Send us a text

Strength doesn’t retire. We sit down with IFBB pro and veteran coach Erin Hawkins to unpack how to build muscle, protect joints, and boost confidence at any age—especially through your 50s, 60s, and beyond. From posture and balance to smarter meal planning, we break down what actually works and how to start without getting hurt or overwhelmed.

Erin shares why the basics still win: squats, deadlifts, push-ups, pulling movements, and controlled progressions. Small-group training offers one-on-one attention with the energy of a class, and good coaches always modify for your history and goals. If you’ve taken years off or never set foot in a gym, you’ll get a clear path: begin with walking, add mobility, then lift with intention. We talk through real-world changes you’ll notice—stronger carry strength for travel, steadier steps in tight spaces, and less fear of everyday tasks.

Nutrition takes center stage. Learn how a protein-first approach drives recovery and muscle gain, how to use carbs to fuel training without chasing sugar, and why ultra-processed foods hold you back. We keep supplements simple: creatine for strength and cognition, a clean protein powder if needed, and black coffee as an easy pre-workout. For anyone far from a gym, we map practical home training—wall push-ups, chair squats, stair climbs, loaded walks with water jugs, and resistance bands you can pack anywhere.

The thread running through it all is mindset. Consistency beats novelty, and progress becomes addictive when you feel stronger in everyday life. Whether you’re coming back from injury, navigating menopause, or starting from scratch, you’ll find tools, encouragement, and a straight path forward. If you’re ready to invest in your long-term health, muscle truly is your 401k for longevity.

If this conversation sparks a new habit or a smarter plan, share it with a friend who needs a nudge. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what strength goal are you chasing next?

Support the show

Send us a text

Feeling “fine” isn’t the same as feeling well. We sit down with Tia Christ, a nurse practitioner and owner of Pathway Health and Beauty in Owasso, Oklahoma, to unpack what it really takes to thrive in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

We discuss how hormones, stress, sleep, nutrition, and strength training work together. If you’ve ever been told your labs are normal while your body tells a different story, this conversation offers a smarter roadmap.

We explore how to redefine wellness beyond symptom suppression, starting with the gap between normal and optimal lab ranges. Tia explains why timing matters for hormone testing, how to correlate numbers with symptoms, and when bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can restore sleep, mood, libido, and energy. For men, we tackle declining testosterone in a high-stress world and what data-driven, discreet therapy looks like when you aim for robust, functional targets rather than today’s lower averages.

Weight and recovery get real talk too. We compare semaglutide and tirzepatide for different goals, share what tends to work for midlife fat loss, and dig into peptides like BPC-157 for inflammation and healing. Throughout, we link prevention to daily choices: lifting for muscle and bone, yoga for mobility and calm, cleaner ingredients at home, and actual time off to reset cortisol. You’ll also learn how to choose a wellness clinic that listens first, reads labs through a functional lens, and personalizes treatment plans to your life, not a checkbox.

If you’re ready to swap five-minute fixes for thoughtful prevention—and to feel heard in the process—this episode brings practical steps and hope. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge toward optimal, and leave a review with the one change you’re making this week.

Support the show

Send us a text

The conversation gets real fast: Night sweats that derail sleep, weight that won’t budge despite the macros and the miles, labs that say “normal” while life screams otherwise. We trace two different menopause paths, one medically induced after a hysterectomy, the other arriving shockingly early at 37. We also unpack the physical, emotional, and relational fallout that follows when hormones shift and answers are hard to find.

Shae Rozzi, Fox 23 news anchor, joins us to share what her on-air series uncovered: How poorly menopause is taught in medical training, how many women are told they’re “too young,” and why deeper testing changes everything.

We revisit the confusing headlines about hormone replacement therapy with a clearer lens: Age of initiation, individualized dosing, and up-to-date research that now shows benefits often outweigh risks for many women. From brain fog and mood swings to painful sex and thinning tissue, we talk practical solutions: Tailored HRT, local therapies, pelvic and sexual health care, and the power of direct communication with your partner to keep intimacy alive.

Bone and metabolic health get a spotlight too. Estrogen loss accelerates bone loss; a timely DEXA scan can reveal issues years before a fracture does. Strength training, weight-bearing walks, vitamin D and calcium, and smart medical support form a spine-saving plan. On the metabolic side, we explore insulin resistance, updated weight-management options, and why “eat less, move more” fails without hormonal context. Throughout, we emphasize a simple rule: track symptoms, ask for the full hormone panel, recheck when needed, and change doctors if you aren’t heard.

If you’ve felt dismissed, confused, or alone, consider this your invitation to take the mic back. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review with the one question you want answered next—we’ll bring the experts and the honesty.

Support the show

Send us a text

Feeling your balance slip on a plane aisle or your energy dip before dinner? We’ve been there. In this candid, practical conversation, we share what actually moved the needle in our 50s and 60s: A sustainable gym routine, yoga for mobility and stress, simpler food choices and a surprising tool that supports recovery without meds.

Wellness expert Nikki McCutchen joins us to unpack photo biomodulation in plain English—how low-level infrared light from your own body can signal peptides like GHK-Cu, and why the X39 patch is a starting point for many. From Navy SEAL origins to Olympic testing, Nikki traces the history, then gets tactical about personalization: inflammation support, bone density and strength with X49, glutathione for detox, and how placement and timing can change results, especially for sleep.

We don’t dodge skepticism. We talk about studies, reproducibility, and how to weigh real-world outcomes alongside research. The goal isn’t to reject conventional medicine; it’s to take ownership of daily choices, share data with your doctor, and build a protocol that respects your biology. You’ll hear our direct results—hip pain relief in minutes with IceWave, steadier energy, and better labs—plus a surprising case that challenges the placebo argument: A diabetic cat regaining jump and playfulness after patch use.

If you’re navigating the second half of life, this is a blueprint for feeling strong and clear without chasing exhausting routines. Learn how to choose food by labels, pace training for consistency, tame cortisol, and test light therapy thoughtfully. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and tell us: what small change will you try this week?

To learn more about LifeWave or shop (Heather will receive commission), visit here: https://lifewave.com/HeatherSimon/store/cart

Support the show

Send us a text

Feeling owned by your stuff? We explore a simple, humane way to take control: Make just one decision per item. Do I want it, or do I not want it? That single question cuts through analysis paralysis, whether you’re clearing a junk drawer, combining households, or guiding a parent through a major downsize. Along the way, we share real stories, from purging decades of academic journals to facing a room full of miniature houses, and the surprising relief that comes from choosing with intention.

Our guest, professional organizer Kristin Switzer of To Be Organized Tulsa, walks us through a start-small strategy that actually sticks. She explains how to beat overwhelm by finishing tiny zones, why you should delay sentimental items until you’ve built momentum, and how family can help without taking over: the helper sorts; the owner decides. For collections with market value, Kristen outlines when to call consignment, estate sale, or auction experts, and how to evaluate the tradeoff between top dollar and your time. We also dig into the psychology behind clutter, drawing on personality science to explain why even conscientious people can stall under stress.

Moving soon or moving to less? We share practical, field-tested systems to make transitions saner. Photograph favorite spaces so you can recreate comfort in a new home. Set category caps for art and books to fit smaller rooms. Use a two-part labeling system—colors by room, numbers on every box—backed by a simple spreadsheet so you can find winter coats or bakeware in minutes. If you’re helping an aging parent, consider moving them first and editing after, then add a large digital frame to keep cherished memories visible without filling shelves.

If this conversation gives you a little breathing room, tap follow, share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in stuff, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more people start simply and simply start.

Support the show

Send us a text

Loneliness is more than a feeling; it’s a health risk that can be compared to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. We open up about why social connection is essential as we age and how to rebuild a circle of friends after big life changes like retirement, remote work, or losing a spouse.

Then, we sit down with Judy Sunderman, president of the Tulsa Newcomers Club, to explore a living blueprint for community that turns strangers into friends through simple, reliable touchpoints.

Judy shares the club’s post–World War II roots, why the model still works today, and how monthly luncheons with engaging speakers, 20-plus interest groups, and themed socials create daily opportunities to belong. From bridge and mahjong to walking groups, wine tastings, couples dinners, and a mid-day movie tradition, there’s something for every pace and personality.

We discuss practical options: Try-before-you-join events, low dues, simple sign-up through an app, and a welcoming culture that values listening, curiosity, and judgment-free conversation.

We also dig into what makes connection stick after 50: Repetition, shared interests, and gentle structure that lowers the barrier to showing up. You’ll hear how volunteering adds meaning and expands weak ties, why in-person beats screens for wellbeing, and how to scout or even start a group where you live. Whether you’re new to town or rediscovering your city after kids leave home, this conversation is packed with field-tested ideas to feel seen, useful, and connected again.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who could use an invite, and leave a quick review to help more people find their way back to community.

Support the show

Send us a text

Faith rarely follows a straight line. Our story weaves two very different routes—a child searching for God without guidance and a scholar stepping away from belief—into one shared table where Shabbat blessings, community, and gratitude anchor the week. Heather recounts a turbulent upbringing, a Pentecostal grandmother’s courage, and a relentless quest that led her to Judaism, where rituals, tribe, and an Orthodox conversion finally felt like home. Alongside, Joe shares how youthful disillusionment gave way to a later-in-life return, not through sudden spiritual epiphany but through questions of identity, belonging, and the surprising resonance between science and faith.

We explore what Judaism looks like from the inside: why some rabbis turn seekers away at first, how debates over practice shape a living tradition, and why community is the heartbeat of Jewish life. From keeping a kosher home to showing up for a minyan, from assigning roles in services to hosting guests for Shabbat dinner, the practices dissolve spectator religion and foster real attachment. We also tackle misconceptions—especially the old trope that Judaism is only about rules—contrasting it with the central themes of love, forgiveness, and teshuvah that animate the High Holidays and the daily work of becoming better people.

If modern life feels unmoored, this conversation offers a sturdy thread: create small rituals, ask honest questions, and let community carry you when belief feels thin. Whether you come to faith through wonder, reason, or both, there’s room at the table. Join us as we talk candidly about marriage, meaning, and the second half of life—how gratitude keeps us centered, how synagogue life shapes our week, and how learning across traditions (yes, including The Chosen and Nobody Wants This) deepens understanding. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show. What practice will you start this week?

Support the show

Send us a text

What if your next move wasn’t about more space or less, but about a home that actually fits your life? We share our pivot from a suburban favorite to rural land in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where a custom design and a small apartment will let us support a 90-year-old parent while keeping everyone’s independence. Along the way, veteran realtor and broker Marc Bullock joins us to unpack how right-sizing really works (emotionally, financially, and logistically) when you’re buying, selling or building.

We get honest about merging two full households after remarriage, why we pushed back on the open-concept default and how we’re designing for aging in place with zero-step entries, wider doors, and a curbless shower. Marc walks through the step-by-step strategy he uses to get multiple offers in any season: Start months early, build a resource roster, consider pre-inspections, lean on staging and neutral design, and use high-quality photos, video, and even 3D or drone views to help buyers visualize. We also talk timing, temporary housing and why the “good homes” still move regardless of interest rates when they’re prepared and priced with care.

The conversation widens to the rise of modern family “compounds,” where friends and relatives live nearby and share amenities to cut costs and boost connection. We dive into lending details too, like how asking better questions unlocked VA loan benefits for a client and shaved a full point off their rate. If you’re planning a move for work, caregiving, or a new season of life, this is a practical, empathetic roadmap to create a home that serves your future.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone planning a move, and leave a quick review with your biggest right-sizing question, and we’ll tackle it on a future episode.

Support the show