Midlife Musings

Marci Nevin and Andrea Orona

Unfiltered conversations about the real challenges of navigating midlife

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 26: The Truth About So-Called Toxic Foods

    The wellness world loves a villain, especially on social media, where sensationalism gets all the attention and sells. And over the years, seed oils, artificial sweeteners, dairy, and gluten have all had their turn in the hot seat. But how much of the fear around these foods is actually backed by science? And how much of it is just noise? In this episode, we break down each of these so-called problem foods, where the real nuance lives, and why context and quantity matter so much more than most people realize. We also get real about something that doesn't get talked about enough: how fear and hyperfixation around food can create unnecessary stress in the body, and why that stress itself can drive symptoms that have nothing to do with what you're actually eating. At the end of the day, blanket rules only get you so far. Learning to listen to your own body and adjust accordingly will always reign supreme. Loved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    1h 3m

  2. Jul 6

    Episode 25: How to Make the Most of Your Lifting Sessions

    If you've been lifting but not seeing the results you expected, this episode is for you. We break down exactly what it takes to make your time in the gym work for you.  Because in midlife, lifting isn't optional. It's one of the most powerful tools you have for staying lean, building muscle, and feeling strong in your body long term. But how you do it absolutely matters. What we cover in this episode:  Why lifting is non-negotiable for women in midlife and perimenopauseThe importance of following a structured program for several months at a time instead of constantly switching things upHow to create progressive overload and why it's the driving force behind real resultsWhy you need to track your lifting sessionsThe importance of rest periods between sets and why rushing them is costing youTempo and controlled reps over rushing through the movementTaking your sets to or close to failure and why feeling the burn isn't the goalThe most effective rep ranges for muscle growthWhy recovery — sleep, nutrition, and rest days — is part of the program, not an afterthoughtLoved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    56 min

  3. Jun 29

    Episode 24: The Grief and Relief of Leaving Your Younger Self Behind

    There's a strange disorientation that comes with getting older that nobody prepares you for. You still feel young on the inside. You still *mostly* relate to younger people. You still think of yourself as young. And then something reminds you that you're not. That you're actually in the last half, maybe the last third, of your life. In this episode, we get honest about the identity shift that comes with midlife, the grief of saying goodbye to the version of yourself you've always known, and the surprising relief that can come right alongside it. Because entering perimenopause and hitting menopause isn't just a hormonal event. For many women, it's a reckoning with who you've been and who you're becoming. We also talk about HRT. What it is, why we both made the decision to use it to support our transition, and why we don't think it's something every woman should rush into without doing the foundational work first. Because if the foundations aren't in place, you're layering a solution on top of a problem that hasn't been addressed. In this episode: What it feels like to be an "old young" — still identifying with youth while standing in the later chapter of your lifeThe grief that comes with letting go of the identity you've carried since your twenties and thirtiesWhy menopause can also bring unexpected relief and why that's worth talking aboutHow we are using HRT to support our transition through perimenopause and beyondWhy they believe HRT should come after the foundation is built, not instead of itWhat "earning" your HRT actually looks like in practiceThis is one of those episodes that might make you feel a little less alone in what you're going through. If so, we’d love it if you leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    55 min

  4. Jun 22

    Episode 23: Is Your Lab Work Lying to You? And What Your Doctor Might Be Missing

    If you’ve ever gone to your doctor because you can feel something is off, only to be told everything looks fine, this is the conversation you need to hear to know how to advocate for yourself.   Because lab reference ranges are built on population averages, which means they include a lot of people who aren't feeling great either. So, being told everything is "normal" when it's sitting at the high end of the range is very different from it being optimized. And your hormones, thyroid, blood sugar, and nutrient levels can shift significantly in a matter of months during perimenopause. Waiting a full year to catch something that's been dragging you down for six months is too long. Regular labs give you a moving picture, not just a snapshot. A standard panel barely scratches the surface. Here's what we recommend: Fasting insulin — not just blood sugar or A1C. Insulin resistance can show up years before glucose numbers move.Ferritin — not just hemoglobin. You can be iron-deficient with "normal" iron levels if ferritin is low.Vitamin D (25-OH) — most women in midlife are low, and it affects everything from mood to metabolism to immune function.Full thyroid panel — TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibodies (TPO and TgAb). A TSH alone misses a lot.Full cholesterol panel — not just total cholesterol, but LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and ideally LDL particle size (small, dense LDL is far more concerning than LDL number alone). This matters especially in perimenopause when estrogen decline directly impacts cardiovascular risk.hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) — a marker of inflammation that can signal cardiovascular risk and metabolic dysfunction long before other numbers shift.Homocysteine — linked to cardiovascular health and often overlooked.DHEA-S and testosterone — yes, women need testosterone, and yes, it tanks in perimenopause.Estradiol, progesterone, and FSH — especially if you're trying to understand where you are in the hormonal transition.Cortisol (fasting AM) — because chronic stress and adrenal function matter and affect everything else on this list.Loved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    42 min

  5. Jun 15

    Episode 22: Things We've Changed Our Minds About (Fitness Edition)

    Some of the things we believed most confidently about fitness we’ve now completely changed our minds about. In this episode, we're getting honest about the fitness myths and half-truths we used to swear by and what we believe now after years of experience, research, and working with real women in midlife.  In this episode, we cover: The hard truth about weight loss. It’s simple, but not easy. And it is more challenging for some than it is for others, for a multitude of reasons that go beyond “not wanting it enough”Why lifting weights and walking, as great as they are, aren't the whole picture when it comes to true health and what else needs to be included How our thinking around what "healthy" looks like has completely evolved, and why health is no longer something we measure in the mirrorWhy more volume in your training doesn't equal more progress, and how we've shifted our approach to get better results with lessLoved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    56 min

  6. Jun 8

    Episode 21: Things We've Changed Our Minds About (Nutrition Edition)

    We've all had that moment where something we swore by for years stopped making sense. In this episode of Midlife Musings, we're getting honest about the nutrition beliefs we used to hold tight and have now changed our minds about.  And now that we’re older, wiser, have more time coaching clients, and have tried new things ourselves, we know that changing your mind isn't a weakness. Being able to do so reflects personal growth.  Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is admit what is no longer working and be willing to think differently. In this episode, we cover: The nutrition rules we followed for years that we no longer believe inHow our thinking around food tracking has evolvedThe truth about cutting out foods you love and why we stopped recommending itWhat we got wrong about protein amount and timingSpecifically, how our relationship with food has shifted in perimenopauseLoved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    39 min

  7. Jun 1

    Episode 20: You Can’t Biohack Your Way Out of a Broken Foundation

    Everyone wants the shortcut. The peptide. The hormone therapy. The thing that's going to finally make it all click. But here's the truth, if your foundational habits aren't dialed in first, you're building on a shaky foundation. In this episode, we're talking about what actually needs to be in place before you layer on the advanced stuff, and why your environment, your job, your relationships, your daily surroundings, might be the silent thing sabotaging your results. In this episode, we cover: Why peptides and HRT are tools, not solutions, and what needs to come first before they'll actually work for youThe non-negotiable foundational habits of nutrition, sleep, strength training, and stress management that no supplement can replaceHow to honestly audit your environment and ask the hard question: Is my life set up to support my health, or is it working against me?The role your relationships play in your results. And what to do if the people around you aren't aligned with the life you're trying to buildWhy your job and daily stress load matter more than your macro splitThe difference between optimizing and compensating, and which one most women are accidentally doingHow to build a lifestyle that makes healthy habits the path of least resistance, not a daily battle of willpowerConnect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    48 min

  8. May 25

    Episode 19: The Hunger Episode: Why it happens and how to handle it?

    Hunger can be one of the hardest parts of losing weight in perimenopause. In this week’s episode of Midlife Musings, we’re getting into all of it. Hunger isn't a sign you're doing something wrong. It's a normal response. And when you understand why it happens, you can stop fighting it and start working with your body instead of against it. We discuss everything from the physiology, the mindset, to the practical strategies that make a difference. What we cover: The evolutionary reason hunger exists and why your body is wired to seek food even when you don't need itHow to think about hunger from a mindset perspective, including why so many women in midlife have a complicated emotional relationship with it and how to start separating physical hunger from habitual, emotional, or conditioned eating.The practical strategies we use to mitigate hunger and make it easier to stay in a calorie deficitPrioritizing protein at every meal, because nothing keeps you fuller longer or does more for body composition at this stage of lifeWhy snacking is doing you no favorsVolume eating and how to build meals that are satisfying without blowing your caloriesFiber and why it's one of the most underrated tools for managing hunger and supporting overall health in perimenopauseSleep and the very real way that poor sleep drives hunger hormones through the roofStress management and the connection between cortisol and cravings that so many women don't realize is happeningIf you've ever felt like you're hungry all the time or like no matter what you eat, you can never quite feel satisfied, this episode is for you. And if it resonated with you, we'd love it if you left a review or shared it with a friend who needs to hear it. Connect With Us: @marcinevin  @eats_by_dre_nutrition

    1h 4m
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About

Unfiltered conversations about the real challenges of navigating midlife

Information

  • Creator
    Marci Nevin and Andrea Orona
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Midlife Musings
  • Show Website
    Midlife Musings

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