Second Opinion

Rosemarie Beltz

Get the clarity you need on the hottest topics in health and wellness with Second Opinion. Hosted by Rosemarie Beltz, this podcast brings you fresh perspectives from experts, innovators, and disruptors tackling life-changing issues. Each episode unpacks the latest research, debunks the hype, and delivers insights to help you make informed decisions. If you're ready for engaging, enlightening, and occasionally unexpected takes on health and wellness, tune in and discover your second opinion.

  1. 2D AGO

    Before the Year Turns: What Midlife Clarifies

    A New Year’s Eve reflection on attention, endurance, and choosing less Episode Description This New Year’s Eve episode of Second Opinion is not about resolutions or reinvention. It’s about clarity. Host Rosemarie Beltz—medical journalist and clinician with nearly 30 years in healthcare—offers a grounded, reflective look at what midlife quietly clarifies as one year closes and another begins. Drawing from clinical insight, lived experience, and years inside complex systems, she explores why midlife isn’t asking us to do more, but to carry less. This episode examines attention as a finite resource, the cost of open loops, and why subtraction—not addition—often becomes the most intelligent move in the second half of life. With calm authority and journalistic restraint, Rosemarie reframes common assumptions about midlife, productivity, and endurance—without hype, self-improvement language, or pressure to change. A thoughtful listen for anyone ending the year awake, reflective, and interested in entering the next season with precision rather than performance. In This Episode, We Explore Why midlife is less about reinvention and more about discernmentHow attention, energy, and mental load shape midlife decisionsThe hidden cost of carrying too much—cognitively and physicallyWhy subtraction often creates more progress than additionThe role of sleep, focus, and protected time as infrastructure—not habitsWhat it means to close the year without resolution cultureWho This Episode Is For Midlifers (40+) who value science, clarity, and lived experienceListeners who are tired of motivational noise and optimization cultureAnyone seeking a calm, intelligent way to reflect at year’s endProfessionals navigating complexity, responsibility, and transitionAbout the Host Rosemarie Beltz is a medical journalist and clinician with nearly 30 years in healthcare. She is the host of Second Opinion and creator of Midlife Minute, where she explores health, clarity, reinvention, and decision-making in midlife through evidence-based insight and thoughtful conversation. 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    24 min

  2. 12/24/2025

    Midlife Is a Lipid Neighborhood: Cholesterol, Insulin & The “Got Plaque, Get a CAC” Wake-Up Call (Season 2 Premiere w/ Josh Wageman, PhD, DPT)

    Season 2 starts here. And we’re coming in hot—with clarity, comedy, and one of the most misunderstood topics in modern medicine: cholesterol. In this Season Two premiere, I’m joined by Josh Wageman, PhD, DPT—lipid specialist, former Ivy League athlete, and yes… a youth pastor—who has a gift for making complex science feel human (and finally understandable). His core message? Cholesterol isn’t just “good vs. bad.” It’s a system. And midlife is when the system starts telling the truth. We break down why your labs may not “add up,” why insulin is the quiet driver behind so many chronic diseases, and why the goal isn’t obsessing over one number—it’s protecting your heart, your brain, and your future. If you’ve ever stared at your lipid panel and thought, “Wait… what does this actually mean for me?” — this episode is your reset. In this episode, we cover: Why cholesterol stays confusing (even for proactive, educated patients)Josh’s “home security system + lipid neighborhood” framework for preventionThe connection between insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk (even with “normal” glucose)Why fasting insulin can reveal what standard labs miss“Got plaque, get a CAC”: why a coronary artery calcium score can change the entire conversationHDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB, Lp(a): what matters, what’s misleading, and what needs contextThe statin conversation—without fear, drama, or tribalismWhy alcohol can raise HDL (and why that doesn’t always mean “better”)How to think like a high performer: movement, prevention, and the long game of longevity My Season Two intention: My goal for my life is complete longevity—living my most optimal life. And this season, I’m bringing you with me: my curiosity, my questions, and the conversations I wish every mid-lifer had access to sooner. Because getting a second opinion isn’t just smart medicine. It’s smart living. Connect and  follow the show: Website and  listener submissions: RosemarieB.com Send your questions, guest suggestions, and story ideas—I read every one. If this episode supported you, please follow the show and leave a quick review. It helps more mid-lifers find better answers. Signed with love and a dash of Midlife Magic,  ✨ Rosemarie   Book mentioned:The Home Security System and the Lipid Neighborhood by Josh Wageman (available on Amazon and Audible) The Home Security System and the Lipid Neighborhood: Un-Complicating Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease: Wageman, Josh: 9798992169218: Amazon.com: Books 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    1h 3m

  3. 12/22/2025

    Midlife Is a Solstice: A Christmas and Holiday Reflection on Letting Go of 2025

    In this intimate bonus holiday episode, Rosemarie records from Brooklyn during the final days of December — a week that holds both Christmas and the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the turning point toward returning light. This episode is a permission slip for mid-lifers who feel stretched, reflective, or quietly exhausted at the end of 2025. Blending science, symbolism, and lived experience, Rosemarie explores why midlife mirrors the Winter Solstice so closely — a season of stillness, truth, release, and renewal — and why peace has become more important than performance. You’ll hear a personal reflection on perfection paralysis, nervous system wisdom, and why waiting until January is old energy. Rosemarie also shares why she’s releasing Season Two early, including a powerful kickoff conversation designed to help listeners get a head start on their 2026 health. This episode is not about pushing, fixing, or optimizing. It’s about arriving. In This Episode, You’ll Hear : • Why midlife is its own “solstice season” — and why clarity often comes through slowing down • How perfection paralysis disguises itself as high standards and productivity • The biology of stress, rest, and why December hits the nervous system differently • A simple Solstice reflection ritual: Release / Keep / Seed • How Christmas evolves in midlife — from performance to meaning, boundaries, and legacy • Why Season Two of Second Opinion is starting early (and why your health doesn’t need to wait until January) Who This Episode Is For: • Mid-lifers who feel reflective, tired, or “behind” at year’s end • Anyone craving peace, clarity, and intention instead of hustle • Listeners navigating health, reinvention, and personal recalibration • Those ready to begin 2026 with wisdom — not pressure What’s Next Season Two of Second Opinion begins with a powerful conversation focused on preventive health, clarity, and midlife longevity — dropping earlier than planned because better health doesn’t start on January 1. Stay close. If This Episode Resonated Please follow, subscribe, and share Second Opinion with someone who needs a softer landing into the end of the year. Your support helps this independent show reach more people who are seeking better questions — and better answers — in midlife. With gratitude, reflection, and love, Rosemarie Beltz 🤍 Host of Second Opinion Where science meets story — and age is always your advantage. 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    15 min

  4. 12/17/2025

    Why Midlife Hits Different (It’s Not You): Understanding the Nervous System After 40. Why the End of the Year Can Feel Harder.

    If midlife feels louder, more stimulating, or more exhausting than it used to — you’re not imagining it. In this solo episode of Second Opinion, host Rosemarie Beltz explores why midlife truly hits different and how the nervous system plays a central role — especially during perimenopause, menopause, and the end-of-year season. Drawing on neuroscience, stress physiology, and hormonal health, Rosemarie breaks down what the nervous system actually does, why stress tolerance changes after 40, and why the holidays often amplify fatigue, emotional reactivity, and overwhelm. This is not about fixing yourself.  It’s about understanding the system you’re living in — and learning how to work with it, not against it. Blending science with personal reflection, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical insight for anyone navigating midlife with curiosity and intention. 🧠 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN What the nervous system does and why it governs stress, sleep, mood, and energyWhy midlife stress feels different after 40How perimenopause and menopause affect nervous system sensitivityWhat neuroception is and why you can feel on edge “for no reason”Why the holidays don’t break your nervous system — they expose cumulative loadThe difference between “resetting” and recalibrating the nervous systemScience-backed ways to support nervous system regulation in midlifeWhy misalignment — not lack of motivation — often leads to exhaustionEnd-of-year reflection questions to carry into 2026❄️ A PERSONAL MOMENT Rosemarie shares a quiet winter morning in New York City during the first snowfall of the season — and how a brief pause with a cup of coffee helped calm her nervous system, even while being called into work for an emergency. A reminder that regulation isn’t about escaping life — it’s about learning how to move through it with awareness. ✍️ END-OF-YEAR REFLECTION QUESTIONS Where am I running on adrenaline instead of alignment?What identity am I clinging to that my body is done sustaining?What’s one daily signal of safety I can practice consistently?What would my future self choose today — not in January?What gets to be simpler next year so my nervous system can be stronger? 🎧 ABOUT SECOND OPINION Second Opinion is a podcast where science meets story — and midlife is not a problem to solve, it’s a system to understand. Hosted by Rosemarie Beltz, journalist and cardiovascular perfusionist, the show explores health, hormones, longevity, reinvention, relationships, and resilience through credible science and lived experience. 🔔 FOLLOW & SHARE If this episode resonated, please follow or subscribe wherever you listen, and share it with someone who might need this conversation. Your support helps Second Opinion reach more midlifers looking for real answers — not more distractions and noise. Take care of your nervous system — it’s been taking care of you for decades. ~I'm Rosemarie, coming to you from Brooklyn. This is Second Opinion — where science meets story, and age is always your advantage. 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    22 min

  5. 12/10/2025

    The Midlife Holiday Glow-Up: Why You May Not Want to Wait Until January

    If you don’t want to start January feeling behind, exhausted, or like you abandoned your own wellbeing… this episode is for you. Today I’m breaking down why midlifers should glow up NOW — not later. December is actually the most powerful time to support your health, immunity, stress, confidence, and clarity, especially in our 40s, 50s, and 60s. Inside this episode: ✨ Why holiday stress hits harder in midlife ✨ Adrenaline vs. authenticity — and how to shift ✨ The science of sleep, immunity, boundaries, and decluttering ✨ Why glow-ups are now inner and outer ✨ Essentialism during the busiest month of the year ✨ Real stories from my week: hospital cases, Sutton Café, Bloomingdale’s, my sister’s 50th ✨ And the 5-part Midlife Holiday Glow-Up Plan (health, wealth, beauty, declutter, love) If you’re ready to treat December as your launch pad, not your loophole — this is your reset. 5 Glow-Up Pillars We Cover Health: sleep, immunity, appointments, movementWealth: quick year-end financial clarityBeauty + Longevity: skincare, strength, red light, mocktailsDeclutter: closet, fridge, inbox, environmentLove + Connection: celebration, rituals, meaningful restWho This Episode Is For Midlife men and women who want: • Less stress • More energy • Better sleep • Stronger immunity • A clearer, more grounded start to 2026 If this helped you… 💛 Like the video 📝 Comment & tell me your December glow-up pillar 📩 Share with a friend who keeps saying “I’ll start in January” 🎧 Follow Second Opinion on Apple & Spotify Season Two is coming — guests are booked, interviews are rolling, and we are glowing up together. ✨ Thanks for watching!💛 Rosemarie 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    50 min

  6. 12/03/2025

    Prioritizing Yourself in December: A Midlife Guide to Inner Peace, Presence & a Holiday Season That Actually Feels Good

    Most people wait until January to “start fresh,” but midlifers know better: December is where the real reset begins. In this solo episode, Rosemarie invites you to reimagine the holiday season through the lens of inner peace, intentionality, boundaries, and the neuroscience of joy. Blending personal storytelling from New York City, science-backed insights, and wisdom inspired by Deepak Chopra, she offers a practical and soulful guide to navigating the holidays without abandoning yourself. If you’re feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or emotionally overextended this time of year — this episode is the permission slip you didn’t know you needed. 🌟 Episode Highlights Why midlifers cannot wait until January to prioritize their health and emotional wellbeingThe real reasons the holidays feel heavier in midlife (sleep disruption, emotional labor, caregiving, hormonal shifts)Deepak Chopra’s insight: your outer world reflects your inner worldHow to stay grounded around family or friends with different values, expectations, or energyA simple Mindful Listening practice to help you stay present without absorbing other people’s stressHow small moments of connection (“micro-resets”) protect your cardiovascular and emotional healthA spontaneous NYC moment that became Rosemarie’s “first miracle of the season”The Midlife Holiday Recalibration: five shifts that support inner peace and presenceRituals and tools to regulate your nervous system during a demanding monthWhy looking for everyday miracles is neuroscience — not woo✨ The Midlife Holiday Recalibration: Five Shifts That Truly Serve You Simplify + Delegate Let traditions evolve. Let people help. Make the season 20% easier.Set Real Boundaries (With Others + Yourself) Protect your sleep, your energy, and your emotional bandwidth.Support Your Nervous System Quiet mornings. Hydration. Gentle movement. Mindful alcohol choices.Make Intentional Decisions Ask: Does this support the holiday I actually want?Look for Everyday Miracles Gratitude rewires the brain and transforms your experience.🧘‍♀️ Simple Actions to Anchor These Shifts The 3-Question Check-In:What matters most this month?What drains me?What miracle am I open to?One Morning Ritual + One Evening Ritual to bookend your nervous systemPresence Over Perfection — because people remember how it felt, not how it looked✨ Science Sources Mentioned Harvard HealthAmerican Heart AssociationRutgers HealthPsychology TodayNeuroscience of gratitude and stress regulationDeepak Chopra: Mindful Listening & mindset practices⚜️Key Quote from the Episode “Midlife isn’t about controlling the season — it’s about navigating it without abandoning yourself.” 📍 Recorded in New York City Back from California and immersed in the energy of holiday-season NYC, Rosemarie shares reflections from a city that gets louder and brighter — even as your inner world grows clearer. 🎧 Enjoying the Show? If this episode supported you: ✔ Follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you listen ✔ Leave a quick review — it helps more midlifers find the show ✔ Share this episode with someone who needs a calmer, more grounded December Thank you for being part of the Second Opinion community. Where science meets story… and age is your advantage. 💫 Merry and Happy Holidays, 💛 Rosemarie 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    45 min

  7. 11/26/2025

    The Frequency of Gratitude: What Thanksgiving Teaches Us About Midlife

    The Frequency of Gratitude: What Thanksgiving Teaches Us About Midlife Second Opinion with Rosemarie Beltz Gratitude isn’t just a feeling — it’s a frequency. A scientifically-backed, midlife-shifting recalibration that can lower cortisol, boost happiness chemicals, and literally rewire the brain for resilience and joy. In this Thanksgiving solo episode, Rosemarie brings you to Manhattan Beach, California, where an unexpected encounter with a community “Gratitude Tree” reveals the deeper truth about gratitude — and why midlife is the moment it all hits differently. Warm, reflective, science-backed, and personal, this episode invites you to rethink what gratitude really means… especially when life has been loud, messy, or beautifully complicated. In This Episode, We Explore: ✨ The science of gratitude — dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, neuroplasticity ✨ Why midlife changes how we experience gratitude ✨ The Manhattan Beach Gratitude Tree and the message it delivered ✨ The unexpected things Rosemarie is grateful for (yes, even the difficult people + $500 rent hikes) ✨ How gratitude shifts the brain from reactivity to regulation ✨ Why gratitude is a health strategy, not just a holiday theme ✨ Three tiny gratitude prompts to start today — especially if this year was heavy ✨ A global reflection for listeners around the world Key Takeaways: ✔️ Gratitude lowers stress hormones and strengthens emotional resilience ✔️ Midlife clarity comes from contrast — the “before and after” moments ✔️ Even hard experiences can redirect us toward better things ✔️ Gratitude grows through awareness, appreciation, acceptance, and action ✔️ You don’t need a perfect year to find meaningful gratitude — you just need one small thing to start Questions to Reflect On (Midlife Diaries Forward): What challenged you this year that you’re secretly grateful for?Who showed up for you — even in small ways — and have you told them?What’s one thing you appreciate about yourself right now, without fixing anything?Sources Mentioned: Harvard Health • Mayo Clinic Health System • PositivePsychology.com • PMC • Psychology Today If You Enjoyed This Episode: ✨ Follow or subscribe to support the show — it genuinely helps us reach more midlifers ✨ Share this episode with a friend who might need a moment of grounding ✨ Leave a review — your words help others find conversations that matter And if it’s not your vibe later? You can always unsubscribe — that’s the beauty of midlife. We don’t cling… we choose. About the Show: Second Opinion is where science meets story — hosted by healthcare professional and journalist Rosemarie Beltz. This podcast empowers midlifers with credible insights, personal reinvention stories, and research-backed tools for longevity, vitality, and meaningful living. Connect with Rosemarie: 🌐 Website: RosemarieB.com 📸 Instagram: @rosemariebeltz 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Everywhere you get your podcastsProduced By Rosemarie Beltz 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    17 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    The Midlife Pivot: How to Rewrite Your Career (Without Burning It All Down)

    Feeling the pull to change careers in your 40s or 50s? Journalist and healthcare professional Rosemarie Beltz breaks down the science, strategy, and soul of starting over — without starting from scratch. This solo episode of Second Opinion dives into data, purpose, and the personal story behind rewriting your next chapter without burning it all down. 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com. 🔗 Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode. If you love the show, leave a review—it helps others get a second opinion! 💡 Have a topic you’d love for us to cover? Reach out at www.rosemarieb.com.

    33 min
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out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Get the clarity you need on the hottest topics in health and wellness with Second Opinion. Hosted by Rosemarie Beltz, this podcast brings you fresh perspectives from experts, innovators, and disruptors tackling life-changing issues. Each episode unpacks the latest research, debunks the hype, and delivers insights to help you make informed decisions. If you're ready for engaging, enlightening, and occasionally unexpected takes on health and wellness, tune in and discover your second opinion.

Information

  • Creator
    Rosemarie Beltz
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rosemarie Beltz
  • Show Website
    Second Opinion