Ever found yourself staring into the refrigerator, completely drained by the thought of cooking yet another meal? After decades of feeding others and managing everyone's food preferences, midlife often brings a peculiar relationship with cooking – what once felt like an act of love now feels like just another chore to check off your list.

This burnout is completely normal. The mental load of cooking isn't just about the physical tasks; it's about the constant decision-making, the pressure to "do it right," and the loss of purpose many of us feel when our cooking routines change. Whether your kids have left home or you're simply tired of the endless meal planning cycle, the kitchen can become a space of exhaustion rather than creativity.

But what if cooking could become an act of self-love rather than obligation? In this episode, I share five practical strategies to transform your relationship with food preparation. From shifting your mindset to embracing seasonal cooking, these approaches help release the pressure and perfectionism that drain the joy from feeding ourselves. You'll discover how simple meals can be deeply nourishing, why setting the scene matters even when cooking for one, and how letting go of "shoulds" creates space for genuine pleasure in the kitchen.

Ready to rediscover the joy of cooking? Join our Summer Inspired Recipe Club starting June 21st, where we'll use seasonal produce to guide our meals and bring back the simple pleasure of cooking. Because midlife isn't about doing more in the kitchen – it's about reclaiming your relationship with food in a way that honors exactly where you are now. Click the link in the show notes to sign up!

Join The Summer Inspired Recipe Club! We start June 21st, 8 weeks, over 40 recipes that you get to keep for life, tons of inspiration and fun. Click HERE for all the information and to sign up.

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

From dreaded adversary to unexpected ally, menopause transforms from something women merely survive into a doorway to authentic living. This candid conversation between two menopause specialists—one navigating perimenopause in her 40's, the other firmly in menopause at 57—delivers the straight talk about hormones, fitness, nutrition, and identity that's missing from most menopause discussions.

Erika Shannon reveals how early perimenopause symptoms disrupted her life as a fitness instructor, eventually leading her to specialize in menopause-specific fitness approaches. And I share my struggle to get medical support in my 40s when perimenopause "didn't even have a name." Together, they dismantle popular myths and misconceptions about exercise, supplements, diets and social media (weighted vests, high-intensity workouts, creatine supplements, and protein obsessions and our the cottage cheese craze just to start), offering evidence-based alternatives that actually support women's changing bodies.

Whether you're approaching perimenopause, in the thick of symptoms, or emerging on the other side, this episode offers practical wisdom about hormone therapy, efficient workout methods, nutritional priorities, and the profound opportunity to reimagine your life. Because as both of us emphasize, well-nourishment extends beyond food to encompass sleep, movement, stress management, and creating space for what genuinely feeds your spirit.

The greatest takeaway? This transition represents the unexpected gift of menopause: permission to prioritize what truly matters.

How To Find Erika

Erika's Website HERE

Erika on Instagram HERE

Get one FREE month of Erikas Moving Through Menopause Bundle HERE

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

What does the next chapter of your life really look like? Whether you're dreaming of a slower pace, planning a big adventure, or simply craving clarity about your future, this conversation with Camille Walsonovich offers a fresh perspective on reimagining what comes next.

After 35 magical years at Disney, Camille found herself at age 50 searching for guidance on transitioning to her next chapter. When she couldn't find resources specifically addressing women's retirement experiences, she created My Aspirement - a movement helping women explore purpose and possibility beyond traditional retirement concepts.

We dive deep into the unique challenges women face during this life transition - from career shifts and caring for aging parents to health concerns and seeking meaning. Camille shares powerful strategies for navigating this "perfect storm" of midlife, including the concept of "backcasting" (envisioning different possible futures based on today's choices) and taking "micro actions" that build confidence through small, manageable steps.

For those feeling overwhelmed or filled with regret, Camille offers compassionate wisdom about extending grace to ourselves and recognizing how our values might shift during different life seasons. She suggests treating this transition like college - giving ourselves years, not months, to explore new possibilities for what could be a third of our lifetime.

The most refreshing takeaway? Retirement isn't about stopping - it's about starting a new adventure with purpose, possibility, and playfulness. Through community support and intentional planning, women can design futures aligned with their deepest values and aspirations.

CONNECT WITH CAMILLE

Click HERE for Camille's website My Aspirement and her Membership

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

When did you first learn your body was “wrong”?

For nutrition coach Elizabeth Dahl, it started with a comment about her legs—and from there, years of restriction, shame, and disconnection followed.

In this honest and hopeful conversation, Elizabeth shares how she broke free from diet culture and found food freedom rooted in self-trust, not perfection. We talk about why "perfect plans" don’t work in real life, how to reset after tough moments with food, and why your body deserves to be nurtured, not punished.

If you're tired of starting over or overwhelmed by health advice, this episode will feel like a deep breath. Take a listen!

GET IN TOUCH WITH ELIZABETH

Elizabeth is offering free 6-minute guided audio meditation to help listeners eat mindfully and create a happy balance with food. Click HERE.

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Change is a part of life—but in your 40s and beyond, it can feel messier, more emotional, and a lot harder to navigate. In this episode, I’m digging into why change often hits differently in midlife, the feelings it stirs up (spoiler: you’re not alone!), and how to move through it with more ease and self-compassion.

Whether you’re facing shifts in your health, relationships, career, or sense of self, this conversation is here to remind you that it’s okay to feel all the things—and that there’s real strength on the other side of transition.

THE WELL NOURISHED WOMAN COMMUNITY

👉 Want more support? Join The Well Nourished Woman—my free, off-social-media community for women 40+ navigating midlife health, hormones, and life changes. Get all the details and sign up, click HERE

MOCKTAIL AND MINGLE WITH ME

✨ Are you local to me in Southport, CT? Don’t miss my upcoming Mocktail & Mingle:Everything Changes After 40 event May 20th at 6:30pm—a fun, relaxed evening to connect, sip, and talk all things midlife. Grab your spot HERE to RSVP SPACE IS LIMITED!

✨ If you are not local join me on Zoom to Mocktail and Mingle! May 22nd at 6:30pm, same talk just in your sweats :) Click HERE to RSVP

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

What if your biggest challenge became your greatest calling?

That’s exactly what happened to Debra Erickson, who lost her vision to retinitis pigmentosa. At age 59, she did something extraordinary: she enrolled in culinary school — and became the only blind graduate in her class.

Today, Debra is the founder of The Blind Kitchen, where she’s making it possible for people with vision loss to cook independently and confidently.

The truth? The kitchen can be intimidating for anyone — sharp knives, hot pans, complicated recipes. Now imagine facing all of that without sight. In this powerful episode, Debra shares how she turned fear into purpose, building a business that helps others overcome their own kitchen anxieties.

What I love most is that her story isn’t just about blindness. It’s about resilience, creativity, and pushing through whatever’s holding you back — in the kitchen or in life.

Debra’s approach to cooking is all about making things organized, clear, and manageable — lessons that anyone can use, whether you’re a total beginner or just someone who wants to feel more confident making meals at home.

Her courage and innovation are truly inspiring, and I know you’ll come away from this conversation feeling empowered to tackle your own challenges.

🎧 Tune in now and meet Debra Erickson

To learn more about Deborah and her innovative kitchen tools click HERE

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

What does homesteading look like when you live in suburban Los Angeles? Elizabeth Bruckner never imagined she'd become a passionate advocate for self-sufficient living – especially after years of killing every houseplant that crossed her threshold. However, a long-term chronic illness that left her bedridden forced her to reimagine her relationship with food and healing.

Desperate to regain her health, she abandoned processed foods and gradually shifted from her 27-year vegetarian diet to incorporate nutrient-dense, ethically sourced animal products. The improvements were dramatic, but it was the COVID pandemic that truly catalyzed her homesteading journey when even basic ingredients like garlic became temporarily unavailable.

"I didn't even know what broccoli looked like coming out of the ground – that's how divorced I was from my food," Elizabeth confesses. Today, she champions an accessible vision of homesteading that breaks free from the stereotypical image of rural living with livestock and acres of land. Instead, she focuses on finding joy in whatever aspects of self-sufficiency speak to you – whether that's fermenting foods, growing herbs as a "gateway drug" to gardening, or making cleaning products from fruit scraps.

Elizabeth's book, "The Homesteader Mindset," offers practical guidance for building sustainable habits without the overwhelm. Her approach acknowledges our modern lives while reclaiming traditional wisdom – proving that even "lazy gardeners" can create abundant food spaces through permaculture techniques that mimic nature's systems.

Ready to explore your homesteading potential? Visit Elizabeth's website for a free Homesteader Habit Tracker and discover how small daily practices can transform your relationship with food, health, and self-sufficiency – no matter where you live.

Links Talked About on the Podcast

Get the Fruit Scrap Vinegar Recipe HERE

Mason Tops (lids used for fermenting and preserving)

Acid Test Strips (tests for acidity of vinegar)

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Were going beyond kegels and talking about real solutions for incontinence in midlife

This week, we’re talking about something so many women deal with — but almost no one talks about: urinary incontinence.

After having twins, I thought leaking was just something I’d have to live with. I was told to do kegels and move on. But they didn’t help — in fact, they made things worse.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Nigel Brayer, creator of the Iron-Clad Bladder System, who’s on a mission to change the conversation around bladder health. We talk about why traditional advice only addresses a small piece of the problem, and how your nervous system, hormones, stress, and even your hydration habits play a much bigger role than most people realize.

If you’ve ever felt embarrassed, frustrated, or just confused about what’s happening with your body — this one’s for you. You’re not alone, and you don’t have to just live with it.

Listen in and learn:

• Why kegels aren’t always the answer
• How menopause, stress, and certain foods impact bladder function
• What to do instead — including physical, nutritional, and nervous system support
• How to break the shame and take back control of your health

Learn more about Dr. Brayer and his free seminar on healing your bladder, April 17, 2025 8pm EST click HERE

To learn about Dr. Brayers Iron Clad Bladder program, click HERE

Find Dr. Brayer on IG HERE

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

Let's Be Friends
Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

Let's Talk!
Whether you are looking for 1-1 nutrition coaching or kitchen coaching let's have a chat. Click HERE to reach out to Heather.

Did You Love This Episode?
"I love Heather and the Real Food Stories Podcast!" If this is you, please do not hesitate to leave a five-star review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.