Meet Cortisol: Your New Frenemy After 40

If you’ve been feeling more anxious, wired at night but dragging all day, or watching belly fat creep in even when you’re eating healthy, you’re not imagining it. Something is shifting and for many women in perimenopause and menopause, that something is cortisol.

Let’s break it down.

What Happens in the Peri-to-Post Transition
As estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decline, the body’s stress response changes. Progesterone, in particular, is known as a calming hormone. It plays a big role in keeping cortisol (your main stress hormone) in check. But when progesterone drops, the body often leans harder on cortisol to manage energy, blood sugar, and inflammation.

Estrogen also has a hand in regulating your nervous system. So as it fluctuates, things like sleep, mood, and temperature regulation can all feel disrupted. This adds more stress on the body and the cycle continues.

What That Feels Like

• Waking up between 2 and 4 a.m. and not being able to fall back asleep

• Feeling “tired but wired” all day

• Gaining weight, especially around your middle

• Experiencing more mood swings, brain fog, or anxiety

• Noticing hot flashes and fatigue get worse when you’re under more stress

If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. These are common symptoms that show up when cortisol is elevated or out of rhythm. And the tricky part is, most women are still being told to just eat less and move more, which can actually make things worse.

What You Can Do
In this season of life, managing cortisol becomes just as important as managing calories or workouts. In fact, it’s the key to everything else working.

That’s why my coaching focuses on:

• Smart workouts that support metabolism without overtraining

• Blood sugar balance through whole food nutrition and intermittent fasting

• Recovery and hydration with tools like magnesium, sleep support, and active rest

• Consistency over perfection so you can sustain results without burnout

When you learn to work with your hormones and nervous system, everything starts to shift. Energy improves. Sleep becomes more restorative. Fat loss gets easier. And you feel like yourself again.

Curious what it’s like to work with a coach who actually gets what your body is going through?

Join me for the 5-Day Cortisol Reset, August 18–22. It's a chance to try my proven coaching program with a special focus on managing cortisol in the peri-to-post wellness season.

You'll learn how to:

• Regulate cortisol and feel calm, clear, and in control

• Cut cravings and increase steady energy

• Build strength with short, effective workouts

• Reduce stress-related weight gain

• Feel empowered with a plan that supports your hormones and your lifestyle

Learn more and register here!

How to Build a Day That Supports Your Hormones (Without Overhauling Your Life)

Some days, things just click and you don’t even realize it until later.

Not long ago, I finished the day feeling calm, satisfied, and surprisingly energized. No crashes, no cravings, no mid-afternoon slump. That’s when it hit me…I had built a day that was super supportive of my hormones, especially cortisol.

And the best part? It wasn’t anything extreme.

Here’s what that day looked like and how you can build your own:

☀️ Morning light + movement: Start your day with a short walk outside if you can. Morning sunlight helps regulate cortisol and gently wakes up your body’s natural rhythm (bonus: it supports better sleep later too).

💪 Strength workout (not stress overload): A 30 minute strength session can go a long way. It helps build muscle and supports healthy hormones without overtaxing your system the way long cardio sessions might. This is a core part of the plan I follow...and coach.

🥤Hydration before caffeine: Yes, coffee still happens, but water with minerals comes first. It rehydrates your body after sleep and helps reduce the cortisol spike that can come from going straight to caffeine.

🍽️ Protein-forward meals: Build your meals around protein and fiber. This keeps blood sugar stable, helps control cravings, and supports steady energy. Grazing on snacky carbs all day? That’s what throws your hormones off track.

⏱️ Fasting window (with intention): If you practice intermittent fasting, be sure to break your fast with a nourishing, balanced meal. The timing matters, but so does what you eat and how much. Under-eating can backfire in midlife.

🧘‍♀️ Downtime matters: Little pockets of rest throughout the day help calm your nervous system and keep cortisol in check. Even five minutes without your phone or to-do list can make a difference.

The truth is, you don’t need a perfect routine. But you can build small habits into your day that support your hormones and help your body feel safe, strong, and steady.

When you do? That’s when things start working again.

P.S. Interested in more information on how I structure my days for hormone support? Click here to see my program,

A Summer Night at Maine’s Only Water Ski Show

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind summer night in southern Maine, I’ve got a new favorite to add to your list. On one of the hottest days this summer, we headed up to Sanford to catch the Maine Attraction Water Ski Show Team, the only water ski show team in the entire state. 

They perform for free every Thursday in July at Number One Pond, and while we took the advice to get there early, so did everyone else. We just barely snagged a parking spot and a seat on the wall lining the pond. That seating area is probably the length of a football field, with a center platform for the announcer and show performers. At the far end is the main dock where the skiers launch, prep, and perform some of the larger dance routines.

We brought a blanket from home and picked up sandwiches from Ceres Bakery in Portsmouth to enjoy while we waited for the show to start. There was a nice breeze and the trees lining the pond helped block the sun, making it surprisingly comfortable. A food truck was parked near the main stage if you wanted to grab something on the spot.

The pre-show began 30 minutes before the main event and featured local talent of all ages. One highlight was a dad and his three year old daughter pulling off some impressive strength poses right there in the water.

Then the main show began and it truly transformed the pond into a stage. Skiers flipped, swiveled, and even “barefooted” across the water. There were pyramids of 12 people (yes, 12), including an all-female pyramid, and synchronized dance routines on two massive floating platforms.

The theme this summer? A tongue-in-cheek “Water Skiing with the Stars” competition, complete with Mario, McDreamy, Karen the Real Housewife, and a sparkly Taylor Swift all vying for the coveted buoy ball trophy. The costumes were colorful, glittery, and full of character.

It was funny, impressive, and so different from your typical Thursday night. If you’re local or visiting Maine in July, I highly recommend checking it out. Bring a blanket, a picnic, some bug spray, and your sense of adventure.

Garden Fresh and Summer-Ready: My Go-To Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie

There’s something extra satisfying about blending up a smoothie with ingredients straight from your own backyard. This week I picked the very first cucumber from our garden — a milestone moment for this garden newbie! It felt like summer in a glass when I paired it with frozen pineapple, a little fresh mint, and my favorite vanilla protein.

Here’s the recipe so you can try it too!

🌱 Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh cucumber*

• 1 cup frozen pineapple

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 1/2 cup water

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Fresh mint (optional — I used some from the garden!)

• Handful of ice

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

• 1 scoop vanilla FASTer Way protein powder

Instructions: Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite glass or insulated cup and enjoy in the sunshine!

This one’s refreshing, fiber-rich, and packed with nutrients that support digestion and hormone balance - all while tasting like a treat.

Want more recipes like this? Download my FREE Smoothie Recipe Guide here.

*I left the peel on the cucumber for an extra boost of fiber (and less fuss!).

A Slice of Home: Cincinnati Traditions That Never Get Old

Every summer, we make our way back to Cincinnati. We always stay with my mom, who picks us up and drops us off at the airport like the true MVP she is. (Even when that meant leaving her house at 3:30AM for our departing flight...now that’s love.) 

⚾ What We Did:

• This was the first time in almost 10 years that we were home during baseball season and the Reds were actually playing at home, so we made the most of it with a game night alongside my mom, aunt, and BFF. We had amazing seats down the first base line (thank you, Seat Geek!), caught two free t-shirts from the Spirit Team, the Reds won, and the whole night was the best kind of summer nostalgia. Bonus: we landed the perfect parking spot thanks to my aunt - too good to share publicly!

  

• Visited Krohn Conservatory for the Gothic Botanica Butterfly Exhibit. At least one butterfly landed on each of us (me, Mr. C, my mom, and my BFF), and I even ran into a former student and her mom...such a sweet treat.

  

• Took a quick walk over to Mirror Lake in Eden Park after Krohn's for a short break. Too hot to stay long, but a beautiful view while we were there.

  

🍴 What We Ate (When Mom Wasn’t Cooking):

• LaRosa’s pizza and hoagies - my forever favorite. We had it for lunch the day we arrived, grabbed slices at the ballpark, had pizza again our last night, and brought hoagies back to Maine to stretch the hometown flavor just a little longer. Is that too much?!?

  

• Shoreline Social - after the butterfly exhibit, we headed here for burgers and a breeze. The outdoor seating overlooks the Four Seasons Marina and was the perfect mid-afternoon recharge. Fortunately the breeze cooperated so we could enjoy being outdoors.

  

• Cazadores in Milford - a family tradition for Mexican lunch. We met up with my aunt and sister, and while the food was great, the margaritas may have been the real highlight.

  

Love getting home to see my favorite people, revisit my favorite places, and play tourist in between. It’s never long enough. So grateful for family and my BFF for always making time for us. Until next time, Cincy. 💛