Dr. Taylor Thurston, ND, 4353 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC (2026)

10/24/2025

If that line feels a little too familiar lately... you’re not alone.

This is one of the most common things I hear from women in perimenopause. 
And no, it’s not just in your head.

That disconnected, foggy, overwhelmed version of yourself? 
It can look like: • Crying at the weirdest times • Brain fog or trouble making decisions • Feeling snappy or overstimulated by literally everything • Low motivation or energy • Trouble sleeping — even though you’re exhausted • Anxiety or low mood that seems to come and go
Here’s the frustrating part: These symptoms can start before your period even changes — and they’re often dismissed or overlooked.

Your doctor might not connect the dots. But that doesn’t mean you’re imagining it.

🧠 Hormonal shifts in perimenopause can directly impact your brain chemistry, mood, sleep, and ability to cope. Yes, it’s hormonal. And yes — there’s support.

* It’s also important to note: a lot of other conditions, deficiencies, and lifestyle factors can overlap with these symptoms. That’s why we do a deep dive — to figure out what’s really going on.

If you’re wondering, “Is this just how it is now?”
 The answer is no.

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through midlife.
 You can feel like yourself again — and I’d love to help.

10/21/2025

I wish more women knew why we don’t need hormone testing to guide treatment.

It’s one of the most common things I get asked.
“But don’t we need to test my hormones first?”
Not always. And here’s why:

Especially in PMS, PMDD, perimenopause, and menopause, we treat based on symptoms, not just labs.

And for really good reason:
·      Hormones fluctuate constantly — especially FSH and estradiol in perimenopause. One test might look “normal” while you feel anything but.
·      How you feel matters more than a number. Hormone levels don’t reliably reflect how bad you feel or what kind of support you need.
·      Experienced clinicians can assess without tests. Menstrual history + your symptoms = often all we need to start.
·      Research backs this up. Most global guidelines and studies on HRT don’t use bloodwork to diagnose or change treatment
·      For PMS/PMDD, even the fancy hormone tests (urine, saliva) can’t tell us who has it and who doesn’t — because the problem isn’t how much hormone you have, it’s how your brain responds to normal fluctuations.
·      Skipping tests can save time and money so we can focus on actually helping you feel better.
·      Treatment should be flexible. I care about how you’re doing, not whether your estrogen is exactly 107 or 241.

So if your doctor doesn’t suggest hormone testing, it’s (usually and hopefully) not because they’re dismissing you. It’s (usually) because it won’t change the treatment plan.

That said, there are times when testing your hormones is helpful:
✅ Early menopause or missed periods under 40
✅ PCOS or high androgen symptoms
✅ Ruling out other hormone issues

But in most cases, the answer isn’t in the lab slip.

It’s in how you feel — and that’s where your care should start.

10/17/2025

“Adrenal fatigue” isn’t a real or recognized medical diagnosis. It’s not something that can be identified through lab tests, and there’s no consistent evidence to show that your adrenal glands can just burn out from stress.

That said — the symptoms people associate with adrenal fatigue?

They’re real.

Things like fatigue, bloating, poor sleep, anxiety, or feeling “wired but tired” aren’t made up. They just usually point to something else.

And those “something elses” could be:
    •    Iron deficiency (with or without anemia)
    •    Obstructive sleep apnea
    •    Thyroid conditions
    •    Depression or anxiety
    •    Perimenopause
    •    ADHD
    •    Or simply the impact of ongoing, unrelenting stress

This doesn’t mean stress doesn’t matter.
Chronic stress absolutely affects the body — it can influence your sleep, digestion, hormones, immune system, and mood. But we don’t need to use an unproven diagnosis to take that seriously.

What I want people to hear is this: just because adrenal fatigue isn’t real, doesn’t mean your symptoms aren’t.
Instead of focusing on fixing your adrenal glands, we need to zoom out and look at what’s actually going on — whether that’s sleep, hormones, nutrition, stress, or something else entirely.

This is where good care makes a difference. You deserve a proper workup, time to be heard, and support that’s grounded in science and compassion.

If you’ve been told your adrenals are the problem and that’s where the conversation ended… it’s time for a second opinion.

10/15/2025

“Your cortisol must be high.”

Cool. And?
What exactly are we supposed to do with that info?

Cortisol gets blamed for everything these days—burnout, belly fat, mood swings, that time you cried in the Costco parking lot (just me?).

But here’s the thing: testing cortisol is rarely helpful. Here’s why:

Cortisol naturally fluctuates all day. It spikes in the morning, drops at night, and jumps if you’ve had a rough sleep or just had to parallel park under pressure.
To get a useful picture, we’d need to test it several times over several days—which just isn’t practical or necessary for most people.

Stress responses also vary. About 80% of people respond to stress in one way, 20% in another. So a one-off test doesn’t really tell us much.

Cortisol testing isn’t a reliable way to measure your stress. It usually doesn’t give us anything actionable for treatment or lifestyle support.

And unless we’re ruling out something rare like Cushing’s or Addison’s disease, it doesn’t change your care.

We don’t treat lab numbers—we treat people.
Your experience, your symptoms, your nervous system story—that’s what matters.

So if you’re dealing with anxiety, burnout, brain fog, mood swings, or low energy… there are better, more effective ways to assess and support your health!!!

04/03/2025

I see a lot of people struggling with gut issues and mental health.
And I also see a lot of oversimplified advice out there.
Here’s what I want you to know 😊😊

03/27/2025

Let’s talk about that “95% of serotonin is made in your gut” stat.

Yes, it’s true that the majority of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut — but here’s the key:
That serotonin is made by specialized cells in the digestive system (called enterochromaffin cells), and it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.

The serotonin that affects your mood? That’s produced in the brain stem, and it stays within the central nervous system. These are two completely separate pools of serotonin, functioning differently in different parts of the body.

So when we hear, “most of your serotonin is in your gut, therefore gut health = better mental health” — we’re skipping over a lot of important nuance.

And here’s the bigger question:
We already know that low serotonin isn’t the root cause of depression… so why are we still focusing so much on a single neurotransmitter?

👉🏽 Does that mean diet and gut health have nothing to do with mental health?
Not at all. But we need more research — and we’re not quite there yet.
That said, there are so many other reasons to care about nutrition for overall health. There’s important research happening around inflammation, the gut-brain axis, and disorders of gut-brain interaction — and how it might all tie into this big, complex web of mental health (because yes… it’s always more complicated than we’d like).

But catchy slogans like “happy gut, happy mind” can oversimplify what’s actually a very complex system — and sometimes leave people more confused than empowered. In some cases, I think it even steers people down the wrong path for treatment.
(For now, at least… I’d love to see the research evolve!)

So, should you still focus on eating a well-balanced diet, a wide variety of fruits and veggies, and getting plenty of fiber (if your digestion allows)?
Yes. Always yes.

But let’s not pin our entire understanding of mental health on one neurotransmitter — especially one that isn’t even crossing into the brain — or promote something that just isn’t true (at least not yet!).

More on this soon — especially the real ways the gut-brain connection might matter.

02/14/2025

Menopause & Mental Health—What You Need to Know
If you’ve been struggling with mood swings, anxiety, depression, or brain fog during midlife—you are not alone.

💡 Did you know? Up to 70% of women experience depressive symptoms during perimenopause—more than double the rate in premenopausal years. (Soares, 2019)

This isn’t just stress or life changes—hormonal shifts play a real role in mental health, and too many women are left without answers or support.

At our upcoming presentation on menopause & mental health, we’ll cover:
🧠 What’s really happening in menopause & how it affects your mental health
💊 The evidence on hormone therapy—does it help?
🌿 Beyond hormones—what else can we do to support our mental well-being in midlife?
✨ You deserve information. You deserve support. You deserve to feel like yourself again.

📅 Join us! Tuesday Feb 25th @ 4pm PST
🏡 Virtual - in the comfort of your home
🔗 Link in bio to register
💰ITS FREE :) (nothing is free anymore!!)

02/14/2025

Menopause & Mental Health—What You Need to Know
If you’ve been struggling with mood swings, anxiety, depression, or brain fog during midlife—you are not alone.
💡 Did you know? Up to 70% of women experience depressive symptoms during perimenopause—more than double the rate in premenopausal years. (Soares, 2019)
This isn’t just stress or life changes—hormonal shifts play a real role in mental health, and too many women are left without answers or support.
At our upcoming presentation on menopause & mental health, we’ll cover:
🧠 What’s really happening in menopause & how it affects your mental health
💊 The evidence on hormone therapy—does it help?
🌿 Beyond hormones—what else can we do to support our mental well-being in midlife?
✨ You deserve information. You deserve support. You deserve to feel like yourself again.
📅 Join us!
🔗 Link in bio to register
💰ITS FREE :) (nothing is free anymore!!)

02/11/2025

It’s not always easy to tell the difference between withdrawal and relapse—many symptoms overlap, making it really confusing. Even if you don’t have classic withdrawal signs like brain zaps, withdrawal and relapse can feel very similar.
That’s why tapering slowly and working closely with a trusted healthcare professional is so important. Having a solid plan and a supportive team can make all the difference. 💙
What Can Help?
✔ Taper slowly—reducing too fast can trigger withdrawal.
✔ Work with your provider to create a plan that supports your mental health.
✔ If symptoms feel unfamiliar or strange, it’s more likely withdrawal.
⚠ Not sure? Don’t guess—talk to your doctor before making medication changes!
📌 Modified from Distinguishing Relapse from Antidepressant Withdrawal: Clinical Practice and Antidepressant Discontinuation Studies (April 2022) & The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines.

02/05/2025

Your mental health journey is personal—if you’re considering staying on or tapering off antidepressants, consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to you 💙💙

02/01/2025

How long do you need to take an antidepressant? 🤔 It depends! Most people don’t have to stay on them forever, but in some cases, longer-term treatment makes sense. There’s no exact answer—just what works best for you. 💛

01/29/2025

Deciding to start a medication, like an antidepressant, is often a thoughtful, emotional process. Choosing to stop that medication should be approached with just as much care and intention.

✨ I don’t approach care with the intent of stopping medications, but I believe in helping people make informed, supported decisions. Whether that means continuing your medication, tapering off, or simply exploring your options, every step deserves thoughtful consideration.

If you’re wondering whether stopping a medication is the right choice for you, here’s what to keep in mind:
✔️ Evidence-based guidance is essential—this isn’t a decision to make lightly.
✔️ Work with a provider you trust to guide you through the risks and benefits.
✔️ Tapering is a process—slow and steady is the safest path.

✨ Your mental health journey is your own, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Whether you stay on your medication or explore tapering.

Dr. Taylor Thurston, ND

10/24/2025

10/21/2025

10/17/2025

10/15/2025

04/03/2025

03/27/2025

02/14/2025

02/14/2025

02/11/2025

02/05/2025

02/01/2025

01/29/2025

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