Stronger Bolder Wiser

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1. Dr. Stacy Sims: The Science of Changing How Women Should Eat & Exercise After 40

   2 november 2026 · 1 uur 35 min

   Afspelen
   Doing everything right but still exhausted, waking at 3 am and gaining weight after 40? Dr. Stacy Sims explains what is really going on. Lees meer

   In this episode, I sit down with someone whose work has changed how I fuel, train, and protect my body for the decades ahead: the incredible Dr Stacy Sims. I asked the questions my community sent in, and Stacy went deeper than ever on why so many midlife women feel like they’re failing when their bodies simply need something different.

   We talk about why skipping breakfast can throw out your circadian rhythm and wreck your sleep, why alcohol hits a woman’s sleep harder than a man’s, and why your wearable might be telling you the wrong story. Stacy also shares exactly how she’d structure a training week for a woman in her 40s or 50s, why marathon and zone 2 training can add belly fat, how much protein we really need after 40, and why so many of us are under eating without realising it.

   Key Takeaways:

   -Why a small amount of food soon after waking can help steady your energy, cravings and sleep-How strength training supports your brain, bones, muscle and gut as you age-Why under fuelling can stall muscle gain and affect your metabolic health in perimenopause-How to read your wearable data as a woman, and why trends matter more than daily scores

   About the Guest:Dr Stacy Sims, PhD, is an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who has spent her career researching female physiology, and she is the author of ROAR and Next Level. Her work challenges the idea that women should train and eat like small men. She has worked on the Women’s Health Initiative at Stanford and is now building Collective X, a platform that brings vetted female health research into wearables and AI.

   Website: https://www.drstacysims.comCollective X: https://collectivex.healthInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims

   Timestamps

   Introduction (00:00)

   Why You’re Exhausted and Waking at 3 am (01:07)

   How to Sleep Better in Perimenopause (14:12)

   Why A…

2. How to Stop Fearing Ageing and Start Embracing Your Best Years Yet

   26 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 6 min

   Afspelen
   Most of us were handed three stages of womanhood and then silence. There is a fourth one, and midlife sits right in the middle of it. Lees meer

   In this episode I sit down with Ali Knight to talk about the four stages of womanhood, and the one most of us have never been told about: Maga, the years between motherhood and elderhood. Ali explains why this stage can feel like losing yourself when it is actually a return to yourself, why midlife anger is valid rather than just hormonal, and why we are not a problem that needs fixing. This conversation changed how I feel about aging, and I think it will do the same for you.

   Key Takeaways

   -Anger in midlife is information, not a symptom to be managed. It usually points at injustice, and putting everything down to hormones lets everyone else off the hook.

   -Two opposite things can be true at the same time. You can grieve a version of your life and feel excited about the next one without having to choose between them.

   -Resentment is the signal that a boundary has been crossed, and usually crossed a long way back.

   -Ali’s daily practice: ask what is happening in my head, what is happening in my heart, what is happening in my body. Three answers give you something to act on.

   Timestamp:

   The Four Stages Of Womanhood Explained (00:00)

   Motherhood Burnout And Lost Boundaries (07:00)

   What Is The Maga Phase (08:55)

   When Alcohol Stops Working In Midlife (18:32)

   Midlife Is Not A Decline (26:29)

   Why Am I Angry In Midlife (39:20)

   Perimenopause Is Not A Problem (53:38)

   How To Navigate Midlife Change (58:11)

   Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit?

   Join Thrive after 40, starting 9th November. Learn the protein and nutrition requirements your body needs in perimenopause and post menopause, and how to build a plate that keeps you full for hours.

   Grab your place → https://bit.ly/4hxbWHA

   Ali Knight is a coach and facilitator who works with women through the natural phases of womanhood, drawing on the work o…

3. Eating Less Isn’t the Answer: What Women Over 40 Need to Know About Weight Loss

   19 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 18 min

   Afspelen
   Eating less is the fastest way to gain fat around the middle in perimenopause. Ange Clark explains what to add before you take anything away. Lees meer

   In this episode I sit down with Angelique Clark, advanced sports dietitian and exercise physiologist, to answer the questions you have been sending me about weight gain in perimenopause. Ange explains why declining estrogen shifts fat to our middle, how much protein we actually need, and what a day of eating looks like for muscle, gut health and steady energy. We also bust the biggest midlife weight loss myths and cover her first three steps for a busy woman who feels stuck.

   Key Topics Covered

   - Ask what you need to add before you remove anything. More protein, more fibre and more resistance training do more than another calorie cut.

   - Ask what you need to add before you remove anything. More protein, more fibre and more resistance training do more than another calorie cut.

   -Four ingredients or less is a quick supermarket test. A protein label on an ultra processed food does not make it a protein food.

   -Stress and sleep come before another diet. White space in the calendar, breathwork and screens off in the evening often shift more than food changes do.

   Timestamps Why Eating Less Backfires In Perimenopause (00:00)

   Insulin Resistance And Why Cutting Carbs Backfires (09:24)

   Protein Labels, Bread And The 4 Ingredient Rule (19:01 )

   Gut Health, Fibre And Belly Fat (25:53)

   How Much Protein Women Need And DEXA Scans (35:21)

   Plant Protein And A Perimenopause Day Of Eating (45:34)

   Intermittent Fasting In Midlife (53:30)

   Myths: Lifting Heavy, Cardio, Abs And Protein (59:23)

   3 First Steps For A Busy Woman Who Feels Stuck (1:06:20)

   Body Dissatisfaction And A Digital Detox (1:12:21)

   Join Thrive after 40, starting 9th November. Learn the protein and nutrition requirements your body needs in perimenopause and post menopause, and how to build a plate that keeps you full for hours.

   Grab your place → https://bit.ly/4hxbWHA

   A…

4. Why You Crave Wine Every Evening: The Stress Loop Behind the Habit | Sarah Rusbatch

   16 oktober 2026 · 7 min

   Afspelen
   Why does that evening glass feel so hard to give up? Lees meer

   I explore the stress and nervous system patterns behind drinking to switch off, and share practical ways to start changing the habit.

   For 29 years, alcohol was my way to unwind. Then, in my 40s, I found myself waking at 3 a.m., feeling anxious and watching my life get smaller. In this solo episode, I share why I look beyond the evening glass when helping women change their relationship with alcohol. We cover the build-up of daily stress, how drinking becomes linked with relief, and why I start with what happens in the morning. From phone-free time and a protein-rich breakfast to calming breaks and alternative evening rituals, this is about understanding what you need from that drink and finding other ways to meet that need.

   Key Topics Covered:

   - Why your evening wine can feel like the only way to switch off.

   - How daily stress can build from the moment you wake up.

   - The connection between your nervous system, stress and alcohol cravings.

   - Building a personal list of ways to unwind without alcohol.

   Timestamps

   My Experience With Grey Area Drinking (00:00)

   Why You Crave Wine in the Evening (02:05)

   Changing Your Evening Habit Starts in the Morning (03:00)

   Taking Calming Breaks Throughout the Day (03:45)

   Finding Other Ways to Unwind Without Alcohol (05:20)

   Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia’s leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle.If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you haven’t already, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help more women find this community.

   Explore Reset, my app designed by women, for women, to help you change your drinking habit…

5. Can You Build Muscle After 40 Without Heavy Weights? | Ashley Selman

   12 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 1 min

   Afspelen
   Lift heavy or lose the fight against aging is the default advice for midlife women, and it leaves too many of them injured or on the sidelines. There is another way to build muscle, and it takes 20 minutes and light dumbbells. Lees meer

   In this episode I sit down with Ashley Selman, a strength coach of more than 30 years and the founder of Seli Strength, to talk about blood flow restriction training. Ashley explains why heavy lifting gets harder as our estrogen declines, and how light weights with BFR bands build muscle in 15 to 20 minutes. We cover the results of her six month study with midlife women, and exactly what week one looks like if you have not been in a gym for years.

   Key Takeaways

   -Professional cuffs are an investment at around 500 dollars, though they come with a 30 day money back guarantee. Wrapping straps or belts around your limbs is not the same thing and is not safe.

   - A 2025 meta-analysis of adults over 50 found BFR matched heavy lifting for bone mineral density. Adding gentle impact work builds the bone architecture that density alone does not cover.

   -You do not need to understand the science to do this. You need to learn what your burn feels like and what band pressure gets you there.

   - Consistency beats intensity. The women in the study trained two more days a week than before, simply because the workouts were short and did not leave them in pain.

   Timestamps

   Why Lift Heavy Advice Fails Midlife Women (00:00)

   What Is BFR Training And Is It Safe (06:30)

   How Light Weights Hit Type 2 Fibres (11:57)

   Fast Results And Why BFR Is Not Mainstream (15:17)

   What A Full BFR Week Looks Like (23:06)

   4.5 Inches Off Her Waist In 6 Months (33:07)

   Bone Density Results And Your First Week (37:36)

   How To Mix BFR With Heavy Lifting (46:23)

   Band Cost And The 30 Day Guarantee (50:06)

   Free Workout Plan And Why 6 Minutes Works (55:05)

   Join Thrive after 40, starting 9th November. Learn the protein and nutrition requirements your body needs in perimenopause and po…

6. The First 30 Days Without Wine: What Nobody Warns You About

   9 oktober 2026 · 6 min

   Afspelen
   Taking 30 days off alcohol in midlife rarely feels the way social media promises. Boredom, flatness and broken sleep often come first, and none of it means you're doing it wrong.In this video I share the five most unexpected things women discover in their first 30 days without wine, from the 5 to 7pm boredom to the friend who suddenly goes quiet. I explain why your brain can feel flat once alcohol stops lighting up your dopamine reward centre, and why sedation is not the same as restorative sleep. Most importantly, I explain why all of it settles.Key Topics Covered- Why boredom hits hardest between 5 and 7pm when you stop drinking, and why taking alcohol out means adding something in, like an evening walk, a class or a hobby.- Feeling flat after quitting alcohol: how years of drinking dysregulate your dopamine receptors, and why it evens out with time.- What to do when friends get weird about you not drinking, and why talking to your closest friends first helps.- Why sleep without alcohol can get worse before it gets better, and how to ride the emotional rollercoaster of the early weeks.Timestamps What Happens When You Stop Drinking For 30 Days (00:00) Thing 1: Boredom Between 5 And 7pm (00:40) Thing 2: Feeling Flat After You Stop Drinking (02:01) Thing 3: When Friends Get Weird About You Not Drinking (02:44) Thing 4: Why Sleep Gets Worse Before It Gets Better (03:37) Thing 5: Feeling Emotional Over Nothing (04:40) Free Support To Change Your Drinking (05:20)Also Watch My Previous Episodes:- Seven Signs You Are a Grey Area Drinker- Six Reasons Successful Women Are Quietly Quitting Alcohol- Three Reasons Women Cannot Metabolise Alcohol as Effectively as Men***Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit?Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw***Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbe… Lees meer

7. Should I Stay or Should I Go? How to Know If Your Marriage Is Really Over with Betsy Pake

   5 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 10 min

   Afspelen
   Nobody walks into a marriage planning to leave it, yet so many midlife women are quietly asking whether to stay or go. Your body often knows the answer first. Lees meer

   In this episode I sit down with Betsy Pake, certified master coach and founder of The Navigate Method, to unpack the question so many midlife women are asking: should I stay or should I go? We talk about why women are choosing peace over partnership, the purgatory of indecision, and how an unhappy marriage so often sits underneath a woman's drinking. Betsy shares her Mirror, Mend or Move method and how to tell a hard season from a marriage that is not coming back. This conversation won't tell you whether to stay or leave, but it will give you the clarity to decide for yourself.

   Key Takeaways

   -If he only wants to work on the marriage once you are ready to leave, look at why. It is often because he doesn't want his own life to change, not because of your unhappiness.

   -Find a witness. Saying out loud how bad things really helps you see what is real when your brain has been minimizing it for years.

   -Surrender sounds like "I don't know what I'm going to do, but it's not this." From there, ask what would need to change for you to feel whole again.

   -The women who rebuild best after divorce own it: this isn't what I wanted, but it's what I have, and it's the best thing for me.

   Timestamps

   Why Women Initiate Most Divorces After 55 (00:00)

   The Purgatory Of Indecision In Your Marriage (03:49)

   Doing It All And Still Not Feeling Seen (06:25)

   Is Your Marriage The Reason You Drink? (10:07)

   How Women Shrink To Save A Marriage (13:04)

   He's A Good Man, So Why Am I Unhappy? (25:23)

   How To Know If Your Marriage Is Over (27:10)

   Can A Roommate Marriage Be Saved? (29:50)

   Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does (32:15)

   Breaking Free From Good Wife Shame (38:08)

   Mirror, Mend Or Move: The 3 Door Method (43:25)

   Should I Leave? You Already Know The Answer (49:51)

   Can You Trust Divorce Decisions In Perimenopause? (53:53…

8. 6 Reasons Why Successful Women Are Quietly Quitting Alcohol After 40 | Sarah Rusbatch

   1 oktober 2026 · 9 min

   Afspelen
   Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit? Lees meer

   Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.

   Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw

   The women quitting alcohol are not at rock bottom and they do not call themselves alcoholics. They are running businesses and raising teenagers, and they have simply reached the point where drinking no longer works for them.

   In this episode I share the six reasons successful women are quietly quitting alcohol, and what they get back when they do. I explain the tipping point most of us reach in midlife, the research on sleep, cortisol and next day anxiety, and what our drinking quietly models to our daughters. I also talk about the hours we reclaim and the cognitive edge that shows up once alcohol is out of the equation.

   Key Takeaways

   -Alcohol cuts sleep quality by up to 40 percent, even on one or two drinks.

   -Hangover anxiety is real, caused by a cortisol spike once the alcohol wears off.

   -Mothers drinking more than 14 units a week raise their daughters' risk of alcohol use disorder.

   -Women who quit alcohol in midlife report clearer skin, sharper focus and their evenings back.

   Timestamps:

   Why Successful Women Are Quitting Alcohol (00:00)

   The Drinking Tipping Point In Midlife (00:58)

   Why Alcohol Stops Working After 40 (02:12)

   Reason One: Alcohol And Sleep Quality (02:58)

   How Alcohol Destroys REM Sleep (03:43)

   Reason Two: Hangover Anxiety And Cortisol (05:05)

   Reason Three: Skin, Collagen And Glow (05:45)

   Reason Four: What Your Daughters Learn (06:20)

   Reason Five: Reclaiming Your Evenings (07:12)

   Reason Six: Focus, Clarity And Confidence (07:56)

   Also Watch My Previous Episodes:

   - Seven Signs You Are a Grey Area Drinker:

   https://youtu.be/Q7i68xjrKVo

   - Three Reasons Women Cannot Metabolize Alcohol as Effectively as Men:

   https://youtu.be/6JuvFGhth7U

   ***

   Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited H…

9. What Women Need to Know About Perimenopause, Hormones & Birth Control | Lara Briden

   28 september 2026 · 1 uur 8 min

   Afspelen
   Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit? Lees meer

   Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.

   Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw

   Perimenopause is not a medical condition and you are not broken. Dr Lara Briden explains what is really happening to your hormones after 40, and why alcohol makes all of it harder.

   In this episode I sit down with Dr Lara Briden, naturopathic doctor and author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual and Metabolism Repair for Women. Lara reframes perimenopause as a second puberty and pushes back on the fear-based messaging filling our feeds. We cover alcohol as the bigger hidden hormone disruptor, the iron deficiency being mislabelled as brain fog, what the pill really does to a teenage cycle, and why insulin resistance locks women out of their own energy stores. This is the kind of knowledge that lets you walk into your doctor's office and advocate for yourself.

   Key Topics Covered

   - Why periods go chaotic after 40, and what ovulation winding down really looks like.

   - Perimenopause as second puberty, not a medical condition, with many symptoms temporary.

   - The iron deficiency hiding behind brain fog, and why heavy bleeding needs full iron studies.

   - Alcohol as the bigger hormone disruptor, raising estrogen and steepening the drops.

   - What the pill does to a teenage cycle, and the twelve years it takes to mature ovulation.

   - Hormonal IUDs and heavy periods, the real wins, the androgen side effects, and keeping your uterus.

   - The rethink around endometriosis, and why experts want to stop cutting young women open.

   Timestamps

   Dr Lara Briden On Chaotic Perimenopause Periods (00:00)

   Second Puberty, Low Iron And Brain Fog (04:37)

   Estrogen Swings, Alcohol And Fear Marketing (12:00)

   What The Pill Does To Teen Cycles (20:32)

   Pill Bleeds, Hormonal IUDs And Real Periods (25:29)

   Should You Get En…

10. Why Alcohol Hits Women Harder After 40 + 3 Ways to Drink Less

    24 september 2026 · 10 min

    Afspelen
    Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit? Lees meer

    Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.

    Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw

    If you cannot bounce back from two glasses of wine the way you did in your twenties, you are not imagining it. There are three biological reasons women process alcohol less effectively than men, and all three get stronger as we age.

    In this solo episode I walk you through the three reasons women cannot metabolise alcohol as effectively as men. I cover the body composition difference, the enzyme we produce less of than men and less again as we age, and the hormonal piece almost no one talks about. I also share what I learnt in my menopause coach training about shrinking liver volume in midlife, and the health risks that arrive faster for women. Then I give you the three tips I use with the twelve thousand women I have supported through my alcohol reset challenges. I was a grey area drinker for twenty-nine years, so none of this comes from a place of judgement.

    Key Topics Covered

    -Less water and more body fat, and why a man dilutes the very same drink far more effectively than you do.

    - The enzyme that clears alcohol, and why men produce more of it than women do from the start.

    - Why aging stacks the odds, as we make less of that enzyme every decade that passes.

    - The harms that arrive faster for women, from liver disease and stroke to addiction and breast cancer.

    - Oestrogen and where you are in your cycle, and why two glasses can feel like nothing one week and floor you the next.

    - The shrinking midlife liver, and what that means for the organ doing most of the work.

    - Adding something in when you take alcohol out, because a break with no plan for stress and fun rarely holds.

    - Awareness first, then thirty days of data, tracking sleep, mood, energy and anxiety so the decision is yours.

    ***

    Sa…

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