Opt to Thrive…for Midlife Women

Send us Fan Mail Hot flushes are one of the most common — and most disruptive — symptoms of menopause. For some women they’re mild and fleeting. For others, they interfere with sleep, mood, confidence, and quality of life. In this episode of Opt to Thrive , Dr Corina Sims explains why hot flushes happen , what’s actually going on in the brain and body, and what truly helps — separating evidence-ba...

Send us Fan Mail In this short Mindful Moment episode, I’m sharing a story from a recent family dinner — where a simple conversation question led to a much deeper reflection on emotions, thoughts, grief, and what it really means to “feel our feelings.” One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life is that our feelings are created by our thoughts — but as I discovered while talking with my son, t...

Send us Fan Mail Happy New Year — and welcome to the first episode of the year! 🎉 As we step into a fresh new year, it’s the perfect time to think about preventative health , staying well, and making sure you’re up to date with the screening tests that genuinely help women live longer, healthier lives. In today’s episode, I’m walking you through the big screening programs we have in Australia , w...

Send us Fan Mail In this reflective episode, I share a personal story sparked by an unexpected night out — watching Love Actually in concert with close friends. What began as a joyful shared experience unfolded into a powerful meditation on love, loss, memory, and the way life shapes us over time. As the music and stories stirred memories from my own past — including heartbreak, grief, and a seaso...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever found yourself losing weight… only to gain it back again, this episode is for you. So many midlife women feel frustrated, disheartened, and convinced that something is “wrong” with them — especially when the strategies that once worked suddenly stop working. But the truth is, it’s not a lack of willpower. And it’s not your fault. In this episode, I share the persona...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Mindful Moment, I share a surprising little experience that made me pause, reflect… and laugh. It’s all about what happened after my last episode went out — and what it reminded me of (again) about other people’s opinions, why we can’t control them, and why we really shouldn’t try. If you’ve ever found yourself bending or shrinking to keep others happy, or worrying...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode took a turn I didn’t expect. After seeing a string of unexpected bone density results in women in their 50s and 60s, I knew I had to hit pause on my planned topic and talk about something far more urgent: the silent bone crisis unfolding in midlife women — long before most of us think we’re at risk. In this episode, we explore: Why early bone loss is becoming s...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode started with a simple quote I first heard as an intern on my psychiatry rotation: “The secret to happiness is having something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to.” It’s a line that has quietly guided me through many stages of life — and recently, it sent me down an unexpected rabbit hole into women’s history, old medical thinking, and a su...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, I’m joined by one of my founding members — Jo — for a powerful and uplifting conversation about what can happen when a midlife woman decides she’s ready for more strength, more energy, and more knowledge. At 56, Jo joined The Midlife Reset thinking she wanted to do something purely for herself and her body. Strength training was not something she had ever done...

Send us Fan Mail In this gentle and reflective episode, Dr Corina takes you on her slow walks with Jazzie — her old Kelpie whose aging paws have become a powerful reminder to slow down, be present, and focus on what truly matters. What began as daily exercise has turned into a mindfulness practice — a space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with joy. Through stories of Jazzie’s adventures (and es...

Send us Fan Mail In this warm Sunroom conversation, Dr Corina Sims welcomes educator, counsellor, coach, and long-time friend Tasha Morath to explore a common but rarely named midlife experience: social withdrawal . Is it “normal”? When is it a red flag? Together they unpack the biology (oestrogen, serotonin, oxytocin), the psychology (mood, anxiety, identity), and the cultural lens that can turn...

Send us Fan Mail If you are going through the midlife transition and if you ever feel you are very much alone, this podcast episode was meant for you. In this episode Dr Sims shares her personal reflections on how her symptoms impacted her work and how they also influenced some of the big career choices she has made.  This episode is about changing the narrative and appreciating that whether we ar...

Send us Fan Mail It’s the most beautiful time of year here—sunshine, blooming gardens, and bird songs filling the air. But amidst the calm, today’s episode dives into a topic that’s affecting more and more midlife women: the growing risk of type 2 diabetes after menopause . Dr Corina shares real stories from her menopause clinic, where women are often surprised to learn they’re already prediabetic...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a little more personal — and a little more emotional. Today Dr Corina opens up about her brother: a man of immense creativity, complexity, and struggle. Through his story, she reflects on how our early experiences shape our choices, how easy it is to judge what we don’t understand, and how healing begins when we learn to see the human before the circumstance. In th...

Send us Fan Mail When you hear the word creatine , do you picture bulky bodybuilders and gym bros? I used to as well—until I started lifting weights myself and kept hearing about its potential benefits beyond muscle. In this episode, I break down the science of creatine in simple, practical terms. We’ll cover what it actually is, how it works as a quick energy backup system, and why it might be wo...

Send us Fan Mail Spring is springing here in Australia — while for many of my listeners on the other side of the world, fall is falling. These seasonal shifts always get me reflecting on cycles of growth, change, and what needs to be cleared away. On today’s episode of Opt to Thrive , I share a story from our property about weeds, fruit trees, and even a plant called Pigface (yes, really!) — and t...

Send us Fan Mail What if the number on the scale wasn’t the most important measure of your health? In this episode, I share a powerful conversation from inside the very first round of my Midlife Reset program. As we near the end of our 12 weeks together, the women took it upon themselves to reflect on why they joined and what they’ve gained. Their words moved me deeply — and reminded me why I star...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever found yourself in midlife looking around and thinking… is this really it? In this episode of Opt to Thrive , I share a story many of us will find uncomfortably familiar — a woman who worked tirelessly for her family, on the property, in her job, and in her home, only to arrive in midlife feeling resentful, unseen, and unappreciated. Her story opens up a bigger conver...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Opt to Thrive , I’m taking you behind the scenes as I prepare for my very first 6-Day Midlife Reset Challenge . It’s exciting, a little terrifying, and full of moving parts — but it’s also the perfect opportunity to talk about something I know so many midlife women struggle with: momentum . How do we actually get the ball rolling when it comes to making changes...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re diving into a thought error that causes so many of us unnecessary stress and suffering: mind reading . On the one hand, being able to pick up on social cues is an important life skill. None of us wants to be that person who completely misses when someone is trying to wrap up a conversation or isn’t in the mood to hear about our dog because they’ve just lost theirs. But...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Opt to Thrive I’m joined by a guest I've been wanting to interview since starting the podcast — Professor Susan Davis , the world’s leading expert on testosterone therapy for women and a globally recognised authority on women’s hormones. Professor Davis is a Consultant Endocrinologist, Head of the Women’s Endocrine Clinic at Alfred Hospital, and Director of the M...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever shared something painful, only to have the other person jump straight into problem-solving—or worse, point out the silver lining? Sometimes, when we’re hurting, the last thing we want is a “fix.” What we really need is connection. In this episode, I open up about my own struggle with learning how to hold space for others. As a doctor and a natural problem-solver, my...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we get back to gut health basics — From the microbiome to what fibre actually is, the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre, and why it matters for regularity, weight management, bone health, cancer prevention, and more. We’ll also cover: How much fibre you really need in midlife My go-to fibre-rich foods that are calorie-efficient The link between fibre,...

Send us Fan Mail Today on Opt to Thrive , we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most common (and sneaky!) mental habits holding midlife women back — worry . Not the kind that signals an anxiety disorder — but the everyday low-level worry that shows up in overthinking, second-guessing, decision delay, and imagining worst-case scenarios. You might believe that worry helps you stay on top of t...

Send us Fan Mail Today Dr Sims sits down for a fun conversation with local fitness professional Abbey Atkins. They talk about everything from gymtimidation to motivation and mindset when it comes to organizing a fitness routine.  Why more and more women are lifting weights after 40 (and why it matters) How to shift your focus from the number on the scale to how you feel The science-backed benefits...