Midlife Conversations with Natalie Jill: Fat Loss, Hormones & Health for Women Over 40

This is the conversation I have been waiting to have. If you are doing the breathwork, the meditation, the supplements, the protocols, and you are STILL feeling anxious, inflamed, bloated, and exhausted, this episode will explain why.
My guest is Dr. Pedram Shojai, The Urban Monk. He is a New York Times bestselling author and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and the man who first came on this show talking about stress and the nervous system. Years later, after a wild full-circle moment in a group coaching call, we are back together to talk about what he is doing NOW: the connection between the nervous system and the oral and gut microbiomes.
In this episode we connect every dot for the midlife woman who has been told she is fine. The stress-and-biome loop. Why your mouthwash may be sabotaging you. 
If you have been guessing about your gut and oral health and throwing supplements at a problem you have never tested, this is your invitation to stop guessing.
WE GO DEEP ON:
•  The full-circle story from The Urban Monk to the microbiome
•  Why nervous system work alone is not enough in midlife
•  The stress + biome loop and how it makes anxiety, fog, and bloat worse
•  Oral microbiome 101: what it is and why it matters for your gut, heart, and brain
•  The everyday things women are doing that are wrecking their oral biome
•  Why generic probiotics often do not work
•  Gut testing and oral microbiome testing demystified
•  Pedram's personal first steps after seeing his own data
•  Your this-week starter plan: 3 things to stop, 3 things to start
TIMESTAMPS:
•  00:00 — Cold open: the full-circle story
•  03:00 — Welcome + context for midlife women
•  05:00 — From The Urban Monk to the microbiome (his journey)
•  13:00 — The nervous system + biome loop
•  21:00 — Oral microbiome 101
•  29:00 — Gut microbiome as the control center
•  36:00 — Stop guessing, start testing
•  42:00 — Pedram's own protocol
•  48:00 — Biome + hormones + your starter plan + hope
 
Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube
 
Learn More About Dr. Pedram Shojai
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/theurbanmonk   
Website ➜ http://midlifeconversations.com/oral 
 
Thank you to our show sponsors: 
MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://www.mitoq.com/ 

QUANTUM UPGRADE: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://quantumupgrade.io/start 

BONCHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to http://boncharge.com/ and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% 




Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!
Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/

Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

 
Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit  
For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/ 



Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. 
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

Special offer for Midlife Conversations listeners: https://puritywoods.com/nataliejill for up to 38% off - a special savings of $5 off each bottle of Dream Cream purchased and is the lowest savings you will find. 

If you have ever turned a "clean" skincare bottle around, read the back, and not been able to pronounce a single ingredient, this episode is for you.
The European Union has banned over 1,300 ingredients from skincare. The United States has banned 11. ELEVEN. So what are we actually putting on our faces every single day? And in midlife, when our hormones are already in flux, what are those ingredients doing to us?
I sat down with Brian Vaszily (rhymes with PAISLEY), founder of TheArtofAntiAging.com and Purity Woods, who has spent over 25 years researching natural health and longevity. Brian is not a doctor. He is a researcher and educator who has worked alongside the most respected natural-health doctors of the last two decades. And he is here to tell us what is actually in our bathroom cabinets.
I want to be really honest with you before we dive in: I am NOT 100% non-toxic. I still color my hair. There are products in my bathroom that are not clean. I am not preaching perfection. But what I DO take seriously is TOXIC LOAD, and that is the lens we go through this conversation with.
We go DEEP on:
Why your skin is an organ (the LARGEST one you have) and what that actually means for what you absorb

The 1,300+ ingredients banned in the EU that are still legal in the US, including 9 commonly used ingredients

Why the words "clean" and "natural" on a label mean absolutely NOTHING (zero regulatory definition)

Endocrine disruptors and why they hit harder in menopause when our hormones are already shifting

Parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde-releasers, oxybenzone, synthetic fragrance: what they do and how to spot them

The "first 5 ingredients" rule that tells you 80% of what is actually in any product

The truth about retinoids, niacinamide, and skin-lightening topicals like hydroquinone (banned across the developed world)

Bakuchiol: the plant-based retinol alternative with comparable research

The University of Rhode Island study on red maple leaf extract that researchers nicknamed "plant-based Botox"

USDA Certified Organic on skincare: why it is the same federal standard as USDA Organic on food

Can you layer Dream Cream with the products you already love? Yes, and how

The 10-step bathroom audit you can do this WEEK to start lowering your toxic load

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00. Why your skin is an organ (and what most labels are hiding)

06:00. EU banned 1,300+ ingredients. US banned 11. The full story.

18:00. Endocrine disruptors and why they hit harder in menopause

28:00. How to actually read a skincare label: the "first 5" rule

38:00. USDA Certified Organic: the only federal standard that means anything

45:00. Retinoids, niacinamide, and the truth about skin-lightening topicals

55:00. The maple leaf research and why Brian built Purity Woods

63:00. Can you layer Dream Cream with other products you love?

70:00. The 10-step bathroom audit you can do this week

This is not a product pitch. This is a clean skincare education episode for midlife women who are tired of being lied to by labels.
 
Learn More About Brian Vaszily
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/puritywoodsinc  
Website ➜ http://puritywoods.com/nataliejill 
 
Thank you to our show sponsors: 
LEELA: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NatalieJill at checkout  at https://midlifeconversations.com/leela 



Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!
Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/

Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

 
Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit  
For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/ 



Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. 
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

Facelifts are having a MOMENT. Kris Jenner. Denise Richards. Suddenly every woman over 50 is asking the question out loud: is this what it takes now? Do I need a facelift? Is there a natural alternative that actually works?
Facial plastic surgery jumped 19% in 2025. Forty-five percent of surgeons say menopause is what is driving it. Which means somebody needs to be telling us the REAL story, not the marketing one.
This episode is with Dr. Anthony Youn, board-certified plastic surgeon known as America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon. He is the most-followed plastic surgeon on the internet with 13 million+ across TikTok and YouTube. He is the author of four bestsellers including Younger For Life and he hosts The Doctor Youn Show.
Here is why he is different. He is a surgeon who tells women to AUTOJUVENATE before you operate. Skincare. Supplements. Collagen. Red light. Nutrition. Hormones. THEN, and only then, do we talk procedures.
This is the honest midlife conversation about what works, what doesn't, and what is marketing.
WE GO DEEP ON
Why facelifts have gone mainstream and the Kris Jenner / Denise Richards effect

SMAS vs. deep plane vs. ponytail lift, explained in plain English

The natural stack that actually works BEFORE surgery (the autojuvenation method)

When it IS actually time to consider surgery, and when to wait

The simple 6-product skincare routine for every midlife woman

Clean skincare: what is real, what is marketing fear

Sunscreen truth: mineral vs. chemical, and the brands he actually recommends

Collagen supplements: the research, the dose, what to look for on the label

Red light therapy: does it actually work, and the masks worth the money

Botox honestly: the 2025 CDC counterfeit warning and how to stay safe

Filler, pillow face, and why we are in the anti-filler era

BBL danger: the deadliest cosmetic surgery and how to lower the risk

The ONE thing every midlife woman should do this week

This is not a product pitch. This is the conversation that gives you control.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Facelifts have gone mainstream

18:00 — Simple skincare that actually works

32:00 — Collagen, red light, and what the research says

45:00 — Botox and filler, the honest truth

58:00 — BBL, autojuvenation, and the ONE thing this week





Learn More About Dr. Anthony Youn
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/tonyyounmd 
Website ➜ http://dryoun.com 
Podcast ➜ The Doctor Youn Show
 
 
Thank you to our show sponsors: 
TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://timeline.com/NATALIEJILL 

KION: Kion is offering 20% off your order! Go to https://getkion.com/nataliejill 

BONCHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to http://boncharge.com/ and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% 





Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!
Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/

Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

 
Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit  
For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/ 



Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. 
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

We talk a lot on this show about supplements, hormones, food, sleep, and protocols. But there is a layer underneath all of that we have not gone deep on until now. Our beliefs. Who we think we are. Why we are here. And the quiet, unconscious story running the show every single day.
In this episode, Natalie sits down with her own therapist Mcayla Sarno, an EMDR specialist who has spent almost twenty years helping women get to the root of the beliefs that are silently shaping their bodies, their relationships, their purpose, and their health. Natalie also shares the very personal EMDR story that changed her life. The memory with her mom in the car. The belief she did not even know she was carrying. And what shifted when she finally looked at it through different eyes.
This is a real conversation about why so many of us hit midlife feeling lost, why the empty nest hits harder than anyone warned us, what is actually happening when we try to control everything, and why a therapist asking the right question will always do something ChatGPT cannot. We talk about how core beliefs form, how they show up in the body, and the work it takes to finally come home to who we have always been underneath all of it.
If you have been feeling like you have done all the outer work and something inside still is not clicking, this is the episode for you.
WE GO DEEP ON
•  What EMDR actually is and why it is not just for trauma
•  The difference between understanding something and integrating it
•  How core beliefs form and why they generalize to every area of our life
•  The connection between unresolved beliefs and chronic health issues
•  Why ChatGPT will never replace a real therapist asking the right question
•  The empty nest grief nobody talks about and the mini mourning of every version of our kids
•  Why control feels safe but never actually makes us safe (and what does)
•  How external validation becomes the trap of our 30s and 40s and breaks open in our 50s
•  The infant question that reframes everything: were you good enough the day you were born
•  Natalie's personal EMDR story, the car memory with her mom, and the belief she was carrying
•  Why 5-day intensives work when weekly therapy has not
•  "I always was. I already am." The reframe every midlife woman needs



Learn More About Mcayla Sarno
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/drmcayla 
Website ➜ http://drmcayla.com/ 
 
Thank you to our show sponsors: 
MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://www.mitoq.com/ 

LEELA QUANTUM: Get 10% off your first Leela Quantum order with the code NATALIEJILL at checkout  at https://midlifeconversations.com/leela  

SUNLIGHTEN: Sleep better. Recover faster. Stress less. Get Sunlighten infrared saunas HERE https://sunlighten.com  and use code NATALIEJILL to save up to $1,400! 
 
Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!
Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/

Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

 
Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit  
For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/ 



Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. 
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

Your mouth has over 700 species of bacteria living inside it right now. And the balance of those bacteria is directly driving whether you have brain fog, bleeding gums, heart disease, or Alzheimer's.
Nobody told us this. And nobody told us that in menopause, EVERYTHING about our mouth changes. Saliva drops. Gums get sensitive. Bone density falls. And the antibacterial mouthwash we have been using for 20 years? It might be making it worse.
This episode is with Dr. Sanda Moldovan, an award-winning periodontist AND board-certified nutritionist, founder of Orasana, and author of Heal Up. She has spent two decades studying the oral microbiome and she is one of the most respected oral health experts in the country.
She walks us through the THREE simple things we can do tonight to reset our oral biome. None of them are expensive. None of them are complicated. And the science is on her side.
WE GO DEEP ON
Why the mouth is the gateway to your whole body (heart, brain, joints, gut)

The menopause mouth: why estrogen drops change your gums, saliva, and oral microbiome

The 3 simple things to do tonight: electric brush, water floss, oral probiotic before bed

Tongue scraping: 60% of your oral bacteria lives on your tongue

Oil pulling: does it actually work, and the safety warning nobody mentions

The mouthwash myth: how antibacterial rinses can raise your blood pressure

The nitric oxide connection your dentist never told you about

The labs to ask for: OralDNA salivary testing

The red flags every midlife woman should stop ignoring

3 simple things you can start tonight that actually move the needle

This is not a doom episode. This is the conversation that gives you control.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Oral microbiome 101 and the mouth-body connection

12:00 — The 3 simple things to do tonight

28:00 — The mouthwash myth and the nitric oxide story

42:00 — Nutrition for the mouth and the red flags to watch

56:00 — The biome reset and your 8-step starter protocol

 
Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube
 
Learn More About Dr. Sanda Moldovan
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/drsandamoldovan 
Website ➜ http://drsandamoldovan.com 
 
 
Thank you to our show sponsors: 
BON CHARGE: Get glowing, younger looking skin with minimal effort or time. Go to http://midlifeconversations.com/boncharge and use code NATALIEJILL to save 15% 

TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://timeline.com/NATALIEJILL 




Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!
Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/

Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

 
Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit  
For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/ 



Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen. 
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.