Open Heart Healing Podcast

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In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Roopa Chari, an Internal Medicine physician and Functional Medicine doctor with more than 25 years of experience helping women understand the changes happening in their bodies during midlife and menopause.

Dr. Chari and I talk about menopause, hormones, metabolism, stubborn weight gain, belly fat, fatigue, sleep, and low energy, and why so many women can feel like something isn't right even when they're told their lab results are "normal."

We explore the importance of looking at the whole person and understanding how nutrition, lifestyle, hormones, and metabolism can all play a role in how we feel. Dr. Chari shares her perspective on helping women become better advocates for their health and understand what their bodies may be communicating to them.

This conversation is about asking better questions, becoming more informed, and recognizing that you don't have to simply suffer through changes that are affecting your quality of life. My hope is that you'll walk away feeling more curious about your own health and more empowered to have meaningful conversations with your healthcare providers.

Find Dr. Chari here.

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What if midlife isn't about holding on to who you used to be, but creating a life that feels even more like you?

In the final pillar of my Midlife Vitality series, we're talking about Vitality—the energy, purpose, joy, connection, and sense of aliveness that make life feel meaningful. Throughout this series, we've explored hormones, nourishment, strength, and restoration. Now it's time to bring those pieces together and ask a bigger question: What does it actually mean to thrive in midlife?

For me, vitality isn't about looking younger or trying to turn back the clock. It's about feeling present in my life. It's having the energy to do the things I love, spending time in nature, nurturing relationships, taking care of my body and mind, finding purpose in my work, and making room for joy.

I'm also thinking about the years ahead and the kind of woman I want to become. Midlife has given me a different perspective on what matters and how I want to spend my time and energy. It's made me more intentional about my health, my relationships, my experiences, and the everyday moments that make life feel rich.

This final pillar is an invitation to think about your own definition of vitality. What makes you feel alive? What do you want more of? What are you ready to let go of? And what would it look like to build a life that supports not just longevity, but a life you genuinely want to live?

Because menopause isn't the end of your vitality. It can be the beginning of a deeper, more intentional, and more fully lived chapter.

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Hormones can change so much during perimenopause and menopause—and sometimes it can feel like your body is suddenly speaking a language you don't understand.

In this episode of my Midlife Vitality series, I'm sharing my personal experience with the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause and what I've been learning along the way. I'll talk about some of the changes I've noticed in my body, energy, emotions, and overall well-being, along with the questions I've found myself asking as I've tried to better understand this transition.

For me, learning about hormones has been less about finding one perfect answer and more about becoming curious about my body and paying attention to what it's telling me. The more I've learned, the more I've realized how important it is for women to have information, ask questions, and feel empowered to advocate for themselves during this stage of life.

This conversation is personal—I'm sharing what I've experienced and what I'm learning, not offering medical advice or suggesting that everyone's experience will look the same.

Perimenopause and menopause can look different for every woman. My hope is that sharing my own experience helps you feel a little less alone, a little more informed, and more comfortable having conversations about your hormones and your health.

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Midlife can ask a lot of us. Our bodies are changing, our hormones are shifting, our relationships and responsibilities may look different, and sometimes the person we used to be no longer feels quite like who we are becoming.

In this episode of the 5 Pillars of Menopause series, I'm focusing on restoration—not just resting our bodies, but restoring our minds and emotions. Mental health has become something I'm paying much closer attention to during this stage of my life, and I'm sharing some of the things I'm learning and the steps I'm taking to become more intentional about my emotional well-being.

I talk honestly about the importance of recognizing where I am mentally, paying attention to my thoughts and emotions, creating space for myself, and being willing to ask for support when I need it. I'm learning that taking care of my mental health isn't something I should wait to do when things become overwhelming. It is part of taking care of myself every day.

This pillar is about giving ourselves permission to slow down, check in, and listen to what is happening beneath the surface. It's about building emotional resilience, creating healthier ways to navigate stress, and becoming more compassionate toward ourselves as we move through the changes of midlife and menopause.

I certainly don't have it all figured out, but I believe there is power in being honest about where we are and choosing to take small, meaningful steps toward feeling better. Restoration is not about becoming who you used to be. It's about creating the mental and emotional space to become who you are now. Empower yourself!

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I used to hate strength training. Then I learned to tolerate it. And somewhere along the way, something shifted—I started to actually love it.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing my personal journey with strength training in midlife, from avoiding it to discovering just how important it has become for my health, confidence, and future. The older I get, the more I understand that strength isn't just about how we look. It's about how we feel, how we move through the world, and how well we can continue doing the things we love as we age. All while doing it with grace and on my end lots of restarts and complaining!!!

As I've been diving deeper into midlife health and menopause, I've learned that maintaining muscle and bone strength becomes increasingly important. Strength training can support muscle mass, bone health, metabolism, balance, mobility, and healthy aging—and it has changed the way I think about fitness.

Midlife has given me a different perspective. Now, I want to build a body that is strong, capable, resilient, and able to carry me into all the years ahead.

I'm still learning, but one thing has become very clear to me: strength is freedom. And the stronger we become today, the more possibilities we create for tomorrow.

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What we eat in midlife can feel confusing. Our bodies change, our metabolism can feel different, our energy may shift, and the strategies that worked for us in our 20s and 30s don't always work the same way anymore.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing my personal journey with nutrition through midlife and what I've been learning along the way. I've spent a lot of time researching midlife health, menopause, nutrition, metabolism, protein, muscle health, and healthy aging, and this episode is a reflection on what I'm figuring out and what I wish I had understood sooner.

For me, nourishing my body in midlife has become less about restriction, chasing a number on the scale, or trying to get my younger body back—and much more about asking what my body needs now. I'm learning to look at food as a way to support energy, strength, hormones, brain health, metabolism, and longevity, while also finding an approach that feels sustainable and enjoyable.

This is not about having a perfect diet or following another set of rules. It's about becoming more curious about our bodies and learning how to nourish ourselves through a season of change.

I'll share some of the lessons that have stood out to me so far, including how my perspective on protein, whole foods, strength, metabolism, and weight has evolved. Most of all, I hope this conversation reminds you that midlife can be an opportunity to listen more closely to your body while feeling absolutely EMPOWERED!

I'm still learning, and I certainly don't have it all figured out. But this is what I know so far: the way we nourish ourselves in midlife can be an act of self-respect, self-love, and preparation for the years ahead.

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In this inspiring conversation, Pam Sherman —a health and wellness coach, fitness professional, running coach, 7X author, and international speaker—shares nearly three decades of experience helping women feel strong, confident, and amazing in their own skin. Her message is simple and powerful: Your Health is Your Wealth.

Pam believes that nutrition, movement, and lifestyle choices aren't about punishment or perfection. They're about learning to care for yourself from a place of love and creating habits that support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being for life.

Her own journey has shaped the way she approaches wellness. From surviving an emotionally abusive childhood to being hit by a car while running and navigating her own struggles with weight, Pam knows firsthand that health is about much more than a number on the scale. At 59, she's passionate about helping women embrace their bodies, prioritize their health, and discover what it means to move and eat like they truly love themselves.

Together, we talk about self-love, women's health, nutrition, exercise, weight loss, healthy aging, and lifelong wellness. Pam reminds us that it's never too late to make choices that help you feel stronger, healthier, and more at home in your body.

Find your success through Pam here.

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What if the reason you struggle to set boundaries isn't that you don't know what to say—but that you don't feel safe enough to say it?

In this powerful conversation, Barb Nangle, boundaries coach, speaker, author, and host of Fragmented to Whole, shares how nearly four decades of therapy and personal development didn't uncover the real issue in her life. It was through 12-step recovery at age 52 that Barb discovered something deeper: the problem wasn't a lack of insight—it was a lack of internal safety.

For Barb, learning to create healthy boundaries became a turning point. As she began understanding codependency, childhood trauma, family dysfunction, self-abandonment, and over-responsibility, she discovered that boundaries weren't about shutting people out. They were about creating enough safety within herself to honor her needs, trust her decisions, and become more emotionally available.

We talk about the ways women can lose themselves in relationships by overgiving, people-pleasing, saying yes when they mean no, and constantly worrying about judgment or rejection. Barb also shares how developing internal safety transformed her relationships, her professional life, and her relationship with herself.

This conversation is a reminder that boundaries aren't selfish—they are an act of self-respect and self-trust. When we stop abandoning ourselves to keep everyone else comfortable, we create space for healthier relationships, greater emotional freedom, and a more authentic life.

Find more Barb here!

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What if something as simple as your breath could help you reconnect with yourself, release what you've been carrying, and create real change?

In this powerful conversation, breathwork pioneer Jon Paul Crimi shares how breathwork became a life-changing part of his own recovery and ultimately his life's work. With more than 15 years of experience, Jon Paul has helped thousands of people use breathwork as a practical tool for stress relief, emotional healing, nervous system regulation, and personal transformation.

Jon Paul's journey began at rock bottom. After struggling with addiction and finding sobriety, a breathwork experience introduced him to a completely different way of healing. Inspired by what he experienced, he developed his own grounded, no-nonsense approach to breathwork—one that moves away from overly mystical language and makes the practice accessible to skeptics, leaders, and anyone looking for meaningful change.

We talk about how breathwork can help calm the nervous system, reduce stress and anxiety, process difficult emotions, and reconnect us with parts of ourselves we may have disconnected from. Jon Paul also shares how his work with celebrities, athletes, executives, and everyday people has shown him that transformation isn't reserved for people who have everything figured out.

This conversation is a reminder that sometimes healing doesn't begin with finding the perfect words—it begins with simply coming back to the breath.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What breathwork is and how it affects the nervous system
• How conscious breathing can help with stress and anxiety
• The connection between breathwork and emotional healing
• Jon Paul's journey from addiction and recovery to transformation
• How breathwork may help people process grief, trauma, and difficult emotions
• Why you don't have to be spiritual or "into wellness" to benefit from breathwork
• How reconnecting with your body can create greater clarity and self-awareness

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Menopause isn't the end of your vitality—it's an invitation to redefine it.

In this special five-part series, we're moving beyond symptom management and into whole-person wellness. Together, we'll explore the five essential pillars that support women through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond: Hormones, Nourishment, Strength, Restoration, and Vitality.

Whether you're just beginning to notice changes in your body or you're well into your postmenopausal years, this series is designed to help you better understand what's happening, advocate for your health, and make informed choices that support your well-being.

Throughout the series, I'll share evidence-based research, practical lifestyle strategies, and conversations with experts to help you navigate this season with confidence instead of confusion. My hope is that you'll come away feeling empowered, informed, and inspired to create a vibrant next chapter.

• Understanding hormonal changes and what they mean
• Nutrition that supports metabolism, brain health, and bones
• Building strength for longevity and healthy aging
• Restoring emotional well-being, sleep, and resilience
• Creating a life filled with energy, purpose, and lasting vitality

This isn't about simply getting through menopause—it's about embracing the opportunity to care for yourself in a deeper, more intentional way. Because your healthiest years can still be ahead of you.