No One Talks About This: How a Woman’s Brain Changes Through Every Life Stage | Dr. Sarah Mckay

Jul 16, 2025

01:15:48

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You've been told your hormones make you irrational.That menopause means cognitive decline, your emotions are just chemistry gone wrong, and your brain is simply too complicated to understand.Science says otherwise.

This week's guest, Dr. Sarah McKay, is a neuroscientist, author, and brain health expert who's spent her career dismantling the myths we've been told about women's brains. From the idea that we're slaves to our hormones to the fear that menopause means inevitable decline, Sarah brings data, nuance, and hope to conversations that have been shaped by outdated stereotypes for far too long.

We explore:

Why male and female brains are more similar than different, and how cultural context shapes the differences we do see
The surprising truth about PMS: how rates vary from 12% in France to 90% in Iran
Why the stereotype that women are "more emotional" isn't backed by science
How your brain actually changes during menopause
The real relationship between hormones, sleep, and brain fog
Why early puberty affects girls and boys so differently
What brain networks do when estrogen declines
The truth about HRT and brain health: what the data actually shows
How expectations and cultural narratives create the experiences we have

Sarah doesn't dismiss women's struggles or minimize real symptoms. Instead, she offers something more powerful: the understanding that our brains are not broken, fragile, or at the mercy of our biology. They're sophisticated, adaptive, and capable of remarkable reorganization throughout our lives.

This isn't about toxic positivity or dismissing genuine challenges. It's about recognizing that the stories we've been told about women's brains, that we're irrational, unstable, or declining, aren't just wrong. They're actively shaping our reality.

Love,

Sarah Ann 💛

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If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:⁠Dr. Stacy Sims EXPOSES the Myths Hurting Women's Health | Fasting, Protein & Exercisehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uksGzoick&t

Ellen Langer: The Mind Can Slow Down an Aging Bodyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGpNMy1VxsY&t

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Science Simplified, Health Humanised. Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

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Highlights:

Introduction (0:00:00)

Sex Differences in Brain Anatomy (0:01:05)

How Culture Shapes Gender Influences (0:04:38)

PMS & Emotions: Are Women Really More Sensitive?(0:09:42)

Global Stats: How Common is PMS Around the World? (0:14:54)

Anxiety & Depression Statistics (0:22:35)

Gender Roles, Social Conditioning & Brain Behavior (0:29:38)

Women's Neuroscience: Progress, Challenges, and Representation (0:37:58)

Menopause Brain Fog: What Science Really Says (0:40:39)

Menopause and Cognitive Gains: Surprising Brain Benefits (0:44:58)