Season 2 of the Mother of Reinvention podcast is here! The theme for Season 2 is Body + Soul, and we’ll be covering a wide range of topics that speak to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness – everything from functional nutrition and physical fitness, to navigating perimenopause and menopause, to making the most of your neurological health. Check back each week to hear more episodes that will fill your body and soul with helpful tips and stories that will change your perspective on aging as you move into the next phase of your life.
Be honest: how do you feel about most photos of you? If the answer is “ugh”, you’re definitely not alone. Most women “don’t exist” in photos, says Debbie Love, owner of Fifty Love Photography. Debbie knows firsthand how transformative and powerful a positive personal photography session can be and has made it her mission to take timeless, flattering, and gorgeous photos of regular women. In this episode we talk about the techniques Debbie uses to help women discover themselves through photography, and how you can start to love the way you look in photos, one session (or selfie!) at a time.
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What’s it really like to have a cosmetic procedure like a tummy tuck, breast lift, or liposuction, and what should you ask a surgeon to help you decide? Why are some of the criticisms of plastic surgery outdated? And can cosmetic procedures and body positivity co-exist? In this episode I talk with Terri Zomerlei, MD, from the Centre for Plastic Surgery in Grand Rapids, MI. We dig in what to think (and ask!) about when considering having a cosmetic procedure, some of the procedures she performs most often on women in their 40s and 50s, and what you can do to increase the chances you’ll stay safe during and after the procedure – and be satisfied with the results.
Inflammation. We’ve all heard we should avoid, prevent, and/or reduce it. But, where does inflammation reallycome from, and which diet is the right one for heading it off at the pass? Is it possible that mitigating this chronic health-threatening condition can be as simple (nobody said EASY…) as managing stress, getting enough sleep, and sustaining an eating and movement lifestyle that feels good? In this episode, Certified Nutritional Coach Rachel Hughes of The Meno Memos does a deep dive into what chronic inflammation really is and how it can affect our health, and offers some simple strategies for heading it off at the pass. We also talk about the hormonal changes happening in a woman’s 40s and 50s, menopause symptoms like the dreaded “brain fog”, and the disparities in access to quality healthcare that negatively impacts women of color.
Everything was looking up for Kathreen Francis. In her late 40s, she was finally past her “broke single mom” phase: she had a solid career, a supportive partner, her kids were older, and she was beginning to enjoy all the things in life she’d never had time for before. But at age 50, Kathreen was seriously sidelined when an aneurysm in her brain burst, leading to a month-plus hospitalization and several surgeries. While Kathreen eventually made a full recovery physically, her emotional recovery took longer and there were many bumps along the way. In this episode Kathreen talks frankly about some of the holistic practices she leaned on as she learned to embrace life again, how she has moved past fear as she has taken back on physical challenges, her experience with yoga teacher training, and why she believes her current age (54) is the best time of her life.
What are the things in your life that used to make you feel like really YOU – that you maybe let go of when things got busy? And, is it time to rediscover them? In today’s episode of Mother of Reinvention, I talk to Amy Clark, creator of MomAdvice.com, the Mom Advice Book Club, and the Mom Advice Book Gang podcast. We talk frankly about Amy’s struggles with Ehler Danlos Syndrom (EDS) and how early menopause has exacerbated this already-challenging condition, prompting Amy to double down on the activities she feels most passionate about: one of which is discovering books and authors for her community.
No matter what your specific religious beliefs are – or whether you have any defined beliefs at all – there is undoubtedly something comforting and essential about finding a sense of purpose, meaning, and wisdom outside of yourself. As someone who grew up in the Christian church, grew away from faith and found myself fumbling back in my 40s, I know how tricky and fraught this dance can be, so I was excited to have this conversation with Episcopal priest, podcaster, writer and mom Sarah Condon. Sarah talks honestly about what it’s like to be a female spiritual leader, her work as the chaplain of Rice University, and how she sees women in transitional periods of life leaning into – and sometimes, temporarily away from – their spirituality. She also talks movingly about the recent tragic loss of her parents and how her faith has buoyed her through.
Find Your “Food Frame” With Functional Nutritionist Risa Groux
Are carbs the devil, or a necessary source of energy? Are beans a nutritional powerhouse – or a gut-wrecking source of inflammation? Often it seems to depend on who you ask. But what if it also depends on YOU, and your unique body and needs? In today’s episode I’m talking with functional nutritionist Risa Groux, who believes in a customized approach to nutrition. Risa’s FoodFrame approach matches you with one of seven eating lifestyles that are based on sustainable choices that work for YOU and your body. In this conversation Risa really demystifies a lot of the common confusion around everything from carbs to collagen, gut health to healthy fats. Make food fun again by listening to this episode of the Mother of Reinvention show!
“You Can’t Succumb.” Embracing Everything With Yoga Instructor Maria Rosner
When I first met Maria Rosner, she was a cool 40-something yoga instructor with older kids, and I was a mom of four kids under 11, pregnant with my fifth baby, and had just moved to a small town in southwest Michigan. Now, I’m about the age she was then, and she’s still a cool older yoga instructor embracing city life in Chicago. In this sometimes irreverent conversation Maria and I discuss the physical and spiritual sides of yoga, looking and feeling good as we get older, and how to embrace our lives and choices so that we can create our own narratives.
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Why It’s Not Too Early To Think About Menopause, With Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas
When you think about “menopause” what comes to mind? Is it “something that happens to women wayyy older than me?” If so, you may want to think again. While the average age of completing menopause is 51, most of us start the process much earlier than that – and perimenopause, the period of gradual changes leading up to menopause, often starts in the mid-30s. In today’s episode I speak with integrative healthcare practitioner Arianna Sholes-Douglas, MD, about the signs and symptoms of menopause, what doctors often miss, and why this big life change can be an opportunity for women to live more fully and freely. Listen now!
Why Your 40s Are “Prime Time” With Dr. Vonda Wright
Almost 40? Well past 40? You’re just getting started! Dr. Vonda Wright is an orthopedic surgeon and an expert on active aging and mobility as well as the author of several books on the topic of staying healthy, mobile, and vital as we move into our 40s, 50s, and beyond. Today she explains why your 40s are “prime time” for your health and vitality, and offers simple ideas for ways to stay joyful and vibrant no matter what your age. Our conversation is full of practical and encouraging tips you can put into practice right away because they’re simple, sustainable, and intuitive. Listen now!
You can listen now to all 12 episodes of Season 1, featuring interviews with amazing women telling their reinvention stories, as well as my thoughts on about how to face change with a
sense of adventure and purpose.
Episode Links, Season 1:
