If you've ever felt like you were holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside as you navigate midlife, this episode is for you.

This week, I sit down with trauma and grief specialist Jill McMahon, who has spent over 25 years working with individuals through some of life's most devastating experiences.

Together we unpack something that you may have never considered — that the chronic stress of everyday midlife life may actually be living in your body as trauma.

This enlightening and informative conversation will validate what you have been feeling and give you real, practical tools to start healing. Even if you don't think you have trauma in your past, I promise this is an episode you can't miss.

In This Episode:

📌 How your body responds to chronic stress the same way it responds to a catastrophic event
📌 The connection between unresolved trauma and amplified menopause symptoms
📌 Why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to carrying an invisible load that quietly damages their health
📌 What the research says about trauma and cognitive decline in menopausal women

More Support For You

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Change your mindset and thrive in perimenopause with this unique approach

How in the world do you stay consistent and "motivated" long enough to lose 65 lbs?

As I reflect on my 50th year (which I hoped would be my healthiest year ever), I recognized that the health lessons I really needed, I learned when I lost 65 lbs in my late 40s.

When people ask me how I stayed consistent, it all came down to three big lessons, which I unpack here.

In this episode:

📌 Learning how to work with your brain instead of fighting against it's natural wiring, allows you to stay consistent whether you have motivation or not.

📌 Find small wins, because motivation and discipline don't show up everyday. Finding excitement in the small wins can help you keep moving toward your bigger goal.

📌 The truth is that sustained weight loss is long and boring...but you can train you brain to celebrate all the victories along the way!

If you're struggling with your weight loss journey, or you want to be more resilient in midlife and beyond, this is the episode for you!

More Support For You

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Perimenopause Weight Loss Method

Do you feel like you're exhausted and dragging through every single day? Between the invisible load of managing a career, a family, aging parents, and shifting hormones, it’s no wonder you feel like you’re running on empty.

In this episode of The Family Fork, I’m getting real about why you lose energy in perimenopause and how to get it back without spending a fortune (like a week at the spa!)

We’re talking about simple, low-friction shifts that turn into habits—habits that quickly give you energy back!

I'll walk you through the biological "why" behind your fatigue, from the way stress locks your body in fight-or-flight mode, to how hidden inflammatory ingredients make your exhaustion worse.

Midlife or not, you deserve to feel vibrant, excited about your life, and powerful enough to handle whatever the day throws at you.

In this episode:

📌 Discover why your body holds onto fat when you’re stuck in high alert, plus three tools to signal "safety" to your nervous system.

📌 Why systemic inflammation makes you feel heavy and foggy, plus simple food swaps that can clear brain fog in just three days.

📌 Why eating more frequently (but strategically!) stops the blood sugar roller coaster and banishes "hangry" afternoons.

📌 My favorite trick to help you drink water faster

More Support For You

✅ Download your FREE 21-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan
✅ My go-to online workout library (Use code ASHLEYS1BODI for an extra 15% off!)
🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Willpower or Motivation