Are you in your late 30s, 40s, or 50s, and you suddenly feel unfamiliar in your own body? Suddenly, your belly feels inflamed, your weight is shifting, your sleep is lighter, your mood is… unpredictable, and your skin is dry or breaking out. It’s easy to think: “Something is wrong with me.”

It isn’t a disease. It’s a transition. A stage of life where you don't need panic; you need support.

That was one of my biggest takeaways from a conversation with Dr. Anna Cabeca (board-certified OB/GYN and hormone expert), and honestly, it’s a perspective shift many women need. Especially the ones who’ve been made to feel like their bodies are “failing” just because their hormones are changing.

She shared that at 39, she was over 240 pounds, dealing with PCOS and hormone imbalance, then diagnosed with infertility and early menopause, and even told she’d never have another child. That season pushed her to take a sabbatical from her OB/GYN practice and travel to find answers. She says that the journey ultimately led to reversing early menopause and naturally conceiving at 41.

Whether or not your story mirrors hers, the point is this: midlife hormones can be messy… but your body is not hopeless!

What’s Actually Happening to My Body Right Now?

Am I in perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause? Let’s simplify the words first, because even Dr. Anna says the terminology is “a little bit crazy.”

• Menopause is technically diagnosed after 12 months (and a day) without a period.

• Perimenopause is the long stretch leading up to that point—often 10–15 years, essentially “when you’re symptomatic,” and she notes it’s still not well-defined.

• Postmenopause begins the day after that 12-month-and-a-day milestone.

But she makes a key point I wish every woman heard earlier: don’t get overly attached to the label. Focus on what’s driving your symptoms: maybe it's thyroid issues, hormone imbalance, inflammation, gut dysfunction, and/or toxin load. The first step is treating the underlying issue.

Because symptoms like belly weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, dry skin, acne, low libido, and fatigue are not your body being dramatic. They’re signals! Often of imbalance, inflammation, or overload.

Dr. Anna connects midlife “distension” and waist gain to gut microbial imbalance and digestive issues, and she reminds us that while it’s common as we age, it’s not “optimal,” and it’s worth addressing because a good portion of hormones and neurotransmitters are processed through the GI tract. In her words, the gut is “ground zero” for hormone balance, longevity, and immunity.

Which is why midlife acne is often a red flag. Not a “just take birth control” situation. She emphasizes healing the gut and looking at the total hormone load, including inflammation, possible yeast/candida overgrowth, parasites, and the foods that keep the fire going. She also points out how long-term antibiotics and birth control can leave the gut “defenseless,” which is why rebound acne can show up when women stop those meds.

She also adds an important hormone nuance that gets missed online: what many women call “estrogen dominance” in midlife may actually be progesterone dropping. She notes progesterone can decline by about 75% from age 35 to 50, and that shift can be felt in mood, metabolism, and skin.

And then she brings it back to something we talk about all the time in clean beauty: the load matters. She specifically mentions hormone disruptors or estrogen mimickers from cosmetics, skincare, and food, adding to the burden your body is already trying to manage.

That’s not meant to scare you. It’s meant to empower you: you can reduce your exposure without living in fear, and your skin often feels the relief.

What’s the simplest change that gives the fastest relief?

Dr. Anna says one of the simplest shifts that helps women feel better quickly is intermittent fasting done correctly, often 13–16 hours, with no snacking, and breaking the fast by around 10 a.m.

But she’s also clear: there’s a right way and a wrong way.

She explains that fasting for too long can backfire for some women. Forming more uric acid, stalls metabolically, and even gain weight if she pushes fasting too far. She even shared that she once fasted seven days and gained weight, which led her to dig into uric acid research and realize she needed a different approach.

And here’s a detail many women don’t realize: she notes that “metabolic genes” may be most active from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., and waiting too long to eat can mean missing that window. This is another reason she prefers breaking the fast by mid-morning for many women.

Now, the dinner timing point, this is the one I wish every busy mom heard:

She says the same meal eaten later can create a very different insulin response: a meal at 7 p.m. can produce 50–70% more insulin than that same meal at 5 p.m., which nudges your body toward storage mode. Translation: timing matters, not just macros.

So if you’re overwhelmed and want one “next right step,” it might simply be: eat dinner a little earlier when you can and drop the after-dinner snacking. But remember, you’re the CEO of your body. Pay attention to what works for you, not what’s trending.

What does “less, not more” look like in skincare (for real life)?

This is where the Gin Amber Beauty philosophy aligns so naturally with her message.

Dr. Anna says bluntly: the products we use should be 'clean enough to eat.” The key is to check ingredients and simplicity: using a dermaroller once a week, plus cleanser/scrub and sunscreen—simple, consistent, not complicated.

She also ties skin to nutrition in a way I completely agree with: if her diet gets off, her skin shows it. Sometimes, doing a short reset (like a few days of keto green shake and bone broth) to support the GI tract.

This is the skincare lesson I’d highlight for midlife:

• Your routine should get calmer, not harsher.

• Your barrier matters more than ever.

• Fewer products, cleaner formulas, and consistent SPF can be more “anti-aging” than chasing aggressive actives you can’t tolerate.

All you really need is a gentle cleanser, toxic-free sunscreen, a bioavailable vitamin c cream to moisturize and brighten, and a real dermaroller to boost collagen and elastin production. Or get this 12-in-1 Anti-Aging Bundle to save 20% off on the essentials.

What labs are worth asking about if I feel “off”?

Dr. Anna shares a very doable starting point for women 40+—four baseline labs she considers especially helpful:

• Vitamin D (25-hydroxy)

• hs-CRP (inflammation marker)

• Hemoglobin A1C (insulin resistance marker)

• DHEA-S

She also recommends a complete thyroid panel, including antibodies, and a comprehensive hormone panel (including FSH and free hormones like free testosterone), with attention to timing if you’re still cycling.

And I want to add something gentle here: labs are supportive, but so is your intuition. If you feel different, that matters. We talked more about this topic in detail here:

One last piece I loved: she shared a patient story that reflects “less, not more” in real life. A woman in her 70s, decades after a breast cancer diagnosis, advocating for herself, taking next steps, and being proactive with her health and healing. Dr. Anna describes her as sharp, active, and inspiring. It's proof that it’s never “too late” to support your body wisely.

Because the goal isn’t to be perfect.

The goal is to keep choosing the next right step until you feel like yourself again. Thank you for reading. Till next time, my Amber Babies! Please don't forget to subscribe and follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok 🥳