Hot Flashes & Cold Brew

My Story: Why I Started Hot Flashes & Cold Brew

For most of my life, I didn’t realize I was living in survival mode.

I was doing all the things most women do—working, raising a family, taking care of everyone else first, and pushing through exhaustion like it was just part of life. Coffee in the morning, stress throughout the day, and collapsing into bed at night only to wake up and do it all over again.

For a long time, I thought feeling this way was normal.

But over time my body started sending signals that something wasn’t right.

I dealt with brain fog, digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, and hormonal symptoms that didn’t always make sense. Like many women, I was told things like “your labs are normal” or “this is just part of getting older.”

But deep down, I knew something bigger was going on.

As a nurse and now a Family Nurse Practitioner student, I started diving deeper into the science behind what was happening in my body. What I discovered was something I wish more women were taught about much earlier in life.

Many of us are living in a constant state of stress—what I now understand as survival mode.

When our bodies stay in that state for years, our stress hormones remain elevated. Over time, that affects nearly every system in the body: our hormones, metabolism, sleep, mood, gut health, and even how clearly we can think.

Then perimenopause arrives, and the hormonal shifts during this phase can magnify everything.

Suddenly women start experiencing anxiety they’ve never had before. Sleep becomes disrupted. Weight gain appears even when nothing has changed. Brain fog makes it harder to concentrate. And many women feel like they’re losing control of their own bodies.

What I’ve come to realize is that many of these symptoms are not random—and they’re not “just aging.”

They’re signals.

Signals that our bodies have been under too much pressure for too long.

My journey has been about learning how to understand those signals, support my body, and slowly move out of survival mode into a more balanced and regulated way of living.

That journey is what inspired me to create Hot Flashes & Cold Brew.

This space exists to help women better understand the hormonal changes of midlife, especially during perimenopause and menopause. My goal is to share clear, science-based education in a way that feels relatable and supportive—because this stage of life should not feel confusing or isolating.

I’m not here as someone who has everything perfectly figured out. I’m here as a woman navigating many of the same changes, learning along the way, and sharing what I discover.

Through this blog and community, I hope to help other women recognize the signals their bodies are sending, understand the science behind midlife hormonal shifts, and find practical ways to support their health.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, overwhelmed, or like your body suddenly changed without explanation, you are not alone.

And you are not broken.

You may simply be a woman whose body has been stuck in survival mode for far too long.

My hope is that this space helps you begin the process of understanding your body—and ultimately breaking free from that cycle.

Disclaimer: Everything shared on this blog comes from personal experience and love. It’s for educational and inspirational purposes only and not medical advice. We’re all beautifully unique, so please talk with your healthcare provider before making changes to your wellness routine.