What if menopause wasn’t something to endure, but something to embrace? After asking my Instagram community about the unexpected gifts of midlife, their answers revealed just how liberating this season can be. From deeper friendships and renewed creativity to freedom from dieting and people-pleasing, their stories echoed a powerful shift, and one rooted in self-awareness, strength, and permission to live more authentically.

These insights inspired my new book, Eat to Thrive During Menopause, which blends intuitive eating with symptom-supportive nutrition. No tracking, no rules, just nourishment. Even though this is the Season 5 finale, this episode invites you to see menopause not as an ending, but as a new beginning.8

Like what you learned? Check out these other episodes!

8 Things I Wish I'd Known About Perimenopause Before My Last Period
Feasting with Gentle Nutrition in Midlife with Rachael Hartley, RD
Dear Diet Culture Diary: What the 80s Taught Us About Food
You Are More Than What You Eat with Dr. Emma Beckett, PhD

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause will be out on October 21st, 2025. Pre-order your copy today and help get the word out!

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

In this story session, April MacKinnon, founder of Anointment Natural Skin Care, opens up about nearly a decade of navigating perimenopause. From the early waves of anxiety and disrupted sleep to the surprising strength she found through resistance training, she shares her very relatable experience.

You'll learn:

• How anxiety showed up early in perimenopause and how April found ways to manage it
• Why resistance training helped more than other methods
• What it means to reconnect with your body through skincare, rituals, and rest
• How friendships and parenting shift in midlife—and why boundaries matter more than ever
• Why honoring the transitions of midlife means letting go of outdated identities
• How skincare can be less about appearance and more about self-care.
  
  

Connect with April

🏷 Save 20% on Anointment products with the code FEAST20

The Website: anointment.ca
Magnesium Products: nourishedmagnesium.com
Instagram: @anointment

Like what you learned? Check out these other episodes!

Rest to Reset: Redefining Rest and Self-Care
How to Stop the Burnout Train in Midlife with Dr. Leigha Saunders, ND
Why You Need to Put Capacity, Self-Compassion, & Self-Care on the Menu
How to Appreciate Your Changing Menopause Body with Dr. Charlotte Ord

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause will be out on October 21st, 2025. Pre-order your copy today and help get the word out!

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

Have you ever hesitated to open up with other women because you feared judgment, competition, or being labeled as “too much”? If this hits home, I’ve got good news: you are not the problem.

In this episode, author and comedian Tova Leigh shares stories from her new book Good Girls Gossip and explains why reclaiming gossip, as deep, truth-sharing connection among women, is revolutionary. We talk about letting go of the “good girl” roles we’ve outgrown and what it means to live more authentically in midlife.

Tova introduces her powerful “and also” mindset, which allows space to be both messy and wise, uncomfortable and growing. It’s a simple shift that invites freedom from perfection and black-and-white thinking.

This is a conversation about real talk, shared wisdom, and the beauty of being witnessed by women who see you as you really are.

Connect with Tova

Good Girls Gossip is available now!
Instagram: @tova_leigh
Website: www.tovaleigh.com

Like what you learned? Check out these other episodes!

Unfiltered Motherhood in Midlife with Tova Leigh
We Need to Stop Pretending We Don't Have Time for Self-Care with Heather Chauvin
Why You Need to Put Capacity, Self-Compassion, & Self-Care on the Menu

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause will be out on October 21st, 2025. Pre-order your copy today and help get the word out!

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links