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

Is midlife going exactly as you expected it would? Yeah… me neither. 

And it certainly didn’t for Teyonna Bowman.

At 35, she was a young mom who thought she was doing everything right — eating healthy, staying active, raising her kids — until she found a lump in her breast that changed everything. After surviving breast cancer twice and enduring chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone-blocking treatment, Teyonna entered medically induced menopause at 40.

In this episode, Teyonna shares what it’s really like to navigate early menopause after cancer — the physical symptoms, the emotional whiplash, the loss of connection with her body and her husband — and how she ultimately reclaimed her strength and purpose.

You’ll hear:

•The emotional side of breast cancer and recovery — body image, intimacy, and identity

•How early menopause can affect mental health, libido, and relationships

•The healing power of strength training, journaling, and community

•How Teyonna turned her experience into advocacy and founded Pausitive Outlook

•Her recent work on Capitol Hill lobbying for women’s health and early cancer detection

Whether you’re in perimenopause, post-menopause, or simply trying to make sense of your midlife body, this conversation is a powerful reminder that women are resilient, resourceful, and capable of incredible reinvention.

✨ Listen now and please share this episode with someone who’s facing breast cancer or navigating early menopause. It might be exactly the encouragement they need today.

Connect with Teyonna:

pausitiveoutlook.com | @pausitiveoutlook

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

My midlife mom friends—If you’ve ever needed a vacation after your family vacation, this one’s for you.

In this playful mini-sode, I reflect on my recent family “vacation,” and how I’m getting closer to dropping the quotes. I talk five-hour flights with no iPads, the magic of kids’ clubs, Yoto players, hotel spas, and share tips (and a few silly wins) for traveling with little kids while keeping your sanity intact.

You’ll hear:

•Tips that make family travel a little easier

•How to actually squeeze in some guilt-free “me time”

•The power of being spontaneous and seizing the day

•And the reminder every mom needs

If you have your own family trip survival tips, text me through the link below! It would be so exciting to get a text from you. ;)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Listener Shout Out

02:12 Family "Vacation" Reflections

02:49 Tips for Optimizing Family Trips

05:01 Get A Yoto Player

06:23 Kids' Club for the Win

08:14 Book The Spa Appointment

09:27 Celebrate How Far You've Come

10:54 Carpe Diem

14:37 A Reminder for All Midlife Moms

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

Turns out, those ‘I’m past my prime’ thoughts aren’t harmless—they can literally change your hormones, heart, and health. 😱

Functional nutritionist and narrative-medicine practitioner (yes, we will cover what that means) Andrea Nakayama explains how age beliefs influence inflammation, cortisol, heart health, memory, recovery, and even longevity.

If you’re a midlife woman trying to feel your best during this wacky season of life and want some practical midlife advice for how to evolve into one badass “old” lady, this one’s for you.

 We cover:

✔️The 7.5-year advantage: how positive aging beliefs can extend your life

✔️Why negative beliefs can affect cardiovascular health, memory, and recovery

✔️How mindset and culture influence midlife women’s health

✔️Andrea’s thoughts on Menopause Hormone Therapy

✔️Sleep, elimination, and blood sugar—the three pillars of midlife health

Why midlife women should listen:

This episode blends science, mindset, nutrition and lifestyle for women navigating hormonal changes, perimenopause, and the mental side of midlife. Andrea and Jessica unpack what every midlife woman needs to know about how her beliefs, not just her biology, can change her health trajectory.

Guest:

Andrea Nakayama—Functional Medicine Nutritionist, educator, host of 15-Minute Matrix, founder & former CEO of Functional Nutrition Alliance

andreanakayama.com | fxnutrition.com | @andreanakayama

Resources mentioned:

•Becca Levy, PhD — Breaking the Age Code (age beliefs & longevity)

•Ellen Langer, PhD — The Mindful Body (mindset & health)

•Daniel Levitin, PhD — Successful Aging (how memory changes with age)

CHAPTERS:

02:31 What is Narrative Medicine?

06:48 How Your Perceptions About Aging Affect Longevity

08:34 How Our Beliefs Impact Our Physical Health

10:31 What We Can Do About Society's Negative View of Aging

15:56 How To Improve Our Views of Aging

19:32 Andrea's Thoughts on Menopause Hormone Therapy

24:37 3 Pillars of Midlife Nutrition

27:09 Is There a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy About Aging?

36:56 How to Shift Your Negative Beliefs

39:30 Our Memories Are Changing, Not Declining

41:52 Key Takeaways

⭐️ If this episode gave you new insight into midlife women’s health or helped you reframe your thoughts on getting older, please leave a quick rating and review on Apple or Spotify. Your positive reviews are the best way to help me book expert guests to share actionable midlife advice with those of us who need it most.

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

What if the hardest thing to do in yoga isn’t on the mat — it’s staying calm when your kid rolls their eyes for the fiftieth time that day?

In this episode, I talk with Sarah Ezrin, yoga teacher and author of The Yoga of Parenting, about how the ancient principles of yoga can help us survive — and even savor — the chaos of raising humans as midlife women.

Sarah says parenting is the most advanced yoga of all, and once you hear her examples, you’ll get it.

We talk about how yoga is less about poses and more about presence — being aware of your breath, your triggers, and your connection to your kids (especially when they’re testing every ounce of patience you have).

You’ll also hear:

•Why the balance of strong and soft is the real parenting sweet spot

•What “non-attachment” actually looks like when you’ve got to get your kid out the door

•How protecting your energy is the most loving thing you can do for your family

•The one yoga principle Sarah says every parent needs to start with

This episode will make you laugh, nod, and maybe breathe a little deeper the next time you’re about to lose it.

👉 Listen now to hear some powerful midlife advice from a yoga perspective — and why Sarah says, if she rewrote her book today, she might evolve that idea even further.

Guest: 

Sarah Ezrin — yoga teacher, writer, and author of The Yoga of Parenting

@sarahezrinyoga

Chapters:

02:27 What is The Yoga of Parenting?

07:04 The Definition of Yoga

10:20 Balancing Softness and Strength

18:37 Non-attachment in Parenting

26:30 The Importance of Self-Care as a Parent

34:54 When Applying the Yoga of Parenting, Start Here

38:39 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

Have you ever noticed that just when life starts to feel really good…you start waiting for the other shoe to drop? Or worse, you pick a fight or find a way to mess things up? That’s not random—it’s what psychologists call the Upper Limits Problem, and it’s one of the sneakiest ways we sabotage our own joy.

In this episode, I talk with award-winning author Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, whose book How to Have a Happy Birthday explores why so many of us minimize celebrations, dread our own birthdays, or struggle to receive joy. 

We discuss:

✔️What the Upper Limits Problem is and how it shows up in daily life

✔️Why birthdays are a magnifying glass for self-sabotage

✔️Childhood experiences that shape how we feel about celebrating ourselves

✔️How birthdays can be a practice ground for raising your threshold for joy

✔️Why fully feeling joy matters—not just for us, but for our kids

If you’ve ever cringed at the thought of being celebrated, struggled with disappointment on your birthday, or wondered why joy feels uncomfortable, this conversation is for you.

📖 Learn more about Tamar and her book at howtohaveahappybirthday.com.

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who doesn’t love her birthday—because maybe it’s time she had a different story about celebrating herself.

Chapters:

03:34 The Upper Limits Problem

06:45 How to Use Your Birthday To Expand Your Joy Threshold

08:51 How & Why We Sabotage Our Birthday

12:15 How Jessica Sabotages Her Birthday

17:31 How Parents Can Help Their Kids Expand Their Thresholds for Joy

21:19 How to Have A Happy Birthday in December

23:48 Why It's Important to Celebrate On Your Actual Birthday

26:13 Want to Have A Happy Birthday? Start Here.

29:23 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

Bag of chips. Pint of ice cream. Pick your favorite vice. Ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m not even hungry—so why am I eating this?”

In this episode, I’m joined by Tricia Nelson, founder of Heal Your Hunger and author of Heal Your Hunger: 7 Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating Now. After losing 50 pounds and healing her own relationship with food, Tricia has devoted decades to helping women uncover the real reasons behind emotional eating.

We talk about:

✔️What emotional eating actually is (and how to recognize it)

✔️How it gets more complicated in midlife

✔️The PEP test (Painkiller, Escape, Punishment) and how food plays each role

✔️Why diets fail and what to do instead

✔️Practical steps to break the cycle and find freedom

🎧 Listen in to discover how to stop reaching for food when what you really need is something else entirely.

CHAPTERS:

02:28 What is Emotional Eating?

04:30 Why Do We Turn to Sugar and Carbs?

05:52 Tricia's PEP Test for Understanding Why We Emotionally Eat

09:49 Are Some of Us Predisposed to Emotional Eating?

15:47 Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Eating

19:56 The 3 Things That Drive Emotional Eating

24:21 How To Care For Yourself When You're Emotionally Eating

28:05 Emotional Eating in Midlife

34:59 Tricia's Coaching Program

40:07 Key Takeaways

Connect with Tricia:

➡️ Tricia’s website

➡️ Take Tricia’s Emotional Eating Quiz

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

Most women are told there are only a handful of options when it comes to hormone therapy for perimenopause and menopause. But what if that’s not the full story?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Peter Koshland, a UCSF-trained pharmacist and founder of Koshland Pharm, San Francisco’s only PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy. Peter pulls back the curtain on what compounding really is, how safety and testing work, and why it can open up a world of options beyond the standard prescriptions.

We cover:

•Why one-size-fits-all menopause hormone therapy isn't for everyone

•Safe, smart delivery methods for progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone

•What compounding pharmacies do to ensure safety, potency, and precision

•The misunderstood role of progesterone in midlife women’s health

•The potential of low-dose naltrexone for women with autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s

💌 Share this episode with a friend who’s navigating menopause hormones. These conversations aren’t happening enough, and the more we spread the word, the more women will know they have choices.

Chapters:

02:27 Why Peter Is "The Hormone Guy"

06:50 What is a Compounding Pharmacy?

08:55 Who is Best Served by Compounding Pharmacies?

10:23 A Compounded Drug That Helps Hypothyroidism

13:32 Why Don't All Doctors Prescribe Compounded Hormones?

16:26 Compounded Hormones: Safety and Regulation

20:55 Compounded Hormones for Menopause Hormone Therapy

33:26 Why Blood Tests Can Be Misleading

37:13 Peter's Preferred Delivery Methods for Menopause Hormones

41:55 Trends in Menopause Hormone Therapy

45:39 The Importance of Compounding in Hormone Therapy

47:04 Key Takeaways

Connect with Dr. Peter Koshland:

➡️ koshlandpharm.com

➡️ @koshlandpharm

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

In today’s minisode, I’m answering one of the most common questions I get: “So… do you love podcasting?”

The short answer? Yes! I love the challenge of learning a new industry, diving into conversations with inspiring midlife women, and spreading science-based information. But I also want to keep it real — it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Podcasting is a ton of work, and doing it solo while juggling family and life isn’t sustainable forever.

In this short and honest episode, I share:

✔️ Why I love podcasting (and what keeps me going)

✔️ Why defining your sense of purpose matters for health and longevity

✔️ An important reminder for all midlife women

👀 A sneak peek at upcoming episodes 

⭐️ If this podcast has brought you new info or inspiration, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and help other midlife women find this show. TYSM!

Chapters

01:00 I Need a Break

01:38 Your Question Answered: Are You Loving Your Podcast?

06:03 Midlife Reminder: Schedule Your Annual Exams

07:09 Coming Soon on the Podcast!

🎧 Episode mentioned:

Menopause Hormone Therapy Explained: What Every Midlife Woman Should Know

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 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.

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

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 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