Did you know that it’s now believed that 80% of chronic disease in later life can be prevented by what we do now in midlife? Me neither! That is an astonishing figure, one that prompted Dr Ferhat Uddin to add metabolic health assessment and improvement to her services at Liberty Health Clinic.   As she explains, midlife health isn’t just about hormones and she advocates that every woman should have a midlife health check that includes vitamin and mineral levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and triglyceride checks.   What we do with our health in midlife has huge ramifications down th ..read more

Award-winning British actress, director, producer and entrepreneur, Sharon Maughan developed health problems in 2009 due to a reaction to salicylates, known as salicylic overload. Suffering from symptoms including breathing problems, nasal polyps, eczema and incredibly sensitive skin, she had major surgery and was warned to make significant lifestyle changes, and drastically limit her salicylate intake or risk the condition returning within 6 months.   Salicylates’ common presence in cosmetics, food, cleaning products, perfume and more, means many others have also developed reactions and ..read more

Kim is a 60 year old mother of three who was diagnosed with MS 10 years ago and decided to ignore her then doctor's advice and muscle her way back to a happy life. Last year she became European Champion in Masters Weightlifting in her age and weight category. Her journey inspired her to leave her career in journalism in her 50s and become a health coach for middle aged women - with a big focus on reactivating and rebuilding muscle. Today, she helps women tap into an abundant source of vitality by reactivating and maintaining their muscles, while ditching diet culture conditioning to actually e ..read more

Do you feel you stumble around in a money FOG - feeling Fearful, Overwhelmed or Guilty about your financial situation? Master Money Coach, Mikelann Valterra says that feelings of stress and anxiety around money are often due to financial vagueness. How do we get out of the fog? Mikelann identifies 3 core questions we need to ask ourselves at every stage in our lives, but especially when our circumstances change: What can I afford? How much is enough? What would be possible? Clearing the money fog isn’t necessarily about becoming more wealthy - it’s about gaining clarity about what you do ha ..read more

Women are not simply small men - we often experience medical events differently to our male counterparts. This week I’m talking to Sam Palmer, about the risks and symptoms of heart attacks. Sam explained that once we lose the protection oestrogen provides, our risk of heart disease rises. Sam listed the risk factors: Smoking Obesity Hypertension (high blood pressure) Raised Cholesterol Elevated stress levels Poor sleep Sam runs an online fitness program for women in midlife and beyond (which I can personally recommend!) and advocates raising your heart rate for 20-30 minutes regularly AND pr ..read more

Did you watch the film, “Wild” where Reese Witherspoon played Cheryl Strayed? Did it make you think, I could hike in the American wilderness on my own! NO? Me neither! Today’s guest thought just that and was inspired to walk 2,600 miles alone in midlife.   In a wide ranging conversation, anonymous adventurer, Person Irresponsible, talks to me about her remarkable life. We discussed: the impact of boarding school on a child’s development the importance of role models the impact of the film “Wild” on women hikers the perceptions we have about threat and safety the statistics around femicid ..read more

Do you feel you stumble around in a money FOG - feeling Fearful, Overwhelmed or Guilty about your financial situation? Master Money Coach, Mikelann Valterra says that feelings of stress and anxiety around money are often due to financial vagueness. How do we get out of the fog? Mikelann identifies 3 core questions we need to ask ourselves at every stage in our lives, but especially when our circumstances change: What can I afford? How much is enough? What would be possible? Clearing the money fog isn’t necessarily about becoming more wealthy - it’s about gaining clarity about what you do ha ..read more

Episode 121: Fit is Freedom with Kelly Howard Staying fit and strong as we navigate the midlife transition can be a challenge. Our default is often to put ourselves last and to take our bodies for granted. In this episode, Jo talks to fitness expert, Kelly Howard and about consistency, and the 5 “consistency killers”: Perfection Not anticipating road blocks Going beyond your tipping point The “all or nothing” mentality Your personal kryptonite Kelly identifies our tendency to wait for external things to change before we are able to make the changes in our lives we need to make and discusse ..read more

Do you feel you’ve lost your “mojo”? Sometimes, slowing down, even taking a prolonged break can be the answer. Small business owner, Sue Chalmers, talks to Jo about setting up and running a business at 50 plus. She then “Completely lost my mojo in 2022 felt overwhelmed, didn’t know who I was or what I wanted and fell out of love with my business and all the noise surrounding it. Mothballed Willow & Hen and spent next 12 months finding me again – now I feel like my old self and raring to go with the next stage of my journey!” Follow Sue on Instagram: www.instagram.com/willowandhenbarn/ A ..read more

How do you talk about growing older? This week I’m talking to author and life coach, Rebecca Ronane about how two major unexpected life events in her mid fifties made her aware of ageism for the first time, and her determination to ignore it! “Since my mid fifties, I've created my own business. I've created two podcasts, I've created two websites, I've created a networking organisation, and now I've written a book.And so if I can do it, anyone can do it.” Rebecca describes that “post 50 freedom feeling” - something she wants everyone to experience. “Forward after 50” by Rebecca Ronane is av ..read more