Morning Glow Newsletter Vol 26.
- Team Yara - Writing
- Nov 28
- 8 min read
Keep Your Brain Bright at Mid-Life (Yes, Really)
As we get older, it’s easy to treat memory slips or that foggy midday brain fog as “just part of getting on.” But voices like Women’s Brain Health Initiative remind us: female brains deserve the same care as bodies.
Here’s how you can give your brain a boost — no miracle cures, just small habits that make a difference.
1. Keep moving — Daily walks, a bit of gym work or even dancing helps oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This supports memory, focus and mood.
2. Eat for your mind — Fill your plate with leafy greens, berries, nuts and oily fish. These foods carry antioxidants and healthy fats that studies link to better brain resilience.
3. Stay social — and mental too — Chatting, learning something new or doing puzzles keeps your mind ticking. Both social contact and mental challenges protect against cognitive decline.
4. Sleep, rest and chill — Stress, poor sleep and neglecting self-care are hard on your brain. Try to wind down each day and let your mind recharge.
Midlife might feel like “over the hill” in some ways, but it can also be the perfect time to treat your head with kindness. Think of brain health as a lifelong project — one you absolutely deserve to win at.
— Yara x
When Libido Shifts: What Happens to Your Sex Drive During Menopause (and What Might Help)
As menopause approaches, many women notice changes in their sex drive. It might drop, shift, or even bounce back — and that is all completely normal. Hormonal changes, especially the decline of oestrogen and testosterone, can alter everything from mood and energy to comfort levels during intimacy.
Here’s what might affect your libido during this time: lower hormone levels can lead to vaginal dryness and thinning tissue, which can make sex uncomfortable or even painful. Fluctuating hormones can bring insomnia, night sweats and mood swings — all of which chip away at your desire and energy. On top of that, mid-life can bring other stressors: work demands, ageing bodies, health concerns and shifting self-image. All of it feeds into a shifting sexuality.
But there is good news. Many women find ways to reconnect with their bodies and rediscover pleasure. Here are a few steps that often help:
1. Talk it out
Communicating with your partner or trusted friend can take the pressure off. Hormonal swings or dryness are not a reflection of your worth. Exploring intimacy in other ways — cuddling, massages, non-penetrative sex — can rebuild connection gently.
2. Use lubrication or moisturisers
Over-the-counter water-based lubricants or vaginal moisturising creams can relieve dryness and make sex more comfortable. That can help ease pain and restore enjoyment.
3. Stay active and healthy
Gentle exercise, good sleep and healthy eating can help with energy, mood and circulation — all of which support libido. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can also improve comfort and sensitivity.
4. Consider professional help
If discomfort or low desire continues, it may be worth speaking to a doctor or sexual health expert. Treatments such as hormone therapy, where appropriate, or pelvic-floor therapy may improve things. Underlying health issues, medications or stress can all play a part in libido changes.
5. Give yourself time and kindness
Menopause is a transition — not a verdict. Remember that your sexuality can evolve. What you want at 45 might not feel the same at 55, or it might feel stronger in a different, wiser way.
Your sex drive is just one part of you. With patience, communication and a bit of self-care, many women discover that the menopause is not the end of sexual confidence — it can be the start of something more grounded, authentic and fulfilling.
When Your Hair Sends a Resignation Letter
Hair loss in women is more common than you might think — and there are legitimate, evidence-based ways to respond. Here’s a compact guide to what’s going on and what you can do.
Why hair loss happens
Hair falls out for a lot of reasons: stress, illness, dramatic weight loss, nutritional gaps, and even sudden shock to the body.
But for many women, the main culprit is a condition called Female pattern hair loss (FPHL), also known as androgenetic alopecia. That’s the progressive thinning across the top of the scalp many of us dread. It often kicks in around menopause, as hormones shift.
What you can do about it
1. Ask a professional first
If you see more hair than usual in your brush or your scalp becoming visible, chat with a GP or dermatologist. They might check thyroid levels, iron status, or hormones — all of which affect hair.
2. The only licensed game in town — Minoxidil
This topical lotion is the most studied treatment for FPHL. Evidence shows many women see slower hair loss or partial regrowth. It needs to be applied daily, directly to the scalp, and used long-term. Stopping it usually means losing gains.
Some women (under medical guidance) explore low-dose oral versions. There are also alternative therapies, such as low-level light/laser therapy or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) — though results are less consistent.
3. Fix the basics
Eat well, stay hydrated, manage stress, and get enough sleep. Hair follicles — like everything else — rely on good nutrition and balance. And sometimes hair loss isn’t genetic at all but caused by poor diet or stress.
4. Conceal while you decide
Changing your hairstyle, using thicker-looking products, scarves or wigs — these are valid, real, life-saving tools when confidence takes a hit. Many women combine these with treatment while waiting for regrowth to show.
5. Support the whole you
Hair loss isn’t just cosmetic. Seeing more scalp than you expect can hit hard emotionally. Talking things through, getting support or simply giving yourself a break often matters just as much as any lotion or therapy.
Bottom line
Female hair loss can come from many places — genes, hormones, stress or lifestyle. Treatments exist, but none are instant miracles. Starting early, setting realistic expectations, and pairing medical advice with self-care gives you the best shot at keeping your hair — and your confidence.
No Go on HRT? Don’t Sweat It — Hot Flashes Still Have Options
If hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is off the table for you, maybe due to a past blood clot, breast cancer history or liver issue, don’t assume you’re stuck riding out hot flashes, night sweats and brain fog. There are credible alternatives.
First up: lifestyle tweaks. Surgeons and gynaecologists say that upping your physical activity and switching to a “plant-forward” diet, rich in vegetables and soy, lighter on oil and processed food, can reduce flare-ups for many women. Cutting back on triggers like caffeine and alcohol also helps the thermostat in your body behave itself a little more.
Then there are non-hormonal prescriptions. Certain antidepressants, the bladder drug oxybutynin and newer brain-targeted medications (like fezolinetant and elinzanetant) are now approved to dial down the internal heat waves. But caution mode: none of these is entirely risk-free; fatigue, liver warnings and bladder issues all showed up in trials.
And don’t discount “softer” options: vaginal lubricants for pesky dryness, cognitive-behaviour therapy to break the cycle of misery, even hypnosis, as early-stage research hints some women find relief from the cortisol-storm.
What matters is this: menopause symptoms aren’t inevitable unless you decide they are. If HRT isn’t right for you, talk to your specialist about everything else available. You’ve still got a choice. And for once, that’s a relief worth embracing.
Perimenopause: Three Startling Symptoms Women Over 40 Often Dismiss
Entering your 40s can feel like life hitting the recoil button. For many women, perimenopause doesn’t begin with sweats or hot flushes — it sneaks in with strange, unexpected symptoms that leave you thinking: “What the heck is going on?”
1. Mood swings with no warning
One minute you’re fine, the next you’re teary, angry or rolling your eyes at your own reflection. You’re not imagining it — hormonal shifts can stir deep emotional ones. The drop in oestrogen and progesterone affects neurotransmitters that regulate mood and stress. It’s not “just stress.” It’s biology.
2. Brain fog and fuzzy thinking
That sharp memory you used to take for granted? It might go missing. Words escape you. You wander into rooms and forget why. That foggy headspace isn’t laziness. It’s one of the most common perimenopausal symptoms.
3. Sleep turns traitor
Used to need eight hours? Now you might struggle for six, wake gasping, or toss and turn as if your brain decided to replay old injustices. Hormonal imbalance messes with sleep cycles and leaves you overtired by noon.
If you’re in your 40s and experiencing any of the above, don’t shrug it off. Hormones are changing — and quietly.
Here’s what helps:
Track the symptoms. Write down tired days, mood swings, and brain blips. It helps you see patterns.
Talk about it. Speak to a friend, partner, or supportive doctor. You’re not losing it.
Prioritise sleep and self-care. Small rituals—like a warm herbal tea before bed—can steady the storm.
Perimenopause can feel like chaos. It’s raw, confusing and often secret. But with awareness and kindness toward your body, you can ride it out with resilience — and maybe a little sass.
Not Just a Belly — It’s a Menopausal Belly Flop
If your waistband has started acting like a Victorian corset and you are wondering who swapped your midsection for a life ring, you are not alone. The so-called menopause belly has been blamed on everything from weak willpower to bad snacking habits. The science paints a far kinder picture. What sits around your middle in midlife is driven by hormones, sleep quality and the way stress changes how your body stores fat. This is physiology, not failure.
Here is the gist. Oestrogen supports fat distribution in the hips and thighs during the reproductive years. When levels drop in perimenopause, your metabolic map redraws itself. The body shifts towards storing fat around the abdomen because it is a more accessible fuel source during hormonal change. It feels unfair because it is. Even women with steady diets and regular movement notice their middle thickening as the years tick forward.
The story does not end there. Cortisol has a starring role, and it loves drama. Chronic stress nudges your body to store fat centrally, and midlife women often carry more load than a pack mule. Careers, caring duties, teenagers, ageing parents and wobbly sleep patterns all push cortisol higher. Add night sweats, hot flushes and the 3 a.m. wide awake club, and you have a recipe for metabolic chaos.
The good news is that this belly is not immovable. Strength training is one of the most reliable ways to shift the balance. Muscles ask for more energy at rest, which keeps your metabolism humming. A couple of sessions a week of resistance bands, bodyweight moves, or light weights are enough to start changing the terrain. Walking helps. So does protein at each meal, more fibre and less perfectionism.
There is also a mindset shift worth making. Your body is navigating a complete hormonal rewire. Of course, it looks and feels different. The goal is not to punish it into obedience but to support it through a transition that is both ancient and complex. Belly fat in midlife is a signal, not a verdict. It tells you that sleep matters, recovery matters and stress reduction is not a luxury.
This phase is not a belly flop. It is a recalibration. With steadier habits, a kinder routine and a little strength in your corner, your body can find its way back to balance without the self-criticism that often weighs more than the extra inches ever could.
Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment. It is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
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