Ladies, have you ever walked into a room on a mission-ready grab, do or organize something and then all of a sudden, poof! You stop dead in your tracks and can't remember what it is you were after in the first place? You're not alone.

If you’re somewhere in your 40s or 50s, in menopause or perimenopause, most would roll their eyes or laugh and tell you to get used to it. It comes with the territory.

But I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to.

Brain fog is one of the most common—and most frustrating—symptoms women experience in perimenopause and menopause. Forgetting why you walked into a room, struggling to find the right words or feeling like you’re in a mental haze all day can be unsettling. Even if you’ve never been that organized or on-top-of-things, you're probably feeling like you're losing your mind.

Most women assume this is just part of aging, something they have to live with. But here’s the truth: Brain fog is not inevitable. It’s a symptom of something deeper going on in the body and one of the biggest culprits is your gut.

Your gut isn’t just responsible for digestion. It’s home to trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that influence everything from your immune system to your hormones and, yes, your brain function. This ecosystem, known as your microbiome, is in constant communication with your brain through something called the gut-brain axis or GBX.

When your gut is healthy, your brain benefits. When it’s out of balance, you start seeing symptoms like brain fog, mood swings anxiety and even depression.

For women in perimenopause and menopause, this GBX connection becomes even more critical. As estrogen levels decline, it impacts the composition of........

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