In this episode of Simply Nourish, Brenda chats with Loretta Hogg of Loretta Loves Lifting. Loretta shares how strength training can empower women through midlife and menopause, building muscle, bone health, energy, and confidence. From elite athletes to everyday women, discover practical tips and inspiration to lift, thrive, and feel strong at every stage of life.

Simply Nourish - my nutrition and menopause coaching practice

Dr Anastasia Hronis, author of the bestselling The Dopamine Brain, joins me to share insights on motivation, habits, and living with purpose. We explore brain health, sleep, and neuroplasticity, with practical tips for thriving in midlife and beyond.  A conversation full of inspiration, science, and actionable tips for women ready to nourish their body, mind, and spirit.

⁠Simply Nourish - my nutrition and menopause coaching practice

Dr Anastasia Hronis - to connect with Anastasia

What does it take to reinvent yourself after 50? To move through adversity, loss, and the challenges of menopause — and still find the strength to create something vibrant and life-changing?

In this episode, I sit down with Gillian Halkett, founder of Dance Fitness Christchurch, one of the city's largest independent dance fitness communities. Gillian's journey is one of resilience, joy, and reinvention — a story that will inspire women everywhere navigating midlife and beyond.

Gillian shares openly about:

• Her love of dance and how it became a source of healing and empowerment
• The difficult years of bullying in the fitness industry — and how she found the strength to keep going
• Her personal menopause journey and the challenges of navigating change at midlife
• How grief, including the loss of her daughter, shaped her outlook on life, resilience, and community
• The creation and growth of Dance Fitness Christchurch, and thriving after 50

Tune in if you're ready for real talk on:

• Menopause and midlife transitions
• Building resilience after adversity
• Healing through movement and dance

Episode Extras
Check out Gillian’s Boogie Wonderland September 2025 playlist here

Connect with Gillian on Facebook: Dance Fitness Chch

Simply Nourish - my nutrition and menopause coaching practice

In this episode, I share my own story of what led me to build Simply Nourish, and eventually to start this podcast.

A few years ago, my brother died suddenly at 52. It stopped me in my tracks and made me look honestly at my own life, how much I'd been putting my health in the background, year after year. I gave up drinking, got serious about my own health, and realised something I couldn't unrealise: life after 50 can be full, if you choose it and it's too short to waste.

That realisation is what led me to become a nutritionist and menopause coach. I wanted other women to know the same thing I'd discovered that this stage of life doesn't have to be something you simply get through. It can be something you truly live.

This episode is the "why" behind Simply Nourish and Menopause: Through & Beyond, my own turning point, and the reason I do this work.

Simply Nourish - my nutrition and menopause coaching practice