Midlife Advice | Perimenopause, Hormones and Midlife Women’s Health

This episode explores how midlife women can use the Enneagram to plan a more aligned year at work and at home, instead of bracing for the Sunday Scaries every week.

Leadership coach and Enneagram facilitator Ali Dunn returns to the podcast to help midlife women plan a year that actually fits—without forcing goals, burning everything down, or fantasizing about moving to Fiji (tempting though it may be).

The Enneagram isn’t about personality labels or behavior. It’s about motivation—and when you understand what truly drives you, you can make better choices in your career, relationships, parenting, and daily life.

Take Ali's quiz to learn your Enneagram type and what motivates you!

In this conversation, we talk about how deep self-awareness can help you advocate for yourself at work and at home, recognize when something is out of alignment, and set goals that support your energy instead of draining it.

In this episode, we cover:

•Why the Sunday Scaries are often a sign of misalignment—not weakness

•How knowing your Enneagram type and what motivates you helps you plan a more aligned year

•The difference between goals that stretch you and goals driven by “shoulds”

•What to do when your job or work environment feels off

•How to advocate for yourself at work without quitting or blowing everything up

•Why your strengths can quietly become blind spots—and how to work with that

Whether you know your Enneagram type or not, this episode will help you get more intentional, self-aware, and aligned as you plan the year ahead.

How to Get Really Clear About What Matters to You

It’s not about resolution-setting or vision boarding (no shade). It’s about asking yourself specific questions and getting really honest about the answers. 

Get my full list of New Year reflection questions here!

Connect with Ali Dunn

Alidunn.com | @enneagrambyali

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Understanding the Enneagram

05:48 How to Use Your Enneagram Type to Plan Your Year

10:29 How to Know If Your Goal is Right for You

15:02 When Your Job is Not Aligned with Your Enneagram Type

19:56 Use the Enneagram to Improve Your Relationships

26:14 Use Your Enneagram Type to Identify a Theme for the Year

29:02 Key Takeaways

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

Eating less and exercising more does not help with weight gain in perimenopause. It can actually backfire. Here’s what works instead.

In this episode, I talk with registered dietitian and holistic nutritionist Betsy Markle about why traditional dieting stops working in perimenopause and what actually supports metabolism during midlife. We unpack why the old “calories in calories out” advice fails so many women, how fluctuating hormones impact blood sugar, cravings, sleep, and weight gain, and why restriction often makes everything worse.

We also talk about what a metabolism-first approach looks like in this phase of life, including balanced meals, stabilizing blood sugar, reducing stress hormones, and making mindset shifts that feel supportive instead of punishing.

If you’ve noticed new belly fat, stubborn weight gain, low energy, joint pain or intense cravings despite healthy habits, this episode will help you understand what’s going on and how to work with your body instead of against it.

In this episode, we cover:

•Why dieting backfires in perimenopause

•What metabolism actually means in midlife

•How hormones affect blood sugar, cravings, and fat storage

•Why restriction increases stress hormones

•How balanced meals support energy and mood

•When women typically start feeling better

Connect with Betsy: SunshineWellnessInstitute.com | @betsywellness

⭐️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show, leave a 5-star rating, and write a quick review on Apple Podcasts. It helps me bring on more badass guests like Betsy with so much wisdom to share!

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

Did you accomplish a lot this year but still feel oddly unfulfilled? This episode will help you understand why and what to do next.

In this solo episode, I share some of my favorite end-of-year and New Year reflection prompts for midlife women who are done moving through life on auto-pilot and ready to get honest about what it takes to live life “awake.”

✨ Get the full list of end-of-year and new-year reflection questions sent straight to your inbox.

This episode is not about goal-setting, resolutions, or fixing yourself. It’s about reflecting on what drained you, what lit you up, and what you’re ready to put down.

You’ll hear how these reflection prompts can help you:

✔️Identify what’s out of alignment in your life

✔️Make decisions that feel like YOU

✔️Release obligations that no longer fit

✔️Live in greater alignment with the woman you’re becoming

If you’re a midlife woman craving clarity, alignment, and a more intentional way of living, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 Reflecting on the Year: Intentional Living

01:37 End of Year & New Year Reflection Journal Prompts

05:46 Exploring Who I Want to Be & Relationships

08:16 Wellbeing & Habits to Support My Future Self

11:35 Living Intentionally in the New Year

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

A short and sweet check-in on slowing down, protecting your bandwidth, and savoring the holiday week instead of letting it blur.

In this episode, I’m sharing a few small, meaningful ways I’m protecting my energy and sanity during the holiday week — in case it inspires you to do the same. 

This is about slowing down enough to actually feel this season and not miss the joy because you’re on auto-pilot.

If the holidays feel a little overwhelming, this is your chance to choose your own version of ease.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Small, sensory rituals that make the holidays feel more meaningful

• What I noticed when gift-giving crossed into overstimulation

• How protecting your bandwidth can help you feel calmer and more present

• Asking yourself how you want to feel this holiday week — and honoring that

Coming Up

Next week, I’m sharing some of my favorite end-of-year reflection prompts to help you celebrate how far you’ve come and set intentions for an aligned year ahead. Make sure you are following the show so you don't miss this episode!

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

01:37 My Small Traditions for Savoring the Season

05:07 Simplifying Gift Giving

07:06 Mini Digital Detoxes for More Presence

09:38 Questions to Ask Yourself

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

If midlife has you thinking, “Why don’t I feel like myself anymore?”—this episode is for you.

After 50 episodes of interviewing doctors, coaches, healers, and badass midlife women (plus sharing plenty of my own solo reflections), I’ve noticed the same themes rise to the surface again and again. Today, I’m pulling together the most important lessons from the first 50 episodes to help you feel less alone, more informed, and way more empowered in this chapter of life.

We cover:

✔️Why perimenopause feels so confusing and isolating

✔️The many ways women are managing symptoms (hormone therapy, Ayurvedic practices, pelvic floor PT, Reiki, microdosing, nutrition shifts, fitness, and more)

✔️The unbelievable strength and resilience midlife women show through illness, divorce, career upheaval, and identity shifts

✔️How reinvention becomes possible—sometimes even necessary—after 40

✔️Why “feeling like yourself again” is absolutely possible

I also share what’s coming to the podcast in 2026, including metabolism myths, planning an aligned year using your Enneagram type, midlife marriage support, puberty talks with your kids, and inspiring reinvention stories you won’t want to miss.

If you haven’t yet, hit Follow so you never miss an episode!

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction and Overview of Themes

01:35 Theme: Perimenopause is a B*tch

03:29 Theme: So Many Options to Feeling Like Yourself Again

07:50 Theme: Midlife Women are F*cking Strong & Resilient

10:52 Theme: Midlife Career Evolution & Reinvention

15:04 What's Coming in 2026

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

The holidays are here — which means parties, pressure, family expectations, and enough sugar to take down a small village. If you’re a midlife woman who’s finally feeling good again thanks to protein, strength training, better sleep, and smarter nutrition… the holidays can feel like a threat to your hard-won progress.

Good news: you can stay true to your healthy habits and have fun.

In this episode, Jessica talks with Jacquelyn Reale, the vibrant natural chef behind Marin Mama Cooks, who shares the holiday eating tips every midlife woman needs to feel grounded, energized, and guilt-free all season long.

You’ll hear:

✔️Simple mindset shifts to release guilt and holiday pressure

✔️How to set loving boundaries with food, alcohol, and family dynamics

✔️The blood-sugar-friendly trick to avoid overeating at parties

✔️Ways to enjoy the foods you love without spiraling

✔️Easy, make-ahead side dishes that bring color and nourishment to any holiday table

Perfect for women navigating perimenopause, stress, chaotic schedules, and the emotional labor of the holidays.

Find Jackie:

marinmamacooks.com

@marinmamacooks

Marin Mama Cooks recipes mentioned:

Kale & Brussels with Toasted Almonds

Vegan Kale Salad

Green Beans & Shallots

Broccolini & Shallots

Roasted Honeynut Squash & Red Onion

CHAPTERS:

01:42 How to Stick to Your Healthy Values & Have Fun During the Holidays

04:03 How to Refuse the Food You Don't Want

04:55 Release Judgment of Others and Yourself

07:27 Food Guilt & Mindset Shifts

09:09 Jackie's Healthy Holiday Party Strategy

11:58 How Jackie Started Marin Mama Cooks

14:54 Jackie's Favorite Healthy Holiday Side Dishes

17:41 Time-saving Tips in the Kitchen

22:28 Top Tip for Health: Read Ingredient Labels

24:26 Key Takeaways

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

Raise your hand (or glass?) if gift giving, cards, décor, hosting, and family expectations around the holidays STRESS. YOU. OUT. I see you. 

In this episode, world-renowned organizing expert and bestselling author Shira Gill shares minimalist strategies that help busy midlife women simplify the holidays without sacrificing joy.

We cover:

✔️Why we keep buying things we don’t need — and how to break the cycle

✔️How to handle unwanted gifts without guilt

✔️Décor ideas that create a festive atmosphere (without more bins to store)

✔️Hosting and entertaining strategies that don’t require two days of cooking

✔️How to set boundaries, reset expectations, and design a calmer holiday season

Shira’s philosophy: Minimalism isn’t about deprivation — it’s about having the perfect amount for you.

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “next year, I’m keeping it simple,” this conversation is your roadmap for how to do just that.

🎁 Easy gift idea: Share this episode with a friend! 

Connect with Shira:

Website: shiragill.com

Substack: The Life Edit

Books: Minimalista, Organized Living, Lifestyled

Episode Highlights:

02:39 Shira's Definition of Minimalism

09:10 How to Avoid Excess Everything during the Holidays

13:13 How to Handle Gifts You Don't Want

16:43 How to Give a Great Gift

20:29 How to Be Thoughtful, Not Excessive, with Decorations

25:21 Simple Home Styling Tips

27:12 Host a Holiday Meal without Going Overboard

30:08 Decide Ahead of Time How You Want Your Holiday to Feel

37:46 Key Takeaways

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

This one’s special — because you helped create it.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I asked listeners to share what they’re feeling most grateful for in midlife. And your answers were so good! They’re honest, hilarious, heartfelt, and full of that signature midlife “F-it” energy we all know and love.

Today’s episode is a crowdsourced roundup of what real women 40+ are grateful for right now — from better relationships with our bodies, to boundaries that finally stick, to friendships that really matter.

Whether you’re juggling work, perimenopause, kids, aging parents, a chin hair you swear wasn’t there yesterday, or all of the above, this episode is a reminder that there’s still so much good in this wild stage of life.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

•The top themes midlife women say they’re grateful for

•Why gratitude hits differently in your 40s and 50s

•What’s changing in how we relate to our bodies

•The rise of boundaries & dropping the people-pleasing

•The power of women supporting women (and why it matters now more than ever)

•Reflections on raising teens and giving fewer f***s

•My own takeaways from your beautiful submissions

Why this episode matters for midlife women

It’s easy to get swallowed by the chaos of midlife — hormones, careers, family, relationships, the mental load… the list is long. Sometimes we forget to actually notice what’s working.

This episode gives you a chance to pause, reflect, and see yourself in the stories of other women walking the same path.

Join the conversation

What resonated with you? What did we miss?

💌 Send me a DM on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast or text me using the link in the show notes. I love hearing from you.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friend — and thank you for being here. Truly.

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

If you’ve been thinking, “I just don’t feel like myself anymore,” this episode is for you. Dr. Prudence Hall breaks down why perimenopause can flip your mood, energy, sleep, libido, and identity upside down—and what you can actually do about it.

We dig into the hormonal shifts behind the fog, the labs that matter, the truth about birth control pills and hormonal IUDs in perimenopause, and how bioidentical hormones may help you feel like you again.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•The real reason you don’t feel like yourself in perimenopause

•How declining hormones affect your mood, weight, sleep, and libido

•Why Dr. Hall says to measure, don’t guess — the exact labs to ask your doctor for

•How BHRT (bioidentical hormones) can restore capacity so lifestyle changes actually stick

•What to know about birth control pills and hormonal IUDs during perimenopause

•How thyroid and adrenal issues can mimic perimenopause symptoms

•When to seek a functional or integrative provider for deeper support

Connect with Dr. Prudence Hall

•@drprudencehall

•Get her free book: Radiant Again & Forever

•The Hall Center

🚌 If you have a friend on the perimenopause struggle bus, please send her this episode so she knows she’s not alone.

CHAPTERS:

02:01 Why We Don't Feel Like Ourselves in Perimenopause

07:22 Why Labs are Important in Perimenopause

10:11 When Your Labs Look "Normal" in Perimenopause

13:05 HRT or Diet/Lifestyle? Which Comes First?

15:33 Can Midlife Women Feel Like We're 30 Again?

19:05 The WHI Study and What We Know Now About HRT

22:11 Birth Control Pills & IUDs in Perimenopause: Dr. Hall's Take

27:59 What Perimenopausal Women Need to Know About Their Thyroid

35:06 Key Takeaways

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

The podcast has a new name! Welcome to Midlife Advice, where smart and sassy women over 40 come to figure out all things midlife — from hormones to careers, relationships, and everything in between.

In this episode, Jessica shares why she decided to change the name from Belong Wellness to Midlife Advice and how you can be featured in an upcoming episode.

If you’ve ever struggled to launch something because you were waiting for it to be perfect, this one will inspire you to just start — and refine as you go.

💌 Text Jessica using the link below or DM her @belongwellness to share what you’re grateful for in midlife (funny, heartfelt, or totally ridiculous submissions all welcome) and a chance to be featured on the show!

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

Jessica's freebies and resources:

😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep)

✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong