Purplelight Midlife

12/01/2026

The FDA just removed long-standing black box warnings on many hormone therapy drugs and the marketing machine is already calling it a “new era of freedom” for menopausal women.

But here’s the truth: No black box warning does not mean no risk.

The original concerns from the Women’s Health Initiative — cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, dementia — didn’t magically disappear. The risks depend on your age, health history, hormone type, dose, and delivery method.

And despite what the new messaging implies…Not every woman needs HRT. Not every woman can use HRT. Not every woman wants a prescription for the next 20+ years.

Women deserve personalized care, not one-size-fits-all answers.

If you’re looking for a natural, proven, estrogen-supportive option, Pueraria mirifica has been used for centuries to ease menopausal symptoms without the risks of synthetic hormones. https://amatalife.com/

05/01/2026

What are you leaving behind in 2025?
Here is what I'm personally saying GOODBYE to when it comes to menopause - and I hope you'll join me! 💪
👋 OUT: "It's just hormones, you'll be fine."
Um, NO. This has kept too many of us suffering in silence for way too long. Menopause affects EVERY system in our bodies - our hearts, our bones, our brains, our sleep, our skin... the list goes on! We deserve comprehensive, compassionate care.
👋 OUT: Medical gaslighting and minimizing our pain
How many times have we heard "it's all in your head" or "your labs look normal"? How many of us have been sent home with anxiety meds when what we REALLY needed was proper hormonal support? Our pain is REAL. Our symptoms are REAL. And we're done being told otherwise!
👋 OUT: Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis
Depression, anxiety, thyroid issues, "just stress" - how many wrong diagnoses did you collect before someone finally listened? We deserve doctors who understand hormones and don't just throw random diagnoses at us hoping something sticks.
👋 OUT: "You're too young for perimenopause"
At 45. At 40. At 35. REALLY?! Perimenopause can start in your 30s, and women deserve to know this! Stop dismissing younger women who are clearly experiencing symptoms. Age isn't a diagnosis - symptoms are!
👋 OUT: PMS and PMDD being dismissed as "normal"
"Just take some ibuprofen." "It's just your period." NO. Debilitating PMS and PMDD are NOT something we should just accept as our lot in life! These are real conditions that deserve real treatment and real support.
👋 OUT: The myth of the "one test" diagnosis
Can we PLEASE stop pretending that a single blood test or saliva test can definitively diagnose menopause? Hormones fluctuate constantly! Diagnosis should be based on symptoms, history, AND testing - not just one snapshot lab result that catches you on a "good" day.
👋 OUT: 8-year waits for diagnoses
EIGHT YEARS. That's the average wait for conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. EIGHT. YEARS. of pain, confusion, and doctors telling us it's "normal." How is this still acceptable in 2025?! Women deserve faster answers and better care!
👋 OUT: Endless waiting for proper support
Why are we still waiting months (or YEARS!) to get appointments, see specialists, or get treatment that actually works? Why do we have to become part-time researchers, full-time advocates, and medical detectives just to get BASIC care? Accessible, informed healthcare should be our baseline, not some unreachable goal.
👋 OUT: The one-size-fits-all approach
Your menopause journey is NOT the same as your sister's, your friend's, or mine. Cookie-cutter solutions and generic advice, supplements without evidence just don't cut it anymore. Personalized care isn't some fancy luxury - it's what we NEED and deserve!
👋 OUT: Zero workplace support
Menopause affects our work - our concentration, our energy, our ability to regulate temperature in freezing office buildings. And guess what? Workplace stress makes our symptoms WORSE! Yet most companies still act like menopause doesn't exist. We need flexible working options, temperature control, understanding managers, and policies that actually HELP - not just a box-checking exercise.
👋 OUT: Pretending menopause doesn't exist at work
When brilliant, talented women are quietly leaving careers because they're terrified to speak up, we ALL lose. It's 2026 - we need real policies with teeth, proper training for managers, and workplaces that don't penalize us for a natural life transition.
👋 OUT: The shame and secrecy
Let's be clear: Menopause is NOT a weakness. It's NOT a failure. It's NOT something we need to whisper about in bathroom stalls. This is a natural life transition that half the population goes through! We fought for openness around pregnancy and mental health - menopause deserves the same energy. 🔥
👋 OUT: Suffering through symptoms because "that's just what happens"
Hot flashes keeping you up all night? Brain fog making you forget words mid-sentence? Joint pain that appeared out of nowhere? Mood swings that feel out of control? Periods that are suddenly all over the place? These aren't things you just have to "deal with" - there ARE options, and you deserve to know about ALL of them!
👋 OUT: The isolation
Too many of us think we're going through this alone. We're not! This community exists because we're DONE suffering in silence. Your symptoms are valid. Your struggles are real. And you are absolutely not alone in this. 💕
So what ARE we bringing into 2026?
✨ Open, honest conversations
✨ Demanding better from our healthcare providers
✨ Supporting each other without judgment
✨ Educating ourselves AND the people around us
✨ Refusing to be dismissed or diminished
✨ Advocating for workplace accommodations
✨ Trusting our bodies and our instincts
✨ Taking up space and using our voices
Drop a 💜 if you're ready to leave this outdated nonsense behind!
And if you're nodding along to any of this, PLEASE share this post. The more we talk about this stuff openly, the faster things will change for all of us.
What would YOU add to this list? Comment below! 👇

02/01/2026

Menopause symptoms are not imagined or psychological weakness, they are biologically mediated and deserve appropriate attention.

Your symptoms are legit, here's what to know.

31/12/2025

Shine bright through the darkest days

Losing my mum this year taught me what truly matters: helping women feel seen and supported through menopause.

Wishing you happy and healthy 2026!

28/12/2025

Last Sunday of 2025 and walk in Cammo.

21/12/2025

This time of year invites us to pause and reflect on the journey we've traveled. If you've been navigating change, questioning your path, or rediscovering who you are beneath all the roles you've played, know that you're exactly where you need to be.
May this Christmas bring you:
✨ Moments of quiet joy
✨ Connection with those who truly see you
✨ Permission to rest, dream, and begin again
You are not too late. You are not too much or too little. You are becoming exactly who you were always meant to be, and that light within you deserves to shine brightly.

Here's to a season of gentle transformation and to the beautiful chapter ahead!

15/12/2025

Christmas netwalking and lunch with the difference. The Outsiders met at Portobello beach, exchanged secret Santa, which was the book and chocolate bar. There was also poem written by brilliant founder Katie and painted postcard by very talented Lezzane. I am so grateful for this Edinburgh group of nature lovers, last Friday of every month just puts smile on my face and shows the power of people. Happy Christmas and many more adventures for 2026!

10/12/2025

December to do list to keep your peace:
1. Focus on experiences, not things.
2. Random act of kindness.
3. Say no to holiday stress.
4. Take a quiet walk and notice what your body says. It always tells the truth.
5. Spend time with someone who makes you feel lighter.
6. Spend an hour doing something for joy. No productivity attached.
7. Look at your calendar and delete one thing immediately. Make space.
8. Revisit a decision you avoided all year.
9. Write down what drained you this year.
10. Write down the moment you felt happiest. That is your direction.
11. Write down what felt off. That is the warning.
12. Ask yourself: Who do I want to be when January arrives?

What will you DE-CIDE, DE-CLUTTER, DE-LETE this December?

23/11/2025

Are you planning your time for joy in your calendar?
It can feel impossible during menopause when we have caring responsibilities for everyone else (kids, parents, partner, work/business...) and no time left for self but your health and happiness is the most important so be kind to yourself before you can help others.
How many hours of joy will you put in your calendar?

17/11/2025

Turning 50?
NHS Scotland will send you some personal and confidential letters for health check, please treat them as love letters.
If you haven't received your screening invitations, contact your GP practice to ensure your details are up to date.
Here are your key health checks:

Bowel Screening: You'll receive a home testing kit every two years (ages 50-74). This simple test detects early signs of bowel cancer.

Breast Screening (women): Mammograms every three years between 50-70.

Eye Tests: Free NHS examinations every two years.

Dental check-ups: Continue regularly.

General Health: Book a GP check to discuss cholesterol, blood pressure, and any concerns about your weight, lifestyle, or family health history. This is a good opportunity to discuss:

Your diet and physical activity
Smoking or alcohol consumption
Mental health and wellbeing
Any specific health concerns

Don't wait for symptoms—early detection saves lives.
Visit www.nhsinform.scot or contact your GP practice.

Take charge of your

NHS inform is Scotland's national health information service helping the people in Scotland to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for

14/11/2025

IMS Statement: US HHS Revises Black Box Warning for Menopause Hormone Therapy

Secretary Kennedy of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the removal of certain sections of the black box warning from all menopause hormone therapies (MHT), including systemic and vaginal preparations. The black box warning noted increased risks of myocardial infarction, invasive breast cancer, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, and dementia. HHS stated that it is working with companies to update language in product labelling to remove references to risks of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia.

In principle, the International Menopause Society (IMS) supports and welcomes consideration of the removal of the black box warning, with appropriate scientific review. Currently that warning applies to all types, all routes of administration, in all individuals. IMS agrees with the removal of these warnings from vaginal estrogen products, given reliable evidence in the medical and scientific literature that the systemic levels of estrogen resulting from vaginal routes of administration and the associate risks are negligible.

However, IMS does not support the removal of all warnings from systemic forms of MHT. Systemic oral or transdermal MHT can increase cardiovascular risks, breast cancer and dementia in certain populations of women, particularly those who initiate hormone therapy at later ages, or who already have evidence of these conditions. For this reason, the IMS maintains that it is important that clinicians inform women of potential risks regardless of any changes to the black box warnings. Individualised weighing of pros and cons, guided by the evidence, should be the principle of prescribing MHT and alternatives in the menopause.

Many women suffer unnecessarily from menopause symptoms, and systemic MHT can be used safely and highly effectively for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms and genitourinary symptoms of menopause, while also preserving preserve bone health. The benefits of MHT outweigh the risks for perimenopausal and younger postmenopausal women with bothersome symptoms and who otherwise have no contraindications. IMS has published World Menopause Day White papers in 2024 on menopause and MHT,https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Menopause-and-MHT-in-2024-addressing-the-key-controversies-an-International-Menopause-Society-White-Paper.pdf
and in 2025 on lifestyle medicine,https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMS-White-Paper-The-Role-of-Lifestyle-Medicine-in-Menopausal-Health-2025.pdf which outline our recommended key/core principles of menopause management.

Ultimately, our care of women should be led by the evidence; hence, the latest IMS Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause have been developed from rigorous systematic reviews, and are now in press, endorsed by a number of national, regional and global organisations. These Recommendations will be available online by December 2025 via the IMS website and our journal, Climacteric.

Fundamentally, the IMS believes that the labelling for menopause products should reflect evidence-based guidelines of scientific societies like the IMS and the Menopause Society through a process involving expert representatives of those societies, and that women are best served when scientific societies, healthcare services and pharmaceutical companies disseminate lay language summaries of those evidence-based guidelines to women.

04/11/2025

Today is my birthday. Can you believe that I am 50? I might look half my age ( dear supermarket cashier, you can stop asking for my ID), but I feel like double fifty (thank you menopause). Some words of wisdom:
1. Nature is your best healer.
2. Live everyday like it is your last one. Do not postpone joy.
3. Invest in yourself.
4. Practice random act of kindness.
5. Travel is the best teacher.
6. Trust your gut. Saying no to average creates space for the great. 7. Done is better than perfect.
8. Focus on what matters.
9. Build your support network.

It is a also sad day as my mum did not call me to say happy birthday. She joined my father in heaven 4 months ago. I am so grateful for everything they did for me and so lucky having them for 49 years