Thank you for being here!

Lighten was born out of being genuinely tired of all the noise that makes health feel complicated and out of reach. I have an MS in Nutrition and Integrative Health and spend my days thinking about the simple shifts that actually move the needle…things that help us feel steady, strong, and good in both body and mind, without turning life into a project.

To me, health is learning how to sink into moments instead of just rushing through them. It’s figuring out how to make wellness doable in a very real, very busy world. Nothing big and dramatic over here. Just things that bring joy, support hormones, energize us, and actually fit into life.

I’m especially interested in light biology (how daylight, darkness, and timing shape hormones, mood, metabolism, and sleep) …and what it looks like to make that science livable. Think: sunlight, women’s hormones, and slow, real-life wellness.

What is Lighten?

I imagined this as a space of connection. Not only with each other, but with yourself.

This newsletter lived in my head for a long time before I knew there was a platform that could hold it. “Lighten” is a feeling, a verb, and honestly, a big part of how health works. It’s also a nod to the biology of light: our bodies read light like a schedule, and that rhythm quietly steers hormones, energy, appetite, and calm.

It’s what we’re craving emotionally, what our cells are doing when things are working well, and how we want our days to feel: a little less heavy, a little more clear.

This space is meant to feel like opening your inbox and unclenching your shoulders. Warm. Clear. Worth your time. ☕️🧦

A tiny pause button. A chance to re-center, reset, and remember what actually matters…without pretending life isn’t messy. I have a low tolerance for fluff, so my promise is to keep things grounded, science-informed, and as real-life as possible.

We’ll talk food, sleep, light biology/circadian rhythm, hormones, gut health, and the human stuff in between. I’ll share recipes, in-depth explorations of holistic health topics, natural remedies, gentle routines, and science-backed ideas for feeling better. The goal: down-to-earth and doable.

What you can expect

There will always be some free posts here… little notes, reflections, and the occasional deep dive… to give you a feel for the space and offer support whether you’re paid or not.

Most of the regular, in-depth content lives behind the paid wall. That’s on purpose (more on that below—it helps keep this space more intimate, more thoughtful, and less like the rest of the internet).

For all subscribers (free)

• Occasional public posts and notes on wellness, hormones, stress, circadian rhythm, and real life.

• Updates about what’s coming next, plus some of my favorite recipes or resources I want everyone to have.
  

For paid members of The Lighten Collective

• Bi-weekly letters.
  A deeper, more personal, and lighthearted newsletter with behind-the-scenes reflections, lifestyle experiments, and the “real life” side of hormone and nervous system health. Think simple science, honest stories, and realistic ideas you can actually use. It is never about perfection (and I’m not even certain it will always be typo-free, as this is the one place I don’t overthink right now).

• Evidence-informed deep dives.
  Nerdy (but digestible) explorations of topics like light biology and circadian rhythm, metabolic health, gut health, thyroid, perimenopause, and more. Explained in plain language so you understand why things work, not just what to do. This is also where pieces of my bigger project, Hormones After Dark, start to show up.

• Nourishing, doable recipes.
  Easy, blood-sugar-friendly, family-friendly meals and snacks. Less “gourmet project,” more “this actually works on a Tuesday with kids, work, and real life.”

• Mini “coaching-style” support.
  Short written or audio pep talks on the things that keep coming up: burnout, decision fatigue, late-night scrolling/snacking, all-or-nothing thinking, feeling inflamed, bloated, exhausted, etc.

• Tools, prompts, and gentle structure.
  Simple checklists, frameworks, and journal prompts to help connect the dots between symptoms, habits, light exposure, food, and how you actually feel (without overwhelming you).

• Community + conversation.
  Access to comments, Q&As, and group threads with other women who care about the same things: hormones, energy, gut health, boundaries, and trying to stay grounded in a loud world. As this grows, that may include seasonal resets, live calls, or book-club style chats.

Why there’s a paid tier

A lot of time, training, and energy goes into what I share here—years of education, client work, research, and lived experience. Putting a paywall on most of the deeper content is one way of saying: this work has value, and so does your attention.

The paid tier also protects the feel of this space. It keeps things a little smaller and more private—fewer random “wandering eyes” than social media—so it’s safer for real conversations, questions, and vulnerability. When people are paying to be here, they usually want to be here. That matters to me.

If a paid subscription isn’t in the cards right now, that’s completely okay. There will continue to be helpful free posts. But if you’re craving more support, more depth, and a quieter corner of the internet to land in each week, the paid side of Lighten (which you’ll see referred to as The Lighten Collective), is where that will live.

My promise: if you’re supporting this work financially, I take that seriously. I’ll do my best to make every paid post feel like a good use of your time, your energy, and your inbox.

At the end of the day…

Lighten is here to make health feel less overwhelming and more livable. Little shifts with honest science, plus a bunch of real life.

I’d love to have you here.

xx,

Dinah