If you’ve hit your 40s and suddenly feel like your body got swapped out for someone else’s…I’m right there with you. For many midlife women, uninvited menopause belly fat shows up overnight, brain fog makes you lose your train of thought mid-sentence, and you’re wide awake at 3am pondering disasters that will probably never happen. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Barbara Sobel, a board-certified nutritionist with a master’s in clinical and functional medicine nutrition. Barb specializes in midlife and menopause nutrition and helping women in perimenopause and menopause figure out what actually helps us feel better at this stage of life.

We dive into:

•The truth about protein for women in perimenopause and menopause

•What to eat to steady blood sugar and reduce menopause belly fat

•What to do if you are pre-diabetic or have high cholesterol (both common in midlife)

•Nutrition tips to support your strength training

•How nutrition and lifestyle shifts can improve sleep in midlife women

•Key nutrients for perimenopause brain fog, hair thinning, and hormone changes

•Intermittent fasting in midlife: Yay or Nay?

Barb’s approach is refreshingly real: no rigid diet rules, no gimmicks, and no shame. Just practical, doable ways to feel like yourself again—even when your hormones have other plans.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:18 Nutrition Advice for Perimenopause

06:17 You Don't Have to Stick to One Diet ALL the Time

08:55 Use the Plate Visual

11:46 Are Dairy Foods Considered Protein or Fat?

14:54 How Much Protein Should Midlife Women Eat?

18:57 What to Do If You Are Pre-Diabetic or Have High Cholesterol

23:20 Nutrition Tips for Brain Fog, Hair Thinning and Sleep

27:31 Nutrition for Midlife Symptoms

27:48 Nutrition to Support Strength Training

31:26 What to Do About Menopausal Belly Weight

38:57 Intermittent Fasting in Midlife: Yay or Nay?

41:21 Key Takeaways

🎧 Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:

5 Habits That Improved My Sleep in Perimenopause

5 Protein Recipes for Midlife Women Who Don’t Want to Eat Chicken All Day

Connect with Barbara:

barbsobel.com

@barbarasobel_nutrition

➕If this conversation inspired you, please follow the podcast and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple or Spotify. It helps other smart, sassy midlife women just like you find the show and feel connected to others on the same rocky boat ride.

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In this episode, I’m sharing five foods I used to eat all the time that just don’t have a place in my life anymore. And no, this isn’t about demonizing food or creating rules. It’s about noticing how my choices have shifted as I’ve moved through midlife and perimenopause, and celebrating the small but powerful changes that support my hormone health and energy now.

You’ll hear me talk about:

✔️Why I broke up with breakfast cereal after decades of eating it on the regular

✔️The hardest thing I’ve ever given up and the freedom it has given me

✔️How a clean-eating challenge made me start actually reading ingredient labels

✔️Why Wheat Thins feel like a total “waste of sugar” to me now

✔️The reason I choose pasture-raised meat and eggs when I can, and how that supports midlife hormone balance

This conversation isn’t really about cereal or crackers — it’s about noticing the ways we evolve and giving ourselves credit for the progress we’ve made.

✨ Now it’s your turn: What’s one food you used to eat all the time that you don’t anymore? Tell me in a written review on Apple, or in the comments on Spotify or Instagram. I can’t wait to hear what you share!

Chapters:

01:23 The "Why" Behind This Episode

02:43 Breakfast Cereal

05:27 Coffee and Coffee Mate

08:25 Energy/Protein Bars

10:46 Wheat Thins

12:16 Conventional Meat and Eggs

14:12 Wrap Up

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

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Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

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Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Perimenopause doesn’t have to feel like the end of your fire. In Ayurveda, this stage of life is actually called your Golden Goddess era.

In this episode, Jessica talks with Heather Grzych, Ayurvedic doctor-level practitioner, bestselling author of The Ayurvedic Guide to Fertility, and former president of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Heather explains how Ayurveda sees midlife as a shift from the fiery stage of life into the air and space stage — a transition that brings both challenges and new possibilities.

We cover:

✔️How Ayurveda defines the stages of a woman’s life — from “juicy” childhood through the spaciousness of midlife

✔️Why perimenopause can feel like too much fire (hot flashes) or too much air and space (anxiety, dryness) — and how to rebalance

✔️Why oils are considered grounding and calming, and which ones are best for midlife women

✔️How disrupted sleep creates “ama” (toxic buildup) in the body, and gentle ways Ayurveda clears it

✔️How Ayurveda looks at food as qualities (warm, cooling, dry, oily) rather than calories — and what that means for hot flashes, mood, and metabolism

✔️Why routines, rituals, and steady movement like Pilates or yoga bring stability during this stage

✔️Why Ayurveda doesn’t hand out a single perimenopause protocol — because every woman’s transition looks different

Heather reminds us that this isn’t about powering through symptoms or finding the “one right supplement.” It’s about learning how your body is shifting, and working with it instead of against it — so you can move through perimenopause with more steadiness, clarity, and even a little goddess glow.

Connect with Heather:

heathergrzych.com

Wisdom of the Body podcast

Instagram

Get $75 off your first consultation (use code: BELONG)

CHAPTERS

00:00 Episode Intro

01:30 Listener Shout Out  🎉

03:09 What is Ayurveda?

07:29 Perimenopause through the Lens of Ayurveda

15:49 How to Treat Perimenopause Symptoms Using Ayurveda

27:54 Heather's Top Tip for Perimenopause

33:17 What Worked For Your Friend Might Not Work For You

34:18 Conclusion

35:01 Key Takeaways

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When Julie Parana had a hysterectomy at 42, she expected relief from years of pain—which she got. What she did not expect was the immediate launch into menopause a decade earlier than planned. Even with her ovaries intact, Julie found herself dealing with symptoms like brain fog, forgetfulness, and sleep struggles that were affecting her work. But, it wasn’t until the hot flashes showed up that she connected the dots. 

In this episode, Julie shares how she pieced together the truth, why most doctors aren’t trained to recognize or treat menopause effectively, and how the experience inspired her to become The Menopause Occupational Therapist — helping women and employers navigate this transition with confidence.

We cover:

✔️How early menopause can happen after a hysterectomy—even when your ovaries are left intact

✔️The surprising gaps in menopause education for healthcare providers

✔️What to do when your menopause symptoms are affecting your work

✔️Why nervous system regulation is essential for symptom relief and long-term health

Connect with Julie:

➡️ themenopauseot.com

➡️ Instagram | YouTube

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction 

01:24 Listener Shout Out

02:49 Julie's Menopause Story

07:51 Why Julie Educated Herself About Menopause

14:27 Julie's Advice for Those Having Surgery

19:54 Navigating Work During Menopause

24:07 How to Discuss Menopause with Your Boss

29:19 Supporting Women in the Workplace

36:51 What Julie Wishes Everyone Knew About Menopause

37:58 Key Takeaways

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Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

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In this episode, I’m joined by Heather Nelson to discuss her very personal story that sheds light on a topic that feels like a black box to many of us—surrogacy. 

Heather is a mother, wife, business coach and podcaster who became a surrogate five years ago. Now at 43 and navigating perimenopause, she’s preparing to do it again.  

Her story offers a rare, honest look at the emotional and logistical realities of surrogacy—from hormone shots to heart-expanding moments to what it means to grow a baby with the full intention of letting go.

In this episode, we cover:

✔️Why Heather became a surrogate (and why she’s doing it again)

✔️The extensive medical, emotional, and psychological screening process

✔️What makes a good match between surrogate and intended parents

✔️What it’s like to carry a baby that isn’t yours

✔️How she talks to her husband, kids and even strangers about surrogacy

✔️Postpartum recovery without a baby 

✔️Compensation, contracts, and the questions everyone wants to ask

✔️Why the world needs more surrogates—and how to explore it

If you’re anything like me, Heather’s story will leave you both inspired and a little choked up.

Links and Resources:

➡️ Follow Heather on Instagram: @heathernelson.life

➡️ Listen to Heather’s podcast: Life Conversations with a Twist

➡️ Learn more about her coaching work at theconnectionhive.co

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• Your Body Isn’t the Problem—A Midlife Health Reframe
• Perimenopause (Jessica’s Version)

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

If you are a midlife woman trying to eat more protein—but you’re tired of people telling you to eat 100 grams a day, and you’re even more tired of eating chicken—then this episode’s for you. 

I’m breaking down how to personalize your protein intake without bloating, burnout or boredom. I also share 5 protein recipes I make on repeat, including muffins, smoothies, and energy bites my kids devour.

I cover:

✔️Why “100g a day” isn’t right for every woman

✔️How to calculate your own protein range

✔️What happened when I ate more meat and hit 100g

✔️My favorite clean protein powder and why I chose it

✔️5 protein recipes to make midlife nutrition easier, tastier and more FUN

➡️ Recipe links:

•Mint Chocolate smoothie: join my email list and I will send you this recipe and 2 others! 

•Protein Energy Balls

•Protein Herbal Coffee

•Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

•Banana Zucchini Protein Muffins

🛒 Mentioned in this episode*:

•Protein range equation: 1.4-2.2 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day

•Be Well by Kelly protein powder (use code BELONG for 15% off)

•Homemade cashew milk

•Dandy Blend herbal coffee

•Vitamix blender (my most-used appliance!)

•Nutribullet blender (great for protein herbal coffee)

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review! TYSM!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• 5 Habits That Improved My Sleep in Perimenopause
• Can Herbs Help My Hormones? Natural Solutions for Perimenopause Symptoms with Ashley Rocha

*Some of these links are affiliate links. I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking these links. Thank you for your support!

Disclaimer:

Belong Wellness and its members, managers, employees, contractors, and other agents or representatives are not licensed medical care providers and do not provide medical services or advice, including without limitation diagnosing, examining, preventing, treating, or curing any medical conditions. The information shared in this podcast is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. Ple

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

What happens when a powerful woman gets pushed out by the patriarchy? If you’re Cheyenne Richards, you write a novel, get your captain’s license, and sail into your next chapter—literally.

In this episode, Cheyenne shares how she went from VP of Marketing at a tech startup to award-winning historical fiction author and full-time adventurer. We talk about midlife reinvention, creative courage, self-discovery, and what it really means to live authentically.

We cover:

✔️Imposter syndrome in male-dominated workplaces

✔️Getting “fired”—and being thankful for it now

✔️Letting go of Plan B and finally choosing Plan A

✔️Reclaiming creativity and writing a novel about a serial killer in her family tree (yes, really!)

✔️Starting a new relationship on her terms

✔️The power of tiny steps and confronting discomfort in building real confidence

Whether you’re navigating your own career pivot, craving more freedom, or wondering if it’s too late to chase your wildest dream—this one’s for you.

Learn more and connect with Cheyenne:

➡️ cheyennerichards.com

➡️ Get her novel: The Prisoner’s Apprentice* 

➡️ Download her free novella: The Navigator 

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

Advice for Taking the Career Leap from 2x Pivoter Petra Langer

From Passion to Profession: Starting a Business in Midlife with Catherine Ziegler

*This is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking this link. Thank you for your support!

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Why do so many smart, self-aware women feel emotionally disconnected from their partners in midlife? And how do you know if you should keep working on the relationship or separate?

These are the questions I explore in this episode with licensed psychotherapist Jessie Curtner.

We discuss in depth what happens when one partner starts to grow and evolve while the other stays the same—and why that disconnect can feel so painful and confusing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ The real reason women emotionally check out of relationships in midlife

✔️ How to know when it’s time to see a couples therapist

✔️ Why emotional risks—not resignation—are the key to deeper intimacy

✔️ One of the keys to a healthy midlife relationship

✔️ How to reconnect without jumping straight into sex

Whether you want to revive the spark, get your needs met, or simply stop having the same argument on repeat, this conversation is packed with insight—and heart.

📩  Have a friend who’s struggling in her relationship? Please share this episode with her. She’s not alone.

Learn more and connect with Jessie Curtner, LMFT:

https://www.jessiecurtner.com/

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo
• I Checked All The Boxes, So Why Am I Still Unsatisfied? w/Anna K. Morris

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

The Belong Wellness podcast just turned 6 months old! To celebrate, I’m taking you on a greatest-hits-style trip through some of my favorite podcast moments so far. From big laughs to aha moments, from menopause hormone therapy advice for IUD users to a goddess vision during Reiki, this “Midlife Mixtape” brings the sass, the science, and the soul.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

•a career pivot with an unexpected beginning that made me laugh so hard I had to mute my microphone

•a year-long family trip around the world (wait til you hear their first stop!)

•following the inner voice and choosing to leave a marriage and a career

•menopause hormone therapy options when you have an IUD

•what happens when you marry your same Enneagram type

•a goddess vision during a Reiki session

Whether you’ve been here from day one or you’re brand new—this is the perfect way to catch up on what midlife women are really talking about. Enjoy this trip down memory lane and please share this episode with a friend if you think it could help her!

🎧 Episodes mentioned:

Episode 3: From Passion to Profession: Starting a Business in Midlife with Catherine Ziegler

Episode 6: How Knowing Your Enneagram Type Can Make Your Life Easier w/Ali Dunn

Episode 7: A Year of Global Travel with Kids IS Possible! w/Ananda Baron

Episode 9: Advice for Taking the Career Leap from 2x Pivoter Petra Langer

Episode 17: Menopause Hormone Therapy Explained: What Every Midlife Woman Should Know with Dr. Lisa Brent

Episode 18: What is Reiki Healing—and Can It Help Stressed-Out Midlife Women?

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Please note: Belong Wellness and its members, managers, employees, contractors, and other agents or representatives are not licensed medical care providers and do not provide medical services or advice, including without limitation diagnosing, examining, preventing, treating, or curing any medical conditions. The information shared in this podcast is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. Please consult your medical doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Further, the opinions of guests on this show do not necessarily reflect the opini

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

I have seen too many super smart, extremely capable women start to feel like the wheels are coming off in their 40s. But before we go blaming our hormones, our jobs, our spouses or our bodies—let’s pause.

This week, I’m joined by Courtney Townley, host of the Grace & Grit podcast and a total truth-teller when it comes to women’s health. She’s here to help us stop waging war on our bodies, stop doing everyone else’s emotional labor, and start rebuilding a life that actually works for us.

We’re talking burnout, hormone shifts, people-pleasing, body image, boundaries—and how to stop patching the cracks and start pouring a new foundation.

We cover:

✔️ Why so many women feel like they’re falling apart at midlife

✔️ How our hormones are changing and why our capacity is too

✔️ The concept of “unnecessary labor” and how to stop doing it

✔️ Why self-care has nothing to do with spa days

✔️ Why you have to be willing to disappoint some people

If your stress bucket is overflowing and you’re feeling overwhelmed—this episode is your wake-up call and your roadmap.

➡️ Learn more and connect with Courtney:

www.graceandgrit.com

@gracegrit

Grace & Grit podcast

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• The Midlife Working Mom Struggle is Real: Burnout, Guilt and Finding Joy
• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo
• I Checked All The Boxes, So Why Am I Still Unsatisfied? w/Anna K. Morris

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch:
Join my email list and I will send you my three favorite protein-rich smoothie recipes!

Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com