Dr. Sara Kinnon - ND, MSCP

Dr. Sara Kinnon - ND, MSCP Doctor Sara Kinnon is a licensed naturopathic physician in BC, Fellow in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.

Host of the Podcast: Pause, Please! Doctor Sara Kinnon utilizes evidence based functional medicine to restore health.

Sudden "flares" during a meeting? Waking up in a 3 AM sweat? Your internal thermostat isn't just inefficient; it's pract...
04/23/2026

Sudden "flares" during a meeting? Waking up in a 3 AM sweat? Your internal thermostat isn't just inefficient; it's practically broken.

As a Menopause Society practitioner, I see this daily: Perimenopause narrows your brain’s thermal tolerance by up to 3°F. Your hypothalamus has lost its calming "estrogen signal," meaning the smallest temperature change triggers a full "sweat alarm" furnace response.

The fix isn't just "staying cool." It’s vascular toning.

The Q2 Reset: The Thermal Window Tone. Turn your morning shower cold for the last 30 seconds. By activating brown fat thermogenesis and forcing vascular constriction, you teach your brain how to recalibrate its thermal limits. Swipe left for the clinical "Cold Shock" paradox.

Ready to stop the furnace and reclaim your recovery? Listen to the latest episode of Pause, Please for the full Thermal Reset protocol and how to activate your brown fat assets. Link in bio.

Practitioner

It’s 3:00 AM. You’re hot, you’re wide awake, and you’re lying there for two hours wondering why you’re suddenly so stres...
04/22/2026

It’s 3:00 AM. You’re hot, you’re wide awake, and you’re lying there for two hours wondering why you’re suddenly so stressed.

It might not be your marriage. It might not be your job. It might be your estrogen.

When estrogen begins its early decline, it disrupts your brain’s temperature regulation and melatonin production. In this week’s episode, we discuss why "vasomotor symptoms" (like night sweats) are the clearest signal that the perimenopause transition has begun—even if your periods are still regular.

We also dive into the "Big Three" foundations to start now:
✅ Protein Targeting (1.2–1.6g/kg)
✅ Resistance Training
✅ Magnesium Glycinate

Don’t wait for a crisis to build your foundation.

[Tune in to the Empowered Perimenopause Playbook via the link in bio.]

04/21/2026

“Normal hormone labs can still miss unstable hormone patterns.”

This is one of the biggest disconnects I see in practice.

Hormones are dynamic. They shift daily, across the cycle, and even more so in perimenopause. A single blood draw captures one moment in time, not the pattern your body is moving through.

So when labs come back “normal,” but your symptoms are not — that doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It often means the instability wasn’t captured.

This is why symptom tracking matters.

Sleep changes, mood shifts, cycle irregularity, energy fluctuations — these patterns over time give us far more clinical insight than a single lab value.

Labs can be helpful.
But without context, they can also be misleading.

In dynamic transitions, patterns > snapshots.

Save this — it will change how you interpret your labs.

Most people talk about muscle as aesthetics. Clinically, it is protection.Muscle is one of the most important determinan...
04/20/2026

Most people talk about muscle as aesthetics. Clinically, it is protection.

Muscle is one of the most important determinants of long-term health in midlife and beyond. It supports bone density, improves balance, and reduces the risk of falls and fractures.

This is where the conversation needs to shift.

It’s not just about weight.
It’s about structural integrity, resilience, and maintaining independence as you age.

As estrogen declines, bone density and muscle mass both become more vulnerable. That combination increases injury risk, which is why strength training becomes a non-negotiable, not an option.

The goal isn’t just to look strong.
It’s to stay strong.

Share this, it's how we start thinking about muscle differently.

If you are running, cycling, or doing HIIT 5 days a week but haven't touched a dumbbell, your second act is currently un...
04/20/2026

If you are running, cycling, or doing HIIT 5 days a week but haven't touched a dumbbell, your second act is currently underinsured.

In perimenopause, muscle and bone mass are not just aesthetic; they are your primary metabolic and cognitive assets. Estrogen’s early fluctuations weaken the "build signal." This causes "invisible" muscle wasting (sarcopenia) and bone density loss long before your cycle gets weird.

Lifting heavy is how we force the mechanical loading that signals osteocalcin production—the hormone that regulates brain health, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.

The Q2 skeletal audit:
Shift from 1 HIIT session to 2 heavy lifting sessions per week (1.2-1.6g protein/kg) to protect your assets and build resilience.
Stop "moving" and start Mechanical Loading.

Is your current routine actually working for your new physiology? Listen to the latest episode of Pause, Please for the full clinical asset audit. Link in bio.

04/20/2026

You’re 43. Your period arrives like clockwork. On paper, you’re "perfectly normal."
So why are you waking up drenched at 3 AM? Why is your mood suddenly a rollercoaster?

In today’s episode of Pause, Please, I’m breaking down why a regular cycle is actually a poor diagnostic tool for perimenopause. According to new 2025 research in The Lancet, symptoms like night sweats and vaginal dryness are far more accurate "discriminators" than your calendar.

Stop waiting for your period to get "weird" before you ask for help. The transition starts in your body long before it shows up on your cycle tracker.

[Link in bio to listen to the full episode!]

Ever feel like your brain’s power supply just got swapped?For women in their 40s, "Brain Fog" is actually a Cognitive Re...
04/18/2026

Ever feel like your brain’s power supply just got swapped?

For women in their 40s, "Brain Fog" is actually a Cognitive Refractive Period. As estrogen fluctuates, your brain’s ability to burn glucose for fuel can dip by 20-25%. You aren't losing your "edge"; your brain is in a state of metabolic transition.

The Fuel Reset:

Healthy Fats: Adding MCT oil provides a ketone fuel source that bypasses the glucose gap.

Protein Anchoring: Pair carbs with 20g+ of protein to prevent the "cognitive blackout" after spikes.

Strategic Timing: Schedule deep work 60 minutes after a high-protein meal for peak efficiency.

Your brain isn't broken—it’s recalibrating. Stop fighting the fog and start fueling the transition.

Ready to bypass the 3 PM blackout? Listen to Pause, Please for the full Mitochondrial Reboot protocol.

[Link in bio to listen!]

04/17/2026

There is a recognizable pattern to midlife irritability, and it starts with progesterone.

Progesterone supports GABA, your calming neurotransmitter.

As progesterone declines, that emotional buffer narrows. Sensory input feels louder. Tolerance drops.

The chewing, the throat clearing, the spoon in the cereal bowl. It is not that you have changed. It is that the system regulating your response has.

The opponent changed. The strategy needs to change with it.

If you’re ready for support, send me a DM.

This is what pattern recognition looks like in real life.She came in with:Poor sleepIrritabilityBrain fogCycle changesLo...
04/16/2026

This is what pattern recognition looks like in real life.

She came in with:
Poor sleep
Irritability
Brain fog
Cycle changes
Low resilience to stress

Her labs? “Normal.”

But when we looked at the pattern over time, it told a different story.

Perimenopause doesn’t always show up clearly on a single lab value. Hormones fluctuate. Symptoms cluster. The signal is in the pattern, not just the number.

Normal labs don’t always mean stable physiology.
And they don’t invalidate what you’re feeling.

This is where clinical context matters.
Your symptoms, your timeline, your patterns... that’s the real data.

If this is your story, you deserve a clinician who reads the full picture. DM to learn how to we can work together to get you feeling like yourself again.

"Clean eating" is only half the battle. You can have the perfect diet, but if your gut bacteria—your Estrobolome—is imba...
04/16/2026

"Clean eating" is only half the battle. You can have the perfect diet, but if your gut bacteria—your Estrobolome—is imbalanced, you’re likely stuck in a "Recycled Estrogen" loop.

As a Menopause Society practitioner, I see this constantly: women in their 40s struggling with the "hard" hormonal bloat, intense breast tenderness, and sudden heavy periods. Often, the culprit is an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase that "unboxes" used estrogen in your gut and leaks it back into your system.

It’s not enough to "detox"—you have to ensure a functional exit strategy.

The Q2 Reset Strategy:

Prioritize 35g of Fiber: Keep the Estrobolome moving.

Cruciferous Power: Broccoli sprouts and kale help the liver "package" estrogen safely.

Inhibit the "Unboxing": Consider Calcium D-Glucarate to keep those hormone packages locked until they leave the body.

Stop treating the bloat and start fixing the clearance.

Ready to break the cycle of recycled hormones? Listen to the latest episode of Pause, Please for the full Estrobolome Audit and my Phase 2 Detox protocol.

[Link in bio to listen and subscribe!]

If you are hungrier more often and less satisfied after meals, chronic stress might be underneath it.When cortisol stays...
04/14/2026

If you are hungrier more often and less satisfied after meals, chronic stress might be underneath it.

When cortisol stays elevated, it changes how your appetite hormones behave.

Ghrelin, your hunger signal, becomes more active.
Leptin, your fullness signal, becomes less effective.

So you feel hungrier… eat… and still don’t feel satisfied.

This is where cravings increase, blood sugar becomes more unstable, and that “hangry” feeling shows up faster and more intensely.

It’s not random.
It’s a pattern.

Before jumping to restriction or cutting more food, the first step is stabilizing the system.

Protein and fiber help:
• Improve satiety
• Slow blood sugar swings
• Support more stable appetite signaling

This is how we start breaking the cycle.

Tell me: is it the 8pm snacking or the 3pm crash that hits you hardest?

Address

22-285 17th Street
West Vancouver, BC
V7V3S6

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+16049132262

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr. Sara Kinnon - ND, MSCP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category