Episodes
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I don’t know about you but I have a lot of questions about my brain at midlife. Questions like…
Why does behavior change feel so hard? Why do so many midlife women rumble with anxiety and depression? How can I better manage my mental stress? What can I do now to help make my brain more resilient as I age?So I reached out to Dr. Sarah McKay to help answer some of these questions, and she graciously agreed to join me for an interview.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-367
Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and science communicator who simplifies brain science for health and well-being, performance, and creativity. Sarah completed her MSc and PhD in neuroscience at Oxford University. After relocating to Australia and completing five years of postdoctoral research on spinal cord injury, Sarah hung up her lab coat to establish Think Brain, which offers online professional development training in applied neuroscience and brain health.
In 2019, Sarah hosted an episode of ABC Catalyst exploring brain health, biohacking, and longevity. Sarah’s first book, The Women's Brain Book: The neuroscience of health, hormones, and happiness was published in 2018 (with a second edition due 2025). Her second book Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better), was published in 2023. She’s currently writing a third book on brain health for the iconic ‘For Dummies’ brand.
If you enjoy this episode please consider sharing it:)
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Spending time alone at midlife can feel like an impossible task amid so many responsibilities AND it is incredibly important if you want to cultivate a strong relationship with yourself.
Why? Because…
It is hard to know yourself if you don’t take time to be with yourself.
I think solo adventures can be a great way to reconnect with yourself, relieve stress, get clarity around decisions, fortify confidence and so much more.
In this episode, I share 5 insights I have had from my own solo travel with the hopes that it might inspire you to plan a little getaway with yourself.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-366
If this lands and you know a woman who might benefit from listening, pass it on!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Base Camp: Back to Basics Challenge: https://graceandgrit.com/basecamp****
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Missing episodes?
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Midlife is a period marked by numerous opportunities to grieve. During this stage, we may face the deaths of loved ones, missed opportunities, and the realization of time passing.
We also find ourselves letting go of what no longer serves us, experiencing shifts in expectations, and navigating changes in our relationships with parents and children.
This episode delves into the multifaceted nature of grief in midlife and its profound impact on our emotional and mental well-being. Joining me for this conversation is therapist, grief counselor and woman of Grace & Grit, Claire Schulz Bergman.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-365
Have a listen. If you find it useful, pass it on.
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In a world that seems to be spinning faster by the day and giving us more opportunities to consume information and overcomplicate our lives, it is all too easy to underestimate or forget the profound impact that simple measures can make on our health and happiness.
For example, learning how to pay attention to your life and be fully present can improve nearly every aspect of your well-being, from mental health to physical health to behavioral health.
In this episode, I cover:
The underestimated health costs of NOT being present in your life, The “thieves of presence” in your life. Simple strategies for refocusing and how it will amplify your health and happiness almost immediately.You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-364
Have a listen. Share it with someone who could use the reminder.
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Health and happiness should not be at odds in any season. That being said, I see many of my clients struggling to honor both health and happiness in the summer months because they feel that they either have to sacrifice self-care to enjoy the summer or sacrifice enjoying their summer to administer self-care. If that’s you, this episode was made for you.
In this short but sweet episode, I offer three simple but powerful shifts that will help you amplify both.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-363
Have a listen. If it lands, share it with someone who might need to hear the message.
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Menopause, a major hormonal transition for women, has not gotten the attention it deserves… until now. Enter Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified ob-gyn, a certified Culinary Medicine Specialist in medicine nutrition, a Menopause Society Certified Practicioner and the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a private medical practice that focuses on women in midlife.
Dr. Haver has taken the internet by storm with her advice for women on how to navigate the path through hormonal change with power, purpose, and facts—information that is long overdue.
If you are a woman or know a woman, Dr. Haver’s latest book, The New Menopause, is one to read because while menopause is inevitable, suffering through it is not.
In this interview, Dr. Haver generously shares:
Why she was compelled to write this book, How to advocate for the care you deserve, The three different stages of the menopause transition, The cost of hormonal decline and how you can better support your body through it The truth about HRT,… and so much more!
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-362
Have a listen, take it in, and if this lands for you, please share it far and wide so women can get the help that they need to make their second half the best half.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThe New Menopause Book
The ‘Pause Life website****
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The things in the hearts of my clients never cease to amaze and inspire me.
They want to travel,
They want to shift careers,
They want to deepen relationships (and maybe start some new ones),
They want to create,
They want to advocate for the causes they care about,… and so many other things.
In other words, they have so much life to live and express.
AND…
Their biggest barrier to actually doing these things is, of course, themselves.
By midlife, we have had a lot of opportunities to develop…
Limiting beliefs about ourselves and our possibilities and habits to avoid discomfort rather than leaning into it.
In this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I help the listener explore “things worth failing for” regardless of age and how to do that in a way that feels a little less scary.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-361
If it lands, please share it with the other women in your life who might benefit from the message.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEPower-FULL Self-Talk Practice
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Sleep is where so much of the magic that keeps us healthy takes place and there are so many reasons we struggle to get enough good quality sleep at midlife. Enter Dr. Leigha Saunders who specializes in helping women sleep better so they can spend more time on what matters to them MOST.
With over a decade of experience in women’s health, Leigha’s innovative approach to solving sleep struggles intertwines hormone health and nervous system regulation to focus on the deeper reasons so many of us lie awake at night. Leigha is on a mission to help women lead their lives from a place of alignment and authenticity during the day so they can go to bed feeling fulfilled to rest easy at night.
Tune into this episode for more on:
The fundamentals of getting deep sleep at midlife. The inner work that is often required to heal chronic insomnia. Tools to stop ruminating when you should be sleeping.And so much more!
You can listen here.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Hormones 101 Mini Course Women’s Health Reimagined FREE Live Masterclass****
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One of the most common things I coach midlife women on in my coaching practice is integrity pain, the very real discomfort that shows up mentally, emotionally and even physically, when we are not living as truly authentic and fully expressed humans.
There is no shortage of things that cause integrity pain, of course, but in this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast I challenge you to consider how suppression rather than expression may be causing YOU integrity pain.
Maybe you struggle to…
Speak up on matters that are important to you?
Share your creative impulse for fear of being judged?
Reinforce boundaries when boundaries have been violated?Or maybe you suppress your truth in some other way that is causing you a lot of internal conflict.
Join me for this episode to dive deeper into ways we suppress our truth, and more importantly, how to STOP doing that so we can age more power-fully.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-359
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Women’s Health Reimagined FREE Live Masterclass: https://graceandgrit.com/reimagine****
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Losing hormones at midlife can make life challenging in so many ways AND…
There are a lot of things we can do to minimize suffering as we transition through pre and post-menopause, which is precisely what we are exploring on this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast.
My dear friend and functional diagnostic practitioner, Laini Gray, joins me to discuss:
What biochemistry is and why it matters to the quality of the aging process. Some of the most notable biochemical shifts we experience at midlife. What a shifting biochemical landscape is asking of us at midlife. Simple (and cheap) strategies for supporting your biochemistry at midlife.… and so much more!
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-358
Have a listen and, if it lands, consider sharing it with another woman who might benefit from the message.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Women’s Health Reimagined FREE Live Masterclass: https://graceandgrit.com/reimagine Episode 356: Power-FULL Aging (Part 1): Embracing Change: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-356/ Episode 357: Power-FULL Aging (Part 2): Rethinking Your Approach: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-357/****
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Attention, ladies! It’s time to rethink our approach to health and wellness if we want to age power-fully.
Our bodies undergo profound changes as we cross the midlife threshold, with the departure of crucial hormones like estrogen and progesterone making us less resilient to stress.
Ignoring this reality makes the pursuit of powerful aging an uphill battle.
Join me in this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, where I help you to consider:
The physiological shifts that demand our respect for a powerful aging journey. The profound ways our health approaches unknowingly add to our stress levels. Strategies to remain attuned to our overall stress load and leveraging this insight to inform our wellness strategies.You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-357
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 356: Power-FULL Aging (Part 1): Embracing Change: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-356****
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Let’s face it—getting older isn’t a negotiable part of life. You’ve got some serious control over how that aging journey unfolds.
You could make it a bit of a downer, trudging through the years…
OR you could make it a power-filled experience. (let’s do that!)
Today’s episode marks the start of a 4-part series on Power-FULL Aging, and we’re digging into why change, especially during midlife, is an invitation to level up.
Whether you’re switching up your job, refreshing your relationships, or tweaking your health game, change can actually be an opportunity to step into your power and own it. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and uncover how to rock your second act!
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-356
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Emotional Wellness Essentials Masterclass:
https://graceandgrit.com/masterclasses Power-FULL Self-Talk Practice
https://graceandgrit.com/selftalk****
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To say that most women I have coached over the years have “a complicated relationship with their bodies” would be a massive understatement. In fact, it is a rarity that I work with a woman who has a healthy relationship with her body.
What is a healthy relationship with the body? Well, that is precisely the topic of this week’s podcast episode.
In this episode, specifically, I cover:
Body beliefs and how they impact every dimension of your life. How to edit the story you are telling yourself about your body. Strategies for improving the relationship you have with your body.… and so much more.
If you are a woman who would like to improve the relationship you have with your body, do not miss this episode!
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-355
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Body Image Journaling Prompts: https://graceandgrit.com/bodyimage
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I have been traveling in the health and wellness space for nearly 30 years (yep! I got my first job as a fitness trainer when I was 18, and I just celebrated my 47th birthday).
The wellness industry is the ONLY field I have ever worked in, AND I am fairly certain this industry would not even exist if more professionals were teaching the REAL work of behavior change.
You can buy an endless supply of programs promising to change your life, but at the end of the day, there is really only 1 skill you need to do that.
I call it the master key, and it is the very thing I do a deep dive into in this episode of the podcast:)
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-354/
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:The Art of Self-Coaching:
https://graceandgrit.com/masterclasses****
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She’s Baaaacck…
Nervous system expert Irene Lyon that is.
If you have been a long-time listener of the Grace & Grit podcast, you are probably familiar with Irene Lyon. She does the MASSIVELY important work of helping people to better understand how their nervous system works AND develop skills that allow them to more easily regulate their nervous systems.
I repeatedly invite Irene back to the show because while I teach a lot of skills to my own clients to help them better manage stress, Irene teaches a layer of work that I consider to be foundational to creating any kind of meaningful behavior change.
Twice a year, Irene opens the doors to her 12-week SmartBody SmartMind program, for which I am a proud affiliate because not only has this program influenced my own life in profound ways, but I see it helping the women in my community in profound ways.
This conversation was actually an Instagram Live interview that I recently did with Irene and decided to repurpose it as a podcast episode so more people could listen to it.
In this episode, we cover…
How a dysregulated nervous system makes midlife so much harder than it needs to be. Why the nervous system regulation is such a brilliant place to begin if you want to improve your health. What the nervous system actually is and how it gets dysregulated. How to find qualified nervous system professionals. What makes SmartBody SmartMind different from a lot of programs out there.… and so much more!
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-353
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE SmartBody SmartMind™: https://graceandgrit.com/sbsm FREE Healing Trauma Video Series: https://graceandgrit.com/healingtrauma 21-Day Nervous System Tune-Up: https://graceandgrit.com/21days -
The years between 40-65 can be wildly disorienting. Not only are midlife women dealing with a changing hormonal landscape but the landscape of life is changing dramatically, as well.
In essence, there are a lot of “microstressors” at play in this phase of life that can add up to some serious breakdown mentally, physically and emotionally if one does not learn skills that can help unpack some of this stress.
In this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I invite you to consider the toll that “microstressors” are taking on your life and, more importantly, I introduce two key skillsets that can go a long way in helping you convert microstress into macro-resilience.
Have a listen. I hope it helps you rise strong:)
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-352
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Strategic Decision Making and Effective Time Mastery Masterclass: https://graceandgrit.com/masterclasses
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If there were only 1 lifestyle change a client could make to improve her health and well-being, I would focus on sleep.
Why? Because sleep is where the magic of health takes place.
While we sleep, our brains cache out, our systems detox, our hormones recalibrate, our tissues repair, and our immune system is fortified.
AND… sleep can be really freaking difficult when you are in the perimenopausal or postmenopausal years. In fact, this is a topic I seem to spend A LOT of time coaching around.
While I have done many episodes on sleep in the past, this is a topic we simply can not revisit enough. So today, I am joined by my dear friend and health detective, Laini Gray.
I invited Laini back to the show because:
We always have great conversations. She has an incredible way of simplifying complex topics like biochemistry – which plays a huge role in our ability to get quality, especially later in life.So, if you could use a few pointers on getting better sleep – this episode is for you.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-351/
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Castor Oil Pack: https://bit.ly/3RM6hx4
Order your own CGM: https://join.theiahealth.ai/c/gray-star-health
Learn more about Laini: https://graystarhealth.com/
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Are you living your life by default or by design? Relatively or proactively?
Your answer carries significant consequences for your overall well-being and happiness.
Reactions have a place, certainly. What an awesome thing it is that the human brain can react in ways that help us improve our lives, sometimes even save our lives.
That being said, the human brain can just as easily react in ways that hurt us.
How the human brain reacts largely depends on our practices, which is why you must stay awake to your practices if you want to live a vibrant life. Even more importantly, you must CHOOSE your practices intentionally.
Join me on this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, where I encourage you to break free from default patterns that stifle your potential, and instead, actively cultivate practices that expand your possibilities.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-350
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Power Up: Direction & Drive Reconsidered Masterclass: https://graceandgrit.com/masterclasses
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Pausing to look back at the road you have traveled… this day, this week, this year… is such a power-filled practice.
Why?
Because it shows you how you have been showing up in your life and how you might want to navigate the journey forward a little differently.
In this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I share with you 5 of my biggest takeaways from the past year and how I am using that to propel my life forward in 2024.
Have a listen and, if it helps you in some small (or big) way, consider sharing it.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-349
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Leave a Review for the Grace & Grit Podcast: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview
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Self-imposed limitations aren’t always a bad thing. Establishing limits for yourself can actually be a kindness; a form of self-respect and even self-care.
This episode of the Grace & Grit podcast explores:
The dark and bright side to self-imposed limitations. Why you owe it to yourself to set limits on how you spend resources like time, energy and mental bandwidth. Constraint as a form of self-respect and even self-love. How to say “no” in a world that is begging you to say “yes” to everything.… and so much more.
If you are someone who is constantly saying that you never have time to do the things you want to be doing or you are struggling to create the level of health and happiness you truly crave. Do not miss this episode.
You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-348
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Rumble & Rise Holiday Sale: https://graceandgrit.com/holidaysale
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