The Midlife Feast

This is the 200th episode and the season finale, and I'm closing out the season by defending the most controversial breakfast on the internet: oatmeal.
I'm only half joking. Yes, I answer all of your oatmeal questions in this episode. Steel cut versus rolled, how to add protein, cooked versus overnight, and whether it deserves its reputation as a heart-healthy food. But the real conversation is about something bigger. If a humble bowl of oatmeal can make us anxious, then we have some food noise to untangle.
I share why so many of us are overcomplicating food and what information overload does to our confidence. My hope is that you finish this one feeling calmer, more confident, and ready to spend less time thinking about food and more time living your life.
Grab my 5 easy Build-A-Bowl Oatmeal recipes
Related episodes you'll love:
#105 Dear Diet Culture Diary: What the 80s Taught Us About Food: https://themidlifefeast.buzzsprout.com/1851576/episodes/14680165-105-dear-diet-culture-diary-what-the-80s-taught-us-about-food
#147 How to Stop the Cycle of "Starting Over" Every Monday: https://themidlifefeast.buzzsprout.com/1851576/episodes/16816700-147-how-to-stop-the-cycle-of-starting-over-every-monday
#199 Why you Don't Trust Yourself Around Food with Fiona Sutherland: https://themidlifefeast.buzzsprout.com/1851576/episodes/19377509
What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!
➡️ JULY FREE CHALLENGE - How to Stop Overthinking Food. Save your free spot at https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/challenge
📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.
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

Whenever I talk about intuitive eating, women tell me the same thing: "I love the idea, but I don't trust myself around food." And when I talk to dietitians who help people shift from a weight-centric to weight-neutral or inclusive practice, they find it hard to communicate the idea of self-trust. If you can relate to either of these,  this conversation is exactly what you need!
This week I'm joined by Fiona Sutherland, an accredited practicing dietitian, author, and mentor from Melbourne, and one of the most thoughtful  and experienced voices in the world of nutrition. Together we explore why self-trust feels so hard in midlife, especially when your body, hunger, and energy seem to be changing overnight.
Fiona and I unpack how years of dieting can chip away at your confidence, why outsourcing your food decisions to a plan feels safer (and what it costs you), and what gently rebuilding trust actually looks like, starting with curiosity instead of control. We also talk about why reaching for support is a sign of courage, and the surprising ingredient Fiona believes most of us are missing in midlife.
If you've ever wondered whether you can trust yourself again, I think you'll leave this one feeling a little more hopeful. Listen now.
Connect with Fiona: Website: https://www.themindfuldietitian.com.au/ Instagram: @the.mindfuldietitian
If this episode resonated with you, come join us inside The Midlife Feast Community. It's where women in midlife come for evidence-based menopause nutrition, intuitive eating support, live coaching, and a community that understands what this season of life is really like. I'd love to welcome you there.
Learn more: The Midlife Feast Community: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/themidlifefeastcommunity
Related Episodes:
#197 Menopause and Body Image: How to Accept Your Changing Body with Alli Spotts-De-Lazzer, LMFT, CEDS-C
#147 How to Stop the Cycle of "Starting Over" Every Monday 
#154 How to Appreciate Your Changing Menopause Body with Dr. Charlotte Ord 
What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!
➡️ JULY FREE CHALLENGE - How to Stop Overthinking Food. Save your free spot at https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/challenge
📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.
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

Is it perimenopause, or are you just finally fed up with the world? Honestly, it might be both.
In this listener Q&A, I'm answering the questions so many of you have been sending me, and they're the kind that probably sound familiar. We start with mood, because so many of us feel more irritable, less patient, and a lot less willing to tolerate things we used to put up with. I'll walk you through what's happening with your hormones and neurotransmitters, and why your reasons for feeling done are still valid even when biology is part of the picture.
From there, I tackle the big one: the belief that decades of dieting have "broken" your metabolism. I talk about what's really driving the lose-it-gain-it cycle, why intermittent fasting leaves so many women feeling awful, and the food guilt that shows up over something as ordinary as two slices of bread.
I also answer a question that pulled at my heart, from a parent who overheard their daughter say she needed to "walk off" her dessert. If you've ever heard your own voice come out of someone you love, this one is for you.
If any of this lands, I'd love to keep the conversation going. You'll find a link in the show notes to send me your questions for the next Q&A, and if you're ready for support:
Book a call
Become a Feaster 
Send me your question for a future Q&A episode! 
Related episodes you'll love:
#132: Why You Need to Put Capacity, Self-Compassion & Self-Care on the Menu
#147: Why You Keep Starting Over Every Monday
#136: Health vs. Weight: Debunking the Biggest Wellness Myth with Val Schonberg, RD
What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!
➡️ JULY FREE CHALLENGE - How to Stop Overthinking Food. Save your free spot at https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/challenge
📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.
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

What is acceptance is the requirement for growht? What would life look like if you just stopped trying to fix yourself? 
That's the question at the heart of this conversation with returning guest Alli Spotts-De Lazzer, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist who has spent nearly 20 years working with people around eating, body image, and the experience of living in a body.
We dig into why self-esteem is a shaky foundation in midlife, when opinions of ourselves rise and fall with every hormonal shift and identity change. Alli's working definition of self-acceptance cuts deeper: choosing to stay with yourself even when shame, judgment, ego, or fear try to pull you away. It's knowing yourself, plus self-compassion, plus the willingness to face reality.
The biggest misunderstanding we tackle: acceptance is not resignation. Resignation says "it is what it is, there's nothing I can do." Acceptance says "it is what it is. What's next?" One keeps you stuck. The other creates the conditions for growth.
We also do a live, unscripted experiment using my own belly and body image history, which turned into one of the most unexpectedly moving moments I've had on this podcast. 
Alli also shares news about her new book, My Child Has an Eating Disorder: An Essential Guide for Parents of Kids, Teens, and Adults (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026).
Connect with Alli: Website: allispottsdelazzer.com Instagram: @allispottsdelazzer
Related episodes:
#57 - Story Session: What this therapist wants you to know about making midlife meaningFULL with Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
#141 - Trusting Your Body: Finding Peace Through Grief with Nina Manolson
#92 - From Body Grief to Body Acceptance: The Way Forward with Amanda Mittman, RD 
#109 - The Body Acceptance Mistake That's Keeping You Stuck in the Suck 
What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!
➡️ JULY FREE CHALLENGE - How to Stop Overthinking Food. Save your free spot at https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/challenge
📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.
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

I sat down with Cadence Dubus, founder of Brooklyn Strength, host of the Busybody Podcast, and we talked about why midlife movement gets so complicated when you’ve been trained to chase fitness rules, perfect routines, and a specific body. We unpack how to rebuild trust so movement supports real life, not a pass-fail scoreboard.
Why the "one size fits all" fitness world was never designed for bodies that cycle, fluctuate, and change (like ours)
How metrics like step counts and Apple Watch data may be creating noise instead of information
The difference between being a baker (give me a formula!) and a cook (I'll figure it out), and why both are valid starting points
What it actually looks like to work with someone on movement from a somatic, body-centered approach
How to know if you're doing "enough," and why your body's cravings are more reliable than any tracker
Why joy and play might be the most underrated missing ingredients in midlife fitness culture
About Cadence Dubus: Cadence Dubus is the founder of Brooklyn Strength, a 16-year-old fitness and wellness company offering movement coaching and courses virtually and in person. She is also the host of the Busybody Podcast. Cadence's work is rooted in somatic movement, body autonomy, and helping people find sustainable fitness practices that fit their actual lives. Find her on Instagram at @brooklynstrength and at www.brooklynstrength.com
Related episodes you'll love:
How to Un-Diet Your Relationship with Movement in Midlife with Christine Chessman
New Moves in Menopause with Dr. Maria Luque 
What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!
➡️ JULY FREE CHALLENGE - How to Stop Overthinking Food. Save your free spot at https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/challenge
📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.
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