Well & Worthy Life | A Podcast for Midlife Women

Let me introduce you to my new friend, Elena Sonnino. Elena reached out to me wanting to connect on the podcast and after hearing more about who she is and what she does I KNEW she would be a great fit for this Well & Worthy Life community. As a life coach and yoga teacher, Elena brings a beautiful approach to the way she lives life. In this conversation we discuss the key to happiness: stop over-fixing life and find joy.

Elena brings delightful sparks of energy to everything she does. Her work is to invite others to unearth, attune to, and embody inner strength and wisdom, or as Elena calls it, "the sunrise in your pocket." That's a phrase I absolutely LOVE.

In our short conversation, it was clear Elena has an incredible way of inspiring individuals and groups to thrive in their lives. Her own mess has become her message for others. For years Elena was in a battle with her body, always trying to fix what seemed wrong. In this conversation, she shares her journey of coming to a new way of seeing her body and how belly dancing helped her stop over-fixing life and find joy.

Listen in to our conversation and notice the sparks of joy that arise. I trust there is something for each of us in this episode!

• Order her book, Inhabit Your Joy, to receive daily nudges to get rooted, curious, and totally alive in your life.
• Learn more about Elena's work on her website.
• Follow her on Instagram
• Join her upcoming Mexico retreat (or future ones!)

• Balance Eating Method
• Balance Program

When I polled Instagram to see what topics you all would like me to talk about on a solo podcast episode, many people asked about relationships with adult children. This is such a great conversation and I am by NO means an expert but I do have a good amount of experience on the topic.

As a mom of three boys ages 33, 31 and 28 along with two daughters-in-law, I have learned a few key things along the way that helps cultivate positive relationships with them. The truth is, much of this starts when they are younger so for those who have younger children at home, there is something for you in this conversation! Building a solid foundation with our children when they are young allows us to shift into friendship with them as they become adults.

So for moms of young children or adult children, listen in for some of the top tips that have helped me cultivate positive relationships with adult children. Be sure to listen to the end as I'm sharing strategies for connecting with your daughters-in-law as well.

Family dynamics are never easy but putting allowing our children to be who they are and guiding them on their unique journey can be a game changer!

Before I go, there's another round of the Balance Eating Method starting soon! Get the support and coaching you need through the holidays; signup to get on the waitlist today!

We often associate grief with the death of a loved one but it is way more expansive than that. Grief can range from the actual loss of a person to the loss of our identity through different life transitions. Career changes, becoming an empty nester, making a big move, a divorce, and the loss of a dream can bring up feelings of grief. Allowing ourselves to grieve these changes is how to cope with life transitions we find ourselves in.

As midlife women, I see this come up often with clients. Moms who have been involved in their kids' lives, running them around to their activities. When they leave home for college they don't know who they are on their own. For other women, the transition into menopause can feel like they have to learn themselves all over again which can feel incredibly overwhelming.

It's important to have tools so we know how to cope with life transitions like this which is why I have Paige Donnelly with me today. Paige is a licensed clinical social worker with 8+ years as a mental health clinician. She has worked in behavioral health hospitals, in the prison system with inmates on death row, and with hospice patients and their families. Her specialization is in grief and loss, life transitions, and anxiety.

In this episode, Paige shares helpful tools we can use to cope with these big life changes. Having these experiences normalized is also a huge comfort!

Connect with Paige

• Follow Paige on Instagram
• Join her upcoming webinar on Grief During the Holidays on November 10th
• If you're in North Carolina and want to work with Paige, you can message her on Instagram or connect with her on the Psychology Today website

Do you use drinking as your reward for making it to 5 o'clock? Or maybe as a way to self-medicate that hormonal imbalance? I'm back with a podcast fan favorite, Jenn Kautsch aka Sober Sis. Like many of us, she shares how for so long, that was her relationship with alcohol. In this episode, we jump right into the connection between alcohol and menopause and how to break the detox-retox lifestyle. Don't know what that means? Be sure to give this one a listen to find out!

Jenn started Sober Sis (sober-minded sisters) because she wanted to find other women who wanted to talk about their relationship with drinking without having to wear a label. It's a place where women can wrestle with this out loud and figure out what works best for them. The focus is on progress, not perfection which is always the best approach!

My first connecting point with Jenn was through her 21-day reset. I noticed I was having a harder time metabolizing alcohol throughout perimenopause and how disruptive it was to my sleep! The goal of the rest is to get off of autopilot when it comes to pouring that evening glass of wine (or drink of choice) and replace that time with a different way of thinking and being. Interested in trying out Jenn's 21-day reset? They run every month so jump into the next group here.

How have you experienced the connection between alcohol and menopause having an effect on you? Share in the comments!

If you're new to Sober Sis and want to check out our other conversations give them a listen here

• Let's talk about our relationship with alcohol
• Alcohol and weight loss
• The Health Benefits of going alcohol free

Connect with Jenn, Sober Sis Instagram Website

One of my very best friends, Cathy Williamson, is on the podcast with me today! Well & Worthy Life exists because Cathy encouraged me to step into it, and I'm so grateful she did! I've had her on the podcast many times before talking about reinventing ourselves, blogging, fashion, the transition into this midlife season, and all that comes with that but today she's sharing part of her personal journey through breast cancer. One thing that really stood out to me about Cathy was her faith and positive mindset through breast cancer.

Like so many women, Cathy discovered her breast cancer through a routine mammogram (so ladies, be sure to be consistent with these!) A consistent theme I hear from friends who have gone through breast cancer is, you have to advocate for yourself. If something doesn't sit right with you, it's ok to push back and find the right fit. This is exactly what Cathy had to do when it came to her oncologist.

Cathy has turned her mess into her message, helping so many other women walk through their breast cancer diagnosis. Hear Cathy share her story of hope in the midst of her diagnosis and her 3 words of wisdom to anyone who may have recently been diagnosed.

There is power in the words we think and speak which is why cultivating a positive mindset through a breast cancer diagnosis, or any other diagnosis is vital.

Follow her on Instagram Stay up to date with her blog Catch an older episode with Cathy on WWL

On today's episode, we're getting into the real talk with breast cancer survivor, Shannon Mann. It was almost one year ago to date we had her on the podcast. At the time, she was in the middle of her treatments and we wanted to do a follow-up episode to hear about her journey.

Shannon speaks from the heart and gives us a glimpse into what this past year has been like for her. She shares the hardest parts of the journey, the things that helped her show up each day, what it was like to humble herself and let others help, and what it was like planning her daughter's wedding in the midst of it all!

If you have a loved one in your life who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Shannon shares ways you can support them and advocate for them. Take time to talk with breast cancer survivors you know and listen to their stories.

• Breast cancer journey and finding balance
• Talking all things fashion, food, and lifestyle with blogger Shannon Mann

And if you want more Shannon in your life - and I'm sure you do after this! - follow her on Instagram and stay up on her latest blogs.

I have one of my all-time favs back on the podcast today, my functional medicine doctor, Dr. St. Petery! She has been such a huge support to me in my journey towards health and longevity that I just want to share her wisdom with everyone!

For those wondering, a functional medicine doctor takes a different approach to medicine. They work to get to the root cause of issues by asking questions and seeking to understand where the problem stems from so they can treat that directly. The catch is, if you want to see real success with functional medicine, you have to look at your lifestyle and make changes that will support health. Pills and quick fixes are not the way of functional medicine.

Many of you have asked me some really great questions and in this episode I get Dr. St. Petery's thoughts on many of them. Here's what we're getting into in this episode:

• What is functional medicine and how can you find a functional medicine doctor near you?
• What are peptides, where can you get them, and are they safe?
• What's better, peptides or pellets?
• How can you find balance in your hormones through menopause?
• How much protein should women be consuming?
• Do hormones affect our energy levels?
• Is there a difference between taking estrogen through a patch or pill and which is more effective?
• What helps women going through perimenopause the most?

We are covering a whole range of topics so tune in and learn from Dr. St. Petery's expertise!

Find a functional medicine doctor near you Podcast: Turning Back the Clock with Peptides Podcast: Functional Medicine and the Importance of Food

This episode with Sarah Milken is a ball of laughter mixed with a lot of inspiration. Sarah says it how it is and talks about topics many shy away from which is one of the reasons I'm so drawn to her! Today she's telling us all about her midlife remix as she likes to call it.

She grew up in a house with two equal earning parents who had full-time careers. Her career driven mother was her inspiration so she went to school, and got her master's and PhD while working full time. When her first baby came, everything changed. Suddenly she knew she wanted to be home to raise her children and be a full time mom.

Sarah talks about the process of switching gears from full-time mom to career mom and coming back to things that bring her life. Finding things you love and making time to pursue those is a necessary part of the motherhood transition. Doing that BEFORE the children leave the nest can make it a whole lot smoother! It's never too late to keep reinventing yourself and if you need that reminder, this episode is for you!

On Instagram: The Flexible Neurotic Her website: The Flexible Neurotic Listen to her podcast

And if you're wondering about the weighted vest we reference at the end of the episode, go to her saved Instagram Stories and find the link for it.

Are you an empty nester, or soon to be one? Check out an older episode of the podcast, Dream Bigger: What is Next In Your Life. Blog post on discovering what is next when you become an empty nester.

"It's all about us, taking accountability and feeling empowered that we have way more to do with our health than the medical system tells us." - Dr. Tabatha Barber

Women, it's time to reclaim your health with functional medicine, and this episode with Dr. Tabatha Barber, aka The Gutsy Gynecologist, is going to inspire you to do just that.

Dr. Tabatha is a triple board certified OBGYN physician who specializes in using functional medicine as a primary way of treating women's health. She's dedicated her life to studying the intricacies of women. This has turned into a passion to educate women on the importance of a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Her mission is to show by example, how you can create optimal wellness for yourself by utilizing food, movement, mindfulness practices, herb supplements, and energy healing techniques.

In this episode, she's sharing her unconventional journey to becoming a physician and how her pregnancy experience as a teen gave her a vision of being a voice for women to get the care they need for optimal health. We also discuss perimenopause and why it doesn't have to be a 10-12 year experience. By the way, she has a great podcast episode on the topic of perimenopause you need to listen to!

This conversation had me lose track of time; I was soaking up every word Dr. Tabatha shared and I know you will too!

website Instagram Podcast

Ready to reclaim your health with functional medicine? Download her free pdf, The Gutsy Gynecologist's Guide to Balancing Hormones Naturally

Balance Wellness Method Balance Eating Method

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is back with us talking about how to optimize your gut health. Let's be real, fiber isn't that sexy of a topic but Dr. B is changing that. In his new cookbook, The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, you'll be inspired in your cooking with deeply flavorful, satisfying plant-based recipes that make the Fiber Fueled lifestyle delicious and appealing.

This must-have cookbook is so much more than a list of recipes. As you'll hear in this episode, Dr. B took a more challenging path and designed a book to help you heal and optimize your gut. You'll learn the GROWTH strategy, a groundbreaking approach that will help you break down what's causing your GI problems, and discover real solutions that are personalized to your individual needs.

This knowledge is incredibly empowering! When you understand the nature of your problem and know what foods you struggle with, then you'll know what foods to work on in terms of your healing.

At the end of the episode, I asked Dr. B all the questions you sent me on Instagram. We get into:

• Interesting tips on how to get rid of reflux
• Is it possible to eat too much fiber
• Can stress cause ulcerative colitis
• The truth about canned beans
• How to increase iron on a plant-based diet
• the health benefits of Sourdough bread and why making bread yourself (or knowing your baker!) is the best way
• his favorite recipes from the cookbook

Dr. B's passion for what he does and his desire to see people live well is evident in the way he speaks and writes. If you're ready to improve your gut health tune into this episode! If you missed our first episode give that a listen as well, Gut Health with Fiber Fueled Author, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

The Fiber Fueled Cookbook Fiber Fueled Website The Plant Fed GutInstagram The Gut Health MD