Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

I interview my friend and colleague Pam, who suffered a severe uterine prolapse in October 2018 while at a spin class. Pam shares her story of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in the hope it might help other women who are struggling with prolapse and feeling alone and unsupported. Pam and I discuss the piecemeal nature of women’s health care, the importance of candid conversations around women’s reproductive health, and the role a good pelvic floor therapist can play when it comes to thriving in midlife. If you don’t know what a uterine prolapse, pessary, or vaginal vault suspension is, listen to this episode. To improve women’s pelvic floor wellness, we need to start talking about it more!

Prolapse Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184143085606

Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support: https://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org/

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

My soul sister, Megan, joins me as I share m son’s open adoption story. Duncan is now almost 18, so it felt like the right time to publicly share (with permission of Duncan and his birth family) the story of how my husband Rob and I came to the decision to adopt and how that process unfolded. Open adoption includes a continuing relationship with the child’s birth family, which makes my family’s case is very special. There were many moments of serendipity, shared joy, and intimate grief in this journey to starting a family – get ready to hear an amazing story that will reaffirm your belief that some things are just “meant to be”.

Grab Wendy’s free Blueprint for Change, here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint

This comforting, naturally sweetened breakfast could pass for dessert! This breakfast is perfect for the "all things apples & cinnamon” season that is Fall. Serve warm and top with a little dollop of the yoghurt mixture.

Ingredients:

6 c apples, peeled and diced (You’ll need 8-9 medium-sized apples)

2 tbsp cinnamon, divided 2 c slow cook rolled oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 c dates, roughly chopped

1 c almond, other non-dairy milk or cow's milk

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping - Mix Together:

1/2 c plain yoghurt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

To make:

Peel and dice apples. Toss with 1 tbsp of cinnamon then place apples in the bottom of an ungreased pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, baking powder, remaining 1 tbsp of cinnamon, ginger, allspice & salt.

In a blender or food processor, blend dates, milk, apple sauce,...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Join me as I interview Shelley Tait, a mom of three and recovering drinker living with Stage 4 liver disease. Women’s drinking has been rising during the pandemic, and with it, liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease typically takes years to develop, but as Shelley’s terrifying story evidences, it’s not nearly as many years as you think. You’ll be absolutely amazed by Shelley’s story, which she tells with great honesty and humour. Shelley and I discuss mommy wine culture, kids’ team sports and the parent drinking culture that’s often present there, and how easy it is for women’s “normal” drinking to escalate into a dangerous and destructive pattern.

Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths

Ingredients:

454g of whole grain pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained (reserve a cup or so of pasta water) & set aside

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c diced shallots (about 4 shallots)

4 large garlic cloves, crushed (you really can't have too much)

1 c unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

1-400 ml can coconut milk (I'd live a little & go with full-fat)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp+ ground nutmeg (taste at the end & add a little more if you like)

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (+ more for garnish)

To make: In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, heat olive oil, shallots, and garlic over medium and cook, stirring, until fragrant & garlic is golden.

Whisk in pumpkin, coconut milk, salt, nutmeg, chili powder, pepper and sage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, continue stirring, and let sauce cook for 5 minutes or so to thicken up. Add drained pasta back into pot and stir to coat well with the sauce, adding some of...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Inspired by a song called “I’ve Got No More Fuc#$ to Give” that I stumbled across on YouTube,  Sarah and I share how our feeling of having “no more fuc#$ to give” has shown up in our personal and work lives, and how common a headspace this seems to be for all women in midlife.

We discuss why this is happening, from a social, emotional, and hormonal perspective, and what to do about it if you’re feeling guilty about caring less. We also consider whether this midlife phenomenon isn’t really more a “shifting of fuc#$” as opposed to “having less fuc#$”, and how that shifting might benefit you as well as the other people in your life, including your children. Are you the adult you want your kids to become?

Join Sarah and me for a spirited, fun conversation with an important undercurrent: it’s totally OK to start focussing on you again as you move into your...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below. 

On my 50^th birthday, I reflect on my life to date, my fears about hitting 50, and the surprising (and refreshing!) reality that came with the actual day. I share my goals for this decade including my commitment to having “fun for fun’s sake” and “filling up my joy bucket” to help me in the transition to empty nester that is coming soon.

“This is 50” will be a regular installment of the podcast going forward – sometimes featuring a 50-something guest with a story to share around her 50s to date, sometimes an update on my 50^th year, and sometimes a conversation with the always-popular Bite-Sized Balance co-host, Dr. Sarah Baillie.

Free resources here: www.wendymccallum.com/learnwithwendy

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 large leeks (white and light green parts only)coarsely sliced

4 cloves garlic crushed

6 medium potatoes peeled and cubed

2 bay leaves

1.5 tsp dried thyme leaves

1.5 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pepper

4 c low-sodium veggie broth

2 c unsweetened almond (or cow’s) milk

1 c plain yoghurt (greek or any type is fine, avoid fat-free)

To make: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook a few minutes until leeks softened. Add potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt, nutmeg, and pepper and stir to coat. Add broth and milk and bring to a low boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes tender. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaves, stir in yoghurt.

Blend in stand blender or with immersion blender until smooth. (Careful: hot liquids in a blender can be messy - let the steam escape and hold your lid on!)

Makes about 9 cups (Serves 5).

Ingredients:

3 c instant or quick oats (unflavoured)

1 c chopped unsweetened dried fruit of choice (raisins, prunes, apricots, dates, cherries, or blueberries)

1/3 c chia seeds

1/3 c ground flax (flax meal)

2/3 c seeds or chopped nuts of choice (try pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or slivered almonds)

2/3 c maple flakes (the local bulk store will likely carry)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (easy recipe on my blog, if you don't have or can't find!)

To make: Combine all ingredients well in a large airtight jar.

To make a single serving, cover 1/2 c mixture with 2/3c boiling water in a bowl. Stir, then cover and let sit 3 minutes. Add a splash more water if it’s too thick. Add milk or more fruit if desired and enjoy.

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

My friend, author, and fellow Certified TNM Alcohol Coach, Emily Lynn Paulson, joins me for an honest discussion around why women’s drinking has been rising dramatically during the last couple of years.

We discuss the connection between stress and alcohol, the additional anxiety and overwhelm of the pandemic, and how that has spiked drinking levels and alcohol-related disease, the normalization of women’s drinking as a necessary tool of motherhood through the media, and the science behind the addictive nature of alcohol.

How do you know if it’s time to make a change? Emily and I both believe that labels aren’t helpful and that objective tests for “problem drinking” just keep women stuck in patterns that aren’t serving them. The only question that matters is “how is alcohol making me feel?” and if the answer is “not great”, then you owe yourself the opportunity to explore it...