Curious about the benefits of fasting but don't know where to start? In this episode of Anything But Mid, Whitney and Amy break down what is fasting, what is a fasting mimicking diet, and how to do fasting the smart way—especially if you're a woman over 40 navigating perimenopause or menopause. Plus, the usual mid moments: forgotten PIN numbers, pap smear panic, and old patterns we're finally done with.

So what is Prolon used for? It's a five-day fasting mimicking diet developed by USC longevity researcher Dr. Valter Longo, designed to trigger autophagy—your body's natural cellular cleanup process—without a full calorie deficit. Whitney is on day three of her third round, and she and Amy walk through how to do a fasting mimicking diet step by step: what's in the box, what a real five days feels like, and the side effects of Prolon nobody tells you about (hello, day-two headache).

We also dig into fasting mimicking diet vs intermittent fasting—and why intermittent fasting for women over 40 isn't always the win it's marketed to be. If you're dealing with fasting and cortisol issues, wondering whether intermittent fasting perimenopause is safe, or trying to figure out the real deal with fasting and menopause, this episode covers the science (in plain English) on why gentle, cyclical fasting protocols may work better than extreme ones for our hormones.

Beyond the how-to, we get into the good stuff: real fasting mimicking diet results, from reduced biological age to better skin hydration to sharper focus, plus an honest look at the Longevity diet research behind it all—what's backed by science and what's still just marketing. Think of this as our unfiltered fasting reviews episode: no sponsorship, just two friends sharing what actually happened when they tried it.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Mid moments

04:00 – HRT, pap smears, and memory scares

06:30 – Intermittent fasting vs. water fasting vs. fasting mimicking

09:00 – Extreme fasting

11:00 – The truth about "toxins" 

13:00 – What is autophagy?

16:00 – Prolon

19:00 – Biological age

22:00 – 5-day Prolon kit

33:00 – GLP-1 microdosing and food noise

43:00 – Final thoughts

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Have a midlife moment to share?

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The Amy Edwards Show:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5SdojmuUpXfksyQD8gbXJm

https://www.youtube.com/@TheAmyEdwardsShow

Every Widow Thing:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5XO1NK5sbBJ2ZAAf2fQpO3

https://www.youtube.com/@everywidowthing

Wide awake at 3 a.m. with your brain spiraling about your taxes, an unread email, or something embarrassing from eighth grade? That's cortisol. In this episode, we break down what is cortisol, cortisol hormone function, and what does cortisol do to your body -- plus how to reduce cortisol and finally figure out how to stop waking up in the middle of the night.We cover cortisol vs. adrenaline (they're not the same thing, even though they show up together), why a cortisol spike happens overnight even when you're doing everything right, and how cortisol and insomnia are connected. We also get into cortisol and sleep, cortisol and menopause, and why your hormone replacement therapy might not be enough on its own -- because cortisol can literally block your progesterone from binding to your brain.Then we walk through the signs of high cortisol and symptoms of high cortisol in women -- brain fog, breakouts, that wired-but-tired feeling -- and get into cortisol for women over 40 specifically: why this hits harder in midlife, how cardio and cortisol are more connected than you'd think, and even how cortisol and insulin play into blood sugar and energy.Finally, we give you our five daily rules for how to lower cortisol naturally, how to reset cortisol levels, and how to fix cortisol before it fixes you -- including light maxing, why you shouldn't drink coffee on an empty stomach, the vagus nerve biohacks we swear by, and the aggressive gargling incident that may or may not have injured a tonsil.Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!Have a midlife moment to share?Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwardsWhitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystroppThe Amy Edwards Show:https://open.spotify.com/show/5SdojmuUpXfksyQD8gbXJmhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheAmyEdwardsShowEvery Widow Thing:https://open.spotify.com/show/5XO1NK5sbBJ2ZAAf2fQpO3https://www.youtube.com/@everywidowthing

There are so many types of magnesium on the shelf right now -- magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium L-threonate, magnesium taurate, magnesium malate, magnesium oxide -- that picking the best magnesium for women over 40 can feel like a full-time job. In this episode, we break down exactly what magnesium is, why there are so many forms, which magnesium is best for sleep, which magnesium is best for anxiety, and how much magnesium you should actually take every day.

We go deep on magnesium glycinate vs. citrate (spoiler: one of them can send you running to the bathroom), what is magnesium L-threonate and whether the brain-boosting hype is backed by real research, magnesium taurate benefits for heart health, and why magnesium malate for fatigue gets recommended for muscle pain and fibromyalgia. We also compare magnesium oxide vs. glycinate, because the cheap stuff on the drugstore shelf is not the same as what your body actually absorbs.

Then we get into the questions everyone is actually googling: magnesium deficiency symptoms and why they're so hard to pin down, magnesium for menopause symptoms (does it really help hot flashes?), magnesium glycinate for sleep dosage, and how much magnesium should I take daily as a woman over 40. We also share our own experience getting talked into an expensive "seven forms of magnesium" supplement -- and whether it was worth the money.

And before we get into any of that, we've got mid moments -- a river-tubing trip gone slightly sideways with a nearly-80-year-old mom, foot cramps, and yet another surprise chin hair. Grab your pumpkin seeds and settle in.

Timestamps:

00:00 -- Mid moments

07:15 -- Let's talk magnesium

13:44 -- A brief history

16:09 -- What it does in your body

20:23 --  You real magnesium status

23:45 -- Mood and Anxiety

28:47 -- Magnesium in Midlife

29:00 -- The different types

41:30 -- Dosage

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/

Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwards

Whitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystropp

The Amy Edwards Show:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5SdojmuUpXfksyQD8gbXJm

https://www.youtube.com/@TheAmyEdwardsShow#magnesium  #MidlifeHealth #MenopauseSleep #SupplementTruth #midlifepodcast

Everyone's doing it but no one's talking about it. Semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide.... and we are here to give you our take with a lil side of research. and microdosing.Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/⁠

Amy Edwards – ⁠https://instagram.com/realamyedwards⁠

Whitney Stropp – ⁠https://instagram.com/whitneystropp⁠

Amy wondered after fascia-blasting: what even is fascia, anyway? Well it turns out, it's super important and literally everywhere. Learn more this week, plus, Whitney reviews a $100 Korean pill she took that came in a golden box.

Share this podcast with a friend, and please rate, review and follow the show!

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/⁠

Amy Edwards – ⁠https://instagram.com/realamyedwards⁠

Whitney Stropp – ⁠https://instagram.com/whitneystropp⁠

Whitney wants to know: What's the least we have to do for optimal longevity? Can we be lazy and still live a long life and feel great? What's the minimum bar here? And what about our brains? Join us as she lays out the bare minimum for optimization this week.

Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/

Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwards

Whitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystropp

Have you considered Ketamine Therapy? What can it mean for midlife women in particular? Whitney has, and Amy has answers cause she's done everything from professional IV, intramuscular with an MD, nose spray, to free-wheeling it into a k-hole. Come with us to explore the changes to neuroplasticity, the ups and downs, how it helps with PTSD, ruminating, and what it's really like.

Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/

Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwards

Whitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystropp

It's blue, but what does it do? Whitney covers Methylene Blue, its history, and how to use it. Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!Have a midlife moment to share?Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwardsWhitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystropp

HRT and hormone series wraps up today with pregnenolone: are you taking this and have no clue what it is? Us too! Learn all about this sister to DHEA with us today.

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Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

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https://www.instagram.com/anythingbutmid/

Amy Edwards – https://instagram.com/realamyedwards

Whitney Stropp – https://instagram.com/whitneystropp

The Series on Happiness (per Arthur Brooks) wraps up this week with actionable steps to improve your happiness, especially in midlife and on. Put more into your daily life with the easy protocol and prioritizing intrinsic motivations.

Remember to share this podcast with a friend, and rate and review and follow the show!

Have a midlife moment to share?

Email us at [email protected] and tell us your mid moment, your wins, or what you want us to talk about next.

Follow us:

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