As a chef, food has always been how I express love; I cook for my family, my audience, and my community. But through perimenopause I had to learn how to cook—and care for—myself, and surprisingly, my hair was the starting point of that deeper self-care journey.
I thought I knew what to expect from perimenopause—mood swings, restless sleep, weight gain. But nothing prepared me for what I saw in the mirror: my hair, thinning. That’s when it got personal.
I’ve come to realize that the changes in my hair were my body’s way of waving a white flag—asking me to pay attention. Not just to my hair, but to everything I was experiencing, both physically and emotionally.
I’ve always believed that food is healing. But perimenopause forced me to look at nutrition through a new lens—not as a checklist, but as a source of true support. It meant adjusting my meals not just for flavor and function, but to support energy, digestion, and hormones. Avocado toast was no longer enough for breakfast—my plate had to incorporate a balance of whole foods, protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients. Now, that toast sits on a bed of sautéed spinach, with a side of eggs and almond milk to round it out.
Throughout the day, I rely on nutrient-dense foods to meet my body’s changing needs. I include eggs, salmon, and beef regularly—for amino acids, omega-3s, and iron. Juices packed with kale and spinach give me a boost of antioxidant-rich leafy greens. And even a warm bowl of beef or chicken pho has a place in my routine—the collagen-packed bone broth is a comforting way to nourish my skin from within.
This chapter of life is humbling. Some days, I feel like myself. On others, I feel like a stranger in my own skin. But I’m learning to listen—to the fatigue, the cravings, the shifting moods—and respond with compassion, not criticism. Food is still my love language, but now it’s also how I honor the changes happening in my body.
I’ve learned more about myself in the last year than I did in the five before it. I’ve learned that feeling like yourself again doesn’t always mean going backward. Sometimes, it means redefining who you are now, and what you need to thrive.
