Health, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife: Asking for a Friend
Are you ready to make the most of your midlife years but feel like your health isn't quite where it should be? Maybe menopause has been tough on you, and you're not sure how to get back on track with your fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. Asking for a Friend is the podcast where midlife women get the answers they need to take control of their health and happiness. We bring in experts to answer your burning questions on fitness, wellness, and mental well-being, and share stories of women just like you who are stepping up to make this chapter of life their best yet. Hosted by Michele Folan, a health industry veteran with 26 years of experience, coach, mom, wife, and lifelong learner, Asking for a Friend is all about empowering you to feel your best—physically and mentally. It's time to think about the next 20+ years of your life: what do you want them to look like, and what steps can you take today to make that vision a reality? Tune in for honest conversations, expert advice, and plenty of humor as we navigate midlife together. Because this chapter? It's ours to own, and we’re not going quietly into it! Michele Folan is a certified nutrition coach with the FASTer Way program. If you would like to work with her to help you reach your health and fitness goals, sign up here: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=MicheleFolan If you have questions about her coaching program, you can email her at mfolanfasterway@gmail.com Sign up for Michele's weekly newsletter at: https://michelefolanfasterway.myflodesk.com/i6i44jw4fq This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. Some of the links shared in this podcast may be affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I truly believe in and that I feel may add value to your health journey.
Episodes
What’s the Real Cost of That Evening Glass of Wine? A Sobriety Journey with Kate Vitela
Kate Vitela, a registered nurse, shares her powerful journey from physical alcohol dependence to over seven years of sobriety. Her story isn’t defined by a dramatic rock-bottom moment but by a gradual awakening to how daily drinking eroded her sleep, career, and relationships. Now, Kate offers a hopeful perspective on recovery through neuroplasti...
Unlocking the Oral-Systemic Connection with Dr. Mark Burhenne
Did you know your mouth may be the first place chronic disease, hormone imbalances, poor sleep, and even accelerated aging show up? In this powerful episode of Asking for a Friend, functional dentist and bestselling author Dr. Mark Burhenne explains why oral health is the true gateway to whole-body wellness—and why traditional dentistry often overlooks these critical conn...
Steffani LeFevour shares that manifestation isn’t magic—it’s mindset. Learn how to create life on your terms.
Why do some prayers go unanswered while others manifest with ease? The difference may surprise you. Manifestation mentor and happiness coach Steffani LeFevour joins me on Asking for a Friend to share how women in midlife can stop asking and start becoming—rewriting their stories to create the life they truly desire.
Steffani...
Hashimoto’s, Hormones, Neck Checks & the Future of Thyroid Screening
Thyroid cancer is on the rise among midlife women—and most don’t even know they’re at risk. In this eye-opening episode of Asking for a Friend, Dr. Rashmi Roy, Director of Thyroid Surgical Services at the Clayman Thyroid Center and one of the world’s most experienced thyroid surgeons, explains why traditional blood work often misses thyroid cancer completely—...
Breathe Like Your Health Depends On It: Midlife Stress, Sleep, & Cravings with Sandy Abrams
Is your nervous system stuck in overdrive?
Hot flashes, disrupted sleep, mindless snacking, snapping at your spouse—these aren’t just “midlife things.” They’re signs your body is begging for calm. And the fastest way to get there? Your breath.
In this empowering conversation, breath coach and author Sandy Abrams shows us how to use our brea...
Is your shower drain trying to tell you something?
Hair loss is one of the most common and emotionally devastating issues women face in midlife, yet it’s often met with silence—or endless product promises that rarely deliver.
In this episode of Asking for a Friend, board-certified internist Dr. Mary Wendel—a physician who has dedicated over 20 years exclusively to women’s hair loss—joins Michele Folan to break the stigma and sh...
The day my DEXA scan results revealed osteoporosis was a wake-up call I dreaded. No symptoms. No warning signs. Just a family history of poor bone health. The casual “take medication and see you in two years" was a no-go for me. Like so many women in midlife, I knew there had to be another way.
In this episode, I share my personal journey of reversing bone loss and improving my DEXA scan results—without relying solely on pharma...
Is midlife really a crisis, or is it the launchpad to your most vibrant chapter yet? In this empowering episode, Dr. Ellen Albertson, The Midlife Whisperer, brings her infectious energy and groundbreaking wisdom to debunk myths about aging, body image, and what it means to thrive after 50.
At 62, Dr. Albertson radiates confidence that challenges society's obsession with youth. Her secret? Self-compassion. Through transformative...
What if everything you thought you knew about balance and mobility was flat-out wrong?
Dan Metcalfe was a Broadway performer at the top of his game when he suddenly became paralyzed mid-performance. What followed—partial brain death, a long recovery, and a total reinvention—sounds impossible, until you hear him tell it.
Dan didn’t just survive. He discovered something that changed everything: balance isn’t just about strong muscles—i...
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) shouldn't be shrouded in outdated fears and misinformation. When I finally started HRT at 57, I realized I'd spent years unnecessarily suffering through sleepless nights, hot flashes, and night sweats—chalked up to “normal aging”—when effective treatments already existed.
My journey began after a hysterectomy, when a nurse practitioner discovered my testosterone level was critically low (1...
Breast pain is one of the most common—and most ignored—issues women face from puberty through post-menopause. In this episode of Asking for a Friend, I sit down with Debbie and Troy Sutton, the inspiring mother-son duo behind The Healing Bra—a revolutionary product offering real relief for breast discomfort through every stage of life.
From painful mammograms and postpartum nursing to menopause and breast cancer recovery, The Healin...
The mirror doesn’t lie, but it doesn’t have to be your enemy either. As wrinkles, dryness, and sagging skin become a part of your reality, it’s easy to feel betrayed by your reflection. But what if midlife skin changes weren’t a crisis but a chance to evolve your skincare game?
In this episode, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mary Alice Mina joins us to share what actually works for skin over 50 – and trust me, it’s probably not w...
What If Your Annual Physical Is Missing the Most Important Clues About Your Future Health?
In this episode of Asking for a Friend, I sit down with Dr. Dave DeMarco—primary care physician and owner of DexaFit Cincinnati—to uncover what most standard medical exams are failing to tell us, especially for adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.
Dr. DeMarco is reshaping the landscape of preventative healthcare by using advanced diagnostics to d...
When life knocks the wind out of you, how do you find your way back to yourself?
In this episode of Asking for a Friend, we sit down with Cristina Simmons—a mother, occupational therapist, Faster Way coach, and now author of Eat Your Feelings. Her journey reads like a survival manual for the modern woman: deep grief, childhood trauma, infidelity, chronic stress, raising adopted twins with prenatal drug exposure, and navigating the c...
What if the real glow-up in midlife has nothing to do with wrinkle creams—and everything to do with finally showing up unapologetically as yourself?
Meet Sherri Dindal, better known as The Real Slim Sherri—the blue-haired, tattooed, profanity-positive powerhouse who's become a viral voice for women over 40. With over 5 million followers, Sherri’s raw, hilarious, and brutally honest takes on menopause, midlife identity shifts, a...
What If Sober Was the New Cool? Breaking the Wine Culture Narrative with Kim Bellas
This episode of Asking for a Friend is sponsored by Better Help. https://betterhelp.com/askingforafriend
Is wine really the answer to midlife stress—or have we just been sold that story?
In this episode of Asking for a Friend, I sit down with Kim Bellas, founder of the global movement Sober is the New Cool, to talk about what happens when midlife women...
How Understanding Death Can Help You Live More Fully — with Hospice Nurse Julie
This episode of Asking for a Friend is sponsored by Better Help. https://betterhelp.com/askingforafriend
What if facing the realities of death could actually help you live with more intention, gratitude, and peace—right now?
In this powerful episode of Asking for a Friend, I sit down with Julie McFadden, better known as Hospice Nurse Julie, a former ICU nu...
Feeling like you’re doing everything right—but still not feeling like yourself?
This episode of Asking for a Friend is sponsored by Better Help - https://betterhelp.com/askingforafriend
In this powerful episode of Asking for a Friend, I’m joined by Courtney Townley—health coach, creator of the Grace & Grit podcast, and a fierce advocate for midlife women ready to ditch diet culture and reclaim their power.
Courtney breaks down why...
Think Bone Loss Is Just a Part of Aging? Think Again.
This episode of Asking for a Friend is sponsored by Better Help. https://betterhelp.com/askingforafriend
If your doctor’s only advice for bone health is “take calcium, vitamin D, and wait,” this episode is your wake-up call. I’m joined by Dr. Doug Lucas—former orthopedic surgeon turned bone health specialist—who’s on a mission to help women prevent and reverse osteoporosis with sc...
Still Cutting Calories After 40? Here’s What You Should Do Instead
This episode of Asking for a Friend is sponsored by Better Help. https://betterhelp.com/askingforafriend
Lisa Holtan, Faster Way coach and personal trainer with 17 years of experience, joins me this week to flip everything you thought you knew about midlife weight loss on its head. Spoiler alert: it’s not about eating less and doing more cardio.
Lisa shares why most wo...
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