If your get-up-and-go got up and left, this is for you.
I hear from women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s every single day who say, “I’m eating well. I’m doing all the ‘right’ things. So why am I so tired?” If that’s you, please know this: your fatigue is not a character flaw or a motivation problem. It’s information from your body.
In my own early menopause journey, exhaustion was one of the first clues that my hormones, metabolism, and nervous system needed support—not punishment. Once I stopped pushing and started listening, my energy shifted from jittery bursts and afternoon crashes to steady, calm vitality. And that’s what I want for you.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the top five hidden energy drains I see in midlife—and the exact steps to restore your energy without caffeine crashes, guilt, or overwhelm.
What you’ll learn:
The real reasons you feel tired all the time in your 40s, 50s, and 60s
What your hormones have to do with your energy, mood, and sleep
Practical, proven ways to recharge your body and mind
How to fuel your day with doctor-formulated support, if desired
Let’s start with the single most common drain I see.
The drain: Even with a generally healthy diet, hidden sugars, frequent snacking, and refined carbs can send your insulin on a rollercoaster. In midlife, we become more insulin resistant—meaning the same bagel, banana smoothie, or “healthy granola” can spike blood sugar more than it used to. What goes up must come down. The crash leaves you foggy, hungry, cranky, and reaching for more quick fuel. Layer on poor sleep or stress and the rollercoaster speeds up.
WHY THIS MATTERS MORE IN MIDLIFE:
- Estrogen helps us use insulin efficiently. As estrogen fluctuates and declines in perimenopause and menopause, blood sugar typically becomes harder to manage.
Insulin volatility increases inflammation and can disrupt cortisol, the hormone that helps you wake with energy and sleep soundly at night.
THE FIX:
Anchor every meal with protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Aim for 25–35 grams of protein at meals and 10–20 grams at snacks.
Crowd out sugar. Build your plate around leafy greens, colorful vegetables, clean proteins, and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and nuts.
Stop grazing. Give your body breaks between meals so insulin can settle.
Try a gentle overnight fast. A 12–14 hour fast between dinner and breakfast helps balance insulin sensitivity and supports hormone function. If you’re underweight, pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a medical condition, check with your clinician first.
Avoid late-night eating. Nighttime snacking disrupts blood sugar and cortisol rhythms, making mornings sluggish.
Consider a low-carb, alkalizing shake. My Keto-Green Shake gives you plant-based proteins, fiber, and greens with fewer carbs—an easy anchor for breakfast or a snack.
Pro tip: If you like data, use a glucose meter or continuous glucose monitor (with your clinician’s guidance) for a couple of weeks. You’ll quickly see which foods and habits steady you—and which send you spinning.
The drain: Cortisol is your “get up and go” hormone. It should rise in the morning, gently slope during the day, and be low at night so you can sleep. Chronic stress—from work, caregiving, news, overexercising, or even overthinking—keeps your adrenals on high alert. Over time, this can flatten your cortisol rhythm and drain reserves of DHEA and progesterone, leaving you wired-but-tired, anxious, and craving sugar or caffeine to cope.
WHY THIS MATTERS MORE IN MIDLIFE:
As ovarian hormone production declines, your body leans more on the adrenal glands. If they’re already overloaded, you feel it.
Stress amplifies hot flashes, sleep disruptions, and mood swings.
THE FIX
Build daily “stress offloading” rituals. Two to five minutes counts. Try 4-7-8 breathing (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8), box breathing, journaling, or a few yoga poses.
Take a 10–15 minute outdoor break without your phone. Natural light anchors your circadian rhythm and calms your nervous system.
Reduce “micro-stressors.” Batch notifications, limit doomscrolling, and set kinder boundaries around your time.
Consider adaptogens. Mighty Maca Plus is my go-to for adrenal support. It blends maca with greens, turmeric, and other botanicals to support resilience and more stable energy.
Rethink caffeine. One cup, early, with food is often plenty. If you need coffee to function, your cortisol rhythm needs support more than stimulation.
Get morning sunlight and move your body. A brisk 10-minute walk in the morning can improve energy and sleep.
A note on expectations: You’ll likely feel a little better within days of addressing cortisol chaos, but deeper resilience comes with consistency over weeks, not perfection in a day.
The drain: Progesterone is the “chill” hormone. It calms the brain (via GABA receptors), supports deep sleep, and balances estrogen’s stimulating effects. In perimenopause, progesterone is often the first hormone to decline due to more anovulatory cycles. The result? You may feel wired but tired, emotionally fragile, sleep-deprived, and unable to fully exhale. Add heavier or irregular periods, breast tenderness, and mood swings, and it’s easy to see why energy tanks.
THE FIX:
- Protect your sleep like it’s your job. Aim for 7–8 hours. Create a wind-down routine: dim lights, warm shower, gentle stretches, off screens 60–90 minutes before bed.
- Skip over-exercising. Endless HIIT and long cardio can further suppress hormones in midlife. Instead, prioritize strength training 2–3 times weekly, plus walks and mobility work.
- Manage blood sugar and stress. See sections 1 and 2—these are foundational to hormone balance.
- Cycle-aware self-care. If you’re still cycling, notice when energy dips (often in the late luteal phase) and schedule accordingly.
- Topical cosmetic support. Some women love Balance Cream for skin appearance and to feel more balanced. Balance is a cosmetic product. Always talk with your healthcare provider before using any hormone-based products, especially if you have a history of hormone-sensitive conditions.
- Discuss testing and options with your clinician. If symptoms are significant, ask about a full thyroid panel, cortisol/DHEA, ferritin, and whether bioidentical progesterone is appropriate for you.
Pro tip: Create a “sleep sanctuary.” Cool, dark, quiet room; weighted blanket if you like; magnesium glycinate in the evening (check with your provider); and a paperback book over blue light every time.
The drain: Midlife metabolism, hot flashes and night sweats, gut changes, and simple stress can deplete minerals—especially magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc. These minerals power mitochondria (your cellular batteries), stabilize blood sugar, calm the nervous system, and support restorative sleep. When they’re low, you feel it: cramps, headaches, anxiety, palpitations, restless legs, and fatigue.
WHY THIS MATTERS MORE IN MIDLIFE:
Stomach acid often declines with age, which can reduce mineral absorption.
Many common medications (like PPIs and some diuretics) affect mineral status.
Sweating (especially at night) increases electrolyte losses.
THE FIX:
Start your morning with mineralized water. Add a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon to 12–16 ounces of water, or use a clean electrolyte mix.
Eat mineral-rich foods. Dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cacao, avocado, salmon, sardines, and sea vegetables are great staples.
Consider supplemental magnesium. Magnesium glycinate is gentle and supports sleep and mood; citrate can support regularity. Typical ranges are 200–400 mg at night, adjusted with your clinician’s guidance.
Support with a nutrient-dense greens blend. Mighty Maca Plus includes greens and trace minerals that complement a whole-food diet.
Don’t forget protein and B vitamins. They work alongside minerals in energy pathways.
If you suspect significant deficiency, speak with your provider about testing, such as RBC magnesium, ferritin, and a complete blood count.
Safety note: If you have kidney disease, low blood pressure, or are on diuretics, review electrolyte and magnesium plans with your clinician.
The drain: This one is sneaky. When you feel unseen, overstretched, or dismissed—by others or yourself—your vitality fades. Many women in midlife are caregiving from every direction while navigating career, relationships, aging parents, and changing bodies. Disconnection dampens desire, dulls joy, and lowers the motivation to care for yourself. That is an energy drain.
THE FIX:
A 60-second mirror ritual. Every morning, place a hand on your heart, look into your eyes, and say one kind thing to yourself. It counts.
Micro-moments of pleasure. A favorite song, sunlight on your face, lotion that feels luxurious—stack small joys daily.
Reconnect through your skin. Gentle self-massage after a shower, a nourishing face routine, or an intimate care ritual can restore embodiment. Many women enjoy Julva or Velvè to moisturize and care for sensitive skin.
Seek support. You’re not meant to do this alone. Join a compassionate community like the Girlfriend Doctor Club for accountability, education, and encouragement.
Align your calendar with your values. Say yes to what energizes you and no to what drains you. Your future self will thank you.
Testing is a compass—not a diagnosis and not your destiny. If fatigue persists despite smart lifestyle changes, ask your provider about:
Cortisol rhythm (saliva or dried urine) and DHEA-S
Thyroid panel: TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and thyroid antibodies (TPO, Tg)
Ferritin and a full iron panel, CBC
Fasting insulin, fasting glucose, A1C, and lipids
Vitamin D (25-OH), B12, homocysteine
RBC magnesium and zinc
Heads up: If you have sudden severe fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, depression with hopelessness, heavy or prolonged bleeding, or other alarming symptoms, seek medical care promptly.
How to Put This All Together This Week
I love a simple, doable plan. Try this 7-day reset to feel a difference quickly.
Daily
Hydrate on rising with mineralized water.
Eat two to three meals, no grazing. Anchor each with protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
Move your body for 20–30 minutes: a walk plus 10 minutes of strength is perfect.
Take a 10–15 minute break outside without your phone.
Wind down with a 60–90 minute screen-free bedtime routine.
Nutrition
Breakfast: Keto-Green Shake with added greens and almond butter.
Lunch: Big salad with olive oil, avocado, clean protein, pumpkin seeds.
Dinner: Roasted salmon or chicken, two non-starchy vegetables, and a side salad.
Treats: 85% dark chocolate squares or berries with coconut yogurt.
Support, if desired
Mighty Maca Plus: 1–2 scoops daily for adrenal resilience and micronutrient support.
Magnesium glycinate: 200–400 mg at night, per your clinician.
Consider a Julva Trial Pack to reconnect with your feminine vitality and self-care routine.
Remember: Balance Cream is a cosmetic product. Always consult your doctor before using hormone-based products.
Why Am I So Tired in Perimenopause?
Short answer: shifting hormones, blood sugar volatility, and a stressed nervous system. Longer answer: Your body is recalibrating. Estrogen and progesterone are changing, your cortisol rhythm may be dysregulated, and your insulin sensitivity is different than it was at 25. None of this means you’re broken. It means you need new strategies that match this season of life.
How Can I Get My Energy Back—Naturally?
Start with the foundations:
Stabilize blood sugar by anchoring meals with protein, fat, and fiber, and consider a 12–14 hour overnight fast.
Restore your cortisol rhythm with daily offloading, morning light, and appropriate movement.
Protect sleep and reduce over-exercising.
Replete minerals with food and targeted supplements.
Reconnect emotionally and physically—pleasure and presence are powerful medicine.
Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?
You don’t have to push through, and you don’t have to do it alone. Choose one nourishing step today and build from there. If you want support, here are favorite starting points:
Mighty Maca Plus for steady energy and adrenal support
Keto-Green Shake for balanced metabolism
Julva Trial Pack to reconnect with your feminine vitality
Girlfriend Doctor Club for community, coaching, and compassionate accountability
Q: Is it normal to feel this tired in my 40s or 50s?
A: Common? Yes. Normal or acceptable? No. Fatigue is a message, not a life sentence. With the right support, your energy can return.
Q: What’s the fastest way to stop the 3 p.m. crash?
A: Eat a protein-forward breakfast, avoid grazing, get 10–15 minutes of morning light, and consider a mineralized water or clean electrolyte mix. Most women notice fewer crashes in a few days.
Q: Can I do intermittent fasting in perimenopause?
A: A gentle 12–14 hour overnight fast works well for many women. If you’re under a lot of stress, underweight, pregnant, breastfeeding, or have medical conditions, check with your clinician.
Q: Which labs should I request for fatigue?
A: Ask about cortisol rhythm and DHEA-S, a complete thyroid panel (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, TPO antibodies), ferritin and iron panel, fasting insulin and glucose, A1C, vitamin D, B12, and RBC magnesium.
Q: Can I combine Mighty Maca Plus with Keto-Green Shake?
A: Yes. Many women use both—Mighty Maca for adrenal and micronutrient support and Keto-Green Shake to anchor a low-carb, alkalizing meal.
Q: Will Balance Cream affect my hormones?
A: Balance is a cosmetic product designed to support the skin’s appearance. If you’re considering any hormone-based products, consult your healthcare provider first.
Q: How much protein should I aim for?
A: A helpful target is 0.8–1.0 grams per pound of ideal body weight per day, adjusted for your needs and clinician guidance, spread over meals with 25–35 grams per meal.
Q: Is caffeine okay?
A: One cup early with food is reasonable for many. If you need multiple cups to function, focus on stabilizing blood sugar and calming cortisol first.
