225: Answering the Question, "Is it Healthy?"
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Release Date: 06/03/2025
229: When Food is Friendship
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
You’ve committed to eating better. Maybe you’ve even started feeling more like yourself again: more energy, fewer cravings, pants that fit the way you want them to. But then you go to dinner with friends… and suddenly, you’re halfway through a basket of fries you didn’t even want, wondering how you got there. If you’ve ever felt like changing how you eat starts messing with your relationships, you are not alone. In fact, the pressure to eat a certain way around others is one of the biggest hidden reasons women struggle to stick with new habits. In this episode of Total Health in...
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228: Dare On with Jodi Silverman
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Have you ever found yourself stuck in the routine of life checking off the boxes, doing everything you’re “supposed to,” but quietly wondering, is this really all there is? If so, you're going to love this conversation. I sat down with my new friend Jodi Silverman, the dynamic founder of the ‘Moms Who Dare’ community, and we talked all about rediscovering purpose, confidence, and joy through something so simple and so powerful: daring. But don’t worry, we’re not talking about jumping out of planes. These are doable dares, things like smiling at a stranger, saying yes to...
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227: The Thing Before the Thing
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
You think the problem is food. Or maybe it’s your lack of motivation. If only you had more discipline, or found the right plan, then everything would finally fall into place—right? But what if the real reason you’re not making progress isn’t about food, or workouts, or willpower? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s really getting in the way of your health habits—and it’s probably not what you think. From skipping workouts to stress eating yogurt by the tub (yes, I’ve been there), we’re diving into why so many smart,...
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226: Lit Up Life with Debbie Heiser
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Have you ever caught yourself wondering, How did I get here? You're doing all the right things, checking off the to-do list, showing up for everyone else but somehow, your own joy feels like an afterthought. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife Podcast, I sit down with Debbie Heiser, Chief Igniter of The Lit Up Life, to talk about what it really takes to build a business and a life that feels fully aligned and lit up from the inside out. Debbie and I talk about what it means to live in integrity with yourself while making good money doing work you love. We explore how so many of us,...
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225: Answering the Question, "Is it Healthy?"
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Is this healthy… or fat as sh*t?” Why That Might Be the Wrong Question Entirely. Have you ever paused mid-scroll, staring at some sort of ‘food hack’ on Instagram, and wondered, “Wait… is that actually good for me?” In this episode, I peel back the layers of that deceptively simple question and challenge the rigid good vs. bad food mindset that so many of us carry. Through a relatable Costco story, surprising examples (yes, even kale can be ‘unhealthy’ for some people), and a new framework called the “Three Food Buckets,” I help reframe how we think about food,...
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224: When We Ignore Our Own Boundaries
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Have you ever noticed how you can be completely on it in one area of your life, like nailing your eating habits and moving your body, while completely bulldozing your own rules in another? You know that getting enough sleep makes you feel amazing, yet you stay up for just ‘one more’ episode. Or you set a boundary around your phone use, only to immediately check Instagram the next morning. Why do we do this? This episode of The Total Health and Midlife Podcast dives into the deeper reasons why we override our own boundaries, and spoiler alert, it’s not about willpower. If you’ve...
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223: Midlife, Anxiety, & Alcohol
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
What if the very thing you use to unwind is actually keeping you stuck? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with your heart racing and your mind spinning, wondering why you feel so anxious? Or maybe you notice a lingering unease throughout your day, a quiet hum of worry that you can’t quite place. Most of us chalk it up to stress, hormones, or just the realities of midlife. But what if there’s another hidden factor that’s fueling your anxiety, one that’s so ingrained in our daily habits that we rarely question it? In this episode, we’re peeling back the layers on...
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222: Learning to Trust Yourself with Dawn Ledet
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
What if the reason you’re struggling to follow through on your health goals isn’t a lack of willpower—but a lack of self-trust? In this episode of the Total Health and Midlife Podcast, I sit down with Self-trust Coach and author, Dawn Ledet to unpack why we often fall off track with our wellness intentions. Dawn reveals that missed goals aren’t a sign of self-sabotage or failure; they’re simply feedback. Instead of beating ourselves up, we can rewire our inner dialogue, build trust in our decisions, and finally create lasting consistency in our habits. Dawn introduces her...
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BONUS: Why You Overeat
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
You know those moments where you’re standing in the kitchen, not even hungry, just… eating? You’re not alone. And more importantly? There's nothing wrong with you. In this short and powerful bonus episode, I’m sharing what’s really behind the patterns of overeating so many midlife women struggle with, and why it’s not about the food at all. We’re talking about the invisible forces behind our choices, and the subtle ways we’ve been taught to use food to cope, distract, reward, and even just get through the day. I'll tell you what happened the night I ordered way too much Indian...
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221: Menopause, Sleep, Stress, & Recovery
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
We think that health is all about eating and exercising. But that’s not the whole story. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right,” eating well, exercising, and following all the health rules, but still not seeing the results you expect, this episode is for you. The truth is, diet and exercise are only part of the equation. What’s often missing? Stress, sleep, rest, and recovery. These are the overlooked pillars of true health, especially in midlife when your body starts playing by a whole new set of rules. In today’s episode, we dive deep into why...
info_outlineIs this healthy… or fat as sh*t?” Why That Might Be the Wrong Question Entirely.
Have you ever paused mid-scroll, staring at some sort of ‘food hack’ on Instagram, and wondered, “Wait… is that actually good for me?”
In this episode, I peel back the layers of that deceptively simple question and challenge the rigid good vs. bad food mindset that so many of us carry. Through a relatable Costco story, surprising examples (yes, even kale can be ‘unhealthy’ for some people), and a new framework called the “Three Food Buckets,” I help reframe how we think about food, moving away from judgment and toward self-trust and context.
This episode dives into the exhausting cycle of all-or-nothing thinking, second-guessing every bite, and feeling like one “wrong” food choice will derail everything. I walk you through how you’ve been trained to treat food like a morality test and why that thinking keeps us stuck. Instead, I introduce a sliding scale approach to eating that takes into account your body, your preferences, your goals, and your actual life. No more rigid food rules. No more shame spirals. Just nuance, curiosity, and choices that actually feel good.
You’ll also learn how to start practicing moderation without fear, break free from the perfectionist trap, and finally understand why your version of healthy might not look like anyone else’s. Whether you're curious about fat-free yogurt or those TikTok-famous butter dates, this episode will give you permission to trust yourself, ditch the food drama, and build a flexible, sustainable approach to eating that truly works for you.
Plus, don’t miss the free guide mentioned at the end; it's a practical resource to start creating your own personalized, non-restrictive food framework today.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://elizabethsherman.com/225
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
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Why the question “Is this healthy?” might be sabotaging your progress… and what to ask instead to make food choices with confidence and clarity.
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How to shift from all-or-nothing thinking to a more flexible, sustainable approach to eating using my simple “Three Food Buckets” framework.
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How to rebuild self-trust around food so you can stop second-guessing yourself, enjoy what you eat, and make empowered choices that align with your body and life.