Shannon Stokes Naturopath

21/10/2026

Getting the day 21 bloods before clients 🥰

20/10/2026

I’m redesigning my 40s. One habit at a time.

I’m a naturopath, and even I get health fatigue. The advice, the supplements, the things we’re apparently meant to squeeze in before 7 am.

I have kids. Back-to-back clients. My own hormonal s**t going on. I need looking after myself to feel achievable.

And I’m tired of hearing about my 40s like it’s all downhill from here.

I want to feel strong, have energy for my life and stop putting myself at the bottom of the list.

So amongst all the noise, I’m coming back to the simple habits that do the heavy lifting.

Morning light. Protein at each meal. My herbs. Water I actually remember to drink, with creatine and a little prebiotic fibre stirred in.

Lifting weights towards my 100 kg deadlift goal. That little dopamine hit of another rep, a heavier weight, getting closer.

Going to bed at 9:30 instead of scrolling for an hour because it’s finally quiet.

Dancing in the clinic. Having a cry when I need one. Admitting when I’m exhausted instead of expecting another supplement to do the impossible.

Getting support and investigating symptoms when something feels off.

And yes, there’s still coffee on an empty stomach. That’s my non-negotiable right now.

I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed by looking after your health. I don’t want another routine I’m failing at. I want a few things I can keep doing, even on a busy Tuesday.

I’m not accepting defeat in this era. I choose me.

What’s one small thing you’re doing for yourself?

14/10/2026

05/10/2026

I want to be stronger at 45 than I was at 35.

I want muscle on my body.
Energy when I wake up.
Good s*x.
Good sleep.
A brain that works.
Hormones I understand.
Yearly Bloods I check before something becomes a problem.

I want to eat protein.
Lift heavy s**t.
Walk in the sun.
Take the creatine.
Drink less booze but still drink some.
Manage my stress.
And stop pretending running on cortisol and caffeine is ok

I want to say no without writing a three-paragraph apology afterwards.

I want good people around me.

More dinners.
More laughing.
More travel.
More fun.
More herbs.

And significantly less tolerance for bulls**t.

I’ll look after my skin.
Get the Botox. Without judgement.
Wear the bikinis with my belly skin flapping
Eat the chips.
Miss the occasional workout.
And help others do the same.

My job is my world. My clients are my favourite humans. And I’m doing it with you. Let’s push the boundaries of health in our 40’s. Use the bio-identical hormones when we need them. Use the creams and gels when appropriate and figure this decade out together. Shot herbs together. And just cut the bulls**t wellness crap that’s not needed!

30/09/2026

Rantttttt. 🎤

25/09/2026

15 seconds of pain … lifestyle of gain !! 💪

24/09/2026

11. slightly creepy things your naturopath notices about your face 👀

1. The outer third of your eyebrows is thinning
We’re thinking thyroid. Loss of the lateral eyebrow can occur with hypothyroidism. Could be a prompt to run a panel

2. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes
We’re asking about iron, sleep, allergies and nasal congestion. Dark circles aren’t an iron-deficiency test, but paired with fatigue, heavy periods or pallor, iron studies are going on our list.

3. The inside of your lower eyelids looks unusually pale
Now we’re really interested in iron and haemoglobin. Conjunctival pallor can be associated with anaemia.

4. Cracks keep appearing at the corners of your mouth
Angular cheilitis makes us think about iron, B12, folate and other B vitamins, as well as local irritation or infection.

5. Your tongue is unusually smooth, shiny or sore
We may investigate B12, folate and iron. Nutrient deficiencies can cause changes to the tongue…

6. Your face looks puffier than usual, especially around the eyes
We’re asking about thyroid function, allergies, sleep, alcohol, sodium, medications and fluid retention CORTISOL …Your face can sometimes give us a clue that something has changed.

7. Your skin or the whites of your eyes have a yellow or glassy tinge
That’s not just a “detox” sign. We’re thinking bilirubin and liver/biliary causes…. Alcohol consumption? Referral?

8. You’re getting coarse hairs along the chin/jaw + acne
That combination makes us curious about androgens, insulin resistance, PCOS/PMOS and the menstrual cycle, particularly if it’s new or accompanied by irregular periods.

9. Your skin looks unusually pale
Again, iron and anaemia? Stress? anxiety, but we’re not diagnosing it by looking at you. We’ll want the bloods.

10. Your cheeks/nose are persistently flushed or covered in tiny visible vessels…we’re asking about rosacea, sun exposure, alcohol, temperature triggers, skincare and medications

11. Where your acne is located… jawline - Hormones, around the peri-oral areas - food intolerances..forehead - liver and teen hormones..cheeks -GUT

Your face can give us clinical clues… non-judgemental clin

22/09/2026

8 things I do before my period so I don’t turn into the mole of the century.

1. I pull back on caffeine.
The week before my period, my nervous system does not need me adding three coffee…Progesterone and oestrogen are shifting, sleep can be more fragile and my stress tolerance is lower. More caffeine can mean more wired, anxious, irritable me

2. I eat properly.
This is not the week I accidentally survive on coffee until 2pm. Protein, actual meals, enough carbs. Because Low blood sugar + PMS is a terrible personality combination.

3. I take my magnesium seriously.
Not the three capsules I remember at 11pm after I’ve already lost my s**t. Consistently. Every day. 300mg Mag glycinate (minimum) before bed

4. I become slightly less available.
I don’t book every spare minute. I say no more. I leave gaps. My tolerance for unnecessary bulls**t is biologically lower, so I plan accordingly.

5. I support my bowels.
Yep, we’re talking poo. Regular bowel movements matter when we’re talking hormone metabolism and excretion. Fibre, fluids, movement. Glamorous stuff. Mag Citrate or PHGG might appear here. We are already feeling bloated and thicc..without days of excess p**p stored.

6. I don’t suddenly decide I need to train harder.
I still move and lift, but if my body is asking for a slightly easier session, I listen. Smashing myself because my Oura told me I’m capable is not a personality ok. I love my Oura ring but she can’t shhhhut up sometimes.

7. I pay attention to sleep BEFORE it goes to hell.
Earlier night. Less scrolling. Magnesium. Wind-down. Because one crap night can turn mildly irritated me into someone offended by the sound of breathing.

8. I remind myself that everything does not suddenly need fixing.
My relationship. My business. My face. My body. My entire life. This is big!!!

Sometimes I genuinely need to address something.

And sometimes I just need to wait 48 hours and get my period.

Hormones aren’t an excuse for feeling awful every month. But knowing your pattern gives you a bloody good head start.

21/09/2026

I’m tired of women with endometriosis being given two extremes:

“Just go on the pill.”
or
“Cut out everything, detox your oestrogen and take 14 supplements.”

There is a whole lot of useful stuff in the middle.

After 20 years in clinic, if I had endo, these are the things I’d genuinely be looking at alongside good medical care.

No miracle cure. No toughing it out!!

Just understanding what’s actually going on in the body and supporting the hell out of it.