Do you love your morning coffee or that piece of dark chocolate at night? If you're in perimenopause or menopause, caffeine may be affecting you more than you realize. From restless nights to racing hearts — even to magnifying hot flashes — caffeine can be both a friend and a foe in midlife.

In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause, host Nicole van Hattem explores how caffeine impacts women in midlife and menopause. Drawing on research (including a Mayo Clinic study), she unpacks how caffeine can boost mood and memory for some women while worsening symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, and poor sleep for others.

• Why women metabolize caffeine differently in midlife

• How coffee, chocolate, and caffeinated canned drinks can affect hormones and liver health

• The surprising link between caffeine and menopausal symptoms (Mayo Clinic study)

• When to switch to decaf (and what "decaf" really means)

• Chocolate strategies: enjoy the health benefits without wrecking your sleep

• Sneaky places caffeine hides in food, drinks, and even medications

• Herbal tea swaps and retreat resets to help you break the caffeine cycle

If you love chocolate, try sprinkling cacao in your morning smoothie or porridge to get the benefits early in the day — so the caffeine wears off by bedtime.

Download your free Menopause Symptom Tracker at nicolevanhattem.com to see how caffeine, sleep, and other daily habits affect your midlife health.

Retreats are a great way to reset old habits like caffeine. With nourishing food, rest, and support, you'll give your body the space to heal and notice exactly how caffeine affects you when you reintroduce it.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please follow, rate, and share Hot & Healthy Menopause with a friend. Your support helps more women thrive through midlife.