Hormones, Foggy Brain and the Lure of the Biscuit Tin

Hormones, Foggy Brains, and the Lure of the Biscuit Tin

Let’s talk about what really happens when you hit midlife and suddenly can’t find your glasses — only to realise they’re on your head while your hand is already in the biscuit tin. Again.

If you’ve ever felt like your brain has gone a bit foggy, your cravings have gone a bit wild, and your motivation has slipped out the back door wearing your yoga pants, this one’s for you.

Because no, you’re not losing it. You’re not weak, lazy, or undisciplined. You’re not alone.

You’re likely just navigating the beautiful hormonal storm of midlife, and the brain you’re trying to steer through it hasn’t read the manual.

Let’s break it down — clearly, kindly, and with a few laughs — so you can start feeling less broken and more informed (and maybe even a bit hopeful).

When you hit perimenopause or menopause, your oestrogen and progesterone levels don’t just dip gracefully. They zigzag, crash, nosedive, and sometimes flatline. It’s like having a hormonal DJ inside your head, spinning unpredictable tracks.

These hormones don’t just run your reproductive system — they talk directly to your brain.

Here’s how they affect three crucial brain functions:

1. Dopamine — your motivation, pleasure, and reward chemical. When oestrogen drops, dopamine drops. That means less natural reward, more cravings, and a brain that suddenly thinks a packet of crisps is a reasonable emotional support plan.
2. Serotonin — your mood stabiliser. Lower progesterone and oestrogen = lower serotonin = more mood swings, tears, and the urge to scream at your kettle.
3. Insulin Sensitivity — oestrogen helps regulate how well your body uses insulin. Without it, your blood sugar is more likely to spike and crash, which fuels cravings and emotional rollercoasters.

In short:

• Your mood goes wobbly.
• Your cravings get louder.
• Your thinking gets foggier.
• And your logic? It’s taking a nap.

It’s not that you’ve suddenly become bad at life. Your hormones are rewiring the entire system.

That brain fog isn’t imaginary. Oestrogen supports memory, attention, and clarity. Without it, everything feels a bit off.

You walk into rooms and forget why. You reread the same sentence three times. You lose your train of thought mid-sentence.

This is frustrating, of course. But it’s also a biological shift, not a personal failure. Your brain is adjusting to a new operating system.

And it’s important to know that the system you used to use to make decisions, set goals, or stay calm — the prefrontal cortex — is working with fewer resources now. This part of your brain relies on dopamine and estrogen to function well.

That means:

• Planning feels harder
• Motivation feels absent
• Sugar feels more tempting

And just to spice things up, the emotional part of your brain (hello, limbic system) is now shouting louder than ever. It’s convinced the world is ending every time someone looks at you sideway

Let’s be honest. It’s so easy to fall into the sugar trap during this phase.

Because sugar = quick dopamine. Because quick dopamine = short relief. Because short relief = temporary sanity.

And your limbic brain remembers that. It remembers the muffin that made you feel better. The wine that soothed the sting. The biscuits that comforted the chaos.

But what sugar doesn’t tell you is that it also crashes your blood sugar, triggers more cravings, disrupts sleep, and keeps the cycle going.

It’s a brilliant trap. And it’s one that ultra-processed food manufacturers know very well. They’ve literally engineered these foods to hit your dopamine button fast and hard. Combine that with a hormonally shaky brain, and you’re dealing with a full-blown biochemical hijack.

And here’s something else worth knowing: this phase of life — perimenopause and menopause — is the second major hormonal upheaval your brain experiences. The first? Puberty. And guess what often happens in both? Yep — sugar and food cravings ramp up. For many of us, addictive patterns with food began or intensified during adolescence. And now, as oestrogen and progesterone drop again, those old circuits are reactivated. It’s as if the brain says, “We know what helped last time. Bring on the biscuits.” So if you feel like you’re regressing, you’re not. You’re revisiting. And now, you can do it differently.

Here’s where the good news comes in. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to go cold-turkey on everything that brings you joy. But you can start supporting your brain and body in gentle, doable ways.

Here are a few that truly help:

1. Stabilise Your Blood Sugar

• Eat protein and fat with every meal. Especially breakfast.
• Avoid eating carbs alone — always pair them.
• Consider switching to low-glycaemic sweeteners (like allulose or stevia) if cutting sugar feels too extreme right now.

Stable blood sugar = fewer crashes = fewer “must-eat-the-entire-kitchen” moments.

2. Move, Even Just a Bit

• Movement boosts dopamine and serotonin.
• A walk. A stretch. Dancing in your kitchen. It all counts.
• Aim for consistency, not intensity.

3. Support Your Sleep

• Sleep is when your brain clears toxins, balances hormones, and resets emotional regulation.
• Create a simple sleep routine. Even 30 minutes earlier can make a difference.

4. Use Real Comfort

• Sugar gives fake comfort. Your body wants real comfort.
• Try warm baths, soft blankets, lovely scents, kind voices (even your own).
• Connection is medicine. Reach out.

5. Talk to Your Brain

• Say out loud: “I’m not broken. My brain is changing.”
• Talk to your cravings like they’re a worried friend: “Hey love, I know you want cake. What else do you need right now?”
• This pause activates the prefrontal cortex — your best ally for change.

6. Eat Nutrients That Support Brain Chemistry

• Magnesium, omega-3s, B vitamins, and amino acids all support hormonal balance and neurotransmitters.
• You don’t need a drawer full of supplements — just a few well-chosen ones can help.

7. Let Go of Shame

• Shame shuts down growth.
• Curiosity invites healing.
• You didn’t create this — but you can learn to work with it.

You’re Not Alone in This

Every woman I’ve worked with who’s struggling in midlife thinks she’s the only one.

“I used to be so motivated.” “I don’t recognise myself anymore.” “I can’t stop eating sugar and I hate it.”

You are not the only one.

You are not making excuses.

You are not failing.

You’re navigating a major internal shift without a map — and you’re doing it in a world that still expects you to behave like nothing’s changed.

It has.

And the more you understand what’s happening in your brain and body, the more you can work with it, not against it.

Compassion is the New Discipline

Forget grit. Forget white-knuckling your way through another diet.

What your brain really needs is compassion.

Compassion creates the calm that allows your prefrontal cortex to turn back on.

Compassion makes your cravings less frightening.

Compassion helps you build new, gentler habits.

You don’t have to do this perfectly. You just have to do it with care.

So next time the fog rolls in, or the cravings roar, or the shame tries to settle in — take a breath and remind yourself:

“This isn’t failure. This is biology. And I’m learning to work with it.”

That shift? It changes everything.

One kind thought at a time. One protein-rich breakfast at a time. One brave, foggy day at a time.

You’ve got this.