Reframing Midlife as a Superpower: Approaching Your Biochemistry with Awe
Rebekah Brown, MPOWDER founder. Pic Credit: www.mpowder.store
When I first began my own midlife transition, I didn’t feel powerful. I felt confused. Exhausted. My hair was falling out. I’d piled on weight. I was anxious all the time. I no longer felt capable of doing my job. And on the worst of days I felt the world would be better off without me in it. Like so many of our community, I waited until I was on my knees until I sought help. And when I did, my symptoms were misdiagnosed.
I learned about perimenopause through late-night sessions with Dr Google (something I wouldn’t recommend!). And the stories presented by the media plus my own understanding of what menopause meant painted a pretty bleak picture of what my future would look like.
Menopause was a ‘decline’, a ‘loss’, the ‘end’..but also something a bit shameful and embarrassing - a biological failure that we should hide and push on through.
But when I began to dig into the science of midlife—I realised I’d been told the wrong story.
Midlife isn’t the beginning of the end. It’s the beginning of Part 2.
The Intelligence of Our Hormones
No one taught my generation about the brilliance of our biochemistry. And for too long, I misunderstood the role of my hormones too—seeing them as an inconvenience, reducing them to background noise until they became too loud.
But our hormones are a beautiful orchestra of over 100 instruments. Each has a distinct role to play; all contributing to the overall harmony of how we feel, function, and thrive. When one or two instruments fall out of tune—whether it’s oestrogen, progesterone, cortisol, or others—the whole piece can sound different too.
In midlife, the melody naturally shifts. The tempo changes. And while that adjustment can be hard to navigate, through targeted nutrition, smart supplementation, lifestyle shifts, and greater awareness—we can help our body find a new, equally beautiful rhythm.
Meeting Your Biochemistry with Curiosity
Part of my motivation in founding MPOWDER was to reframe the way we view midlife as females. To encourage all of us to approach our biochemistry not with fear, but with curiosity. To recognise the privilege of ageing. To carry our earned wisdom with pride.
As a researcher I want every woman to know that, when we’re well, this life stage is full to the brim of promise too;
We’re more likely to start new businesses in midlife (and more likely to succeed than our younger male peers too!)
We are more likely to be fueled by a greater sense of purpose and legacy
Our empathy muscle grows; we are more able to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes
We emerge from menopause happier; we care less what others think
Who wouldn’t want more of that?!
Research also tells us that there is much we can do to take agency for our health. From Hormone Replacement Therapy as both a treatment and a preventative measure for healthspan, to what we put on our plates. From emerging research into the potential of botanicals and smart supplementation to exploring the tools and practices that can help us better digest stress; now is an exciting time to be a midlife woman because we are learning more about what can support us every day.
From Surviving to Thriving
I started to get better when I really focused on food and botanicals. But before I got to ‘good change’, I had to change my view of myself. And that’s what I want for every woman reading this: a moment to pause and marvel at just how brilliant your body is.
We’re not at the end of something. We’re at the start of something extraordinary. Your body is phenomenal. And so are you.
Editor’s note: To learn more about Rebekah’s journey and the mission behind the co-creation community MPOWDER, watch to our conversation in the video.
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