brain fog, poor focus, forgetfulness, low motivation, and mental fatigue are some of the most common concerns I hear from women in perimenopause. Many assume it is “just hormones” — but sometimes there is more to the story.

Emerging research, including Choi (2026), highlights iron deficiency as an often-overlooked contributor to cognitive symptoms during the menopausal transition. Iron plays an essential role in oxygen delivery, brain function, neurotransmitter production, and energy. When iron stores are low, women may feel mentally foggy, exhausted, and unlike themselves.

Perimenopause can also bring heavier or more unpredictable cycles, which may slowly deplete iron stores over time — even when standard bloodwork appears normal. This is why a deeper assessment can be so important.

In my practice, I look beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Cognitive changes in perimenopause deserve a thoughtful workup that may include hormones, ferritin and iron studies, sleep, stress, mood, and metabolic health.

If you’ve been feeling mentally flat, forgetful, or not quite like yourself, it may be time to look deeper. You deserve answers and support.

WomenHealth HormoneHealth Ferritin HealthyAging NaturopathicDoctor

Did you know that about 50% of women have dense breasts? Dense breast tissue is very common and completely normal — but ...
04/14/2026

Did you know that about 50% of women have dense breasts? Dense breast tissue is very common and completely normal — but it can make mammograms harder to interpret.

Here’s why:

On a mammogram, dense fibroglandular tissue appears white… and so can breast cancers. That means abnormalities can be harder to spot compared with fatty tissue, which appears darker and gives better contrast.

✨ This does NOT mean mammograms aren’t useful.
Mammograms are still one of the most important tools we have for early breast cancer detection. Knowing you have dense breasts simply helps guide whether additional screening (like ultrasound or MRI) may be worth discussing with your healthcare provider.

Your breasts can change over time.

Breast density is not fixed — it can shift with age, hormones, and life stages.

Things that may increase density:
🔹 Pregnancy & breastfeeding
🔹 Birth control pills
🔹 Fertility treatments
🔹 Hormone therapy containing progesterone/progestins

Things that may decrease density:
🔹 Aging & menopause
🔹 Some medications (like tamoxifen)
🔹 Weight changes over time

Why this matters:

Your mammogram report includes a BI-RADS density category (A–D). This gives valuable information about screening and overall breast health risk conversations.

What you can focus on:

✅ Keep up with regular mammograms
✅ Stay physically active
✅ Maintain a healthy weight
✅ Eat a fibre-rich, plant-forward diet
✅ Limit alcohol
✅ Ask questions and know your report

Your health deserves more than guessing. Know your density, know your options, and advocate for yourself. 💗

EarlyDetection HormoneHealth HealthyAging DrJennyMa MenopauseHealth

04/10/2026

Your cycle doesn’t have to disappear to be changing.

Sometimes… the very first sign of perimenopause is subtle.

👉 A shift of just 6 days in your cycle length.

That’s it.

No hot flashes.
No missed periods.
Just… “Wait, why did my period come early (or late) this month?”

Here’s what we know from research:

✨ A cycle change of ~6 days is often the earliest physical sign of hormonal transition
✨ It can show up 1–3 years before bigger, more obvious changes
✨ About 50% of women with this shift will move into the next phase within a year

But here’s where it gets really important 👇

If you’re under 40, this does not mean menopause is around the corner.

In fact…
🕰️ On average, these women still had ~15 years before their final menstrual period

So no — your body is not “shutting down”
It’s whispering that things are starting to shift

And most women completely miss it.

⸻

What I see in clinic all the time:

• Cycles suddenly 5–7 days shorter or longer
• Feeling “off” but labs look “normal”
• Being told everything is fine… when it doesn’t feel fine

This is why understanding patterns matters more than a single lab result.

⸻

💡 If your cycle has changed — even slightly — it’s worth paying attention.

Not to panic…
But to get ahead of it.

Because this is the window where we can support your hormones, your energy, your mood, and your metabolism before things feel harder.

⸻

✨ You don’t have to wait until things fall apart to get support.

If your cycle feels different, your body is giving you information.

Let’s actually listen to it.

📍 Book a consult — we’ll look at the full picture, not just your labs

Why Mammograms After 40 MatterBreast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. The reassuring news is th...
03/12/2026

Why Mammograms After 40 Matter

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. The reassuring news is that when it’s detected early, outcomes improve dramatically. That’s why regular screening mammograms starting around age 40 are such an important part of preventative health.

Research consistently shows that early detection saves lives. Mammograms can identify breast cancers years before they are large enough to be felt, allowing treatment to begin earlier when it is most effective.

One concern many women have is radiation exposure. It’s understandable to question it. But the reality is that the radiation dose from a mammogram is extremely low. In fact, the exposure from a screening mammogram is roughly similar to the amount of natural background radiation we receive over about 7 weeks of everyday life. Studies have repeatedly shown that the benefit of detecting cancer early far outweighs the very small risk from radiation.

Modern mammography technology is also designed with safety in mind. Machines use the lowest radiation dose possible while still producing clear, accurate images.

Screening is not about fear — it’s about empowerment. It’s about giving ourselves the best chance for early detection and effective treatment if something is developing.

If you live in British Columbia, another helpful thing to know is that you can self-refer for your screening mammogram starting at age 40 through the BC Cancer Breast Screening Program. That means you don’t need a referral from a doctor or practitioner — you can book directly with a screening centre near you.

If you’re approaching 40 or already there, it’s worth having a conversation with your healthcare provider about your screening schedule and making mammograms part of your preventative health routine.

Your future self will thank you for taking care of your health today

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