While you may be 1000% sure that spending the rest of your life on a diet is NOT the life for you…have you ever found yourself thinking that the path to becoming an intuitive eater doesn’t feel all that intuitive? If so, welcome! This episode if for you. The good news is that you are not alone! How do I know? Because of the messages I regularly get from women who are all in what I call the “messy middle” on the road to intuitive eating. Yes, intuitive eating begins with understanding how to stay...
Jun 05, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 70
If movement had zero impact on your body size, would you still choose to move? If the answer is no, then I encourage you to join me and Christine Chessman in this episode to learn why joyful movement is key to making movement sustainable in midlife and beyond. If you’ve started an intuitive eating journey, it is not uncommon to feel the desire to break up with your usual workout routine too. But in this conversation, we dive into understanding the non-scale benefits of movement which include sel...
May 29, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 69
In honor of Osteoporosis Awareness Month, I’ve invited movement educator Rebekah Rotstein to shed light on the topic of bone health. It’s incredibly common to avoid thinking about the strength of our bones until later in life, which might be too late if your goal is to be resilient and independent as you age. Rebekah shares the many factors we need to understand about bone health and what screenings we need to ask for starting in perimenopause if we haven’t already. Rebecca will also share her p...
May 22, 2023•45 min•Season 3Ep. 68
If you’ve begun your menopause journey, you’ve probably had to deal with hot flashes by now. When they first start, they can certainly take you by surprise, especially since the experience of them can vary a lot from person to person. But however they show up, they are always uncomfortable and disruptive. In this episode, I’m going to break down what is happening in your body (more specifically in your brain) when hot flashes strike. I’ll also share what foods you might be eating or drinking tha...
May 15, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 67
When you’re looking for a medical provider in midlife, finding someone who is committed to listening, staying curious, and staying up to date on research are just some of the top priorities. But when you can find a woman who has some skin in the midlife game, well, many times you’ve hit the jackpot. My guest on today’s Story Session is health coach and dietitian, Tracy Kelly. She’s sharing her story about how her practice has been transformed as a result of having recently started perimenopause....
May 08, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 66
You probably already know that protecting our bones in midlife and beyond is a top priority. The problem is that like much of the health information we’re exposed to it doesn’t always translate into practical how-to strategies. Instead, it can induce a lot of fear about getting an osteoporosis diagnosis, also known as the “silent disease” since there are so few outward signs and symptoms. In this episode, I’m joined for a second time by my friend Niamh Daly who will help us understand what is re...
May 01, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 65
What memories do you have of diet culture as you were growing up? If you’re like many parents in our community, there’s a good chance you’d like to spare your children from these experiences altogether. That’s why I invited Registered Dietitian and author of Diet-Proof Your Daughter, Amelia Sherry to the podcast. We take a deep dive into understanding what’s at the root of our desire for our kids to be healthy and have a healthy relationship with food. Even if you’ve worked hard to keep diet cul...
Apr 24, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 64
While you would probably guess that the average age of women going through menopause is between 51-52, you might not know that approximately 1% of women go through menopause prematurely before age 40. In today’s story session, I am joined by Midlife Feast Community member, Jen, who is sharing her experience of going through Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). It’s easy to imagine how disruptive and confusing it would be to experience symptoms like hot flashes and long gaps between periods at ...
Apr 17, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 63
Midlife can be one of the most overwhelming seasons of life. It honestly feels like everything you are responsible for is a non-negotiable. But if you’re feeling like everything in your mind and body is pointing towards burnout, then something has to give- how do choose what to say no to? In this episode, I’ve invited my friend and Burnout and Alcohol Coach Wendy McCallum back on the show to walk us through how to start making these kinds of tough decisions in midlife. What I love about Wendy is...
Apr 10, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 62
If you’re burnt out on dieting, you’re probably interested in exploring a concept we talk about a lot around here: gentle nutrition. While most people are eager to get to the “good part” when learning to eat intuitively, gentle nutrition is one of the last steps of the journey of intuitive eating. Why? Because we have to un-do a lot of the default programming leftover from years of dieting and diet culture. In this episode, I’ve invited fellow non-diet dietitian Rachael Hartley on the show to ta...
Apr 03, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 61
While you may have expected many of the physical symptoms of menopause, the one that might really take you by surprise is brain fog. If you find daily tasks a real slog, you’re struggling to focus, or just forgetful in ways you would have never dreamed possible-know that this is a very common midlife experience. But what is really going on and is there anything we can do to better support our brains in this season? In this episode, I’ll share how hormones are the culprits (yet again) and the goo...
Mar 27, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 60
When it comes to movement and exercise, how do you define what “counts”? Are you tempted to think that exercise has to be miserable if it’s going to have an impact? If so, you’re definitely not alone, and today’s conversation is just for you. Join me and my return guest, Dr. Maria Luque, as we take a deep dive into understanding the reasons we have come to believe that the only legitimate forms of exercise must feel like pure torture. We’ll also discuss why most people mistakenly make body chang...
Mar 20, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 59
Rise and grind. No pain, no gain. You snooze, you lose. The overuse of phrases like these is why we’re so damn tired. Rest is not a reward for productivity. It’s a need, and it’s critical for us to function. While rest is 100 % necessary, discovering what rest means to us personally can be challenging. That’s why I’ve invited psychologist, author, and expert in self-care and rest, Suzy Reading to the show. She will help us explore why we struggle with rest and how doing it well helps us get in t...
Mar 13, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 58
If you’ve found the Midlife Feast to be a helpful or refreshing community of women, there’s a good chance you’re on a journey of redefining your relationship with food. Whether you are just starting or years into it, each one of our stories is so important, and so worthy of sharing. That’s why I was so excited to invite friend, and therapist, Alli Spotts-De Lazzer LMFT, LPCC, CEDS-S to come on the podcast. She’s the author of MeaningFULL, 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, &...
Mar 06, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 57
As many of you already know since I shared it on Instagram, I recently celebrated my 1-year menoversary. It’s officially been one year since my last period, which also means I’m now in post-menopause. Having taken the time to journal and track this journey, I was able to compile a lot of information and compile a list of 8 things I wish someone had shared with me before perimenopause started. Being part of the “lucky” 20% of women who start perimenopause before 40, I wanted to let you in on what...
Feb 27, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 56
Midlife is often when the toll of a decade (or more) of time spent trying to lose weight through dieting sets in. And what follows is a new sense of panic, driven by the idea that if you haven’t been able to get comfortable in your own skin by now, time is running out. And as new research suggests, it’s this body dissatisfaction that puts many women at risk of developing eating disorders later in life. In this episode, I’ve invited Val Schonberg, RD to expose the roots of eating disorders in mid...
Feb 20, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 55
You are not broken. Can I say it -maybe shout it again? We’ve just all been silently suffering and floundering alone when it comes to reproductive health in menopause. Thankfully doctors like my guest today, author Dr. Kelly Casperson have decided enough is enough. It’s time to tell the truth. In this conversation, we’ll dive into the impact of marketed perfection on this season of life, why sexual health changes in midlife, and the difference between sexual desire versus arousal. We also unpack...
Feb 13, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 54
Have you ever wondered "what the hell is happening" with your mood in midlife? Trust me, you're not alone. And, as Dr. Stephanie Bayliss ND explains, there's a window of vulnerability in midlife that makes anxiety, depression and PMDD more common than ever. In this episode, we discuss the hormone changes that increase the chances of anxiety and depression, the difference between PMS and PMDD, and discuss hormonal vs non-hormonal treatment options. Dr. Stephanie Bayliss is a Naturopathic Doctor p...
Feb 06, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 53
In this story session, I talk to Ann Marie McQueen, a Canadian health and wellness journalist living and working in the Middle East and going through the peri/menopause transition. In June 2020, Ann Marie founded Hotflash Inc to provide balanced coverage and context about all things menopause via a weekly newsletter and social media, adding a sponsored weekly podcast the following year. Join us as we talk about her own experience of navigating perimenopause, the problem with mainstream media rep...
Jan 30, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 15
When you know better, you do better. And if you're like many of the women in midlife I talk to, your desire to move away from diet culture may be in part motivated by your desire to change things for the next generation...I know mine was. But getting diet culture out of the house means not only changing our behaviour, but also the language we use to describe food, bodies, and even health in general. In this episode, dietitian Jenn Messina RD helps us understand why so many of us were programmed ...
Jan 16, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 14
As I get ready to mark my 1-year meno-versary, I reflect on some of the ways that our generation's experience of menopause is different than that of our mothers and grandmothers, including how we talk about it, how we treat it, and how we're helping women thrive in their second season. But, I also talk about what we still need to work on (in a big way) and what I think is the biggest "missing ingredient" in midlife. What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know! 📚 I wrote a boo...
Jan 10, 2023•23 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Not sure how to manage holiday eating as an intuitive eater? Tune into this quick episode and learn how to stay mindful and intuitive this holiday season. I share some of my best advice for leading with satisfaction and attunement so that you can enjoy all the #foodjoy this season has to offer without feeling like you're lost at sea! Happy holidays! Stay tuned for news of the 2025 Non-Diet Resolution challenge coming in the second half of January! What did you think of this episode? Click here a...
Dec 23, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Amanda Thebe is a Fitness and Women’s Health Expert with nearly thirty years of experience in the fitness industry and is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, Menopocalypse. As a menopause coach and fitness expert, Amanda is well-known as an advocate for open discussion and dialogue about all things midlife. Our conversation dives into our own personal experiences of being caught unprepared for perimenopause, our frustrations with the lack of general understanding of midlife in the health...
Nov 28, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 11
When body changes show up in midlife, we often default to thinking that our bodies are the problem. But does losing weight, or changing our body, actually help us build a better body image? That's exactly what Kristina and I explore in this deep dive into body image and body confidence. As a Body Acceptance Coach, Kristina Bruce specializes in helping women break free from dieting and negative body image. Calling upon her training and as a certified Integrative Life Coach, as well as education i...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Un-dieting and intuitive eating can feel like exploring another planet, so in this episode, I'll walk you through the 3 stages of un-dieting, including the "messy middle" where so many people get stuck, and what it feels like when you "arrive" on the other side. Want to see what stage of un-dieting you're in? Take my un-dieting quiz here! Beyond The Scale will be enrolling for the January session in early December. Click here to learn more and get on the waiting list. What did you think of this ...
Nov 25, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Nutrition is top of mind in any discussion related to cancer, but it can feel overwhelming trying to wade through the information and misinformation that's out there! My guest this week is Tamar Rothenberg, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian who specializes in recovery after breast and ovarian cancer in her private practice in Los Angeles. She has a Certificate of Training in Vegetarian Nutrition; and co-led the clinical study, Coping with Cancer in the Kitchen, published in Nutrients. She is the a...
Nov 14, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Iron deficiency is by far the most common nutrient deficiency among women, but the chances of being low in this VIP mineral increase in perimenopause. And as Maryann Jacobsen RD and I discuss, you don't have to be clinically anemic to feel the effects of low iron. We discuss why ferritin isn't the only measure we need to be paying attention to in our bloodwork, why the reference values for ferritin may be too low and the symptoms that women in midlife should be on the lookout for. Learn more abo...
Nov 07, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 7
My guest today is Julie Duffy Dillon, a registered dietitian who helps people with PCOS navigate nutrition and health from a non-diet perspective. As Julie and I discuss, PCOS often gets ignored as menopause comes along and period problems fade, but that's not necessarily in the best interest of health. You can learn more about Julie, her podcast, and her work at www.julieduffydillon.com and grab her PCOS Power Roadmap at JulieDuffyDillon.com/voice What did you think of this episode? Click here ...
Oct 24, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Most women notice changes in sleep as they transition through perimenopause, and many go to great lengths to be able to fall asleep, and stay asleep, more easily. In this episode, Sarah Wilde introduces us to CBTi, and how this novel approach to helping us get more sleep is worth exploring. Sarah helps women sleep better so that they wake up feeling rested and ready to take on their day. Sarah suffered from insomnia for years after her second child was born, until she discovered Cognitive Behavi...
Oct 14, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this solo episode I talk about what I think are 3 "missing ingredients" from most conversations about menopause nutrition, and introduce you to The Midlife Feast Community membership. Learn more about The Midlife Feast Community membership here - doors are open until October 31st. Come and gather, grow and nourish with us in midlife! https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/themidlifefeastcommunity What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know! 📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive Du...
Oct 14, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 4
