Hit Play Not Pause
Hit Play Not Pause
Perimenopause and menopause hit active women differently. We have a different lifestyle and different goals. And we know our bodies. Whether you run and hike or do CrossFit and ski (or a little of everything!), you’ve had a way of eating and exercising that worked…until the menopause transition, when it all goes out the window as body composition changes, fatigue, body aches, sleepless nights, hot flashes, brain fog, mood swings, and low mojo blindside you out of the blue—despite doing everything right. Your doctor may (or may not) help with hormone replacement therapy. But what about all the active stuff you love? You’re already exercising and eating well. What you want is to feel and perform like you used to. That doesn’t mean fasting, swearing off carbs for life, or just slowing down. It means adjusting your nutrition, training, recovery, and mindset to work with your changing physiology as you hit this phase of life. And we’re here for it.
At Hit Play Not Pause, we know the potential of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, because we talk to elite athletes and everyday active women who are still hitting personal bests along with world-renowned sports dietitians, researchers, medical and menopause specialists to help you understand what’s happening under the hood during the menopause transition and more importantly, what you can do about it—from hormone therapy to heavy lifting and everything in between—to feel and perform your best.
Host Selene Yeager is a health and science journalist with 30 years’ experience and more than two dozen books to her name. She also lives an active life as a former Ironman triathlete and professional mountain bike racer who still rides, runs, paddles, hikes, lifts, and through her work at Feisty Menopause helps others do the same.
At Hit Play Not Pause, we know the potential of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, because we talk to elite athletes and everyday active women who are still hitting personal bests along with world-renowned sports dietitians, researchers, medical and menopause specialists to help you understand what’s happening under the hood during the menopause transition and more importantly, what you can do about it—from hormone therapy to heavy lifting and everything in between—to feel and perform your best.
Host Selene Yeager is a health and science journalist with 30 years’ experience and more than two dozen books to her name. She also lives an active life as a former Ironman triathlete and professional mountain bike racer who still rides, runs, paddles, hikes, lifts, and through her work at Feisty Menopause helps others do the same.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 20, 2021 • 1h 5min
Breaking Down Body Image & Eating Disorders with Dr. Christy Greenleaf (Episode 15)
The words we say to ourselves. The way we look at ourselves. The way we fuel, or often don’t fuel, ourselves. They’re a product of so many things--culture, society, ingrained images and messages. And too often they hurt our health, performance, and general well being. Exercising, playing sports, and being active can help, but they also can be the source of some of these issues, or make them worse. And when we hit our menopausal years and our bodies start taking on a life of their own, seemingly no matter what we do? We can go straight into a tailspin.
This week’s guest, Dr. Christy Greenleaf, of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, is here to help. Christy’s research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of weight, physical activity, body image, and disordered eating. As a lifelong figure skater, she knows a thing or two about all these issues on a very personal, as well as professional, level. We dig in on strategies to break the cycle of body shame, disordered eating, and negative self talk for good. You can find out more about her at
https://uwm.edu/healthsciences/directory/greenleaf-christy/
Jan 13, 2021 • 1h 4min
Overcoming the Mental Agony of Injury with Heidi Armstrong (Episode 14)
Injuries don’t just hurt physically. They can rock you emotionally, as they keep you away from the activity you love, isolate you from your training buddies, and do a number on your self image, especially as we get into our menopausal years and injuries can pop up with increasing frequency. Your doctor or PT help with the physical stuff. But what about the rest? That’s where this week’s guest Heidi Armstrong, founder of The Injured Athlete’s Toolbox comes in.
Heidi has more than 10 years of experience dealing with her own injuries following a devastating mountain bike crash, and has conducted hundreds of hours of research with athletes dealing with their own. She is also one of a few experts in the world who helps athletes—many of whom are perimenopausal or menopausal—overcome the mental fallout of injury, regain their confidence, and stop the emotional rollercoaster. You can find out more about her and her services at https://injuredathletestoolbox.com/
Jan 6, 2021 • 50min
Time to Shine with Kacy Duke (Episode 13)
Ready to create your menopause adventure? Yes, adventure. Now is the time to shine, says this week’s guest, wellness coach and fitness trainer Kacy Duke, who teaches people how to use the right mindset, motivation, and movement to reach their goals.
Named one of New York City’s best trainers, Kacy has been the personal trainer to a long list of A-listers including Gwen Stefani, Kate Beckinsale, Julianna Moore, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, and Lenny Kravitz, just to name a few. Now at 65 years of age, she’s growing her business with a health and fitness subscription service called Age Defying Physique, because, as she says, we shouldn’t deny our age—it’s a privilege to live a long life—but we can definitely defy what people think we can do at any given age.
Kacy talks about her own journey through menopause and how she helps women navigate this huge transition in their lives, including improving body image and mindset to live proud and out loud. Consider this your pep talk for 2021.
Dec 30, 2020 • 1h 2min
**REBROADCAST** Joy Goals with Kristen Dieffenbach (Episode 9)
Missing your usual mojo and motivation? Wrestling with body image issues? Want a little help setting meaningful goals that go beyond how fast you can run a 5K? You are not alone!
This week, exercise scientist and mental performance expert Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach addresses these topics and more as we take a deep dive into the competitive psyche during menopause and how to cope with the psychological challenges that come at this time of life.Kristen is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. She is also a Peaks Coaching Group master coach; a USA Cycling Power-certified coach; a USA Track and Field coach, and works as the director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at West Virginia University.
You can find more about her work at https://appliedcoaching.wvu.edu/faculty/kristen-dieffenbach
Dec 23, 2020 • 57min
**REBROADCAST** Happy Vaginas with Dr. Mary Jane Minkin (Episode 4)
Mary Jane is clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine. She has been a North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) since 2002, and has been in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut for more than 35 years.
Mary Jane has won myriad awards for excellence in her field and is an authority on all things related to hormone therapy, which she addresses in detail during this show. She’s super informative, straight shooting, an avid exerciser herself, and often hilarious. Be sure to head over to our Feisty Menopause Facebook or Instagram page to check out the photo on the show tile on. Mary Jane is posing in front of a row of some very interesting old gynaecological instruments… made of glass.
For a deeper dive on all things women’s health, check her out at http://madameovary.com/
Dec 16, 2020 • 1h 7min
Resilience To Go The Distance with Magda Boulet(Episode 12)
Recovery, resilience, and injury resistance gets harder as we get older. The harder and longer you go, the harder and longer the recovery process can be. This week’s guest, legendary ultra runner Magda Boulet knows all about what it takes to stay resilient and recover well even after the longest, hardest challenges. Since turning 45, Magda’s won the Marathon des Sables, a six day 156 mile stage race, in Morocco; completed the 172-mile Tahoe Rim Trail in 50 hours and 40 minutes, and won the 2019 Leadville Trail 100 Run. Earlier this year, she completed an “Everesting” run, running up and down the same hill to reach the vertical gain of Mount Everest—more than 29,000 feet.
Now at age 47, she’s doing all that and more while going through perimenopause, being a mom to a teenager, and working at GU Energy and Boon as the Vice President of Research and Development. Magda was very open about how she’s had to change her training and lifestyle to stay strong and resilient and recover well during this stage of life and her career. You can learn more about her at https://www.magdaboulet.com/
Dec 9, 2020 • 53min
Plant Power with Leslie Bonci (Episode 11)
Studies show women following a plant-based diet have fewer night sweats and hot flashes during menopause. So this week Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, owner of Active Eating Advice digs into the powers, and occasional pitfalls, of a plant-based diet: what it means and what foods to include for optimum muscle, bone, and hormonal health, as well as to sleep, feel, and perform your best. We also delve into the truths and myths surrounding soy, and cover the often overlooked topic of how to be kind to your gut. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous, or mainly carnivorous, piling some plants on your plate is a good move, especially this time of life.
Leslie is a sports nutritionist and dietitian and the owner of Active Eating Advice based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She is the author of Sport Nutrition for Coaches and the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. She is the nutrition consultant for Carnegie Mellon University athletics and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She has worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Blue Jays, the Washington Nationals, and the WNBA. She is also the sports dietitian to the 2020 super bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs. Leslie is an ambassador for the Produce for Better Health Foundation and has coached countless plant-based endurance and power athletes. You can learn more about her work and services at https://activeeatingadvice.com/
Dec 2, 2020 • 56min
Inject Badass with Dr. Pam Peeke (Episode 10)
Past trauma can lead to more severe symptoms and a more challenging menopause journey. This week, stress and resiliency expert Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., explains how stress and trauma can change our DNA and drag us down mentally and physically, especially at midlife. She also serves up a whole lot of hope and no B.S. advice for building your best present and future, no matter your past. Or in her words: “What you’re doing is trying to do everything in your power to inject joy, inject adventure, to inject badass and a sense of empowerment and control in your own life.”
Pam is a three-time New York Times bestselling author including Fight Fat after Forty, Body for Life for Women, and The Hunger Fix: The 3 Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction. She is a science and health advisor for Apple, developing apps for use in the enhancement of stress resilience and healthy lifestyle habits. She also has her own podcast, HER: Learn the naked truth about HER mind, HER body and HER life.
She is a nationally renowned physician, scientist, expert, and thought leader in the fields of integrative, preventive, and lifestyle medicine, and has been named one of America’s top physicians by the Consumers Research Council of America. You can learn more about her work and best selling books at https://drpeeke.com/
Find more information about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) at https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/got-your-ace-resilience-scores
Nov 25, 2020 • 1h 2min
Joy Goals with Kristen Dieffenbach (Episode 9)
Missing your usual mojo and motivation? Wrestling with body image issues? Want a little help setting meaningful goals that go beyond how fast you can run a 5K? You are not alone!
This week, exercise scientist and mental performance expert Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach addresses these topics and more as we take a deep dive into the competitive psyche during menopause and how to cope with the psychological challenges that come at this time of life.
Kristen is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. She is also a Peaks Coaching Group master coach; a USA Cycling Power-certified coach; a USA Track and Field coach, and works as the director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at West Virginia University. You can find more about her work at https://appliedcoaching.wvu.edu/faculty/kristen-dieffenbach
Nov 18, 2020 • 1h 2min
Eat Carbs! with Hillary Wright, MEd, RDN & Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN (Episode 8)
Low fat. High protein. Low carb. No carb. This week’s guests and authors of The Menopause Diet Plan, Hillary Wright and Elizabeth Ward, have seen diet trends come and go and come around again. And they know what works. Spoiler alert: Yes, you can - and should - eat carbs. We get into why, as well as all the other macronutrients, vitamins. minerals, and foods that menopausal women need for optimum health and performance.
Hillary Wright, MEd, RDN, is a registered dietitian and the author of The PCOS Diet Plan and The Prediabetes Diet Plan. She is the director of nutrition counseling for the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF, a Harvard-affiliated fertility treatment center. She works part-time as a senior nutritionist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a founding member of the nutrition technology company Good Measures LLC.
Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian with more than 30 years of experience counseling patients and writing about nutrition and health. She is a recipe developer and food photographer and the author or co-author of several books, including Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy. Ward blogs about a healthy lifestyle at www.betteristhenewperfect.com.
Learn more about their book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612208/the-menopause-diet-plan-by-hillary-wright-med-rdn-and-elizabeth-ward-ms-rdn/
