If you're a midlife woman, you've likely felt the impact of increased stress, especially during the transition through menopause. This phase brings a host of physical, emotional, and hormonal changes, making self-care and stress management essential. In this episode, we explore how mindfulness can serve as a powerful tool for grounding, self-awareness, and resilience, helping you navigate this period with grace and intention. Join me as I speak with Cami Smalley, a national board-certified...

Menopause is this phase of life that brings about significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes, from hormonal shifts, and body composition changes, to sleepless nights and brain fog, and evolving family and work dynamics. Feeling overwhelmed or disconnected is easy, but mindfulness offers practical tools to help you regain balance, stay grounded, and navigate these changes with greater awareness and compassion. Mindfulness also supports women in prioritizing their self-care- you...

Perimenopause is a transitional phase that marks the beginning of a woman’s journey toward menopause, often starting in the late 40s, but could start as early as mid-30s. As hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate, women experience a variety of symptoms, including weight gain. This weight gain is often due to hormonal changes that affect metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and fat distribution, particularly around the abdomen. This weight gain during...

Many women experience changes in their sexual health and desire during menopause due to hormonal shifts. Still, this phase of life doesn’t have to mark the end of a satisfying and pleasurable sexual experience. Instead, menopause can be a time of exploration and rediscovery, where women redefine intimacy on their own terms. In this episode, we’ll break down how menopause affects sexual pleasure and what women can do to enhance their sexual well-being without feeling limited by these changes....

Menopause is getting the spotlight it deserves. Gut health is not far behind. The science is clear, women’s gut microbiomes change during peri-menopause and look a lot like men’s gut microbiomes. During menopause, women experience a laundry list of physiological hormonal changes. How do these changes impact gut health—and how does gut health, in turn, influence the menopause experience? The balance of estrogen and progesterone shifts, leading to changes in the gut microbiome. This fragile...

If you're feeling overwhelmed by confusing and conflicting advice and products promising miraculous hair regrowth results, you're not alone. Many women in midlife are searching for effective ways to promote hair growth and restore their hair and confidence. Today, we're cutting through the noise to bring you clear, actionable strategies that work, grounded in science. As women age, their bodies undergo many physiological changes that can impact hair growth, including hormonal fluctuations,...

As women enter their 40s and 50s, the chances of experiencing hair thinning or significant hair loss increase due to various factors, including hormonal changes, genetics, stress, and even nutritional deficiencies. Hair is often closely tied to identity and self-confidence, so these changes can feel particularly unsettling. In episode #87 we’ll delve into the root causes of hair loss during midlife. From the hormonal fluctuations of menopause, which can lead to conditions like androgenetic...

Up to 70% of post-menopausal women experience hair loss, hair thinning, widening of the part, or a receding hairline. Red light therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is an effective treatment for female hair loss that has gained attention due to its non-invasive nature and promising results. This therapy involves exposing the scalp to red light wavelengths, typically 630-670 nanometers. The light penetrates the skin and stimulates the hair follicles, encouraging increased...

There are many causes of hair loss and stress is a top contributor. Whether it’s caused by an acute stressor, such as chemotherapy or going through a divorce, or chronic stressors, such as dieting, not sleeping, or taking certain medications, stress is most likely involved in the hair loss equation. Stress can trigger or worsen different types of hair loss. Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss that involves rapid shedding of hair over a short period, usually a few months after a...

The complex interplay between menopause and the endocrine system is something that all women should learn more about. Today, we delve into the hormonal changes women experience during menopause, exploring how the endocrine system regulates these transitions. From fluctuating estrogen levels to adrenal gland function, we’ll discuss how these changes impact overall health and well-being. Whether you’re a postmenopausal woman or preparing for menopause, understanding the nuanced hormonal changes...

Whether you’re re-entering the dating pool after a hiatus or continuing your journey in the world of romance, this episode is tailored just for you—midlife women who are navigating the unique blend of personal transformation and relationship dynamics that menopause brings. In this episode, we unravel the complexities and embrace the exciting opportunities of dating during this empowering stage of life. Menopause, often marked by significant physical and emotional changes, also heralds a...

Improving your lifestyle during the postmenopausal phase can profoundly impact health and quality of life. Midlife women often say that they haven’t changed anything in their daily routine, yet they are riddled with weight gain, belly fat, anxiety, depression, brain fog, low sexual desire, low energy, loss of muscle mass, and hair loss. As women experience a shift and decline in their sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, physiological changes occur. Whether you decide to go...

Health coaches provide invaluable support to midlife women navigating various physical and emotional challenges during menopause. Health coaches help manage the symptoms associated with this transitional phase, from hot flashes and sleep disturbances to weight gain and mood swings. The 5 pillars of health that health coaches focus on are nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, and community. Many health coaches, like myself, educate women on all stages of menopause and help them...

It is estimated that American adults consume 10-15g of fiber/per day and the RDA for adult women is to consume up to 25g and men up to 38g. As a whole, we are about halfway to where we need to be. We know fiber contributes to overall health and wellness, keeping you fuller for longer, aids in regular bowel movements, lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood glucose levels. Did you know that consuming fiber leads to reduced levels of anxiety and depression, increased mood stabilization, weight...

Many women entering perimenopause often experience the onset of new food and/or seasonal allergies or intolerances. Maybe you’re noticing new and strange symptoms after drinking alcohol, eating specific foods, or smelling fragrances. Maybe you're noticing adverse reactions to environmental compounds, such as hay fever, skin issues, like eczema, or even asthma. Did you know that estrogen stimulates the release of histamine and your body may struggle to excrete it? Higher histamine also leads...

Many women going through the menopause transition are met with sexual wellness issues. From low libido to no libido, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, painful sex, loss of desire, arousal, the inability to achieve orgasm, and more - a woman’s quality of life is greatly affected. The bad news is that it doesn’t naturally get better as we age. The good news is that there are lots of options out there to help women feel sexual again no matter where they are on their menopausal journey. My...

Have you noticed sagging skin, dry skin, dark spots, changes in volume, acne, or brightness of your skin? Welcome to another chapter in your menopause life. Just like in the world of nutrition, skin health is just as saturated with noise on what to do and what not to do for your skin. In this episode, you will understand what your skin is made of, how to promote collagen and elastin, why skin health degrades as you age, nutrients that your skin needs, optimal morning and evening skincare...

Two of the most common symptoms during the menopause journey are increased levels of anxiety and depression. The decline of women’s sex hormones creates a plethora of adverse effects, such as weight gain, insomnia or fragmented sleep, hair loss, loose skin, loss of lean muscle mass, brain fog, night sweats, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, and more. These devastating changes are driving women to feel frustrated, confused, and depressed about their current state of health, including how they...

According to the CDC, over 60 million women (44%) in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. This is from the American Heart Assoc: more than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. According to the British Heart Association: after menopause your cholesterol levels can go up, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Your body cannot...

Anyone who’s ever had a massage understands the magic of what trained hands can do to your body, your mind, and the rest of your day. Bodywork techniques, such as massages, rolfing, reiki, cupping, and acupuncture have been around for a very long time. There is documented evidence that the first massage technique, under the umbrella of Ayurveda, was introduced back in 3000 B.C. In this episode, the focus is on the lymphatic system and menopausal health. The lymphatic system is the sewer...

According to the NIH, the overall prevalence of sleep disorders among postmenopausal women was 51.6%. About a third of women’s lives around the world are affected by disrupted sleep and menopause, and both of these have a large effect on their health. Sleep disturbance is a significant issue for midlife women and poor sleep has been shown to increase a woman’s risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, metabolic disease, and heart health. Here are some more stats: -10-30% of adults struggle with...

This episode is either going to resonate with you immediately or be eye-opening. Either way, it’s going to be intriguing. My guest and I are talking about stored trauma in the body, what it is, how it happens to us, and what we can do to heal ourselves. Stored trauma impacts bodily inflammation, chronic stress, sleep, gut health, and hormonal imbalances. Midlife and menopause are hard enough, but if you are dealing with stored trauma on top of that, and most of us are whether you are aware or...

Women have a fourfold increase in risk of autoimmune disorders than men and 80% of the people who have autoimmune issues are women. Some autoimmune disorders are triggered during the perimenopausal through postmenopausal time frame (30-60 years of age). While more research is needed, it is proposed that sex hormones, the microbiome, environmental factors, and the X chromosome may be very much connected to autoimmune disorders in women. It is broadly known and accepted by many functional...

Did you know that midlife women are at risk of losing 1% of their lean muscle mass per year starting at age 30? Did you know that midlife women are also at risk for declining bone health, leading to fractures, loss of strength and balance, and, eventually, loss of independence? Exercising during midlife is crucial to a woman's longevity plan. Fragility fractures are fractures resulting from a fall from standing height or less. These fractures, which most commonly occur at the hip, spine, or...