Tub Glasses and the Quiet Art of Menopause War
I've been absent from Menotopia for quite a while. Long enough that I've questioned whether I should continue writing at all. Blogging can be a strange thing. You pour your thoughts onto a page, hit publish, and send them out into the web-iverse with very
Choosing Natural: How Women Are Easing Menopause Without More Pharma
If you are in perimenopause or menopause and your body is feeling hormonally out of balance, it can feel like the world is giving you two choices: 1. Suffer. 2. Take standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from a pharmaceutical company, through a doctor who may or may not really hear
Migraines in Midlife
I share my journey with hemiplegic migraines and hormones, from puberty to HRT, and invite women to share how migraines shape their midlife.
What 13 Years of Beige Walls and Bad Lighting Taught Me About Myself
For thirteen years, I lived with flat "millennial beige" walls and dim, builder-grade sconces in the living room. I told myself I’d change them soon, but I didn’t. Not because I didn’t care, but because I was too busy surviving. Too many higher-priority
Are Everyday Additives Behind the Surge in Menopause and Autoimmune Struggles?
I’ve been thinking a lot about what we put into our bodies without realizing the long-term impact. Lately, I’ve gotten curious about mold-based oils and additives—especially after learning how they were introduced in the 1950s and have since replaced traditional fats and preservatives in so
Miso-Glazed Cod with Roasted Peppers, Asparagus, and Jasmine Rice
A fast, gluten-free dinner packed with umami and fiber. Ready in 30 minutes, about 450–500 calories per serving. Why this meal works Some nights, you want dinner to feel clean and balanced—without tasting like a compromise. This is one of those meals. It’s light but deeply
Why So Many Women Are Suddenly Sensitive to Common Foods in Perimenopause
Perimenopause can change how your body reacts to common foods. Here’s what’s going on and how you can start manage the changes.
Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes
Tested, gluten-free, egg-free pancake recipe.
I Soften to Strengthen – A Free Guided Meditation
A 10-minute guided grounding meditation to help you soften, ground, and reconnect with your body. Free to listen now.
Easy Arms Workout
Recently, while scrolling social media, I came across Denise Austin again. Back in the 80s, I was more into Jane Fonda VHS workouts and drop-in aerobics classes at my local community center, so even though I knew of Denise, I never tried her workouts. She likely popped up because
Hashimoto’s, Perimenopause, and the Perfect Storm That Nearly Broke Me
by Yvonne Levay Markgraf Severe insomnia. Night sweats. Hemiplegic migraines. Weight gain. Sudden rage before or after the migraines. That was what finally pushed me to seek help. I kept showing up at doctors’ offices, pleading for answers. No one connected the dots. Eventually, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s.