10 of our most popular stories of 2025
Longevity is kind of a big deal. What expert tips are ‘doable’ for aging well?
Learn from Midi CEO Joanna Strober, Kayla Barnes, Dr. Julie Fratantoni, Aja Campbell, Dr. Matt Walker, and Roma Van der Walt
From biohackers chasing 150-year lifespans to influencers selling mushroom powders and IV drips, the internet is full of longevity “experts” promising to slow down aging — if you just subscribe, inject, or buy now. At The Midst, we’re not here for the BS. We’re here for what actually works — and more importantly, what makes life feel worth living as we age.
The topic of longevity hits close to home for many of us who are caregiving for aging parents while also navigating our own midlife health shifts. We’re wondering: how do we age well, not just longer? What does it mean to invest in your future self in a way that’s sustainable, joyful, and attainable?
We’re asking these questions at a time when the U.S. population is older than ever. The number of Americans 65+ is projected to rise from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050 — a 47% increase. Between 1980 and 2022, the median age of the population increased from 30 to 38.9, and one-third of U.S. states now have a median age over 40, with Maine and New Hampshire leading the way.
Ruck this way: What are the best weighted vests for women?
I recently turned 40, learned all about perimenopause (the hard way), and went on a big health kick. I started walking with a weighted vest as part of my new regimen and got hooked. It’s honestly been the most enjoyable thing about adjusting to my new “midlife health” routine.
You might have come across the Instagram reels joking about wearing baggy-ass jeans that teenagers told you were cool. Trying to eat protein and creatine like it’s a job, and strapping on a weighted vest for bone density. And while that’s all funny, it’s no joke.
I’ve gone deep researching women’s health and longevity (like reading clinical trials on PubMed, crushing hundreds of hours of podcasts, and ordering the clinician’s guidebook from the Menopause Society). A consistent finding has stood out in terms of how we can live in good health, for longer.
Does estriol face cream work for women in perimenopause and post-menopause?
When you’re approaching or in the thick of the collagen-sucking phase of life called menopause, buttering up your face with estrogen does wonders. At least that’s what many new meno brands, including pioneer Alloy, want us to believe.
But does this topical hormone, commonly used to treat vaginal dryness for GALs our age, actually work in skin care? Staying true to my beauty-editor roots, I figured there’s only one way to find out — so, I tried Alloy’s M4 Face Cream for three months.
Let’s talk about Kristin Davis’ filler removal
Is dissolving injectables the next big beauty trend?
Criticized in the past for her puffy, “overfilled” face and lips, actor Kristin Davis has embraced a more natural look after having her fillers dissolved. “I have done fillers and it’s been good and I’ve done fillers and it’s been bad,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph. “I’ve had to get them dissolved and I’ve been ridiculed relentlessly. And I have shed tears about it. It’s very stressful.”
What the actual f#ck is happening to our work?
“We’re talking about women who spent decades building expertise that suddenly feels worthless in a market that wants cheaper, younger, faster, AI-generated, good enough.”
By Sheri Radel
Aging out of f#cks: The neuroscience of why you can’t pretend anymore
The science of why you become less of a people-pleaser with age
By Ellen Scherr
You’re in a meeting. Someone says something objectively wrong. And instead of doing your usual dance — the soft correction, the diplomatic phrasing, the careful preservation of everyone’s feelings — you just… say it.
“That’s not accurate.”
No cushioning. No apology. No emotional labor to make your truth more palatable.
And everyone looks at you like you’ve grown a second head.
After Barnes & Noble acquisition, Emily McDowell enters her post-burnout reinvention period
The “viral” creative entrepreneur digs into her new path as a public speaker and consultant — while enjoying time with her fiancé and dealing with Long Covid
“I’m a formerly hard-charging GenX’er who basically murdered myself and factory-farmed my creativity in an attempt to achieve my way into happiness. Shocker: it didn’t work.” — Emily McDowell
6 women reveal their perimenopause symptoms and how they deal
By Sarah Nardi
A couple years ago, I approached my longtime physician to discuss perimenopause. At that point, I’d developed symptoms that were beginning to impact my life in measurably negative ways. I’ve always had a good relationship with my doctor, who is a woman, so when I sat down in her office, I was expecting a meaningful conversation.
What I got instead was the world’s tidiest Socratic dialogue:
Are you having hot flashes?
No.
Night sweats?
Outside of sporadic, obligatory sex? No.
Then you’re not in perimenopause.
Boom. Case closed.
Starring Claire Zulkey, freshly 46
Occupation: Writer and founder of Evil Witches
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Let’s connect: Substack • zulkey.com
How’d you sleep?
I slept great last night. For once I listened to my better judgment and read a book (Health and Safety by Emily Witt) before I drifted off because I had just watched the NCAA men’s championship with my kid and could tell I was screened out.
Dream job alert: L’Oreal Thompson Payton sells infertility memoir and opens bookstore
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been personally and professionally and I strongly attribute that to finally leaning all the way into my God-given purpose.”
L’Oreal Thompson Payton is a book author, bookstore owner, freelance writer, and yoga instructor
Age: 38
Location: Evanston, Illinois
This article was originally published here in The Midst Substack, our free twice-weekly newsletter.
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