Welcome to 2026, where it suddenly feels harder than ever to talk about menopause, health, and nutrition without the conversation getting hijacked by weight loss. In this longer-than-usual episode, I’m joined by family physician and writer Dr. Mara Gordon (who proudly describes herself as an “anti-diet doctor”) to talk about the question that's been on my mind lately: Is a weight-neutral menopause still possible?

Mara and I unpack what weight neutrality actually means in real-world healthcare, why the “weight loss fixes everything” narrative has gotten louder again, and whether GLP-1 medications can fit into an informed, values-based, body-autonomy-first approach to care.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What I mean by “weight neutral” (and why it’s not the same as “anti-weight loss”)
• Why menopause weight changes can create so much urgency, fear, and pressure
• How to support weight-neutral conversations even when cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure change
• The “Mediterranean pattern,” and why nutrition strategies can help without turning into restriction
• GLP-1s: what they can do well (and what they cannot do)
• Why a lot of expectations about weight loss are shaped by culture, not medicine
• Why “I want to avoid meds” is often about something deeper than the medication

About my guest, Dr. Mara Gordon
Dr. Mara Gordon is a family physician in Camden, New Jersey. She’s also a writer, including NPR’s Real Talk with a Doc column, and she writes a Substack newsletter called Your Doctor Friend, about healthcare being a mess and how we can figure it out together. She’s also working on a book about diet culture and medicine, expected in 2027.

Links & resources

• Dr. Mara Gordon’s Substack: Your Doctor Friend
• NPR column: Real Talk with a Doc
• My website + free resources + coaching: menopausenutritionist.ca

If this episode hit home
Share it with a friend who’s feeling the pressure to “fix” her midlife body. And if you have a question you want me to tackle on a future episode, send it my way.

Enjoying the show?
Follow The Midlife Feast and leave a review. It helps more midlife women find evidence-based, weight-neutral support that doens't feel like a diet.

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

Sign for this year's FREE non-diet resolution challenge: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/January

And if you'd like a copy of my book to follow along with, you can grab the ebook this month for 4.99 on Kindle

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

What if the loudest voice at your meals isn’t hunger, but an overactive alarm telling you you’re doing it “wrong”? In this episode, I dig into the link between food guilt and relentless food noise, and show how midlife shifts, hormones, sleep, mood, and capacity can crank that alarm even higher. Instead of doubling down on rules, I'll walk you through the 3-step process that replaces food morality with neutrality.

Grab The Food Guilt Decoder here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/FoodGuiltDecoder

Episodes mentiond:

Episode 172: https://themidlifefeast.buzzsprout.com/1851576/episodes/18238090

Episode 151:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851576/episodes/17038620

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Sometimes the routines that feel the hardest to change are the ones that once helped us cope. In this episode, therapist and eating-disorder specialist Signe Darpinian breaks down how those patterns get wired into the brain, why diet culture reinforces them, and how midlife is actually an ideal time to reshape habits with clarity and compassion.

We dig into what it really takes to unwind the patterns that feel automatic, especially the ones that show up at the end of a long day or week. You’ll hear how small, well-timed shifts can loosen the grip of old routines and create space for choices that actually feel good.

We also explore simple tools for calming the mental swirl that fuels cravings and second-guessing, along with a gentler approach to movement and nourishment that supports energy, mood, and a steadier sense of self. It’s all about building habits that fit your real life, not forcing yourself into rigid rules.

If you’re stepping away from dieting and looking for routines that feel kinder, more sustainable, and more you, this conversation offers encouragement, clarity, and a practical path forward.

Connect with Signe Darpinian

Grab the Book: A Woman's Guide to Menopause, Body Image, and Emotional Well-being at Midlife
Instagram: @therapyrockspodcast
Website: www.signedarpinian.com

Like what you learned? Check out these other episodes!

• Finding Your Movement Rhythm with ADHD & Perimenopause with Christine Chessman
• How to Cancel Your Clean Plate Club Membership with Emily Sucher, RD
• How to Stop the Cycle of “Starting Over” Every Monday
• 3 Reasons Why Intuitive Eating Might Feel Hard with Abbie Attwood

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

What if the fear of “looking older” isn’t really about wrinkles at all, but about relevance, visibility, and power? I welcome registered dietitian and author Deb Benfield to dig into internalized ageism and the subtle ways culture teaches us to distrust our future selves. We walk about how it gets tangled up with diet culture, wellness trends, and perfectionism. Together we unpack why compliments like “you haven’t aged a bit” keep youth on a pedestal, how patriarchy and ableism shape appearance pressure, and what it takes to build a truly age-affirming life. We talk about:

• Defining internalized ageism and why it starts early
• Separating facts of aging from fear-based stories
• Naming patriarchy, sexism and ableism in appearance pressure
• How wellness trends can trigger relapse and obsession
• Autonomy vs pressure in skincare, movement and food
• Her book's framework for untangling systems and mending body trust
• Practical steps to notice, name and unlearn ageist thoughts
• Choosing freedom and values over perfection

Learn more about Deb's work:https://www.debrabenfield.com

Order Unapologetic Aging: https://www.debrabenfield.com/book

If you've loved today's conversation and found it helpful, please share it with a friend who needs to hear this and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts

If you're ready to take the next step towards thriving in midlife, head to menopause nutritionist.ca to learn more about my one-to-one and group coaching programs, free resources, and where to get your copy of Eat to Thrive during menopause

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

I'm answering three questions this week: how to get soy’s benefits if it bothers your gut, what really shifts in metabolism during menopause, and how to quiet food noise. We'll cover:

• Non-soy protein swaps from beans, lentils and pulses
• Flax lignans as a phytoestrogen alternative
• Metabolism as a system of gears, not a dial
• Hormones’ indirect impact through symptoms and routines
• Defining food noise and why it returns after GLP-1s
• Permission-based eating to rebuild trust and satisfaction

Episodes mentioned:

#151 - Is it Hunger, Hormones or Food Noise?

#155 - Q&A: Food Tracking, Plant Proteins & Collagen Supplements

#127 - The Truth About Soy in Midlife

#84 - On The Menu - Part 1 Your Menopause Nutrition Questions

#87- On The Menu - Part 2 Your Menopause Nutrition Questions

#90 - On The Menu - Part 3 Your Menopause Nutrition Questions

Join the live book club Q&A: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/bookclub

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

Feel like your sleep has gone missing in midlife? Join me and my guest Dr Shelby Harris as we break down why sleep changes in perimenopause, how culture has overhyped “perfect sleep,” and the tools that actually help. Dr. Shelby Harris also explains CBTi in plain language so you can stop chasing hacks and start building steady, restful sleep. We talk about:

• The perfect storm of hormones, mood, and social load
• Why sleep hygiene helps but won’t cure insomnia
• Rethinking the “eight hours” rule and normal wakeups
• HRT benefits and limits for midlife sleep
• CBTi basics: wake time, stimulus control, time-in-bed tweaks
• Letting go of sleep anxiety
• Practical first steps and when to get help

Learn more about Dr Harris at: www. drshelbyharris .com

Follow her on Instagram: @ SleepDocShelby

Check out her books:

The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Relying on Medication

The Essential Guide to Children’s Sleep: A Tired Caregiver’s Workbook for Every Age and Stage

Looking for better sleep solutions in the kitchen? My book, Eat to Thrive During Menopause, has an entire section on sleep - Order wherever books are sold or visit www.menopausenutritionist.ca/Book.

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

We all want to simplify nutrition (and life!) but are we going down the wrong path when it comes to finding "one thing" for nutrition in menopause? Laura Clark RD and I talk about how real progress in midlife comes from flexibility, self-trust, and simple, satisfying meals. We break down the hype around protein, fiber, and even the microbiome so food feels calmer, kinder, and more doable. In this episode you'll hear:

• why chasing a single fix creates stress not change
• how Laura’s practice shifted from weight-centric targets to nuance
• protein without perfection and what steadies your morning
• fiber and microbiome benefits without counting or 30-plant pressure
• simple plate-building: protein, carbs you enjoy, and some crunch
• escaping on-it off-it thinking and perfectionism loops
• social comparison traps and giving yourself permission
• redefining progress as small choices that stack
• adding fun back into food and midlife

If you're ready to take the next step towards thriving in midlife, head to www.menopausenutritionist.ca to learn more about my one-to-one and group coaching programs, free resources, and where to get your copy of Eat to Thrive during menopause.
If you've loved today's conversation and found it helpful, please share it with a friend who needs to hear this and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

You can learn more about Laura at https://www.lecnutrition.co.uk/ and on Instagram at @menopause.dietitian.

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

If your closet feels like a battlefield and getting dressed has turned into a daily reminder that your body isn’t the same as it used to be, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m joined by personal stylist Jacquelyn Prattipati, who helps women in midlife rediscover confidence and comfort through clothes that fit the body (and the life) they have now.

We’re talking about what “feeling put together” really means, why style has nothing to do with size, and how to stop waiting for a smaller body to wear what you love. You’ll walk away with practical tips for finding clothes that fit today’s body, letting go of the “someday jeans,” and remembering that your body isn’t the problem, your clothes just need to catch up.

Want to learn more about body image in midlife?

🎙Episode 109 - The Body Acceptance Mistake That's Keeping you Stuck in The Suck

Learn more about Jacquelyn at www.jgpstyledme.com and on Instagram at @jgpstyledme

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist