GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are changing bodies fast. But what happens to your skin, face and overall appearance after dramatic weight loss? In this episode, Lauren sits down with New York Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. David Kashan to talk about the growing rise in “Ozempic face,” loose skin, body contouring, facelifts, skin removal surgery and the very real aesthetic side effects many people aren’t talking about.

Dr. Kashan, who trained at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, shares what he’s seeing firsthand in his practice during the GLP-1 boom. Together, they discuss who is most affected by rapid weight loss, the most common procedures patients are requesting now, how long patients should stop GLP-1 medications before surgery, and whether non-surgical treatments can help improve skin laxity, facial volume loss and overall skin quality before considering surgery.

If you’re a woman in midlife navigating weight loss, aging, confidence, skin changes or considering GLP-1 medications yourself, this conversation is packed with honest insight, practical advice, and expert perspective you’ll definitely want to hear.

David L. Kashan MD, FACS, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

(516) 515-9267

Website: davidkashanmd.com

Instagram: @davidkashanmd

We hear a lot about sleep—sleep hygiene, bedtime routines, blue light, magnesium… all of it. But what if the real issue isn’t that you’re bad at sleeping? What if you’re simply out of sync with your body?

Here’s why this matters, especially in midlife.

As hormones shift, many of us suddenly find ourselves exhausted at the wrong times, waking in the middle of the night, dragging through the day, or feeling like our energy, mood, metabolism and even our skin just aren’t functioning the way they used to. And according to today’s guest, it may have less to do with how much sleep you’re getting—and more to do with when.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist, board-certified sleep specialist and one of the most recognized sleep experts in the world. He’s the author of The Power of When, where he explores how our chronotype—our body’s natural rhythm—impacts everything from sleep and focus to eating, exercise, productivity and aging.

We break down what chronotypes actually are, how being out of sync with your biology can affect the way you look and feel, and why forcing yourself into routines that work for someone else may actually be backfiring. We also talk about the connection between sleep timing, hormones, skin, energy and longevity—and how small shifts can make a surprisingly big difference.

If you’ve been doing all the “right” things and still feel exhausted, foggy, puffy or just off… this conversation may explain why.

Book: The Power Of When

Website: Sleepdoctor.com

Chronotype Quiz: https://sleepdoctor.com/chronotypesquiz

Facebook: facebook.com/thesleepdoctor/

Instagram: instagram.com/thesleepdoctor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepDoctor

Glutathione is suddenly everywhere—being called the “master antioxidant” and linked to everything from aging and energy to skin and detox. But is it actually something we need to pay attention to… or just another wellness trend?

Here’s why this matters—especially in midlife.

As we get older, our natural levels of glutathione start to decline. And when that happens, it can show up in ways we feel every day: lower energy, slower recovery, duller skin, increased inflammation, and a body that just doesn’t bounce back the way it used to.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Nayan Patel, a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience and a leading expert on glutathione. He’s an adjunct faculty member at USC School of Pharmacy, founder of Auro Wellness, and author of The Glutathione Revolution.

We break down what glutathione actually is, why it becomes more important as we age, and what happens when levels drop. We also get into the big questions—do we need to supplement, what forms actually work (and which don’t), and whether this is something foundational or just another thing being added to an already overwhelming list.

If you’ve been feeling like your energy, skin, or overall resilience just isn’t what it used to be—and you’re wondering why—this is a conversation worth paying attention to.

Website: aurowellness.com

Instagram: @aurowellness

Book: The Glutathione Revolution

Anxiety can feel like it comes out of nowhere in midlife—and once it shows up, it can feel completely out of your control. One minute you’re fine, and the next your mind is racing, your body is reacting, and you’re wondering… why is this happening now?

In this episode of Beauty is a Bitch, I’m joined by Christopher Paul Jones, a leading Harley Street phobia expert and author of Face Your Fears. After overcoming his own phobias, Christopher spent more than 20 years researching anxiety and fear, developing what he calls the Integrated Change System™—an approach that combines psychology with practical techniques to retrain the brain’s response to fear.

We break down what anxiety actually is, why it can feel so automatic, and how years of conditioning shape the way we respond to stress—often without us even realizing it. We also talk about why certain triggers can feel so disproportionate (even when we know we’re overreacting), and how midlife stress—hormones, responsibilities and just the general mental load—can amplify everything.

Most importantly, we get into a simple but powerful technique called anchoring—something you can start using immediately to calm your nervous system and interrupt anxious patterns in real time.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck in your head, or like anxiety is running the show, this episode will give you a completely different way to understand what’s happening—and what you can actually do about it.

Website:  christopherpauljones.com

YouTube: youtube.com/user/NewLIfetraining

Instagram: @christopherpauljones

Facebook: ChristopherPaulJonesTheBreakthroughExpert

X: @breakthruexpert

LinkedIn: christopherpauljones

Our relationship with food doesn’t stay the same forever—and in midlife, many women suddenly feel like the rules they followed for decades no longer work.

In this episode, I’m welcoming back Elise Museles, certified Eating Psychology and Mind-Body Nutrition expert, creator of the Food Story Method, bestselling author of Food Story and host of the Once Upon a Food Story podcast.

When Elise first joined me in Season 4, we talked about rewriting the “food story” many of us grew up with—the one shaped by diet culture, perfectionism, and that relentless inner mean-girl voice. But the conversation around food, wellness and women’s bodies has changed dramatically since then.

Now, midlife women are navigating a much louder and more complicated landscape—hormones, metabolism shifts, endless wellness checklists and new pressures around everything from protein intake to GLP-1s.

In this honest conversation, Elise and I revisit the idea of your food story through a midlife lens and talk about why so many women feel confused, frustrated, or even betrayed by their bodies right now—and what it actually looks like to rebuild trust with food and yourself.

We talk about:

What your “food story” really is—and how it shapes the way you eat and think about food

Why midlife can suddenly make your relationship with food feel confusing or unstable

How decades of diet culture impact women differently as their bodies change

How to navigate today’s overwhelming wellness noise without feeling like you’re constantly failing

Why rebuilding trust with your body matters more than following another set of rules

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by food rules, frustrated by your changing body, or overwhelmed by the constant wellness chatter, this episode will help you step off the hamster wheel and rethink what nourishment actually means in this stage of life.

Website: elisemuseles.com

Book: Food Story: Rewrite the Way You Eat, Think, and Live

Instagram @elisemuseles

As we move through midlife, many of us start noticing subtle shifts in our brains — maybe it takes longer to find a word, focus feels harder than it used to, or multitasking suddenly feels overwhelming. It’s easy to assume these changes are just “part of aging,” but the truth is far more hopeful: our brains are far more adaptable than we’ve been led to believe.

That’s one reason this episode feels especially important. For so many years we were told that cognitive decline was inevitable, that once certain abilities slowed down there was little we could do. But today’s research on neuroplasticity tells a very different story — one where the brain can continue to strengthen, retrain, and improve well into later life when given the right kind of stimulation.

My guest today, Dr. Tere Linzey, is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and founder of BrainMatterZ, a program dedicated to optimizing core cognitive skills like processing speed, attention, memory and executive functioning. With more than 30 years in education and research at institutions including Harvard and UC Berkeley, she has focused her work on helping people understand how the brain can be trained to function more efficiently at any age.

Together, we talk about what’s actually happening in the brain during midlife, how to tell the difference between normal aging and cognitive skills that can be improved with training, and why strengthening foundational brain functions can have such a powerful effect on confidence, focus, and everyday performance. Dr. Linzey also explains how menopause, stress and modern lifestyle pressures influence cognitive health — and what we can begin doing today to support our brains for the long term.

A few things we discuss:

• What neuroplasticity really means and how it allows the brain to improve at any age
• How to distinguish normal aging changes from cognitive skills that can be strengthened
• The impact of menopause, stress and lifestyle factors on focus, memory and processing speed
• Practical steps to support long-term brain health and cognitive resilience

If you’ve ever wondered whether the changes you’re noticing are simply aging — or something you can actually improve — this conversation will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and far more hopeful about what’s possible.

Website: https://www.brainmatterz.com/

Instagram: @tclinzey

The holidays have a way of stirring up everything at once — joy, nostalgia, gratitude, and for so many of us in midlife, a deep grief for the people and seasons of life we miss. It’s a complicated blend, and it can feel incredibly lonely… even when you’re surrounded by family and celebration.

That’s one reason this episode feels especially personal to me. I was never someone who believed in signs — until after my father passed. And then… they started showing up. Little moments, small winks from the universe that landed exactly when I needed them most. Now I see them all the time, and the truth is: they’re always there. You just have to be open to noticing them.

My guest today, Ann Bolinger-McQuade, understands this better than anyone. As an author and workshop facilitator, she has dedicated her life to helping people recognize these quiet messages — what she calls personal oracles — especially during times when grief feels heavy. After her own breast cancer diagnosis set off a series of life-changing experiences, Ann began to see the world as alive, supportive and filled with guidance.

Together, we talk about why the holidays feel so emotionally charged in midlife, how to hold both joy and grief without guilt, and simple ways to honor the people we miss. Ann also shares how to notice the meaningful “oracles” that often appear during this heightened season, offering comfort and connection when we least expect it.

A few things we discuss:
• Why mixed emotions during the holidays are completely normal — especially in midlife
• How gratitude and grief can coexist without canceling each other out
• Simple ways to feel connected to loved ones who aren’t physically here

If the holidays feel complicated for you this year, this conversation is a soft place to land — and a reminder that you’re never as alone as you think.

Website: https://everydayextradimensions.com/

Book: Everyday Oracles: Decoding the Divine Messages That Are All Around Us

Instagram: @everydaypersonaloracles

Your eyes do so much more than help you see — they quietly reveal how well you’re aging. In this episode, I’m joined by optometrist, author, and dry eye specialist Dr. Pam Theriot, whose decades of experience have made her a true expert on the intersection of eye health, longevity, and midlife wellness. We get into the surprising ways your daily habits, beauty routine, and environment affect the skin around your eyes, your tear film, and even your vision.

Dr. Theriot also shares her own journey with chronic dry eye and how it shaped her mission to help people feel at ease in their eyes again. We talk about the biggest mistakes women over 40 make with their eyes, the beauty trends doing more harm than good, and the simple, everyday habits that help your eyes look brighter, feel more comfortable, and age more gracefully.

Some of the things we’ll be discussing are:
• How your eyes reflect internal health — and early signs of aging you shouldn’t ignore
• Whether certain beauty trends (hello, lash extensions) are quietly damaging your eyes
• What women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond should avoid to protect long-term eye health
• The link between dry eye, screen time, and hormone changes in midlife

If you’ve ever wondered why your eyes feel irritated, look tired, or seem to be aging faster than the rest of your face, this conversation is your roadmap to understanding what’s really going on — and what you can do starting today.

Tune in to learn why caring for your eyes is one of the most important (and overlooked) parts of aging well.

In this episode of Beauty is a Bitch, we’re taking a deep dive into brain health and stress — but from a completely different perspective. My guest, Gilbert Martina, is a former healthcare executive turned ancestral health educator, and he’s here to help us rethink how we approach wellness, aging and emotional resilience.

We explore why dementia rates are soaring in Western cultures while remaining strikingly low in certain Indigenous Amazonian communities, and what those differences can teach us about lifestyle, community and connection. Gilbert also explains how chronic stress accelerates brain aging, how ancestral rituals like storytelling, meditation and communal living can protect cognitive health, and why reconnecting with tradition and spirit might be one of the most powerful tools for longevity.

For women over 50 juggling it all — work, family, and self-care — this conversation offers practical, simple daily practices to support both brain and emotional health. We also touch on inherited trauma, its impact on the body and brain, and how to begin the healing process.

As the holidays approach, Gilbert shares wisdom from his Caribbean heritage on finding peace, balance and resilience during stressful times — and how to take that first step toward a more grounded, connected way of living.

Tune in to learn how honoring ancient wisdom can help you stress less, think clearer and age better — mind, body, and soul.

Instagram: @gilbert.martina

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbertbmartina

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/gilbert.martina.35/

We’ve made real progress in talking openly about menopause, women’s health, and how to live longer, healthier lives. But there’s still one topic too many women shy away from in midlife: money. For a lot of us, conversations about finances were considered impolite, unfeminine, or just not our responsibility. Add in the realities of divorce, career changes, caregiving, or years of putting everyone else first, and it’s no wonder so many women hit midlife feeling financially unprepared or even ashamed. But what if shifting the way we think and talk about money could actually be the most empowering move we make?

On this episode of Beauty is a Bitch, I’m joined by Amanda Barclay, Senior Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President with Merrill, A Bank of America Company. She’s not only one of Forbes’ “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” in 2024 & 2025, but she’s also deeply passionate about helping women take control of their financial futures. Together, we’re digging into the money conversations we need to be having — with ourselves, our friends, our partners and even our kids.

We’ll explore questions like: How can we make finances a regular, unapologetic part of our midlife conversations? What steps should women take to prepare for the unexpected — whether it’s divorce, illness or time away from the workforce? And what money mistakes do women make most often, and how can we avoid them? Amanda also shares her perspective on building confidence, narrowing the wealth gap, and why financial independence is about so much more than numbers. This episode is all about giving you the tools and mindset shifts to feel secure, confident, and powerful with your money.

Amanda Barclay

The Barclay Group

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-barclay