We're Traveling to the Future, Babe.

🧠 Perimenopause Rewires the Brain — For Real

Researchers are finally mapping how perimenopause changes the brain: shifts in memory, emotion processing, sleep regulation, and stress response. It’s not “just menopause brain” — it’s a real neurobiological phase, and understanding it helps doctors treat symptoms smarter.
👉Read more here.
🧠 Stay Abreast Take:
Validate the fog, the feels, and the sudden need for more naps. Medicine catching up = liberation (and fewer “you’re being dramatic” texts). Bonus points if you can give your significant other some insight to what may lie ahead.

🥗 Diet Actually Helps Menopause Symptoms — Who Knew?

A new poll shows lots of women don’t realize how much food affects hot flashes, sleep, and mood. Simple swaps (more phytoestrogens, less booze and spicy junk at night) can make a legit difference. Nutrition = low-key menopause therapy.
👉 Read: Contemporary OB/GYN — “Many women unaware of dietary effects on menopause symptoms, poll shows.” Read more here.
🧠 Stay Abreast Take:
We love snacks. We love fewer hot flashes even more. If you’re pre-menopausal(and peri for that matter) it’s time to start educating yourself so you’re prepared for the next chapters ahead.

💸 Ozempic Tariffs Could Mean Higher Health Premiums

Turns out tariffs and trade policy around GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic might ripple into your wallet via higher insurance premiums and drug costs. Health, politics, and economics all doing the tango—and not in a cute way.
👉 Read: Washington Post — “How tariffs on GLP-1 drugs could affect health insurance premiums.” Read more here.
🧠 Stay Abreast Take:
Weight-loss meds aren’t just personal — they’re a policy problem now. When politics meets metabolism, your bank account gets spicy.

🌾 A Type of Fiber May Work Like Ozempic-ish (But Natural)

Exciting trial: a specific plant fiber appears to produce weight-loss benefits similar to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic — by altering gut signals and satiety. Not a miracle injection, but promising for people who want drug-free metabolic help.
👉 Read: ScienceAlert — “A type of fiber may have weight loss benefits similar to Ozempic.” Read more here.

🧠 Stay Abreast Take:
More legumes, less heartbreak — your gut will thank you. Fiber is the new protein!

🩷Deep Dive: Perimenopause: The Wild Pre-Party

Here’s the thing: menopause doesn’t just arrive one morning with a hot flash and a goodbye card from your ovaries. The real rollercoaster is perimenopause—the years leading up to menopause when your hormones start free-styling.

⏰ When it starts: Most people hit perimenopause in their 40s, but studies show about 1 in 2 women in their 30s already report moderate-to-severe symptoms (Contemporary OB/GYN, 2025). Yes—your mood swings and night sweats might actually be biology, not just your boss being annoying.

📉 What’s happening: Estrogen and progesterone go on a hormonal seesaw—sometimes sky-high, sometimes basement-low. This hormonal chaos affects the brain, sleep, metabolism, and even mood regulation. Neuroscience research now shows perimenopause rewires parts of the brain that regulate memory, stress, and emotions (New Scientist, 2025).

🔥 Top hits on the symptom playlist: hot flashes, brain fog, irregular cycles, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, low libido, mood swings. Not every woman gets them all, but over 75% of women report noticeable symptoms by their early 50s (PMC, 2023).

🧠 Psych vs. Physical: Psychological symptoms—like irritability, anxiety, or depression—peak in the early 40s. The physical stuff—hot flashes, bladder changes—hit hardest in the early 50s (Flo Health + academic studies, 2024).

💡 The kicker: Perimenopause can last 4–10 years (Harvard Health), which means you could spend nearly a decade on this ride. The good news? Research shows lifestyle tweaks (diet, exercise, managing stress) and targeted therapies (like hormone therapy, when safe) make a real difference.

Stay Abreast Take: Think of perimenopause as the messy bachelorette party before the “wedding” of menopause. It’s chaotic, it’s sweaty, it’s sometimes weepy—but it’s normal. And the more we talk about it, the less women suffer in silence. Preparation is key! Do future (or current) you a favor and educate yourself.

🍉What We’re Cooking This Week
Bibimbap, what’s not to love and it could support a healthy gut and endocrine (hormone) system through perimenopause 🤷‍♀️. If nothing else, it batches well, tastes great and is fresh and light! Get cooking here.

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Stay Abreast, Friends✌️,
The Stay Abreast Team