Shows
Health, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.153 Transform Your Walk, Transform Your Health: The Science Behind Better MovementThink you know how to walk? Think again.In this episode of Asking for a Friend, I’m joined by international health expert Joanna Hall, founder of the WalkActive Method. Joanna reveals how improving your walking technique can dramatically boost posture, joint health, hormone balance, and even cognitive function—all especially important in midlife.With 30+ years in sports science, Joanna explains how most of us are walking inefficiently, reinforcing poor movement patterns and joint strain. Her science-backed method helps women over 40 engage the right muscles, impr...2025-04-2255 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.146 Nourish Your Journey: A Fresh Start After 50 with Michele FolanHello there, ladies! It's Michele here, your 60-something guide to health after the big 5-0. In today's episode, we're having a good old chat about taking care of ourselves in these golden years.Listen, I know what you're going through. Those hormones playing musical chairs, feeling like your muscles are on vacation, and all those "experts" telling you what to do—it's enough to make your head spin! I've been there too, and that's why I'm sitting in this chair today talking to you.We're going to break down intermittent fasting into bite-sized pieces that ma...2025-03-0321 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.137 Michele Folan on Unlocking Midlife Metabolism, GLP-1 Insights, and Sustainable Fat LossIt's me speaking with you this week offering my perspective on midlife health, focusing on building long-term vitality through strength training, mindful eating, and sustainable lifestyle changes. It's time to ditch the quick-fix mentality and embrace lasting results. Together, we'll explore the importance of being mindful about sugar consumption, the crucial role that muscle plays in metabolism, and the often-overlooked implications of relying on medications for weight loss.We dive into the unique challenges women face during midlife and how to navigate them with confidence and clarity. One of the key topics we cover is the importance...2025-01-0129 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.115 Busting Menopause Myths: Laura Lamb on Weight Loss, Inflammation, and NutritionIs your approach to midlife health and wellness stuck in the past? On this episode of Asking for a Friend, we unravel the complexities of midlife body changes with a focus on metabolism, diet, and exercise. Join me, Michele Folan, as we challenge the myths perpetuated by diet culture and reveal the benefits of balanced nutrition and weight lifting. I'm honored to have Laura Lamb, a menopause practitioner and founder of the Menopause Lab, as our guest. Laura talks about her own journey from a corporate career to becoming a menopause coach, sharing her battles with diet culture and...2024-07-2940 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.110 Sustainable Health, Fitness & Nutritional Strategies with Sarah BradleyReady to transform your midlife health and fitness journey? Join us as we explore the incredible transformation of Sarah Bradley, a certified integrative nutrition health coach and Faster Way coach. Sarah shares her compelling story of transitioning from a finance career to her current passion, emphasizing the importance of sustainable fitness and nutrition plans for women in their 40s and beyond. You’ll be inspired by her personal experiences and practical advice on maintaining weight loss through life's significant changes, and how mutual support can help achieve long-term wellness goals.Discover the transformative power of eliminating sugar an...2024-06-2448 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.94 The Continuous Glucose Monitor for Non-diabetics: Harnessing Data for Metabolic Health and Weight LossUnlock the secrets to a healthier life with Dr. Paul Kolodzik, as he shares the life-altering benefits of continuous glucose monitoring. This isn't just for those managing diabetes; it's a revelation for anyone grappling with metabolic health. Throughout our conversation, we delve into the insidious effects of high blood sugar on vascular diseases and dissect the dietary choices that could make or break our health. Dr. Kolozdik, with his unique blend of emergency and metabolic health expertise, gives us the lowdown on how simple changes in nutrition and lifestyle can forge a path to overcoming insulin resistance and optimizing...2024-03-0440 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.93 Empowering Your Prime: Building a Pain-Free Life with Strategic FitnessAre you navigating the complexities of staying fit after 50, but some aches and pains are standing in your way? Discover the secrets to maintaining physical wellness with Megan Dahlman, an exercise science expert with a passion for empowering women in their prime. Our enlightening conversation goes beyond the typical fitness advice, revealing why listening to your body and understanding its mechanics are crucial for an active, pain-free life. Megan's expertise shines as she explains the importance of not just enduring discomfort but addressing its root causes, ensuring your pickleball serve or yoga pose doesn't come with an unwelcome side...2024-02-2642 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.92 When The Fentanyl Crisis Hits Close to Home: What Every Parent Must KnowThe specter of fentanyl has cast a long shadow over America, leaving countless families to navigate the overwhelming grief of losing loved ones to this potent and often stealthy killer. Today, we sit down with Tom and Stephanie Quehl, two such warriors in the battle against this epidemic, who share the heartrending narrative of their son Jack's vibrant life and its untimely end due to a fentanyl-laced recreational drug. As we journey through Jack's memories, from his triumphs in the classroom, his travels abroad, to the unimaginable night that altered their lives forever, the Quehls' courage and resolve shine...2024-02-1949 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.91 Holistic Dental Innovations for a Brighter Smile, Healthier YouUnlock the secrets of a radiant smile and robust health with Dr. Sanda Moldovan, our guest who's pioneering the field of oral health, nutrition, and anti-aging. Discover how the state of your mouth is a window to your overall well-being, especially for midlife women navigating the ebbs and flows of hormonal changes. From the tips of your teeth to the depths of your gut, we're connecting the dots on how oral care, nutrition, and lifestyle choices contribute to ailments like chronic fatigue and brain fog, while also highlighting the importance of saliva pH and how to maintain an alkaline...2024-02-1243 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.90 She Found Her Way Through Fitness - Goodbye Restrictive Diets & Hello to BalanceAs a seasoned veteran in the battle with restrictive diets and excessive exercise, I was thrilled to sit across from midlife coach Kristin Jackson, an example of balance in the health and wellness arena. Our heartfelt conversation peels back the layers of her transition from a personal trainer, once bound by the shackles of extreme fitness regimens, to a champion of the holistic FASTer Way program. Kristin's story of navigating the rough seas of perimenopause, a late-in-life pregnancy, and body changes make for an identifiable tale of a woman steering through midlife. Kristin found her way to nutrition that...2024-02-0535 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.89 Winning the Battle Against Midlife Hair Loss - Treatments, Nutrition, and Regenerative TherapiesHave you ever looked in the mirror and noticed your hair isn't quite as full as it used to be? You're not alone. On this episode, we have a heart-to-heart with Dr. Alan Bauman of Bauman Medical, who brings empathy and expertise to the table as we tackle hair loss in midlife, particularly for women. From genetic factors to emotional impacts, we cover the gamut of this surprisingly common yet often unspoken struggle. Dr. Bauman's personal journey from the inception of his "hair hospital" to becoming a beacon of hope for those facing thinning locks is as inspiring as...2024-01-2953 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.88 There Is No Magic Pill: Getting Fit in Your Fifties and Never Looking BackWhen Kiki Hurwitt's wellness and emotional health were not where she wanted them to be, she chose action over surrender, embarking on an incredible quest toward fitness that transformed her life. Have you ever considered that maybe your greatest victories lie ahead, no matter your age? Kiki's candid discussion on her battle with pre-diabetes and high cholesterol opens a window into the power of determination and how visual affirmations, like progress photos, can radically shift self-perception. She embodies the spirit of the fearless warrior in all of us, proving that midlife can indeed be redefined.T...2024-01-2236 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.87 Revitalizing Your Liver in Midlife: Dr. Supriya Joshi Unlocks the Path to Metabolic Health and LongevityIn midlife, when we think about our overall wellness, the topics of menopause, weight gain, bone and joint health, and our skin are usually top-of-mind, but what about our livers? This organ often gets forgotten until there is an actual issue.On this episode we are unlocking the secrets of liver health with liver specialist Dr. Supriya Joshi, as we navigate the underrated importance of this vital organ in your midlife journey. Through our in-depth conversation, you'll gain a wealth of knowledge about how metabolic health intertwines with liver function and the steps you can take to...2024-01-1546 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.86 Train With Joan - Inspiring Us to Flex Our AgeAccording to AARP over 44% of Americans ages 40-59 are considered obese, and for adults over 60 that number is around 42%. Hormone changes can cause fat accumulation, especially in our midsections, and that collides with age-related muscle loss, which means our bodies don't burn calories or process sugar as efficiently. Then, of course, comes the expected cascade of possible health complications associated with the extra weight. I don't want this to sound bleak, and the purpose in me sharing these statistics is to say that we CAN change the narrative. It is possible, and it is never too late. 2024-01-0831 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.85 Changing Things Up - Making 2024 Your Healthiest Year YetEmbarking on a fresh journey of self-discovery and growth, I take to the mic with a heart full of gratitude for the past year's learnings and eyes set on the horizon of health transformation for midlife women. As we wave goodbye to 2023, we revisit the wisdom imparted by Dr. Nicole Lovat on hormone replacement therapy, dive into the intricacies of bone health with Rebecca Rotstein, sit in the comforting circle of mental well-being with Dr. Laurie Little, and navigate the healthcare maze with guidance from Susan Salenger. These conversations were more than interviews; they are the building b...2024-01-0118 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.84 Modern Body Modern Life - How to Lose Weight for the Last TimeDoes the thought of permanent weight loss without diets or deprivation sound too good to be true? We’ve got Courtney Gray, a seasoned life and body coach, debunking that myth right here on "Asking for a Friend." Courtney takes us through her personal journey and shares her no-drama approach to achieving and maintaining your ideal weight, focusing on health, wellness, and the intricate role of mindset.We also delve into the complex relationship between our eating habits and body image. Courtney encourages us to face the truth about our dietary choices and to understand how societal pr...2023-12-1836 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.83 A Clairvoyant and Medical Medium - Using Her Gifts in Transformational CoachingAre you curious as to what the future holds and at a crossroads in your life journey ? Are you concerned about a certain nagging pain? If you are at the point of "Now what?" in a career or a relationship, you will love this week's guest.Carol Walkner left behind corporate America to pursue her dream of helping people rediscover themselves and the direction in which their life is going. She is a certified Reiki Master, clairvoyant medium, and transformational coach with clients all over the world.She shares her fascinating journey, from her early...2023-12-1132 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.82 The Fulfilled Pharmacist Delves into Sugar Consumption, Intermittent Fasting and Gut HealthThink about how many times you've asked the pharmacist for advice. What's the best for poison ivy? What should I use for my child's congestion? Help! Where are the COVID tests? You get my drift. Your friendly neighborhood pharmacist, a wealth of knowledge, trusted and always ready with answers to your questions. Lisa King, RPH, also known as the Fulfilled Pharmacist, has your best interest at heart, as she wants midlife women to look and feel their best at any age, while becoming more aware of their health and creating long-lasting good habits. Lisa is also the b...2023-12-0433 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.81 Womaness Co-founder Talks Skincare and Wellness Down There - You Deserve to Feel and Look Great at Any AgeBy 2030 the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion, with 47 million new entrants each year, but according to a recent Forbes survey, a staggering 73% of women don't treat their menopause symptoms. What about vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleep disruptions, and skin changes? Are we really putting up with this stuff? There are some amazing women-led companies out there who are forging a path to normalizing the conversation and education around menopause symptoms. It's one thing to be a female entrepreneur, but when you take that boldness and bravery and comb...2023-11-2733 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.80 The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing YourselfMy friend, Claudia, thought this would be a timely topic for many us, and it did not take me long to find an expert in the field of eldercare. There can be many rewards for caring for ill or aging parents, a spouse, relative, or a special neighbor. It is truly a labor of love, but with that there can be some very challenging and trying moments that come with the territory of having this honor. The role requires patience, tenderness, selflessness, and hard work. The emotional toll and physical stress of caregiving can lead to b...2023-11-2033 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.79 Get Your Gut Together: Banishing Bloat and Finding Relief From Digestive IssuesIf you are bloated or feel like your gut symptoms are holding you back from living life, this show is for you. Our guest expert, Heather Finley, is an adventure-loving, book reading, constipation-overcoming dietician, who wants you to poop better.Heather is your guide to make easy, sustainable changes so that you can find relief and feel healthy again. She is the mastermind behind the gutTogether Program, host of the Love Your Gut podcast, a consultant, and speaker.In this episode we discuss:The gut/brain connection is really a thing!SIBO...2023-11-1338 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.78 Your Menopause Nutritionist: Finding Body Confidence Without Diets and Food RulesHere is a statistic for you. The average 45 year-old woman has been on 61 diets since the age of sixteen. This brought me back to the 1980s and 90s, the era of dexatrim, Ayds Candies, and Slim Fast. As a side note, the active ingredient in Ayds Candies and Dexatrim was the decongestant, phenylpropanolamine, which can be found in many cold medicines today. I almost forgot about fen-phen. Remember all the heart and legal issues with that drug? Then there were the popular, fad diets, such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, Beverly Hills, Scarsdale, and Grapefruit Diet, to name a few. ...2023-11-0648 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.77 Shadow Work and Acupuncture - Using Science and Spirituality for Healing Anxiety and TraumaIf you have experienced stress, anxiety, or trauma, what have you done to help you manage or overcome the thoughts and emotions that may derail your day, sleep, and overall wellbeing?Podcast guests have opened my eyes to alternative modalities that go beyond therapy and prescriptions. Hypnosis, EFT, and Reiki can all be considered to help us find peace. On this episode we discuss shadow work and acupuncture, among other things.Winnie Chan Wang is a mindfulness and traditional medicine expert, international speaker, bestselling author, and a professor in acupuncture at the Alhambra Medical University. In...2023-10-3047 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.76 The Real 50 Over 50 - Her Crusade to Help Midlife Women Be VisibleOne of my pillars of selfcare in midlife is community and connection. Women are generally better at reaching out and networking than our male counterparts, and I am fortunate to have been on the receiving end of other women, not only wishing to collaborate, but also connecting me with others who are in their circles. When I met today's podcast guest, I knew right away that I was in the presence of one of these great connectors of people. She is like a magnet for the midlife community. Donna Cravotta is the CEO and founder of the Crav...2023-10-2331 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.75 Direction Not Perfection - Shifting Your Diet and Fitness MindsetTired of the all or nothing mentality when it comes to your health and fitness? Lindsey House, R.D., wants you to get off the sidelines of life and feel energetic so that you can enjoy all the great stuff ahead in midlife and beyond. This dietician and personal trainer, turned accountability coach and podcaster, is all about direction and not perfection. Lindsey is rewriting the rules to be realistic for attainable goals, not a one-size-fits-all program that only measures what we see on the scale. At the end of the day, the best lifestyle is the one...2023-10-1645 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.74 Getting Your Groove Back - A Return to Pleasure and IntimacyWhen it comes to our intimate partnerships in midlife, this can be a moment for us to get back to a more fulfilling and meaningful sex life, but in this season of change, do we want and need the same things that lit us up twenty years ago?Emma Schmidt & Associates is a sex and relationship therapy group practice with a mission is to help make therapy more accessible, locally, nationally and globally. As a sex therapist, Emma believes you deserve to have a great sex life and relationship that fires on all cylinders. Emma s...2023-10-0954 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.73 Why He Thinks Women Are Superior to Men and The Real Secret to a Fantastic RelationshipDelightful! That is how I sum up this podcast interview. I believe that it is important that men have a voice on this podcast, and it is always refreshing to get a different perspective on the intricacies of male/female relationships. As the head of a major hospital, Ricky Arenson, MD worked with many patients who had reached 100+ years of age. He asked them what the secret to their longevity was, and surprisingly, it wasn't eating acai berries and doing yoga, it was having long-term positive relationships. Ricky Arenson's funny yet serious book, Women are Super...2023-10-0136 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.72 The Intimacy Doctor and Vital Conversations About MenopauseAfter twelve years in medicine, helping families heal their bodies, Dr. Alexandra Stockwell started studying the science and art of emotional and sensual connection to help her patients heal their relationships.So why did this already super busy, mom, wife, intimate marriage expert, and podcaster decide to co-author a book about menopause? As Alexandra and her dear friend, Tricia Brouk, began to dig in, they found that despite the fact that there is more awareness around this life stage, we still aren't really talking about it. The Invitation - Vital Conversations About Menopause is not a...2023-09-2545 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.71 Hey, Michelle! Making a Career Out of a Love for Your HometownIf you asked your friends or family what you are "known for" or what makes you unique, what kind of answers do you think you might get? We all have our "thing" whether it is a talent, trait, or a quirk that makes us who we are to those who know us best.Are you that person who has the inside track of what's going on around town, the friend who is on top of all the latest and greatest in entertainment, food, and thrills? Well, that is how Michelle Dorward Jones' friends and followers would describe th...2023-09-1832 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.70 How She Embraced Midlife Anxiety and Her Many LayersEarlier in 2023 I had a day where out of nowhere came a racing heart and super high anxiety. It was concerning to feel this out of control, and I never really pinpointed a cause other than maybe one of those annoying symptoms of menopause. I can't imagine feeling like that all the time, and it was enough of a wake-up call to prompt me to make some needed changes, and that included more intentional downtime and selfcare. As women, we do a lot and need to cut ourselves some slack.In 2019 Melissa Crook had a health crisis tha...2023-09-1141 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.69 We Have Options! The Changing Landscape of Menopause and Hormone TherapyAfter episode 64 of the podcast, I had many listeners reach out to me to express their frustration over the lack of healthcare providers in their area who were in the know in the latest in hormone therapy treatments and protocols. When the company Winona contacted me to speak to one of their medical providers, I jumped at the chance to bring our listeners a possible option to fill a void in their quest to feel better and be their best.As telemedicine becomes more and more commonplace, many doctors are seeing it as vehicle to reach more p...2023-09-0442 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.68 It's Not Normal, It's Toxic: Choosing Yourself Over an Unhealthy RelationshipDo you ever wonder why a particular relationship that you have is so darned difficult? If you sometimes ask yourself if the relationship is unhealthy for you, then maybe it's time to assess the situation. Being walked on, devalued, or feeling stuck can be demoralizing, and worse yet, if we let things go too long, we can develop emotional abuse fatigue.These relationships can be confusing, because they may not be bad all the time. So at what point do we decide, for our own emotional health and wellbeing, that we need set boundaries or walk away alt...2023-08-2842 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.67 These Don't Have to Be Your Momma's Varicose VeinsMore than 80 million Americans suffer from vein disease. We mostly think of varicose veins, which for some, can makes us self-conscious about the appearance of our legs, but they can be downright painful. Pregnancy, heredity, and what do you know, menopause, can all play a role.Cindy Asbjornsen, DO, found a passion and calling for helping people with vein disease. She is committed to educating her patients about vein health so that they can make informed decisions about the best treatment options. As a board-certified phlebologist, Cindy is utilizing the latest in technology to ensure optimal outcomes to n...2023-08-2133 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.66 The Many Facets of Physical Therapy and Why It May Be Right for MidlifeThere is so much that we do in midlife in the name of prevention, such as eat well, exercise, and focus on self-care. When you think about the physical therapy, we typically put it in the category of reacting to an injury or recovery post-surgery, rather than prevention. My own recent experience opened my eyes to the many facets of PT, and it is astounding to me the amount of training and specialization physical therapists complete. Think of it as your whole body being connected and your physical therapist is the sleuth that solves the puzzle and comes up wit...2023-08-1440 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.65 Why She Chose a Hangover-free LifeAllow me to introduce you to Jen Butler. She is a self-proclaimed imperfectionist, who wanted to reach some of her own personal goals, but she knew deep down that her wine habit was going to hold her back from being successful. Removing alcohol is a courageous act of self-care, and she made the decision at the end of 2017 to hand sauvignon blanc a pink slip and started her sober journey. Jen wants to help other women find their joy in a sober curious or sober serious life through 1:1 and group coaching.This wife, mom, and kic...2023-08-0739 minHealth, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a FriendEp.64 In the Know on Hormone Facts and the Weight Loss ConnectionOne of the goals of the Asking for a Friend Podcast is to bring thought leaders to the table in all matters that impact midlife women. As things are rapidly changing, it is difficult staying current on hormone replacement therapy and the treatment of menopause. It is vitally important that we are armed with information so that we can do our own research and feel empowered to have discussions with our healthcare providers. Nicole Lovat, MD, was two weeks away from opening her family medicine practice, when she attended a hormone education seminar held by World Link Med...2023-07-3138 min