Gené Schesser knows what it feels like to stop trusting your body. After her own health challenges, post-pill acne and irregular cycles, naturopathy changed the way she understood the connection between hormones, digestion and the nervous system.
Now, Gené helps women make sense of symptoms without adding more noise, restriction or wellness overwhelm. Here, she talks about period health, under-eating, nervous system health, rest, and why your body may not be working against you. It may be communicating with you.
Name: Gené Schesser
Pronouns: She/Her
Day job: BHSc Clinical Naturopath, Recipe Developer & Photographer
Location: All online!
Describe what you do in one sentence.
I’m a naturopath specialising in women’s health, helping women understand the connection between their hormones, digestion and nervous system so they can feel more at home in their bodies.
How did your own health journey lead you to naturopathy?
My health journey really started with feeling like my body had become something I couldn’t trust. I experienced some pretty significant health challenges when I was younger, followed by hormonal and digestive issues, and later post-pill acne and irregular cycles. I remember being told that things were “fine” when I knew I didn’t feel fine, and that disconnect stayed with me.
Naturopathy was the first time I really started looking at the why behind what I was experiencing rather than just trying to quiet the symptom in front of me. It completely changed the way I understood my body, and eventually I realised I wanted to help other women have that same experience of feeling listened to and understood.
What did being told you were “fine” teach you about women’s health?
That “normal” doesn’t always mean optimal, and more importantly, it doesn’t always mean you feel well. I think women are often incredibly good at normalising how they feel because they’re told that fatigue, painful periods, bloating, anxiety or hormonal symptoms are just part of being a woman. I’ve learned that we need to listen to the person in front of us, not just the reference range on a pathology report.
What do you wish you’d known coming off the pill?
I wish I’d known that coming off the pill wasn’t simply about “getting my period back”. My body had to re-establish its own hormonal rhythm, including ovulation and progesterone production.
I also wish I’d known how important nutrition, blood sugar, digestion, liver function, stress and nervous system health could be in that process. I spent years thinking my skin was the problem when really, it was one way my body was communicating that something underneath needed support.
How has your relationship with your period changed?
Completely different. I used to see my period as something that happened to me. Now I see it as information. I notice changes in my cycle, cervical mucus, energy, mood, appetite and symptoms, and I’m much more curious about what my body is communicating rather than immediately trying to suppress it.
How much can your period tell you about your broader health?
Quite a lot. Your period is your monthly report card. It can tell us so much about what’s been happening in the weeks leading up to it, from stress and nervous system load to nutrient availability, ovulation, inflammation and how well your body is metabolising and clearing hormones. Your period is your body's feedback on what has been going on beneath the surface.
What period symptoms shouldn’t we just accept?
Pain that stops you from living normally, extremely heavy bleeding, debilitating PMS, significant mood changes, severe bloating, irregular or absent periods, spotting between periods and needing to take pain medication every cycle. You don’t have to just “push through” because it happens every month. Recurring doesn’t mean normal.
When tests come back “normal” but something feels wrong, where should you start?
Get someone qualified in reviewing pathology from an “optimal” standpoint to help you! I’d want to understand their symptoms, menstrual cycle, nutrition, digestion, sleep, stress, medications and lifestyle alongside their pathology. Sometimes the answer isn’t that something is dramatically abnormal… it’s that several small pieces are adding up. And sometimes it’s about knowing what to investigate next rather than repeating the same tests.
Why do we treat hormones, digestion and the nervous system separately?
Because healthcare has traditionally become very specialised. That can be incredibly valuable, but the body itself doesn’t work in departments. Your gut communicates with your brain, your nervous system influences digestion and reproductive function, your thyroid influences energy and cycles, and your hormones influence your whole body. They’re constantly talking to each other.
We hear “hormone balance” everywhere. What does that mean to you?
I actually think “hormone balance” can be a really unhelpful phrase when it’s used as a blanket solution. For me, it’s about having appropriate hormone production, signaling and metabolism for that particular person and stage of life. It’s not about having perfectly flat hormones or eliminating every symptom.
What do you think makes people more overwhelmed rather than healthier?
Trying to change everything at once. I see women who are taking ten supplements, cutting out five food groups, exercising every day, tracking every symptom and constantly researching what might be wrong with them.
Sometimes the most therapeutic thing we can do is simplify. Eat enough. Sleep. Move. Regulate. Get out in nature. Then build from there.
What wellness habits do you think can actually make things more complicated?
Under-eating. There’s so much wellness content focused on being lean, “clean”, fasting, cutting carbs and constantly optimising food. But your body needs energy to ovulate, produce hormones, maintain bone density, build muscle and feel safe. Sometimes the wellness industry is asking women to become smaller when their bodies are actually asking for more.
How much can stress and the nervous system influence physical symptoms?
A huge amount… and that doesn’t mean the symptoms are “in your head”. Your nervous system influences digestion, pain perception, sleep, immune function, heart rate and reproductive hormones. When your body is constantly receiving stress signals, it can change how symptoms are experienced and how well different systems function.
What’s one health habit that sounds boring but makes a difference?
It sounds so boring but drinking enough water!!! Being adequately hydrated supports digestion, bowel movements, circulation, energy, headaches, skin and even how well your body can clear metabolic waste.
How do stress and emotional wellbeing show up in the body?
I think the body keeps score in ways we don’t always recognise. That doesn’t mean every physical symptom is caused by an emotional experience. But our experiences shape our nervous system, our behaviours, our sleep, digestion, hormones and relationship with ourselves. Healing for me isn’t just about correcting a nutrient deficiency. It’s also about creating a body and a life that feel safe enough to actually thrive in.
What have you changed about how you live because of your health journey?
I’ve stopped seeing rest as something I have to earn. I’m also much more intentional about eating enough, getting outside, moving my body because it feels good rather than because I need to “burn” something, and paying attention when my body is asking me to slow down. I’ve learned that health isn’t built through being perfect, it’s built through the things we do consistently.
What do you think women are still getting wrong about their their bodies?
That the goal is to have or experience less. Less food. Less body fat. Less bleeding. Less pain. Less PMS. Less everything. But your body needs nourishment, energy, muscle, fat, carbohydrates and hormonal fluctuations to function properly. I think we need to stop treating the female body like something that constantly needs to be minimised.
What would you tell someone who feels disconnected from their body?
Firstly, know that there is a better place to get to. You don’t need to have all the answers right now, and you certainly don’t need to figure it all out on your own. Start by creating a little more safety in your body: eat regularly, hydrate, get outside, prioritise sleep, breathe, move gently and give yourself permission to slow down. Come back to the basics before adding more.
And then, find someone you trust to walk alongside you. Sometimes the biggest relief is having someone help you make sense of what your body is saying, rather than feeling like you have to solve it all yourself. That’s where working with a naturopath can be really valuable.
What does feeling well actually look like for you now?
It’s actually quite boring, and I love it! Having energy throughout the day. Sleeping well. Eating without fear. Having a cycle I understand. Moving my body because I enjoy it. Being able to work hard without completely burning myself out. Having the capacity to enjoy my life.
For me, feeling well isn’t feeling amazing every second. It’s having the resilience to move through life without my body constantly screaming for my attention.
What would you want every woman to understand about her body?
Your body is not working against you. It is constantly communicating with you. The symptom you’re frustrated by might actually be the body’s way of asking for something… more nourishment, more rest, more support, more investigation, or sometimes simply more compassion. You don’t need to hate your body to become healthy. You need to learn how to listen to it.
MY CYCLE
- My period in 3 words: Information. Connection. Rest.
- Period self-care toolkit: Heat pack, warm feet, magnesium, other nutrients if needed (NAC, omega-3s, PEA), ginger root tea, more food, and absolutely zero guilt about slowing down.
- Most underrated period hack? KEEP YOUR FEET WARM. So random, but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, your feet line with the meridian of your uterus. We want warmth when we are bleeding. Give it a go hehe!
- Contraception of choice: Fertility Awareness Method. For me, understanding my cycle and using fertility awareness has been really empowering.
- On day 1, you'll find me: Either lying in the sun (see the theme about warmth?) or on my couch cozied up with my book for the month.
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Scarlet pick: The wearable heat pack, of course!