Gabriella Ratner Wellness

24/05/2026

anxious for no reason in perimenopause? it's not stress. it's GABA. 🧠
GABA is your brain's natural off switch — the neurotransmitter that calms your nervous system, quiets racing thoughts and tells your body it's safe.

progesterone enhances GABA receptor sensitivity. when progesterone falls in perimenopause — and it falls first — your brain's ability to use GABA drops with it.

the anxiety that appears from nowhere has a name. this is it.
the good news: food feeds this pathway directly. swipe to see exactly what to eat, what to supplement, and one action to take this week

save this for the next time someone tells you perimenopause anxiety is just stress.

20/05/2026

what I ate last week for sleep. every dish was deliberate. 🌙 in perimenopause, broken sleep isn’t random — it’s hormonal. falling oestrogen disrupts your core body temperature regulation. low progesterone strips GABA, your calming neurotransmitter. rising cortisol at 3am wakes you up and keeps you there. sleep medication addresses the symptom.

food addresses the system. swipe to see what I ate and the clinical reason behind every dish ↗ save this if you’re lying awake at 3am wondering why nothing is working.

🌙 sleep questions welcome in the comments — I answer everything

17/05/2026

5 things I stopped doing to fix my perimenopausal sleep. 🌿

each one is a clinical decision — not a wellness trend. and each one made a real difference.

01 — eating salad as dinner. not enough protein or fat to hold blood sugar through the night. cortisol releases at 3am to compensate. you wake up.

02 — fasting through breakfast. skipping breakfast keeps cortisol elevated all morning. without protein to bring it down, the elevated baseline runs through the day — and high daytime cortisol disrupts sleep that night. the 3am wake-up often starts at 7am.

03 — coffee on an empty stomach. spikes cortisol on a system already running hot. eat protein first. coffee second.

04 — wine on weeknights. fragments REM sleep and disrupts overnight blood glucose. saturday's negroni hits differently when tuesday wasn't a write-off.

05 — taking melatonin. the 3am wake-up isn't a melatonin deficiency. it's a blood sugar crash. and a 2025 study presented at the American Heart Association linked long-term melatonin use to a 90% higher risk of heart failure (association, not proof of cause — but enough to question the assumption that it's risk-free).

the pattern: each one was something I did because it worked at 35. perimenopause changed the rules.

food is hormone therapy. every meal. 🌿

🌙 comment SLEEP — I'll DM you 3 recipes that hold blood sugar overnight
💚 comment RESET — free Hormone Reset guide

which of these are you currently doing? no judgement — I did all five. 👇

17/05/2026

This is me. My first substack essay is live. Why good first perimenopause nutrition is the conversation I needed to have. Link below

11/05/2026

09/12/2025

Spiced saffron chicken with prunes

Hormone-friendly- Saffron supports mood regulation and has been shown to be an amazing anti depressant, onions are rich in antioxidants, and prunes provide fibre for gut health, all key for hormonal balance.

Ingredients:
- 1 kg skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 red onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 1/2 cup prunes, pitted
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Season and Sear: Season 1 kg of skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs, skin side down, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan.

2. Fry Onions: In the same pan, add 3 sliced red onions. Fry until they start to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add Paprika: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika over the onions, stir, and cook for another minute.

4. Combine Ingredients: Return the chicken to the pan. Pour in 1.5 cups of stock infused with a pinch of saffron (infuse saffron in 1/4 cup hot stock for 10 mins before adding).

5. Add Prunes: Scatter 1/2 cup of prunes around the chicken.

6. Simmer: Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens.

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