Every New Year, women are told to make resolutions: eat better, move more, fix sleep, get disciplined. Planning matters—but many women enter midlife already feeling boxed in by rules, expectations, and pressure to “do it right.”

What if this year isn’t about tighter boxes—but deeper alignment?

It’s New Year’s Day. A blank calendar. A clean slate.

And for many women in midlife, a quiet question underneath all the goal-setting:

What’s next for me?

If you’re navigating perimenopause or post-menopause, you may be balancing changes in energy, weight, mood, and motivation—while also sensing something deeper is shifting.

Here’s what I know to be true:

Midlife isn’t healed by choosing either health or faith—you need both.

Nutrition, movement, and routines matter. You can take HRT, do breathwork, eat organic, track macros—and still feel lost. A meal plan, a morning routine, or a supplement protocol cannot fill a spiritual void. That’s why even the most disciplined women still feel empty.

Your symptoms aren’t just hormonal. They’re often signals—calling you into a deeper season. And most menopause programs miss this entirely.

January resolutions often fail not because women lack discipline—but because they demand perfection and rigidity in a season that requires wisdom and flexibility.

Midlife bodies change.

Midlife priorities shift.

Midlife faith deepens.

Planning matters—but putting yourself in a box doesn’t. When resolutions become rules instead of rhythms, they disconnect us from both our bodies and God’s guidance.

This season isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about listening, responding, and growing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

This year, Hello, Hot Flash is taking a more holistic approach—connecting midlife health and faith.

Starting this month:

• Tuesdays will focus on how faith intersects with menopause and midlife health (grounded, practical, and real—not heavy or preachy)
• Thursdays remain unchanged, featuring doctors, scientists, and coaches sharing evidence-based strategies for midlife women

We’ll explore:

• Why faith matters when your body feels unfamiliar
• How spiritual alignment affects energy, stress, and decision-making
• Where science and faith support—rather than compete with—each other

This year, my personal resolution is bigger than a program or challenge. I’m building a community of women asking what’s next in menopause—and in life.

It’s called The Change.

Over the course of a year, we’ll walk together through:

• Eating in ways that support midlife hormones
• Moving our bodies with intention—not punishment
• Strengthening our relationship with Christ as our bodies and roles evolve

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about integration. Health and faith. Body and spirit. Planning—with room for God to lead.

Midlife transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community.

Additional Resources:

• Check out Reverse Health. Use promo code HOTFLASH for a 10% discount. https://www.rgds43jd.com/G1S938/7XDN2/
• Learn how to feel clear, steady, and in control again. https://hellohotflash.com/assessments
• The limited-series podcast Christian Women and Menopause teaches what the Bible says about stress, anxiety, health, and confidence in midlife. Listen here: https://hellohotflash.com/christian-women-and-menopause
• Learn more at hellohotflash.com/the-change or under the Community tab.

As we head into 2026, I’m excited to share that we’re expanding.

Starting in Q1, we’re adding new Tuesday solo episodes—short, powerful teachings focused on what the Bible has to say to women in midlife.

Then on Thursdays, we’ll continue bringing you conversations with amazing doctors, medical professionals, and coaches from around the world.

In early 2026, you’ll hear from people like:

• Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, physician, research scientist, and professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, and a leader in brain and women’s health research. • Meghan Rabbitt, the journalist Maria Shriver personally tapped to write The New Rules of Menopause. • Matt Jones, who—along with a team of doctors and healthcare specialists—built a company dedicated to supporting midlife women because his mom needed this kind of care. • And Dr. Victoria Maizes, a pioneer of integrative medicine and founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, sharing the extraordinary “rapid recovery reflex,” your body’s innate ability to rebalance and heal.

And if during the holiday season you’re looking for extra encouragement or spiritual support, be sure to listen to the limited-series Christian Women and Menopause, available anywhere you get your podcasts.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year… and as always—here’s to your health.

Perimenopause can bring weight changes, exhaustion, mood shifts, and a deep sense of “what is happening to my body?” In this conversation, author and entrepreneur Lynn Smargis opens up about the symptoms that shook her confidence—and the strategies that helped her reclaim her energy, purpose, and peace.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How processed sugar can intensify hot flashes and why stabilizing blood sugar is essential during perimenopause • What estrogen patches can do for symptoms like panic attacks, night sweats, and mood swings • How lifestyle choices—movement, nutrition, nervous-system support, and symptom tracking—can reduce overwhelm • Why individualized care matters and how to advocate for what your body needs • The power of sharing your story and building community during midlife changes

To learn more about our guest, Lynn Smargis, visit https://hellohotflash.com/episodes/perimenopause-pain .

• Feeling bloated, foggy, or frustrated with “doing everything right” but still feeling off? Take the Perimenopause & Hormone Insight Assessment: https://hellohotflash.com/assessments
• If your body feels unpredictable and your faith feels stretched thin, explore the limited-series podcast Christian Women and Menopause for biblical truth, practical strategies, and gentle encouragement: https://hellohotflash.com/christian-women-and-menopause

Welcome back to Hello, Hot Flash. I’m Stephanie Shaw, and before we close out the year, I just want to take a moment to say thank you.

Because of you—your listening, your sharing, your reviews—this show has crossed more than 41,000 downloads and ranks in the top 3% of all podcasts. That is incredible, and it is absolutely because of this community. I’m so grateful you’re here.

As we wrap up the year, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, joy-filled holiday season. I hope you find time to rest, to nourish yourself, to laugh with friends, hug on your family, or maybe slip away for some much-needed alone time. However you spend these days, I hope they bring you comfort and renewal.

And as we head into 2026, I’m excited to share that we’re expanding. Starting in Q1, we’re adding new Tuesday solo episodes—short, powerful teachings focused on what the Bible has to say to women in midlife. Then on Thursdays, we’ll continue bringing you midlife-health related conversations with amazing doctors, medical professionals, and coaches from around the world.

In early 2026, you’ll hear from people like:

• Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, physician, research scientist, and professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, and a leader in brain and women’s health research. • Meghan Rabbitt, the journalist Maria Shriver personally tapped to write The New Rules of Menopause. • Matt Jones, who—along with a team of doctors and healthcare specialists—built a company dedicated to supporting midlife women because his mom needed this kind of care. • And Dr. Victoria Maizes, a pioneer of integrative medicine and founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, sharing the extraordinary “rapid recovery reflex,” your body’s innate ability to rebalance and heal.

And if during the holiday season you’re looking for extra encouragement or spiritual support, be sure to listen to the limited-series Christian Women and Menopause, available anywhere you get your podcasts.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year… and as always—here’s to your health.

Additional Information:

• Reverse Health - check on the app here: https://www.rgds43jd.com/G1S938/7XDN2/ and get a 10% discount with the code HOTFLASH
• Limited-Series Christian Women & Menopause can be found here: https://hellohotflash.com/free
• 2026 Episodes I mentioned can be found, in 2026, on Https://HelloHotFlash.com/Episodes

Fasting doesn’t have to mean going without food. Registered Dietitian Renee Fitton breaks down how a Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) activates many of the same metabolic and hormonal benefits of fasting while still allowing you to eat. She explains the science behind FMDs, why they work so well for women in midlife, and how they support healthier aging, weight management, and metabolic repair.

What You Will Learn: • How the Fasting Mimicking Diet works and how it differs from traditional fasting • Why FMDs protect muscle while promoting fat loss, especially for women 40+ • Research on FMDs for metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammation, and longevity • How often to use FMDs for optimal hormonal and metabolic benefits • Why autophagy supports cellular repair, brain health, and healthy aging

Additional Resources:

• Christian Women & Menopause Limited Series: https://hellohotflash.com/christian-women-and-menopause • Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/HelloHotFlash

Midlife often brings symptoms and struggles we don’t talk enough about—fatigue, brain fog, emotional overwhelm, and a sense of being “off.” In this episode of Hello Hot Flash, host Stephanie Shaw speaks with Lori Lisai, a human design coach and midlife mentor, about how human design offers women a new lens for self-awareness and empowerment.

Instead of pushing through or relying only on logic, Lori encourages women to listen to their intuition and use human design as a tool for making more authentic life and work choices. If you’ve ever wondered why traditional advice doesn’t feel right for you, this episode will help you see midlife as a powerful new beginning.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why midlife symptoms like fatigue and brain fog may be connected to energy drains.
2. How human design helps you reconnect with your intuition and make authentic decisions.
3. Why viewing midlife transitions as opportunities, not endings, changes everything.

In this empowering episode of Hello Hot Flash, host Stephanie Shaw sits down with Kate Wells, former science teacher turned hormone expert and co-founder of Parlor Games. Together, they explore how stress, hormones, and communication intersect during midlife—and what women can do to reclaim balance, energy, and joy.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why managing stress is essential for hormone balance in perimenopause and menopause
• How bioidentical hormone therapy can safely support mood, energy, and vitality
• The surprising connection between adrenal health, stress, and hormone production
• Why open conversations about menopause matter—and how they can change your relationships
• How Kate’s journey from science teacher to entrepreneur empowers women to take charge of their well-being

Kate shares practical strategies for supporting your body through hormone shifts and how business and science can work together to help women thrive in midlife.

• Take the Hormone Harmony Assessment and learn how to beat fatigue, mood swings, and stubborn weight → https://LOScheduling.As.Me/hormone-harmony-assessment
• Dive into our faith-based limited series: Christian Women & Menopause → https://hellohotflash.com/christian-women-and-menopause
• Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/HelloHotFlash

Bladder leaks, pelvic pain, and intimacy struggles in midlife? They’re common — but not inevitable. In this episode of Hello Hot Flash, sexual medicine expert Aleece Fosnight shares the truth about pelvic floor health, menopause, and sexual functioning — and how you can take charge of your well-being.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why bladder leaks aren’t “just aging.”
2. How pelvic floor therapy can help men and women.
3. Hormone options for genitourinary symptom relief.

Additional Resources:

• Free Hormone Harmony Assessment
• American Urological Association Releases New Guideline on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause - https://www.auanet.org/about-us/media-center/press-center/american-urological-association-releases-new-guideline-on-genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause
• Mark Cuban's Insurance Company (this is not an endorcement): https://www.costplusdrugs.com/
• Bristol Stool Chart - https://med.stanford.edu/pediatricsurgery/Conditions/BowelManagement/bristol-stool-form-scale.html