Functional Female Medicine · Women 30+

You're not
falling apart.
You're in perimenopause —
and there's a way through.

18 years helping South African women 30 and older finally get answers about their hormones, their health and how they feel.

Whether you're in your 30s trying to build a family while your body is sending signals no one can explain, or in your 40s and 50s navigating perimenopause alongside everything else life is asking of you — you deserve a doctor who looks at the full picture.

Book Your Consultation Not sure where to start? See what we treat →
  • 18 Years in Women's Hormonal Health
  • Practising OB-GYN
  • HPCSA Registered
  • Zoom — SA & International
Placeholder portrait — to be replaced with Dr Lizelle's photo

Does any of this sound familiar?

You're exhausted. But you can't sleep.

You drop off fine — then you're wide awake at 3am, mind racing, sheets damp. You're tired of being tired, and you don't know why. Your body seems to have forgotten what rest feels like.

You're gaining weight and nothing is adding up.

Your diet hasn't changed. You're still moving. But your body is changing in ways no one has properly explained to you.

You snap — and then feel terrible about it.

The irritability comes from nowhere. You hear yourself and think: that's not who I am. The guilt that follows makes it worse.

Your brain isn't keeping up with you.

Forgetting words mid-sentence. Losing your train of thought. Struggling in meetings when you used to be the sharpest one there. You've started writing everything down just to get through the day.

Your body aches in ways you can't explain.

Joints. Headaches. Palpitations. Dry skin. Things you're writing off as "just getting older" — but they're piling up.

You've been told everything is fine.

Blood tests normal. "Just stressed." Maybe try antidepressants. But nothing feels fine — and that answer doesn't sit right.

You don't feel like yourself anymore.

Not dramatically unwell. Not well either. Somewhere in between — and running out of patience.

This isn't burnout. This isn't anxiety.
This is your hormones — and it's something we can work with.

Perimenopause can begin as early as your late 20s. It doesn't always show up as hot flashes. It often looks exactly like what you just read — and it gets missed or dismissed for years. If any of this sounds familiar, you're not imagining it. You're just not seeing the right specialist yet.

Find out what's really going on →

You didn't end up here by not trying.

You went to your GP. Blood tests came back fine. You were told to manage your stress — maybe try antidepressants, maybe cut back on coffee.

So you tried. You probably spent more on supplements over the last two years than you'd like to admit. You Googled until you had seven browser tabs open and three completely different opinions on HRT. You came away more confused than when you started.

You saw a gynaecologist. "Your hormones are in the normal range." You nodded and drove home wondering why "normal" feels nothing like how you actually feel.

Maybe a colleague mentioned it. Maybe a podcast finally put words to what you'd been experiencing. Maybe you're reading this at midnight — because once again, you can't sleep.

The point is: you've been trying. For months. Possibly years. And the medical system — built largely around a male body and a single blood test taken on the wrong day of your cycle — has not kept up with what women going through this are actually experiencing.

"The problem isn't you.
It's that you haven't had the right support."

The good news? This is not a life sentence.

When a specialist who has spent 18 years in functional female medicine looks at your full picture — your hormones, your history, your symptoms, your lifestyle — the fog starts to lift. Not because she has a magic answer. Because she finally asks the right questions.

See how Dr Lizelle's approach is different →

There is a different way to approach this.

Functional female medicine — and what it actually means for you.

Functional medicine doesn't just ask: what are your symptoms? It asks: what is causing them.

For women going through perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause, that question changes everything.

Instead of treating each symptom separately, Dr Lizelle looks at the full picture: your hormones, your thyroid, your cortisol, your sleep, your history. She builds a plan specific to your body. Not a protocol off a shelf.

01

Book your session

02

Full picture consultation

03

Your personalised plan

Dr Lizelle has spent 18 years working in functional female medicine — exclusively in women's hormonal health. She is a member of the CrossFit Medical Society. She is based in the Garden Route and sees clients via Zoom across South Africa.

Geography is no longer a reason to keep putting this off.

Your first consultation is a full picture session.

Dr Lizelle will go through your history, your symptoms, your hormone panels and your lifestyle. You'll leave with a clear understanding of what's happening — and where to start. No rushing. No dismissal.

Book Your Consultation Questions first? Contact us →
"I left her rooms feeling heard for the first time in three years."
— client, Garden Route
Read more from women who found their way through →
Dr Lizelle — portrait placeholder until April 2026 photoshoot

Who This Is For

You don't have to be in crisis to deserve answers.

Dr Lizelle works with women at every stage — from the first signs that something has shifted, to years of symptoms that have never been properly explained.

Women in their 30s

Navigating early hormonal shifts, PCOS, endometriosis, unexplained fatigue or mood changes — often while building a family or managing a career. Dismissed as "too young" for menopause but living with real symptoms.

Women in perimenopause

Experiencing the full spectrum — sleep disruption, weight gain, brain fog, anxiety, palpitations, mood swings. Often told their bloods are normal. Often told to try antidepressants. Still not feeling like themselves.

Women post-menopause

Managing long-term hormonal wellbeing — bone health, cardiovascular risk, energy, libido, mental sharpness. Looking for a specialist who treats the whole picture, not just one number on a blood panel.

Coming to the May 2026 Workshop?

Dr Lizelle hosts a Perimenopause Workshop on 16 May 2026. If you've been trying to understand what's happening to your body and want answers in a warm, supported group setting — this is for you. Reserve your place →

What We Offer

Support tailored to where you are right now.

Every woman's experience is different. Dr Lizelle offers individual consultations, structured health programmes and group workshops — all built around your specific needs.

01

Private Consultation

A one-on-one session where Dr Lizelle reviews your full history, symptoms, hormone panels and lifestyle. You'll leave with clarity on what's happening and a clear starting point. Available via Zoom across South Africa and internationally.

  • Full hormonal assessment
  • Thyroid and adrenal evaluation
  • Personalised treatment direction
  • No rushing. No dismissal.
02

Whole Woman Wellness Program

A 6-month private 1:1 programme for women who are exhausted by symptoms their GP isn't fully addressing. Doctor-led, whole-person, and built entirely around you.

  • 26 sessions over 6 months
  • Weekly calls + WhatsApp support
  • Hormone panel interpretation included
  • Nutrition, sleep & supplement protocol
  • Mindset & emotional coaching
See Investment →
03

Perimenopause Workshop

A group workshop in a warm, open environment — giving women the information, language and tools they need to understand what's happening in their bodies and what they can do about it.

  • Education-led, not clinical
  • Small groups — intimate and safe
  • Garden Route (in-person)
  • Next date: 16 May 2026
Reserve Your Place →

Consultations available via Zoom across South Africa and internationally.

Your Investment

Whole Woman Wellness Programme

One structured programme. Six months. A doctor who actually has time for you.

Why this programme is different

  • Doctor-led — not a wellness coach or app
  • Built entirely around your hormones, history and life
  • The time and depth conventional medicine doesn’t allow
  • One of the only programmes of its kind in South Africa
  • Available via Zoom — wherever you are in South Africa

What’s included

  • 26 sessions over 6 months
  • 90-min deep-dive intake session
  • Hormone panel interpretation
  • Personalised nutrition & supplement plan
  • Sleep & lifestyle protocol
  • WhatsApp & email support between sessions
  • Resource library: protocols, trackers, guides
  • 6-month review + roadmap for the next chapter

* Hormone labs billed separately by the laboratory.

See Full Pricing & Apply →

This programme is led by a practising OB-GYN with 18 years in functional female medicine — not a wellness coach. You get the clinical rigour of a specialist with the depth of a dedicated programme.

About Dr Lizelle

"I'm there because I care."

Dr Lizelle is a practising OB-GYN with 18 years in functional female medicine. She didn’t come from the wellness world — she came from clinical practice, which is exactly why what she offers is different. She saw, again and again, that the conventional system was failing women at the very moment they needed it most.

Where standard medicine runs one blood test on the wrong day and sends you home with a “normal” result, Dr Lizelle looks deeper. She considers your hormones, your thyroid, your adrenals, your sleep, your history and your life. She builds a picture. Then she builds a plan. With the clinical authority of a specialist — and the time to actually use it.

She is based in the Garden Route and consults with women across South Africa and internationally via Zoom. She is a member of the CrossFit Medical Society, and her future vision includes becoming one of the founding medical members combining medicine and CrossFit in South Africa.

Practising OB-GYN — active clinical specialist
18 Years in functional female medicine
Member, CrossFit Medical Society
Zoom — SA & International
Workshops for women — perimenopause education

Why women trust her

  • Practising OB-GYN — a registered specialist, not a coach or consultant
  • 18 years in active clinical practice — OB-GYN & functional medicine specialist
  • HPCSA registered — fully accredited, insured and professionally accountable
  • One of very few OB-GYNs in SA offering a dedicated functional medicine programme
  • Consults via Zoom — across South Africa and internationally
  • Member, CrossFit Medical Society — integrating physical strength with women's health

"The ability to identify challenges and find the means to overcome them — through lifestyle, life changes and self-empowerment. That is what I help women do."

— Dr Lizelle

What Women Say

They came in lost. They left with a plan.

These are the words of real women who came to Dr Lizelle after years of being dismissed, misdiagnosed or simply left without answers.

Rune Germishuizen
R
Rune Germishuizen · Garden Route

“She made us feel so at ease and comfortable and made the entire journey so special. She is kind and generous and will go over and above for her clients. Truly the best!”

Ilonka Ras
I
Ilonka · Garden Route

“I genuinely believe she is the best OBGYN in South Africa. She has a gift for putting you completely at ease — even in the most vulnerable moments.”

P
client · Cape Town

“I thought I was going mad. She explained everything so clearly and kindly. For the first time in years, I feel like myself again.”

P
client · Pretoria

“I had been struggling for four years before I found Dr Lizelle. The difference in how I feel now is something I can’t put into words.”

P
client · George

“She doesn’t just treat symptoms — she actually finds out what’s causing them. That changed everything for me.”

P
client · Zoom

“The first consultation was unlike anything I’d experienced before. An hour of actually being listened to. I cried driving home — in the best way.”

Testimonials reflect real client experiences. Names withheld for privacy.

Common Questions

Things women usually want to know first.

What exactly is functional female medicine?

Functional medicine looks for the root cause of symptoms rather than treating each symptom in isolation. In practice, this means Dr Lizelle examines your full hormonal picture — oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, cortisol and more — alongside your history, lifestyle and mental health. She builds a plan specific to you, not a generic protocol.

I'm only 33. Can I really be in perimenopause?

Yes. Perimenopause can begin as early as the late 20s or early 30s. It doesn't always look like hot flashes — it often looks like anxiety, irregular periods, sleep disruption, brain fog or unexplained weight changes. If you've been told your blood tests are normal but something still feels wrong, a functional medicine lens may be exactly what's needed.

Are all consultations done via Zoom?

All consultations are conducted via Zoom — across South Africa and internationally. Many clients have found it to be fully effective. Geography is no longer a barrier.

I've already seen a gynaecologist and an endocrinologist. What will be different?

Conventional specialists typically focus on their area of specialty and work within standard reference ranges. Dr Lizelle takes a broader view — she looks at the interplay between all your hormones, your thyroid, your adrenals, your sleep and your mental health together. Many women who come to her have seen multiple specialists before and have never had someone sit down and look at their whole picture.

What happens in the first consultation?

Your first session is a full-picture consultation. Dr Lizelle will go through your history, your current symptoms, any existing blood results you have and your lifestyle. It is not rushed. You will leave with clarity about what may be driving your symptoms and a clear direction for next steps — not a vague "let's wait and see."

What is the May 2026 Perimenopause Workshop?

A small-group, in-person workshop in the Garden Route where Dr Lizelle walks women through perimenopause — what it is, when it starts, what to look for, and what options exist. It is designed to be educational and warm rather than clinical. Places are limited. Date: 16 May 2026. Secure your place here →

You've been waiting long enough.

Your symptoms are real. Your frustration is valid. And you deserve a doctor who takes the time to actually understand what's happening — and what to do about it.

Book a consultation with Dr Lizelle via Zoom — across South Africa and internationally.

Book a Consultation Or email us directly →

drnortje@gmail.com  ·  083 657 2235  ·  Garden Route & Zoom

18 Years treating women as a practising OB-GYN
SA Nationwide & international — via Zoom
HPCSA Registered specialist — fully accredited & insured

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