What if you didn't have to love every inch of your body to finally feel at peace with it?

For women navigating midlife, perimenopause, and menopause, changing bodies can bring unexpected emotions, self-doubt, and pressure to look the way we did 10 or 20 years ago. But what if we could stop fighting our bodies and start appreciating everything they do for us?

In this heartfelt episode of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, Dana Irvine welcomes author, body image coach, and educator Anne Poirier, author of The Body Joyful and The Body Neutrality Playbook.

Anne shares her deeply personal journey through childhood body shaming, anorexia, decades of dieting, and eventually discovering a healthier relationship with her body.

Together, Dana and Anne explore how body neutrality can help women move away from self-criticism, reconnect with their personal values, and embrace the changing seasons of life with greater confidence, compassion, and joy.

• Body neutrality vs. body positivity: Why you don't have to love your appearance to respect and care for your body.
• Healing negative self-talk: How childhood experiences and societal expectations influence our beliefs about weight, food, and self-worth.
• Menopause and body image: Giving ourselves permission to grieve physical changes without getting trapped in the past.
• Movement for longevity: Shifting exercise away from weight loss and toward strength, independence, and quality of life.
• Breaking generational cycles: Modeling a healthier relationship with food, movement, and body image for our daughters and future generations.

00:00 – Anne's journey to body acceptance
02:48 – Childhood messages and societal beauty standards
05:32 – Breaking free from lifelong body criticism
08:32 – Understanding body neutrality
11:27 – Appreciating what your body can do
14:09 – Movement, strength, and confidence
16:52 – Inside The Body Neutrality Playbook
21:18 – Challenging beliefs about food and body image
22:47 – Changing the conversation for future generations
24:15 – Discovering your values and motivation
26:36 – Curiosity and compassionate self-talk
29:07 – Anne's books and personal growth
30:27 – Grieving the changes in our bodies
32:04 – Letting go of the perfect-body illusion
35:30 – Choosing a healthier relationship with yourself
38:58 – Why our thoughts are "choiceable"
39:56 – Anne's free body confidence guide

Website: Anne Poirier

Free Resource: Body Confidence Unlocked: Feeling at Home in Your Body Regardless of Size, Shape, or Age. Visit Anne's website for more information.

Dana Irvine, FDNP, is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, breast health educator, and host of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, helping women over 40 understand their hormones, metabolism, breast health, and whole-body wellness.

Explore functional nutrition, personalized wellness, and root-cause health support at:

https://danairvine.com

https://wisedivinewomen.com

From fed up to faith fueled — becoming the Wise Divine Woman you were called to be.

Are you financially prepared for the next chapter of your life?

We spend so much time caring for our families, managing our health, and planning for everyone else's future. But what about our own financial security?

In this empowering episode of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, Dana Irvine welcomes Marcia Mantell, retirement planning expert, author, and Social Security and Medicare specialist, for an honest, practical, and surprisingly fun conversation about women's financial independence.

Whether you're in your 40s, approaching retirement, already retired, or navigating life after the loss of a spouse, Marcia shares why it's never too early—or too late—to take ownership of your financial future.

Together, they explore retirement planning, rising healthcare costs, financial literacy, estate planning, and preparing financially for a longer life.

1. Start saving now. Automate retirement contributions and build consistent savings habits.
2. Protect your financial identity. Understand your credit history, account ownership, and access to household finances.
3. Schedule financial check-ins. Review savings, investments, and future goals at least twice yearly.
4. Know your retirement milestones. Understand Social Security, Medicare, and important retirement decisions.
5. Prepare for rising costs. Plan for healthcare, inflation, housing, and living into your 90s.
6. Organize your estate documents. Review wills, powers of attorney, beneficiaries, and family wishes.
7. Create your Freedom Fund. Build a personal financial account that supports your independence.

00:00 – Financial Awareness for Women
05:26 – Starting Your Retirement Planning Journey
10:01 – Economic Challenges and Organization
14:18 – Creating Your Retirement Checklist
19:13 – Important Retirement Age Milestones
24:43 – Healthcare Costs and Inflation
27:02 – Marcia's Books and Resources
27:53 – Understanding Social Security
30:40 – Planning for Longevity
34:06 – Communication and Financial Legacy
38:21 – Estate Planning and Life After Loss
41:58 – Protecting Credit and Retirement Planning
46:17 – Financial Independence and Your Freedom Fund

Website: Marcia Mantell

Books: What's the Deal with Retirement Planning for Women?

This episode primarily discusses U.S. retirement programs. Canadian listeners should consult Canadian financial planning resources.

Dana Irvine, FDNP, is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, breast health educator, and host of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, supporting women with hormone health, metabolism, breast health, and whole-body wellness.

Functional Wellness: https://danairvine.com

Wise Divine Women: https://wisedivinewomen.com

Subscribe to the Wise Divine Women Podcast and share this episode with a woman who deserves greater financial confidence!

For educational purposes only. Not individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

Is it menopause, Lyme disease, chronic stress, or something else entirely?

For women navigating perimenopause and menopause, symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, anxiety, inflammation, and disrupted sleep can be confusing. But what happens when these symptoms may be connected to an underlying tick-borne infection?

In this episode of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, Dana Irvine welcomes Dr. Jaquel Patterson, ND, MBA, a nationally recognized leader in naturopathic and functional medicine, educator, and author of Women and Lyme.

Together, they explore the complex relationship between Lyme disease, hormonal changes, immune dysregulation, and women's brain health.

Dr. Patterson shares her clinical experience working with chronic illness, explaining why Lyme disease is sometimes called the great imitator, how testing challenges can delay appropriate care, and why a personalized, integrative approach matters.

This conversation also explores neuroinflammation, mental health, gut health, stress resilience, and the importance of being heard throughout your healthcare journey.

• Why Lyme disease symptoms may overlap with menopause, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and autoimmune conditions.
• Why Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose and how false-negative tests complicate the journey.
• How estrogen, progesterone, immune function, and inflammation interact.
• The role of antibiotics, herbal approaches, and individualized integrative care.
• How chronic inflammation and infections may influence mood, memory, and cognitive function.
• Why gut health, stress management, and foundational nutrition support overall wellness.
• How to advocate for comprehensive testing and meaningful healthcare conversations.
• Why small, consistent steps can make a difference in rebuilding health.

00:00 – Is It Lyme Disease or Menopause?

02:01 – Recognizing Lyme Symptoms and Testing Challenges

05:56 – Immune Regulation and Functional Medicine

14:11 – Herbal Remedies and Treatment Options

16:36 – Lyme Vaccines and Prevention Research

18:05 – Women's Hormones, Lyme Disease and Brain Health

21:52 – Rebuilding Health and Addressing Root Causes

25:32 – Integrative Healthcare and Being Heard

29:51 – Empowering Women to Advocate for Their Health

33:07 – Small Wins, Hope and Final Words of Wisdom

Book: Women and Lyme

Practice:Fairfield Family Health

Dr. Jaquel Patterson is a nationally recognized leader in naturopathic and functional medicine, an educator for integrative healthcare providers, a sought-after speaker, three-time Amazon bestselling author, and Forbes contributor.

Dana Irvine, FDNP
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner | Breast Health Educator | Host of Wise Divine Women Podcast

Are you struggling with hormonal changes, brain fog, inflammation, fatigue, or unexplained symptoms?

Discover how a personalized functional nutrition approach can help you better understand your health and identify your next steps.

Visit: https://danairvine.com

Wise Divine Women: https://wisedivinewomen.com

Your body is not the enemy. It is communicating. Let's learn how to listen.

This episode is provided for education and is not a substitute for individualized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.