E301: Reinventing Life, Aging Boldly & Dancing Through It All with Leslie Fhima

What if the way we've been taught to think about aging is completely backwards? What if feeling exhausted, gaining weight, losing muscle, and struggling with brain fog isn't actually inevitable? In this episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, Marnie and Stephanie sit down with physician Dr. Jerry Mixon, who has spent the last 30 years focused on longevity medicine after realizing, at 50, that treating disease after it appears wasn't enough. Dr. Mixon shares his own turning point (including the office chair moment that finally got his attention), then walks through why testosterone, not estrogen, is actually a woman's primary hormone, why "normal" lab results don't always mean optimal, and why muscle functions almost like its own gland in the body. They also get into the real risks of losing muscle on GLP-1 medications, why BMI is a flawed metric for midlife women, and what walking pace can tell you about long-term health. This is a deep, detail-rich conversation, so if you've ever been told your labs are "normal" but still felt off, or you're curious about hormone therapy, muscle loss, or where to start with limited time and budget, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: Testosterone, not estrogen, is a woman's primary sex hormone by volume, and it declines sharply through midlife

What happens when you trade a typical college spring break for 10 days of silence, no phone, 4 a.m. wake-ups and hours of meditation? This week, we're joined by Lily Lev, a recent University of Michigan graduate who studied biology, health and society. While studying abroad, Lily traveled to Thailand for a 10-day silent meditation retreat—an experience that challenged her physically and mentally and ultimately changed the way she thinks about health, emotions and resilience. In this conversation, Lily shares what those 10 days were really like, why sitting still was harder than staying silent, and the lessons she brought home about non-attachment, loving-kindness, stress and becoming less reactive. We also explore Lily's evolving definition of holistic health, the connection between physical and mental resilience, and the routines she recommends for young adults navigating the transition to college and beyond. IN THIS EPISODE: ✨ What 10 days at a silent meditation retreat actually looked like ✨ Why discomfort became one of Lily's greatest teachers ✨ How non-attachment can change our relationship with difficult emotions ✨ The surprising power of loving-kindness ✨ Why health is about so much more than nutrition and exercise ✨ Lily's advice for creating healthy routines during college

Summer just happened, and by September, Marnie and Stephanie are usually scrambling to rebuild their routines from scratch. Not this year. In this episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, they recap the summer (the good stuff and the stuff that slipped), then get into what they call their non-negotiables: the floor, not the ceiling. The handful of things they protect no matter how chaotic life gets. They walk through the specifics: how they keep moving even on days with zero free time, why sleep is non-negotiable and how alcohol affects it more than people admit, the daily smoothie and protein-first habit that keeps their blood sugar and energy steady, and the no-phones-at-the-table rule that's harder to enforce than it sounds. Along the way, they talk about why they both still work with coaches themselves, and why that's true no matter how "figured out" your habits are. They close by introducing the Fall 7-Day Vitality Reboot, starting September 27, with both a live cohort and a self-paced option available. Key Takeaways: •Non-negotiables are the floor, not the ceiling — the few things you protect no matter how chaotic life gets •Movement doesn't require a full workout — stairs, short walks, and airport laps all count on the busiest days •Alcohol disrupts sleep more consistently than most people realize, even just one drink •Starting the day with protein, fat, and fiber helps stabilize blood sugar and energy for the rest of the day •Planning ahead, like packing salads or bringing a shaker bottle, makes healthy choices easier when travel throws off your routine •Working with a coach, in any category of life, tends to lead to better outcomes than going it alone •A phone-free table is one of the simplest ways to stay present with the people you're actually with •The Fall Vitality Reboot starts September 27 and offers both a live cohort and a self-paced option Episode Breakdown with Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Back: Summer Wrap-Up Begins 00:32 Three Things We're Covering Today 01:14 Marnie's Summer Highlights: Family Trip and Montana With Jordan 02:36 The Simple Things: Outdoor Dinners and a $40 Deck Table 04:38 Stephanie's Two-Week Family Trip and Learning to Slow Down 06:08 Introducing Our Non-Negotiables: The Floor, Not the Ceiling 06:40 Non-Negotiable #1: Movement, Even When the Day Falls Apart 08:20 Getting Creative With Movement While Traveling 09:42 Non-Negotiable #2: Sleep and Knowing Your Own Limits 10:53 Why One Drink Disrupts Marnie's Sleep Every Time 11:35 Midlife and Caring Less What Other People Think 12:54 Non-Negotiable #3: The Daily Smoothie and Protein First 14:16 The Backup Plan: Protein on the Go When Life Gets Chaotic 15:15 Hydration on the Road 16:08 Packing Ahead: The Salad-in-a-Jar Story 16:55 The TSA Ice Pack Incident 17:24 Why We Both Still Work With Coaches 19:06 What the Research Says About Coached vs. Non-Coached Outcomes 19:57 Coaches for Every Season of Life 20:38 Non-Negotiable #4: No Phones at the Table 22:24 What Marnie's Daughter's School Says About Texting Back Right Away 23:38 Introducing the Fall Vitality Reboot 23:55 Live Cohort or Self-Paced: Choose What Works for You 24:58 What's the One Non-Negotiable You'll Protect This Fall? Feeling tired, inflamed, or stuck in a cycle of cravings? Join our 7-Day Fall Vitality Reboot starting September 27 and discover how much better you can feel with simple daily habits and a supportive community beside you every step of the way. Click here to save your spot: https://l.bttr.to/fNSbn Not sure where to start, or want to talk it through first? Book a free discovery call with Marnie and Stephanie. Subscribe to our Substack to get episode updates, wellness tips, and personal reflections from Marnie & Stephanie delivered straight to your inbox. Grab your free Midlife Travel Resilience Checklist here. If you love the show and want to support what we're building, consider a paid subscription for $30 annually. https://thea

What if one tiny carbon molecule could help protect your cells from oxidative stress and support the mitochondria responsible for producing your energy? In this fascinating episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, we sit down with Ken Swartz, aka Ken the Scientist, co-founder of C60 Power, to explore Carbon 60 (C60)—a unique form of carbon that Ken first encountered while researching radiation protection in a fusion energy lab. Ken takes us inside the science of C60 and explains why this molecule has gained attention in the longevity and biohacking worlds for its potential role in antioxidant defense, mitochondrial health, cellular energy, inflammation and healthy aging. We break down oxidative stress in simple terms, why mitochondrial function becomes increasingly important as we age, and how C60 differs from familiar antioxidants such as CoQ10 and glutathione. Ken also shares what to look for when choosing a C60 product, including purity, third-party testing, sourcing and packaging. For our midlife listeners, we dig into an especially interesting question: Could supporting mitochondrial health influence the way we experience energy, brain fog and other changes associated with aging? In this episode, you'll learn: What Carbon 60 (C60) actually is—and its surprising connection to fusion-energy research

Have you ever noticed how two women fifteen years apart can seem worlds apart in energy, while two women the same age can be aging in completely different directions? In this episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, Marnie and Stephanie unpack what they call the midlife health dashboard: the metrics that actually predict how well you're aging, beyond the number on a biological age test. They share their own results from two different biological age tests, including a jarring 16-year gap between the two, and walk through what's actually within your control. Biological age testing has exploded in popularity, with people online sharing scores and spending real money to find out if they're aging faster or slower than their birth certificate says. Marnie and Stephanie have both taken these tests themselves, and they break down what the scores actually mean, what they missed, and why the number matters far less than the daily habits behind it. Whether you've taken a biological age test, are curious about one, or just want a practical way to think about aging well, this episode gives you a place to start today. Key Takeaways: •Biological age tests compare you to other people who took that same test, often a health-conscious group, not the general population •Genetic testing can also reveal your MTHFR status and ApoE genotype, which may be more useful day to day than the biological age score itself •Getting up off the floor without using your hands is one of the simplest predictors of long-term mobility •Walking pace and small daily movement snacks measurably affect how well you age, not just how far you walk •Deep sleep, not just total hours, is one of the most overlooked levers for energy and recovery in midlife •Most women are still under-eating protein, and it shows up in blood work, energy, and cravings •Chronic stress and time spent in fight-or-flight directly affects your biological age, not just how you feel day to day •You don't need a lab test to start improving your health dashboard, an honest self-score across a few key areas is a good place to begin Episode Breakdown with Timestamps: 00:00 Why Two Women 15 Years Apart Can Age So Differently 00:59 Welcome Back: Introducing the Midlife Health Dashboard 01:28 What Biological Age Actually Measures 01:55 Stephanie's Biological Age Test Results, Explained 04:34 Marnie's Two Test Results: One Said 54, One Said 38.6 07:37 The MTHFR Gene and Why Methylation Matters 08:49 Genes Aren't Destiny: A Quick Note on Epigenetics 09:30 Metric: Muscle and Functional Strength 10:21 The "Can You Get Off the Floor" Longevity Test 10:49 Book Rec: The New Fit With Aaron Leventhal (Episode 284) 11:32 Metric: Walking, Movement Snacks, and Pace 13:49 Metric: Sleep and the Midlife Wake-Up Spiral 15:26 Sleep Trackers Worth Trying: Aura Ring vs. Whoop 16:30 Chasing Deep Sleep: What Actually Moved the Needle 17:44 Metric: Stress, the Nervous System, and a PEMF Mat Experiment 19:52 Metric: Protein, and Why Most Women Are Under-Eating It 22:15 Does Everyone Need to Take a Biological Age Test? 23:02 Metric: Connection and Purpose 23:59 Metric: Getting Out of Fight-or-Flight 24:59 Build Your Own Health Dashboard: Score Yourself 25:08 How Old Do You Actually Feel? 28:16 What We'd Tell Our Kids Now 29:21 Share Your Biological Age Results With Us 29:45 Join the Fall Vitality Reboot, Starting September 27 Resources and Links: Episode 267, The New Fit with Aaron Leventhal Episode284 with Danny King (Lifetime) on VO2 max Episode 319 on Community and Longevity for Midlife Women Episode317 Design a life you love with the "big ass calendar" co-founder Feeling tired, inflamed, or stuck in a cycle of cravings? Join our 7-Day Fall Vitality Reboot starting September 27 and discover how much better you can feel with simple daily habits and a supportive community beside you every step of the way. Click here to save your spot: https://l.bttr.to/fNSbn Subscribe to our Substa