GBA Therapy

17/06/2026

🌫️ Menopause Brain Fog — Why It Happens, Why It’s So Disruptive, and What You Can Do

In my recent menopause survey, brain fog came out as the fourth most common symptom women reported — and if you’re experiencing it, you’ll know how unsettling it can be.

This isn’t just “forgetting where you put your keys”.
For many women, brain fog affects:

concentration

memory

decision‑making

word‑finding

work performance

confidence

emotional wellbeing

It can feel like your brain is running through treacle — and that can be incredibly disruptive.

Why does menopause brain fog happen?

Brain fog during perimenopause and menopause is a multifactorial neurological response to hormonal, metabolic and psychological changes. Several mechanisms can overlap:

1. Oestrogen fluctuations
Oestrogen plays a key role in:

neurotransmitter regulation (especially acetylcholine and serotonin)

blood flow to the brain

synaptic plasticity

memory formation

When oestrogen drops, cognitive processing can feel slower and less reliable.

2. Dehydration
Oestrogen helps regulate fluid balance.
As levels fall, women can become more prone to dehydration — even mild dehydration can impair:

attention

short‑term memory

mental clarity

This is often overlooked but clinically relevant.

3. Anxiety and stress
Perimenopause can heighten anxiety due to:

hormonal shifts

sleep disruption

changes in cortisol regulation

Chronic stress affects the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for focus, planning and working memory.

4. Hormonal headaches or migraines
Fluctuating oestrogen can trigger headaches or migraines, which can temporarily impair:

concentration

sensory processing

cognitive speed

Even low‑grade, lingering headaches can contribute to “foggy” thinking.

5. Sleep disruption
Night sweats, early waking and fragmented sleep reduce cognitive performance the next day.
Sleep is foundational for memory consolidation and executive function.

6. Blood sugar instability
Perimenopause can alter insulin sensitivity.
When blood sugar dips, so does mental clarity.

7. ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed)
Many women with ADHD experience a significant worsening of symptoms during perimenopause due to hormonal sensitivity in dopamine pathways.

What can help?
There’s no single fix, because brain fog has multiple drivers — but targeted support can make a meaningful difference.

Stabilising blood sugar through regular, balanced meals

Supporting sleep quality where possible

Managing stress and anxiety with evidence‑based strategies (breathwork, CBT tools, structured routines)

Hydration awareness, especially around exercise, caffeine and hot weather

Gentle, consistent movement, which improves cerebral blood flow

Reducing cognitive overload by simplifying tasks and using external supports (lists, reminders, planning tools)

Discussing symptoms with a healthcare professional, especially if they’re affecting daily functioning

These aren’t about perfection — they’re about supporting your brain during a period of genuine physiological change.

Could nutrient deficiencies be contributing?
In some cases, brain fog is amplified by underlying deficiencies or imbalances.
A nutrient deficiency assessment can help identify issues such as:

Iron deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin D insufficiency

Magnesium deficiency

Omega‑3 insufficiency

Thyroid‑related abnormalities (not a deficiency, but often relevant)

Understanding what’s happening internally can provide clarity and guide more personalised support.

You’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone
Menopause brain fog is real, common, and deeply impactful.
You’re not “losing your mind”.
Your brain is responding to a complex hormonal transition — and with the right support, things can improve.

15/06/2026

Let’s talk about the fifth most common symptom women told me they struggle with in perimenopause:

Changes in periods.

And not just “a bit irregular.”
I’m talking about:

Periods coming closer together

Periods suddenly spacing far apart

Two‑week‑long bleeds

Flooding

Clots

Cramps that feel completely different

Feeling exhausted, drained, and totally thrown off

If this is you, you’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone.

Why this happens
Perimenopause is a time of hormonal instability, not a gentle decline. Oestrogen and progesterone don’t drop in a straight line — they fluctuate wildly.

Here’s what that means for your cycle:

1. Periods get closer together
In early perimenopause, oestrogen can spike higher than normal, while progesterone drops.
This can cause:

Shorter cycles (21 days… 18 days… sometimes even less)

Heavier bleeding

More PMS symptoms

Your body is essentially trying to ovulate, failing, trying again, and bleeding in between.

2. Then they get further apart
As ovulation becomes less frequent, the cycle lengthens.
You might go:

35 days

45 days

60 days

Months

…before a period arrives.

3. Long, drawn‑out periods
Some women experience two‑week‑long bleeds because the uterine lining builds up under the influence of unopposed oestrogen, then sheds slowly and inconsistently.

It’s not dangerous in most cases, but it is exhausting, inconvenient, and often debilitating.

Why this feels so draining
When your cycle becomes unpredictable, your whole system feels it:

Iron levels can drop

Energy plummets

Mood becomes harder to regulate

Sleep is disrupted

Inflammation increases

Stress hormones rise

ADHD‑like symptoms can intensify

Your body is working incredibly hard behind the scenes.

Why your nutritional status matters more than ever
Going into menopause with depleted nutrients makes every symptom louder.

Low levels of:

Iron

B vitamins

Magnesium

Omega‑3s

Vitamin D

Antioxidants

…can make bleeding heavier, recovery slower, and hormonal fluctuations more intense.

And if you’re considering HRT, having a complete nutritional profile gives your body the best foundation to respond well.
HRT works with your system — so the stronger your baseline, the smoother the transition.

You don’t have to navigate this alone
If your periods are changing and you feel overwhelmed, depleted, or unsure what’s normal, I can help you understand what your body needs and how to support it nutritionally through this transition.

You deserve clarity, stability, and a plan that makes sense for your body.

If you’d like support, my door is open.

www.gbatherapy.com

08/06/2026

M I S I N F O R M A T I O N M O N D A Y

🌟 The Cholesterol Code: What the Evidence Really Says
A new documentary claims that very high LDL cholesterol is harmless for lean, metabolically healthy people on keto diets.
But a scientific review by TJ Waterfall & Dr Matthew Nagra shows that this claim doesn’t match the wider body of evidence.

What the film gets right
Metabolic health matters — insulin resistance, inflammation, blood pressure, and lifestyle all play a big role.

Some people genuinely feel better short‑term on low‑carb or keto diets.

Where it falls short
It leans heavily on anecdotes, not strong evidence.

It downplays decades of research showing LDL and ApoB particles cause atherosclerosis.

It suggests LDL doesn’t matter if other markers look good — but the evidence shows both metabolic health and LDL matter.

It relies on a small, short, non‑peer‑reviewed study (Keto‑CTA) that actually showed 37% plaque progression in one year.

It hints at medical “conspiracy” while overlooking its own conflicts of interest.

What the science actually shows
Across genetics, long‑term population studies, and randomised trials, the conclusion is consistent:
Long‑term exposure to high LDL/ApoB increases cardiovascular risk — even in people who feel healthy.

Bottom line
Keto can help some people in specific situations, but the idea that very high LDL is harmless isn’t supported by credible long‑term evidence.
Until strong data says otherwise, elevated LDL/ApoB should still be taken seriously.

💬 What do you think?
I’m genuinely curious to hear different perspectives — especially from people with clinical experience, personal experience on keto, or those who’ve followed this research closely.
Let’s keep it friendly, evidence‑based, and open‑minded.

01/06/2026

🌱 Can Fibre Help Your Body Get Rid of Microplastics? What the Research Actually Says

Back from a lovely weekend away with my boys, and diving straight back into the world of “is this actually true?” health claims. One that’s been circulating lately: “Fibre is your best bet against microplastics.”
Here’s the simple, evidence‑based version.

The short answer:
Fibre might help move microplastics through the gut — but the science is early, mostly from animal studies, and nowhere near a proven detox method.

What we know so far:
Microplastics have been found in human blood, so some particles can cross into the body.

Certain fibres (like chitosan) helped rats excrete more microplastics — but we don’t have human trials yet.

Insoluble fibre may help things move along; soluble fibre may form a gel that traps particles — but these are still theories.

What’s missing:
No strong human evidence. No confirmed mechanism. And definitely no “fibre flushes out microplastics” guarantee.

The real takeaway:
Eating more fibre is great for digestion, heart health, and the gut microbiome — and most adults don’t get enough anyway. But using fibre specifically to remove microplastics is still an emerging idea, not a proven solution.

And here’s the part the viral clips usually skip:
Reducing your exposure to plastics in the first place matters far more than trying to ‘detox’ them later.

Simple, realistic steps include:

Choosing glass or stainless steel for food storage

Avoiding microwaving food in plastic

Using refillable bottles and filters instead of single‑use plastics

Cutting down on heavily packaged foods

Opting for natural fibres when possible

26/05/2026

On Friday I shared a survey in my stories asking which of the 80+ menopause symptoms you struggle with the most.
These were your top five:

5️⃣ Period changes
4️⃣ Brain fog
3️⃣ Mood shifts
2️⃣ Night sweats
1️⃣ Hot flushes

Over the next few posts, I’ll be diving into each of these in more depth — what’s actually happening in the body, why these symptoms show up, and practical ways to manage them so you feel more supported and more in control.

If there’s a symptom you feel gets overlooked, or something specific you’d like me to cover, please reach out. Your experiences shape this space.

And if you’d like more structured support, my Menopause Support Course is open.
It’s designed to help you understand what’s happening in your body and give you realistic, evidence‑based tools to feel more like yourself again.
If you’d like details, just send me a message.

24/05/2026

Women find their power… and suddenly a new diet trend appears to shrink them back down.
Spot the pattern — break the cycle.

Every time women rise, something predictable happens.

A whisper of self‑doubt.
A flicker of self‑criticism.
A new “must‑try” diet promising discipline, purity, control.

And when you’re tired, under‑fuelled, stretched thin, and running on fumes, those messages land harder.
Because under‑nourishment doesn’t just make you physically weaker — it makes you more malleable.

Low energy → less drive
Low carbs → more anxiety
Low calories → more self‑criticism
Low confidence → easier to manipulate
Low nourishment → low resilience

It’s not an accident.
A woman doubting herself is easier to sell to.
A woman running on empty is easier to keep small.
A woman who’s exhausted has less capacity to question the system that benefits from her shrinking.

But here’s the truth the industry doesn’t want you to realise:

When women eat enough, they think clearly.
When women are nourished, they get louder.
When women are strong, they stop apologising.
When women feel powerful, they stop buying “fixes.”

And that’s exactly why the cycle exists.

Women rise → the system gets nervous → a new diet appears → she shrinks herself → repeat.

Until she sees it.
Until she names it.
Until she refuses to starve herself into silence.

Spot the pattern — break the cycle.
Choose strength over smallness.
Choose nourishment over control.
Choose yourself over the system that profits from your doubt.

21/05/2026

https://www.gbatherapy.com/blog/perimenopause-isnt-a-battle-its-a-relationship-to-nurture/

For too long, women have been taught to approach perimenopause like a war zone. Fight the symptoms. Push through the fatigue. Ignore the mood swings. Pretend nothing is changing.

20/05/2026

This season of life invites you to slow down, tune in, and advocate for what you need. Whether that is nourishment, boundaries, HRT or rest. 💚

18/05/2026

M I S I N F O R M A T I O N M O N D A Y

🌱 Are Today’s Fruits & Veggies Really Less Nutritious?
You’ve probably heard the claim that “a tomato today isn’t what it used to be.” And honestly… there’s some truth to it, but also a lot of noise.

Here’s the simple breakdown 👇

📉 What the research actually shows
Several long‑term analyses comparing produce from the mid‑1900s to today have found modest declines in certain nutrients. Some studies report drops of:

Calcium, iron, magnesium

Vitamin C and riboflavin

Protein in some crops

One review even called the trend “alarming,” noting that high‑yield crops grown on depleted soils or in higher CO₂ environments may contain fewer minerals.

And yes — storage matters too.
As one study showed, “an apple kept for ten months can lose up to 50% of its antioxidant compounds.”

🌍 Why this might be happening
Researchers point to three main reasons:

1️⃣ The “dilution effect”
Bigger, faster‑growing crops = more water, not more nutrients.

2️⃣ Soil health
Intensive farming disrupts the microbes and fungi that help plants absorb minerals.

3️⃣ Time + distance
Nutrients like vitamin C start degrading the moment produce is picked.

🤔 Should we be worried?
For most people in high‑income countries, a slightly less nutrient‑dense tomato isn’t going to cause a deficiency overnight.

The bigger issue is this:
most adults aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables to begin with.

Only about one‑third of people hit the recommended 5‑a‑day — and that’s the minimum. Research suggests aiming for 10 portions may offer even stronger protection against heart disease and stroke.

🍎 The other side of the story
Not everyone agrees the decline is dramatic. Some scientists argue that:

Testing methods have changed

Crop varieties differ

Natural variation is huge

Modern produce is often more palatable, which means people are more likely to eat it

And claims like “you’d need six modern apples to equal one old one” aren’t supported by controlled data.

🥕 So what can you actually do?
Keep it simple:

Eat more fruits & vegetables

Aim for variety (different colours = different nutrients)

Choose seasonal and local when possible

Store produce well

Support farmers who care about soil health when you can

The real question isn’t whether your grandmother’s apple was better — it’s whether we’re willing to build a food system that prioritises flavour, soil health, and nourishment over shelf life.

15/05/2026

Some days you’re not tired — you’re hormonally wiped out.
Day one of your period hits and suddenly:

• everything feels overwhelming
• guilt kicks in
• doom‑scrolling takes over
• you start ten things and finish none
• all you want is sleep

This isn’t weakness.
This is physiology.

Your body is doing heavy work behind the scenes.
Your brain is trying to protect you.
Your energy is not a moral issue.

You don’t need to push harder.
You need permission to slow down.

Today is not a productivity day.
Today is a recovery day.

And that is allowed.