Menopausal Brain: What Every Woman Needs to Know with Tamsen Fadal

Summary

Kwik Brain Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Menopausal Brain: What Every Woman Needs to Know with Tamsen Fadal

Date:

March 3, 2025

Host:

Jim Kwik, Brain Coach, founder of KwikLearning.com

Guest:

Tamsen Fadal, Emmy award-winning journalist, author of How to Menopause, executive producer of documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the cognitive and emotional changes that women experience during menopause. Jim Kwik and Tamsen Fadal discuss the science, stigma, and support structures surrounding menopause—highlighting the oft-overlooked impact on brain health, the myths and confusion women face, and practical strategies for navigating this life stage with resilience and community.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking the Silence Around Menopause

• [00:20] Jim Kwik: Many women feel lost and isolated during menopause because it's rarely talked about openly, not even among doctors.
• Tamsen’s mission: Bring conversation to the foreground via journalism, books, and documentary work, emphasizing global outreach.

2. Understanding the Stages of Menopause

• [02:22] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Perimenopause: Lasts 4–10 years before menopause. Major hormonal fluctuations; primary source of confusion.
  • Menopause: 12 consecutive months without a period.
  • Post-menopause: All time thereafter.
• Common myths: Menopause = just hot flashes. Reality: Upwards of 34 symptoms including brain fog, sleep issues, sudden weight gain, and joint pain.

“Perimenopause is the one that gets very confusing. Because it can last for several years... hormones are all over the place, sleep's different, weight's different.”
—Tamsen Fadal [02:45]

3. Unrecognized and Misunderstood Symptoms

• [03:47] Jim Kwik: Asked about lesser-known symptoms often mistaken for other health issues.
• [04:19] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Cognitive changes (memory, focus, word recall) often misattributed to dementia or other conditions.
  • Stigma and misunderstanding heighten isolation—affecting confidence.

4. Menopause and Brain Health: Brain Fog vs. Dementia

• [05:48] Jim Kwik: Sought clarity between brain fog and dementia.
• [06:21] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Brain fog is primarily from estrogen decline affecting cognitive function; most women recover clarity post-menopause (typically 2–6 years).
  • More serious cognitive decline is less common but possible for some.
• Importance of proactive brain health and lifestyle strategies during this stage.

“Brain fog... stems from a loss of estrogen, essentially. There are receptors, estrogen receptors throughout the brain. And when the estrogen declines, so does that cognitive function...”
—Tamsen Fadal [06:24]

5. Workplace Impact & Adaptation Strategies

• [08:03] Jim Kwik: Strategies for managing symptoms at work.
• [08:23] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Personal experience of word recall loss as a news anchor (conflicting with career demands).
  • Adaptations: Focusing on one task, writing things down, re-reading, using audio, making notes—proactively supporting cognitive shifts.
  • Importance of supportive work environments and men’s roles as allies.

“Multitasking does not and did not work. Rereading and rereading, listening to things, audio versus reading... I really had to work on my memory for quite a while.”
—Tamsen Fadal [08:37]

6. How Men and Society Can Support Women in Menopause

• [10:17] Jim Kwik: How can men be better allies and shift stigma?
• [10:45] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Normalize open discussion.
  • Men as partners, colleagues, and leaders can create supportive environments and policies.
  • Intergenerational awareness—preparing and informing daughters, sisters, coworkers.

“These are brave conversations to have... Men open to the discussion, listening to it, paying attention to it... so women don't feel uncomfortable, like they have to whisper.”
—Tamsen Fadal [10:45]

7. The Power of Community & Support Networks

• [12:13] Jim Kwik and [12:47] Tamsen Fadal:
  • Community (friends, workplace groups, online forums) is a major resource for support.
  • Avoiding isolation is crucial; collective conversation can ease emotional burden.

“I think community does so much during this stage because you feel like you've got somebody else to lean on.”
—Tamsen Fadal [13:24]

8. Resources for Further Support

• [14:10] Jim Kwik: Tamsen’s documentary The M Factor is available at themfactorfilm.com with global virtual screenings.
• Book: How to Menopause available via howtomenopause.com or book retailers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Confusion and Symptom Overlap:

  “Initially, when something like [brain fog] happens, they think, oh my goodness, is this a sign of dementia?... and they wind up oftentimes coming back to is perimenopause.”
  —Tamsen Fadal [04:19]

• On Workplace Challenges and Adaptation:

  “Those were some of my first signs that it was really struggling. And it really caused a knock on my confidence. I would get on a news desk and... that was, my whole job is to read the teleprompter…”
  —Tamsen Fadal [08:30]

• On Community and Support:

  “The worst thing that can happen during this time in our lives is isolation is just the worst thing.”
  —Tamsen Fadal [13:45]

• On Gifts of Menopause:

  “I figured out who I was, what I was capable of, and I found a bit of freedom in all of it too.”
  —Tamsen Fadal [16:50]

• On Advice for Women Approaching Menopause:

  “You've got to put your health first. Like, this is your pause to put your health first. It really is. You've done it for everybody else all these years... I promise you're going to be stronger than ever before.”
  —Tamsen Fadal [18:15]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:20] — Introduction to menopause & brain health
• [02:22] — Stages of menopause explained
• [04:19] — Cognitive symptoms & misdiagnosis fears
• [06:21] — How menopause affects the brain; difference from dementia
• [08:23] — Managing menopause at work; adaptation stories
• [10:45] — How men can support and be allies
• [12:47] — The importance of community and avoiding isolation
• [14:14] — Where to find the documentary, book, and community events
• [16:48] — Gifts and growth emerging from the menopause experience
• [18:07] — Main advice for women entering this stage
• [18:58] — Tamsen’s current learning focus: nutrition, inflammation, and self-respect

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Flow & Tone

The conversation is candid, empathetic, and empowering. Both Jim and Tamsen stress the importance of knowledge, proactive adaptation, genuine dialogue, and supportive communities for women navigating menopause. The episode balances science, practical advice, and personal stories, leading to actionable encouragement for women and those in their support networks.

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Further Resources

• Tamsen Fadal:

  • Book: How to Menopause
  • Documentary: The M Factor
  • Instagram: @TamsenFadal

• Jim Kwik:

  • Podcast show notes: jimkwik.com/notes
  • Brain training: kwikbrain.com

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Kwik Brain Bite Sized brain Hacks for busy people who want to learn faster and achieve more. I'm your coach, Jim Kwik.

[B]

Free your mind. Let's imagine if we could access 100% of our brain's capacity.

[C]

I wasn't high, wasn't wired, just clear. I knew what I needed to do.

[A]

And how to do it.

[B]

I know kung fu. Show me. Welcome back, Kwik Brains. I am your host and your brain coach, Jim Kwik. Today we will learn about what happens to the brain and body during menopause. Even though millions upon millions of women are experiencing the similar or exact same thing, they may feel lost, alone, confused, less confident and self conscious about the fact that they no longer recognize some aspect of themselves, maybe their bodies, some part of themselves. This is happening because partly no one's really talking about women's hormones as they go through midlife, sometimes not even their doctors. And that's why I'm very excited to have a dear friend, Tamsen Fidel. After spending 30 plus years as a journalist chasing stories and hurricanes from the mountains of Afghanistan to the coast of Florida, now most everyone wants to talk with Tamsen about menopause. Tamsin is an Emmy award winning journalist, author, documentary filmmaker and social media midlife mentor. She is the creator and executive producer of the PBS documentary the M Factor, Shredding the Silence on Menopause, which has been viewed, get this. By over 1 million women across 42 countries. And she is the author of this book, how to Menopause. If you're watching this on YouTube, where we put the extended version, I'm holding it here. Take charge of your health. Health, Reclaim your life and feel even better than before. So today we'll explore not only how women can navigate this phase with strength and positivity, but also how everyone around them can contribute to making this journey smoother. Welcome to the show, Tamsen.

[C]

Thank you so much. Nice to see you.

[B]

This question about menopause, this topic comes up often.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So maybe we could start with what are the stages of menopause and what are maybe some common myths or issues that women face at each of these stages?

[C]

Yeah, it's such a good question because it can be so confusing and you really touched on it at the beginning that oftentimes doctors are not even educated about this in medical school. So they leave medical school, they go in, you're going to see them. And they're equally confused about it because there was not a lot of education that was done when it comes to midlife in general, specifically Specifically with women. So when you look at menopause, you have the three big stages that I say are perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. And menopause is literally 12 months without your period. And everything after that is post. So I just call it menopause in general. Because that's just easier to understand. Perimenopause is the one that gets very confusing. Because it can last for several years. Anywhere up from four to ten years before menopause. And that's the one where your hormones are all over the place, where you've got rotating hormones, feelings that are different, sleep that's different, weight that's different. And that's what we really talk about when we say, I don't feel like myself anymore. Like, I feel like something is wrong. What is going on? And, you know, there are some big symptoms that come with that. Upwards of 34 symptoms. And that's what we struggle with often without realizing what's happening.

[B]

What are some of the unknown symptoms, if you will, of. Of menopause that can leave women feeling like there might be a more serious health condition? And obviously, this conversation is not meant to. To treat or diagnose in any. Any disease. That's kind of the health claimer here. But, yeah. Are there some more unknown symptoms of menopause. That could leave women feeling like they might be in a more serious health condition behind it. Instead of realizing that it might be menopause?

[C]

Yeah, and I think. I think that's the alarming part. And that's what leaves a lot of women feeling so isolated. And men in their lives feeling so confused. Right. So you go into menopause and perimenopause in particular. You've had all these hormone fluctuations. And, you know, we did a lot of research for the documentary. Talking to the different doctors, talking to neuroscientist Lisa Moscone, talking to women who were trying to be treated, saying, I didn't know what was happening. All of a sudden, I lost track of what I was doing. I had no more focus. I couldn't sleep anymore. I was gaining weight in areas that made no sense. Even though I was exercising and eating the same. And then they'd have other kind of symptoms that just didn't make a lot of sense. Joint pain that came out of nowhere. Hot flashes, night sweats. When we hear menopause, we go, ha, ha, ha. Hot sweat, hot flashes. That's it. That's not really it. When you are a woman. And oftentimes these are women at the Height of their careers. And they're dealing with brain lack of concentration, not able to complete tasks that they could complete before, not able to remember names in the middle of speaking and forgetting what they're talking about. That can really knock your confidence. And that's not what women think of initially. Initially, when that something like that happens, they think, oh, my goodness, is this a sign of dementia? Is this something that's wrong, that's much more serious. They're running to the doctor, they're going for different tests, and they wind up oftentimes coming back to is perimenopause. And this is normal for all women. Yet we weren't taught about it.

[B]

And you mentioned some of these things. When it's brain related, obviously our audience has a passion and interest. You have a whole chapter dedicated to what happens to the brain during menopause. Maybe we could examine, is there a difference between brain fog, dementia, and severe conditions and mood so that people know to look for the right solutions? And is it, you know, not so great news for the brain as women age and how can they support their brain health during this time?

[C]

Yeah, it's so important to know that. Right. So brain fog, it stems from a loss of estrogen, essentially. There are receptors, estrogen receptors throughout the brain. And when the estrogen declines, so does that cognitive function we're talking about? And, you know, one doctor after another is very aware of that. And so those are some of the first things that they look for, signs like that. When I talked to Dr. Lisa Moscone, the question I had asked her was, does your brain rebound? And how do you know if it's something more serious or if it's something pretty normal? For most women when they go through perimenopause, there is that decline in the cognitive function performance that we're talking about. That's the brain fog, which really, it's funny, she told us in the documentary, there wasn't really even a term for it, but essentially it's that difficulty finding words. It's, you know, the lack of the focus, on average, that rebounds after menopause, maybe four to six years, which is great news, right? Sometimes it can be as early as two years. But that is a transition that your brain goes through for other women, and that is not for many women, but for other women, there is a deterioration that happens. And that's when we start talking about Alzheimer's, prevention. But, you know, I think the good news is, is that the majority of women are not dealing with something like that. But there are things that you can do to help your brain health and you know, so many of them. But particularly leading up to this period and this transition, it's, it's even more important, which is something I didn't realize. I mean, you and I have talked a long time. I have followed all of your work, everything you talk about. And I did not realize how important it was, especially during this time in life when we're looking at, you know, a big transition in a woman's health.

[B]

And for our, for our listeners who are, maybe they're navigating their careers alongside having these menopausal symptoms, what are your suggestions or kind of go to strategies or recommendations? What would you suggest to help them make, maintain their performance. Right. And manage the stress at work? All of that.

[C]

It's such a big topic right now. We've brought the conversation of menopause into the workplace quite a bit recently. And for me, I, I read the teleprompter for 30 years. So I would look in front of me and I would see a word and all of a sudden I couldn't remember the word even though I, I knew I knew the word, but it wouldn't come out of my mouth. And those were some of my first signs that it was really struggling. And it would, it really caused a knock on my confidence. I would get on a news desk and, you know, that was, my whole job is to read the teleprompter and, and be able to say those things and communicate. So that was very hard. And I found myself having to use some different methods, using some different ways to memorize things, focus on one task at a time. I could, you know, multitasking does not and did not work. Rereading and rereading, listening to things, audio versus reading because that's how I could comprehend them better. And writing everything down, making notes. I really had to work on my memory for quite a while and it took a few years. I saw that cognitive function change and that cognitive, just, just a difference in who I was before. I will say this too. I see so many men that are so incredible about this and actually able to identify, see the symptoms, be supportive, want to know more. And I'm finding that super, super encouraging because men want to know. They want to know how they can help because if they're not married to a woman or living with a woman, they're probably working with a woman or have raped, you know, they've been raised by a woman or related to one. And so all of us are sort of in this together to understand what's going on as we work toward that, that better research. But in the workplace, don't be afraid to take those extra steps that you might need to stay on top of your game, because it's what I had to do. I wish I knew about it earlier, though, and had been able to go in and get some help for it instead of struggle.

[B]

And how would you recommend that men support the women around them during menopause? And how can society in general shift into a place where women are not seen as more vulnerable or weak because of the way their hormone function express or because they experience their periods or menopause? Like, how can men be an ally there and be supportive during this time?

[C]

I mean, first of all, what you're doing is opening up this conversation to the community. Because I think it's. I think that these are brave conversations to have, right? They're not always easy, they're not always comfortable. But I think that, you know, this is a normal transition and we have to start. We have to start acting and appreciating that that's what it is and that it doesn't last forever. And that's always been my concern, is that I never want women to feel less than or feel weaker. And that's why we want to empower them with these tools. I think men open to the discussion, listening to it, paying attention to it, being aware of those things so women don't feel uncomfortable, like they have to whisper. I'm seeing a lot of men come forward in the workplace and taking initiative to implement policies, so there's a community for women to talk to. I'm seeing partners that come forward and go, hey, I think partner or wife is going through this. What does she need to know so she feels better? Because nobody wants to see anybody that they love, care about or work with suffer. So I'm excited about the conversation because I think that we don't want any other generation to feel confused. And if you've got daughters and your audience had daughters or sisters, they don't want them to feel confused and lost. They want them to go through this like a regular transition, that you know what's happening next and here's how to support it. And then we move on from there. And I think, Jim, we're going to get there, but it's going to take conversations like this to make it happen. So women don't feel alone and they know there are solutions out there and they're more powerful on the other side of it, quite frankly.

[B]

And you mentioned community. I always remind People. It's not just about your biological networks or even your neurological networks. A lot of it is our social networks. So you discuss the importance of community support groups during menopause. How can women leverage these networks to enhance their well being during this, this phase? Because I, I know you mentioned, like, remembering that you're not alone, right. And there's a lot of, you know, people ask me, how do you become limitless in a limited world? You know, we do it. We do it together.

[C]

Yes, it's. It's so true. I don't, I think as I. I'm 54 now, so I'm like, I always said the word community, but I don't think I ever really understood it until now, which is interesting. It's kind of a big learning curve for me. But I'm really understanding that I am one piece of the whole, you know, and then I need other people in my life and I. Somebody else to explain what I'm going through and listen to what they're going through and share that story. It's what I did with the documentary, it's what we've done with the book, I think coming together with people that can hear you and see you and understand you. I've watched one after another, people come together to watch the film. And it's not the film that has. I mean, the film started the conversation, but then the women stay afterward an hour and a half to two hours. Men are in the room, women are in the room to have those conversations. So I, I think community does so much during this stage because you feel like you've got somebody else to lean on. And you're right, it can come in all different forms. It could be a community of 5 or 50 or 5,000, but it's people that understand and can see what you're going through and provide solutions too, so you don't feel like you're alone. The worst thing that can happen during this time in our lives is isolation is just the worst thing. So I'm always trying to work toward finding larger groups to introduce people to.

[B]

Where can people watch the documentary? Is it available online?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. We're having virtual screenings right now, as a matter of fact. So it's the mfactorfilm.com and we've got Instagram too, where we're putting community screenings out there. So we've given the documentary out and that's how it was seen in so many different cities and countries for communities to come together. So we list the different events for that that people can go to in their area and it's global so it's super exciting to see that.

[B]

We'll put that always in the show. Notes I'll link to the film, the book everyone always goes to. Jimquik.com notes I've noticed in my life when there's change, it's the unknown and there's always some kind of angst or fear around the unknown uncertainty. I've trained myself to ask this question like what's the gift in this? Have you discovered a gift or gifts of menopause that can help us find beauty and around that person going through it?

[A]

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[C]

Think one of the big gifts is I figured out who I was, what I was capable of, and I found a bit of freedom in all of it too. I, I think it's it's a combination of age and, you know, going through that transition. But I definitely have found the gifts of community for one. The gift of, you know, I left my career a year plus ago to do this full time. I had no idea what I was doing or why. But I knew I was really pulled towards the advocacy for women's health, like really pulled toward it because of the stories of women and what they were dealing with. And suff. And I will say this because I know that your audience learned so much about brain and brain health and being limitless, is that the brain in all of this is such an important part. There's the physical symptoms, there's the hot flashes, there's the night sweats. But when our brain takes that hit, that lack of confidence is what we're talking about. So when women get on the other side of this and they start to get that back, I feel like it's triple of what they had before. And I think there's a real gift in all that.

[B]

For anyone listening who is approaching or currently going through menopause, besides getting your book, which I highly recommend, what would your favorite piece of advice be to help them approach this chapter with greater confidence and positivity?

[C]

Yeah, I think two things. I think one, knowing that you're not alone in this and there are solutions, whether it's hormonal or non hormonal, and two, you're going to get on the other side of this, and I promise you're going to be stronger than ever before. But you've got to put your health first. Like, this is your pause to put your health first. It really is. You've done it for everybody else all these years. You've taken care of everybody all these years. You've got to put yourself first in men to know that, you know, those little tweaks that we're going through right now, it's okay and this person has not changed forever. And that there's a lot you can do to support.

[B]

I love it. You know, to end this episode, one of the questions I like to ask our guests because essentially this show is all about learning. I'm curious, is there one thing that you are currently learning or studying that has you that you're excited about?

[C]

Yeah, I, you know, I'm, I'm looking a lot into nutrition and nutritional health and like, inflammation of the body, because I feel like that has taken a, a different turn, you know, during this time. Often a lot of women will say, like, I gained weight or my body shifted. It doesn't feel the same way. And I'm working out the same and eating the same. So I'm just kind of paying attention to some more of that. So I went, I went back school to get a health coaching degree, and so I'm learning a lot about nutrition and health and wellness. And I love it. Like, I, I don't know, I, I found myself the other day, like, reading, like, the different nutrients that are in food. I'm like, oh, that's what's in this kind of sweet potato. And then I went, okay, I need to get a new hobby. But I, but I really am loving that because I, you know, we know it all goes back to whole foods. I'm Mediterranean, so I know that's like a great diet, but I just didn't realize quite how much. So those are new things I'm learning about that and how to, to make sure that I'm feeding my body the right way. Sometimes we can get sloppy, and I've been trying to just pay more attention to it and be a little more respectful of it.

[B]

I love it. Tamsen, thank you so much for sharing your invaluable insights and your practical advice on navigating menopause to everyone listening. Whether you're experiencing this directly or you're supporting someone who is, remember that knowledge has the ability to be a lot of power. And understanding the intricacies of menopause not only helps in managing it better, but also in fostering empathy and support within our relationships. Don't forget to check out Tamsin's book How to Menopause for more detailed guidance. Where can people find the book?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. Howtomenopause.com or anywhere you get your books.

[B]

And they can connect with you on social media as well.

[C]

Absolutely. At Tamsa Fadell, I try to get back to as many messages as I possibly can because love hearing people's stories.

[B]

Outstanding as always, everyone. You can find more ways to fuel your brain's potential on our YouTube channel, where we put the extended version of this conversation. Make sure you hit subscribe and leave a comment. I speech read every single one of them. So make sure you do that under this episode. If you want to take a screenshot of this, tag Tamsen, tag myself and share a link to her book. Because I feel like we learned something to be able to share it so it doesn't go to waste. Right? So your friends, your family, your followers, your fans could also benefit from some of the insights you got from today. This is your brain coach, Jim Kwik. Until next time, be limitless.