Health And Body Image Episodes

Quick Summary: In this episode, Cheryl talks with Dr. Sara Black, a pelvic health physical therapist and founder of Zia Physiotherapy, about pelvic floor symptoms in perimenopause and beyond. You’ll learn why leakage, dryness, urgency, and constipation aren’t just “part of aging,” how pelvic floor therapy and hormone support can work together, and how rapid weight loss on GLP-1s can affect your pelvic floor.


Intro:
Leakage when you sneeze. Dryness. Planning every car ride around bathroom stop...

Quick Summary: Cheryl talks with Cortnee White, a sports therapist, mental performance coach, and owner of The Athlete Mind, about the mindset side of starting a sport in midlife. You’ll learn why being a beginner feels so vulnerable, how to get better without making your hobby feel like work, and how to choose a “mind stance” that helps you enjoy the game whether you win or lose.


Intro:
Maybe it’s pickleball, golf, tennis, or a running club. Starting a sport as a hobby in midlife is good for...

Quick Summary: In this episode, Cheryl talks with Helen Rayner, a camera confidence expert and professional photographer, about why so many women in midlife dread being photographed and what to do about it. You'll learn why phone cameras distort your face, simple posing tricks that flatter, and why the most important thing is simply to be in the picture.


Intro:


We've all been there. The group photo gets taken, everyone huddles around the phone, and suddenly it's "Oh, not that one!" Most of...

Quick Summary: In this episode, Cheryl talks with Laura Lambe, a menopause practitioner and founder of the free Menopause Lab, about why menopause advice feels so overwhelming and how to cut through it. You'll learn why Laura says most women need to do less, not more, how to audit the supplements and routines you're using, and why eating enough and lifting weights come before trendy fixes.


Intro:


It is overwhelming to navigate midlife when your body is changing and everyone is giving confl...

Quick Summary: Episode 100 of Mind Your Midlife is a solo celebration. Cheryl Fischer shares behind-the-scenes bloopers, revisits the listener-favorite episodes on memory, movement, hydration, complaining, decluttering, body image, community, people-pleasing, and getting clear on what you want, and previews what's coming this fall. The message running through all of it: it's not just you, and you can roll with the messy parts of midlife.


Intro: Reaching episode 100 of Mind Your Midlife is a m...

There is a middle ground with alcohol that affects so many of us in midlife: we're not dealing with addiction, but we often wake up feeling guilty, tired, and stuck in a cycle of habitual drinking. We tell ourselves we’ll stop, only to pour another glass to take the edge off a stressful day. In this episode, I welcome Colleen Freeland, founder of Emotional Sobriety Coaching and host of the It's Not About the Alcohol podcast. We discuss why high-functioning women use alcohol to cope, the...

We know that meditation could help with the stress and upheaval of midlife (or we've at least heard that somewhere). Yet, so many of us feel like we just can't stop our brains from running a mile a minute, leaving us feeling guilty that we can't get meditation right. Today energetic wellness strategist and yoga teacher Lauri Stern joins me to help. Lauri is the host of The Real and the Woo podcast and the founder of Custom Designed Wellness. We discuss a totally different approach to mi...

Do you feel like your body is changing, nothing fits right, and it’s easier to just wear pajama pants with a professional shirt for your Zoom calls? Giving up on getting dressed takes a heavy toll on how we feel about ourselves.


In this episode, I welcome style expert Jennifer Mackey Mary. Jennifer is the founder of Everyday Style and host of the top 10 podcast, The Everyday Style School. We dive into why mindset is the critical first step to style, how to confidently dress a changing midlife...

Many women in their 40s, 50s, and early 60s tend to suffer in total silence when navigating changes in intimacy. We often carry shame around our shifting desires and changing bodies, falsely believing we are the only ones struggling or that we are somehow broken.

In this episode, I welcome Jennifer Marie Summers, a board-certified sexologist, certified sex coach, and menopause coach who has been doing this work for nearly two decades. We dive deep into why smart, capable midlife women experienc...

There is something that affects so many women in their 40s and 50s, yet we tend to suffer in total silence: emotional eating. We often carry deep shame around our eating habits and falsely believe we are the only ones struggling.


In this episode, I welcome emotional eating expert Tricia Nelson. Tricia is the creator of the Heal Your Hunger system, host of the Confessions of a Binge Eater podcast, and her TEDx talk on "garbage eating" has over a million views. We dive deep into why smart, capa...

Have you caught yourself looking in the mirror recently, grabbing a little chunk of skin around your middle, or wondering, "Whose body is this?" You are definitely not alone.


We are diving deep into the reality of midlife body image. I share my own recent wake-up call after seeing a wedding photo, the difference between "fuel food" and "celebratory food," and how to finally turn the volume down on your self-criticism. If you are tired of fighting your own body and want to find a way to be hap...

Are you in your late 30s or your 40s and wondering if your sudden mood swings, brain fog, or even itchy ears are just stress—or if they are the start of perimenopause? You’re NOT alone, and it is perfectly normal to feel confused.


In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, Cheryl is joined by veteran health journalist Meghan Rabbitt, author of the incredibly comprehensive new book, The New Rules of Women’s Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. We dive into why we need to move beyond "bikini...

Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in there, or found yourself staring blankly in the middle of a sentence because you just cannot find the word? You’re NOT alone — and it doesn't mean you are losing your mind. In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, scientist, researcher, and health coach Dr. Christine Boev joins Cheryl to dive deep into the real brain science behind perimenopause and menopause brain fog .


What You’ll Learn:
✔ The surprising root cause of br...

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of advice about what you "should" be doing in midlife? You’re NOT alone. After speaking to a room of over 125 women at a recent local business event about "Busting the Myths of Menopause," I realized something important: we are drowning in information, but starving for simplicity. In this episode, I’m stripping away the complicated 10-step morning routines and the overwhelming lists. Instead, we are focusing on how to filter the no...

Are you a woman over 40 feeling anxious about bladder leaks when you sneeze, laugh, or jump? You’re NOT alone — but you don't have to just live with it. In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, certified health coach and Pfilates instructor Patricia Linderman joins me to break down pelvic floor health, the reality of prolapse, and the real muscular mechanics behind why we leak and how we can stop it.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ How your core acts like a "can" and why deep, three-dimensional breathing is ...

Are you riding the "bumpy ride" of perimenopause and wondering if there is an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)? You’re NOT alone — and you have more options than you think. In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, Damon Iacovelli, a Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, joins me to break down the science behind acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and how these ancient practices offer a modern solution for hot flashes, sleep issues, and midlife anxiety. I...

Are you a woman over 40 or 50 struggling with hot flashes, battling insomnia, or feeling like you are losing control amidst the massive identity shifts of midlife? You’re NOT alone — and you’re not out of options. In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, clinical hypnotherapist Sarah Rubens joins me to demystify hypnosis and explain why it is one of only two non-hormonal treatments for menopause symptoms recognized by The Menopause Society.

If you are ready to learn how to update your brain's "sof...

Ever wondered what it would look like to age with energy, clarity, and confidence instead of decline? What if midlife—especially menopause—wasn’t something to just “get through,” but an opportunity to feel better than you have in years?

In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, I sit down with renowned OBGYN Dr. Prudence Hall to talk about what she calls vibrant aging—a holistic, empowering approach to perimenopause, menopause, and life beyond it. This conversation builds beautifully on last week’s...

Ever wonder if the way you’re feeling in midlife is just “how it’s supposed to be now”—or if something deeper is going on? In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, I’m sharing my own hormone replacement therapy (HRT) journey and what ultimately led me to say yes to exploring it.

I’ve interviewed experts on menopause and hormones before, but this time, I’m telling my story. From unexpected physical symptoms to mood changes, low energy, and a surprising high cholesterol wake-up call, this episode is...

Body image — it’s one of those topics that every midlife woman can relate to, yet few of us talk about honestly. Why does it get so hard to like what we see in the mirror in our 40s and 50s? And what can we do about it?

In this episode, Cheryl gets real about body image in midlife — where our insecurities come from, why they’re so hard to shake, and how to start changing the conversation in your own head.

Spoiler: this isn’t about “fixing” your body. It’s about noticing the outdated stories th...

Intermittent fasting — it’s one of those topics that lights up every group chat. Is it healthy? Is it safe? Does it even work for women in midlife? In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Integrative Health Practitioner Adrian Mamikonian to get real about what intermittent fasting is and what it isn’t.

Spoiler: it’s not about deprivation or starving yourself — it’s about understanding how to support your hormones, gut health, and metabolism during this season of life.

Adrian shares how fasting ...

We know we should exercise. But when moving your body feels like a chore, it’s easy to resist it. What if instead of “should,” we started looking at movement as something joyful, energizing, and protective of our long-term health?


In this episode, I’m joined by Erika Shannon, a fitness and wellness expert with over 20 years of experience. Erika specializes in helping women in perimenopause and menopause find sustainable, empowering ways to move their bodies—without the all-or-nothing approach...

Episode 50: Menopause isn’t a maybe—it’s a certainty for every woman lucky enough to live long enough. Yet despite the fact that half the population will experience it, perimenopause and menopause are still some of the most confusing, frustrating, and misunderstood stages of life.


In this empowering episode, Cheryl is joined by Adrian Thompson, PA-C, founder of Vida Women’s Health, who specializes in helping midlife women navigate hormone changes with confidence. Together, we unpack the myths...

Ever feel like your brain just won’t stop racing? Imagine getting your steps in and finding your calm—all in just ten minutes.

In this episode, I guide you through a simple but powerful walking meditation designed especially for midlife women. You’ll combine movement with mindfulness so you can release stress, clear your head, and boost your mood—without having to sit still or “do meditation perfectly.” Whether you’re walking in nature, around your neighborhood, or even pacing in your living ro...