Hormones, Strength & the Science of Aging Well

Thriving in Midlife

This week's episode of The Gift of Age is a very special one. Dr Caroline Day isn't just a respected physician; Board-certified in Family Medicine and Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, and founder of Tuscaloosa Integrative Family Medicine in Alabama — she's also a dear friend. We studied medicine together in South Africa more than 40 years ago before our lives took us to opposite sides of the world. Despite that, our paths have led us to remarkably similar conclusions about what it really takes to thrive in midlife and beyond. Caroline has just launched her book, The Menopause Makeover — and this conversation is the perfect companion to it. In this podcast episode: We explore some of the biggest questions women are asking today, including: * Why thriving is the new goal of midlife and beyond * The truth about hormone therapy and why outdated fears still persist. * Perimenopause, menopause and the symptoms too often dismissed. * Metabolic health, inflammation and the growing role of GLP-1 medications. * Strength training, protein and the lifestyle habits that matter most. * Why purpose, resilience and relationships become even more important as we age. * The lessons we’ve both learned after decades of practising medicine, and living through midlife ourselves. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed reconnecting with Caroline. Whether you’re in your 40s, 50s, 60s or beyond, I think you’ll come away informed, encouraged and reminded that some of the very best years of life may still be ahead. Prefer to watch?The full video conversation is below. Dr Caroline Day's New Book This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drlindafriedland.substack.com [https://drlindafriedland.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The New Science of Personalised Nutrition with Hilit Milner

Nutrition has become one of the noisiest and most confusing areas of health, especially for women navigating perimenopause, menopause and the decades beyond. In this episode of The Gift of Age, I speak with Hilit Milner, clinical dietitian and founder of Sunrise by Dietetics, about how we can use food more intelligently as we age. We explore personalised nutrition, gut health, inflammation, nutrigenomics, protein needs, omega-3 fatty acids, blood sugar balance and the changes in body composition that so many women experience through midlife and beyond. This is not a conversation about dieting, restriction or trying harder. It is about understanding what changes in the body as we age, and how food can help us reduce inflammation, protect muscle, support metabolism, balance blood sugar and age with more strength and vitality. In this conversation, we explore * why nutrition advice has become so confusing * what personalised nutrition really means * the difference between functional, integrative and conventional nutrition * why gut health and the gut biome is central to inflammation and ageing * how much protein women may need in perimenopause, menopause and older age * why muscle becomes harder to build and maintain as we age * the role of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing inflammation * how blood sugar, insulin resistance and cortisol influence midlife weight gain * why weight often shifts around the middle into a meno-belly during menopause * how to reduce inflammation without starvation or over-exercising * what people using GLP-1 medications need to know about protein and muscle protection * how nutrigenomics may shape the future of personalised health Hilit also shares practical, realistic takeaways. This is a conversation about moving beyond diet culture and towards a more intelligent, compassionate and science-informed way of nourishing our bodies as we age. Prefer to watch the full conversation? View below This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drlindafriedland.substack.com [https://drlindafriedland.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

DEBORAH CONWAY A powerful conversation with musical icon and truth-teller

Over more than four decades, Deborah Conway has built an extraordinary career as a singer, songwriter, performer and storyteller , marked by emotional honesty, creative reinvention, and a deep commitment to truth. Deborah Conway is not an artist we visit in retrospect. She is an artist who has stayed active, present, and creatively alive. In this conversation, we explore creativity across a lifetime, reinvention, feminism, identity, resilience, family, and what it means to remain artistically alive as we age. From Man Overboard and Do-Ré-Mi to her acclaimed memoir Book of Life and recent album Right Wing Propaganda, Deborah reflects on the personal and creative forces that have shaped her life and work. We also speak openly about public hostility, Jewish identity, ageing, partnership, sustaining creativity over decades, and the clarity that can arrive later in life. This is a conversation about voice, truth-telling, and the courage to remain intellectually and creatively fearless with age. You can also listen to this and other Gift of Age Podcasts on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drlindafriedland.substack.com [https://drlindafriedland.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

You Are Not Old: A Conversation with Professor Fiona Stanley

I sat with Professor Fiona Stanley in her Fremantle home a few months ago to record this conversation. What struck me was not only what she said, but how she lives. At nearly 80, she is deeply engaged, physically active, intellectually sharp, and entirely uninterested in the idea that ageing is a process of decline. But this conversation is not only about ageing. It is about a life of purpose, a life that has shaped public health, transformed how we think about children’s wellbeing, and brought attention to the social and cultural forces that determine health across generations. Her work on folic acid supplementation in pregnancy, helping prevent neural tube defects, has changed the lives of millions. It is also a conversation about curiosity, courage, and contribution and what it means to remain fully engaged with the world across the decades. Earlier this week, I shared a few reflections from our conversation. This is the full discussion, richer, wider, and grounded in a life lived with intention. In this conversation, we explore: * The experiences that shaped her lifelong commitment to children’s health and social justice * The role of early life and environment in shaping health across the lifespan * Her work with Aboriginal communities and her perspective on equity, culture, and care * What it means to lead, contribute, and remain engaged over decades * And, towards the end, her refreshingly clear view on ageing There is an ease to this conversation, the kind that comes when someone has nothing to prove and everything to share. And perhaps that is what stands out most. Not only what has been achieved, but how she continues to live. With curiosity. With clarity. With strength and purpose. If you’re thinking about how to approach ageing, not as decline but as possibility, I think you’ll be inspired by this conversation. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drlindafriedland.substack.com [https://drlindafriedland.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Swimming and Aging Well: Lessons from the Ocean

There is something about water that calls many of us back as we age. In this episode of The Gift of Age Podcast, I speak with champion open water swimmer and coach Ceinwen Roberts about why swimming, whether in the ocean or a pool, can become one of the most powerful practices for strength, calm and vitality in midlife and beyond. “You never regret a swim.”— Ceinwen Roberts Show Notes Swimming is one of the rare forms of movement that strengthens the body, while also calming the mind. As we age, many people rediscover the water not only for fitness, but for the sense of rhythm, resilience and freedom it brings. In this episode of The Gift of Age, I speak with long distance swimming champion and coach Ceinwen Roberts about the beauty and benefits of swimming across the lifespan. Our conversation explores how time in the water can support strength, endurance, mental clarity and emotional wellbeing. Watch the full conversation with Ceinwen Ceinwen shares insights from decades spent both competing and coaching in the water. We talk about the unique physical advantages of swimming, the mental discipline it cultivates, and the powerful sense of connection many swimmers feel with the ocean. Importantly, this conversation is not only for ocean swimmers. Whether you swim in a pool, occasionally dip in the sea, or are simply curious about new ways to support healthy aging, swimming offers a form of movement that is sustainable, restorative and deeply joyful. In this conversation we discuss • Why swimming is such a powerful form of exercise in midlife and beyond• The physical benefits for strength, mobility and endurance• How the rhythm of breathing and movement in water can calm the nervous system• The unique beauty and challenge of ocean swimming• The mental resilience and confidence that swimming can build• Why swimming is not only for elite athletes but for anyone seeking health and vitality About my guest Ceinwen Roberts is one of Australia’s leading open water marathon swimmers and a member of the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She has completed many of the world’s most iconic endurance swims, including the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming where she holds world records, and is widely respected in the international marathon swimming community. Beyond her own achievements, Ceinwen is a passionate coach and mentor who helps swimmers of all levels pursue their endurance goals. She is also co- founder of the Port to Pub Ultra Marathon Swim, now a major event on the global open water calendar. Ceinwen’s life in the water reflects not only extraordinary endurance, but also a deep commitment to resilience, community and expanding what people believe is possible. This conversation feels especially timely for me, as I will be swimming in a team in the Port to Pub Swim this weekend, my first team crossing from Leighton Beach to Rottnest Island. The 19.7 kilometre journey across the Indian Ocean will be shared amongst the six of us. Our fabulous team of swimmers is called Swim4Kids as we are helping raise funds for the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF). The event was founded by Ceinwen and has become one of the great open water swims on the international calendar. Why this conversation matters In a world that often promotes increasingly complex approaches to health and fitness, swimming remains beautifully simple. It is low impact, accessible across our lifespan, and uniquely capable of supporting both physical vitality and mental calm. Whether in the ocean, a lake or a local pool, time in the water can become one of the most sustaining practices for healthy aging. If you enjoy conversations about longevity strength and living well, consider sharing The Gift of Age with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drlindafriedland.substack.com [https://drlindafriedland.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]