Summer Rewind: We're revisiting some of our most memorable conversations - and this one is an absolute gem!

In this inspiring archive episode, Dame Prue Leith joins Michelle to talk about living boldly, dressing brightly, and speaking out on issues that matter. Prue shares how embracing colour in midlife isn’t just about fashion - it’s about confidence, visibility and joy. Age, she insists, should never limit our choices or silence our sense of fun.

The conversation then takes a heartfelt turn, as Prue opens up about her advocacy for assisted dying - why she believes everyone deserves the right to a dignified end, and how this choice is an extension of dignity in life.

Plus, Prue introduces her cookbook Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom, designed to help anyone feel at home in the kitchen, with easy, delicious recipes that keep cooking joyful rather than stressful.

Key Takeaways:

🎙️ The Confidence of Colour: Dressing boldly can lift your mood and help you feel seen in midlife.

🎙️ Dignity in Death: Why Prue passionately supports the right to choose a dignified death.

🎙️ Cooking Made Simple: Making tasty, fuss-free food accessible to everyone.

🎙️ Healthy Eating Habits: Why teaching kids to enjoy nutritious food from the start really matters.

🎧 Rewind with us and rediscover why this episode remains so relevant — and so full of heart.

Episode Resources:

•Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom by Prue Leith

Dignity in Dying

first broadcast: 5 November 2024

Connect with Us:

🌟 Website: TwoWomenChatting.com

📸 Instagram: @michelleford_twc

🐦 Twitter/X: @ChattingTwo

📘 Facebook: Two Women Chatting

📺 YouTube: TwoWomenChatting

Tiktok TwoWomenChatting0

Tune in to hear Dame Prue Leith like you’ve never heard her before - sharing bold views on colour, cooking and why she believes in having control over life’s final chapter.

Colour, confidence, aging, cookbook, cooking tips, assisted dying, dignity, food education, ageism, vibrant fashion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Summer Rewind episode from the Two Women Chatting archive, Liz and Michelle revisit their inspiring conversation with TV presenter, journalist and author Louise Minchin. Louise opens up about her deeply personal journey through empty nest syndrome, sharing the unexpected grief and sense of loss she felt when both her daughters left home for university.

Louise explains how she overcame this emotional rollercoaster by setting new challenges: becoming an endurance athlete, pushing herself out of her comfort zone, and chronicling her adventures with remarkable women in her bestselling book, Fearless. From swimming through shark-infested waters to Alcatraz to ice diving, Louise shows how embracing adventure and focusing on what your body can do — rather than how it looks — can transform your midlife years.

This episode offers practical advice and inspiration for anyone facing the empty nest: learn to celebrate your achievements, set fresh goals, and reinvent yourself at any stage of life.

For more resources, visit our Midlife Library and blog on empty nest syndrome at twowomenchatting.com.

✅ Louise was surprised by the intensity of grief she felt when her daughters first left home.

✅ She describes parenting at this stage as a rollercoaster — no longer being in control.

✅ Finding new challenges helped her cope: endurance sports, triathlons, and writing books.

✅ Celebrate what your body can do, not just how it looks.

✅ Reinventing your career in midlife is possible and exciting — Louise proudly now calls herself a writer.

✅ Set small goals, step outside your comfort zone, and don’t let fear of failure stop you.

First broadcast: 25 September 2023

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

We love hearing from you: email us at twowomenchatting@gmail.com.

Explore more blogs and resources on empty nest syndrome and midlife reinvention at www.twowomenchatting.com.

Follow Two Women Chatting on instagram @michelleford_twc

on Facebook @twowomenchatting

on YouTube @twowomenchatting

on X @michellefordvo

on TikTok @twowomenchatting0

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this no-holds-barred conversation, Michelle chats with journalist, author, and campaigner Kate Muir about the silent epidemic affecting women in midlife - bone health. They unpack the emotional and physical toll of menopause, how hormonal changes can impact everything from mental health to neurodivergence, and why it’s time for women to take charge of their midlife wellbeing. From wild swimming to strength training to HRT, Kate advocates for preventative healthcare and reclaims the midlife “crisis” as a powerful turning point. Plus, she shares highlights from her new book, How to Have a Magnificent Midlife Crisis.

🎙️ Menopause, Mental Health & Neurodivergence: Kate explains how hormonal shifts can bring mental health challenges and reveal or intensify neurodivergent traits in midlife - making awareness and proper support systems essential.

🎙️ Lifting for Longevity: Strength training isn’t optional. Kate breaks down how weight-bearing exercise and vaginal estrogen are key to protecting bone health, reducing UTIs, and improving quality of life after 40.

🎙️ Midlife as a Second Act: Rather than seeing midlife as a decline, Kate encourages women to embrace it as a time for reinvention, joy, and self-discovery - central themes in her latest book.

🎙️ The Vaginal Microbiome Matters: Often overlooked, the vaginal microbiome plays a critical role in long-term health. Kate explains how estrogen, supplements and awareness can help reduce infections and support longevity.

📘 How to Have a Magnificent Midlife Crisis by Kate Muir: Buy the Book

📸 Kate Muir on Instagram: @menoscandal

🌟 Website: TwoWomenChatting.com

📸 Instagram: @michelleford_twc

🐦 Twitter/X: @ChattingTwo

📘 Facebook: Two Women Chatting

📺 YouTube: TwoWomenChatting

Keywords:

midlife crisis, women's health, menopause, wild swimming, mental health, HRT, emotional changes, healthcare advocacy, longevity, exercise, bone health, UTI, estrogen, vaginal health, neurodivergence, midlife, self-care, strength training

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.