Older & Wilder

Opting Out of Nutrition Insanity with EC Synkowski

https://optimizemenutrition.com/podcast/agoodnutritionbook/

Joy and Claire welcome back nutrition coach EC Synkowski (Optimize Me Nutrition), creator of the 800 Gram Challenge and author of A Good Nutrition Book, to discuss escaping fear-based, overly optimized diet culture shaped by CrossFit, paleo, and macro tracking. EC shares her past disordered eating and argues most people—“the worried well”—need fewer rules and less obsession, focusing instead on practical, sustainable basics and validated health markers like cardiovascular risk. She explains her approach and three pillars method: start with 800 grams of fruits and vegetables daily without restriction, then add adequate protein (about 0.7 g per pound, often 100–120 g), and finally address calories with minimal deficits starting from current intake for long-term adherence and enjoyment. They also discuss genetics, avoiding transformation-photo marketing, and simplifying meals with repeatable foods like beans and potatoes.

00:00 Welcome Back And Guest Intro

02:38 EC Origin Story And Diet Rabbit Holes

06:51 Optimization Culture And The Worried Well

08:36 Simple Rules Of The Road

15:25 Three Pillars And 800 Gram Challenge

17:08 Protein Hype And Practical Targets

19:14 Calories For Sustainability

20:39 Breaking Food Rules And Trusting Your Body

24:25 Stop Overoptimizing Diet

25:06 Why Simple Advice Fails

25:29 Rules vs Intuitive Eating

26:54 Letting Go of Tracking

29:20 Protocol Culture and Control

31:24 Influencers Genetics Reality

34:48 800 Gram Daily Basics

36:14 Repeat Meals Decision Fatigue

39:08 Beans and Potato Satiety

42:32 Wrap Up and Where to Find

Lindsay Lohan’s Comeback, Florida Pool Days, and Pop Culture Rabbit Holes

Joy and Claire chat about October 3rd pop-culture nods and Lindsay Lohan’s comeback. They discuss Ted Lasso’s new storyline, unseasonably warm fall weather, and work updates. Claire recaps a Florida trip to Bradenton/Anna Maria Island with lots of kid pool time, a touristy date-night dinner, an aquarium visit with manatees, and seafood. They also cover running gear and headphones, Act+Acre hair products, early Botox trends, Madonna’s butt implants, Kim and Khloé Kardashian impressions, Taylor Swift’s new “Showgirl/Encore” songs and videos, decluttering keepsakes, and Claire planning her 20th high school reunion.

MAGNESIUM

00:00 October 3rd Pop Culture

00:41 Lindsay Lohan Comeback

03:39 Ted Lasso Catch Up

04:49 Autumn Mindfulness

05:29 Magnesium Work Talk

07:38 Florida Pool Vacation

11:32 Seafood Travel Cravings

13:18 Japan Trip Planning

14:18 Headphones Running Update

15:13 Haircare Act and Acre

17:19 Hair Serum vs Mousse

17:33 Botox at 19 Debate

19:04 Madonna Butt Implants

21:00 Good Hang and Kardashians

24:11 Taylor Showgirl Backlash

34:20 Running Gear Optimization

37:01 Gross Keepsakes and Hoarding

40:53 High School Reunion Drama

45:41 Wrap Up and Bake Off Plans

Aging Out of Fucks: Midlife Brain Shifts

Joy and Claire discuss upcoming travel and Claire shares enjoying runs guided by a British-accented DJ coach, switching her weightlifting to evenings for convenience, and the great on-ear headphones review. They talk about Joy's Santa Fe anniversary trip and a Big Thief concert with incredible people-watching and praise for lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s musicianship. They then unpack Ellen Schur’s “Aging Out of Fucks,” linking midlife hormonal/neurological changes to reduced people-pleasing, less self-censorship, energy prioritization, authenticity, and social stigma around women being “difficult.”

00:00 Welcome and Drinks Chat

01:25 Needy Dogs Take Over

04:27 Dog Boarding Moab Dilemma

06:53 Travel Plans Florida Trip

07:44 Night Workouts and Running

09:56 Sleep Guilt and Chronotypes

16:05 Running Gear and Pop Culture

17:38 Santa Fe Anniversary Concert

20:01 Haircut Appointment Drama

21:33 Aging Out of Fucks Explained

31:57 Work Filters and Authenticity

38:28 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Estate Planning Part 2: Wills, Trusts, LGBTQ Families, and Picking the Right Attorney (with Zach Anderson)

Joy and Claire welcome back Zach Anderson for a Part 2 focused on listener questions. He explains how to “fire” an attorney, how attorneys may withdraw from clients, and what to look for in a divorce lawyer—especially communication, proactivity, and balancing negotiation with litigation costs. The conversation covers confirmatory/stepparent adoptions in reciprocal IVF situations, legal barriers for trans birth-certificate sex changes requiring surgery in Nebraska, and how legal change often comes through private practice. Zach defines guardianships and conservatorships, stressing planning to avoid burdening others. They compare wills, trusts, and transfer-on-death deeds, emphasize updating beneficiaries, and offer ways to start estate-planning conversations with parents.

00:00 Welcome Back Zach

02:02 Quadplex With Friends

04:00 Neutral Third Parties

05:25 Firing Your Attorney

09:09 Divorcing An Attorney

10:37 Choosing Divorce Counsel

16:10 Reciprocal IVF Adoption

19:47 Trans Name Change Barriers

24:15 Changing Law From Within

25:56 Doing Good Doing Well

26:57 When Cases Escalate

27:27 Costs and Client Counseling

30:32 Guardianships Explained

31:34 Moral vs Legal Duty

36:02 Wills Trusts and TOD Deeds

37:36 Beneficiaries and Special Needs

40:55 Custom Plans Not Templates

42:59 Unequal Inheritances Talk It Out

45:31 How to Talk to Parents

47:19 Messy Now or Messier Later

51:36 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

Joy and Claire catch up after Joy’s birthday weekend, which included friends, cupcakes and IKEA closets. They discuss decluttering excess clothes and shoes and Scott’s “optimization” impulse leading him to gift Claire Shokz open-ear running headphones. Updates include a permitted Arches hike, an upcoming Santa Fe anniversary trip to see Big Thief, quick-fire Q&A on small purchases, fitness and running, Bake Off podcast plans, recharging tips, brow products for thinning brows, and excitement for Halloween and an Elizabeth Holmes documentary; Ilona Maher likes their Instagram post.

00:00 Welcome Back Birthday Haze

01:05 Magnesium Sleep Wins

01:56 New Closet Delivery Day

03:04 Watching The Delivery Grind

05:36 DIY Drawers And Frames

07:29 Dimitri The Tasker

09:41 Meet Gino Handyman Hero

13:17 Closet Costs And Clutter

16:05 Decluttering Shoes And Sales

18:03 Running Influencer Headphones

19:57 Scott Wants To Optimize

21:45 Small Ears Tragus Problem

22:48 Scott’s Headphone Obsession

24:48 Ilona Maher Likes the Post

25:31 Arches Permit Hike Recap

27:27 Machu Picchu Family Bits

28:27 Santa Fe Trip and Quickfire

29:05 Under $50 Favorites

30:10 Fitness and Running Plans

31:56 Bake Off Podcast Returns

33:08 Ghost Haunting Picks

34:21 Recharge and Brow Tips

36:54 Tiny Joys and Fall Treats

39:06 Wrap Up and Where to Find Us

Joy Turns 49, Lila's Release, and Midlife Mindset Resets

On Joy’s 49th birthday episode of Older and Wilder, Joy and Claire reflect on years of podcasting, privacy in the internet age, and September nostalgia. Joy shares a major update about Lilas. They discuss the emotional toll of puppy raising, current dog life with River, Haynes, and new puppy McCoy. Joy talks about recent body dysmorphia, balancing rest vs pushing through, nervous-system reset, training for a Moab trail race, and Delia’s nostalgia at Target.

00:00 Birthday Kickoff

00:57 Privacy And Cybersecurity

03:26 Manitou Birthday Plans

04:10 September Nostalgia

05:56 High School Sports Memories

07:33 Gary Amber And Pella

10:34 Leela Released From Training

13:07 Adopting Leela To Friends

18:04 Puppy Raising Reality Check

20:28 Dog Quirks And Car Chaos

24:55 McCoy The Prom King Pup

26:26 Hormonal Body Dysmorphia

27:41 Posting Versus Talking

30:53 Breaking Restriction Spirals

32:39 Fitness Influencer Pressure

36:07 Rest Versus Hustle

38:45 Nervous System Reset Hacks

40:25 Rules for Real Recovery

45:57 Bougie Gym Master Plan

47:33 Moab Trail Race Prep

50:23 Delias Target Nostalgia

52:25 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Zachary Anderson on Building a Queer-Affirming Nebraska Law Firm and the Estate Planning Basics Everyone Needs

https://www.zandersonlaw.com/whozacharyis

Joy and Claire welcome back Zachary Anderson, a law attorney in Nebraska, to discuss his firm’s rapid growth since launching in April 2025 and his recent recognition including the Nebraska State Bar Association Diversity Award, an ABA Family Law Section fellowship, and being a top-three finalist for a Clio award for Best New Law Firm. They focus on reducing fear around legal planning, especially estate planning, and Zach outlines “bare minimum” documents. He also notes guardianship nominations and extra protections for same-sex couples. He explains the consequences of having nothing in place and warns against cookie-cutter online services, discusses typical cost ranges, and strongly encourages using a corporate fiduciary instead of family as executor.

00:00 Welcome Back Zach!

02:20 Why Start A Firm

03:32 From Struggle To Growth

05:39 Building A Misfit Team

11:03 Holistic Family Law

17:06 Listener Questions Begin

19:24 Estate Planning Basics

29:12 Costs And Online Wills

37:01 Helping Aging Parents

38:55 Executors And Recordkeeping

46:10 Normalize Hard Conversations

48:02 Finding The Right Attorney

50:59 Where To Find Zach

51:43 Wrap Up And Next Episode

Aging, Menopause at Work, and “Quiet Quitting” Marriage

Joy and Claire discuss how recording video and constant self-viewing intensify anxiety about aging, prompting talk of Botox, Morpheus lasers, marionette lines, and comparing themselves to celebrities, along with a resolve to avoid escalating to fillers. Claire shares a conversation with her Spanish tutor about fiber, beans, and GLP-1 drugs, highlighting how American culture uniquely pressures older women to avoid looking older, contrasted with women who prioritize life experience over appearance. They then explore a listener’s concern that increased menopause visibility at work may fuel stigma even as it helps women feel less self-conscious about symptoms and asking for help. Finally, they discuss the “quiet quitting” marriage trend among midlife women—especially after kids get older—covering unequal mental load, shifting needs, hormones and libido changes, reluctance to divorce or date again, and redefining fulfillment beyond a romantic partner.

00:00 Welcome Back and Lighting

00:35 Botox and Mirror Fatigue

01:20 Marco Polo and Self Scrutiny

03:43 Neck Angles and Housewives

04:31 Spanish Tutor and Fiber Talk

06:31 Ozempic Culture Shock

08:11 Surf Trip Aging Perspective

09:18 Holding the Line on Procedures

10:00 Menopause Talk Backlash

11:42 Asking for Help at Work

15:35 Taboos Tampons and Perimenopause

17:24 Workplace Culture and Tough Leaders

18:03 Owning Mom Life at Work

18:57 Family First Team Culture

20:15 Tradwife Backlash Talk

20:45 Quiet Quitting Marriages

22:13 Why Women Check Out

27:45 Staying Married to Avoid Dating

28:59 Hormones and Midlife Intimacy

33:15 Mental Load and Weaponized Incompetence

35:53 Why This Keeps Happening

38:46 Choosing Stability Over Divorce

39:33 Wrap Up and Where to Find Us

Beating the Heat, Better Sleep, and Finding Your Village

Joy and Claire discuss relentless August heat in Colorado/Moab, irritability, sweating, and perimenopause questions. Joy shares progress on 3:00 AM wake-ups after taking Pure Synergy’s Vital Ocean Magnesium and they talk about individualized approaches including hormones, ashwagandha, and sleep environment. They tangent to Thorne’s acquisition by Procter & Gamble and concerns about ingredient quality after big buyouts. They credit listener Justine for “This is my body today,” reflect on pull-ups and shifting fitness goals, celebrate using fitness to move a couch, and explore the value of nearby community after Joy's childhood best friend moves close. They end with “what a time to be alive” trends: blepharoplasty and Taylor Swift’s minor haircut.

00:00 Summer Heat Check

00:45 Humidity Meltdown Story

02:16 Perimenopause and Irritability

04:13 Dressing for Colorado Weather

05:17 Handheld Cooling Gadget

07:42 Night Sweats and 3AM Wakeups

09:03 Magnesium Sleep Breakthrough

10:54 Thorne Acquisition Talk

17:12 Supplements and Skepticism

20:13 Acupuncture Reset and Therapy Dogs

21:56 Neck Injury Backstory

23:35 Bodywork And Fascia Relief

24:03 Ticklishness And Pedicures

25:35 Tickle Torture Memories

26:24 This Is My Body Today Credit

27:39 Pullups And Seasonality

30:26 Shelving Fitness Goals

31:44 Moving A Couch Using Fitness

34:42 Donkeys Strength And Pop Culture

35:49 Craving Village And Community

44:21 Bleph Trend And New Insecurities

49:18 Taylor Swift Hair Clickbait

49:48 Wrap Up And Where To Find Us

Affirming Care, Perimenopause, and the Times We’re In (with Rebecca from Folx)

On Older and Wilder, hosts Claire and Joy talk with Rebecca (Laugh Cry Club) about debunking mental-health misinformation and Rebecca’s work at Folx, a telehealth company providing affirming LGBTQIA+ healthcare, including gender-affirming hormone therapy, primary care, and mental health services. They discuss barriers and non-affirming experiences in traditional healthcare, explain that gender-affirming care is careful, assessment-based, and not the sensationalized narratives about minors, and note gatekeeping like required WPATH letters for adult surgeries. The conversation shifts to perimenopause/menopause, covering brain fog, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and sudden mental-health drops, with hormones helping some and emphasizing not to self-gaslight and to seek specialized care. They also touch on workplace normalization, compassion over “I suffered so you should,” and share “What a Time to Be Alive” moments.

01:11 True Crime Riff

01:54 HOA And Neighborhood Drama

03:14 What Folx Does

04:56 Barriers In Healthcare

07:33 Affirming Intake Process

09:43 Trans Care Education

15:12 Gatekeeping And WPATH Letters

18:35 Trans Athletes Mythbusting

20:38 Perimenopause Mental Health

24:40 Rebecca Symptoms And HRT

27:01 3AM Wakeups And Sleep

27:42 Sleep Heat Fixes

28:25 Perimenopause Mood Spiral

29:54 Medication and Hormone Help

34:34 Rage and No Fs

37:18 Care Is Affirming

38:09 Workplace Brain Fog

42:00 What a Time Segment

47:12 Texas THC Crackdown

51:11 Wrap Up and Japan Plug