Sheryl Kraft

When Sheryl Kraft turned 50, many things changed. For one thing, perimenopause hit and she started sleeping very little and sweating a lot.

She knew she looked and was older but didn’t feel it, except for the good parts: the confidence and conviction; the ease of fitting into her own skin and not itching to escape it; the knowledge that so many of her experiences – though painful, gut-wrenching sad and equally perplexing – would all add up to making me a better older person.

When her two children were in high school, she returned to school herself and tackled an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. While she found the experience of being a student in your 50s somewhat akin to being dropped off in an unfamiliar neighborhood without the benefit of a cell phone or any sense of direction, she happily “endured” the three years of incredible enrichment from some of the most brilliant and generous teachers she’d known. Her diploma hangs on a wall opposite her desk in my home office, displayed in a frame purchased at Staples the day after graduation. Every so often, when she’s suffering a bout of “I’m-no-good,” she steals a glance at it and her shoulders soften just a bit.

She’s been writing about health ever since and feels so grateful and satisfied to be on this journey at this time in her life. Writing, interviewing and collaborating gives her the opportunity to quench her endless curiosity; a chance to delve into subjects she’d always wondered about, like sleep deprivation and the benefits of Omega-3s or why some people are naturally happy while others think too damn much about how to be happy. And although she’s no longer in school, she feels like she learns something new, through her work, each and every day.

Her portfolio covers a wide range of health, fitness, nutrition and wellness topics, written to inform, educate and empower women to take charge of their health. She’s written about acupuncture, aging, beauty treatments and belly fat; menopause, breast cancer and diabetes; spa travel, sleep, superfoods, and so much more.