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The Empowered Midlife Podcast

The Empowered Midlife Podcast

Di: Dr. Nic + Nat
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Hosted by twin sisters Dr. Nicole Sandilands, ND and Dr. Natalie McCulloch, ND, naturopathic doctors and Menopause Society Certified Practitioners, the Empowered Midlife Podcast is a space where women can learn what’s really happening in their bodies during perimenopause and menopause.


After years of working with women in clinical practice, Dr. Nic and Dr. Nat saw the same pattern again and again: women feeling overwhelmed by symptoms, dismissed by the healthcare system, and left trying to figure things out on their own.


This podcast was created to change that.


Each week, they break down the science behind midlife health and share practical strategies to help you navigate your 40s and 50s with more clarity and confidence.


Through evidence-based guidance, real clinical insight, and sisterly conversation, they explore the symptoms and changes many women experience during this transition.

Topics include hormones, sleep, mood, metabolism, energy, brain fog, libido, and the daily habits that support long-term health.


Midlife isn’t the end of your health story. With the right tools and support, it can be one of the most vibrant and empowering chapters yet.

© 2026 The Empowered Midlife Podcast Igiene e vita sana
Episodi
  • 5. Who Are You Outside of All This?

    5. Who Are You Outside of All This?
    Oct 12 2026
    If you've ever looked up from the calendar, the lunches, the aging parents, the career, the household, and thought, who am I outside of all of this, this episode is for you.We're stepping away from the physical side this week and talking about something more emotional. The quiet way women lose themselves in midlife. Not in one dramatic moment. In small additions of responsibility that pile up over years until purpose and passion get pushed to the very bottom of the list, if they're on the list at all.We ask about hobbies on our intake form on purpose. And so often the answer is some version of "I don't know what I like anymore." We've been there ourselves. Early motherhood, a growing clinic, young kids, and a season where the goal was just keeping our heads above water.We talk about the men in our lives who go golf for four and a half hours every week without a second thought, and the moment we realized we had nothing like that in our own calendars. We talk about the guilt that keeps women stuck, the patient who retired and went straight back to work because she didn't know who she was without it, and the thing that finally brought us back to ourselves. Spoiler: it's the reason we get up early, and it eventually turned into racing.We also get into what this actually requires. Boundaries. Saying no to something so you can say yes to you. Experimenting, even when it's uncomfortable. Nic's squash lessons and Nat's pickleball are proof we're doing it too.Consider this your permission slip.In this episode:(01:01) Who this episode is for, and why we're talking emotional health, not hormones (01:13) The quiet way women lose themselves: not one big moment, just years of small additions (02:03) Why hobbies are on our intake form, and what patients say when we ask (02:28) Losing your sense of play, and the guilt that shows up when you try to lean back into it (03:11) The patient who retired, felt lost, went back to work, and realized that wasn't it either (04:31) "I don't even know what I like anymore." The sentence we hear constantly (05:09) Mom guilt, and the belief that time for you has to come at someone else's expense (05:23) Our husbands golf for four and a half hours, unapologetically. Where's that time on our calendar? (05:56) The harder question: what would I even do with four and a half hours? (06:08) Shoulds vs. wants. Why the laundry always wins if you let it (06:26) Nat's rear view mirror exercise: what did you love before you were a mom, before the career, as a little girl? (06:50) What kids can teach us about gravitating toward your thing (07:38) Our own season of just keeping our heads above water (08:07) One off girlfriend nights aren't enough. Why you need something consistent that refills you (08:36) "Where do you fit on the family calendar?" (09:06) The thing that brought us back: movement, and the early morning decision that made it stick (10:37) How training became a hobby, and why racing gave us back our competitive edge (11:30) Doing things for pure joy, not shoulds, and letting go of the guilt that keeps us stuck (12:01) "I'm a more present mom, a calmer mom, a better mom when I take time for me." (12:46) The two things this actually requires: boundaries and saying no (13:17) You might have to experiment. Sign up for the class. Try it on (14:08) Nic's squash lessons: terrible with a racket, showing up anyway (14:57) Nat's pickleball afternoon and the joy of just goofing around (15:16) Why hobbies bring community back, especially when kids' activities stop being your social life (16:09) The two takeaways: get curious, and drop the guilt (17:01) Your permission slipKey takeaways:You didn't lose yourself in one moment. It happened quietly, one responsibility at a time. It can come back the same way. If you don't know what you like anymore, look backward. What did the little girl version of you love? Sporadic moments with friends are lovely. They're not the same as something consistent in your calendar that's just yours. Put yourself on the family calendar. Literally. Saying yes to you means saying no to something else. Time doesn't magically appear. Guilt keeps women stuck. You are a better mom, partner, and human when your cup is full. You may have to experiment, and it might feel uncomfortable. Do it anyway.Connect with us: Join the Empowered Midlife Hub Instagram: @dr_nic_and_nat Website: www.drnicandnat.comThe content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for personalized care from your own healthcare provider. Nothing discussed creates a patient provider relationship. Please speak with your physician, nurse practitioner, or qualified healthcare professional about your individual health needs, and never ignore or delay professional advice because of something you heard here.DisclaimerThe information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes ...
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    19 min
  • 4. The Hidden Reasons You're Exhausted

    4. The Hidden Reasons You're Exhausted
    Oct 12 2026
    I know I should be doing all these things for my health, but I'm so tired.If we had a dollar for every time we heard that in the office, we could retire. And honestly, a couple of years ago it was us saying it. Moms, business owners, partners, wearing every hat, getting to the end of the day with nothing left, then sitting down in the quiet house to numb out with a show and paying for it the next morning.So this episode is just the two of us, riffing on what we see clinically when a woman in midlife tells us she's exhausted. Not sleepy. Exhausted. The kind where it doesn't matter how much you sleep, you still don't feel restored.We walk through five hidden reasons. Sleep and the habits and hormone shifts that quietly erode it. Underfueling, which is the one nobody talks about and the one we were both guilty of once we started working from home. Metabolic pieces like blood sugar and thyroid. Nutrient deficiencies, specifically iron, vitamin D, and B12, and why "my levels were low a year ago so I started a supplement" isn't the end of that conversation. And finally, nervous system overload, the peak responsibility years, the constant pinging, and the hustle culture that tells us rest has to be earned.We also share the framework we move patients through, and why we always start with energy before we ask anyone to change their diet or add a workout. You can't ask a tired woman to overhaul her life. We've been that tired woman.In this episode:(00:52) Why energy is the first thing we unlock with patients, before diet, exercise, or anything else (01:56) "A couple of years ago, this was you and I." The season that inspired this episode (02:59) Sleepy is not the same as fatigued, and why the difference matters (03:48) Bedtime procrastination, and why seven to nine hours is the target (04:22) The 3 to 5 a.m. wake up where you're alert enough to start your day (05:09) Secondary insomnia: pain, bladder, rumination, grief, and afternoon coffee (06:23) What estrogen and progesterone actually do for your sleep, and what happens when they shift (07:02) The 2020 habit that had Nic brain foggy by 11 a.m. every day (07:51) Intermittent fasting and calorie cutting in midlife, and when they stop serving you (08:30) "If we're not putting gas in the machine, how do we expect the machine to run?" (09:01) Over exercising and under fueling, and why a cardio day and a strength day need different fuel (09:47) Blood sugar, insulin resistance, and the simple blood work that shows what's going on (10:12) Thyroid function, and why it's rarely just one thing causing your fatigue (12:11) Our clinical framework: sleep and nutrients first, then hormones, then diet and exercise, then longevity (13:15) Iron: you don't have to be anemic to be low, and the ferritin numbers we actually look for (14:14) "How long ago did you start that iron?" Why retesting is not optional (14:40) Oral iron vs. IV iron infusions, and who each one is for (15:21) Heavy periods, closer periods, and why meat eaters end up low too (16:09) Vitamin D: the patients taking it for ten years who are still deficient, and the ones taking too much (17:34) B12, absorption, and when injections make sense (18:55) Hidden reason number five: nervous system overload in your peak responsibility years (20:03) The pinging, the hustle culture, and the feeling of always being behind (20:54) The car ride barometer. What Nat listens for when she asks "what's your drive home like?" (22:16) Rest is productive. Why your best ideas show up in the shower (23:35) Giving yourself permission to just be (24:24) "We need you in your fully expressed version of you."Key takeaways:Fatigue is not sleepiness. If more sleep doesn't restore you, something else is going on. Under fueling is one of the most overlooked causes of low energy in midlife. Sometimes the fix is simply eating breakfast. Iron, vitamin D, and B12 should be part of your annual blood work. Test, treat, and retest. Don't assume the supplement is working. Ferritin under 100 is worth exploring. Under 50 is not where you want to be. You don't need to be anemic to feel it. Your nervous system counts. If you need total silence on the drive home, ask where the calm is missing from the rest of your day. Rest is productive. Permission granted.Connect with us: Join the Empowered Midlife Hub. Instagram: @dr_nic_and_nat Website: www.drnicandnat.comThe content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for personalized care from your own healthcare provider. Nothing discussed creates a patient-provider relationship. Please speak with your physician, nurse practitioner, or qualified healthcare professional about your individual health needs, and never ignore or delay professional advice because of something you heard here.DisclaimerThe information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not ...
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    27 min
  • 3. Awake at 3am: Sleep in Perimenopause

    3. Awake at 3am: Sleep in Perimenopause
    Oct 5 2026

    I have no problem falling asleep, but then I'm awake between three and five a.m. If that's you, this episode is the one to start with.

    We hear this exact story in the office constantly, and it's one of the most common and most disruptive symptoms of perimenopause. So we're breaking down why it happens, and more importantly, what you can actually do about it.

    We walk through the hormonal side first. Estrogen dropping means hot flashes and night sweats that pull you out of deep sleep. Progesterone declining means you lose one of your body's most calming, sedating hormones. And cortisol, our stress hormone, keeps a lot of women tired all day and then wired the second their head hits the pillow, which makes sense when you stack up everything women in their 40s and 50s are carrying compared to their 20s.

    Then we get into the stuff that's easy to overlook. Low iron, blood sugar swings, thyroid function, and the behaviors that got a pass in our 20s and 30s but start showing up loud and clear now. Alcohol, screens before bed, eating too close to bedtime, caffeine creeping later into the day. We also talk about wearables, and why seeing your own data can be the thing that finally makes a habit click.

    This one is full of small, doable changes, plus a reminder that sleep isn't something to negotiate down. It's one of the non negotiables.

    In this episode

    (00:54) Why sleep is the number one pillar in our perimenopause framework
    (03:15) Estrogen, hot flashes, and night sweats
    (03:41) The role of declining progesterone
    (04:07) Cortisol, and why tired but wired is so common in this decade
    (05:09) The hidden physiological reasons, iron, blood sugar, thyroid
    (06:43) Alcohol and the 3am wake up
    (07:29) Why wearables like an Aura ring can be an eye opening tool
    (08:53) Screens, blue light, and the book test
    (10:22) When hormone therapy belongs in the conversation, and why it's not a magic fix on its own
    (11:13) Building a nighttime routine like the one you'd build for your kids
    (12:32) Your bedroom environment, and the eye mask that changed everything
    (13:30) Timing your workouts around your sleep
    (14:34) Calming the nervous system before bed
    (14:56) Why seven to nine hours is non negotiable, not a nice to have
    (17:20) The afternoon caffeine cutoff

    Key takeaways

    Symptoms like the 3am wake up usually have more than one driver. Hormones, iron, blood sugar, and thyroid can all be part of the picture.
    Alcohol, screens, and late meals are the modifiable factors most within your control, and often the ones we ignore.
    A nighttime routine isn't just for kids. Give yourself the hour of wind down you'd give them.
    Sleep is not something to cut corners on in this decade. It's foundational to everything else.

    If you're looking for deeper support, education, and community, check out the Empowered Midlife Hub, where women receive ongoing guidance to help them navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence.

    Learn more about the Empowered Midlife Hub

    Connect with us
    Instagram: @dr_nic_and_nat
    Website:     www.drnicandnat.com


    Disclaimer
    The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not establish a doctor patient relationship with Dr. Nicole Sandilands ND or Dr. Natalie McCulloch ND. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine, treatment plan, or medications. Opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not replace individualized medical care.
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    20 min
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