A Certain Age

Imagine having fewer hot flashes, sharper focus, and energy that lasts all day—without adding another pill to your routine. Dr. Jenn Salib Huber, registered dietitian, naturopathic doctor, and author of “Eat to Thrive During Menopause,” believes the answer to reducing the distressing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause is already on your plate. Jenn’s "nutrition capsule wardrobe" approach focu...

Fewer, better things—that’s my midlife mantra after the crazy-hard empty-nest downsizing. Smart, curated gifting feels right as we balance editing our lives and treating our loved ones as we head into 2026. London-based wellness editor Annie Goodman joins us fresh from trying "millions of face creams" to share her expertly vetted holiday guide. After her mother's health crisis sparked a holistic w...

Can plastic surgery truly turn back the clock? Midlife hits and suddenly everyone's getting "work done" or at least Googling “What did Kris Jenner’s facelift cost?” Today's show offers no-judgment cosmetic surgery smarts from a top physician. Dr. Carolyn Chang is a Stanford-trained surgeon who trained under a pioneer of the modern facelift, and who makes top-doc lists like Harper's Bazaar's top be...

Feeling disconnected from your sexual self at midlife? Your sexuality isn't a luxury—it's the final frontier of self-development says Dr. Juliana Hauser, licensed therapist and author of A New Position on Sex. This week on A Certain Age, we explore the foundational sex education we all deserve, but never received, the roots of sexual shame and how to embrace agency in our sexual and sensual lives....

Midlife pushes us to question everything—especially what we've been taught to whisper about. Dr. Jessica Zucker, Los Angeles-based psychologist and award-winning author of Normalize It, explores how silence around menstruation, menopause, body image, and grief, trauma and loss shapes women's lives. After her own traumatic 16-week pregnancy loss, she champions storytelling as a tool for connection...

Want to be the energetic, trusted grandparent your family can't wait to call? With the average grandparent now 68 (and many becoming first-time grandmas in their 70s), getting physically and emotionally ready isn't optional—it's essential. Because here's the deal. Your grandbaby won't slow down for you—so you need to get ready for them. Kristen Coffield, founder of Active Grandparenting and The Cu...

Your expensive serums aren't working like they used to—and there's a scientific reason why. Understanding what's actually happening to your skin in perimenopause is the key to finding products that deliver real results. Meet Anne Fulenwider, former Marie Claire editor-in-chief who left magazines to co-found Alloy Health, which offers menopause telehealth and buzzy prescription-strength estrogen sk...

Empty nesting isn't what it used to be—kids boomerang, transitions can stretch a decade (wait, what?!?) , and parents need new tools. Kari Cardinale, Chief Content Officer at Modern Elder Academy and empty nest expert, reframes this messy middle with her "revolving decade" approach. Why do launches take so long now? How do you build your "transitional quotient" (TQ) for these uncertain years? What...

Managing menopause shouldn't feel like guesswork, yet many women walk into their doctor's office unprepared and walk out confused. Dr. Jila Senemar, founder of Jila MD and menopause specialist, is changing that. After realizing conventional training left her without answers for perimenopausal patients—including herself—she went down the research rabbit hole. What five labs reveal your longevity ro...

What if the secret to a richer life isn't mastering anything—but dabbling in everything? Author Karen Walrond (In Defense of Dabbling) returns to champion the lost art of amateurism—doing what you love without needing to excel. In a culture that turns hobbies into hustles, we can easily forget how to be interesting to ourselves. From swim class struggles to wonky candle holders, Karen shares why i...

Midlife straight talk alert! Hitting midlife means health scares become reality—for you or someone you love. Rebecca Bloom, lawyer and 26-year patient advocate, wrote "When Women Get Sick" after navigating her mother's breast cancer journey and helping thousands of other cancer patients do the same in a healthcare system that wasn't built for women. Look, no one wants to think about illness and di...

Sudden loss reveals how much we never knew about someone's inner life—and midlife brings the urgency to ask deeper questions while we still can. Photographer Stacy Bass faced this reality twice: losing her father in a 1995 seaplane crash, then watching her mother battle pancreatic cancer 25 years later. Her memoir "Lightkeeper" reveals how she transformed devastating grief into active remembrance...

What are you willing to sacrifice for security? Author Cleyvis Natera invites readers to explore this question and more on a breathless seven-day trip to The Grand Paloma Resort, a Dominican Republic luxury resort where White Lotus-esque thriller meets sharp social commentary. As two local girls go missing and a hurricane approaches, sisters Laura and Elena live and work amidst stark class distinc...

Anyone else have a summer of rosé and disrupted routines? Time to (re)enroll in the school of sustainable fitness and create habits that stick. Fitness trainer Megan Dahlman returns to teach her proven syllabus for women over 40—no cramming or gym all-nighters required. Discover the difference between "regress," "progress," and "maintenance" exercise modes and how to avoid falling into the "all-or...

Feel like your midlife body has betrayed you? Stiffer joints, mysterious aches, less energy—these aren't just inconveniences, they're warning signals about your future independence. Dr. Vonda Wright, orthopedic surgeon, and author of "Unbreakable," returns to the show with a science-backed blueprint to prevent the broken hips, osteoporosis, and frailty plaguing too many women. As the country's lea...

Five years of aging out loud—let's celebrate! Katie hands the mic to special co-host Liz Plosser, former Women's Health Editor-in-Chief, for our biggest birthday bash yet. We're diving deep into how the menopause conversation has exploded (finally!), why reinvention is the ultimate midlife superpower, and what it really means to "age exuberantly." Plus, how Katie's preparing for empty nest life wi...

Ever feel like you're living someone else's timeline? At midlife, many of us realize we've been following imaginary rules that keep us stuck in "fine." Author, poet, and "beauty hunter" Jennifer Pastiloff blew up her "fine" life at 50, leaving her marriage and discovering she'd expanded, not destroyed, her life. Now, Jen opens the pages of her latest bestseller "Proof of Life" to explore how to le...

Every parent dreams of an easy, predictable path, but life rarely cooperates with our expectations. Meet Eileen Flood O'Connor, debut author and mother of four, who chronicles a 20+ year journey with her daughter Erin's autism in a gorgeous, joy-drenched essay collection "Eating Pizza Backwards." The book toggles between diagnosis day grief and celebrating grocery store dance parties, revealing wa...

Midlife often brings a reckoning with ambition—are we crushing goals or just burning out? If you feel squeezed between chasing your dreams and protecting your wellbeing, you're not alone. For executive coach Amina AlTai, author of The Ambition Trap, relentless overwork led to a devastating health crisis. Now, Amina guides high achievers toward a revolutionary approach to success. We explore the di...

Stop letting society tell you your best years are behind you. Author, activist, podcaster, and polymath Reshma Saujani (founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First) is turning up the volume as she approaches 50. Reshma calls BS on what she calls the "midlife penalty"—the price we pay in status, health, and earning power as we age. We get into the biggies like: How do you rebel against a culture that...

Many millennial women are sleepwalking toward menopause—unprepared for what's coming during this critical life stage. At 39, reproductive mental health expert Lauren Tetenbaum had a shocking realization—she knew nothing about menopause despite her expertise in women’s health. Now at 40, after interviewing hundreds of menopause experts and everyday women, she sounds a “get ready” clarion call and o...

We get roughly 4,000 Mondays in a lifetime—are you making the most of your days? Jodi Wellman, author of "You Only Die Once," discovered the power of no-regret living after finding her late mother's apartment filled with unrealized dreams. The former corporate executive turned motivational speaker now helps people stop squandering their precious Mondays. We explore: How to get to the end of your l...

Midlifers are saying the quiet parts out loud—and we have stories that will make you laugh, cry, and feel like you've found your tribe. This week, writers, reinventors, and editors Dina Alvarez and Dina Aronson join host Katie Fogarty to explore their new essay collection "Midlife Private Parts"—a series of revealing essays that will change the way you think about age. Dina and Dina spent two year...

Tired of living on autopilot while your dreams sit on the back burner? Shannon Watts knows that restlessness. Before founding Moms Demand Action and earning accolades including Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential, Shannon was an overwhelmed mom who broke down in a doctor's office, covered in stress-induced eczema from living a life that no longer worked. In her new book "Fired Up," Shannon shares...

Let's be honest—walking down the skincare aisle in midlife is overwhelming. So many products, so much BS. If you're tired of "anti-aging" products that promise miracles, this show will help you cut through marketing hype, make you a shrewder shopper, and give your skincare smarts a science-backed glow up. Today's show is a crash course in the science of skin aging with Dr. Alessandra Zonari, who h...