I'm joined by Dr. Helen Wall, a GP and registered menopause specialist from England, and author of the new book ADHD and Menopause (May 14th, 2026). Dr. Wall speaks out about the intersection of ADHD, neurodivergence, and hormonal changes in women.

In this episode, we get into the science behind why estrogen fluctuations destabilize dopamine signaling in the brain, and why that matters so much more for women with ADHD (diagnosed or not). We talk about masking, the hidden costs of over-functioning, why women and girls are still being missed for decades, and how progesterone sensitivity can make things even more complicated. We also explore the connection between ADHD and PMDD, and what options exist for women who are navigating both menopause and neurodivergence.

This episode offers the science, the validation, and the compassion to help you understand what's going on.

I also share my own experience being diagnosed with ADHD at 19 and then watching it "unmask" when perimenopause crash-landed at 37. This one gets personal, and I think you'll feel seen.

About Dr. Helen Wall: Dr. Helen Wall is a GP and registered menopause specialist with the British Menopause Society. She advocates for neurodivergent women who have been misdiagnosed, mislabeled, and left to burn out without understanding what's going on. Her awareness of the ADHD-menopause connection grew through her daughter's neurodivergent journey and the patterns she began recognizing in her own menopause clinics. Her new book, ADHD and Menopause, is available on May 14th (and for pre-order) wherever books are sold.

Connect with Dr. Helen Wall: Instagram: @doctorhelenwall Website: www.drhelenwall.com

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• When Perimenopause Unmasks ADHD with Dr. Jen Wolkin
• ADHD and The Messy Middle with Diana Reid
• Finding Your Movement Rhythm with ADHD & Perimenopause with Christine Chessman
• Story Session: Navigating ADHD in Midlife & Menopause

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Have you ever talked yourself out of wearing something, going somewhere, or simply being seen because of what your body looks like? This episode is one you're going to want to save and share!

I sat down with Lise Thorne, who you might know as @walking_this_way on Instagram, after one of her reels stopped me mid-scroll. In it, she walked into the ocean in a bikini on a family vacation, no filter, no preparation, no waiting for a "better" version of herself. That video went around the world because women everywhere saw themselves in it.

Lise is 49, a mum, a triathlete, and she is loudly on a mission for women to take up space. We talk about the moment she looked at a photo of her 16-year-old self and realized her body was never the problem, it was the story she was telling herself. We get into how our Gen X generation was taught there was one right way to have a body, why the critical voice in our heads isn't protecting us anymore, and why tiny steps toward being seen are where the real magic happens.

This is one of those conversations that will leave you feeling like you just got a pep talk from a friend who truly gets it.

Connect with Lise: Instagram: @walking_this_way

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• Ep 190: Menopause and Body Image: How to Feel Like Yourself Again
• Ep 141: Navigating Body Grief in Midlife with Nina Manolson
• Ep 182: Visibility as Generosity: Rethinking Photos, Aging & Confidence with Kristen Vallejo

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Have you ever been having a perfectly good day, feeling comfortable in what you're wearing, and then caught a glimpse of yourself in a mirror and you suddenly feel the floor fall out from under you? That moment of being yanked out of your body is something I hear all the time.

Meet the comparison lizard, the part of our brain wired for social comparison. It used to be a survival skill. Now it's a make-work project that fuels body dissatisfaction, especially in menopause when both the scale and the shape are changing in ways that feel unfamiliar.

Here's what I want you to know: food work and body work are not the same. I've worked with hundreds of women who feel great about their relationship with food but are still getting pulled into bad body image moments that send them right back toward the diet cycle. When I sent a newsletter about this recently, the responses flooded in. You're not alone, and your body is not the problem.

In this episode, I'm sharing the research on body dissatisfaction and intuitive eating in midlife, why body appreciation is the evidence-based path forward, and details about the Midlife Body Image Lab, a six-week program built around guided experiments to test and change the belief that your body is the problem. This isn't a course with videos and worksheets. It's coached, community-based work where we do the experiments together. If you're listening in April or early May 2026, you can join us. Otherwise, hop on the waitlist for the next time doors open.

The Midlife Body Image Lab

• Join the Midlife Body Image Lab :https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

What if the dreams you thought you missed the deadline on are the ones you're meant to follow now?

Becca Kidwell spent her 30s teaching high school English, convinced it was too late to pursue a creative career. She'd learned what so many of us Gen X women can relate to: if you didn't lock in your path by 30, the door was closed. But then something shifted and she started noticing older artists who were just beginning their careers and thriving. She met her now-husband, who encouraged her to move to New York and start a theater company, and on her 40th birthday, she performed her first cabaret show.

Ten years later, Becca is releasing her debut album, What You Don't See, on her 50th birthday. And the title track? It's about something so many of us feel in midlife but rarely say out loud: I'm tired. I'm tired of performing, of smiling through exhaustion, of pretending I have endless capacity. But what you don't see is how tired I really am.

In this Story Session, Becca shares her journey from being afraid of being seen to stepping fully onto the stage as herself. We talk about the permission piece that midlife gives so many of us, the resilience it takes to keep showing up for your dreams, and why creativity isn't just for the young. If you've ever felt like it's too late to follow a passion, chase a dream, or try something new, this episode is for you.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 160: Season 5 Finale: The Midlife Glow-Up You Didn't See Coming
• Episode 81: Unlocking the Joy of Creativity in Midlife with Meryl Cook

Guest Bio: Becca Kidwell is a singer-songwriter and cabaret performer from New York. After spending her 30s as a high school English teacher, she began her creative career at 40 and has spent the last decade performing in cabarets across New York. Her debut album, What You Don't See, releases on her 50th birthday, May 1st. You can find her at beccackidwell.com and on Instagram.

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

You know that moment when you catch your reflection unexpectedly and think, "Who is that?" Not in a curious way, but in a way that feels like you don't recognize yourself? If you've had that moment, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we're talking about the evolution of body positivity and acceptance, the challenges of embracing body diversity in a culture that's currently shrinking, and how we can find peace with ourselves right now, in the bodies we're in today.

Kristina brings such clarity to the difference between body positivity and body acceptance, and why acceptance isn't resignation. She shares her own story of body grief, what it felt like to lose the identity that came with being thin, and how she found freedom on the other side of that grief. We also talk about the contraction and expansion happening in our current cultural moment (hello, GLP-1 era) and why this might be the final push before more of us say "enough."

If you've been stuck in body grief, if you feel betrayed by your changing body, or if you're exhausted from fighting yourself, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between body positivity (a social justice movement) and body acceptance (a personal practice)
• Why body acceptance isn't resignation, it's actually the path to real change
• How to move through body grief instead of staying stuck in it
• Why your body isn't betraying you, even when it feels that way
• What's underneath our resistance to body changes in midlife (spoiler: it's not about the weight)
• How to stop sourcing your worth externally and start finding safety within yourself

Connect with Kristina:

• Instagram: @kristinabruce_coach
• Website: kristinabruce.com
• Podcast: Unlearning Beautiful

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• Episode 47: Why Changing Your Body Isn't the Body Image Fix You're Looking For with Kristina Bruce
• Episode 109: The Body Acceptance Mistake That Keeping You Stuck
• Episode 134: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Body Image in Midlife with Summer Innanen
• Episode 141: Navigating Body Grief in Midlife with Nina Manolson

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

If your cravings feel more intense than ever, you're not alone.

In this second helping (my creative take on replay 🤣) of episode 117, I'm tackling one of the most-asked questions in my inbox: why do cravings feel so out of control in perimenopause and menopause, and what can you do about it? Spoiler alert: it's not about cutting out sugar or having more willpower.

I break down the three types of hunger (physical, taste, and emotional), explain why perimenopause symptoms like sleep disruption and hot flashes amplify emotional hunger, and share a framework for decoding your cravings instead of fighting them. Whether it's the 7pm snacking spiral, the weekend binge, or those intense drive-thru cravings when you're alone in the car, I walk you through how to press pause without judgment and respond in a way that addresses what you need.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt hijacked by a craving, blamed themselves for lack of control, or wondered if menopause is making everything harder. Because yes, your hormones matter, but the solution isn't another restrictive food rule.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why cravings are normal and everyone is an emotional eater to some degree
• The difference between physical hunger, taste hunger, and emotional hunger
• How estrogen and progesterone influence appetite (and why perimenopause amplifies cravings)
• Why restricting foods you enjoy intensifies cravings for those exact foods
• The critical skill of pressing pause without saying no
• Real examples of decoding evening cravings, weekend patterns, and alone-time eating

Related Episodes You Might Enjoy:

• #147 - How to Stop the Cycle of “Starting Over” Every Monday
• #70 - From Dieting Rock Bottom to Intuitive Eating - 3 Common Mistakes

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Food freedom is permission to say yes to cake, but it's also permission to say no to dessert because you're full, satisfied, and know you can have it anytime you want. That's the level of trust and attunement I'm talking about in this conversation with Sam Previte, registered dietitian and founder of Find Food Freedom.

Sam is one of those dietitians whose passion for intuitive eating comes through in everything she does. From her popular social media accounts to her private practice, Sam has built her career on helping people make peace with food and their bodies. But she wasn't always an intuitive eating dietitian. Like so many of us, she came out of school steeped in weight-centric nutrition and personally struggling with disordered eating.

In this episode, Sam shares her journey from diet culture dietitian to becoming one of the loudest advocates for food freedom. We talk about what it really takes to unlearn decades of diet rules, how to build interoceptive awareness when your signals feel unreliable (hello, perimenopause), and the question on everyone's mind right now: where do GLP-1 medications fit into intuitive eating work?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What food freedom actually means (and why it's not just eating whatever you want)
• How Sam went from teaching intentional weight loss to becoming a passionate intuitive eating advocate
• Where GLP-1 medications and intuitive eating can coexist (and where they can't)
• How to build attunement when your body's signals feel disrupted by perimenopause or menopause
• Why hobbies might be the missing ingredient in your midlife journey

About Sam: Sam Previte is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, certified personal trainer, and the founder of Find Food Freedom, a virtual private practice with 11 registered dietitians serving clients across 29 states. Find Food Freedom accepts over 100 insurance plans, making intuitive eating and Health at Every Size care more accessible. Sam is also the host of the Find Food Freedom Podcast.

Connect with Sam:

• Instagram: @find.food.freedom
• Podcast: Find Food Freedom Podcast
• Website: findfoodfreedom.com

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• #180: Breaking Free from Diet Culture Lies: How to Trust Your Body Again with Colleen Christensen
• #138: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Intuitive Eating 10 Years Ago
• #136: Health vs. Weight: Debunking the Biggest Wellness Myth with Val Schonberg, RD

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Almost every day, someone tells me they're exhausted, tired, or completely burnt out. But burnout isn't just another word for tired - it's a medical diagnosis with real science behind it. It relates to your capacity, your ability to recover, and importantly, it's deeply impacted by your environment and your hormones.

In this conversation with Dr. Ashley Margeson, a naturopathic doctor and burnout expert, we dive into what burnout really is, how it's different from everyday stress, and why women in midlife are especially vulnerable. If you've ever felt like you're carrying a backpack that gets heavier and heavier but you can't put it down, this episode is for you.

Dr. Margeson breaks down the four stages of burnout using a brilliant bank account analogy, explains why our declining progesterone levels in perimenopause shrink our stress buffer, and shares her practical ripples, waves, and currents framework for building capacity when you're already depleted. We also tackle the hard question: how do you recover from burnout if you can't quit your job?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The symptoms that define clinical burnout (and how it's different from stress)
• The roles of estrogen and progesterone when it comes to burnout recovery and how unpredictable hormones in perimenopause amplify stress and make recovery harder
• The four stages of burnout: savings and investing, paycheck to paycheck, overdraft, and SOS mode
• Ripples, waves, and currents: actionable capacity builders you can use today
• Why organizational policies matter as much as individual actions in preventing workplace burnout

Related Episodes:

• Decision Fatigue and Menopause: Why "What's For Dinner" Maks Your Want to Scream
• Why You're So Tired in Perimenopause and Menopause with Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur
• How to Be More and Do Less with Wendy McCallum
• How to Stop the Burnout Train in Midlife with Dr Leigha Saunders

Ready to reduce decision fatigue and increase your capacity with food? If you're feeling overwhelmed by food decisions and decision fatigue is contributing to your burnout, grab my free Menopause Nutrition Capsule Wardrobe guide. It includes 10 recipes and a framework to make deciding what to eat so much easier.

About Dr. Ashley Margeson: Dr. Ashley Margeson is a naturopathic doctor in Nova Scotia whose mission is supporting individuals and organizations in preventing and recovering from burnout. She hosts her own podcast, The Superwoman Code, and is known for her practical, science-backed approach to capacity building and stress management.

Connect with Dr. Ashley:

• Instagram: @drashleymargeson
• LinkedIn: Dr. Ashley Margeson

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

➡️ Join The Midlife Body Image Lab here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bodyimagelab

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist