Have you been successfully convinced that with your welcome letter to midlife, you’ve also developed insulin resistance? It’s not much different from believing that every pregnant woman will also develop gestational diabetes. Is it possible? Sure. Does it happen to everyone? Definitely not. 

In this episode, I’ve invited Registered Dietitian, Val Schonberg back on the show to help challenge some of the most common assumptions about insulin resistance for women in menopause. We dive into addressing how this overabundance of information rarely comes with a disclaimer that the connection between low estrogen and insulin resistance is not a direct one.

If you’ve been around here for a season or two, you know that I’ll never be in favor of taking anything off the menu when it comes to nutrition- with one exception: information overload. 

So in this season, you can look forward to every episode helping you filter through the noise so you can have access to the best experts, research, and tools. Think of this as your personalized road map for discovering how to make confident decisions about food and your body. 

Wondering why in the world would a naturopathic doctor and dietitian would suggest that food is not medicine? It’s a great question and one I wanted to tackle for the last episode of season 3. There’s no doubt about it-food does incredible things for our bodies. It fuels, supports, and nourishes us every day. But here’s a little secret: broccoli alone can’t save your life. Food is just food!

The pressure we feel to choose only the most “perfect” foods often ends up taking so much of our time and attention in an already demanding season of life. In this episode, I’ll be sharing 5 ways you can lower the bar to improve your health. I would love to know which one takes the pressure off your relationship with food the most!

Midlife is the ultimate “messy middle”, isn’t it? But when we take time to listen to our bodies, get comfortable with not having control, and surround ourselves with authentic community, there are a lot of gifts to discover in this season too! In this episode, I’ve invited Ann Douglas, the author of Navigating the Messy Middle, a book that brilliantly unpacks the challenges and experiences of women in midlife., especially those of us who are parenting teens at the same time!

But here’s what I hope will be your #1 takeaway: Life is far from over. Midlife is the chance to become your own expert in self-compassion, expression, growth, and trying on new hobbies, all for the joy of it!

As you settle into midlife you may discover one of the best gifts this season has to offer: a new urgency to let go of what no longer serves you. It’s refreshing to suddenly let go of people-pleasing habits, set (and keep)  boundaries, or do just about anything that sounds fun -especially if someone has urged you not to!

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kate Codrington, the author of Second Spring: The Self-Care Guide to Menopause. Kate is helping put words to many of the things you may be feeling in this season but aren't entirely sure how to channel. In midlife, we become attuned to the cost we're paying for our people-pleasing tendencies. Even though it can feel inconvenient or even unnatural,  it’s important to practice using our voice and sometimes a little agency, to express our needs. 

Today I have a very special treat for you in this Q&A session with Registered Dietitian, Amanda Bullat. 
In this episode, we tackle three of the most-asked questions about un-dieting in midlife. The answers to these questions are helpful for anyone who has considered intuitive eating before but maybe got bogged down by the most common challenges and misconceptions related to un-dieting.

We talk about how tempting it is to sprinkle in formerly “successful” dieting strategies while you learn to become an intuitive eater, as well as how to challenge the most common fears that pop up when you let go of tracking, measuring, and dieting.

In this Story Session episode, a Midlife Feast Community Member joins me to share her journey of un-dieting from wellness culture. She’s learned the importance of letting go of restrictive food rules, how to question societal expectations, and how to prioritize a more balanced sense of well-being.

When we discover the courage to challenge wellness culture's influence in our lives, we can develop a more sustainable relationship with food. And the real payoff is that we have more room for self-discovery and creativity in midlife-two key ingredients for making midlife that much sweeter.

There’s no question. Sleep -good or bad- impacts every area of our lives. But what do you do when good sleep feels so out of reach during midlife? Dr. Leigha Saunders is joining me today to talk about how she helps women focus their barely functioning brains on the pieces of the sleep puzzle they do have control over. 

Dr. Leigha will share how hormone therapy can support better sleep and why cortisol often gets such a bad rap when actually, in proper doses, is key to our survival. We also talk about how important it is to practice self-compassion and resiliency as you get to know this new body of yours in midlife.

While you may be 1000% confident that spending the rest of your life on a diet is NOT the life for you…, do you ever find yourself thinking that the path to becoming an intuitive eater doesn’t feel all that intuitive? If so, welcome! You’ve arrived at what I like to call Dieting Rock Bottom! 

The good news is, you are not alone! How do I know? Because of the hundreds of messages I’ve received recently from women who are all in what I call the “messy middle” on the road to intuitive eating.

In this episode, I will sort through three common points of confusion that can bring your intuitive eating journey to a screeching halt. Come listen and see if these reasons are keeping you stuck too.  

If movement had zero impact on your body size, would you still choose to move? If the answer is no, then I encourage you to join me and Christine Chessman in this episode to learn why joyful movement is key to making movement sustainable in midlife and beyond. 

If you’ve started an intuitive eating journey, it is not uncommon to feel the desire to break up with your usual workout routine too. But in this conversation, we dive into understanding the non-scale benefits of movement which include self-care, stress relief, strength-building, and perhaps most importantly, learning how to choose to love your body right now.

In honor of Osteoporosis Awareness Month,  I’ve invited movement educator Rebekah Rotstein to shed light on the topic of bone health. It’s incredibly common to avoid thinking about the strength of our bones until later in life, which might be too late if your goal is to be resilient and independent in our second act Rebekah shares the many factors we need to understand about bone health and what screenings we need to ask for starting in perimenopause if you haven’t already.

Rebecca will also share her personal journey of being diagnosed with osteoporosis in her late 20s and how she now helps people across the globe get Buff Bones through fun and accessible education and movement.

 In this episode, I’m taking a minute to describe exactly what a hot flash is and what some of the common triggers are for this quick roller coaster ride (that you never bought a ticket for). You might be surprised to learn that there are many foods and beverages you may be eating regularly that could be fueling these hot flashes and night sweats. 

 I’ll share some of the simple and super tasty ways you can incorporate foods high in phytoestrogens that are 100% safe and have plenty of other nutritional value.

My guest on today’s Story Session is health coach and dietitian, Tracy Kelly. She’s sharing her story about how her practice has been transformed as a result of having recently started perimenopause. As universal as the symptoms of menopause can be, each of us has a story to tell. 

This episode will inspire you to lean into your experience, ask more questions, and discover how to live authentically in what likely feels like someone else’s body on a lot of days. 

In this episode, I’m joined for a second time by my friend Niamh Daly who will help us understand what is really happening to our bones in post-menopause. She will also help us understand why focusing on movement, balance, and posture are key to slowing bone loss.

You’ll also walk away from this episode with examples of simple low-impact exercises you can do anywhere throughout your day. It’s high time to challenge the idea that movement only happens once a day in concentrated bursts. Your bones will thank you when you do!

Even if you’ve worked hard to keep diet culture out of your house, there are so many ways our kids can still feel pressured to fit into certain body shape expectations. In this episode, Amelia Sherry will share some helpful questions you can ask your kids in order to challenge common examples of diet, food, and health misinformation.

We will also talk about ways to help our kids feel welcome to try, enjoy, and have access to all kinds of food (even sugar) so that they learn how their bodies can communicate with them. If you’re curious about raising intuitive eaters, this episode is a perfect place to start!

While you would probably guess that the average age of women going through menopause is between 51-52, you might not know that approximately 1% of women go through menopause prematurely before age 40. In today’s story session, I am joined by Midlife Feast Community member, Jen, who is sharing about her experience of going through Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). 

It’s easy to imagine how disruptive and confusing it would be to experience symptoms like hot flashes and long gaps between periods at the age of 31. You’ll discover how Jen put the pieces together pre-diagnosis and learned the best ways to support her health post-diagnosis, which included joining The Midlife Feast Community! 

In this episode, I’ve invited my friend and Burnout and Alcohol Coach Wendy McCallum back on the show to walk us through how to start saying no to more in midlife. What I love about Wendy is that her advice is so practical and empowers you to take action on what you want most starting today, not tomorrow.

So if you’re searching for ways to show up more intentionally for yourself and everyone around you, do whatever you have to do to let a ball drop for the next thirty minutes and tune into this episode.

If you’re burnt out on dieting, you’re probably interested in exploring a concept we talk about a lot around here: gentle nutrition. While most people are eager to get to the “good part” when learning to eat intuitively, gentle nutrition is one of the last steps of the journey of intuitive eating. Why? Because we have to un-do a lot of the default programming leftover from years of dieting and diet culture.

In this episode, I’ve invited fellow non-diet dietitian Rachael Hartley on the show to take a deep dive into understanding gentle nutrition- including who it’s for, how to apply it, and the most common hiccups that people experience along the way. 

While you may have expected many of the physical symptoms of menopause, the one that might really take you by surprise is brain fog. 

In this episode, I’ll share how hormones are the culprits (yet again) and the good news that brain fog won’t last forever! While what you eat won’t make the brain fog totally disappear, there are several things that you can do to support your brain, which I’ll share too. I’ll also let you in on one of the sneaky reasons that brain fog intensifies-and it’s one I bet you haven’t considered! 

Are you tempted to think that exercise has to be miserable if it’s going to have an impact? If so, you’re definitely not alone, and today’s conversation is just for you. 

Join me and my return guest, Dr. Maria Luque, as we take a deep dive into understanding the reasons we have come to believe that the only legitimate forms of exercise must feel like pure torture. We’ll also discuss why most people mistakenly make body change their motivation for working out, and how staying stuck in that mindset may be hurting your efforts to work on your body image. 

While rest is 100 % necessary (and not just a reward for being productive) discovering what rest means to us personally can be challenging. That’s why I’ve invited psychologist, author, and expert in self-care and rest, Suzy Reading to the show. She will help us explore why we struggle with rest and how doing it well helps us get in tune with our values.

Listen and take a close look at your relationship with rest. Then let’s all commit to being underachievers, shall we? 

In this episode, therapist and author, Alli Spots De Lazzer shares all about her book: MeaningFULL, 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues. 

Join us to discover more about why defining our relationship with food feels so daunting. Here's a hint: the problem is NOT you. Your story is just still unfolding and midlife is the perfect time to discover peace and fulfillment in this area of your life.

Sleep -good or bad- impacts every area of our lives. But what do you do when good sleep feels so out of reach during midlife? Dr. Leigha Saunders is joining me today to talk about how she helps women focus their barely functioning brains on the pieces of the sleep puzzle they do have control over. 

Dr. Leigha will share how hormone therapy can support better sleep and why cortisol often gets such a bad rap when actually, in proper doses, is key to our survival. We also talk about how important it is to practice self-compassion and resiliency as you get to know this new body of yours in midlife.

In this episode, I’ve invited Val Schonberg, RD to expose the roots of eating disorders in midlife and why so few people, including the medical community, are noticing how widespread this struggle is for women in perimenopause and menopause. Join us as we talk about why it’s so easy to hide an eating disorder, how we can unintentionally encourage them, and how to identify more of what we can control without compromising our health.

In this episode, author and urologist,  Dr. Kelly Casperson shares how even her med school training could not have prepared her for the number of patients she sees who are convinced that their desire for intimacy will never be fulfilled again. We talk about the fact that while sex can change in midlife, hormones are not the only ones to blame. As set in our ways as we may be, we’ve still got a need for spontaneity. So how do we find that at this point in the game? 

Have you ever wondered "what the hell is happening" with your mood in midlife? Trust me, you're not alone.  And, as Dr. Stephanie Bayliss ND explains, there's a window of vulnerability in midlife that makes anxiety, depression and PMDD more common than ever.

In this episode, we discuss the hormone changes that increase the chances of anxiety and depression, the difference between PMS and PMDD, and discuss hormonal vs non-hormonal treatment options.

Dr. Stephanie Bayliss is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Victoria, BC, Canada. She is a North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Certified Practitioner and has a particular interest in supporting women's mental health, specifically how our hormones can impact mood. 

In this story session, I talk to Ann Marie McQueen, a Canadian health and wellness journalist living and working in the Middle East and going through the peri/menopause transition.

In June 2020, Ann Marie founded Hotflash Inc to provide balanced coverage and context about all things menopause via a weekly newsletter and social media, adding a sponsored weekly podcast the following year.

Join us as we talk about her own experience of navigating perimenopause, the problem with mainstream media reporting of midlife and menopause, and how her unique ability to mix curiosity and observation has helped her find her voice in this space.

In this episode, dietitian Jenn Messina RD helps us understand why so many of us were programmed into diet culture from a young age, how to go back and repair when you say something you don't mean, and even how to talk to other family members when diet talk is the uninvited guest at the table.

As I get ready to mark my 1-year meno-versary, I reflect on some of the ways that our generation's experience of menopause is different than that of our mothers and grandmothers, including how we talk about it, how we treat it, and how we're helping women thrive in their second season.

But, I also talk about what we still need to work on (in a big way) and what I think is the biggest "missing ingredient" in midlife.

Not sure how to manage holiday eating as an intuitive eater? Tune into this quick episode and learn how to stay mindful and intuitive this holiday season. I share some of my best advice for leading with satisfaction and attunement so that you can enjoy all the #foodjoy this season has to offer without feeling like you're lost at sea! Happy holidays!

In this episode, I’ve invited women’s fitness coach, menopause advocate and author, Amanda Thebe on the show to unpack all our fiery frustrations about this topic.

Then we share all the ways we envision creating informed, supportive global communities of women who are navigating this transition. A huge part of this work begins with normalizing the intensity and impact of menopausal symptoms instead of describing them as “bothersome”. We hope you'll continue this conversation in your own community of women! 

In this episode, I’m joined by Body Acceptance Coach and friend Kristina Bruce, who is brave enough to share about her very emotional and relatable un-dieting journey. She was convinced that if she was able to control the body that she presented to the world, then no one would ever get a hint of the chaos that was happening below the surface. That is until she started dating someone she really cared about.

When body changes show up in midlife, we often default to thinking that our bodies are the problem. Kristina and I unpack why we need to redirect our energy and focus in a healthier direction.

In this episode, I’ll dive into the three key stages of un-dieting. We’ll unpack what is common to think and feel at each of these stages, especially in that “messy middle” second stage. Will you ever want a vegetable again?

What do you do if you do gain weight? Find out why it’s normal to be asking these kinds of questions (and many more), but why we don’t have to all the answers to be confident about our bodies and this path. 

In this episode, I am joined by registered dietitian, Tamar Rothenberg who specializes in supporting women in recovery of breast and ovarian cancer. Having been a breast cancer survivor herself, she knows first-hand about the pressure to make the best nutritional decisions. And then add in all the unsolicited advice offered as you try to navigate life in the post-chemo fog. 

Tamar will help unpack two of the biggest myths about foods commonly believed to cause cancer: soy and sugar. 

Iron deficiency is by far the most common nutrient deficiency among women, but the chances of being low in this VIP mineral increase in perimenopause. And as Maryann Jacobsen RD and I discuss, you don't have to be clinically anemic to feel the effects of low iron.

We discuss why ferritin isn't the only measure we need to be paying attention to in our bloodwork, why the reference values for ferritin may be too low, and the symptoms that women in midlife should be on the lookout for.

My guest today is Julie Duffy Dillon, a registered dietitian who helps people with PCOS navigate nutrition and health from a non-diet perspective. As Julie and I discuss, PCOS often gets ignored as menopause comes along and period problems fade, but that's not necessarily in the best interest of health.

Most women notice changes in sleep as they transition through perimenopause, and many go to great lengths to be able to fall asleep, and stay asleep, more easily.

In this episode, Sarah Wilde introduces us to CBTi, and how this novel approach to helping us get more sleep is worth exploring. Sarah helps women sleep better so that they wake up feeling rested and ready to take on their day.

In this solo episode, I talk about what I think are 3 "missing ingredients" from most conversations about menopause nutrition, and introduce you to The Midlife Feast Community membership.

Perimenopause and the symptoms of stress can overlap quite significantly, especially when it comes to mood, sleep and energy. And as Dr. Barton and I talk about in this episode, that overlap puts some women at a disadvantage when seeking care.

Dr Fionnuala is a GP, women’s health doctor, and member of the British Menopause Society. She is passionate about empowering women to optimise their physical and emotional wellness using a proactive, informative, and holistic approach to perimenopause and menopause. 

Did you know that globally, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in women? Research suggests that 1 out of 2 women don't, and this conversation with Dr. Alex Verge ND about cholesterol, heart health, and menopause is full of things women need to know as they go through the menopause transition.

We discuss myths about cholesterol, the role of diet vs genetics, and why dietary dogma often gets in the way of making changes that stick.

Welcome to season 3 of The Midlife Feast! In this episode, I share some of the highlights from my first year of podcasting, what you've told me you want more of, and what topics are on the menu this season! I also spill the beans about one of the big surprises I've been working on.

This is it, the episode so many of you have requested! In this solo episode, I break down the science of keto, why it does more harm than good, and I end by sharing my own personal story with keto and why I'm so passionate about keeping keto out of the midlife and menopause conversations.

P.S. There's also a disclaimer so be sure to listen to the beginning for the "ground rules".

Welcome to this week's story session episode with Lisa, who discovered food freedom and body confidence in midlife after a lifetime of dieting. Lisa shares her experience with meno-rage, how she discovered intuitive eating after a last-ditch effort to lose weight didn't "work", and what she wants younger women to know about life as an un-dieter.

Today's episode of The Midlife Feast may not be of interest to everyone, but it's an important conversation to have as many women often find themselves trying to conceive after 40.  And the hormonal changes that are happening in perimenopause can make getting pregnant and staying pregnant, more challenging.

Dr. Jordan Robertson ND is my guest today, and we talk about why fertility declines as we age, what hormones are involved in assessing fertility, why integrative approaches may be better than alternative ones, and why you shouldn't lose hope if you find yourself struggling to conceive.

This week's episode is a story session about Lindsay's experience of going into menopause at 42, and what she'd like others to know about her experience.

While perimenopause is often missed, or misdiagnosed for several years, it's even more likely to be missed for women who go into menopause early before the age of 45.

And for women who stop having periods earlier than expected, it's important to have a hormone-savvy practitioner on their team to help them manage the long-term risks of being without estrogen for longer than expected.

Even if you're not on an anti-diet journey, you're going to want to listen to this episode with Dr. Maggie Landes MD. We talk about her cancer diagnosis and how her journey convinced her to break up with the BMI, why most clinical encounters don't require your weight (and how to talk to your doctor about it), and why telling someone to "lose weight" is not only bad medicine but unethical. 

Maggie Landes is a board-certified physician, public health nutritionist, and anti-diet wellness expert. Her dual-mission is focused on not just helping women in midlife escape the grips of diet culture and recover from their lifelong turbulent relationship with food, but Maggie, in her Pro2Pro services, supports other health professionals to participate in, and promote, a weight-neutral approach to practice.

In today's episode, I'm ending the Midlife Un-Dieting Miniseries by talking about what happens when un-dieting meets menopause nutrition, and how gentle nutrition can help you make peace with food and meet your health and nutrition goals by discussing my '4 Pillars of Intuitive Nutrition. 

Welcome to Day 4 of the 'Midlife Un-Dieting Miniseries. Have you ever tried to write an essay about a book after having skipped the middle and gone right to the end? If so, then you know that the ending doesn't always make sense if you don't know the whole story. 

Gentle nutrition is the intuitive eating principle that everyone wants to dive into, but in today's episode, I explain why the work of un-dieting needs to come first, otherwise you risk turning intuitive eating into another diet.

Welcome to Day 3 of my Midlife Un-Dieting Miniseries. You've probably heard mindset described in relation to goal setting before, but today's episode isn't about staying focused on your goal, or how to adopt a "winning" mindset.

It's about permission vs. restriction and what happens to our brain when we say YES instead of NO. Understanding why control creates craving may be the "aha" moment you've been looking for to get out of the diet mentality and make peace with food.

Welcome to Day 2 of the Midlife Un-Dieting Miniseries.  and today we're digging into 3 common beliefs you need to un-diet to have a more peaceful relationship with food.

I break down why you can let go of the fear that food is "addictive", why weight isn't a proxy for health, and that willpower isn't the reason why diets haven't worked for you.

Welcome to my 5-day miniseries on Un-Dieting in Midlife. Today is day 1, and in this short episode I'm talking about why making your nutrition goals primarily about weight loss may be keeping you from what you're really looking for.

I talk about why the desire for weight loss keeps us stuck in the diet cycle, and the beliefs that we need to change about diet, weight, and health to get out of the diet mentality (without feeling like we're free-falling!), and into a more sustainable relationship with food. If you can't imagine a world where your decisions about food aren't based on changing your weight, you'll definitely want to tune in.

Perimenopause often shows up at a time in our lives when there's a lot going on. Work and family obligations may be expected life demands, but navigating the loss of a parent and a spouse's major health concerns may not be.

Today's story session with Amanda Bullat RDN, a fellow non-diet dietitian who works with women in midlife, shares her experience of navigating the hormonal ups and downs that crash-landed into her life while she was in her late 30s.

Meno-rage: IYKYK. But why does it happen? Who do so many women from all walks of life relate to this volcano of anger? Is it just hormonal? Or is is cultural?

Mona Eltahawy is my guest this week, and we break down the cultural understanding of meno-rage, and what women can do about it.

Mona Eltahawy is a feminist author, commentator and disruptor of patriarchy. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the newsletter FEMINIST GIANT.