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

If your nightstand is stacked with books you swear you’re going to read (someday), this episode is for you.

Jessica sits down with her oldest friend, Alexis Lynch—a lawyer, mom, and avid reader—who somehow manages to read 2 to 6 books a month while working full time and raising an 8-year-old.

In this light & fun chat between old friends, Jess & Lex talk about:

📖 Why midlife is the perfect time to rediscover reading for fun

📖 The mindset shift that helped Alexis start reading again

📖 How to find time to read—even when life feels full AF

📖 The book genres that pair best with perimenopause (p.s. it’s not self-help)

📖 Why you should lower your standards and be a QUITTER

Alexis shares her top book recs for midlife women, including:

•Wellness by Nathan Hill

•All Fours by Miranda July

•Wintering by Katherine May

•Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

•Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Jessica mentions she is currently reading:

• The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

If you want to be that girl who reads for FUN, or you just want to laugh along with two old friends, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and get your next “can’t put it down” read—plus a gentle reminder that reading counts as self-care (even if it’s a rom-com).

Resources & Links:

➡️ Connect with Alexis on Instagram

➡️ AlexisLynchLaw.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 🎧:

• The Midlife Working Mom Struggle is Real: Burnout, Guilt and Finding Joy
• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo

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 supporting a solopreneur!

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’re a midlife woman who knows strength training matters but can’t figure out how the heck to fit it in, this episode is for you. Jessica talks with longtime fitness instructor and midlife mom Judy Truong, who’s all about making strength training doable—no gym, no childcare, no special gear required.

Judy shares creative ways to squeeze strength into your day, how to start if you’re not sure where to begin, and why small efforts matter more than you think.

We cover:

✔️ Why strength training doesn’t have to mean deadlifting 200 pounds

✔️ How to sneak fitness into everyday moments—at the park, at your desk, even at the airport

✔️ What “progressive overload” really means 

✔️ The difference between strength and endurance training

✔️ What exercises matter most for real-life function

✔️ How to shift your mindset around fitness, especially if you feel like “it’s too late” or “you don’t have time”

Resources & Links:

➡️ Follow Judy on Instagram for fun, real-life fitness inspo

➡️ Jessica’s workout playlist 

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 helped 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

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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

Ever had a brilliant idea for a product but no clue how to make it real? 

Whether you are a visionary with a dream, or just love a story of resilience and midlife woman badassery, this episode is for you.

Jill is a longtime Pilates instructor with a thriving studio and Instagram following. But when she couldn’t find a piece of equipment that did what her clients actually needed, she decided to invent her own. That’s how Fit Springs was born: a spring-resistance workout system that’s now being used by everyone from professional athletes to clients in their 70s.

Jill shares the real story behind building her product—from sketching prototypes with a Burning Man engineer to navigating business setbacks, a violent personal attack, and the long, messy middle of turning a brilliant idea into a brand.

We talk about:

✔️ How she went from “I have an idea” to “I built a brand”

✔️ The technical and physical challenges of product development

✔️ The assault that could have set her back, but didn’t—and how she rehabbed herself using the very product she created

✔️ How she built a brand without outside funding—and the challenges this presented

✔️ Her best advice for anyone sitting on a brilliant idea

Resources & Links:

➡️ Follow Jill on Instagram

➡️ Follow Fitsprings on Instagram

➡️ Fitsprings.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 helped you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5 star review!

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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

How to Help a Friend in Crisis: Real Advice from a Mom Who’s Been There

When someone you love is facing the unimaginable, what do you actually say? What can you do that really helps?

In this episode, Jessica talks with her friend Tara Sharp, a midlife mom who’s navigated multiple medical crises with her children—including open-heart surgery for her infant daughter and spinal surgery for her teen. Tara shares real-life examples of what helped the most (and what didn’t), along with advice for anyone in the thick of it themselves.

Whether you’re supporting a friend with a sick child, showing up for someone in crisis, or facing your own storm—this is a must-listen.

We talk about:

•How to support a friend going through a medical crisis

•What to say (and not say) when someone is struggling

•Practical ways to show up: food, logistics, emotional support

•Postpartum depression and the emotional toll on moms

•Why second opinions matter—and how to advocate for the best care

•How medical trauma can affect marriage and mental health

•What Tara wishes every parent knew

⭐️ Please share this with your friends who could benefit and leave a 5-star rating if this episode helped you. 

Resources & Links:

➡️ Connect with Tara on Linked In

➡️ Order Maya Shankar’s book: The Other Side of Change*

*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, but rest assured I only recommend what I stand behind.

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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

Acupuncture for midlife symptoms? Yes, please. 

In this episode, licensed acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner Katharine Chaney explains how acupuncture, cupping, and Chinese herbs can help with perimenopause symptoms like frozen shoulder, hot flashes, sleep issues, anxiety, and irritability. 

We talk about how to actually build better health habits, what your tongue says about your health, and—no joke—how acupuncture helps penguins.

We also cover:

✔️ How acupuncture helps with pain, sleep, mood, and hormones

✔️ The many ways you can take Chinese herbs

✔️ How to find a qualified, trustworthy acupuncturist

✔️ The benefits of starting acupuncture before symptoms begin 

✔️ And how it’s never too late to start, even if you’ve had symptoms for years

If you’re ready for natural solutions, real talk about what actually helps in midlife, and a little humor thrown in, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links:

➡️ Katharine’s website: PureJoyAcupuncture.com

➡️ Katharine’s Instagram: @purejoyacupuncture

➡️ Mention this podcast to save $50 off your first session with Katharine in 2025!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• Can Herbs Help My Hormones? Natural Solutions for Perimenopause Symptoms with Ashley Rocha
• What is Reiki Healing—and Can It Help Stressed-Out Midlife Women?

Did this episode make you think?

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

⭐️ Please share this episode with a 40+ friend who could use some support, drop a 5-star rating and leave a review! I promise I will do a happy dance if you do.  

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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 happens when seven friends who’ve known each other for nearly 30 years head out on a girls trip in their 40s? Well… let’s just say some of my expectations about how things might be different now were hilariously wrong.

In this episode, I reflect on my most recent trip with my college girls—and the ways midlife girls trips are both different and wonderfully the same. 

From Whole Foods-fueled pre-parties to 90s rap singalongs, I share the funny, heartfelt moments that reminded me why these friendships are pure gold.

We get into:

✔️ How our pre-party choices have evolved (thank goodness)

✔️ How we still make dinner out of free appetizers

✔️ The addition of scar tape, sun hats, and readers

✔️ How the nights still end with a dance party

This one’s for everyone who’s ever laughed until they cried with friends who truly get you. Whether you’re planning your next girls trip or just missing your people, you’ll love this one.

Resources & Links:

➡️ Try MenoWell Bars and save 10% using my affiliate link! They’re formulated for midlife women—with plant protein, fiber, and maca to support hormones and keep you going.

Like what you hear?

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

⭐️ Share this episode with your girls trip group text and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the love!

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

Career deadlines, school pickups, aging parents, hormonal chaos — and somehow we’re still supposed to have it all together? Please.

In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Holland — marketing manager, single mom of two, and host of the PG-ish Podcast — for an honest conversation about what it’s really like to be a midlife working mom today. We dive into burnout, mom guilt, boundary-setting, and how to straight up ask for what you want.

We also talk about:

•Why workplaces are still failing parents (and what needs to change)

•How to stop comparing yourself to the “perfect moms” at pickup

•What it actually looks like to parent with intention when your life is full AF

•And why saying “no” (without guilt) is one of the most important skills you can build

If you’re feeling stretched thin, tired of the unrealistic expectations, and ready for a few laughs about this ridiculously hard stage of life — this conversation is for you.

Have a listen, and p.s.: You’re doing better than you think.

Resources & Links:

➡️ Erin’s podcast: PG-ish 

➡️ Erin’s website: PGishparenting.com

➡️ Erin’s Weary to Revived online course

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• I Checked All The Boxes, So Why Am I Still Unsatisfied? w/Anna K. Morris
• Keeping Your Cool When Everyone (and Everything) is Triggering You w/Jenna Hermans
• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo

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 helped you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5 star review!

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 ever wondered what the heck Reiki actually is—or if energy healing could help you feel more balanced during the chaos of midlife—this episode is for you.

I’m joined by Lily Panyacosit, Reiki practitioner, clinical herbalist, and intuitive healer, to demystify this ancient healing practice and share how Reiki can support women navigating perimenopause, parenting, career pressure, and all the other midlife madness.

We talk about:

✔️What Reiki is and how it works

✔️The connection between energy flow, emotional patterns, and physical symptoms

✔️What to expect during a Reiki session (including my first-hand experience!)

✔️Why energy healing is resonating so deeply with women in their 40s and 50s

✔️How Reiki can help with stress, burnout, and reconnecting to your intuition

You’ll hear about goddess visions (yes, really), buzzy energy blocks, and what it feels like when your feminine power takes the lead.

Whether you’re a total newbie, Reiki-curious or a full-blown Reiki fanatic, you’ll walk away with insight, calm, and maybe even the urge to buy a white gown. Just saying.

Resources:

➡️ Connect with Lily on Instagram: @SanFranciscoHerbalist

➡️ Learn more about her offerings: Lily’s Website

➡️ Mention this episode to receive $50 off a Reiki session if you’re in the Bay Area!

Did this episode intrigue you?

⭐️ Please share it with a friend who some might describe as a little “woo,” drop a 5-star rating and leave a review! I promise I will do a happy dance if you do. 💃🏻

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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 the phrase menopause hormone therapy makes your head spin (or sends you down a late-night Google rabbit hole), this episode is for you. I’m joined by Dr. Lisa Brent, a naturopathic doctor and hormone whisperer who’s helped countless women—including me—feel like themselves again in midlife.

We’re breaking down the real-deal science and the nuance behind menopause hormone therapy (MHT). From how to know if you need it, to whether you can start during perimenopause, to decoding your symptoms—this is the deep-dive you’ve been craving.

In this episode, we cover:

•What menopause hormone therapy actually is (and why we’ve stopped calling it “replacement”)

•The difference between progesterone and estrogen symptoms—and why rage-throwing an Oreo may be a clue

•Whether you can start menopause hormone therapy during perimenopause 

•When and how to test your hormones (even if your cycle’s gone rogue)

•How to know if you’re a good candidate for hormone therapy

•Delivery methods: patches, pills, creams and more

•What your options are if you have an IUD

Whether you’re hormone-curious or already on menopause hormone therapy and wondering if it’s working, this episode will leave you informed, empowered, and ready to take the next best step for your body.

Resources & Links:

➡️ Learn more about Dr. Lisa Brent’s practice: bewellnaturalmedicine.net

➡️ Follow Dr. Brent on Instagram: @bewellnaturalmedicine

➡️ Sign up for my next Perimenopause 101 Workshop

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 helped you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5 star review!

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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 ever found yourself standing in the supplement aisle, overwhelmed by a sea of mysterious herbs—Black cohosh, Vitex, Ashwagandha, Shatavari—and wondering WTF are these and do they help with perimenopause?, you’re not alone.

This week, I’m joined by Ashley Rocha, trained herbalist and founder of Ladywell, to demystify herbal remedies for perimenopause. We’re talking about natural ways to support hormone balance, reduce hot flashes, sleep better, and stop feeling like a chaotic version of yourself. (Yes, please.)

In this episode, we cover:

✔️ What herbs actually help with perimenopause symptoms

✔️ Common adaptogens like ashwagandha and how they work with your body

✔️ The lowdown on black cohosh, vitex, shatavari, and more

✔️ How to choose high-quality herbal supplements you can trust

✔️ Why lifestyle still matters (you can’t supplement your way out of stress)

✔️ What to expect when you start a hormone-supporting supplement routine

✔️ The truth about magnesium foot spray (yes, it’s a thing)

Whether you’re herbal-curious or just looking for natural ways to feel like yourself again during perimenopause, this episode gives you the clarity—and the confidence—to take the next step.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Ladywell: getladywell.com
• Use code BELONG20 for 20% off your first order
• Sign up for my Perimenopause 101 Workshop!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:
Microdosing in Midlife with Kayse Gehret
The Power of CBD for Women in Midlife w/Christine Calegari
How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo

Did this episode resonate with you?

⭐️ Please share it with a friend, leave a review, or tag me on Instagram! Perimenopause is a b*tch, but we don’t have to do it alone. 

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. 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 opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness. 

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