Midlife Conversations with Natalie Jill: Fat Loss, Hormones & Health for Women Over 40

Welcome to Midlife Conversations. On this podcast Natalie Jill does what she does best - taking complicated information that is relevant to us (women entering Midlife) NOW, and breaking it down simply with actionable steps you can implement to level up your life in your BEST YEARS to come. I also regularly interview some of the most inspiring people living their best Midlife years. On this show, I cover topics about our shifting hormones, weight struggles, our mood and focus changes, raising teenagers, our relationships, career changes, beauty and more. If you are new here, Natalie Jill encourage's you to go back and listen from episode one, when this podcast was previously called “Listen UP” for the full transformative experience!

550: The Heart Scan That Sees What Useless Bloodwork Can't with Dr. John Osborne 09/15/2026

550: The Heart Scan That Sees What Useless Bloodwork Can't with Dr. John Osborne Learn more about the heart scan that actually sees inside Heart disease is the number one killer of women. And most heart attacks come from plaque that never shows up on our cholesterol panel, our stress test, or our EKG. Traditional cardiology has been treating us blindly. In this episode, preventive cardiologist Dr. John Osborne walks us through why standard tests miss the disease, what soft plaque actually is (he calls it the lava), why menopause is a massive cardiovascular event, and the modern imaging that finally lets us SEE our arteries and reverse the disease decades before symptoms show up. This is the conversation every midlife woman needs to hear. IN THIS EPISODE • What plaque actually is and why it starts in our teens • Soft plaque vs hard plaque. The killer plaque is the invisible plaque • Why cholesterol, stress tests, and calcium scores miss the real disease • How CCTA with AI changes everything • The ClearCardio white-glove process. Scan. Labs. Consult. 12 months of care • Menopause as a massive cardiovascular event • Why women get missed. Atypical symptoms nobody teaches us • Microvascular disease, Takotsubo, and SCAD • The ONE thing every midlife woman should do this week TIMESTAMPS • 00:00 | What plaque actually is. Soft vs. hard. Why 99% of us have it. • 12:00 | What traditional cardiology misses. Cholesterol. Stress tests. Calcium scores. • 24:00 | The CCTA + AI. The white-glove ClearCardio process. • 36:00 | Menopause and the women's cardiovascular story. • 48:00 | ClearCardio. What to actually do. • 55:00 | The ONE thing this week. Close. Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About Dr. John Osborne Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to https:// BIOTIMIZERS: Most magnesium products give you 1, maybe 2 forms. This one gives you all 7. Save with code NATALIEJILL Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42718040

549: What Losing Muscle in Your 40s and 50s Is Really Costing You 09/08/2026

549: What Losing Muscle in Your 40s and 50s Is Really Costing You To get the new Progressive overload program: Lift heavy. Build muscle. Progressive overload. We hear it everywhere in midlife, and most of us are left with more questions than answers. In this solo episode I am giving you the education. WHY building muscle matters more in midlife than any other point in our lives, what lift heavy is really supposed to mean, why progressive overload is not gym jargon it is actually the whole point, the basic ground rules a beginner needs before she picks up a single weight, and how to eat so any of it actually works. We cover protein, creatine, aminos, whey protein powder, breakfast, and the reason your body seems to have quietly changed the rules on you. This is not a workout on a podcast. This is the information you need before you ever start one. If you are new, coming back after years away, or you have been doing the same workout for months wondering why nothing is changing, this is for you. We Go Deep On: • Why lift heavy is a headline, not a plan • What muscle actually does for us in midlife, beyond looking good • Sarcopenia, estrogen, and why bones and muscle decline together • Why strength training protects your future independence • Why heavy is a feeling, not a number • What progressive overload actually means, in plain language • The nine basics every beginner needs before she picks up a weight • Why full body beats split routines for beginners • Why rest is part of the work • The warm-up piece nobody teaches, and why your glutes matter • Why doing too much too soon is the number one mistake • Anabolic resistance and why the rules changed in midlife • How much protein for building muscle, and how to hit it • Where breakfast usually breaks down and how to fix it • Whey, protein powder, and the honest truth about it • Aminos, and when they actually help • Creatine, and why it may be the most important supplement for midlife women • What to actually do this week Timestamps • 00:00 Why this conversation even needs to happen • 05:00 Why muscle matters so much more in midlife • 12:00 Why lift heavy is incomplete advice • 18:00 The basics nobody tells beginners • 27:00 You cannot build muscle out of nothing: protein, creatine, aminos, whey • 42:00 What to actually do this week Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Episode Links: The Overload Method with 5 free bonus guides: Free Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to https:// KION: Kion is offering 20% off your order! Go to Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42565925

548: How Sugar Is Rapidly Aging You From the Inside Out with Kita Centella 09/01/2026

548: How Sugar Is Rapidly Aging You From the Inside Out with Kita Centella Save on your Sugarproof Tea HERE: Your skin is aging faster than it should, and it might have nothing to do with your skincare routine. This week I'm sitting down with herbalist Kita Centella, author of Sugar Can F*ck Itself, to talk about the one thing quietly accelerating aging in midlife women that almost no one is checking for: sugar. We go deep on how sugar breaks down collagen at the cellular level, why it hits harder once estrogen starts to decline, and why your "healthy" breakfast might be doing more damage than you realize. This one might change how you look at your next glass of orange juice. We Go Deep On: How sugar breaks down collagen and accelerates visible skin aging Why estrogen decline makes the effects of sugar on skin even worse The inflammation connection between sugar and premature aging Where added sugar hides in foods marketed as "healthy" Why artificial sweeteners don't solve the problem either The herb that temporarily blocks your ability to taste sweetness Simple swaps that support aging from the inside out Why estrogen decline changes how your body processes sugar after 45 The brain science behind why sugar cravings feel impossible to control Where sugar hides in "healthy" foods like yogurt, dressings, and granola Why artificial sweeteners and even natural sugar substitutes keep cravings going Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Episode Links: Sugarproof Tea Learn More About Kita Centella Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Book ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to https:// SUNLIGHTEN: Sleep better. Recover faster. Stress less. Get Sunlighten infrared saunas HERE and use code NATALIEJILL to save BIG! LEELA QUANTUM: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42540525

547: Craving Chocolate? Your Magnesium Might Not Be Working For You with Wade Lightheart 08/25/2026

547: Craving Chocolate? Your Magnesium Might Not Be Working For You with Wade Lightheart Do you crave chocolate almost every single day? There's a real reason for that, and it might be the same reason your magnesium isn't actually working. If we are in midlife and we have ever been told to 'just add magnesium,' this episode is for us. Because here is what almost nobody explains. There is not just one magnesium. There are seven different forms. And every form does a completely different job in our body. Most of us are taking one form. Usually the cheapest one. Usually the one that does almost nothing for the symptoms we are actually trying to fix. Then we wonder why magnesium 'is not working.' Wade Lightheart is back on the show. He is the co-founder of BiOptimizers (the company behind Masszymes), a three-time Canadian national natural bodybuilding champion, and one of the world's leading authorities on natural nutrition and supplementation. Today we walk through every single form of magnesium, what each one does in a midlife woman's body, and why one capsule with all seven became the missing piece in my own routine. This is the foundation underneath every other midlife thing we are already doing. The HRT. The protein. The lifting. The sleep work. None of it lands the way it should without this mineral in place. WE GO DEEP ON: • Why 'just add magnesium' is incomplete advice • Why midlife women are running on a magnesium deficit and do not know it • The 7 forms of magnesium and what each one actually does • Sleep, cramps, anxiety, mood, bones, energy, recovery: which form does what • Why magnesium taurate is one of the most under-discussed forms for women's hearts • How estrogen, cortisol, and stomach acid affect our magnesium in midlife • Why one capsule with all 7 forms (Magnesium Breakthrough) became my switch • What women feel in the first night, the first week, the first three months TIMESTAMPS • 00:00 | Why everyone is saying just add magnesium (and what nobody is explaining) • 08:00 | The 7 forms one by one (sleep, heart, muscle, energy, absorption) • 28:00 | Why one form is not enough. The Magnesium Breakthrough reveal. • 38:00 | Who this is for and how to take it • 48:00 | One thing to do this week. Close. Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Episode Links: Learn More About Wade Lightheart Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to https:// QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42478035

546: What Your Dentist Isn't Testing (And Why It Could Be Making You Sick) with Dr. Elmira Shojai and Lora Hooper 08/18/2026

546: What Your Dentist Isn't Testing (And Why It Could Be Making You Sick) with Dr. Elmira Shojai and Lora Hooper 🦷Special offer for you on your own oral testing kit: Did you know you swallow about six cups of your own saliva every single day, and that saliva could be quietly feeding disease throughout your entire body? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Elmira Shojai and Lora Hooper, two women working at the cutting edge of something almost nobody in traditional dentistry ever talks about: your oral microbiome. I did a consult with them on my own mouth, and even though I feel amazing and have done so much work to clean up my health, my results shocked me. We go deep on why the mouth is the second largest microbiome in your body, why traditional dentistry cleans and fills without ever asking why the problem keeps coming back, and why killing every bit of bacteria with harsh mouthwash might actually be making things worse instead of better. If you've done everything right and still feel like your body is working against you, this conversation might hold the missing piece. We Go Deep On: Why the oral microbiome is the second largest microbiome in the body, and why almost nobody tests it How swallowing your own saliva can reinfect your gut with harmful bacteria Why traditional dentistry fixes symptoms but ignores root cause The real reason killing 99.9% of bacteria in your mouth can backfire The three primary ways oral dysbiosis develops (imprinting, over-sterilizing, mouth breathing) The truth about root canals, and what actually determines if one becomes a problem Natalie's own root canal story and what her MPO bloodwork revealed The overlooked connection between oral bacteria and leaky gut Why plaque in the mouth can show up as plaque in the heart, brain, or joints What real testing and treatment for oral dysbiosis actually looks like, and why antibiotics alone don't work Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About Elmira Shojai and Lora Hooper Instagram ➜ and Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to LEELA: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42402385

545: GLP-1s, Protein, and the Truth About "Toning": A No-BS Fitness Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Estima 08/11/2026

545: GLP-1s, Protein, and the Truth About "Toning": A No-BS Fitness Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Estima What if everything you've been told about "lifting heavy" is actually setting you up to get hurt instead of getting stronger? I sit down with Dr. Stephanie Estima, doctor of chiropractic, female metabolism expert, and creator of the Betty Body Method, to pull apart the fitness advice flooding your feed and replace it with what actually works for women in midlife. We start with the "eat more protein, lift heavier" noise online and dig into why that advice, without context, is nearly useless. Stephanie breaks down exactly how you know you're lifting heavy enough (hint: it has nothing to do with a specific number of pounds), why so many of us skipped straight past the strength foundation we needed in our 20s and 30s, and how that's showing up now in injuries and frustration. This episode will change how you think about every workout, every meal, and every wellness trend you scroll past. We Go Deep On: How to actually know you're lifting heavy enough (it has nothing to do with the number on the dumbbell) Why so many midlife women skipped the strength foundation they needed decades ago The Trendelenburg test and why 85-90% of back pain patients have weak glutes The direct link between glute strength and chronic low back pain My own disc rupture and disc replacement story, and what rebuilt my lower body Progressive overload without the injury risk, including rest periods that actually work VO2 max training and why cardio still matters after 40 Weighted vests, vibration plates, and step counts: what the research actually says Why "toning" isn't a real physiological process Rethinking protein without obsessive tracking An honest take on GLP-1 medications and what most protocols are missing Stephanie's simple, non-negotiable supplement list Why the fear of carbs (and honestly, fear of everything but protein) has gotten out of hand Letting go of "skinny" as the goal and redefining what a healthy body actually looks like Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Stephanie Estima Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Book ➜ The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE:Timeline is offering 20% off your order! Go to https:// BIOPTIMIZERS: Get the magnesium I take daily here https://www. Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42343835

544: The Real Reason Your Skin Aged Overnight in Menopause with Jennifer Scheinman 08/07/2026

544: The Real Reason Your Skin Aged Overnight in Menopause with Jennifer Scheinman What if the reason your skincare stopped working has nothing to do with your products, and everything to do with your mitochondria? I sit down with Jennifer Scheinman, registered dietitian and senior manager of nutrition affairs at Timeline, to talk about the science most of us have never applied to our skin. We already know mitochondrial decline drives muscle loss, brain fog, and fatigue as we age. I go deep on why that exact same cellular decline is showing up on your face as wrinkles, sagging, thinning, and dullness, and why retinol and vitamin C alone are not enough to address it. I go deep on the surprising connection between estrogen and mitochondrial function, why so many of us wake up one day feeling like we do not recognize our own skin, and what is actually happening at the cellular level during that shift. I go deep on the controversial sun exposure conversation, the difference between natural and clean skincare, and the real research behind urolithin A, the molecule at the center of Timeline's new MitoPure skincare line. Jennifer walks us through exactly how mitophagy works, what the clinical data actually shows in women ages 47 to 65, and how to build a simplified routine without giving up the products you already love. If your skin has felt like it aged overnight, this conversation will change how you think about what it actually needs. We Go Deep On: Why mitochondrial decline shows up on your face before anywhere else The "reverse puberty" of menopausal skin Why retinol gets harder to tolerate as you age The estrogen-mitochondria connection nobody talks about Is sun exposure good or bad? The Goldilocks answer Why "too fit" can actually age your face faster What mitophagy is and why it matters for your skin Natural vs. clean vs. toxic: cutting through the noise The real research behind urolithin A and MitoPure How to simplify your skincare routine without losing results Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Jennifer Scheinman Instagram ➜ Website ➜ https:// Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42304725

543: Is Adrenal Fatigue a Real Diagnosis? A Doctor Explains with Dr. Allan Bacon 08/04/2026

543: Is Adrenal Fatigue a Real Diagnosis? A Doctor Explains with Dr. Allan Bacon Is adrenal fatigue even real, or have we all been chasing the wrong diagnosis? I sat down with Dr. Allan Bacon, a dentist turned nutrition and powerlifting coach who has built his career sitting in the middle ground between conventional medicine and the wellness world, calling out both sides when the science says they've gotten it wrong. And one of the most eye opening parts of this conversation was about adrenal fatigue, a term so many of us have used to describe our own exhaustion. Dr. Bacon walked me through why it isn't actually a recognized medical diagnosis, what's really going on in our bodies when we feel that drained, and why the label matters so much for finding something that actually helps. We also get into the placebo effect, the truth about peptides like BPC-157, and what the research really says about our metabolism in midlife. We Go Deep On: Why "adrenal fatigue" isn't an actual medical diagnosis, and what it means that our adrenals are usually functioning just fine The real reason we feel that drained, and why "stress and burnout" is a more accurate description than adrenal fatigue What actually helps when we're running on empty, including specific, research backed options like glycine and magnesium Why the placebo effect showed up as a 22 pound strength jump in trained powerlifters, and what that means for how we think about our own bodies What the research does and doesn't say about BPC-157 and peptides A landmark study showing metabolism doesn't actually change from age 20 to 60, and what that means for the way we've been told to think about midlife Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Allan Bacon Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https:// Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42276370

542: A Neuroscientist Explains What EMFs Are Really Doing To Our Body with Dr. Henz and Philipp von Holtzendorff-Fehling 07/31/2026

542: A Neuroscientist Explains What EMFs Are Really Doing To Our Body with Dr. Henz and Philipp von Holtzendorff-Fehling Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on What if the headache you can't explain, the brain fog that won't lift, or the exhaustion no lab test can find has been sitting in the walls of your own home this whole time? This week Natalie sits down with Dr. Henz, a neuroscientist and EEG researcher, and Philipp Von Holtzendorff-Fehling, a former T-Mobile executive turned tech founder, for a conversation that goes places most health podcasts never go. Dr. Henz shares her own story of getting mysteriously ill in a tech-filled office, including a decade-long fertility struggle doctors couldn't explain, and how she eventually connected it to the invisible electromagnetic fields surrounding her every day. Philipp pulls back the curtain on his years inside the telecom industry, why he walked away from a corporate career to dig into this question full time, and what his team found after testing dozens of products claiming to protect you from EMF exposure (spoiler: most of them do nothing, and a couple made things worse). You'll hear about the internal lab research Dr. Henz and Philipp have compiled using high-density EEG technology, what happens to brain wave activity during something as simple as a phone call, and their perspective on why getting closer to nature and natural frequencies may matter more than we think. This one will change how you think about your phone, your WiFi router, and the space you sleep in tonight. WE GO DEEP ON: Dr. Henz's personal health crisis and the invisible cause behind it Why your body has no built-in sensor for electromagnetic exposure What high-density EEG reveals about brain activity and stress frequencies Philipp's journey from T-Mobile executive to EMF researcher The internal lab data behind Quantum Upgrade's technology What happened when they tested 70+ EMF "protection" products Simple, low-effort shifts you can make starting tonight Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Episode Links: See Natalie's brain scan results Leela Quantum: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at Quantum Upgrade: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42056060

541: Why HRT Isn't Fixing Your Dryness with Dr. Anna Cabeca 07/28/2026

541: Why HRT Isn't Fixing Your Dryness with Dr. Anna Cabeca Why does your body still feel dry, itchy, and irritated in places you never expected, even after starting hormone replacement therapy? I brought back the girlfriend doctor, Dr. Anna Cabeca, because there's an area of our midlife health we just don't talk about enough, and it's costing women their comfort, their confidence, and in some cases, far more than that. In this episode, Anna and I get into the real reasons behind vaginal dryness, recurring UTIs, and burning that no one can explain, and why so many of these symptoms don't fully resolve even with HRT. We unpack the massive difference between synthetic progestins and bioidentical progesterone, and why so many women who've had a hysterectomy have been wrongly told they don't need progesterone at all. We also go deep on the vaginal microbiome, why it works completely differently from your gut microbiome, and the surprisingly small things, like a single course of antibiotics, that can throw the whole system off balance. I go deep on the personal side of this too, from Brooks' hotel room debut as an influencer to why I still can't sleep on cycled progesterone no matter how many times Anna tells me to try it. We Go Deep On: Why vaginal dryness and itching often don't improve even with systemic HRT The real difference between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins Why women without a uterus have been wrongly denied progesterone for decades Pregnenolone, the hormone precursor nobody talks about Vaginal microbiome and why it works the opposite of your gut What vaginal rejuvenation procedures actually require to work The mindset shift that keeps Anna consistent with her own health Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Products mentioned: Julva: Balance Cream: Mighty Maca: http://dranna.com/nataliejillmaca Velve: http://dranna.com/natalievelve Use code NATALIEJILL to save Learn More About Dr. Anna Cabeca Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on THE PATCH METHOD: Vitamins you can wear! Visit https://www.thepatchmethod.com and use code NATALIEJILL to save Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42025975

540: Stop Taking Fish Oil: What Your Cells Actually Need Instead with Jessica Kane Berman 07/24/2026

540: Stop Taking Fish Oil: What Your Cells Actually Need Instead with Jessica Kane Berman If we are doing all the things in midlife and we still feel off. The brain fog. The bloating. The dull skin. The hormones that feel louder, not quieter. The recovery that takes three days from one glass of wine. This episode is for us. Because everyone keeps telling us the next step is hormones. HRT. Bioidenticals. Patches. Pellets. And those can absolutely help. But there are three quiet things slowing down in our bodies at the same time, and nobody is teaching us about them in plain English. The walls of our cells. Where hormones are supposed to knock and get a response. The body's trash truck. The thing that carries used hormones out of the body so they do not pile back up. The wallpaper lining our gut. The thing that keeps inflammation from running the whole show. All three slow down in midlife. That is why more hormones alone has not been the full answer for so many of us. My guest is Jessica Kane Berman, co-owner of BodyBio, a third-generation cellular health company her grandfather founded almost 30 years ago. Jessica walked through PCOS, fertility issues, mold, and Lyme, and she healed using the science her own family pioneered. We go through all three slowdowns in plain English, and we end with one thing we can do this week. This is the foundation underneath everything we are already doing. WE GO DEEP ON: • Why more hormones alone has not been the full answer in midlife • The three quiet things slowing down in our bodies at the same time • The walls of our cells, and why brain fog and dull skin are clues • The body's trash truck (bile), and why estrogen feels louder when it slows • The wallpaper lining our gut, and why food sensitivities and belly inflammation show up after 40 • Where HRT fits in (and why these three make HRT actually work) • What PC, TUDCA, and butyrate really do, in plain English • One simple thing to do this week if we are overwhelmed by where to start TIMESTAMPS • 00:00 | Why more hormones alone has not been the full answer • 06:00 | First slowdown. The walls of our cells. • 18:00 | Second slowdown. The body's trash truck. • 32:00 | Third slowdown. The wallpaper lining our gut. • 44:00 | All three together. Where HRT fits. • 52:00 | One thing to do this week. Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube 🔗 Products Mentioned: TUDCA: Liver Health Supplement BodyBio PC (Phospholipid Complex) Butyrate: Gut Health Supplement For all, go to and use code NATALIEJILL to save Learn More About Jessica Berman Instagram ➜ Website ➜ and use code NATALIEJILL to save Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42022700

539: The Heart Disease Symptoms Doctors Keep Calling "Atypical" with Dr. Jayne Morgan 07/21/2026

539: The Heart Disease Symptoms Doctors Keep Calling "Atypical" with Dr. Jayne Morgan Before menopause, our risk of heart disease is HALF what a man’s is. Within a few years of our last period, it is EQUAL. By our seventies, it is HIGHER. So why is nobody screening us for it? This is the conversation midlife women have been waiting for. I sat down with Dr. Jayne Morgan, a research cardiologist and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Hello Heart, who is calling out menopause itself as the most missed opportunity in preventive cardiology. She is the creator of the Stairwell Chronicles, a science communicator who translates complex cardiology into kitchen-table language, and she has spent 25+ years researching what is actually happening to our hearts in midlife. This is our fourth cardiologist on the show. And she is different. She brings the research, the data, and a fierce honesty about why our healthcare system was built around the male body, and what we do about it now. WE GO DEEP ON: • Why menopause is a CARDIOVASCULAR event, not a gynecologic footnote • The half / equal / greater stat that every midlife woman needs to memorize • The 37-minute delay women face in the ER for cardiac care, and the exact phrase that gets you seen • Why hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, and brain fog are cardiovascular signals, not just inconveniences • What estrogen actually does for your heart and what happens when it drops, and the 10-year HRT window • Her take on statins, the online backlash, and what the research actually says about LDL • What to do if you tried a statin and felt terrible — • Why it is LDL AND insulin resistance AND inflammation — not one versus the other • The labs to demand: ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, fasting insulin, CAC scan • Why women were excluded from cardiovascular clinical trials until 1993, and how that built the entire field on the wrong data • The exact advocacy phrase that gets your concern documented in your chart • Three things you can do this week that actually move the needle This is not a doom episode. This is the conversation you bring to your doctor tomorrow. TIMESTAMPS: • 00:00 — Why menopause is a cardiovascular event • 12:00 — The symptoms women miss and the 37-minute ER delay • 26:00 — Estrogen, HRT and the 10-year window • 42:00 — LDL, cholesterol and the statin debate • 54:00 — What to test, what to track, what to demand • 66:00 — Health equity and self-advocacy • 76:00 — Three things this week Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About Dr. Jayne Morgan Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Hello Heart➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: LEELA QUANTUM: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https:// BIOPTIMIZERS: Stop settling for one form of magnesium when your body needs all 7. This one has them all! Get yours at and use code NATALIEJILL to save Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/42006195

538: Fat Loss in Midlife - What the Last 20 Years Has Taught Me 07/14/2026

538: Fat Loss in Midlife - What the Last 20 Years Has Taught Me Join us for a LIVE interactive fat loss workshop to continue this conversation: What if everything you were taught about losing weight in your 20s and 30s is actually working against you now? I've spent almost 20 years coaching midlife women through fat loss, and I've lived every bit of it myself, ten years of perimenopause, post-menopause, injuries, autoimmune issues, and all. Today I'm done watching the internet sell midlife women quick fixes that were never built for our bodies. I'm laying out the five pillars I've seen actually work, in the order they matter, and the why behind each one, so you can stop chasing the next trend and start building something that lasts. I GO DEEP ON: I break down what's actually happening hormonally, metabolically, and physically in our bodies during midlife I go deep on why everything we were taught about dieting in the 90s and 2000s set us up to fail I share the real story of the moment that got me into this work, and the inner work that had to happen before any fat loss did I go deep on real food, gluten, dairy, and why calorie counting doesn't work the way we think it does I explain why muscle is the most underrated pillar of midlife fat loss and what happens if we don't build it I go deep on the free biohacks nobody talks about because nobody can sell them I explain why being your own health detective is non-negotiable at this stage of life Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on BONCHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41993895

537: You Can Eat Perfectly Clean and Still Be Mineral Deficient - Here's Why with Caroline Alan 07/07/2026

537: You Can Eat Perfectly Clean and Still Be Mineral Deficient - Here's Why with Caroline Alan You guys know I am a HUGE believer in the right supplements and the right protocols. So when I tell you that today's episode is about the FOUNDATION underneath ALL of it, lean in. Modern scientists believe we are operating at only thirty-seven to forty percent of the mineral levels our bodies actually need. Minerals are the only nutrient class your body cannot make. They are the foundation under hormones, gut, sleep, energy, hair, and yes, even under the great supplements you are already taking. This is the conversation midlife women have been waiting for. I sat down with Caroline Alan, founder of BEAM Minerals and author of The Mineral Reset, published by Hay House (with a foreword by Dr. Mindy Pelz, who called it "a lifeline"). Caroline was the woman doing everything right at 50 and still falling apart. Brain fog. Hair loss. Inflammation. Three miscarriages. Doctors told her it was just normal aging. She went deep into the science of minerals and it changed everything for her. This is NOT anti-supplement. This is the FOUNDATION that finally makes the supplements and protocols you are already loving actually land. Level up your health with BEAM Minerals HERE and use code NATALIEJILL to save! WE GO DEEP ON: Why minerals are the FOUNDATION under everything you are already doing The bathtub moment that started Caroline's mineral mission at 50 Why 40 to 45 cups of spinach a day would not even cover ONE mineral Glyphosate, soil depletion, and what 19 BILLION pounds of spraying has done Bioavailability — the word every midlife woman needs to know What humic and fulvic actually are, and why one chemist calls fulvic the "God molecule" Why "you are what you eat" is wrong — and what to say instead Perimenopause and menopause: the 5 key minerals (Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Selenium, Boron) Sleep, hair loss, and fasting — all the mineral connections nobody told us The simplest possible 14-day reset to feel the difference TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The bathtub moment + the foundation idea 12:00 — Why minerals are the foundation 26:00 — What minerals actually do + humic and fulvic 40:00 — Menopause, sleep, hair, fasting 54:00 — The ONE sentence to take + the 14-day reset Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About Caroline Alan Instagram ➜ Website ➜ and use code NATALIEJILL to save! Get Mineral Reset Book ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: BEAM MINERALS: Level up your health with BEAM Minerals HERE https://midlifeconversations.com/beam and use code NATALIEJILL to save! THE PATCH METHOD: Visit and use code NATALIEJILL to save Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41923195

536: What's Actually Happening to Your Nervous System When You Feel "Off" 07/03/2026

536: What's Actually Happening to Your Nervous System When You Feel "Off" In this episode I share something I never thought I would talk about on this microphone: quantum physics. Not the wellness version. The actual physics. The kind that won the 2022 Nobel Prize. I walk you through why some of us feel things in our bodies that other people do not, why midlife makes us more sensitive (not less), how quantum entanglement actually works in plain English, and what happened when I flew to Germany and got my brain measured in a high-density EEG lab. The data is on paper. The lab is real. The results are mine. And I think every midlife woman who has ever been told she is too sensitive deserves to hear this one. LINKS: • Leela Quantum: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NATALIEJILL at checkout at • Quantum Upgrade: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on • EEG report visuals + summary: WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: • Why classical physics says distance is real and quantum physics says it might not be • What quantum entanglement actually is, explained two ways • Why your body is more than chemistry and what that means for midlife • Why estrogen shifts make us more reactive to EMFs • What a 30-minute 5G call did to my brain in a 256-channel EEG lab • What Quantum Upgrade did during the same call • How Leela Quantum and Quantum Upgrade actually work (it is not streaming, it is not draining your battery, your phone is just a locator) • Six things you can do with this knowledge starting tonight, zero dollars, no product required Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41793245

535: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Start Living in Midlife with Star Monroe 06/30/2026

535: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Start Living in Midlife with Star Monroe What if the thing you've been calling a midlife crisis is actually the most important reckoning of your life? In this episode, Natalie sits down with Star Monroe, a self-identity expert and somatic psychotherapist who helps midlife women face the crisis underneath the crisis, the version of themselves they abandoned decades ago just to feel safe, loved, and chosen. Star opens up about her own unfiltered history, including addiction, two marriages, financial collapse, and the moment she finally understood that her self-destructive patterns were never about the substance itself. They were about a missing connection to herself. From there, the conversation moves into territory every midlife woman will recognize. The strange feeling of not knowing who you are anymore once the kids, the career, or the relationship that used to define you starts to shift. Star explains why this isn't a breakdown, it's a shattering of identities that were never really yours to begin with, and underneath that shattering is the truer, more whole version of you trying to come through. Natalie and Star get into the messy, practical reality of change, including how to stop outsourcing your worth to other people's opinions, how to tell the difference between intuition and fear, and why learning to sit with uncertainty might be the single most underrated skill in midlife. Star also shares the exact moment she walked away from a thriving six figure business because it no longer felt like her, and what it actually took to trust that decision without a backup plan. WE GO DEEP ON: Midlife crisis vs. midlife reckoning Addiction as a search for connection, not chaos How to stop outsourcing your worth to others Intuition vs. logic in big life decisions Why simplicity is the real path back to yourself Walking away from six figures to find herself Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About Star Monroe Instagram ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41693275

534: Why You're Still Deficient After Taking All the Right Supplements (The Absorption Problem Gets Worse in Midlife) with Lindsey Burwell 06/26/2026

534: Why You're Still Deficient After Taking All the Right Supplements (The Absorption Problem Gets Worse in Midlife) with Lindsey Burwell Tired of choking down pills and wondering if any of it is showing up? Transdermal could be the answer. The Patch Method bypasses our digestion and liver completely. Super easy, just slap it on. Code NATALIEJILL for 20% off at PLUS… DM "NatalieJill" to @the.patchmethod on Instagram and the first 50 people will receive a free patch kit of their choice plus four free samples. What if the drawer full of supplements you have been faithfully taking every morning is actually making your liver work harder without making you feel any better? If you have ever walked out of a functional medicine or naturopathic appointment with a list of twelve supplements, spent hundreds of dollars filling that order, and then showed up to your next appointment still deficient in the very things you were supplementing, you are not alone. And according to Lindsey Burwell, founder of The Patch Method, you are also not the problem. Lindsey was one of my most talked-about guests ever, and she is back for part two because your questions did not stop after our first conversation. Today we go even deeper into why swallowing supplements is often a losing game for midlife women, and what transdermal delivery actually does differently at a physiological level. We cover the science of first-pass metabolism and why your liver, already under enormous strain from modern life, is simply not prioritizing breaking down your vitamin C. We talk about what "pill fatigue" really is and why it is only getting louder. And we get into the specific patches Lindsey has developed, including the detox patch, the cortisol fix, the menopause patch, and the one I have been waiting to try: the GHKCU copper peptide glow patch, which has serious research behind it for skin regeneration, hair growth, and cellular repair. I also finally get Lindsey to walk me through why the injectable version of that copper peptide causes that intense, all-day throbbing sensation, and why the transdermal version sidesteps that entirely. Spoiler: it comes back to dose. If you have MTHFR or a slow COMT and have had bad reactions to methylated B vitamins, Lindsey explains exactly why the patch form does not cause that same stimulant response. We also dig into who should and should not be using these patches, how to stack them, and why you do not have to give up the supplements that are already working for you. This is one of those episodes that makes you want to go audit your entire supplement cabinet. WE GO DEEP ON: Why your liver may be working 3,000x harder than it used to Why supplements are dosed at 10,000% of your daily need What actually happens to a pill before it reaches your bloodstream Why MTHFR carriers react badly to B vitamins in pill form, not patches The detox patch protocol for clearing excess estrogen on HRT Why the GHKCU injectable causes all-day throbbing, and the patch doesn't What 90 days of copper peptide use can do for hair and skin The adaptogen blend behind some of the best sleep scores Lindsey has seen Whether you can stack multiple patches at once Who should never use these patches Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Lindsey Burwell Instagram ➜ Website ➜ use code NATALIEJILL to save Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41679275

533: Biohacking Gone Wrong: Why Everything You're Doing to Optimize Your Health Might Be Backfiring with Dr. Sabrina Solt 06/23/2026

533: Biohacking Gone Wrong: Why Everything You're Doing to Optimize Your Health Might Be Backfiring with Dr. Sabrina Solt What if the supplements you've been taking to feel better are actually the reason you feel worse? That's exactly what happened to me, and it sent me down a rabbit hole that led to one of the most important conversations I've had about my own health. Today I'm sitting down with my close friend and personal doctor, Dr. Sabrina Solt, a regenerative medicine physician and peptide expert who has been in this field for over a decade. We start with the question that started everything for me: why was I wired at 3am, crashing every afternoon, and reacting to the exact supplements I thought were helping? Dr. Solt breaks down the cortisol-prolactin connection that most doctors never test for, explains why elevated cholesterol in midlife women is often a protective response rather than a red flag, and walks us through the inflammation markers that actually tell the full story of what's happening inside the body. Then we go deep on what she calls the upstream-downstream problem, the real reason why things like methylated B vitamins, NAD drips, and glutathione pushes can backfire so badly in certain women, and what to do instead. She explains the genetic piece around MTHFR and COMT variations, why "more" is rarely the answer, and what supporting downstream clearance actually looks like in practice. From there, we get into peptides. Dr. Solt gives a grounded, clinical breakdown of BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, the copper peptide GHKCU, growth hormone releasing peptides, and the serious cautions around GLP microdosing gone wrong. She also shares her vision for what medicine could look like if doctors were equally fluent in peptides and pharmaceuticals. This is the conversation I've been wanting to bring to you for a long time. Dr. Sabrina Solt is one of the most precise and brilliant minds I know, and she does not hold back. WE GO DEEP ON: The cortisol-prolactin connection most doctors never test Why high cholesterol isn't always the villain (and what MPO reveals) The upstream-downstream mistake making "healthy" habits backfire Why NAD and glutathione drips can be dangerous for some people A no-BS peptide breakdown: BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, copper peptides, and more The truth about GLP microdosing and its risks What to fix before you ever try a peptide Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Sabrina Solt Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Peptide Membership Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https:// Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41693570

532: The ONE Biohack That Works Regardless of Your Genetics with Kashif Khan 06/16/2026

532: The ONE Biohack That Works Regardless of Your Genetics with Kashif Khan Don't miss the free live hydrogen workshop with Kashif. Save your seat at What if every biohack you've tried has been missing the one piece that actually makes it work? Red light, peptides, cold plunges, NAD, wellness IVs. You've tried some of them. Some worked. Some didn't. And here's the maddening part: your friend is thriving on the same protocol that made you feel worse. That's not random, and you're not broken. There's a reason, and it's rooted in your unique biology in ways most practitioners never explain. In this episode, I sit down with Kashif Khan, founder of The DNA Company and someone I genuinely call my health guru. Kashif healed himself from a cascade of chronic conditions including eczema so severe his eye was sealed shut, psoriasis, gut issues, migraines, and depression, all by going deep into functional genomics rather than accepting diagnoses and prescriptions. He now runs what may be the largest functional medicine clinic in the country by volume, working with the most complex cases imaginable. We cover what red light actually does inside your mitochondria and how you can completely overdo it, the real reason peptides cause side effects when used without proper sequencing, why 89% of your cholesterol score has nothing to do with food, and the one molecule Kashif keeps coming back to no matter who the patient is. We also go deep on why hydrogen tablets and bottles are not doing what you think they're doing and what the research actually shows it takes to move the needle. This is one of those conversations that makes you rethink everything. Listen all the way through. WE GO DEEP ON: Why the same biohack transforms your friend but wrecks you What red light really does inside your cells and how to overdo it Why peptide order matters more than peptide choice Why 89% of your cholesterol score has nothing to do with food Why hydrogen has peer-reviewed studies on every chronic disease Hydrogen tablets vs. breathing: a tablet equals about 20 seconds How to rebuild the 70% of mitochondria you've lost since your 50s Cold plunges, saunas, PEMF, and wellness IVs: what's worth it and what isn't Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Kashif Khan Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41497675

531: Europe Changed My Health (Here's the Science): What We Tested, What we learned, and What We Can't Stop Thinking About 06/12/2026

531: Europe Changed My Health (Here's the Science): What We Tested, What we learned, and What We Can't Stop Thinking About If you have ever come back from Europe and thought, why do I feel BETTER over there, this episode is for you. Natalie and her husband Brooks just got back from one of the most incredible trips of their lives. Germany, Switzerland, Lake Como, Piedmont, Lake Lucerne, Basel and Heidelberg. And it was not just beautiful. It rearranged some things in their bodies that they want to break down for you. In this conversation we go through every stop on the route, why pasta in Italy feels different than bread in the US, why dairy in Europe digests so much better, the hormone shift Natalie had to make during the trip, the digestive enzymes that came with us to every single meal, and a quick mention of the EMF and quantum testing we did in a lab in Germany (saving the deep dive for a future episode). Grab a coffee. Take this one with us. WE GO DEEP ON: • Day one and two at the Vitale Hotel in Stuttgart (plus a quick mention of the EMF testing we did in the lab) • The Porsche Museum • Konstanz, Germany (the San Francisco vibe, the perfume hotel, the bratwurst) • The Vignette Pass drive into Switzerland • Grand Hotel Victoria and the 3-hour Lake Como boat tour • Villa Madonna in Piedmont — lady bugs, crop rotation, and the WHY behind Italian wheat • Seelisberg on Lake Lucerne, the prettiest place we have ever been • Basel and the best hamburger of our lives • Heidelberg gelato • Why dairy in Europe digests so differently than US dairy • MassZymes at every meal EPISODE LINKS: • Leela Quantum Tech ➜ save with code NATALIEJILL • Quantum Upgrade ➜ use code NATALIEJILL for a free 15 day trial • MassZymes ➜ use code NATALIEJILL for 15% off • The Patch Method ➜ use code NATALIEJILL for 20% off your first order TIMESTAMPS: • 00:00 — Why we feel better in Europe (open) • 04:00 — Stuttgart + Vitale Hotel + naked day (+ quick EMF testing side note) • 12:00 — Porsche Museum and Konstanz • 22:00 — Drive into Switzerland + supplement routine + the hormone story • 30:00 — Lake Como and the boat tour • 40:00 — Piedmont, Villa Madonna, and why Italian wheat is different • 50:00 — Seelisberg, fluffy cows, and the T3 mistake • 58:00 — Basel hamburger + Heidelberg gelato • 63:00 — The dairy breakdown + closing reflections Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Thank you to our show sponsors: MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on BIOPTIMIZERS: Get the digestive enzymes I take with every meal here Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41584295

530: The Bacteria in Your Mouth Is Linked to Heart Disease, Anxiety, and Hormonal Chaos with Dr. Pedram Shojai 06/09/2026

530: The Bacteria in Your Mouth Is Linked to Heart Disease, Anxiety, and Hormonal Chaos with Dr. Pedram Shojai Get the oral biome test we talked about in the show at This is the conversation I have been waiting to have. If you are doing the breathwork, the meditation, the supplements, the protocols, and you are STILL feeling anxious, inflamed, bloated, and exhausted, this episode will explain why. My guest is Dr. Pedram Shojai, The Urban Monk. He is a New York Times bestselling author and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and the man who first came on this show talking about stress and the nervous system. Years later, after a wild full-circle moment in a group coaching call, we are back together to talk about what he is doing NOW: the connection between the nervous system and the oral and gut microbiomes. In this episode we connect every dot for the midlife woman who has been told she is fine. The stress-and-biome loop. Why your mouthwash may be sabotaging you. If you have been guessing about your gut and oral health and throwing supplements at a problem you have never tested, this is your invitation to stop guessing. WE GO DEEP ON: • The full-circle story from The Urban Monk to the microbiome • Why nervous system work alone is not enough in midlife • The stress + biome loop and how it makes anxiety, fog, and bloat worse • Oral microbiome 101: what it is and why it matters for your gut, heart, and brain • The everyday things women are doing that are wrecking their oral biome • Why generic probiotics often do not work • Gut testing and oral microbiome testing demystified • Pedram's personal first steps after seeing his own data • Your this-week starter plan: 3 things to stop, 3 things to start TIMESTAMPS: • 00:00 — Cold open: the full-circle story • 03:00 — Welcome + context for midlife women • 05:00 — From The Urban Monk to the microbiome (his journey) • 13:00 — The nervous system + biome loop • 21:00 — Oral microbiome 101 • 29:00 — Gut microbiome as the control center • 36:00 — Stop guessing, start testing • 42:00 — Pedram's own protocol • 48:00 — Biome + hormones + your starter plan + hope Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Pedram Shojai Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on BONCHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41464585

529: The EU Banned 1,300 Skincare Ingredients. The U.S. Banned 11. Here's What You Need to Know with Brian Vaszily 06/05/2026

529: The EU Banned 1,300 Skincare Ingredients. The U.S. Banned 11. Here's What You Need to Know with Brian Vaszily Special offer for Midlife Conversations listeners: for up to 38% off - a special savings of $5 off each bottle of Dream Cream purchased and is the lowest savings you will find. If you have ever turned a "clean" skincare bottle around, read the back, and not been able to pronounce a single ingredient, this episode is for you. The European Union has banned over 1,300 ingredients from skincare. The United States has banned 11. ELEVEN. So what are we actually putting on our faces every single day? And in midlife, when our hormones are already in flux, what are those ingredients doing to us? I sat down with Brian Vaszily (rhymes with PAISLEY), founder of and Purity Woods, who has spent over 25 years researching natural health and longevity. Brian is not a doctor. He is a researcher and educator who has worked alongside the most respected natural-health doctors of the last two decades. And he is here to tell us what is actually in our bathroom cabinets. I want to be really honest with you before we dive in: I am NOT 100% non-toxic. I still color my hair. There are products in my bathroom that are not clean. I am not preaching perfection. But what I DO take seriously is TOXIC LOAD, and that is the lens we go through this conversation with. We go DEEP on: Why your skin is an organ (the LARGEST one you have) and what that actually means for what you absorb The 1,300+ ingredients banned in the EU that are still legal in the US, including 9 commonly used ingredients Why the words "clean" and "natural" on a label mean absolutely NOTHING (zero regulatory definition) Endocrine disruptors and why they hit harder in menopause when our hormones are already shifting Parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde-releasers, oxybenzone, synthetic fragrance: what they do and how to spot them The "first 5 ingredients" rule that tells you 80% of what is actually in any product The truth about retinoids, niacinamide, and skin-lightening topicals like hydroquinone (banned across the developed world) Bakuchiol: the plant-based retinol alternative with comparable research The University of Rhode Island study on red maple leaf extract that researchers nicknamed "plant-based Botox" USDA Certified Organic on skincare: why it is the same federal standard as USDA Organic on food Can you layer Dream Cream with the products you already love? Yes, and how The 10-step bathroom audit you can do this WEEK to start lowering your toxic load TIMESTAMPS: 00:00. Why your skin is an organ (and what most labels are hiding) 06:00. EU banned 1,300+ ingredients. US banned 11. The full story. 18:00. Endocrine disruptors and why they hit harder in menopause 28:00. How to actually read a skincare label: the "first 5" rule 38:00. USDA Certified Organic: the only federal standard that means anything 45:00. Retinoids, niacinamide, and the truth about skin-lightening topicals 55:00. The maple leaf research and why Brian built Purity Woods 63:00. Can you layer Dream Cream with other products you love? 70:00. The 10-step bathroom audit you can do this week This is not a product pitch. This is a clean skincare education episode for midlife women who are tired of being lied to by labels. Learn More About Brian Vaszily Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: LEELA: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout at Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41360825

528: Facelifts, Fillers, and What Actually Works: A Plastic Surgeon's Take on Midlife Skin with Dr. Anthony Youn 06/02/2026

528: Facelifts, Fillers, and What Actually Works: A Plastic Surgeon's Take on Midlife Skin with Dr. Anthony Youn Facelifts are having a MOMENT. Kris Jenner. Denise Richards. Suddenly every woman over 50 is asking the question out loud: is this what it takes now? Do I need a facelift? Is there a natural alternative that actually works? Facial plastic surgery jumped 19% in 2025. Forty-five percent of surgeons say menopause is what is driving it. Which means somebody needs to be telling us the REAL story, not the marketing one. This episode is with Dr. Anthony Youn, board-certified plastic surgeon known as America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon. He is the most-followed plastic surgeon on the internet with 13 million+ across TikTok and YouTube. He is the author of four bestsellers including Younger For Life and he hosts The Doctor Youn Show. Here is why he is different. He is a surgeon who tells women to AUTOJUVENATE before you operate. Skincare. Supplements. Collagen. Red light. Nutrition. Hormones. THEN, and only then, do we talk procedures. This is the honest midlife conversation about what works, what doesn't, and what is marketing. WE GO DEEP ON Why facelifts have gone mainstream and the Kris Jenner / Denise Richards effect SMAS vs. deep plane vs. ponytail lift, explained in plain English The natural stack that actually works BEFORE surgery (the autojuvenation method) When it IS actually time to consider surgery, and when to wait The simple 6-product skincare routine for every midlife woman Clean skincare: what is real, what is marketing fear Sunscreen truth: mineral vs. chemical, and the brands he actually recommends Collagen supplements: the research, the dose, what to look for on the label Red light therapy: does it actually work, and the masks worth the money Botox honestly: the 2025 CDC counterfeit warning and how to stay safe Filler, pillow face, and why we are in the anti-filler era BBL danger: the deadliest cosmetic surgery and how to lower the risk The ONE thing every midlife woman should do this week This is not a product pitch. This is the conversation that gives you control. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Facelifts have gone mainstream 18:00 — Simple skincare that actually works 32:00 — Collagen, red light, and what the research says 45:00 — Botox and filler, the honest truth 58:00 — BBL, autojuvenation, and the ONE thing this week Learn More About Dr. Anthony Youn Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/tonyyounmd Website ➜ Podcast ➜ The Doctor Youn Show Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https:// KION: Kion is offering 20% off your order! Go to BONCHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41307245

527: Therapist Explains The Hidden Reason You Still Don't Feel Good Enough in Midlife with Dr. Mcayla Sarno 05/26/2026

527: Therapist Explains The Hidden Reason You Still Don't Feel Good Enough in Midlife with Dr. Mcayla Sarno We talk a lot on this show about supplements, hormones, food, sleep, and protocols. But there is a layer underneath all of that we have not gone deep on until now. Our beliefs. Who we think we are. Why we are here. And the quiet, unconscious story running the show every single day. In this episode, Natalie sits down with her own therapist Mcayla Sarno, an EMDR specialist who has spent almost twenty years helping women get to the root of the beliefs that are silently shaping their bodies, their relationships, their purpose, and their health. Natalie also shares the very personal EMDR story that changed her life. The memory with her mom in the car. The belief she did not even know she was carrying. And what shifted when she finally looked at it through different eyes. This is a real conversation about why so many of us hit midlife feeling lost, why the empty nest hits harder than anyone warned us, what is actually happening when we try to control everything, and why a therapist asking the right question will always do something ChatGPT cannot. We talk about how core beliefs form, how they show up in the body, and the work it takes to finally come home to who we have always been underneath all of it. If you have been feeling like you have done all the outer work and something inside still is not clicking, this is the episode for you. WE GO DEEP ON • What EMDR actually is and why it is not just for trauma • The difference between understanding something and integrating it • How core beliefs form and why they generalize to every area of our life • The connection between unresolved beliefs and chronic health issues • Why ChatGPT will never replace a real therapist asking the right question • The empty nest grief nobody talks about and the mini mourning of every version of our kids • Why control feels safe but never actually makes us safe (and what does) • How external validation becomes the trap of our 30s and 40s and breaks open in our 50s • The infant question that reframes everything: were you good enough the day you were born • Natalie's personal EMDR story, the car memory with her mom, and the belief she was carrying • Why 5-day intensives work when weekly therapy has not • "I always was. I already am." The reframe every midlife woman needs Learn More About Mcayla Sarno Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on LEELA QUANTUM: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NATALIEJILL at checkout at SUNLIGHTEN: Sleep better. Recover faster. Stress less. Get Sunlighten infrared saunas HERE and use code NATALIEJILL to save up to $1,400! Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41263295

526: Your Oral Microbiome Is Wrecking Your Heart, Brain, and Hormones: What Your Dentist Isn't Testing with Dr. Sanda Moldovan 05/19/2026

526: Your Oral Microbiome Is Wrecking Your Heart, Brain, and Hormones: What Your Dentist Isn't Testing with Dr. Sanda Moldovan Your mouth has over 700 species of bacteria living inside it right now. And the balance of those bacteria is directly driving whether you have brain fog, bleeding gums, heart disease, or Alzheimer's. Nobody told us this. And nobody told us that in menopause, EVERYTHING about our mouth changes. Saliva drops. Gums get sensitive. Bone density falls. And the antibacterial mouthwash we have been using for 20 years? It might be making it worse. This episode is with Dr. Sanda Moldovan, an award-winning periodontist AND board-certified nutritionist, founder of Orasana, and author of Heal Up. She has spent two decades studying the oral microbiome and she is one of the most respected oral health experts in the country. She walks us through the THREE simple things we can do tonight to reset our oral biome. None of them are expensive. None of them are complicated. And the science is on her side. WE GO DEEP ON Why the mouth is the gateway to your whole body (heart, brain, joints, gut) The menopause mouth: why estrogen drops change your gums, saliva, and oral microbiome The 3 simple things to do tonight: electric brush, water floss, oral probiotic before bed Tongue scraping: 60% of your oral bacteria lives on your tongue Oil pulling: does it actually work, and the safety warning nobody mentions The mouthwash myth: how antibacterial rinses can raise your blood pressure The nitric oxide connection your dentist never told you about The labs to ask for: OralDNA salivary testing The red flags every midlife woman should stop ignoring 3 simple things you can start tonight that actually move the needle This is not a doom episode. This is the conversation that gives you control. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Oral microbiome 101 and the mouth-body connection 12:00 — The 3 simple things to do tonight 28:00 — The mouthwash myth and the nitric oxide story 42:00 — Nutrition for the mouth and the red flags to watch 56:00 — The biome reset and your 8-step starter protocol Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Sanda Moldovan Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: BON CHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41215070

525: Most Thyroid Medications Fail: The Thyroid–Menopause Collision Destroying Women in Midlife with Dr. Amie Hornaman 05/12/2026

525: Most Thyroid Medications Fail: The Thyroid–Menopause Collision Destroying Women in Midlife with Dr. Amie Hornaman Save your seat in the free Thyroid and Hormone class If you are a woman in midlife who has been told everything is fine when you know in your body that something is NOT fine, this episode is going to change everything. I have Dr. Amie Hornaman, The Thyroid Fixer, back on the show, and we are going somewhere we have never gone before. One in eight women will develop a thyroid condition in her lifetime. Eighty-eight percent of us are metabolically unhealthy. And yet most doctors run ONE test, look at one number, tell us we are normal, and send us home with an antidepressant. Meanwhile we are gaining weight, losing our hair, can't sleep, can't think, can't lose a pound to save our lives, and being told it is just stress, just aging, just menopause. Today we are tearing that apart. Dr. Amie saw SEVEN doctors before she was finally diagnosed. She is now licensed to prescribe thyroid and bioidentical hormones in all 50 states and most of Canada. She built the Better Thyroid and Hormone Institute, hosts The Thyroid (and Hormone) Fixer Podcast, and has helped thousands of women globally finally get answers. We go DEEP on: Why the standard TSH-only test misses almost everyone, and the six tests you need to ask for by name THYROPAUSE: Dr. Amie's term for what happens when thyroid dysfunction collides with perimenopause and menopause (and why so many women are being treated for the wrong one) The T4-only medication trap: why Synthroid and levothyroxine fail an estimated 98% of patients Reverse T3, the silent saboteur that blocks your active thyroid hormone from getting into your cells Natural desiccated thyroid, the controversy, FDA scrutiny of animal-derived medications, and where Dr. Amie stands T2: the FORGOTTEN thyroid hormone with 30+ years of research that burns fat at the mitochondrial level, does not suppress your own thyroid, does not jack up your heart rate, does not require a prescription, and is showing up in studies as a potential anti-obesity treatment What Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are actually doing to your thyroid (and why some women lose ZERO weight on GLP-1s no matter how high they push the dose) The estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and insulin connection: why you cannot fix the thyroid without addressing the whole hormonal system Antibody-support strategies: gluten elimination, black cumin seed oil, low-dose naltrexone, and thymosin alpha Iodine titration cautions, medical gaslighting, and what to say when your doctor refuses to run the full panel The Monday morning action plan: exactly what to do this week if you suspect your thyroid is the missing piece This is not a thyroid 101 episode. This is the conversation I wish every midlife woman was given the day her labs came back normal. You are not broken. You are not crazy. And you are not alone. Sign up for the free Thyroid and Hormone class Connect with Dr. Amie: Podcast: The Thyroid (and Hormone) Fixer Instagram: @dramiehornaman Book: https://thyroidfixbook.com/ Live lab-review class Better Thyroid and Hormone Institute: APPROXIMATE TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The medical gaslighting that is keeping midlife women sick 06:00 — The full thyroid panel: the six tests to ask for by name 12:00 — Introducing THYROPAUSE: where thyroid meets menopause 20:00 — How estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol all impact your thyroid 28:00 — Why T4-only medication (Synthroid, levothyroxine) fails 98% of patients 34:00 — Natural desiccated thyroid, FDA scrutiny, and individualized dosing 40:00 — T2: the forgotten thyroid hormone that burns fat without touching your gland 48:00 — Who should consider T2 (and why it does not require a prescription) 52:00 — What Ozempic and the GLP-1s are actually doing to your thyroid 58:00 — How to protect your thyroid if you are currently on a GLP-1 62:00 — Lifestyle non-negotiables: morning sun, protein, resistance training, sleep, blood sugar 67:00 — Your Monday morning action plan if you suspect your thyroid is the missing piece Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Amie Hornaman Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/dramiehornaman Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on BIOPTIMIZERS: Get the digestive enzymes I take with every meal here https://www. Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41145070

524: 95% of Women Are Nutritionally Depleted - No Wonder Women in Midlife Feel Terrible with Julie Sawaya 05/08/2026

524: 95% of Women Are Nutritionally Depleted - No Wonder Women in Midlife Feel Terrible with Julie Sawaya If you are a woman in midlife who is exhausted, foggy, losing your hair, and being told it is just aging — this episode is going to change how you look at your body forever. I sat down with Julie Sawaya, the co-founder of Needed, and what I learned blew my mind. Julie is a trained nutritionist with a Stanford MBA. She was doing EVERYTHING right — farmer's market every Sunday, nutrition certifications, incredibly intentional about every bite. And then she tested herself. Almost every nutrient came back in the red zone. If two trained nutritionists were massively depleted, what is happening to the rest of us? Here is the kicker. The nutrition standard we are all measured against — the RDA — was created in 1941. For men. Going to war. Based on the minimum needed to keep troops from getting sick. That is the floor we are still being measured against in 2026. As women. In midlife. Going through one of the most nutritionally demanding phases of our lives. Ninety-five percent of women are nutritionally depleted. Ninety-seven percent of pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin and are STILL depleted. And nobody is connecting the dots between pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause as one long depletion pipeline. We go DEEP on: The 1941 RDA standard, why it was built for wartime men, and why it is still failing women today The depletion pipeline: how pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause stack on top of each other and most women never get to refill the tank CHOLINE — the nutrient behind midlife brain fog that almost nobody is talking about (and the brand new April 2026 fMRI study showing a single dose improved working memory connectivity within three hours) Omega-3 and the midlife brain — why 89% of US adults are in the high cardiovascular risk range and why plant-based sources alone do not cut it Magnesium — the most Instagrammed supplement in the world right now, and why most women are taking the form their body literally cannot absorb The supplement trap: folic acid vs. methylfolate, magnesium oxide vs. glycinate, cyanocobalamin vs. methylcobalamin — and why 40% of us cannot even process the cheap forms because of an MTHFR variant Red flags and green flags to look for the next time you flip over a supplement bottle Why the protein RDA is laughably low for midlife women, and what we actually need to preserve muscle as estrogen declines The "repletion not restriction" reframe — why midlife is the time to add MORE of the right things, not eat less Your action plan for this week: how to get a nutrient panel, what to look at on your labels, and the food-first changes you can start tomorrow morning This is not a thyroid 101. This is not a supplement infomercial. This is the conversation I wish every midlife woman was given the day she started feeling like something was off. You are not broken. You are not crazy. You are not just aging. You may be running on accumulated nutritional debt that nobody told you to repay. That changes today. Use code NATALIEJILL for 20% off your first order at Connect with Julie Sawaya and Needed: Website: and use code NATALIEJILL for 20% off your first order Instagram: @needed Backed by 15,000+ practitioners worldwide Connect with Natalie: Instagram: @nataliejillfit Newsletter and resources: Midlife Conversations is the podcast made for midlife women who refuse to accept "you are just getting older" as an answer APPROXIMATE TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The wake-up call: two trained nutritionists, both in the red zone 06:00 — Where the RDA actually came from (spoiler: 1941, wartime, men) 12:00 — The depletion pipeline: pregnancy to perimenopause as one continuum 18:00 — The forgotten gap between postpartum and perimenopause 25:00 — Choline: the nutrient behind midlife brain fog nobody is talking about 32:00 — Omega-3 and the midlife brain: why most women are not getting close 38:00 — Magnesium forms: why the cheap one in your multivitamin is barely doing anything 42:00 — The supplement trap: what is actually in your generic multivitamin 48:00 — Red flags and green flags on a supplement label 55:00 — Protein in midlife: why the RDA is wrong and what you actually need 62:00 — Repletion, not restriction: what an ideal midlife day of eating looks like 65:00 — Your action plan for this week Thank you to our show sponsors: QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41045850

523: Your Mouth Is Making You Sick: What Biological Dentistry Reveals About Root Canals, Cavitations, and Chronic Disease with Dr. Dominik Nischwitz 05/05/2026

523: Your Mouth Is Making You Sick: What Biological Dentistry Reveals About Root Canals, Cavitations, and Chronic Disease with Dr. Dominik Nischwitz What if everything you've been doing to heal your body has been quietly undermined by something inside your mouth? Natalie sits down with Dr. Dominik Nischwitz, widely regarded as the world's leading biological dentist, who has spent over two decades revealing the connection between dental health and chronic disease. People with gum disease face an 86% higher risk of stroke, a 36% higher risk of heart attack, and if tooth loss conditions are present, the risk of Alzheimer's triples. And almost nobody is connecting these dots. Dr. Dominik explains why root canals become silent, chronic infections that can burden the immune system for decades without causing pain. He goes deep into cavitations, the hidden jaw infections that form after nearly every wisdom tooth extraction, that most dentists don't know exist and can't diagnose even with the equipment they have. He talks about what metals in your mouth are actually doing in an EMF-saturated world, why fluoride toothpaste has been one of dentistry's biggest misdirections, and how the oral microbiome feeds the entire gut ecosystem. He also shares the two-phase treatment model that is changing lives: removing every source of chronic infection from the mouth in one strategic week, placing ceramic implants same-day, and letting the body heal before rebuilding aesthetics and function. Patients who had migraines for 32 years. Skin eczema gone within two weeks. Cortisol normalized almost overnight. If you have ever had a root canal, had your wisdom teeth removed, or have metal anywhere in your mouth, this episode is not optional. Listen now. Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube Learn More About Dr. Dominik Nischwitz Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: COZY EARTH: Discover how Cozy Earth turns everyday routines into moments of softness and ease. Head to https://cozyearth.com/ and use code NATALIEJILL for an exclusive 20% off Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/41030315

522: The Protein Lie Midlife Women Have Been Told (And What to Do Instead) with Angelo Keely 05/01/2026

522: The Protein Lie Midlife Women Have Been Told (And What to Do Instead) with Angelo Keely What if the protein you've been so carefully tracking is giving you a fraction of the muscle-building benefit you think it is? That question stopped me in my tracks, and I think it's going to stop you too. I brought Angelo Keely back to the show for exactly this conversation. Angelo is the CEO and co-founder of Kion, and he works alongside the top scientists in protein and amino acid research. Our last episode together changed how I think about protein entirely, and this one went deeper. Here's what we get into: your protein needs don't decrease as you age, they actually go up, and most of us don't know why. Angelo explains what's happening at the cellular level when you eat protein, why a smaller amount of steak eaten alone can outperform a much larger portion eaten with your vegetables, and what that means for how you're fueling your body every single day. He also breaks down why BCAAs are largely a waste of money (and might actually be working against you), what the research actually says about creatine for women (it does not make your muscles bigger, and the bloating fear is mostly myth), and how to think about leucine, essential amino acids, and what to look for on a supplement label so you're not getting ripped off. If you're on a GLP-1, dieting, or just trying to hold onto muscle as you age, the section on caloric deficits and amino acid needs alone is worth the entire listen. The research Angelo shares from Department of Defense-funded studies will completely reframe how you think about cutting calories and preserving muscle at the same time. This one is practical, science-backed, and genuinely eye-opening. Angelo is one of the clearest voices in nutrition science when it comes to cutting through the noise, and I always leave our conversations with something I can actually use. Visit for 20% off your order! Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: Learn More About KION Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: COZY EARTH: Discover how Cozy Earth turns everyday routines into moments of softness and ease. Head to and use code NATALIEJILL for an exclusive 20% off Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/40989255

521: The Truth About Statins, LDL, and Heart Disease Risk That Most Cardiologists Won't Tell You with Dr. Philip Ovadia 04/28/2026

521: The Truth About Statins, LDL, and Heart Disease Risk That Most Cardiologists Won't Tell You with Dr. Philip Ovadia What if the cholesterol medication your doctor insists could save your life is actually increasing your risk of the very disease it's supposed to prevent? A board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon who has personally performed over 3,000 open-heart surgeries joins us this week with a message he says most cardiologists will not say out loud: the majority of his patients should never have ended up on his table. Dr. Philip Ovadia lost nearly 100 pounds while operating on other people's hearts, reversed his own prediabetes, and spent the last decade asking a question his colleagues are not comfortable with: what is actually causing heart disease? This episode goes deep. You will learn why your LDL number tells you almost nothing meaningful without particle size testing, why statins lower the wrong kind of cholesterol, and why insulin resistance is a far bigger driver of heart events than anything showing up on a standard lipid panel. Dr. Ovadia also walks through the most important heart tests most women have never had, including the coronary artery calcium scan he calls "the mammogram for your heart," and gives his take on every medication in the conversation from statins to Zetia to Repatha. If you have ever left a cardiology appointment more confused and scared than when you walked in, this one is for you. Learn More About Dr. Philip Ovadia Instagram ➜ Website ➜ Preorder Stay Off My Kitchen Table ➜ Thank you to our show sponsors: TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https:// Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: Connect with me on social media! Instagram: Facebook: For advertising inquiries: Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast. /episode/index/show/levelingup/id/40959980

Midlife Conversations with Natalie Jill: Fat Loss, Hormones & Health for Women Over 40

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