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The Phillips
Perimenopause Reset.

A five-day whole-food, hormone-aware reset protocol designed for women aged 38-55 in perimenopause. Built to reduce inflammation, stabilise blood sugar, support oestrogen and progesterone balance, and re-establish energy and sleep.

Protocol summary · 5 days

A five-day whole-food, hormone-aware reset protocol designed for women aged 38-55 in perimenopause. Built to reduce inflammation, stabilise blood sugar, support oestrogen and progesterone balance, and re-establish energy and sleep.

Overview.

Perimenopause is not the symptom. Perimenopause is the underlying hormonal shift that creates fifty symptoms. Most of those symptoms respond — quickly — to a five-day reset of the basic inputs to the system: food, sleep, light, movement, stress.

The Perimenopause Reset is the structured five-day protocol I've refined in clinical practice. It is delivered inside the Menopause Mastery programme as the foundation phase, and the principles below are the protocol in plain language.

The protocol has three concurrent layers — nutritional, physiological, and behavioural. Each layer is small. Together they produce a stable, repeatable shift inside five days.

The phases.

Days 1-2 · Inflammation down

All grains, dairy, refined sugar, alcohol, and processed seed oils come out. The plate becomes 50% non-starchy vegetables, 30% protein (animal or plant), 20% complex carbohydrates (sweet potato, butternut, quinoa). 2 litres of water plus electrolytes. Bed at 22:00. Morning light within 30 minutes of waking.

Days 3-4 · Hormone support

Cruciferous vegetables added daily (broccoli, cauliflower, kale) to support oestrogen metabolism. Magnesium glycinate added in the evening. Phytoestrogen-rich foods (flax, sesame) added. Short daily walk in nature, 25 minutes. Caffeine ends at 11am.

Day 5 · Integration

Reflection on which symptoms shifted. Personal trigger foods identified. Plan written for week two onward — what stays out, what comes back in, what to track.

Indications.

This protocol is appropriate for women who present with one or more of the following:

  • Irregular cycles (length, flow, or symptoms shifting)
  • Sleep disturbance — especially 02:00-04:00 wakings
  • Weight gain centring on the midsection
  • Mood swings, irritability, or low-grade anxiety with no clear cause
  • Skin changes, hair thinning, or libido shifts
  • Brain fog or cognitive slowdown in the second half of the cycle
  • Hot flashes or night sweats (early or established)

Evidence base & references.

The protocol draws on published research and clinical practice across functional medicine, women's hormone health, and nutritional science. Selected references:

  • Newson L. Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause (2021).
  • Haver M.C. The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts (2024).
  • Briden L. The Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40 (2021).
  • Gottfried S. The Hormone Cure (2013).
  • Pelz M. Fast Like a Girl (2022).

Frequently asked.

Can I do this protocol on my own?
Technically yes — the principles are above. In practice, women who do this inside the structured Menopause Mastery programme usually get further, because individual adjustments are made based on bloods and lived response. The protocol page exists for transparency, not as a substitute for the work.
Is this the same as Mary Claire Haver's protocol?
There's significant overlap — both protocols emphasise whole foods, blood sugar stability, protein, sleep, and movement. The Phillips Reset is South African-specific (food availability, lab access, cultural rhythm) and built for a 5-day intensive rather than a long-term framework.
Will I lose weight on this protocol?
Every woman responds differently. Real fat loss requires longer-term implementation, which is what the Menopause Mastery programme builds.

How to begin.

This protocol is delivered inside a structured programme — typically one of the six on this site. Book a free 20-minute discovery call to find the right programme for your situation.

Common questions

Will a perimenopause coach work with my gynaecologist in South Africa?

Yes. Christine works alongside her clients' GPs, gynaecologists and endocrinologists, not in place of them. Medical decisions, including HRT, stay with your gynaecologist; the reset covers food, sleep, light, movement and stress. Sessions run in Bryanston or on Zoom for women anywhere in South Africa.

Can I get perimenopause testing and a diagnosis in South Africa through Health Yourself?

Diagnosis is for your doctor or gynaecologist. Christine is a functional medicine health coach and does not diagnose. If you already have recent blood results, bring them along and they are factored into your plan; if you think you need tests, ask your doctor.

What does integrative perimenopause care look like in Johannesburg?

At Health Yourself in Bryanston, Johannesburg, it starts with the basic inputs of food, sleep, light, movement and stress, as in the five-day reset above, and continues inside a longer programme. It runs alongside your GP or gynaecologist, not in place of them. Every client starts with a free 20-minute consult.

Are there herbal remedies or supplements for hot flushes, and what is the evidence?

This protocol is food-led rather than built on herbal remedies: cruciferous vegetables, phytoestrogen-rich foods such as flax and sesame, and magnesium glycinate in the evening. The books and research it draws on are listed above under Evidence base. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are on HRT or other medication.

Your next step

Twenty minutes. No cost.

If the work fits, we map the right entry point together.

Book the free consult