Gut health, fitness & perimenopause: How Shelley changed her approach to women's health
For many women, improving their health isn't simply about losing weight.
It's about feeling stronger. Eating well. Understanding your body. Looking after your gut health. Navigating hormonal changes. And finding an approach to health that actually feels sustainable.
That's what Zing Wellbeing member Shelley says has happened to her since joining the program in December 2024.
After years of trying to work out what was right for her, particularly when it came to gut health, Shelley joined Zing Wellbeing without really knowing what to expect.
What followed surprised her.
Today, she says she is exploring new foods, challenging herself with fitness, learning more about her health and even thinking differently about her future career.
And now, as she begins navigating another stage of life, perimenopause, Shelley says having a community of women where she can talk openly about the changes she's experiencing has become particularly valuable.
This is her story.
Struggling to find the right approach to gut health
Gut health has become one of the biggest health topics for women in recent years.
From probiotics and supplements to elimination diets and "gut health protocols", there's an enormous amount of information available.
And sometimes that makes things even more confusing.
Shelley had spent considerable time trying to understand her own gut health before joining Zing Wellbeing.
She says:
"Like most of us struggle with some sort of gut issues, I have tried all sorts, especially when I started learning about gut health. I just couldn't get it quite right."
This experience will probably sound familiar to many women.
When you're experiencing digestive symptoms such as bloating or changes in digestion, it can be tempting to continually remove foods or jump from one eating plan to another.
But gut health is complex and there isn't one perfect "gut health diet" that works for everybody.
What does a healthy gut actually need?
Our gastrointestinal system is home to trillions of microorganisms collectively known as the gut microbiome.
Research into the microbiome continues to evolve, but diet and lifestyle can play an important role in supporting digestive and overall health.
For many people, a varied diet containing plenty of plant foods and fibre can be an important part of supporting gut health.
Depending on individual tolerance, that might include foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds.
Fermented foods can also form part of a varied diet.
But more isn't always better.
If you're experiencing ongoing digestive symptoms, suddenly dramatically increasing your fibre intake can sometimes make symptoms worse. Individual medical conditions and intolerances also need to be considered.
This is why it's important to distinguish between supporting general gut health and attempting to self-treat persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.
If you experience ongoing pain, significant changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, blood in your stool or other concerning symptoms, speak with your healthcare professional.
Shelley's experience after joining Zing Wellbeing
Shelley signed up for Zing Wellbeing in December 2024.
Initially, she wasn't quite sure what she would get from it.
"The day I signed up in Dec 2024, I was a little unsure of what was going to come out of it, and wow is all I can say."
Rather than concentrating on one single aspect of her health, Shelley began exploring several.
Food.
Fitness.
Gut health.
Strength.
Wellbeing.
And even possibilities for her future.
She says:
"I am doing and exploring so much of so many things, food, fitness and even my possible future career, and I am so excited for what is to come."
For Shelley, the biggest transformation appears to have been developing the confidence to keep learning and trying new things.
Gut health isn't just about taking a probiotic
When people hear "gut health", it's easy to immediately think about probiotics.
But supporting digestive health is much broader than taking one particular supplement or eating one particular food.
Your overall lifestyle matters too.
A healthy lifestyle may include eating a varied and nutritious diet, getting adequate fibre and fluids, exercising regularly, prioritising sleep and managing stress.
Instead of looking for one magical food that will "fix your gut", it can be more useful to look at your overall eating and lifestyle patterns.
And importantly, different women may tolerate different foods.
Something that makes one person feel fantastic may leave somebody else uncomfortable or bloated.
Perimenopause and gut health
Shelley is now entering another stage of her health journey: perimenopause.
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause, when levels of reproductive hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate.
Women can experience this transition very differently.
Changes may include irregular periods, hot flushes, sleep disturbances, mood changes and changes in body composition. Some women also report changes in digestive symptoms during this stage of life.
Shelley says:
"I am now starting to navigate the next unknown part of my life, perimenopause."
And one thing she's particularly grateful for is having somewhere she can discuss it.
"To have so much support now for this, to be able to talk openly about it as we all have different experiences."
That's an important point.
There isn't one universal perimenopause experience.
One woman's symptoms may look completely different from another woman's.
Looking after your health during perimenopause
It's easy for conversations about perimenopause to become focused entirely on weight gain.
But this stage of life is an opportunity to think much more broadly about women's health.
Nutrition matters.
Muscle matters.
Bone health matters.
Sleep matters.
Cardiovascular health matters.
Mental wellbeing matters.
And feeling supported matters too.
Resistance training can be particularly valuable as women age because maintaining muscle and bone strength becomes increasingly important.
Nutrition can support this too, with adequate protein and a balanced diet containing a variety of nutrient-dense foods.
Rather than treating perimenopause as something women simply need to "get through", we believe it's a time to invest in your long-term health.
Why women's health shouldn't be one size fits all
Perhaps one of the most important things Shelley has recognised is that women's experiences aren't identical.
That's particularly true with gut health and perimenopause.
There isn't one perfect meal plan, workout or routine that every woman needs to follow.
Your lifestyle, preferences, fitness, age and health all influence what works for you.
And those needs can change.
The way you ate and exercised in your 20s may not necessarily be what feels right in your 40s or 50s.
Being willing to adapt rather than believing you've "failed" can be an important part of creating a sustainable approach to health.
The importance of community for women's wellbeing
One of the things Shelley talks about most passionately isn't a particular recipe or workout.
It's the Zing Wellbeing community.
She says:
"I feel so supported here, no judgment, especially me being able to be me."
For women going through life stages such as perimenopause, being able to openly discuss what's happening can be particularly powerful.
For generations, many women's health experiences weren't discussed enough.
Periods.
Perimenopause.
Menopause.
Bloating.
Changes in body composition.
Mental wellbeing.
Today, we're thankfully having these conversations much more openly.
And sometimes simply discovering that another woman has experienced something similar can make you feel far less alone.
From focusing on problems to discovering possibilities
Shelley describes what's happened within the Zing Wellbeing community beautifully:
"It's amazing to see so many other ladies here blossom and that's what Zing Wellbeing has done. We have blossomed and grown within ourselves. You don't know when it happens but when it does it's just phenomenal."
And perhaps that's the best way to describe Shelley's journey.
It isn't a traditional before-and-after story.
There's no single number that defines what has changed.
Instead, Shelley feels she has changed the way she approaches her food, fitness, gut health, confidence and the next stage of her life.
She's exploring.
She's learning.
She's getting stronger.
And now she's navigating perimenopause with a community of women alongside her.
Sometimes the biggest health transformation isn't simply changing how your body looks.
It's changing how you feel about looking after it.
Ready to start your own health journey?
Zing Wellbeing brings women's nutrition, fitness, recipes, meal planning, challenges, coaching and community together in one place.
Whether your goal is to improve your nutrition, become stronger, support your general wellbeing or simply create healthier habits you can maintain, you don't have to change everything overnight.
Start where you are.
And see where your own journey takes you.
JOIN THE ZING WELLBEING APP & PROGRAM HERE
Shelley's story reflects her individual experience. Individual experiences and results vary. Zing Wellbeing provides general health, nutrition and fitness information and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a medical condition. Persistent digestive symptoms or concerns relating to perimenopause should be discussed with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.