Wellness After 40

Send us Fan MailMaybe no one knows you’re grieving.You’ve kept going. You’ve shown up. You’ve told yourself, this is just part of life. Kids grow up. Bodies change. Parents age. Relationships shift. Dreams change. We get older.But just because a change is normal doesn’t mean you have to pretend it doesn’t hurt.In this episode of Wellness After 40, Laura Bratton returns for an honest conversation about the grief women often carry quietly—and why some of the hardest losses are the ones we don’t even realize we’re allowed to grieve.How do you know when you’re grieving versus simply struggling with change? What happens when you keep pushing those feelings aside? And how do you honor what you’ve lost without staying stuck there?If you’ve been telling yourself you should be fine, this conversation may be exactly what you need.Connect with LauraLearn more about Laura, her coaching and speaking, and her book Harnessing Courage:Visit Laura BrattonMore Wellness After 40Become a Wellness After 40 SubscriberIf this episode makes you think of another woman who needs to hear it, send it to her. Every listen and share helps Wellness After 40 grow and reach more women.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHave you ever known exactly what you need to change, but still found yourself repeating the same habits, thoughts, or patterns?In this episode of Wellness After 40, I’m joined by Tina, a certified neuroscience coach and creator of The Rewired Manifestor Method™. We’re talking about manifestation, but maybe not in the way you’ve heard about it before.Tina explains why manifestation isn’t magic or simply thinking positively. Real change starts with understanding how our brains are wired, recognizing the patterns that keep us stuck, and learning how to create new ones.We talk about why our brains prioritize safety over happiness, why knowing what to do often isn’t enough to actually change, and how awareness, nervous system regulation, and repetition can help us rewire long-standing patterns.We also get into neuroplasticity, whether we really become “set in our ways” as we get older, why our bodies need to feel safe for lasting change to happen, and small practices you can start using to create change in your own life.Because maybe you’re not stuck. Maybe your brain has simply gotten really good at practicing the same patterns.Connect with TinaInstagram: @rewiredmanifestorThe Daily Rewire / Get Out of Your Own Way ChallengeIf you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow Wellness After 40 and subscribe here for bonus episodes and exclusive content.And if you know someone who would love this conversation, send it their way. Thank you so much for listening!Support the show

Send us Fan MailSex, desire, and intimacy after 40 aren’t exactly topics we openly talk about. They’re often kept quiet, whispered about, or not talked about at all—which is exactly why I wanted to have this conversation.Today I’m joined by Dr. Lori Davis, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and certified sex counselor who helps individuals and couples navigate desire, intimacy, and connection. She’s been featured in The New York Times, Oprah Daily, and Women’s Health, and teaches sexuality counseling at the University of Michigan.We’re shedding some light on what can happen to desire and intimacy during perimenopause and midlife—from the physical changes to the emotional and relationship side of it all. And perhaps most importantly, we talk about why desire can mean so much more - it can also be part of feeling connected, vibrant, and fully engaged in your life.If something has shifted and you’ve quietly wondered, Is this normal?—this conversation is for you.Connect with Dr. Lori Davis:Mismatched Desire ResetFollow Dr. Lori Davis on InstagramWant more Wellness After 40?Subscribe for bonus podcast contentSupport the show

Send us Fan MailEating well, exercising, and still struggling to lose weight? If your old weight loss strategies suddenly stopped working in your 40s, insulin might be part of the missing puzzle.In this episode of Wellness After 40, I'm joined by certified health and wellness coach and author Tania Bertolone to explore the connection between insulin, weight gain, and metabolic health during midlife.After losing 40 pounds herself at age 46 and discovering insulin resistance, Tania made it her mission to help women better understand their bodies and take a more sustainable approach to weight management.We dive into what insulin actually does, how insulin resistance can affect fat storage, and why changing hormones, muscle mass, sleep, and stress can make weight management feel so different after 40.We also discuss the signs of insulin resistance, important lab tests to ask your doctor about, GLP-1 medications, and practical strategies involving nutrition, protein, strength training, and everyday habits that can support better insulin sensitivity.If you've ever wondered why what used to work no longer does, this conversation is for you.🌐 Visit Tania’s Website 📖 Get Her Book: Insulin Smart Weight Loss for Women Over 40 📱 Follow Tania on Instagram Become a Wellness After 40 Insider! ✨Want more wellness conversations, guided meditations, and exclusive bonus episodes? Join Wellness After 40+ for just $5 a month.✨ Become an Insider and Subscribe Here ↗️ If you enjoyed this episode, follow Wellness After 40 and share it with a friend who needs to hear this conversation!Support the show

Send us Fan MailOsteoporosis probably isn't at the top of your wellness list in your 40s—but maybe it should be.Bone loss can happen quietly for years, often without any obvious symptoms. And while most of us have heard the standard advice about calcium, vitamin D, and weight-bearing exercise, there’s another important piece of the bone-health puzzle that many women have never considered.In this episode of Wellness After 40, I’m joined by Susan Brady, MPT, a physical therapist, integrative health practitioner, and bone health expert with more than 30 years of experience helping women prevent and address osteoporosis naturally. She’s the creator of the BONES Method® and author of The Gut-Bone Connection, which explores an often-overlooked piece of maintaining strong bones: our gut health.Because it’s not only about getting the right nutrients—our bodies also need to be able to absorb and use them.This conversation goes beyond the typical osteoporosis advice and looks at bone health through a bigger lens. Whether osteoporosis is already on your radar or feels like something you don't need to think about yet, this episode may change the way you think about protecting your bones and staying strong, active, and healthy as you age.Connect with Susan BradyWebsite: nurturedbones.comInstagram: @nurturedbonesVisit nurturedbones.com to learn more about Susan’s BONES Method®, The Gut-Bone Connection book, and ways to work with her.Want more from Wellness After 40? Become a Wellness After 40+ subscriber for $5/month and get exclusive bonus episodes, including short meditations, reflections, and additional wellness content.Subscribe here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast and share it with a friend. It’s one of the easiest ways to help more women discover Wellness After 40.Support the show

Send us Fan MailAre you really getting enough protein after 40? And does building muscle require eating more meat?In this episode of Wellness After 40, I'm joined by physician, researcher, and lifestyle medicine expert Dr. Daphne Bascom to separate nutrition facts from fiction and explain what women actually need to support healthy aging during perimenopause and menopause.We discuss why protein becomes more important as we age, how muscle impacts longevity, whether plant-based diets can support strength and healthy aging, and the daily habits that help women feel their best through midlife.Whether you're trying to age well, preserve muscle, improve your energy, or simply cut through the overwhelming nutrition advice online, this conversation is packed with practical, evidence-based guidance you can start using today.In this episode, we discuss: Why women over 40 need to prioritize protein  How much protein most women actually need  The connection between muscle, metabolism, and longevity  Can you build muscle on a plant-based diet?  Nutrition habits that support healthy aging  Lifestyle strategies for thriving through perimenopause and menopause  Common nutrition myths women should stop believing  The biggest habits that improve long-term health after 40 Connect with Dr. Daphne Bascom🌿 The Vegan Gym: https://www.thevegangym.com/🎙️ Podcast: Thrive on Plants🌿 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wingmandaphne/🌿 Menopause Mastery Program: https://www.veganmenopausemastery.com/ Subscribe to Wellness After 40🎧 Become a monthly subscriber for bonus episodes, exclusive expert interviews, and additional content designed specifically for women navigating midlife:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover trusted, evidence-based conversations about thriving after 40.Support the show

Send us Fan MailYou used to sleep through the night. Now you're awake at 3 a.m., your mind is racing, and you're wondering what changed.If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.Sleep is one of the biggest frustrations women experience in midlife, but it's about so much more than feeling tired the next day. Quality sleep plays a vital role in brain health, immunity, mood, emotional regulation, recovery, and healthy aging. In fact, growing research suggests that consistently getting good sleep may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we get older.In this episode, I sit down with Tess Cheng, a Certified Health & Well-Being Coach with a master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and more than 13 years of experience helping people build healthier, sustainable habits. Together, we explore practical, science-backed strategies that can help you finally get the restorative sleep your body has been craving.If you're tired of waking up exhausted, relying on caffeine to get through the day, or wondering why your sleep has changed after 40, you'll walk away with a better understanding of what's happening—and simple tools you can start using tonight.Resources from Tess Cheng🌙 Free Sleep Tracker & Guidehttps://tinyurl.com/GWTSleepGuide✨ Learn more about Tess's coaching serviceshttps://glowithtess.com/services/📱 Follow Tess on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/glowithtess/🎧 Want even more support?Become a subscriber to Wellness After 40 for exclusive bonus episodes, guided meditations, and additional wellness content created specifically for women navigating midlife.Subscribe here:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf this episode helped you, I'd love for you to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every rating, review, and share helps more women discover evidence-based wellness information and supports the growth of this community.Support the show

Send us Fan MailFor more than 25 years, Dr. Janette Gray has been helping patients navigate hormone health—long before hormone therapy, peptides, and longevity medicine became everyday conversations. As an Internal Medicine physician and founder of Perfect Balance Health, she's spent decades helping patients look beyond "normal aging" to uncover potential root causes of symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, poor sleep, and low energy.In this episode of Wellness After 40, Dr. Gray shares what more than two decades of clinical experience has taught her about hormones, healthy aging, metabolism, and longevity. We discuss how hormone health may influence overall well-being, why midlife symptoms deserve a closer look, and how to think critically about today's conversations around hormone therapy.In this episode, we discuss:Why aging and decline aren't necessarily the same thingCommon misconceptions about hormones and healthy agingFatigue, brain fog, low libido, and when symptoms deserve further evaluationHormones, metabolism, and why weight gain in midlife is more complex than calories aloneHow the conversation around hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has changed over the last 25 yearsWhat longevity really means—and the habits that matter mostPractical first steps for improving your health as you ageConnect with Dr. Janette GrayWebsite: https://perfectbalance.health/Instagram: @janettegraymd and @perfectbalance.healthBook: The Truth About Sex Hormones: Balancing Your Hormones to Optimize Your Healthhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1641469412Enjoying Wellness After 40?If you're loving the show, the best way to support it is by subscribing so you never miss an episode. You'll get evidence-based conversations with leading experts on hormones, menopause, nutrition, fitness, longevity, and healthy aging—designed to help you feel your best after 40.Subscribe here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf this episode was helpful, I'd also be so grateful if you'd leave a review and share it with a friend. Your support helps Wellness After 40 reach more women looking for trusted, practical health information.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHave you heard of the vagus nerve? Maybe it's been popping up all over your social media feed. And if it hasn't, ask yourself this...Do you constantly feel stressed, anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed, or like your body just can't relax?For many women over 40, these symptoms are often dismissed as "just stress," "just hormones," or simply part of getting older. But your nervous system—and specifically your vagus nerve—may be playing a much bigger role than you realize.In this episode of Wellness After 40, I'm joined by Dr. Elissa Chambers, a chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner specializing in women's health and nervous system function. Together, we break down the science behind the vagus nerve, what it actually does, and why understanding it may help explain everything from poor sleep and digestive issues to brain fog, anxiety, inflammation, and feeling stuck in survival mode.In this episode, we discuss:• What the vagus nerve is and why everyone is talking about it• What really happens when you're stuck in fight-or-flight• Why stress often becomes more physical during midlife• How hormones, chronic stress, and the nervous system work together• Common signs your nervous system may be dysregulated• The connection between stress, digestion, inflammation, metabolism, and immune health• What social media gets right—and wrong—about "healing" the vagus nerve• Realistic ways to support your nervous system without completely overhauling your lifeConnect with Dr. Elissa ChambersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelissachambers/🎧 Become a Wellness After 40 InsiderSupport the show and unlock exclusive subscriber-only episodes, bonus wellness content, and practical resources created specifically for women over 40.Subscribe here:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow Wellness After 40, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover evidence-based conversations that make navigating midlife a little easier.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if gratitude isn't about staying positive?We've been sold a version of gratitude that looks a lot like suppression with better branding — smile through it, focus on the positive, don't dwell. In this episode, I sit down with Laura Bratton, founder of Ubi Global and author of Harnessing Courage, to talk about what gratitude actually is when you strip away the toxic positivity.This conversation will change how you think about the "just be grateful" advice you've probably given yourself a hundred times. We get into why honesty — not optimism — is what actually builds resilience, how gratitude and hard emotions can coexist instead of canceling each other out, and what it looks like to navigate a season that doesn't match what you planned for your life.If you've ever felt like you were "failing" at gratitude because you were also struggling, this episode is going to feel like permission.In this episode:— The real difference between gratitude and toxic positivity— Why honesty is the foundation of resilience, not the opposite of it— How to hold gratitude and difficult emotions at the same time— Practical ways to build a gratitude practice that's honest, not performative— Navigating life when it doesn't look like what you expectedThis one's for anyone in a season of change, uncertainty, or midlife recalibration — which, let's be honest, is most of us right now.Connect with Laura:Website: https://www.laurabratton.com/✨ Want even more Wellness After 40?Support the podcast and access subscriber-only episodes and bonus content:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438861/subscribeIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with a friend. Your support helps Wellness After 40 reach more women looking for practical wellness advice and meaningful conversations for midlife.Support the showSupport the show