Midlife Advice | Perimenopause, Hormones and Midlife Women’s Health

Jessica Long | Helping Overwhelmed Women Over 40 Feel Fully Alive Again
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You're a woman over 40, you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, and lately you keep coming back to the same thought: I just don't feel like myself anymore. You're doing everything right. Showing up for your family, your work, everyone who needs you. But you feel exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Work feels harder and less fulfilling than it used to. Your relationship feels distant. Your body is changing. You’re overwhelmed with the neverending decisions. And no matter what you do, you just feel off. Disconnected from yourself.  Midlife Advice is the podcast for intelligent midlife women who are ready to stop white-knuckling through life and feel next-level good. Each week, host Jessica Long brings you honest conversations about navigating perimenopause and menopause, hormones, overwhelm, relationships, confidence, and the identity shift nobody warned you was coming. Not as a patient. Not as a problem to be solved. As a woman who deserves to actually feel GREAT again. Jessica is a holistic health coach, certified menopause coaching specialist, breathwork facilitator and fellow midlife woman navigating all of this right alongside you. If you've ever searched: "Why am I so exhausted all the time?""Why does work feel so hard lately?""Why do I feel so disconnected from my partner?""Why can't I relax even when I have time?""Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"“Is this perimenopause or something else?” This podcast was made for you. ✨For more midlife musings, follow me on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast and @heyjessicalong 💌 Join my email list for personal stories, recipes, favorite products, podcast updates, and early access to my special offers! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/g7gzq0mtnl 💛 Ready to actually feel good again? Learn about working with me. https://www.belongwellness.com/

  1. 8h ago

    Summer Reading List 2026: 3 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down

    Get your summer reading recommendations for women over 40, curated by someone who reads more in a month than most people read in a year. This episode is your 2026 summer reading list, plus the permission to quit every book that is not worth your precious time. Today I’m joined by my friend (since preschool!) and repeat guest Alexis Lynch for our annual summer reading conversation. Alexis shares three picks for 2026, including a novel about midlife identity and reflections on aging, a prison book club story that restores your faith in humanity, and a guilty pleasure page-turner she finished in 24 hours.  We also discuss Heart the Lover by Lily King, including the passionate-love-versus-stable-partnership theme and the concept of how our identity evolves over the decades. Oh, and Alexis admits this book inspired her to secretly sleuth her college boyfriend… What you'll hear: Alexis's three summer reading picks for midlife women, with honest reviews on eachUpdated tips for actually reading more when life is completely fullA discussion of Heart the Lover: the big themes, what the hidden name means, and why this book grabs hold of your heartThe one book to start with if you haven't read anything in a long timeAlexis Lynch is a practicing attorney, a lifelong reader, and a self-described quitter of bad books. Alexis’ summer 2026 reading list for women over 40: So Old, So Young by Grant Grinder How to Read a Book by Monica Wood These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean The book Alexis and Jessica discuss that is SO good: Heart the Lover by Lily King I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    24 min

  2. Jun 9

    Plastic Surgery After 40: What Actually Works for Jowls, Hooded Eyes, and the Body Changes Skincare Can't Fix

    If you have tried fillers or lasers for jowls, hooded eyes, or skin laxity after 40 and are still not happy with what you see, you're in the right place. Dr. Carolyn Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has spent her career focused on natural-looking results for midlife women, and she is here to give you real answers. She trained under one of the inventors of the modern facelift and is one of the only female plastic surgeons in San Francisco named annually to Castle Connolly's America's Top Doctors. She is also refreshingly direct about what actually works and what doesn't, and this conversation covers all of it. We discuss: What fillers, lasers, and tightening devices can realistically do for jowls and skin laxity, and where they hit their limitEyelid surgery (blepharoplasty): who it actually helps, what it involves, and why most women are surprised by how short the recovery isWhat a modern facelift is really doing, and why it looks nothing like what most people pictureThe deep plane facelift: what the marketing gets wrong and what to actually ask your surgeonWhether repeated energy treatments like Ultherapy can affect your ability to have a facelift laterTummy tuck and breast surgery after pregnancy: what you can realistically expectBreast implant illness: is it real? The two things that have to be true before the timing is right for surgeryWhat facial surgery, tummy tucks, and mommy makeovers cost in a major metro marketHow to evaluate a surgeon, what before-and-afters actually tell you, and the red flags to look for in a consultation Guest: Dr. Carolyn Chang, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon drcarolynchang.com | @carolynchangmd I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    33 min

  3. Jun 2

    Hair Extensions for Thinning Hair: What Actually Works (and What to Skip)

    Hair extensions can be a great solution for midlife women experiencing hair thinning, but they are not right for everyone. A 20-year specialist breaks down who qualifies, which method works best for thinning hair, and what it really costs. This conversation covers everything I didn't know to ask. Extensions are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether they work for you depends on the type of thinning you have, how much hair you have, and which method is used. The wrong choice can actually make things worse. This episode helps you figure out which category you're in before you spend a dollar. My guest is Aubree Hill, founder of Exhale House, a luxury hair salon in Mill Valley. She has over 20 years of experience and specializes in invisible, ethically sourced Great Lengths hair extensions for women with thinning or changing hair. In this episode we cover: Why hair thinning in midlife hits harder than you'd expect (it's not just about the hair)Which types of thinning are actually good candidates for extensionsWhat strand-by-strand, tape-in, and weft extensions are and how they're differentWhy the method matters so much for women with thinning hairHow much hair you need to qualify and what to do if you're not there yetWhat Great Lengths extensions are and why Aubree uses them exclusivelyThe real cost breakdown: what to budget per year and per appointmentWhat the daily maintenance actually looks like (and who it won't work for)What you can and can't do with extensions: workouts, pools, oceans, saunasThe safety risk that can permanently damage your follicles (and how to avoid it)How to find the right stylist and what questions to ask in a consultationWhy this work is about more than hair Connect with Aubree:  exhalehousesalon.com | @exhale_house | @thebusinessofbeautiful | 415-704-6335 I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    25 min

  4. May 26

    How to Build Muscle After 40 Without Lifting Heavy (BFR Training Explained)

    You've heard you need to lift heavy to build (or keep!) your muscle after 40. But what if your body just isn’t cooperating with that plan right now? Good news: there's another way, and science backs it up. I've been training with Ashley Selman for months, and I've been waiting to record this episode because I knew it was going to be the one everyone sends to a friend. Ashley has 30+ years of experience training Olympic athletes, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Brandi Chastain, and coaching at Stanford and the University of Oregon. Now she works with midlife women. And the method she uses, blood flow restriction training, is something most of us have never heard of. Here's the version I wish someone had explained to me: little rubber cuffs on your arms and legs, 5-pound weights, 20 minutes, at home. Same muscle-building response as heavy lifting. Not a gimmick. Studied for decades. In this episode we cover: What BFR actually is and why the name sounds more alarming than it shouldThe science behind why light weights can trigger the same response as heavy liftingWhy this is such a good fit for women in perimenopause and menopause specificallyHow it helps with weight loss, belly fat, and the body composition stuff that won't budgeThe cardio benefits nobody sees coming from a strength workoutHow to start at home without needing a coach in the room with youAshley also shares her own story: hip replacement at 43, menopause at 43, lost 8 pounds of muscle. Found BFR and her life changed. If your body has been telling you the advice everyone gives you doesn't fit your life right now, this one is for you. 💪 Connect with Ashley: selistrength.com | @selistrength I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    27 min

  5. May 19

    How to Lose Weight After 40 Without Dieting, Willpower, or Starting Over on Monday

    Tried every diet and still can't make it stick? Certified life coach and bestselling author Lizzie Merritt is here to tell you it's not your fault, and to explain a completely different approach to weight loss after 40 that starts with your brain and nervous system, not a food plan. If you've counted calories, tracked macros, done the cleanses, and found yourself starting over on Monday more times than you can count, you will want to hear this. Lizzie Merritt, bestselling author of LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss, explains why traditional diets fail so many midlife women, and what a brain-based approach offers instead. In this conversation, we cover: Why your brain cannot build new habits when your nervous system does not feel safeTwo common patterns that drive emotional eating in midlife women: people pleasing and perfectionismThe LIGHT Method: a five-step framework that treats weight loss as learning, not rule-followingWhy changing 'I am trying to lose weight' to 'I am training to lose weight' matters more than it soundsWhat happens after you hit your goal weight, and how identity shapes long-term successLizzie also shares the one mindset shift that helped her clients break the start-over-Monday cycle for good. Resources from this episode: LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss | https://amzn.to/4uCqyJmThe Confident Body Podcast | https://confidentbody.coach/podcast/ConfidentBody.coach | https://confidentbody.coach/I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    29 min

  6. May 12

    Why You Can’t Relax Even When You Have Time (And How to Feel Calm Again)

    Why you can’t relax, even when you finally have time, and what it has to do with your nervous system. You finally have a break. The house is quiet. There’s nothing urgent to do. And instead of relaxing…you feel restless. Anxious. Like you should be doing something. In this solo episode, I’m digging into why so many midlife women struggle to slow down (even when we want to) and why that uncomfortable, ants-y feeling isn’t a mindset problem, it’s a nervous system response. After years (or decades) of being in go-go-go mode taking care of everyone, managing everything and always being “on,” your body has learned that slowing down doesn’t feel safe. So when you finally have time to rest, your system pushes back. We’re talking about what’s really happening in your body in those moments and how you can start retraining your nervous system to actually feel calm again. If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know how to relax anymore,” this episode will hit home. ➡️ My brand new group breathwork program for midlife women called Hello, Next-Level You is coming soon! Join the waitlist here! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/vzidtovzh7 I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    10 min

  7. May 5

    Best Skincare Routine for Women Over 40: How to Care for Dry, Sensitive, Aging Skin

    Dry skin after 40? Sensitive, aging skin that keeps getting worse? Your skincare routine might be part of the problem. Botanical formulator May Lindstrom explains what midlife skin actually needs and what to stop doing. If your skin has changed in your 40s or 50s and your routine keeps getting longer without getting better results, this conversation is going to shift how you think about your skin. May Lindstrom, founder of May Lindstrom Skin, has been formulating luxury organic skincare for sensitive, changing skin for over 20 years. In this episode, she gets specific about what is actually happening to midlife skin, why more products tend to backfire, which ingredients genuinely help, and one thing most women do every single day that might be working against them. What we cover: How to simplify your routine without losing resultsIngredients to look for (and ones hiding in popular products that may be making things worse)Whether natural and organic skincare can actually deliver resultsWhere to invest in skincare and where it matters lessOne habit most women have right after washing their face that a 20-year formulator says to stop Guest: May Lindstrom, Founder and CEO of May Lindstrom Skin Website: maylindstrom.com | Instagram: @maylindstromskin The serum and moisturizer May recommends. These are affiliate links because I LOVE these products! I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    22 min

  8. Apr 28

    Not Feeling Heard in Your Relationship: A 5-Step Fix to Rebuild Connection

    Struggling with communication in your relationship or feeling unheard by your partner?  Not feeling heard in a relationship is one of the most common challenges for midlife women, especially in long-term partnerships where conversations can start to feel like logistics, criticism, or defensiveness instead of real connection. If you’ve ever wondered why communication in your relationship feels harder than it used to, or why you and your partner keep having the same conversations without actually feeling understood, you’re in the right place. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Bacon to discuss why relationship communication often breaks down in midlife and what actually helps. She shares a simple, practical 5-step communication framework called PHIES that helps you slow down, regulate your nervous system, and communicate what’s really going on beneath the surface so both you and your partner feel seen, heard, and understood. We talk about how to stop trying to be right, how to navigate defensiveness (yours and theirs), and how to rebuild emotional connection in a relationship that still matters deeply to you. In this episode, we cover: • Why communication in long-term relationships gets harder in midlife • The PHIES framework (and how to use it in real conversations) • What’s actually happening when your partner gets defensive • How to feel heard without turning every conversation into a fight • A simple mindset shift that can completely change your relationship Connect with Dr. Steph: RippleEffectEmbodiedSEL.com | @RippleEffectwithDrSteph I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    29 min
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About

You're a woman over 40, you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, and lately you keep coming back to the same thought: I just don't feel like myself anymore. You're doing everything right. Showing up for your family, your work, everyone who needs you. But you feel exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Work feels harder and less fulfilling than it used to. Your relationship feels distant. Your body is changing. You’re overwhelmed with the neverending decisions. And no matter what you do, you just feel off. Disconnected from yourself.  Midlife Advice is the podcast for intelligent midlife women who are ready to stop white-knuckling through life and feel next-level good. Each week, host Jessica Long brings you honest conversations about navigating perimenopause and menopause, hormones, overwhelm, relationships, confidence, and the identity shift nobody warned you was coming. Not as a patient. Not as a problem to be solved. As a woman who deserves to actually feel GREAT again. Jessica is a holistic health coach, certified menopause coaching specialist, breathwork facilitator and fellow midlife woman navigating all of this right alongside you. If you've ever searched: "Why am I so exhausted all the time?""Why does work feel so hard lately?""Why do I feel so disconnected from my partner?""Why can't I relax even when I have time?""Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"“Is this perimenopause or something else?” This podcast was made for you. ✨For more midlife musings, follow me on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast and @heyjessicalong 💌 Join my email list for personal stories, recipes, favorite products, podcast updates, and early access to my special offers! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/g7gzq0mtnl 💛 Ready to actually feel good again? Learn about working with me. https://www.belongwellness.com/

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