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In this episode of Opt to Thrive, I get personal and share my own menopause journey—the challenges, the frustrations, and how I took control of my health and well-being. I'm diving into what I did to:

• Reclaim my energy
• Restore my vitality
• Lose the menopause belly
• Take control of my health trajectory

If you’re ready to take charge of your menopause experience and make positive changes for the future, you’ll likely enjoy this episode. 

If you're tired of the typical narrative around menopause and want actionable advice, this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Menopause: The Musical didn’t sit well with me—and how it motivated me to make real changes.
• My personal experience with menopause and the impact it had on my energy, health, and body.
• The practical steps I took to regain vitality, feel more like myself, and say goodbye to the "menopause belly."
• How I changed my health trajectory with lifestyle shifts that empowered me and made me feel energized again.

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If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Your feedback helps us reach more listeners who are looking to take control of their wellness, especially in midlife.

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In this week's Mindful Moment Dr Sims reflects on cognitive dissonance. What it is, what happened when she recognized it in her own life and what she did about it.

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Join in as Dr Sims and Dr Suzanne Rutherford finish their conversation around weight management in midlife, along with how to get through this midlife transition in the best possible way.

In this episode we dive into the movement piece of the discussion. What we need to be doing to maintain our physical function and improve our longevity as well as manage our waistline. Dr Rutherford tells us how to maintain our muscle mass, why it is important and how it doesn't have to be complicated! 

This episode is going to leave you motivated to move and fuel your body for the strongest future you possible!

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Grab a cuppa and join Dr Sims as she sits in the sunroom on the farm and reflects on what it means to live your very best life.

Contrast.

50/50.

Beauty.

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In this episode we welcome our very first guest! Dr Suzanne Rutherford is a physician and nutrition coach practicing in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Suzanne is also cofounder of The Fit Physician Program where she is dedicated to inspiring and guiding her colleagues on their journeys to reclaim their well-being and live their most fulfilling lives, both personally and professionally.

With a strong foundation in human biology and nutritional sciences, Suzanne focuses on simplifying nutrition foundations. In today's discussion Suzanne breaks it all right down to what we really need to know in terms of optimising our nutrition to lower our risk of metabolic disease, improve our longevity, rid ourselves of stubborn body fat and be the best healthiest versions of ourselves.

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This is the first episode in the Manage Your Mind Mindful Moment series which will be dropped on alternate thursday's to the usual Opt to Thrive episodes.

During these short Manage Your Mind Mindful Moment episodes, Dr Sims shares tips, tricks, techniques and personal stories  designed to inspire, uplift and motivate the listener to opt to thrive! 

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Responding to listener feedback, in this episode Dr Sims discusses the things to consider before you start or when you are thinking about coming off of menopause hormone treatment. 

As with a lot of medical treatments there is more to consider than just how to do it, but also why, when or if. 

Find out how long it is recommended women take hormone treatment once they start, what to expect when stopping and the evidence behind the various approaches used for stopping.

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In this episode of Opt to Thrive  Dr Sims seeks to answer the question "is it really menopause or is there something else to blame for the weight gain most women will experience during this midlife transition?". 

Dr Sims explores the underlying mechanisms of weight gain during midlife and explains why we cannot keep doing what we've always done and expect to get the results we used to get. 

After this episode the listener will have gained valuable insight into what is actually happening in her body in this midlife transition that has contributed to weight gain. This Insight will be a powerful tool that can be used to create effective strategies to remove the excess weight once and for all.

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Motivation is necessary to make the changes we want to make in our lives. In this episode Dr Sims explores the stages of change and how to go about finding motivation. Dr Sims explains why willpower isn't the best strategy, what to do about all or nothing thinking, how to find your why and a surprising hack learned from her language learning app. If you're considering making a change, creating a new habit or ditching an old one, the information in this episode can help you succeed.

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This episode of Opt to Thrive takes a little detour...sort of. For those of us with male partners, erectile dysfunction doesn't just affect him. This condition can have a significant impact on both partners as well as be detrimental for the relationship.

As a GP, Dr Sims knows all too well the fact that most men are less likely than women to visit a doctor, in particular to engage in preventative health measures such as regular screenings or check-ups. It is often only after prompted repeatedly by his partner, that a man seek a medical opinion about a health concern. 

Erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of serious conditions. Early identification and management of these conditions can result in life saving outcomes. Erectile dysfunction is also almost always treatable. So this episode is for those women with a male partner who is struggling to "pitch a tent" in hopes that it may just save a lot of grief, turmoil and heartache not to mention a life.