In this solo episode of Mind Your Being, we explore a simple but powerful idea from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): you are not your thoughts.

Have you ever had a thought that felt so real… you didn’t even question it?

Thoughts like “I’m not doing enough”, “I’ve left it too late”, or “I’m not good enough” can quietly shape how we feel, what we do—and what we hold ourselves back from.

In this episode, I introduce the concept of cognitive defusion—a practical, evidence-based way to step back from your thoughts instead of getting caught up in them.

We’ll explore:

• Why our minds get “hooked” by certain thoughts
• What psychological flexibility really means
• My personal experience with OCD, rumination, and intrusive thoughts
• Three simple, practical defusion exercises you can try today

This is not about getting rid of thoughts.
It’s about learning how to relate to them differently—so they don’t automatically control your behaviour.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in overthinking, self-doubt, or mental loops, this episode will give you simple tools to create space, respond differently, and move toward what matters most.

🎧 Plus: Download the free 1-page worksheet to help you put this into practice.

https://bit.ly/4tUyDsE

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Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

Dementia is something many of us worry about as we get older — but what does the science actually say about risk, prevention, and brain health?

In this episode, I’m joined by neuroscientist and science communicator Dr Sarah McKay to explore what’s really happening in the brain across midlife, and how we can think about reducing dementia risk in a realistic, evidence-based way.

We talk about what dementia actually is, how it differs from normal memory changes, and why it’s not an inevitable part of ageing.

Importantly, we unpack the concept of modifiable risk factors — including hearing loss, high LDL cholesterol, depression, and traumatic brain injury — and how these factors can influence brain health over time.

We also explore brain changes during perimenopause and menopause, and address common myths and misinformation circulating online — particularly around hormones and dementia risk.

This is a thoughtful, practical conversation focused on what’s within our control — without the fear-based messaging.

BIO
Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and science communicator, adept at making brain science accessible for enhancing health, wellbeing and performance.

An Oxford University graduate, Sarah earned her MSc and PhD in neuroscience before moving to Australia, where she conducted postdoctoral research on spinal cord injury for five years. She then founded Think Brain, a science communications and education company devoted to applied neuroscience and brain health.

She is the author of three books on brain health. The Women's Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones, and Happiness was published in 2018, with a second edition published in mid-2025. Baby Brain: The Surprising Neuroscience of How Pregnancy and Motherhood Sculpt Our Brains and Change Our Minds (for the Better) explores the transformative effects of pregnancy and motherhood. Her third book on brain health, written for the iconic For Dummies brand, was released in early 2025.

Links:

Dr Sarah McKay

https://drsarahmckay.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay/

Lancet Commission - Risk Factors for Dementia

https://www.thelancet.com/infographics-do/dementia-risk

Consensus AI

https://consensus.app/

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

A number of women shared something with me recently at a perimenopause and menopause event…

“I don’t quite know who I am anymore.”

If you’ve felt this way in midlife, you’re not alone.

In this solo episode of Mind Your Being, I explore how this stage of life — for both women and men — can feel disorienting, but also offers a meaningful opportunity to pause and reflect.

I talk about values — what they are, how they differ from goals, and why identifying and living in alignment with your values can help bring a greater sense of clarity, direction, and contentment.

This isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s a gentle invitation to consider:
What really matters to me now?
And am I living in a way that reflects that?

In this episode:

• Why many people feel a loss of identity in midlife
• How menopause and midlife can be reframed as a reset, not just a loss
• What values are (and how they differ from goals)
• Why living in alignment with your values supports wellbeing and resilience
• A simple way to begin identifying your own values
• How small, everyday choices shape a life that feels more like your own

Values Reflection List:

https://bit.ly/4tjs2rv

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

Episode Description

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide — yet many of the underlying risk factors are modifiable.

In this episode of Mind Your Being, Cass speaks with nutrition researcher Dr Amy Hutchison about the critical role metabolic health plays in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Together they explore what metabolic health actually means, how glucose and insulin regulate blood sugar after we eat, and why our circadian rhythms — the body’s internal 24-hour clock — influence how we process food.

They also explore the growing research around meal timing and how disrupted routines — such as shift work or poor sleep — can affect metabolic health. Could when we eat be just as important as what we eat?

Cass also shares a personal observation from wearing a continuous glucose monitor for 10 days, including what she noticed when stacking carbohydrates later in the evening and how it appeared to affect overnight glucose patterns and sleep.

This thoughtful conversation offers practical insights for anyone interested in supporting metabolic health and reducing long-term risk of chronic disease.

Topics discussed:
• What metabolic health really means
• Blood glucose, insulin and metabolic regulation
• Circadian rhythms and metabolism
• Why meal timing may matter
• Practical lifestyle strategies to support metabolic health

Bio:

Dr Amy Hutchison is an NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) Emerging Leadership Fellow based within the Lifelong Health Theme at SAHMRI (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute) , and affiliated with the Robinson Research Institute.

Dr Hutchison has a keen interest in chrono-nutrition, with her research exploring

1) how modified meal patterns such as intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding can improve blood glucose control and cardiovascular risk in at-risk individuals,

2) how gastrointestinal appetite hormones respond to modified meal patterns,

3) changes in circadian rhythms in food intake, activity and sleep across pregnancy.

She is involved in a number of clinical trials exploring the effects of intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding on metabolic health, as well as the effects of protein supplementation on blood glucose control and metabolic health in shift workers.

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

✨ Midlife can feel full. Productive. Efficient.

But sometimes — strangely — not fully lived.

In this solo episode, Cass reflects on something many people in midlife quietly experience: the feeling of managing life beautifully… while not always fully inhabiting it.

Why does time seem to speed up in this season?
Why do we keep saying “I’ll relax when…”?
And what might it be costing us to stay in constant doing mode?

Cass explores the difference between organising, optimising and surviving our days — and actually experiencing them. She shares gentle reflections on the myth of “later,” the hidden cost of busyness, and why presence matters more than we realise.

The episode closes with a short guided meditation to help you reconnect with the present moment — no fixing, no optimising, just being.

If midlife has felt fast, full or slightly overwhelming… this is your invitation to pause.

Because now is where your life is lived.

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

Episode Description:

Why do certain emotional patterns keep repeating?
Why does trauma linger in the body long after the event has passed?
And is healing truly possible?

In this episode of Mind Your Being, I’m joined by Psychologist Mark Baxter, Director of The Psychology Spot in Wollongong, NSW. With over two decades of experience, Mark specialises in trauma recovery, PTSD, adverse childhood experiences, attachment difficulties and depression.

Together, we explore:

• How childhood adversity shapes self-beliefs and identity
• The connection between the nervous system, mental health and physical health
• Depression as a complex syndrome — not a personal flaw
• Why trauma can become “stuck” and how therapies like EMDR help process it
• The importance of the therapeutic relationship
• The emerging field of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD
• Psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression
• Why self-acceptance is central to healing

We also discuss Australia’s evolving approach to psychedelic-assisted therapies, who may be suitable candidates, and why careful screening and integration are essential.

This is a grounded, compassionate and hopeful conversation about understanding yourself more deeply — and moving toward healing with greater self-awareness and self-compassion.

If you’ve ever struggled with depression, trauma, or harsh self-criticism, this episode is for you.

Bio:

Mark has been working as a psychologist for over two decades and is the Director of The Psychology Spot, a group private practice in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

Over the past 8 years, Mark has undertaken additional training in psychedelic-assisted therapy. He provides MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy with Evolution Medicine Enhanced Therapy at Northern Beaches Hospital and Tikvah Centre for Eating Disorder Recovery in Sydney.

Links:

https://www.thepsychologyspot.com.au/

https://www.evolutionmet.com/

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

Skin health is about more than how we look — it’s about confidence, wellbeing, and feeling comfortable in our own skin.

In this episode of Mind Your Being, Cass speaks with Liv Slee, owner of Oak and Eve Beauty in the Illawarra, about skin health through midlife and the role professional treatments can play during perimenopause and menopause.

Liv shares her background in makeup and skin therapy, and explains skin needling in a clear, accessible way — including how it works, what concerns it can support, and why it has become such a popular option for midlife skin.

They explore:

• What skin needling actually is (and what it isn’t)
• How it supports collagen, skin tone, texture, and barrier function
• Common skin changes in perimenopause and menopause
• Why choosing an experienced therapist matters
• The importance of home care, including sunscreen, retinol, and hydration
• How confidence and skin health are deeply connected

This episode is a grounded, reassuring listen for anyone wanting to better understand their skin, reduce overwhelm, and make informed choices about skin treatments during midlife.

Bio:

Liv has been a part of the makeup and beauty industry since 2008, starting out in makeup and all things creative but quickly fell in love with the bridal industry. Over time, Liv saw so many brides who on their wedding day had wished their skin was better. It may have been texture, break outs, clarity and fine lines, or a mix of all of them, and it quickly became apparent that by the time these ladies got to Liv for makeup, the time for skin preparations had passed and makeup could only do so much.

The drive to help these women turned from makeup and cover ups to prevention by opening Oak & Eve Beauty where we could help make their skin as good as possible, so they felt confident even without the makeup.

18 years later Liv is proud to be the owner at Oak & Eve Beauty and lead a team of 8 women who are equally passionate about skin health, wellbeing and confidence in their own skin.

Links:

https://www.oakandevebeauty.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/oakandevebeauty/

https://www.facebook.com/oakandevebeauty/

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.

In this episode of Mind Your Being, Cass is joined by Professor Belinda Beck, a world-leading researcher in bone health and exercise science, to explore how our bones truly respond to movement, nutrition, and lifestyle across the lifespan.

Prof. Beck explains why it’s never too late to strengthen your bones, the types of exercise that actually stimulate bone growth, and why many commonly recommended “gentle” activities aren’t enough to protect against osteoporosis.

She shares the groundbreaking findings from her LIFTMOR clinical trial, which showed that even post-menopausal women with osteoporosis were able to improve bone density safely — with the right exercise, the right supervision, and the right program.

The conversation also explores how these findings translate into real-world improvements in strength, balance, confidence, and quality of life, why fall prevention is so critical as we age, and how the evidence-based ONERO program was developed to bring this research into the community.

If you’re in midlife and want practical, science-backed guidance to support long-term strength, mobility, and independence, this episode is for you.

Biography:

Belinda Beck is a Professor of Exercise Physiology at Griffith University (Gold Coast, QLD) and Director of The Bone Clinic in Brisbane. Her work, primarily related to the effects of mechanical loading on bone, includes a series of clinical trials (the LIFTMOR and MEDEX-OP trials) that changed the way osteoporosis is managed with exercise.

In 2015, she established The Bone Clinic, a translational research facility and clinical practice in Brisbane providing the ONERO® exercise program for osteoporosis which has been licenced for delivery around the world.

She has been awarded almost $8M in research funding and has published over 150 papers and chapters in the field.

Links:

https://onero.academy/locations/

https://onero.academy/

Onero Online

Osteoporosis Prevention - Healthy Bones for Life without Fracture

High‐Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial

https://mindyourbeing.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourbeingpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574785410170#

https://x.com/mind_yourbeing

https://www.youtube.com/@MindYourBeingPodcast

Thanks so much for listening,

Cass x

Disclaimer:

The information provided on the Mind Your Being Podcast is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The content shared on this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

Reliance on any information provided by the Mind Your Being Podcast, its hosts, guests, or others appearing on the podcast is solely at your own risk. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast creators or hosts.