Menopause Rise and Thrive | Helping Women Navigate Midlife and Menopause
Welcome to Menopause Rise and Thrive! I’m Dr. Sara Poldmae, and this podcast is for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause—women who are ready to embrace this stage of life with confidence and create a future that feels authentic and fulfilling.
Every week, I’ll walk you through the ups and downs of midlife, sharing helpful tips, real-world advice, and a space where you can feel heard and supported. Whether you’re dealing with hot flashes, weight changes, mood swings, sleep disruptions, or brain fog—or simply trying to make sense of the emotional shifts that come with menopause—you’re not alone.
Together, we’ll cut through the noise of misinformation and explore real, effective strategies for managing menopause symptoms, emotional well-being, and relationship dynamics. Menopause Rise and Thrive is about more than just symptom management—it’s about stepping into your strength, prioritizing your well-being, and finding renewed purpose in this chapter of life.
More than anything, this podcast is about community—a place where women like you can connect, share experiences, and support one another. Together, we’ll challenge outdated myths about aging, celebrate our resilience, and approach midlife with clarity, strength, and empowerment.
Offering a unique blend of insights from my experience as a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Chinese herbalist, acupuncturist, yogi, functional medicine practitioner, and women’s advocate, I’m here to help you reclaim your health and rediscover your passions. Every episode is designed to provide guidance, reassurance, and practical steps so you can navigate menopause with confidence.
Episodes
142 episodes
142. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis for Women Running on Empty
If you’re waking up tired, dragging through the afternoon, and wondering why you still feel depleted despite eating well, exercising, and getting decent sleep—you are not alone. So many midlife women are told their labs are “normal,” yet they s...
141. Have the Audacity to Reclaim Your Power in Midlife
Are you feeling the tension between wanting to speak up… and wondering if it’s “too much”? Or maybe you’ve noticed your confidence shifting in midlife—at work, at home, or even in your own body?In this powerful and deeply honest episode,...
140. Body Image - Coming Home to your body
This episode explores what it truly means to feel at home in your body—something many women realize they’ve rarely, if ever, experienced. I reflect on my own journey with body image, including how early influences shaped my perception and how t...
139. Emotions hit hard in midlife
Are your emotions feeling a little… unpredictable lately? One moment you’re fine, and the next you’re overwhelmed, irritable, or wondering why everything suddenly feels so heavy. If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you’re not imagining it—...
138. Natural Testosterone Support
Are you doing all the “right” things—maybe even considering testosterone therapy—but still not feeling your best?If you listened to last week’s episode on testosterone, you know how powerful hormone therapy can be. But here’s the truth: ...
137. Testosterone - Mood, Libido and more
Have you ever wondered if testosterone therapy is just for men—or if it might actually help you with low libido, energy dips, or stubborn vaginal dryness? You’re not alone. So many midlife women are asking questions about testosterone, but gett...
136. The permission to pause. Time away was needed.
Have you ever longed for a pause button—a moment where no one needs you, nothing is urgent, and you can simply breathe? In this episode, I’m sharing my deeply personal experience from a recent retreat in Costa Rica—where for the first time in a...
135. Go deeper to create the best year yet
Do you feel like the start of a new year is pressuring you into making big, sweeping changes you’re just not up for? Maybe the goals that used to excite you now feel heavy—or even irrelevant. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this w...
134. My relationship with alcohol and health risks
Have you ever woken up after just one drink feeling wired, anxious, exhausted—and wondering why it didn’t feel “worth it” anymore? If alcohol suddenly feels different in your body during midlife, you are not imagining it.In this...
133. Is Alcohol Really Helping You Cope with the Holidays?
Does the holiday season make you feel like pouring a glass (or two) of wine is the only way to survive the stress? Between hosting, caregiving, and the emotional weight of family dynamics, it’s no wonder alcohol can feel like a go-to solution. ...
132. Permission to Pause- New episode schedule
This week’s episode is a real-life, unpolished, sit-on-the-couch-with-me kind of conversation. If you noticed there was no episode last week… you’re right. And today, I’m sharing exactly why.The last several weeks have been overwhe...
131. How to find your Spark in Midlife
Have you ever found yourself stuck—knowing you want more energy, more confidence, more joy—but unsure of where to start? Or maybe you’ve hit a roadblock that’s thrown your whole routine off course (again), and you're struggling to get back on t...
130. Mindfulness in Middle Age
Feeling scattered, overstimulated, and stuck in a cycle of information overload? You’re not alone—and there’s a powerful antidote hiding in plain sight: mindfulness. In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Tara Segree, a longtime...
129. Confidence and Workplace Support - Gen Z through the Boomers
Are you feeling unfulfilled in your career—or wondering if it's too late to shift into something that lights you up? Maybe you're returning to the workforce after a break, or you're managing menopause symptoms that are quietly chipping away at ...
128. How Chinese Medicine Explains Your Unique Menopause Experience
Are you feeling irritable, anxious, weepy, or just plain exhausted—and wondering why no one else seems to be having your kind of menopause? You're not alone. The truth is, while hormones play a role, the deeper story might be found in ...
127. When It All Goes Up in Flames: Grief, Gratitude & Rebuilding in Midlife
Have you ever had a week that flipped your world upside down—and somehow also cracked you open in the most meaningful way?In this raw and unfiltered episode, I’m sharing something deeply personal: the fire that struck my wellness center ...
126. Finding Joy in Midlife
Can chronic stress trigger perimenopause symptoms? Angie Hawkins says yes—and she’s lived it. If you’ve ever felt like the stress of holding everything together might actually be breaking your body down, this episode is going to feel lik...
125. How is your heart? Cardiovascular disease in midlife women
Are you taking care of your heart—but still feeling like something’s missing?So many midlife women focus on breast health or hormone balance, yet don’t realize that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for...
124. Sex challenges in Midlife
Is Your Sex Life Struggling in Midlife? You’re Not Alone. Have you ever thought, “Is this it?” when it comes to sex in midlife? Maybe intimacy feels awkward, your libido has disappeared, or it just… hurts. If so, you’re not broken—and ...
123. Awareness, Acceptance, Action: The Midlife Shift You’ve Been Waiting For
Feeling Stuck? Here’s How to Get Moving Again—No Matter Where You Are in Life. Do you ever find yourself saying, “It’s not that bad…”—even when you know deep down something needs to change? Whether it’s your health, your relationships,...
122. Acceptance in Menopause
Are you feeling like your body—and your life—aren’t quite your own anymore? Maybe the weight gain, brain fog, sleepless nights, and emotional overwhelm have left you wondering, “Who even am I right now?” If that sounds familia...
121. The Truth About Midlife, Hormones & Reclaiming Your Power
Ever feel like you’re losing yourself somewhere between hot flashes, brain fog, and trying to remember where you left your coffee (again)? You’re not alone—and this conversation is for you.In this very special episode, Sara takes the
120. Cougar Puberty, The We Do Not Care Club and Why Menopause Humor Helps Fuel the Conversation
Are you crying over dog food commercials… or impulse-buying your fourth pair of reading glasses? Welcome to the wild ride of Cougar Puberty—yes, it’s a thing, and no, you’re not the only one living it. In this short but laughter-filled...
119. The Power of No: How Letting Go Leads to a Life You Love
Are You Saying "Yes" When You Really Want to Say "No"? If your calendar is packed, your energy is drained, and you're constantly “should-ing” yourself through the week, you’re not alone. In this short but powerful episode, I’m talking about one...
118. Your Midlife Health Questions—Answered with Heart & Science
Are These Midlife Health Questions Keeping You Up at Night?Have you ever found yourself deep in a 2 a.m. Google rabbit hole, trying to figure out if collagen powder is worth it, or whether that weighted vest in your closet could actually...