Magnificent Midlife
Episodes
200: Rocking midlife with Dr Ellen Albertson
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Body image, self-worth and ageing are all key midlife topics and many women struggle deeply with their bodies at midlife, often in silence. Dr Ellen A...
199: Working in an ageist world with Lucy Standing
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Standing is the co-founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit supporting people in midlife and beyond to rethink work, purpose and what comes nex...
198: Redefining the grandparent role with DeeDee Moore
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I'm delighted to be introducing a brand-new topic to the podcast: modern grandparenting. It's not a life stage I'm personally entering just yet - but...
197: Getting stronger and fitter in midlife with Vijay Bassi Reed
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Vijay Bassi Reed is a former communications specialist who retrained in midlife as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. She is also a competitive ...
196: Fearless pivots with Susan Dabbar
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Dabbar is the founder and editor-in-chief of Provoked by Susan – a bold, unapologetic digital magazine for women 50+, challenging and redefi...
195: Navigating child loss with Lisa Boehm
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I was deeply moved by my guest Lisa Boehm. Lisa's life changed forever when her daughter, Katie, was killed in a car accident – an experience no par...
194 How women's heart attacks differ from men's with Caron Grossman
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Caron Grossman is a registered nurse, breathwork facilitator, author and heart attack survivor. Her memoir, Listen to Your Heart Song: Navigating the...
193 Navigating fibromyalgia at midlife with Tami Stackelhouse
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tami Stackelhouse is an award-winning author, founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute and executive producer of the documentary ...
192 How technology can revolutionise ageing with Keren Etkin
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I'm delighted to welcome back Keren Etkin to the podcast! Keren is a gerontologist, entrepreneur, and author of The AgeTech Revolution – a fascinati...
191 Finding joy after grief with Alison Larkin
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Larkin is a bestselling author, comedian, producer, and narrator of over 250 audiobooks. Her acclaimed autobiographical novel The English Amer...
190 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Dismantling menopause hype | Tania Elfersy
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to rethink everything you thought you knew about menopause? I'm thrilled to welcome back Tania Elfersy, someone I really admire and a woman with ...
189 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Menopause and nutrition | Karen Newby (re-release)
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing back another powerful episode for our special Menopause Matters Season - this time with the fabulous Karen Newby. Karen is a nutritio...
188 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Staying fit and healthy through menopause | Tania Dalton (re-release)
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing back another great episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the fabulous Tania Dalton. Tania is a healthy ag...
187 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Menopause whilst Black | Karen Arthur | (re-release)
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing back another ground-breaking episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the inspiring Karen Arthur. Karen is...
186 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Menopause, hormones and immune systems | Angela Counsel | (re-release)
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing back another great episode for our special Menopause Matters Season – this time with the brilliant Angela Counsel. Angela is a naturo...
185 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Upgrading the menopause conversation | Clarissa Kristjansson | (re-release)
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing back another episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the wonderful Clarissa Kristjansson. She's a Mindful...
184 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: Midlife women rock | Breeda Bermingham (re-release)
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're revisiting another brilliant conversation for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the inspiring Breeda Bermingham. She's a...
183 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: How to have a happy menopause | Jackie Lynch (re-release)
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-release episode with the brilliant Jackie Lynch, Registered Nutritional Therapist and author of The Happy Menopause. I just love that ti...
182 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: How to do a midlife refuel | Maryon Stewart (re-release)
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maryon Stewart is known as the pioneer of the natural menopause movement. She created a non-drug but scientifically based program to overcome issues a...
181 MENOPAUSE MATTERS: A special rerun season (intro)
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this solo episode, host Rachel Lankester introduces a brand-new special season of the Magnificent Midlife Podcast: Menopause Matters. With World ...
180 Living a life less ordinary with Melissa Talago
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to add something fabulous to your life? Meet Melissa Talago, a serial entrepreneur and portfolio careerist with a single minded passion: to live...
179 Understanding the female brain at midlife with Dr Sarah McKay
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, author, and science communicator passionate about making brain science accessible and practical. With a PhD in n...
178 Metabolism repair and long term health with Lara Briden
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and women's health advocate with over 25 years of clinical experience. Lara has written Period Repair Manual and...
177 Betrayal, healing, and resilience with Tracey Yarad
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracey Yarad is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist who transformed personal heartbreak into powerful storytelling. After a devastating betra...
176 Bone health and osteoporosis with Rebekah Rotstein
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rebekah Rotstein is the creator of the medically endorsed Buff Bones® system, providing bone health, education and exercise to manage and prevent bon...
175 Midlife update and my trip to Albania, solo with Rachel
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A solo midlife update from Rachel, with a difference, sharing her recent solo trip to Albania, and what's been going on in life. She talks about: - In...
174 The myth of making it with Samhita Mukhopadhyay
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the former editor of Teen Vogue and Feministing and the editorial director at The Meteor. She's the author of The Myth of Maki...
173 Finding our purpose at midlife with Lesley Jane Seymour
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lesley Jane Seymour is a media entrepreneur and the former editor of More magazine. She founded Covey Club, an online community for women over 40, wh...
172 Unlocking the gifts of perimenopause with Kate Codrington
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I always love chatting to this returning guest! Kate Codrington is the author of The New York Times recommended book, Second Spring: The Self-Care Gui...
171 Navigating bowel cancer with Dr Anisha Patel
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Anisha Patel is a GP specializing in women's health whose world was turned upside down with a diagnosis of stage three bowel cancer. She's the aut...
170 Unpicking menopause narratives with Dr Sarah White
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Sarah White is the CEO of Jean Hailes for Women's Health, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving women's health across Aus...
169 Getting creative about dementia with Shelle Luscombe
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shelle Luscombe is an entertainer, a singer, a presenter, a voiceover artist. She turned 50 in 2021 and she set out to have 50 memorable experiences....
168 DNA surprises, identity, healing and growth with Maria Leonard Olsen
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is such a fascinating podcast! Maria Leonard Olsen is a lawyer, an author, a TEDx speaker, and a mentor to women in recovery. She wrote 50 After ...
167 Menopause in Africa with Sue Mbaya
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Mbaya is the founder and director of Menopause Solutions Africa and host of the Pause for Menopause podcast. She's leading menopause awareness in ...
166 Writing about Jewish culture with Lynne Golodner
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lynne Golodner is a novelist writing about strong Jewish women and Jewish culture. She shares her background and journey as a writer, her focus on wr...
165 Midlife update, solo with Rachel
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A midlife update from Rachel on what's been happening lately and what's coming up for her as we move towards summer. She talks about: - Cherishing l...
164 The power of herbs for menopause with Hannah Charman
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Charman has been a medical herbalist since 1999, having first become interested in alternative medicine when she used it to recover from chro...
163 Finding what works at midlife with Dr Maria Luque
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Maria Luque is a menopause fitness expert, a health science professor, and an Air Force veteran. She's passionate about helping menopausal women b...
162 Discovering the joy of volunteering with Ann Marie Jackson
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Marie Jackson is the co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and works with Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in pov...
161 The embodied experience of postmenopause with Stella Duffy
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stella Duffy is an award-winning writer of 17 novels, over 70 short stories and 15 plays who's also worked in theatre for 35 years as an actor, direct...
160 Staying strong and healing well with Dr Kristie Ennis
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Kristie Ennis is a physical therapist, nutritionist, and strength and conditioning specialist. She wants to empower people to do more than they thi...
159 Black menopause and staying curious with Pamela Windle
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pamela Windle joins the podcast to talk about menopause, at work, for Black women, diversity of experience, the importance of representation and stayi...
158 Being a veteran with Cat Corchado
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cat Corchado is a US Air Force veteran turned founder of the Small Space Pilates Community. She's made it her mission to help women veterans transitio...
157 Midlife update, solo with Rachel
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mag Mid podcast host Rachel is flying solo this week, talking about what's been happening in her world. There's a trip to the UK Houses of Parliament...
156 Staying fit as we age with Elaine Reynolds
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elaine Reynolds is a master personal trainer and yoga teacher. She teaches women over 50 to not give up or give in with the crazy things happening to ...
155 Healing through memoir with Sherry Sidoti
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sherry Sidoti is an author and a yogi. She recently published her first book, a memoir about her own healing journey, A Smoke and a Song. This is such...
154 Preventing midlife burnout with Dr Sola Togun-Butler
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Sola Togun-Butler is a psychotherapist and transformative life coach. She's the founder of Butterfly Counseling Services and speaks regularly on th...
153 Getting to grips with the crisis of care with Emily Kenway
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Kenway is the author of the groundbreaking book, "Who Cares: the Hidden Crisis of Caregiving and How We Solve It", written after the painful exp...
152 Getting back on stage with Josephine Pembroke
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josephine Pembroke is a performer and founder of Radio Gorgeous. She trained at Drama Studio and has been in many bands, cabaret and theatre productio...
151 Becoming a digital publisher with Amanda O'Brien
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda O' Brien became a full-time digital publisher in midlife, with four successful websites focusing on travel, pets and information. She's a forme...
150 Finding the true truth with Ann Marie McQueen
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating episode 150 of the podcast with a very special guest. Ann Marie McQueen is a journalist on the world stage, focused on menopause and on a ...
149 Creating a career you love with Carolyn Parry
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carolyn Parry is the founder of Career Alchemy, helping early-stage and established professionals escape from a job they hate and create a career they...
148 Why we need more MenoClarity
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Something very different for this podcast – five guests on one show! Five of my fellow founders of MenoClarity, the knowledge hub for menopause set ...
147 Looking after women's health with Dr Cathleen Brown
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Cathleen Brown is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who has spent much of her career caring for female soldiers and their dependent...
146 Writing your story with Julia Brewer Daily
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Brewer Daily wrote her first novel, No Names To Be Given, when she was over 50. This book was inspired by her own experience as an adopted child...
145 Leaning into midlife, solo with Rachel
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A solo podcast from Rachel with more midlife musing on life, the universe and everything in between! Let's lean into midlife and our wisdom years! She...
144 The power of yoga for menopause with Niamh Daly
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Niamh Daly is the founder of Yinstinct Yoga and focuses on creating yoga practices to help especially with menopause, training teachers around the wor...
143 Caring for older parents with Liz O'Donnell
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Liz O'Donnell is the founder of Working Daughter, a global community for women balancing eldercare and career. She's the award-winning author of Worki...
142 Ending the battle with aging with Mia Maugé
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Mia Maugé, a 57 year old model championing broader representation in the modelling industry. She burst onto the scene in 2020 in the midst of th...
141 How She Podcasts with Jessica Kupferman
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Kupferman is the CEO and co-founder of She Podcasts, the largest women's podcasting community and organiser of She Podcasts LIVE. The She Podc...
140 Maturing into hagitude with Dr Sharon Blackie
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Sharon Blackie is an award winning writer, psychologist and mythologist. She's the author of the best selling, If Women Rose Rooted and more recen...
139 Rewilding Britain with Rebecca Wrigley
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Wrigley is one of the founders of Rewilding Britain, and now its chief executive. She has worked in the voluntary and public sectors for 23 ye...
138 Talking about death with Dr Kathryn Mannix (Re-Release)
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Kathryn Mannix has devoted her life to the palliative care of the dying. In this episode, she talked about death, the process of it and how we can ...
137 Being wiser about menopause with Tania Elfersy
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tania Elfersy is a transformative coach, speaker and award-winning author, specializing in midlife women's health. She's spent years researching what ...
136 Midlife update solo with Rachel
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel's back with a solo update on what's been happening in her world and the exciting launch of MenoClarity. She talks about: - An update on her mu...
135 Living the dream in the desert with Sam Walker (Re-Release)
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Walker started her Sam Walker's Desert Diaries podcast to document her move from Manchester, UK to Phoenix, Arizona. Sam is a master storyteller, ...
134 Normalizing menopause with Prof Martha Hickey
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My guest, Professor Martha Hickey, is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne and Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics, Gyna...
133 Making the most of your heart beats with Julie Owen Moylan (Re-Release)
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Another gem from the podcast archives. Julie Owen Moylan is the author of That Green Eyed Girl and 73 Dove Street, and currently working on her third ...
132 Later life planning with Clare Fuller
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clare Fuller talks about the importance of later life planning and what that can look like. Clare is a Registered Nurse with 30 years' experience in ...
131 Pole dancing over 50 with Makeda Smith (Re-Release)
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I interview Makeda Smith, celebrity publicist, pole and exotic dancer. She began her pole and aerial training at the age of 50 and created her own exo...
130 Revolutionizing ageing for women with Dr Amanda Hanson
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Amanda Hanson is on a mission to revolutionize how women age and how society feels about older women. She believes midlife should be a time of pow...
129 Menopause and nutrition with Karen Newby
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Newby is a nutritionist who's been practicing nutritional therapy for over 10 years. Her area of specialism is women's hormonal health, especia...
128 How to be a glorious broad with Maryjane Fahey
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Maryjane Fahey is a creative director, writer, storyteller, published author, and founder of Glorious Broads. Her mission is to inspire older women t...
127 Coping with grief Silke Herwald
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I've talked about death on the podcast but not yet grief, so I was delighted to welcome Silke Herwald to talk about this important topic. Silke is an...
126 Midlife musing solo with Rachel
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A solo episode with Rachel, musing about midlife and what's been happening in her world. She talks about: - How difficult it can be when we have ...
125 Caring for a loved one with dementia with Carolyn Birrell
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carolyn Birrell is the author of Walking with Fay, a moving book about her mother's uncharted path into dementia. Carolyn's writing began as a way to...
124 Diversity, equality and being a mature woman with Dawn-Maria France
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dawn-Maria France is an award-winning journalist and editor-in-chief of Yorkshire Women's Life magazine. She's a travel writer, children's author and...
123 How to find your soul mate with Katie Philips
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you dream of finding your soul mate? Do you think it will be just too difficult in midlife? Listen in to Katie Philips to find out how to call in ...
122 Choosing to live in the Arctic with Laura Galloway
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Galloway is the author of Dalvi: Six Years in the Arctic Tundra. She's a writer and communications strategist who began her career at the Los A...
121 Breast cancer and menopause with Dr Liz O'Riordan
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Liz O'Riordan is an international speaker, broadcaster and award-winning co-author of 'The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer'. In 2015 (aged 40) she...
120 Finding your true voice with Hattie Voelcker (Re-Release)
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hattie Voelcker went from being a barrister to retraining as a performance coach, working particularly with singers. She's so wise and inspiring! And...
119 Healing yourself through nutrition with Louise Carr (Re-release)
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Louise Carr who healed her own midlife trauma through retraining as a nutrition consultant. She has a fascinating story to tell about how to imp...
118 The magic of menopause with Darcey Steinke (Re-Release)
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This interview was transformational for me! I was so excited to interview Darcey Steinke, author of Flash Count Diary. I loved her book and so many o...
117 Giggling about incontinence with Elaine Miller (Re-Release)
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're dipping into the archives again and here's another cracker of a podcast. Elaine Miller is a pelvic health physiotherapist and stand-up comedian...
116 How to have great midlife sex with Dr Sonia Wright (Re-Release)
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Dr Sonia Wright, the Midlife Sex Coach. She's also a medical doctor, radiologist and life coach, and tremendous fun. This is a brilliant intervie...
115 Getting the facts straight about menopause solo with Rachel
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A solo episode from Rachel talking about menopause and gendered ageism. Rachel talks about: - Why she still hasn't moved on from talking about me...
114 Embracing silver hair and a new career with Rachel Peru (Re-Release)
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Another platinum gem from the podcast archives. Meet the very lovely Rachel Peru who went from nursery school teacher to successful curve and silver-...
113 How to end ageism with Ashton Applewhite (Re-Release)
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Here's another gem from the podcast archives in our summer season. Ashton Applewhite is an author, speaker and anti-ageism activist. I discovered her...
112 How to travel solo with Deborah Ives (Re-Release)
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dipping into the archives again for another gem of an interview with Deborah Ives, the solo traveler behind the travel blog, Solo in Style, who's pas...
111 The secrets of alternative aging with Suzi Grant (Re-Release)
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our summer season where I'm dipping into the archives to share some of the gems from the vault. We start by going all the way back to the ...
110 The joy of adventure with Alice Morrison
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My guest Alice Morrison is an adventurer. She's the Indiana Jones for girls. She's done so many things that would test anyone's endurance. The Marath...
109 Empowering women to lead with Dion Johnson
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is such an inspiring conversation! Dion Johnson, known as the Womanologist, works with women leaders so they can fulfil their potential. She ins...
108 Finding words for tender conversations with Dr Kathryn Mannix
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I welcome back Dr Kathryn Mannix to the podcast. Kathryn's first interview was titled Talking About Death because that's exactly wha...
107 The power of older women with Jennifer Arthurton
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Arthurton is the creator and founder of Old Chicks Know Sh*t, a community and podcast (of the same name) designed to inspire and support mid...
106 How to embrace your second spring with Kate Codrington
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Codrington is the author of Second Spring: the self-care guide to menopause, which is a rather lovely and revolutionary new book. She's a menstr...
105 How agetech will change the world with Keren Etkin
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is Keren Etkin, the Gerontechnologist. She's a gerontologist who's written a fascinating book called The Agetech Revolution: A book ab...
104 Breaking down taboos with Elizabeth Joseph
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Joseph describes herself as a social media menopause guinea pig. She's on a journey of perimenopausal transformation. We dig into exactly w...
103 From fine to fantastic with Lori Saitz
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A fun and inspiring conversation with the very wise and straight-talking Lori Saitz about how to move from just feeling fine to feeling truly fantast...
102 Why women stay after betrayal with Anne Michaud
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Michaud is a veteran political journalist who reported for the Wall Street Journal and Newsday. She was named columnist of the year by the New Y...
101 How women's brains get stronger and better with age with Dr Louann Brizendine
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Louann Brizendine is the best-selling author of The Female Brain and is here to talk to me about her latest book, The Upgrade: How the female brai...