Midlife Glow Up: Simplifying Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Women over 40

Joan Dandeneau - Midlife Health & Wellness Coach
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Fitness

Are you ready to glow up in midlife? You’ve spent years putting everyone else first, but now it’s your turn - and you deserve to feel strong, energized, and confident in this next chapter. I’m Joan Dandeneau, your Midlife Health & Wellness Coach. I help women over 40 simplify fitness and nutrition so you can build habits that actually stick - without the guilt, confusion, or overwhelm. If you’ve ever asked yourself questions like: How do I lose weight in my 40s or 50s without dieting?What workouts are best for women over 40?How can I eat healthy without spending hours in the kitchen?How do I stay consistent when life gets busy?How do I bounce back after “falling off the wagon”?What habits will help me age strong, healthy, and confident? Then this show is for you. Each Thursday, tune in for simple, practical, and encouraging episodes that help you feel good now while building the foundation for your future strong self.

  1. 3d ago

    40. You Can't Out-Exercise a Day of Sitting

    You got your workout in this morning… so you’re good for the day, right? Not necessarily. In this episode, Joan explores why prolonged sitting may be quietly undoing some of the hard work you’re putting into your health. She explains why movement throughout the day matters just as much as your scheduled workout and shares a few simple ways to make it happen without overhauling your routine. If you spend most of your day at a desk, in the car, or on the couch, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why sitting is more harmful than most of us realizeThe surprising reason one workout doesn’t tell the whole storyThe two forms of movement every woman over 40 should prioritizeSimple ways to move more throughout your dayRemember: your body doesn’t need perfection. It needs regular movement. And if you know you need to add in strength training and regular movement, but you are not sure where to begin, come try Fit Zone - my online live and on-demand workout membership specifically for women over 40. You can learn more and try a free class by visiting https://www.joandandeneau.com/fitzone Cheers to lifting and walking...NOT sitting all day long.  Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    12 min

  2. Jun 25

    39. Joan's Sleep Non-Negotiables: The Tools That Changed the Game in Midlife

    Sleep isn’t a luxury - it’s one of the most powerful foundations of health, especially during midlife. In this episode, Joan shares her personal experience with severe night sweats during perimenopause and how they became the catalyst for prioritizing her sleep. She explains what happens inside the body during sleep, why getting enough quality sleep is essential for women over 40, and the simple strategies that have made the biggest difference in her own life. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why sleep is foundational to overall health - not something to prioritize only after everything else is doneHow poor sleep impacts the brain, muscle recovery, immune function, and emotional well-beingWhy sleep disturbances become so common during perimenopause and menopauseThe role deep sleep plays in protecting brain health and supporting muscle growthHow sleep deprivation can affect cravings, patience, stress, and recoveryJoan’s favorite sleep tools and habits, including:Eight Sleep cooling mattress coverOura RingContoured sleep maskWhite noise machineDyson Air purifierSide sleeper body pillowsYou don’t need to change everything at once. Even one small improvement to your sleep routine can have a ripple effect on your energy, mood, workouts, recovery, and overall health. Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    17 min

  3. Jun 18

    38. Your Plain-English Guide to Midlife Hormones

    "Sweetie, that's just part of being a woman and getting older." A doctor actually said that to Joan - and it lit a fire in her that motivated her to seek a different path, and to help other women advocate for themselves too. If you're doing everything right and your body still isn't cooperating, here's what you need to know: there is nothing wrong with you. It's hormonal, it's biological, it's chemical. AND it's NOT your fault. You deserve to feel better, and you deserve to be taken seriously. In this episode, Joan breaks down what's actually happening inside your body in midlife - in plain English, no jargon, no overwhelm - so you can stop blaming yourself and start working with your body instead of against it. She walks through the five hormones running the show in this season: EstrogenProgesteroneTestosteroneCortisolInsulin…plus the lifestyle levers you can pull. You have so much control over how you feel, and there's a lot in your power still! Joan is a health and wellness professional, not a physician. This is general education, not medical advice. Coming in July: her very first guest interview - a female menopause clinician and hormone & cardiometabolic specialist for women in midlife. She's going to answer the questions you didn't even know to ask! 👉 Speaking of which, Joan wants YOUR questions! What do you want to know about your hormones, your symptoms, or your next appointment?  DM her on Instagram @joansfitzone or send her an email (joandandeneau@gmail.com), and she'll bring your question into the interview. Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    26 min

  4. Jun 11

    37. The Internal Work Behind Lasting Change

    Most women focus on the external parts of health: the workouts, the meal plans, the habits, and the goals. But lasting change is about more than what you do. It’s also about what you believe about yourself, how you talk to yourself, and whether you trust yourself to follow through when motivation fades. In this episode, Joan explores the deeper internal work that supports lasting transformation. Drawing from her own personal growth journey - from training for a figure competition while raising three young children to years of coaching women through midlife - she walks through the layers of self-development that influence every health goal. Joan unpacks the connection between self-worth, self-awareness, self-compassion, self-trust, self-discipline, confidence, acceptance, and growth. She explains why lasting change starts long before a workout is completed or a meal is prepared, and how the relationship women have with themselves often determines whether their habits become sustainable. This conversation is especially meaningful for women who spend most of their time caring for everyone else and are ready to begin showing themselves the same level of care, attention, and compassion. Cliff Notes: Self-Worth: The belief that you are worthy of care and attentionSelf-Awareness: Seeing yourself clearly without judgmentSelf-Compassion: The voice that supports growthSelf-Criticism: The inner voice that tears you downSelf-Trust: Keeping the promises you make to yourselfSelf-Discipline: Following through consistentlySelf-Care: The daily practice of taking care of yourselfSelf-Confidence: The result of repeated actionSelf-Acceptance: Making peace with where you are todaySelf-Growth: The lifelong process of becomingInterested in working with Joan through personalized fitness and nutrition coaching? Apply for 1:1 Coaching and learn more about creating a sustainable approach to health, fitness, and nutrition designed specifically for women in midlife. Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    23 min

  5. Jun 4

    36. Summer Strategies for Fitness & Nutrition That Actually Work

    Summer isn't a free pass and it's not a guilt trip either. It's a strategic window. In this episode, Joan shares the fitness and nutrition strategies that help women over 40 use this season as a real launchpad for lasting change - starting with the story of Dorry, a teacher who used one summer to transform not just her body, but her entire relationship with her health. Whether your summer opens up wide or gets more chaotic with kids home and routines thrown off, Joan breaks down the mindset shift, the movement habits, and the nutrition fundamentals that make the difference between a summer sprint and a lasting lifestyle.  This episode is your invitation to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building something that survives September - and every season after. Episode 4: The 2x5 Strong MethodEpisode 5: The 4x4 Fist MethodLearn more and apply for 1:1 coachingDM on Joan Instagram: @JoansFitZoneThe goal is never just a summer transformation. The goal is a life transformation that happened to start in the summer. Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    22 min

  6. May 27

    35. You Don't Have a Nutrition Problem - You Have a Mindset Problem

    Most women don’t have a nutrition problem. They have a mindset problem. They know what to eat. They’ve read the articles, downloaded the meal plans, saved the recipes, and followed the experts. Yet they still find themselves starting over every Monday, grabbing whatever is easiest when life gets busy, and wondering why healthy eating never seems to stick. In this episode, Joan explores the hidden beliefs that shape our food choices and shares four powerful mindset shifts that can completely transform the way women approach nutrition in midlife. Because before meal prep works… before protein goals work… before any nutrition strategy works… The mindset has to come first. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✔ Why focusing on nourishment works better than restriction ✔ The truth about consistency versus perfection (and why one “off” meal doesn’t matter) ✔ Why preparation beats willpower every single time ✔ How identity-based habits create lasting change ✔ The common nutrition patterns that are actually holding women back ✔ Why healthy eating should feel like an expression of who you are - not a set of rules you follow Joan also introduces her brand-new food prep membership, Joan’s Kitchen, designed to help busy midlife women create simple systems that make healthy eating feel more automatic and less stressful. If you’ve ever felt like you know what to do but struggle to consistently do it, this episode is for you. Episode 32: The Power of Food Prep in MidlifeJoan’s Kitchen Food Prep MembershipConnect with Joan on Instagram: @joansfitzoneEmail Joan: joandandeneau@gmail.comReady to Make Healthy Eating Feel Easier? Joan’s Kitchen is a monthly food prep membership for busy midlife women who are tired of winging it with nutrition and ready to build a simple, sustainable food prep rhythm that helps healthy eating feel easier and less stressful, even in the busiest seasons of life. There are only a few spots left, so if you're interested, snag yours today! Registration open through June 3. https://www.joandandeneau.com/joans-kitchen Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    16 min

  7. May 21

    34. A Simple Food Prep System that Makes Healthy Eating Feel Almost Too Easy

    If healthy eating feels like a second job… if breakfast gets skipped, lunch happens standing over the kitchen sink, and by 3 p.m. you’re grabbing whatever is easiest… this episode is for you. In this episode, Joan Dandeneau introduces her simple yet powerful PREP Method - a realistic food prep framework designed specifically for busy women in midlife who want to stop relying on willpower and start making healthy eating feel almost automatic. Joan breaks down why most women don’t have a knowledge problem when it comes to nutrition - they have a setup problem. And she shares how small, intentional food prep habits can build self-trust, reduce decision fatigue, and help women finally stay consistent… even during busy seasons. You’ll learn how to: ✔ Shift from overwhelming “meal prep” to flexible, realistic food prep ✔ Stop skipping the meals that belong to you - breakfast, lunch, and snacks ✔ Use Joan’s simple PREP Method to create a food rhythm that fits your real life ✔ Build protein-forward meals without tracking calories or obsessing over macros ✔ Set up your kitchen and your environment so healthy choices become the easy choices ✔ Fuel your body in a way that supports energy, confidence, and consistency in midlife The PREP Method: P - Preview Your Week Look at your real calendar before you shop or prep. R - Ready Your Breakfast Win the morning with a protein-forward breakfast. E - Establish Your Building Blocks Prep proteins, carbs, produce, and healthy fats so meals come together easily. P - Plate with Intention Use flavor, visibility, and smart placement to make healthy eating sustainable. Joan also shares her signature 4x4 Fist Method for hitting protein goals without tracking and gives practical examples of what food prep can look like - even during your busiest weeks. Refer back to Epsiode 5 to get the full explanation of the 4x4 Fist Method.  Exclusively for podcast listeners, Joan is sharing early access to her brand-new monthly membership: Joan’s Kitchen Joan’s Kitchen is a monthly food prep membership for busy midlife women who are tired of winging it with nutrition and ready to build a simple, sustainable food prep rhythm that helps healthy eating feel easier and less stressful, even in the busiest seasons of life. Inside, members receive: ✔ Monthly food prep themes ✔ Live Cook With Me sessions ✔ Protein-forward recipes ✔ Planning tools and cheat sheets ✔ Coaching, accountability, and community Space is extremely limited - learn more and join here: https://www.joandandeneau.com/joans-kitchen Got questions? Email Joan joandandeneau@gmail.com Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    23 min

  8. May 14

    33. My 20+ Year Food Prep Story (From a Woman Who Doesn’t Love to Cook)

    The Story Behind Joan’s Food Prep System (and Why She’s Teaching It Now) What if the secret to eating healthier in midlife had less to do with willpower… and more to do with preparation? In this episode of The Midlife Glow Up Podcast, Joan shares the personal story behind one of the most powerful systems she teaches women today: food prep. From her early twenties as a personal trainer working long, demanding days… to raising three young children while running a business… to hosting food prep demos in her own kitchen for over a decade - Joan reveals how food prep became a non-negotiable habit that helped her stay energized, consistent, and in control of her nutrition through every season of life. And here’s the surprising part…she doesn’t even love to cook. In this episode, Joan shares: ✔️ How a simple protein pancake accidentally launched her food prep journey ✔️ Why food prep became essential during her busiest seasons of life ✔️ The real reason so many women struggle with consistency around nutrition ✔️ Inspiring stories from women who transformed their eating habits after learning Joan’s system ✔️ Common misconceptions about food prep and why it doesn’t need to be complicated, time-consuming, or boring ✔️ The mindset shifts that help healthy eating feel automatic instead of exhausting Joan also shares why she created her very first FREE live 2-day food prep workshop: Nail Your Nutrition in Midlife A live workshop for midlife women who want to learn simple food prep strategies that take the stress out of eating healthy so you can stop relying on willpower and start setting yourself up for success at every meal - even if you don’t love to cook. Inside the workshop: Day 1: The foundation of simple, sustainable nutrition + Joan’s signature PREP method Day 2: A live behind-the-scenes kitchen session where Joan demonstrates exactly how she preps simple ingredients into multiple meals for the week If healthy eating feels harder than it should… if strong starts keep turning into midweek chaos… or if opening the fridge leaves you wondering what to eat - this episode is for you. 🎥 Replay available for everyone who registers. Connect with Joan and grab your workshop spot through the links below. https://www.joandandeneau.com/nail-your-nutrition Email Joan joandandeneau@gmail.com or message Joan on IG: @joansfitzone Here's how we can stay connected: Follow @joansfitzone on Instagram → for simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips for women in midlife to create lasting change.  Join the The Midlife Glow Up Collective FREE Facebook community → a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care. Apply for 1:1 coaching with Joan → Ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability? Apply here!

    19 min
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out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Are you ready to glow up in midlife? You’ve spent years putting everyone else first, but now it’s your turn - and you deserve to feel strong, energized, and confident in this next chapter. I’m Joan Dandeneau, your Midlife Health & Wellness Coach. I help women over 40 simplify fitness and nutrition so you can build habits that actually stick - without the guilt, confusion, or overwhelm. If you’ve ever asked yourself questions like: How do I lose weight in my 40s or 50s without dieting?What workouts are best for women over 40?How can I eat healthy without spending hours in the kitchen?How do I stay consistent when life gets busy?How do I bounce back after “falling off the wagon”?What habits will help me age strong, healthy, and confident? Then this show is for you. Each Thursday, tune in for simple, practical, and encouraging episodes that help you feel good now while building the foundation for your future strong self.

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