#162 - Rewiring, Not Retiring: How Your Brain Transforms in Menopause with Dr. Sarah McKay

The Midlife Feast

The Midlife Feast
#162 - Rewiring, Not Retiring: How Your Brain Transforms in Menopause with Dr. Sarah McKay
Sep 15, 2025 Season 6 Episode 162
Jenn Salib Huber RD ND

Ever walk into a room and instantly forget why you’re there? Or struggle to find words you know are on the tip of your tongue? I have good news for you! You’re not losing your mind.  Your brain is simply changing.

In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay reveals what’s really behind midlife “brain fog” and why it’s part of a powerful transformation. From hot flashes and sleep struggles to surprising cognitive strengths we gain in menopause, she shares what’s happening inside the brain, as well as how to support it through the transition.

You’ll walk away with science-backed strategies, a fresh perspective on midlife cognition, and maybe even a laugh or two (yes, we talk creatine and the importance of laughing at ourselves in this season). This is a conversation that will leave you feeling reassured, informed, and ready to support and embrace your evolving brain.

Connect with Dr. Sarah McKay

Grab the Brain Health Books
Instagram: @drsarahmckay
Website: www.drsarahmckay.com

Like what you learned? Check out these other episodes!

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause will be out on October 21st, 2025. Pre-order your copy today and help get the word out!

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

Episode Artwork #162 - Rewiring, Not Retiring: How Your Brain Transforms in Menopause with Dr. Sarah McKay 1:08:56 Episode Artwork #161 - Season 6 Kickoff: Kitchen Table Talk: My Sister and I Dish on Menopause and My New Book 41:12 Episode Artwork #160 - Season 5 Finale: The Midlife Glow-Up You Didn’t See Coming 20:50 Episode Artwork #159 - Story Session: Perimenopause, Boundaries, & the Power of Self-Care Rituals in Midlife with April MacKinnon 31:17 Episode Artwork #158 - Why Good Girls Gossip: Reclaiming Female Connection in Midlife with Tova Leigh 27:26 Episode Artwork #157 - Finding Your Movement Rhythm with ADHD and Perimenopause with Christine Chessman 38:16 Episode Artwork #156 - How to Cancel Your Clean Plate Club Membership with Emily Sucher, RD 25:48 Episode Artwork #155 - Q&A Episode: Food Tracking, Plant Proteins, & Collagen Supplements 16:39 Episode Artwork #154 - How to Appreciate Your Changing Menopause Body with Dr. Charlotte Ord 29:41 Episode Artwork #153 - Style Joy in Midlife: What to Do When Nothing Feels Right with Dacy Gillespie 31:41 Episode Artwork #152 - Intuitive Eating in Menopause: A Conversation with Evelyn Tribole MS, RDN 37:36 Episode Artwork #151 - Is It Hunger, Food Noise, or Hormones? 19:51 Episode Artwork #150 - The Capacity Crisis: Why Women Feel Emotionally Exhausted in Midlife with Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, ND 38:11 Episode Artwork #149 - Cooking for Pleasure Not Perfection with Chef Andrea Buckett 25:42 Episode Artwork #148 - Mindful Menopause: Using Meditation to Navigate the Transition with Diana Winston 31:08 Episode Artwork #147 - How to Stop the Cycle of “Starting Over” Every Monday 22:49 Episode Artwork #146 - What to Do When Intuitive Eating Doesn't Work with Julie Duffy Dillon 34:46 Episode Artwork #145 - Why We Binge: Unpacking the Restrict-Binge Cycle with Toni Rudd, RD 35:02 Episode Artwork #144- Why Yoga is So Much More Than Movement in Menopause with Niamh Daly 46:06 Episode Artwork #143-Story Session: What 30 Years as a Dietitian Taught Pia About Health and Weight 38:17 Episode Artwork #142 Non-Hormonal Alternatives to HRT with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz 36:54 Episode Artwork #141 - Trusting Your Body: Finding Peace Through Grief with Nina Manolson 28:47 Episode Artwork #140 - Navigating Motherhood and Perimenopause: Embracing Identity Shifts with Jessie Harrold 36:47 Episode Artwork #139 How to Fall in Love with Movement While Rejecting Anti-Fat Bias with Louise Green 32:53 Episode Artwork #138 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Intuitive Eating 10 Years Ago 24:20