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A friend's Marco Polo message sparked this whole episode — "Amy, I'm sore all the time and I don't understand why." Sound familiar? Today we're diving into what chronic soreness actually means, why it's not a sign you're doing something wrong, and the simple levers you can start pulling right now to feel better between your workouts.

In this episode we chat about:

• What DOMS is and why some soreness is completely normal (and expected)
• The difference between typical post-workout soreness and the chronic kind your body is flagging
• 7 super simple tips to help you feel better
• The bigger-picture stuff (like how perimenopause/menopause genuinely changes your recovery timeline)
• Why the goal isn't to overhaul everything — just to start somewhere

Reminder: We're talking about muscle soreness today, not sharp pain, joint pain, or anything that feels like injury. If that's you — please go see someone for help.

Episodes Discussed

Sleep: Simple ways to increase your sleep quality 😴 and quantity 🛌 with holistic sleep coach Morgan Adams

Sleep: 3am Insomnia: When Hormones Hijack Your Sleep in Midlife with Kathleen Saucier

Magnesium: Muscle cramps, fatigue, headaches and stressed? This natural mineral may help.

Rest and Recovery: "No days off" no more! Why recovery days are imperative.

Active Recovery: From RICE to PEACE & LOVE: Your Fastest Path to Recovery

Lifting Heavy: How to Lift Heavier Without Heavier Weights

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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Creatine is everywhere right now—but is it safe? Is it only for bodybuilders? And does it actually benefit women in midlife?

In this episode, we take a clear, research-backed look at creatine—what it is, how it works in the body, and why it’s gaining attention for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. From muscle strength to brain health, we unpack the facts, clear up common myths, and talk about how to decide if creatine is right for you.

If you’ve been curious about supplements but feel overwhelmed by the noise in the wellness world, this episode will help you understand creatine in a practical, grounded way.

• What creatine is and how your body naturally produces it
• The difference between creatine and steroids
• Natural food sources of creatine
• Why creatine is one of the most researched supplements available
• The two major benefits of creatine
• Why creatine is gaining attention for women in perimenopause and menopause
• Common misconceptions about creatine
• Possible side effects and who should use caution
• Recommended dosage and how to take creatine
• How to choose a high-quality creatine supplement

Sources

• Dr. Stacy Sims — Creatine Guide for Active Women / Creatine FAQs (drstacysims.com)
• Dr. Stacy Sims — Ep. 406, Everyday Wellness Podcast (cynthiathurlow.com)
• Dr. Stacy Sims — quoted in Momentous (livemomentous.com)
• Dr. Layne Norton — Episodes 7, 13, and 22, Dr. Layne Norton Podcast (biolayne.com)
• Dr. Layne Norton — The Many Benefits of Creatine (biolayne.com)

Episode Links

10 Simple Essentials for Aging with Grace and Strength

What Does Lifting Heavy Mean?

Research Used

• Dr. Stacy Sims — Creatine Guide for Active Women / Creatine FAQs (drstacysims.com)
• Dr. Stacy Sims — Ep. 406, Everyday Wellness Podcast (cynthiathurlow.com)
• Dr. Stacy Sims — quoted in Momentous (livemomentous.com)
• Dr. Layne Norton — Episodes 7, 13, and 22, Dr. Layne Norton Podcast (biolayne.com)
• Dr. Layne Norton — The Many Benefits of Creatine (biolayne.com)

Stacy Sims: https://www.drstacysims.com/

Layne Norton: https://biolayne.com/

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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If you've ever stared at the ceiling at 3 AM wondering why your brain won't shut off, this episode is for you. Therapist and sleep specialist Kathleen Saucier joins the Graced Health Podcast to break down CBTI — the evidence-based method that outperforms sleep medication and is recommended as a frontline treatment even for sleep apnea. From why lying in bed too long is actually making things worse, to the simple cognitive shift that can rewire how your brain approaches sleep, Kathleen makes the science approachable and the solutions actionable. If you've accepted poor sleep as just part of life — especially through the hormonal changes of midlife — this conversation might change everything.

Kathleen is a licensed therapist with over 30 years of experience in community mental health, trauma, domestic violence, military and first responder support, and substance use treatment. She is also trained in equine-assisted therapy and CBTI, and completed her CBTI certification at the University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Perlis, one of the leading experts in the field. Kathleen currently practices via MD Live and Amwell and is licensed in Connecticut, Florida, Washington, and Oregon.

Main Points Discussed:

• What is CBTI?
• The Three Types of Insomnia
• Stimulus Control
• Sleep Restriction & Sleep Compression
• The "Swiss Cheese Sleep" Problem
• The Cognitive Piece: What Are You Telling Yourself?
• Relaxation Strategies
• Sleep Hygiene
• Hot Flashes & Menopause
• Do You Need a Therapist?

Connect with Kathleen

MD Live

Amwell

Links Mentioned

CBT-i Coach App

Mindfulness Coach App

Insomnia Coach App

Episodes Mentioned

Meditation Myths Busted: A Guide to Everyday Mindfulness with Ann Swanson

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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"It's too late" is the biggest lie we tell ourselves after 60. Allison McCune Davis is here to bust that myth wide open.

After 14 years in the natural health space and raising her family, Allison turned 60 and felt a familiar restlessness — the kind that signals a new chapter. That spark led her to write 60 Is a Good Start: A Powerful Body, a Purposeful Life, and a Plan to Make It Happen, a book that challenges the idea that 60 is "the gateway to old age" and reframes it as one of the most opportunity-rich seasons of a woman's life.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Allison shares how turning 60 triggered a season of deep introspection
• The biggest myth about life after 60
• The self-perpetuating circle of purpose: Body Work, Brain Work & World Work (Allison's framework is rooted in longevity research)
• The 60-Day Dare
• The power of rebuilding relationships and community

Get Allison’s book, 60 is a Good Start

Connect with Allison

https://allisonmccunedavis.com

Instagram: @allison.mccune.davis

Facebook: Allison McCune Davis

YouTube

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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Please tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to. You make a plan — a good one. And then life shows up, and the plan is gone.

Whether it's an injury, grief, travel, or just a random Thursday that derailed everything — life will interrupt your plan. The question isn't whether it will happen. It's what you'll do when it does.

In this episode, I'm sharing a concept I call the Alternative Minimum Yes — and yes, the acronym spells AMY. It's the smallest, most doable version of movement or care that keeps you connected to yourself when your original plan isn't possible. Not pushing through. Not white-knuckling it. Just staying in relationship with your body instead of abandoning it — even when the yes looks different than you planned.

Main Points Covered:

• Why consistency is about never fully stopping — not never missing
• The difference between alternative and lesser
• Why your AMY can be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual
• How to identify your Alternative Minimum Yes before the crisis hits
• Why rest absolutely counts as a yes
• The all-or-nothing cycle — and how to break it

Episodes Discussed

Changing Movement: Honest Conversations from Two Fitness Pros with Kerry Ann Madden​

​Try This Snack for Better Health​

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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What if the key to better health wasn't more supplements, more tracking, or more optimization — but simply learning to listen? In this episode, Dr. Brook Sheehan, chiropractor, host of Your Body Speaks, and creator of the Body OS, joins us for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it really means to honor your body — especially in midlife.

Dr. Brook shares her personal journey from growing up in a heavily medicalized household, to becoming obsessed with wellness culture, to finally finding a faith-grounded, grace-filled middle ground. Her core message: your body is a masterpiece designed by God, and it's already speaking to you — you just need to learn how to hear it.

Main Points Covered:

• Why our bodies are not machines to be hacked.
• The danger of wellness obsession.
• How to actually listen to your body.
• Why building a relationship with your body takes consistency, not perfection.
• The "this or that" practice.
• Discerning signal from noise.
• What the Talk to Me Body Card Deck is

Links Discussed

Body System Decoder

Body Affirmation Cards

Episode Links

The Crucial Pre-Workout Question

Connect with Dr Brook

www.drbrooksheehan.com

Instagram: @drbrooksheehan

YouTube: www.youtube.com/drbrooksheehan

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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Today we welcome back master NASM trainer and menopause specialist Kerry Ann Madden for a candid, unscripted conversation about how both our movement and exercise habits have genuinely shifted over the past ten years — no Instagram highlight reel, just the real story.

Main Points Covered:

1. Losing Speed & Power Without Realizing It

2. The Fitness Community Factor

3. The Morning On-Ramp

4. Exercising for Your Future Self

5. Motivation Is Hard — Even for Fitness Professionals

6. Caregiving & Movement

7. Lifting Heavier — But Smarter

Links Discussed

Self-Paced Course - use code GRACED25 for $25 off

Guided Cohort (Held each year in January, April, and September) - use code GRACED49 for $49 off

Episodes Discussed

Mastering Your Mindset as You Navigate Menopause (first episode with Kerry Ann)

How to Protect Your Vulnerable Areas with Strength Training

Connect with Kerry Ann:

https://www.kamfitnessandnutrition.com/

Instagram: @kerryannmadden

Facebook: Kerry Ann Madden

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell

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500 episodes. 150 guests. And a month away I didn't plan for.

Welcome back to the Graced Health Podcast — and welcome to a milestone I've been thinking about for a long time.

This episode looks a little different than I originally envisioned for episode 500.

I already knew "uncomfortable lessons" was an unusual theme for a milestone episode. I had no idea just how fitting it would become.

If you know me, you know I lean toward encouragement. So sitting with "uncomfortable" took some intention. But God knew what he was doing with this one.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Podcast stats — the real numbers, held loosely and shared honestly
• Which countries and cities are consistently showing up (shoutout to some of you!)
• Where the Graced Health Podcast lands globally (top 2% — I'll take it)
• Five uncomfortable lessons about health, habits, rest, and staying in your lane
• A deeply personal fifth lesson that arrived on February 6 — the day I finished prepping this episode

Whether this is your first episode or your 500th, I'm glad you're here.

My latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter

30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)

Connect with Amy:
GracedHealth.com
Instagram: @GracedHealth
YouTube: @AmyConnell