Midlife Momentum: Menopause, Hormones & Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Wondering if you might be neurodivergent ? You're not alone. And in fact, many women are only diagnosed with conditions associated with neurodivergence, such as ADHD and autism. in midlife. Why is that? And what can you do if you find yourself with a diagnosis or suspect you many be neurodivergent? To answer these questions, I've asked Gail Seemann to the podcast. Gail is a counselor and coach, wo...

There’s one thing I do that gives me the highest feeling of health and well-being and calm... It's walking outdoors. And there are many reasons for this, which I share in this episode. If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you know that one of the best things you can do in midlife, for all your symptoms including weight gain, is to manage stress. And walking outside, through movement and natur...

All your relationships can be impacted by this transition into menopause. Including (and especially) the relationship with yourself. Like it or not, your body, mind, and emotions are being tossed about by this change. And then there are the relationships you have with your partner, kids, friends, and colleagues... The people around you will likely notice something's up. So how do you accept what's...

I really don't like the term, " time management " because,,, You can't actually manage time. Time goes on whether you like it or not. You can't control it. But you can manage what you do with your time. And that's where it gets tricky... You WANT to do certain things, but somehow they're not getting done. Because of unexpected interruptions, or distraction, or ... Because you just don't feel like...

Have you ever wanted to write? Whether you'd love to write your memoir, or a self-help book, or fiction, or even if you've just wanted to be more creative, now is the time to sit down and start. That's why I invited Allegra Huston to talk to me for this podcast episode. Allegra's written her own memoir, Love Child , and she also teaches a writing method called Imaginative Storm with her partner, J...

Are you feeling exhausted, or even burned out? I regularly talk to women in midlife, and the most common thing I hear is that they're feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and they just want to feel more energetic and motivated again. A few years ago I was struggling with that too. At 45, I was exhausted all the time, gaining weight around the middle, experiencing joint pain, acid reflux, and more. I...

Lifting weights in midlife... It'll not only get you physically stronger.💪 It will also improve your mental health, your self confidence, and your outlook. In today's episode, I'm talking to Kim Rahir and her take on lifting heavy in midlife. (Meaning heavy weights, not those little pink dumbbells.😉) In the past year, Kim became the European Champion in Masters Weightlifting in her age and weigh...

Today I get to talk to Audrey Danaher. Audrey's not only the author of the book, " Becoming of Age ", and living life over 60 on her terms, but she also happens to be my cousin! I'm thrilled to have her on the podcast, to talk to her about our inner wild woman, and how we can continue learning and growing through what she calls The Third Stage of life (i.e. life over 60.) Last week on th...

Can you love your age? I believe you can, although it may require a shift in perspective. In this episode, I'm sharing five ways you can learn to appreciate, and even love, your age and getting older. Loving your age doesn't mean that aging is easy... But it does mean that you keep looking forward, enjoying life, challenging yourself, being inspired, and cultivating curiosity. Enjoy the episode! D...

I believe we all want to stay mobile as we age. In fact, I think most of us want to stay at least as mobile as we are right now. But to do that, we need to focus on getting moving and mobile today. And that's exactly what my guest, Sammy Wilson , does. Her own struggle with back pain, despite being an athlete, inspired her to help others who also find themselves more and more sedentary. Now, as a...

Comfort entitlement . I love this term because I think it's a great way to identify this very real phenomenon we can get stuck in, especially in midlife. What it actually means is that we create the expectation that the things we do, like work, relationships, exercise, eating,… should be comfortable. And in midlife life I think this happens often. We become less and less tolerant of discomfort , a...

Are you less than excited about your sex life? Or suffer from low libido? My guest, Pauline Ryeland , aka Intimacy Whisperer , helps you get your libido back, experience orgasm, and discover your sexual energy in midlife. She says that as we get older, many of us fool ourselves into believing that we don't need to connect with our sexual selves. But when we deny expressing that part of who we are,...

Self-care . It seems kind of soft, fluffy, and self-indulgent. And it can make you think of massages, spa days, and pedicures. And I don’t think those are bad things, but I do think they're only a tiny sliver of what self-care is. Because the point of self-care isn’t to make you SOFTER. It’s to reinforce you, strengthen you, and energize you so that you can face all the tough stuff life continues...

What should you eat? It can seem complicated. And as we age, and our hormones change, choosing what to eat can feel even more challenging. But my guest today, dietitian Julieanna Hever , suggests that it doesn't have to that way. She believes in eating more plant-based, and making eating simple. In this episode we talk about the benefits of a plant-based diet, the dairy and calcium conundrum, time...

Are you feeling more anxiety these days? Well, it turns out that anxiety is actually a symptom of the onset of menopause. And it affects a large number of women at this time of life. If you’re not sure if what you're experiencing is anxiety, I like this definition: It’s a state of nervousness, or fear, or worry that can affect your mind and your body, making it difficult to relax. And although anx...

Many of us are terrified of the word CANCER. My guest today, Liz Benditt , has heard that diagnosis FIVE different times. As she says in this episode, cancer no longer brings up "death sentence" in her mind, but just another challenge to overcome. And through these challenges, she's recognized a need for cancer patients: Practical products to help ease the physical discomforts that can result from...

Neck pain, stressed, or confidence a little low? You're not alone. By midlife, your posture is likely impacted, and you may be facing more stress than ever. That's why I've invited Lindsay Newitter to the podcast. She uses the Alexander Technique to help her clients get rid of pain and stand taller, in all aspects of their lives. Enjoy the episode! See the video version on YouTube here: https://yo...

Welcome to 2024! With a new year comes new resolutions, or at least a fresh goal. And for many, that new goal is weight loss. However, ironically, weight isn't the best thing to focus on when you want to lose it. Instead, there are 5 effective goals to focus on that CAN lead to weight loss. Without even using a scale. Curious? Join me for today's episode! Debbie Thanks for listening! If you'd like...

A new year is coming, and maybe you're ready to do things differently in 2024. Change a habit, or a belief, or your shape, or a job, or... Anything, really. As you consciously choose to change something, you change not just the thing you're trying to change... You change who you are. I like to call this REINVENTION . Reinvention sounds like a BIG word... But it's just a SIMPLE conscious process of...

Humour can make us more resilient. You can lighten the load of menopause, and even things as tough as diagnosis and surgery, with a little laughter. My guest, Eva Moon , used humour and creativity to get through the toughest time of her life. In a short amount of time, while her mother was dying from breast cancer, she discovered she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene mutation, and then quickly under...

You may be noticing changes in your pelvic floor... Maybe you're experiencing incontinence or an urgent need to pee regularly, or vaginal pain during sex, or prolapse of your uterus, bladder, or vagina. All these issues are all too common for women in midlife. So, I invited pelvic floor physiotherapist, Nancy Ma , to the podcast to talk about the importance of pelvic floor health and how we can im...

To take hormone therapy (HT) or not to take hormone therapy? That is the question :) And it's a big question, but a personal one. That's why I'm bringing it here. I want to empower you to make this choice. Whether you're a "hell yes!" or a "hell no!", you should know what you're saying yes or no to. And you should also be aware, aside from or in addition to HT, of what works to make you feel bette...

It's the silent symptom of perimenopause: Bone loss. Losing bone can lead to a condition known as osteopenia , or if more advanced, osteoporosis. So, as estrogen declines in perimenopause, our bone mass deteriorates. But there are things you can do to preserve bone mass, and either prevent these conditions, or slow these conditions from progressing. That's why I've invited Mairi Thompson on the po...

Ozempic, Wegovy, and other diabetes medications are also being prescribed for weight loss. Is this a good thing? To answer that, I've invited Amy Wilson , a geriatric pharmacist, to the podcast. In this episode we talk about these medications, how the work, and the reality of weight loss, especially for women in midlife. As Amy says, we have to stop chasing skinny and get healthy, so we can avoid...

Getting a good night's sleep... It can seem elusive in midlife. But there are proven things you can do to turn your sleep around. And when you finally get great sleep, your weight, your health, your menopause transition, and your over well-being will improve by leaps and bounds! Because before diet and exercise, SLEEP IS #1 for a healthier, longer life. Enjoy this episode. Debbie Thanks for listen...