Well & Worthy Life | A Podcast for Midlife Women

After a few months off I am thrilled to be back with all of you! I had a wonderful summer with my husband, children, and granddaughter! I also spent some time planning and preparing for the relaunch of this podcast! In today's kickoff episode, I have 2 of my very dear friends and fellow coaches with me. I want to introduce them because they will be joining me in leading you through the Balance Wellness Method!

Hear each of us share our stories of what kickstarted our health journeys and how we have been navigating our menopausal transitions. Each of us are different but we come with the shared experience of going through menopause and how we have used movement, nutrition, and mindfulness practices to thrive in this season. Melanie, Lori, and I bring our unique gifting to the Balance Wellness Method. This collaboration of 3 coaches is better than 1 as we all bring our knowledge and expertise to the table and learn and grow from each other!

My hope is that you'll feel as though you're sitting among friends in this conversation, as we laugh and share stories about our journey into menopause. There's a place for you at the Balance Wellness Method table sign up and be part of our next group starting September 12th.

Get to know Melanie: Mels Healthy Lifestyle - website Mels Healthy Meals - Instagram

Get to know Lori: Website Whole Body Health - Instagram

Many of you have asked to hear more about my story through, not just one divorce, but two. Today I want to share a little more about how my mess became my message in my story of overcoming the shame of divorce.

The name Well & Worthy Life was birthed from these experiences. For so many years, I didn't see myself as worthy. I liked the idea of having somebody love me unconditionally. What I failed to realize was I needed to love myself unconditionally first. Once I started doing that, I found my worth from within myself.

If any of you are struggling to overcome the shame of divorce, I hope my message can offer some hope or encouragement.

This is my last podcast before I break for the summer but in the meantime, catch some of my older episodes or re-listen to your favorites! Starting in the fall I'll be back with some wonderful guests diving into topics that I know you're dying to hear more about. Email me your thoughts on the kinds of topics you want me to discuss.

Books I mentioned in the episode:

Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins

Join me in my Balance programs!

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In my experience living in the south, discussing certain women's issues can make people very uncomfortable. It's time to change that because these topics are too important to ignore. Today we are doing just that, normalizing the conversation about vaginal health and menopause and I have the perfect guest to help us do that, Dr. Alyssa Dweck.

Dr. Alyssa Dweck is a practicing gynecologist in Westchester County, New York, providing care to women of all ages. She has been an OBGYN for over 25 years. Today her practice focuses on perimenopause, menopause, female sexual health and general gynecology. If there are questions you've been uncomfortable asking, Dr. Alyssa is going to answer them here!

Something Dr. Alyssa said that I really appreciated was that menopause doesn't have to be a negative experience. There is a way to acknowledge the changes happening to us as we start going through menopause but there are also plenty of things we can do to be proactive through the changes. In regards to vaginal health in menopause, Dr Alyssa shares a number of useful tips!

To learn more about vaginal health with Dr Alyssa Dweck

Go order her recent book, "The Complete A-Z for your V" Tune into her podcast, The Business of the V Check out her websites: Hello Bonafide and Dr. Dweck

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If you were to pause and ask yourself, "how happy do I feel with my life?" how would you respond? It took me years to start uncovering the key to true happiness. I used to believe I would find it once I lost that final few pounds or if I bought that cute outfit; anyone with me?! The problem is, all of those things are found outside of ourselves therefore the happiness is fleeting. To find lasting joy you need to learn how to find happiness within yourself. Once I discovered that, I was able to carry peace within myself whatever I was going through. I want continue on the path of true happiness through the second half of life. And I want that for you too!

I'm excited to introduce you to Monique Rhodes, Happiness Strategist and my podcast guest for today! When you're in her presence, you realize you're in front of a person who actually walks the talk. She's calm, cool and collected and has a natural ease and infectiously positive outlook on the world. Life's not been easy (and she shares some of her story in this episode) but Monique has found a way to turn it around and create a life most people would call extraordinary. She's truly an expert on how to live a happier life.

In our conversation, Monique talks about the fascinating reality that meditation can actually CHANGE the structure of our brain, the truth on acknowledging our negative emotions and practical steps we can take to find happiness within. If you're someone who thinks they can't meditate, I highly recommend you check out Monique's 10 Minute Mind.

This second half of life can be happier than ever before, no matter what the circumstances!

Check out her website to see her courses, blogs and podcast.Follow her on Instagram and Facebook for more tips on meditation

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Bone Coach, Kevin Ellis is with me today sharing ALL things related to bone health and why gathering this information BEFORE menopause is must! Kevin is an Integrative Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Stronger Bones Solution™ Program Instructor, osteoporosis "thriver," and founder of BoneCoach™. He has made it his mission to help over 1+ million people around the globe address bone loss, build bone strength, stop fearing fracture, and lead active lives. He's most famous for helping people with osteopenia and osteoporosis gain clarity and confidence that improving is possible.

As with many of my podcast guests, Kevin turned his mess into his message and is a leading voice when it comes to bone health. We talked about everything from warning signs of bone issues, how diet and lifestyle affect bone health, foods that support bone health and why it's important to get a scan before you go through menopause.

There were so many more questions I could have asked Kevin but we'll have to save those for another episode! What questions would you like him to answer next time? Share them with me in an email.

Instagram Facebook YoutubePodcast Website

Don't Miss out on his Stronger Bones Masterclass! This 50-min FREE Stronger Bones Masterclass is for women 45-65+ to learn the 3-step blueprint for building stronger bones. This training has been called "a critical missing piece in women's healthcare and education" and is the BEST free osteoporosis training available.

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Have you been hearing more about intermittent fasting lately? In this episode we're talking all about what women need to know about intermittent fasting during perimenopause and menopause. The truth is, intermittent fasting doesn't look the same for women as it does for men. And it even differs among women depending on your age and stage of life. There's so much to dive into with this topic and I'm excited to let you hear from my guest, Cynthia Thurlow on the topic.

Cynthia is a nurse practitioner, CEO and founder of the Everyday Wellness Project. With over 20 years experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and nutritional health. She even has a highly viewed TEDx talk on the topic: "Intermittent Fasting: Transformational Technique".

After experiencing a health breakdown in her forties, Cynthia created her Intermittent Fasting plan. This not only helped her lose weight but her energy increased, she had fewer cravings and lower blood glucose levels. Now she's helping more women experience what she has. Her newly published book, Intermittent Fasting Transformation, is an excellent resource if you're looking to get started with intermittent fasting. The book gives a customizable nutrition guide so you can feel your best at every stage of life. I know you'll love this episode as much as I did!

Connect with Cynthia:

Check out her website Follow her on Instagram for more support with intermittent fasting during perimenopause Join her Facebook group

Join me in my Balance programs!

Balance Eating Method Balance Program

There is a lot of talk out there about what living healthy looks like but what does it mean and how does it support you in your menopause or perimenopause journey? That's what I'm talking about with Tessa Guevara on this episode.

For the past 20+ years, Tessa has been a health care clinician working as a Registered Nurse for 8 years and then a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for 15 years respectively. Because of her own story, which she shares in this episode, Tessa knows the value of healthy eating for cancer survivors. She became immersed in changing her own view of nutrition to the point of pursuing a functional nutrition certification. Tessa speaks to the power of listening to your body and advocating for your health.

Many people confuse being healthy with an outward appearance like a person's weight or size but there is so much more to it. Tessa's mission is to teach women how to be healthy from within. She wants women to make educated decisions with their doctors. To know that they have the power to have the energy they need to sleep well and feel good. Tessa's work is driven by a desire to empower women of all ages to realize their health and the quality of their life is a choice. The lifestyle habits you create today are so important!

If you're in your menopause or perimenopause transition - or approaching those years! - she offers a lot of hope and truth for you in this conversation.

Connect with Tessa:

Instagram Contact Tessa for information about the hormonal health group program mentioned on this episode. The next group starts in May.

Join me in my Balance programs!

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Message me with any menopause or perimenopause questions you want me to answer.

All too often the conversation around menopause has been ignored or misunderstood but there are many of us working to change the conversation. My guest today, Dr. Louann Brizendine is one of those voices of change. She is using her unique ability to make science approachable to create a positive new framework for this life stage. Her new book, The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife & Beyond is a game changer! This book is for anyone going through perimenopause and menopause or even those of you in your late thirties. If you're older, you'll be able to relate to it and if you haven't started the transition, it will serve as a guide to what's to come and what you can do.

Here's what others are saying about Dr. Louann's work:

"Dr. Louann Brizendine's The Upgrade is uplifting, upbeat about the physical, mental and social health of women in the upper chamber of the life cycle. If you're 60 years old and up, you will love this book. As she did in The Female Brain (a bible for all women), Dr Brizendine writes clearly and jauntily, this time explaining why, generally, we get happier as we age. The Upgrade is an engrossing read, rich with science and psychology and hopefulness."—Leslie Stahl, Correspondent, 60 minutes

Knowledge is power and to go into menopause with more insight will hopefully make the process a little smoother. Gain some more knowledge in this inspiring conversation with Dr. Louann. Midlife and beyond can truly be some of the best years, there's science to prove it!

Order The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife & Beyond.

Join me in my Balance programs!

Balance Eating Method Balance Program

I often hear things like, "menopause is destroying my life" or "I'm having horrible perimenopause symptoms" but it doesn't have to be that way! Today I have Dr. Anna Cabeca on the show talking about how to opt out of menopause misery and experience a joyful transition to the next stage of their lives. I've been following Dr. Anna on Instagram for awhile and I was thrilled she was able to join me on the podcast because I wanted to introduce all of you to her. She has written a few books, with her latest one "MenuPause" launching today! You can find it through her website linked below.

Dr. Anna Cabeca is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She has special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and we're touching on all of those topics in this episode!

When her own health took a troubling turn during menopause, she sought out the wisdom of healers around the world. She learned that modern medicine and natural remedies are not at odds. Working together, they create indisputable results and true well being. Using delicious, healing foods and simple lifestyle changes, Dr. Anna reclaimed her health and life. With her methods, you, too, can breeze through menopause into your "second spring", feeling the best you ever have.

Connect with Dr. Anna:

Website: Dr Anna CabecaIG: The Girlfriend Doctor Podcast: The Girlfriend Doctor Show

Join me in my Balance programs!

Balance Eating Method Balance Program

Whether you want to admit it or not, the food you eat absolutely affects your mood. Alison Bladh is back on with me today sharing insight on how to boost your mood with food. Both her and I are passionate about helping women along their perimenopausal/menopausal journey and one thing that most women experience in that journey is mood swings.

We cover the gut-brain connection and how inflammation from foods we eat directly impacts our brain. We also discuss foods that boost our mood and the ones that can easily drag you down! Whether you're already in that season of life looking for support or wanting an early start on healthy habits to support you when the time comes, you'll want to listen in on our conversation.

If you're experiencing menopausal moods like irritability, anxiety and weepy all the time, Alison has a great resource for you! Download her free menopausal mood boosting eBook with meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists revive your mood in a quick and easy way!

Mentioned on the show:The smile trial - A randomized controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression.Previous episode with Alison - How Perimenopause Affects the Skin

Connect with Alison via:Her websiteInstagram Twitter

And before I leave you to enjoy this episode, here's the link to join me in the Balance Eating Method! Another great resource to help you boost your mood with food!