Let’s talk about stress.
Why it shouldn't be 'just part of life' in perimenopause, learning to listen to your body and Peach Melba Crumble recipe
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about longevity or the idea of living a longer and happier life. But what does that actually mean? I think for everyone their picture may be different: whether it’s to live happily through old age without serious illness; to see children grow up; to experience as much as possible of what the world has to offer; to enjoy time with friends and family; to continue learning new things; or simply keep finding the joy in life. But do we need to overhaul our lives and biohack our way to a longer, happier life? For me, a happy life isn’t one full of rules, regulations, expensive gadgets, supplements, and complicated protocols; instead it’s one full of nutritious food, good sleep, time in nature, regular movement, stress management, social connection and self compassion. If longevity never crossed your mind in your 20s and 30s, midlife is a great time to shift your focus onto you and adopt healthy habits that may help you to live the long, healthy life that you imagined.
In clinic, a client recently came to me with the goal of losing weight and improving her digestive issues, but also long term, she wanted to learn how to support her health as she ages. After working together for six weeks, she said:
”My digestion is significantly improved. I have relaxed a lot about knowing what to eat, I feel better that I’m eating healthier, snacking less and I have lost 2 stone!”
Perhaps this win resonates with you, and you’d like the same results? While many women in midlife start to struggle to lose weight using the strategies that worked in the past, it absolutely doesn’t have to be the case.
Right now, I’m looking for two women over 40, who are currently struggling with unwanted weight or digestive issues, and want to feel confident in their skin again — without guilt, confusion, or giving up the foods they love — in the next 30 days.
If this is you, drop me a message and I’ll send you the next steps!
In this issue of Midlife Bites, I dig into the effects of chronic stress during perimenopause and, importantly, what you can do about it. Plus, I share a delicious Peach Melba Crumble that’s perfect for summer BBQs or even breakfast — if you fancy!
As always, I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in working together, or if you have any questions or comments — either hit reply or book a free 1-to-1 chat.
Why stress hits harder in midlife
You’re navigating shifting hormones, sleep that’s gone rogue, non-stop work and family demands, and maybe even a growing awareness that your body doesn’t bounce back like it used to. Add in the cultural expectation that you should be ‘doing it all’ and you’ve got a perfect storm for chronic stress.
But guess what? In perimenopause, stress hits us harder. It’s not just you being dramatic, it’s actually physiological. The same stress that your 30-year-old self may have brushed off can now linger, amplify symptoms, and even affect your weight, digestion, energy, sleep, cognitive function and mood.
Cortisol is your body’s alarm system. When you’re under stress, it spikes to help you react, increasing alertness, blood sugar, and energy. But chronic stress (aka: modern life) keeps cortisol elevated far longer than it’s meant to be.
Why is this a problem particularly in perimenopause?
Because before menopause, oestrogen and progesterone help to buffer the impact cortisol has on your body. But once these hormones begin to fluctuate during perimenopause, your body becomes more sensitive to stress, and less efficient at calming itself down. You feel more on edge, more tired, more sensitive, perhaps even when it seems like nothing major is wrong.
This isn’t just about the way you feel. Elevated cortisol has measurable effects, especially during perimenopause. These include:
Weight gain (especially around the middle): Cortisol promotes fat storage in the abdomen, even if your diet hasn’t changed (heard of ‘cortisol belly’?).
Sleep disruption: High cortisol at night interferes with melatonin production and may affect your ability to get restorative sleep.
Blood sugar and insulin resistance: Cortisol increases the release of glucose into the bloodstream, which over time may affect insulin sensitivity.
Mood and anxiety: You may feel more irritable, low, or anxious as hormone fluctuations impact the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which are linked to mood and anxiety.
Exhaustion and burnout: Our adrenal glands take over some of the work of the ovaries in menopause and produce small amounts of oestrogen and progesterone. However, this becomes less efficient if they’re constantly pumping out stress hormones, affecting our emotional wellbeing.
How to manage stress (without overhauling your whole life)
You don’t need a silent retreat or a green juice habit to lower cortisol. The most effective tools are simple, evidence-based, and easy to integrate into your routine. Here are a few that may make a real impact:
Pattern interrupts: 30 seconds to shift gears
Interrupt your stress response by taking 30 seconds to physically shift your state:
Step outside and look at something green
Splash your face with cold water
Stand up, stretch tall, exhale slowly
These small actions stimulate your vagus nerve (your body’s ‘brake pedal’) and begin to lower your cortisol.
Box breathing (4-4-4-4)
Breathing is one of the quickest ways to regulate your nervous system. Here’s how to do it:
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Repeat for 1 to 2 minutes. Studies on vagal tone and parasympathetic activation have shown that breathing exercises may lower cortisol, reduce blood pressure, and improve focus.
Lower stimulation
This is not just about scheduling some self-care into your routine. It’s about reducing the actual inputs: the noise; the screens; the multi-tasking.
End your day with no screens for at least 30 minutes
Use noise-cancelling headphones during times you feel particularly overwhelmed
Dim the lights and lower the noise before bed — this helps retrain your nervous system to downshift
Gentle movement
When you’re stressed, intense exercise may spike cortisol even more. Gentle movement may help bring it down.
Swap one high-intensity workout per week for yoga, Pilates, walking, or stretching
Walk after meals to lower blood sugar and cortisol simultaneously
This isn’t about doing less, it’s about adding in habits that serve your body better for what it needs right now.
Stress is not something you can eliminate, but you can equip your body with the tools to better respond to it. In perimenopause, learning how to calm your system isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s necessary for your weight, your sleep, your brain, your hormones — and your long-term health.
💡 Coming this month for paid subscribers:
I’ll be exploring how nutrition can support mood, mental clarity, and resilience in perimenopause. We’ll cover key brain nutrients, food–mood connections, and easy ways to eat for better balance; plus 2 delicious recipes to put it all into practice.
Peach Melba Crumble
Serves: 6 | Time: 35 minutes
Peaches are so good right now: juicy, sweet and utterly delicious. From a nutrition perspective, they’re rich in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect your body against ageing and disease. They also support healthy digestion, thanks to their combination of soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps keep things moving and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
If you’ve been wary of sweet fruits because of their sugar content, fear not; yes, they do contain natural sugars, but their high fibre content helps balance blood sugar levels and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Plus, they’re packed with essential vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium).
This easy Peach Melba Crumble makes the perfect summer BBQ dessert. Fresh stewed peaches meet tart raspberries and a hint of vanilla, all topped with a high-fibre, low-sugar crumble that’s as nutritious as it is satisfying. If you fancy it for breakfast? Go for it! Just add a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt for a balanced boost of fibre, protein, and healthy fats. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
6 peaches, stoned & roughly chopped into chunks
1 clementine, juiced
1 vanilla pod
1 teaspoon chia seeds
100g frozen raspberries
for the crumble
130g jumbo oats
70g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons almond butter
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C fan.
Place the chopped peaches and clementine juice in a medium saucepan; scrape the vanilla from the pod and add to the pan. Place over a medium to low heat and cook for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, walnuts and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup, olive oil and almond butter; rub together using your fingers, until you have a rough crumbly mixture.
Stir the chia seeds and raspberries through the cooked peaches, then transfer to a deep baking dish (roughly 18 x 25cm).
Scatter the crumble over the peaches, then bake for 20 minutes until golden and crunchy on top. Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Nutrition Notes
Peaches are rich in antioxidants which help combat damage from harmful free radicals, helping to keep our bodies healthy
This recipe can be easily adapted to whatever fruit you have, so feel free to substitute the peaches and raspberries for apples, pears or berries
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
Are you listening to your body? Really listening? In midlife, things are changing: hunger might feel different; sleep might become elusive; stress might show up in ways we never used to notice. You may have spent the last couple of decades ignoring or trying to outsmart your body’s signals. How many of us have simply pushed through fatigue, eaten by the clock (or not at all), and viewed stress as something to just power through? But that approach simply doesn’t work anymore. Now is the time to tune in to what your body is trying to tell you: about hunger; energy; rest; and emotional overwhelm — and respond with care instead of control.
One strategy to help you reconnect is borrowed from recovery work: HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. These four states are often the root of reactive behaviour: snapping, crying, zoning out, or eating mindlessly.
So next time you’re feeling slightly off, ask yourself (make sure to answer honestly):
Am I Hungry?
Am I Angry or Irritated?
Am I Lonely or Disconnected?
Am I Tired or Overstimulated?
This simple check-in can help you respond rather than react, so that you can tap into what you actually need.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed about how to support your health in midlife, why not book a complimentary chat to find out more about working with me on a 1-to-1 basis. And if you’re on Instagram, come and say hi.