Menopause morning ritual: how to start your day feeling calm, steady and energised

Here’s how I’m going to start your obsession with menopause mornings that don’t require caffeine and willpower to survive.

If you’re waking up tired, reaching straight for coffee, and wondering how you’re already running on fumes before you’ve even opened your inbox, this one’s for you. It’s not about trying harder. It’s about breakfast.

And before you roll your eyes... I know you’re “not hungry in the morning.” Oh and you’ve “heard fasting’s good for you.” You “don’t have time.” I’ve heard every version. But here’s the thing: your midlife hormones have heard none of it. They’re just quietly asking for a steady start so they can actually get on with the job of keeping you sane, focused and less likely to snap at the family by 10am.

The real reason your menopause mornings feel like a rollercoaster

Let’s be honest, for many women in menopause, mornings are powered by caffeine, cortisol and chaos. That was me, too, only a handful of years ago and really I should know better. But back to you... Your stress hormones (mainly cortisol) naturally rise in the morning to help you wake up, but if you skip food and pour a double espresso on top of that, you’re basically adding petrol to the fire. The result? You feel wired but not awake, jittery but exhausted.

Then, when you finally eat something (usually toast, cereal or “whatever’s quick”), your blood sugar shoots up like a firework. You get a burst of energy, then crash back down in a heap of hunger, irritation and “why can’t I just focus?”

Sound familiar?

That’s not lack of willpower. That’s your blood sugar and hormones trying (and failing) to find balance.

The 60-minute breakfast rule

So here’s the fix for those menopause mornings (the one's you didn't even realise were broken). Eat breakfast with around 25g of protein within 60 minutes of waking.

That’s it. A small, simple tweak — but one that can completely change how you feel for the rest of the day.

Why it works:

• You’ll keep cortisol in check instead of letting it run wild.

• You’ll give your brain and hormones the fuel they need to make dopamine and serotonin (hello, better mood).

• You’ll stabilise blood sugar early, so you don’t end up craving half the office snack drawer by mid-morning.

It’s not magic. It’s biology finally working with you, not against you. Please keep reading even if anything I wrote earlier resonates...

“But I’m not hungry in the morning…”

Totally normal. Especially if you’ve been skipping breakfast for years. When your cortisol is high, your appetite switch is often “off” first thing.

Start small.Half a protein shake. A few bites of Greek yoghurt with seeds. One boiled egg. Your job isn’t to eat a full cooked breakfast - it’s just to wake up your metabolism gently.

After a few days, your body gets the memo. Hunger cues come back, energy steadies, and suddenly mornings don’t feel like such a battle.

“But fasting works for me!”

It might have once, but here’s the deal with fasting in menopause.

In your 30s, skipping breakfast might’ve helped balance calories. In your 40s and 50s, your hormones are shifting. You’re more sensitive to stress. You’ve got lower oestrogen (which used to buffer cortisol) and often a slower metabolism.

I was this woman. I was the fasting queen. I loved it and could go on and on and on. Long fasting windows can backfire. They push cortisol higher, raise blood sugar later, and mess with your appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin). The logic makes sense and there are a lot of folk online waving the flag for FLAG. They are largely younger women (*ouch*). And, believe me, there are a lot of midlife fasting coaches who have found the reality of fasting no longer shits a single pounds and leavs you feeling wired for most of the day.

Here are 5 real breakfasts that actually work

(Because you don’t need fancy powders or influencer bowls, just real food that keeps you going.)

🥣 Greek or Skyr yoghurt bowl Thick, creamy, protein-packed. Add berries, sprinkle seeds, spoon of nut butter. Optional: a scoop of vanilla protein powder for extra staying power.

🥤 Protein shake Blend milk or soy milk, protein powder, berries, chia seeds, and nut butter. Optional: throw in a handful of spinach (you won’t taste it).

🍳 Scrambled tofu on sourdough Tofu with turmeric, garlic and tamari. Add spinach or mushrooms. Serve with avocado.

🥣 Protein oats Oats with unsweetened almond or soya milk, stir in protein powder. Add nut butter and chia or flax seeds. Top with berries and a drizzle of maple syrup if you feel you need it.

🧀 Cottage cheese bowl Cottage cheese + berries + seeds + drizzle of maple syrup. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

How to make it easy

Let’s face it, mornings are already enough of a circus.Here’s how to make the 60-minute rule fit real life:

• Prep the night before. Overnight oats, boiled eggs, or smoothie bags ready to blitz.

• Keep backups. Protein sachets, bars, or nut butter packs for when life gets chaotic.

• Make it visual. Put your breakfast at eye level in the fridge so you can’t ignore it.

And if you’re still “not a breakfast person”? Start anyway. Future you - the one with energy, focus and fewer 3pm snack raids - will be very grateful.

Ready to go with this? (Promise, it will be the best thing you try all year)

If your mornings feel like you’re running on caffeine, chaos and hope -it’s not you, it’s your hormones. Give your body a proper breakfast and you’ll feel steadier, calmer and sharper. Not perfect, just functional. And to be far, at this stage, that’s the dream.  If it feels a chancey - that whole no-fasting thing - give it a couple of weeks and see how you feel. Let's be honest, the scale hasn't moved in a while do what have you got to lose? If I'm right and it works, you’ve just found your new morning non-negotiable.