Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

In this episode, host Brenda Farrugia interviews Sandy K (me!) about my hero’s journey through health crises, integrity, and transformation. From the rare tumor my daughter had, to my having thyroid cancer and my husband’s near‑fatal pneumonia, I share how these experiences reshaped my philosophy of wellness, longevity, and health sovereignty.

Together, we explore how turning inward became a practical tool for better decisions around hormones, menopause without a thyroid, and everyday choices that drive longevity. I explain why I believe each of us can become an alchemist in our own lives—transforming crisis into wisdom, blending science with soul, and reclaiming trust in a noisy wellness economy.

This conversation challenges influencer culture and discount‑code marketing, reframes aging as leadership, and offers grounded practices for rebuilding trust with yourself. From energy work and meditation to nutrition, functional labs, and boundaries with technology, I share integrated tools that help midlife women navigate wellness with integrity.

Key Takeaways

• Blending science and soul for midlife wellness
• Critiquing wellness marketing and restoring trust in health advice
• Turning victimhood into purpose after family health crises
• Community building around rare tumors and lived empathy
• Energy work, meditation, and practical spiritual tools
• Returning to college for diploma in holistic nutrition
• Why solo episodes resonate more than celebrity guests
• Redefining aging with integrity and intergenerational value
• Personal agency, boundaries, and tech overload
• How to assess advice through resonance and self‑testing

✨ Follow So Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share this episode with someone who needs a calmer, more honest blueprint for wellness and longevity. https://www.sobrilliant.ca/

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

What if the missing link in your wellness routine isn’t another supplement or protocol, but the way you listen to your inner world? In this episode, I unpack doing the inner work with practical, honest tools that help midlife feel grounded, creative, and genuinely healthy - far beyond hacks, quick fixes, and trends.

I share the turning points that moved me from chasing answers outside to building strength inside, and why presence beats perfection every time. Learn simple, transformative anchors:

• 30 minutes walking in nature without headphones
• “I feel / I choose” prompts to rewire negative beliefs
• Gratitude walks that calm a reactive nervous system

From there, I explore:

• Stream-of-consciousness journaling to hear your higher self
• Forgiveness work to release shame
• Trauma-informed approaches like EMDR for when thoughts alone won’t release emotional charge
• Energy practices—sound, breath, subtle clearing—without outsourcing your power
• Creative rituals like memory jars, seasonal practices, dance, storytelling, and writing that awaken the soul

Relationships get a deep, nuanced look, too. I discuss boundaries, renegotiating sacred contracts, and how dynamics shift when you change your side of the pattern.

Finally, I share daily micro-practices, ways to read symbols in nature, and a careful approach to retreats and plant medicine and why your higher self should set the pace.

Whether you’re interested in inner work, holistic wellness, emotional healing, mindset transformation, or longevity practices, this episode gives practical, actionable tools to help you feel alive, present, and deeply aligned.

Follow, subscribe, and share with a friend, and leave a rating to help more people discover the show. What’s the first small practice you’ll commit to this week?

Email me your questions, topics, or comments to be featured on my show - whether anonymous or not - your choice. sandy@sandyknutrition.ca.

Follow me on all of my socials - @sandyknutrition everywhere. Get in touch with Brenda Farrugia for deep, transformative energy work https://www.sobrilliant.ca/

Who am I? I went back to college, became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, earned numerous certifications, and started this podcast just before the pandemic. I come to you not only as a practitioner and a podcaster, but as a woman who’s lived it, someone driven by passion over profit, and a genuine desire to help others heal, grow,

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Menopause can feel like your body changed the rulebook without warning. One day you’re handling pressure just fine; the next, a slammed door spikes your heart rate and your mind won’t quit. I pull back the curtain on why stress tolerance can collapse at midlife and how to rebuild it with smarter hormone care, steadier blood sugar, and nervous system-aware tools that actually fit real life.

I grow tired of experts telling us to control our stress. Or limit our stress. This is nonsensical to me because we can only mitigate the effects stress has on our bodies and we can't make it disappear. Ignoring it, numbing it, also doesn't work at menopause.

I have MANY different tools to help mitigate the effects of stress. NuCalm is a tool I've been using for many years now. I was one of their early supporters and affiliates, and I remain a big believer. Use this link for a free trial!! And if you love it, use SANDYK for a discount.

https://nucalm.com/free-trial?ref=sandy54

Email me your questions, topics, or comments to be featured on my show - whether anonymous or not - your choice. sandy@sandyknutrition.ca.

Follow me on all of my socials - @sandyknutrition everywhere.

Who am I? I don’t define myself by my past, but it’s a big part of my story. In 2010, my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and just a year later, I was too, but with thyroid cancer at 41. Fast forward to now, at 55, I’m navigating menopause and constantly learning what it truly means to thrive - body, mind, spirit and soul - to this next chapter of my life.

Along the way, I went back to college, became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, earned numerous certifications, and started this podcast just before the pandemic. I come to you not only as a practitioner and a podcaster, but as a woman who’s lived it, someone driven by passion over profit, and a genuine desire to help others heal, grow, and live with more vitality, purpose, and joy.

Beyond the basics, I spotlight underused supports. Adaptogens can help some, but they won’t fix trauma or misaligned hormones. I also lean into the deeper layer: how menopause can surface old beliefs and hypervigilance, and about BEAM Therapy. See Brenda Farrugia for more on this at https://www.sobrilliant.ca/.

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Hair on the pillow, clogging the drain, thinner at the part when shedding starts after 40, it’s frustrating and confusing. We cut through the noise with a clear, objective roadmap to figure out why it’s happening and what actually helps. From hormone shifts in perimenopause and menopause to underappreciated thyroid patterns, I walk step by step through the signs and choices that move the needle without wasting money on false promises, all from an unbiased perspective where I am not trying to sell you anything...very rare these days from the health & wellness space. So you know I am legit.

Email me your questions, topics, or comments to be featured on my show - whether anonymous or not - your choice. sandy@sandyknutrition.ca.

Follow me on all of my socials - @sandyknutrition everywhere.

Who am I? I don’t define myself by my past, but it’s a big part of my story. In 2010, my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and just a year later, I was too, but with thyroid cancer at 41. Fast forward to now, at 55, I’m navigating menopause and constantly learning what it truly means to thrive - body, mind, spirit and soul - to this next chapter of my life.

Along the way, I went back to college, became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, earned numerous certifications, and started this podcast just before the pandemic. I come to you not only as a practitioner and a podcaster, but as a woman who’s lived it, someone driven by passion over profit, and a genuine desire to help others heal, grow, and live with more vitality, purpose, and joy.

I break down DHT’s role in scalp thinning and the telltale clues like new facial hair, acne flares, mood changes - then share practical interventions you can discuss with your practitioner. You’ll learn how to vet red light therapy for real results (the right wavelengths, power, and session cadence), when a follicle can be rescued versus when a transplant is the only option, and why consistency matters more than hype. We also tackle the big “hidden” drivers: chronic stress, medication-induced nutrient depletions, and blood sugar dysregulation that inflames the scalp and nudges androgen pathways in the wrong direction.

The goal isn’t a one-size-fits-all supplement; it’s a personalized plan built on bioindividuality.

Follow, leave a rating & review & share it with someone who needs clarity. Want to support or partner with us? Subscribe on YouTube for more evidence AND/or heart-led conversations.

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Important Links:

Register now for BEAM Therapy Intro! Introduction to BEAM Therapy online Time Nov 8, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1_Wdp5DTQji1cCIeZXzk-g

BEAM Therapy Group Healing link with Brenda - https://www.sobrilliant.ca/beam-therapy-group-healing.html

Corporate Wellness with Brend Farrugia: https://www.brendafarrugia.com/

What if the voice that keeps you stuck could be named, challenged, and turned into fuel for change? We dive into the real mechanics of limiting beliefs—how they show up as intrusive thoughts, subtle body cues, and repeating life patterns—and we walk through practical steps to break the loop without shame or overwhelm. With returning guest Brenda Farrugia, a transformational quantum energy healer and coach, we explore grounded, accessible ways to build self-awareness, restore balance, and create lasting shifts.

We start by redefining meditation as awareness training: a few quiet minutes to hear the inner script clearly. From relationships that mysteriously fall apart to health goals that never quite stick, we connect the dots between subconscious beliefs and everyday choices. Brenda offers wise caution on chasing shortcuts with psychedelics, explaining why pacing, integration, and personal readiness matter more than peak experiences. Healing is not about escaping reality; it’s about bringing clarity and compassion into daily life.

Brenda then demystifies BEAM Therapy, a client-led modality where your higher self guides the release of stored emotion and cellular memories. You may remember a scene as it clears or simply feel lighter afterward, but the common result is subtle, sustainable change—calmer interactions, better boundaries, and relationships that align more naturally with who you’re becoming. We also share a concise neuroscience-based, three-line process you can use anytime to interrupt a belief loop like “I’m not good enough” and prompt a new neural pathway. Layer by layer, awareness turns patterns into choices, and choices reshape your world.

If you’re ready to swap autopilot for awareness and move from self-judgment to self-leadership, press play. Subscribe for more grounded conversations on healing, share this with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your voice helps this c

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Email me your questions, topics, or comments to be featured on my show - whether anonymous or not - your choice. sandy@sandyknutrition.ca.

Follow me on all of my socials - @sandyknutrition everywhere.

Who am I? I don’t define myself by my past, but it’s a big part of my story. In 2010, my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and just a year later, I was too, but with thyroid cancer at 41. Fast forward to now, at 55, I’m navigating menopause and constantly learning what it truly means to thrive - body, mind, spirit and soul - to this next chapter of my life.

Along the way, I went back to college, became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, earned numerous certifications, and started this podcast just before the pandemic. I come to you not only as a practitioner and a podcaster, but as a woman who’s lived it, someone driven by passion over profit, and a genuine desire to help others heal, grow, and live with more vitality, purpose, and joy.

I share a heart-led view of menopause as a reckoning, moving beyond symptom-chasing to examine identity, relationships, beliefs and purpose. Data on divorce, alcohol, friendship shifts and workplace gaps frames a practical path toward quiet, clarity and aligned choices.

• redefining menopause as a deeper life audit
• divorce trends and midlife relational shifts
• alcohol as coping and the cost to well-being
• workplace and financial pressures in menopause
• journaling and solitude as daily diagnostics
• metaphorical meaning of common symptoms
• balancing bioidentical hormones with inner work
• releasing limiting beliefs and victim mindset
• pruning friendships and renegotiating boundaries
• practical first steps toward aligned living

Important links:

Join my Substack for my deep, insightful and original short essays to support your wellness: https://sandykruse.substack.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/?hl=en

Please share this with one of your menopausal friends. And always remember when you rate, review, subscribe, you help to support my content and help me to keep going and bring these conversations to you each and every week.

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Important Links:

To try this breakthrough formulation, go to www.qualialife.com/SANDYK15 or use SANDYK15 at https://www.qualialife.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/?hl=en

Follow me on Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/

Dr. Dan Pardi is the Chief Health Officer at Qualia Life Sciences, where he leads education to advance healthspan and peak performance. He’s the founder of humanOS.me and host of humanOS Radio, the official podcast of the Sleep Research Society. Dan has advised elite military units, Fortune 500 companies, and startups through his consultancy, Vivendi Health. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Leiden University and Stanford, and speaks regularly at events like TEDx, VC Firms, and the Institute for Human Machine Cognition.

Think of your body’s repair crew as always on call, rarely on stage. Stem cells sit quietly in protective niches until growth factors wake them, chemokines guide them to damaged tissue, and local signals shape them into exactly what’s needed. We invited Dr. Dan Pardi, Chief Health Officer at Qualia Life Sciences, to break down that invisible choreography—why it weakens with age and how to support it without pushing the system into overdrive.

We start by making stem cells simple: potency tiers, key types like hematopoietic and mesenchymal, and what “exhaustion” really means. Dan explains how inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic drift—core hallmarks of aging—distort the niche and blunt self-renewal. From there, we map the full life cycle: quiescence, activation, mobilization, migration, and differentiation guided by ancient pathways like Wnt, Notch, and Sonic Hedgehog. Understanding this sequence clarifies the therapy landscape, from evidence-backed marrow transplants to targeted orthopedic injections, and why unproven IV offerings can be risky.

If you care about healthy aging, joint health, recovery, and evidence-based wellness, this conversation offers a grounded roadmap. We keep the science clear, the hype in check, and the focus on balance—protect, pulse, and let biology do its best work. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts or runs, and leave a review to help others find the show. What would you most want to regenerate first?

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!

Email me your questions, topics, or comments to be featured on my show - whether anonymous or not - your choice. sandy@sandyknutrition.ca.

Follow me on all of my socials - @sandyknutrition everywhere.

Who am I? I don’t define myself by my past, but it’s a big part of my story. In 2010, my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and just a year later, I was too, but with thyroid cancer at 41. Fast forward to now, at 55, I’m navigating menopause and constantly learning what it truly means to thrive - body, mind, spirit and soul - to this next chapter of my life.

Along the way, I went back to college, became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, earned numerous certifications, and started this podcast just before the pandemic. I come to you not only as a practitioner and a podcaster, but as a woman who’s lived it, someone driven by passion over profit, and a genuine desire to help others heal, grow, and live with more vitality, purpose, and joy.

In this episode, I question the blanket “lift heavy” mantra for women in late perimenopause to menopause, and share a candid story of osteonecrosis, hormone changes, and smarter training choices. I also set a clear line on ethics in wellness media and why trust matters when health is at stake.

• solo format launch and listener Q&A invite
• why I refuse pay-to-play guest spots
• how editorial integrity protects your health
• late perimenopause symptoms and real-world pain
• osteonecrosis vs bone density and why it matters
• hormones do not go flat after menopause
• testing frequency and working with practitioners
• biased ratios, dose adjustments, and symptom tracking
• rethinking “lift heavy” during midlife changes
• collagen, physiotherapy, red light, and recovery
• protein for your workload, not by hype
• honouring old injuries and movement mechanics

Please share this episode with another woman in perimenopause or menopause. Be sure to follow my show, rate it, review it, and share it. Join me next week for a new topic, new guest, new exciting conversation to help you live your best life.

Support the show

Please rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutrition
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutrition
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAg
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/
Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/
Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca