179 Understanding the female brain at midlife with Dr Sarah McKay
Release Date: 08/05/2025
200: Rocking midlife with Dr Ellen Albertson
Magnificent Midlife
Body image, self-worth and ageing are all key midlife topics and many women struggle deeply with their bodies at midlife, often in silence. Dr Ellen Albertson is passionate about changing that. She’s a psychologist, registered dietitian, board-certified health and wellness coach and author of Rock Your Midlife. She’s known as The Midlife Whisperer and it’s easy to understand why. She’s been in my midlife orbit since I started this adventure and it’s great to finally get to talk to her. If you’ve ever felt at odds with your body, unsure who you’re becoming or simply...
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199: Working in an ageist world with Lucy Standing
Magnificent Midlife
Lucy Standing is the co-founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit supporting people in midlife and beyond to rethink work, purpose and what comes next. She’s the author of Age Against the Machine, a chartered psychologist with a background in recruitment and a passionate voice on ageism, work and the realities of longer working lives. Brave Starts supports more than 900 members navigating career change, redundancy, freelance and portfolio work or simply asking better questions about how they want to spend the years ahead. This is a fascinating conversation about working in an ageist world. ...
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198: Redefining the grandparent role with DeeDee Moore
Magnificent Midlife
I’m delighted to be introducing a brand-new topic to the podcast: modern grandparenting. It’s not a life stage I’m personally entering just yet - but as Magnificent Midlife continues to evolve, it’s one that feels increasingly important to talk about. My guest is Dee Dee Moore, founder of More Than Grand, an online hub dedicated to helping new grandparents make the very best of their role. Dee Dee brings a sharp understanding of family dynamics, communication and boundaries - and a refreshing honesty about how easy it is to get grandparenting wrong, even with the best intentions. ...
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197: Getting stronger and fitter in midlife with Vijay Bassi Reed
Magnificent Midlife
Vijay Bassi Reed is a former communications specialist who retrained in midlife as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. She is also a competitive HYROX and fitness racer. Her midlife transition emerged from burnout and hormonal change, leading to a deliberate reassessment of health, work and identity - and a stronger, more sustainable way of living. We talk about: -Vijay’s journey from senior corporate communications roles to midlife personal trainer and nutrition coach -How anxiety, burnout and perimenopause quietly derailed confidence (long before menopause was named) -Why so many...
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196: Fearless pivots with Susan Dabbar
Magnificent Midlife
Susan Dabbar is the founder and editor-in-chief of PROVOKEDmagazine – a bold, unapologetic digital magazine for women 50+, challenging and redefining how older women are seen, heard and represented. Susan’s career has been shaped by fearless pivots. She began as a naval architect designing nuclear submarines, went on to shape brand strategy at companies including Disney and Nestlé, played professional poker, worked as an international education consultant – and then, in her 60s, launched a media platform because she couldn’t find content that truly respected women’s...
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195: Navigating child loss with Lisa Boehm
Magnificent Midlife
I was deeply moved by my guest Lisa Boehm. Lisa’s life changed forever when her daughter, Katie, was killed in a car accident – an experience no parent should ever have to endure. In the years since, she’s found remarkable strength and purpose, transforming her grief into a force for healing and connection. This is probably the most difficult interview I’ve ever done. I hope you find it as powerful as I did. Lisa is a certified grief educator, author of Journey to Healing: A Mother’s Guide to Navigating Child Loss, and founder of the Angel Moms Community, where she supports...
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194 How women’s heart attacks differ from men’s with Caron Grossman
Magnificent Midlife
Caron Grossman is a registered nurse, breathwork facilitator, author and heart attack survivor. Her memoir, Listen to Your Heart Song: Navigating the Unexpected, weaves together her experiences of adolescent grief, addiction, recovery and a near-fatal heart attack, offering hope, honesty and practical insight for anyone navigating their own unexpected life events. We talk about: -How Caron’s heart attack actually began -Why the classic male symptoms of heart attack still dominate emergency call scripts and training -How many women are told they’re having an anxiety attack or...
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193 Navigating fibromyalgia at midlife with Tami Stackelhouse
Magnificent Midlife
Tami Stackelhouse is an award-winning author, founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute and executive producer of the documentary Invisible. She’s dedicated to helping people with fibromyalgia reclaim control of their bodies and their lives, so they no longer feel trapped by pain, exhaustion or uncertainty. Fibromyalgia is so often misunderstood, minimised or brushed aside – and yet it affects many women in midlife. I’ve been wanting to explore this topic for ages and I’m delighted to finally do so with someone who brings both deep expertise and lived...
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192 How technology can revolutionise ageing with Keren Etkin
Magnificent Midlife
I’m delighted to welcome back Keren Etkin to the podcast! Keren is a gerontologist, entrepreneur, and author of The AgeTech Revolution – a fascinating book about the intersection of technology and ageing. I love that she describes herself as an AgeTech evangelist – it captures her passion perfectly. Keren is also the founder of The Gerontechnologist and The AgeTech Academy, both dedicated to helping us understand and shape the future of ageing through innovation. We talk about how technology is reshaping the way we age, the opportunities and challenges ahead, and what it all means for...
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191 Finding joy after grief with Alison Larkin
Magnificent Midlife
Alison Larkin is a bestselling author, comedian, producer, and narrator of over 250 audiobooks. Her acclaimed autobiographical novel The English American tells the story of an adopted English woman who finds her birth parents in America. She’s also the creator of the hit one-woman show Grief… a Comedy and author of the book of the same name. Rachel first saw Alison perform at London’s Soho Theatre and knew she’d be a perfect podcast guest. This conversation is funny, heartfelt, and full of insight about identity, creativity, and finding humour in life’s toughest...
info_outlineDr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, author, and science communicator passionate about making brain science accessible and practical. With a PhD in neuroscience, she specializes in exploring the female brain and its transformations across life stages. Her books, The Women's Brain Book and Baby Brain, delve into the neuroscience of health, hormones, and motherhood. She’s also the director of The Neuroscience Academy, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and everyday life.
We talk about:
- Dr McKay's passion for science communication
- Her inspiration for writing her books
- Understanding the brain and menopause
- Advancements in menopause research
- Challenges in menopause research and communication
- The impact of menopause on cognition and mood
- Menopause in the workplace
- The need for reliable data and room for nuance
- Lifestyle and menopause management
- The need for humor in menopause
- Future directions in menopause research
And lots more! If you want to understand what happens to our brains in midlife, this podcast is a must listen.
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Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book
The paperback can be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/
US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/
You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.
Recommended by the Sunday Times.
Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts
You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.
Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.