Yesterday I told you my brain was starving. That's not a metaphor. Here's what the research actually says.
It's not "just stress."
44-62% of women report noticeable cognitive decline during perimenopause: trouble with memory, word recall, focus, following a conversation. That's not a small anecdotal group. That's most of us.
Here's the mechanism.
As estrogen and progesterone fluctuate and decline, your brain's energy supply drops. Recent research (2025) points to an overall reduction in brain energy levels during the menopause transition, the same shift linked to hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, and brain fog. Studies are also finding measurable decreases in gray matter volume in the frontal and temporal cortex and the hippocampus, the regions responsible for memory and decision-making.
Your brain isn't broken. It's running on a fuel shortage, in the exact regions you rely on to run a company, lead a meeting, or hold a full family calendar in your head.
It's temporary... but nobody tells you that either.
Research shows perimenopause-related memory changes are usually not the same as age-related decline, and for most women the fog lifts as hormones stabilize, sometimes over a few years, sometimes a decade or more. That's the part that gets left out of "you're just getting older" conversations. This isn't decline. It's a transition, with a mechanism, and an end point.
You've actually seen this movie before.
If you've had a baby, you already lived a version of this. "Mom brain" isn't a joke or a punchline, it's the same hormonal mechanism. Estrogen and progesterone drop sharply after childbirth, and up to 81% of women report cognitive difficulties in the third trimester and postpartum period: forgetfulness, trouble focusing, losing the thread mid-sentence.
Here's the part that should make you angry twice: researchers now think those postpartum brain changes aren't decline either, they're the brain reorganizing itself, with measurable shifts in the prefrontal cortex, to prime you for a new kind of attention and empathy. Same hormones, same regions, same "fog" symptom, reframed as adaptation instead of a problem, because it was tied to caring for a baby instead of running a company or home.
Nobody called new moms broken. They called it "mom brain" and expected you back at your desk anyway. Perimenopause deserves the same reframe: hormonal, mechanistic, temporary, not a personal failure to keep up.
What actually helps, with or without a supplement.
Before we get to what I built, here's what the research supports on its own, no purchase required:
- Sleep. Memory consolidation happens during sleep, and roughly 1 in 3 women in perimenopause have significant sleep disruption. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has the strongest evidence base of any intervention here, stronger than most supplements. Even without formal CBT-I: consistent sleep/wake times, no caffeine after early afternoon, cool dark room.
- Exercise. Aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain and triggers BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports new neural connections. This is one of the most consistently effective interventions in the research, full stop.
- Nutrition. Omega-3s support neuron health, B12 and folate support neurotransmitter production, and antioxidant-rich foods (berries, leafy greens) protect brain tissue from oxidative stress. Iron status matters too, new research is linking low iron as an additional source to menopausal brain fog.
- Stress management. Chronic stress compounds hormonal cognitive load on top of it. Mind-body practices show up repeatedly in the research for improving sleep, mood, and reported cognitive symptoms together.
- Mental engagement. Staying cognitively active, learning something new, not just coasting on autopilot, is protective, not just a nice-to-have.
None of that requires buying anything from me or anyone else. If sleep and exercise get you 80% of the way there, take the win.
Where a supplement fits, and where it doesn't.
Diet, sleep, and exercise are the foundation. A supplement doesn't replace them. What it can do is help close the gap while you're rebuilding those habits and while your hormones are still in flux, which is the situation HeadStrong was built for. Not a fix for perimenopause. Support for the brain running the deficit while your body sorts itself out. It's been a total game changer for me in my life! I have my life back, and I want you to get yours back also. Hopefully one of these tricks will help you.
With Gratitude,
Sue