Midlife & Beyond Conversations

Kim is a 60 year old mother of three who was diagnosed with MS 10 years ago and decided to ignore her then doctor's advice and muscle her way back to a happy life. Last year she became European Champion in Masters Weightlifting in her age and weight category. Her journey inspired her to leave her career in journalism in her 50s and become a health coach for middle aged women - with a big focus on...

Women are not simply small men - we often experience medical events differently to our male counterparts. This week I’m talking to Sam Palmer, about the risks and symptoms of heart attacks. Sam explained that once we lose the protection oestrogen provides, our risk of heart disease rises. Sam listed the risk factors: Smoking Obesity Hypertension (high blood pressure) Raised Cholesterol Elevated st...

Did you watch the film, “Wild” where Reese Witherspoon played Cheryl Strayed? Did it make you think, I could hike in the American wilderness on my own! NO? Me neither! Today’s guest thought just that and was inspired to walk 2,600 miles alone in midlife.   In a wide ranging conversation, anonymous adventurer, Person Irresponsible, talks to me about her remarkable life. We discussed: the impact of...

Do you feel you stumble around in a money FOG - feeling Fearful, Overwhelmed or Guilty about your financial situation? Master Money Coach, Mikelann Valterra says that feelings of stress and anxiety around money are often due to financial vagueness. How do we get out of the fog? Mikelann identifies 3 core questions we need to ask ourselves at every stage in our lives, but especially when our circum...

Episode 121: Fit is Freedom with Kelly Howard Staying fit and strong as we navigate the midlife transition can be a challenge. Our default is often to put ourselves last and to take our bodies for granted. In this episode, Jo talks to fitness expert, Kelly Howard and about consistency, and the 5 “consistency killers”: Perfection Not anticipating road blocks Going beyond your tipping point The “all...

Do you feel you’ve lost your “mojo”? Sometimes, slowing down, even taking a prolonged break can be the answer. Small business owner, Sue Chalmers, talks to Jo about setting up and running a business at 50 plus. She then “Completely lost my mojo in 2022 felt overwhelmed, didn’t know who I was or what I wanted and fell out of love with my business and all the noise surrounding it. Mothballed Willow...

A treat for the book lovers among you! This podcast with author, Jane L Rosen, covers her switch from screen writing to novels, her writing process and the pitfalls and joys of setting a book of fiction in your own home town. Buy “On Fire Island” here**: https://amzn.to/46dvxVf Jane L. Rosen is an author, screenwriter and former Huffington Post contributor. Jane often takes inspiration from real-l...

How do you talk about growing older? This week I’m talking to author and life coach, Rebecca Ronane about how two major unexpected life events in her mid fifties made her aware of ageism for the first time, and her determination to ignore it! “Since my mid fifties, I've created my own business. I've created two podcasts, I've created two websites, I've created a networking organisation, and now I'...

In this episode, Author of Stop Waking up Tired!, Ralph Montague, talks about the importance of sleep for health, longevity and general well being. Ralph’s top 10 tips for better sleep in a nutshell: Consistency Don’t eat large meals before bed Calm your mind Get some natural light every day Exercise, but not in the evening No stimulants, like coffee in the afternoon and evening No late night liqu...

Certified Health Coach, Elizabeth Sherman, talked to me recently about our distorted relationship with food that, she believes, we don’t recognise until we hit midlife. We all know we can’t eat and exercise the same way as we did at 20 or 30. Once we understand how food and exercise makes us feel we can get away from the “calories in, calories out” mentality and actually start to become more healt...

Although happy and successful on the outside, at 45, Jen Vertanen felt lonely, sad and bitter. The only thing she hadn’t tried was leaving her husband! In this raw and honest episode, we talk about: Loneliness Childhood trauma Difficult parental relationships Gaslighting Finding different perspectives on old stories Role models What do we mean when we talk about “doing the work”? The need for huma...

From being the last kid in school to be picked for teams to becoming an endurance athlete in midlife, Nutritionist and Women’s Health Coach, Annie Gaudrault, is an advocate for running as a form of stress release. We talk about camaraderie among women, becoming comfortable with discomfort and being a late bloomer. Annie takes us through her signature 6 Pillars of Healthy Aging”: Nutrition Suppleme...

Coach and pilot, Nushin Elahi took to the skies as a trainee pilot in midlife and found herself gaining not only her pilot’s licence, but a new perspective on life! Join us as we talk about feeling invisible, moving outside our comfort zones, the challenges she faced in joining what was essentially, a “Boys’ club” and how learning to fly mirrored her personal development journey. Nushin can be con...

Biologist and self care coach, Kylie Patchett and Jo talk about their experiences of midlife depression in this raw and honest discussion. They touch on: Shame and guilt The role of Hormones The role of Trauma Trauma Responses Depression as an invitation to heal old wounds The dark side of resilience, bravery and strength Redefining the roles we play in our own lives The value of getting out of th...

Do you yearn to simplify your life? How much do you anchor your emotions and memories in “stuff”? Are there things you want to hide from yourself? This week I’m talking to de-cluttering expert, psychologist and Interior Designer, Helen Sanderson about how our space affects our well being. See below for more about Helen and her services. Buy “The Secret Life of Clutter”: https://amzn.to/3NfwkfR **...

Claire and James Davis, aka The Midlife Mentors, are on a mission to get midlifers - and beyond! moving and feeling fitter than ever. Their integrated, science-based approach and compassionate understanding of hormones and life changes makes for a thought provoking, informative episode - with plenty of laughter thrown in! Enjoy - and hit subscribe to be the first to know about new episodes! In thi...

Have you felt any longer term affects on your well being post pandemic? Did you find unexpected benefits to being "locked down"? How can mindful movement benefit you through midlife and beyond? Join Jo and Guest, Sherry Jibb as they share their own challenges through the past few years, and discover how Sherry is empowering women to love the skin they're in. About Sherry: "I believe that every wom...

Do you have a story that is burning to be written? Authors over 50 is a new podcast for - yup - authors who have written and published a debut novel or non fiction book over the age 50! In this episode, Jo talks to fellow podcast host, Julia Brewer Daily about the joy of podcasting, later life careers and her newly released novel, The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch, now available on Amazon. Have yo...

In her 60s, Functional Nutritionist and Eating Psychology Coach, Mindy Gorman Plutzer, wouldn’t want to turn back the clock. She embraces this phase of her life with gusto! Her “Freedom Promise” is to help women stop fearing what food will do to you and start embracing what it will do for you. In this conversation, we discuss diet culture, societal and family pressures and the link between our beh...

Dr Ferhat Uddin of Liberty Health Clinic joins Jo this week to talk about Menopause - what is it, how can it affect us and what can we do to smooth our way through it? If you've ever wondered what actually happens to a woman's body and hormones post 40, you won't want to miss this conversation. The Midlife Movement is a friendly community which aims to challenge outdated stereotypes around midlife...

Have you ever found yourself repeating unhelpful behaviours, self sabotaging your efforts to reach your goals or make changes in your life? This week, Jo is talking to psychotherapist and coach, Jacqueline Connors about why this happens - and how we can break the patterns that keep us stuck, without relying on willpower alone. Jacqueline Connors MA is a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist and Mindse...

Join me as I talk to the powerhouse that is Jen le Marinel about the role of nature in reconnecting to yourself and how reconnecting to our inner wild woman can help us thrive in all areas of our life.  Wild soul, adventurer, coach, trainer and wild guide Jen Le Marinel is on a mission to playfully push the boundaries of what’s possible in life, and to inspire and encourage other women to do the s...

This week Jo is talking to Jacqueline (Jack) Perez about staying curious, looking for the positives and focusing on what we can do as we get older - even after a sky diving accident! We talk about toxic positivity and being human, running negative and positive emotions simultaneously. Jack and Jo agree that midlife women are awesome - resilient, wise - badass! And now is a good time to be a midlif...

This week, Jo and her guest, Julie McGue, explore how important identity and a sense of belonging are to us all, the role of both nature and nurture as we shape our sense of self and Julie's quest to find her birth parents at the age of 48. Julie Ryan McGue is an author, a domestic adoptee, and an identical twin. She writes extensively about finding out who you are, where you belong, and making se...

Clarissa is the host of the hugely popular “Thriving Thru Menopause” podcast and author of “Mindful Menopause” (as Clarissa Hughes) and co-author of the recently published anthology, “ The Potent Power of Menopause ”.  In this episode, we talk about the holistic treatment of menopause - HRT, nutrition, inflammation, functional movement and the science of the ageing brain. About the Midlife and Bey...