We blend science, soul, and a little bit of sass to help you thrive in your forties and beyond.
Meet your hosts:
Jasmin Dhillon— health strategist at Eat with Jasmin, mum of three boys, and forever curious about what it really takes to feel good in this season of life.
Amanda Lim — metabolic health coach, director at LIFT Clinic, and mom to three littles, here to help you ditch the fluff and get real about kicking a*s in your forties.
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Aqua Fitness Is Not Just for Rehab: Why You Need It Now | The Forties Formula
Episode 127
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 42:59
In this episode of The Forties Formula, Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim sit down with Malissa Sander, founder of Aqua Tula, to challenge the idea that women in their 40s need to train harder to stay fit.
Malissa shares her journey from childhood anorexia and an unhealthy relationship with exercise to rebuilding her body through water-based fitness and strength training. After losing muscle, suffering injuries and developing osteoporosis, she learned to approach movement differently, prioritising strength, recovery and a sustainable relationship with her body.
The conversation explores why the “push harder” approach can be counterproductive in midlife, and why Malissa’s Three Ws; weights, water and walking form the foundation of her approach.
Chapters:
00:00 Malissa’s story: from anorexia to strength
03:06 Anorexia, perfectionism and body image
04:47 When exercise pushed her body too far
05:19 Rebuilding through water and weights
07:21 Discovering aqua and strength training
09:52 The Three Ws: weights, water and walking
11:22 Combining water, mobility, cardio and strength
12:57 The biggest myths about aqua fitness
13:59 Blue Mind Theory and the brain on water
14:36 Why hard training can feel easier in the pool
15:30 Building community through movement
17:19 Aqua Tula as an adaptable fitness system
18:21 The calling behind Aqua Tula
19:51 How the Aqua Tula method was created
20:21 What does “Aqua Tula” mean?
20:39 What to expect in your first class
22:03 Who can benefit from aqua fitness?
23:24 Is aqua fitness for men too?
24:41 Pregnancy, postpartum and C-section recovery
25:48 Exercise and postpartum depression
29:40 Do you need to know how to swim?
31:10 Body confidence and getting into the pool
32:36 Reconnecting with your body through movement
34:48 Hot or Hype
37:04 Where to find Aqua Tula
37:23 Malissa’s 40s Formula
About the guest:
Malissa Sander is the founder of Aqua Tula, a boutique water-based fitness method combining HIIT, strength, mobility and flexibility — designed for all ages and fitness levels. Based in Singapore, Malissa has trained a community of over 450 women and works with everyone from perimenopausal women managing joint pain and inflammation, to pre and postnatal clients, to elite athletes. Her method is built on the belief that exercise does not have to be painful to be effective.
Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist and Health Coach helping women in their 40s navigate gut health, hormones and nutrition. https://www.instagram.com/eat.with.jasmin/
If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe and share this episode with someone navigating a major life transition or learning to let go of a version of themselves.
Perimenopause Weight Gain Reveals Why Fitness Over 40 Requires a Different Approach | The Forties Formula In Focus
Sunday, August 30, 2026 • Duration 09:14
If you are a woman in your 40s and the weight is not moving despite doing everything right, this conversation is for you.
Sara May Garcia is a fitness coach and co-founder of Bootique gym in Singapore. She gained 8kg in two months — eating the same, training the same. She is a professional. She knew exactly what to do. And it still wasn't working.
In this clip from The Forties Formula, Sara shares what was actually happening in her body, why perimenopause weight gain hits differently, and what finally changed — not just physically, but mentally.
Topics covered: perimenopause weight gain, perimenopause symptoms, menopause weight loss, strength training for women, fat loss over 40, fitness over 40, losing weight over 40, perimenopause and mindset, muscle loss from undereating, sustainable fat loss for women in their 40s.
If your doctor has told you you are too young or dismissed your symptoms, we built a free script to help you walk into that appointment and get taken seriously: thefortiesformula.com/script
Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtu.be/BgPaWVrqhGs Or search The Forties Formula wherever you get your podcasts.
Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/thefortiesformula
Sponsors: The Meat Club — use code TFF20 for $20 off your first order. themeatclub.com.sg Love Indus — use code TFF for 21% off. loveindus.com
About Sara May Garcia: Fitness coach and co-founder of ProCoach Gym, helping people build strength, improve body composition and create sustainable fitness habits. instagram.com/saramayfit
About your hosts: Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist helping women in their 40s navigate hormones, gut health and nutrition. instagram.com/eat.with.jasmin
Amanda Lim is a Metabolic Health Coach helping women build strength, confidence and long-term health. instagram.com/coachamandalim
Why You Feel So Lost in Your 40s (It’s Not Just Anxiety) | The Forties Formula
Episode 126
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 57:32
In this episode of The Forties Formula, Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim talk grief, mental health and the losses women in their 40s carry but rarely name, with therapist Sapna Makwana Hanspal.
For women in their 40s, grief isn't only about losing someone. It can come from a changing identity, a changing body, fertility ending, a dream that didn't happen, a relationship changing, or realising you've outgrown a version of yourself. This conversation looks at why we don't always recognise these experiences as grief, why some forms carry shame, and how cultural expectations can make certain losses harder to acknowledge.
They discuss grief connected to ageing parents, divorce, motherhood and the lives our parents may never have had the chance to live. Sapna also shares her own experience as a third culture kid, and how identity, loss and belonging eventually led her from a 20-year career in finance into psychotherapy.
The conversation covers how grief can show up as anxiety, burnout, anger and exhaustion, how patterns can be carried across generations, and why grief doesn't need to be got over. It needs to be integrated into our lives.
Chapters
00:00 The grief we don't realise we're carrying
02:02 Are women in their 40s grieving?
03:20 Disenfranchised grief
04:05 Grieving a changing identity
06:25 Grieving the end of fertility
07:02 Gender disappointment and the loss of a dream
10:12 Grief connected to our parents
11:07 The sandwich generation and ageing parents
14:27 Divorce and hidden grief
17:29 Anxiety, burnout, rage and exhaustion
20:30 How to support someone who is grieving
23:56 The five stages of grief
Most Women Are Wearing The Wrong Bra (And Don't Know It) | The Forties Formula In Focus
Sunday, August 23, 2026 • Duration 11:32
Here's the updated full description:
Your headaches, neck pain, and poor posture might not be perimenopause. They might be your bra.
In this episode of The Forties Formula, Jasmin and Amanda sit down with Caroline Warren, founder of Supporting Eve — Singapore's specialist bra fitting boutique — for a conversation that will make you want to check your bra the moment you finish listening.
Most women have never had a professional bra fitting. Most are guessing their size. And according to Caroline, 80 to 95% of the women who walk through her door are in the wrong size bra — not slightly off, significantly off.
We cover everything nobody taught us. Why your black bra is a smaller size than your white one. Why your straps are not actually supporting you. What the centre of your bra should be doing against your chestbone. How a bra that doesn't fit is linked to migraines, shoulder tension, forward posture, and lost confidence. And why the Victorian sizing system that still governs every bra size you have ever worn makes almost no sense for a modern body.
Caroline also shares her own experience of going through the menopause at 38, how her body changed, and why the conversation around bras, breast health, and body changes in midlife is one women are simply not having enough.
If you have ever whipped your bra off the moment you get home and thought that was just normal — this episode is for you.
00:00 Intro: Is Your Bra Causing Your Pain? 00:17 Why C-Cup & Above Need Real Support 01:36 Is It Hormones or Is It Your Bra? Headaches, Neck & Posture 02:21 Why No One Ever Taught Us How Bras Should Fit 03:38 Why Store Tape Measures Get It Wrong 04:59 What to Expect in a Proper Bra Fitting 05:10 The Fit by Sight Method Explained 06:07 The 80% Rule: Your Band Does The Work, Not Your Straps 07:44 Test 1: The Band Test — The 3-5cm Rule 08:30 Test 2: The Centre Gore Must Sit Flush 09:02 Why a D Is Not a D — Cup Size Changes With Band Size 11:10 Watch the Full Episode with Caroline Warren
The Real Reason Your Relationships Keep Breaking Down and How to Finally Fix It
Episode 125
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 • Duration 51:08
Your reaction is never about what just happened.
When something small sets you off — a look, a tone, a moment that should not matter — it is rarely about the moment itself. In your 40s, life becomes an explosive combination of change: your body, your relationships, your sense of self, all shifting at once. Conflict is quietly building — with yourself, with the people closest to you, with who you used to be.
This week, Avni Martin — ICF Master Certified Coach, founder of The Martin Institute and author of Happy Ever After — joins Jasmin and Amanda to explain where conflict actually comes from, why it gets louder in midlife, and what it is trying to tell you.
We cover the three parts behind every conflict, why your perception is not the truth, what your childhood needs have to do with your biggest relationship triggers, and how to train the emotional muscle that changes everything. Avni also shares a deeply personal story about conflict with her teenage daughter — and how what looked like a battle turned out to be grief.
00:00 The quieter battle of your 40s
02:15 Why midlife creates internal conflict
03:22 Is conflict different for our generation
05:30 The three things behind every conflict
07:17 Why relational intelligence matters
08:45 Learning to think about how we think
09:08 When two people talk but nobody listens
10:08 Why thinking long-term changes your reactions
11:47 Training your conflict muscle
12:25 Conflict is the messenger
15:12 Your perception is not the truth
16:03 How beliefs shape everything you see
17:23 The role of empathy in conflict
17:39 Why small things trigger big reactions
The Worst Boss She Ever Had Made Her a Better Leader | The Forties Formula In Focus
Sunday, August 16, 2026 • Duration 13:43
Are you in your 40s, successful on paper, but quietly wondering if any of it still fits? This episode explores why the most powerful leadership decision a woman can make in midlife might be choosing to walk away.
We're joined by leadership adviser and author Sally J. Clarke, who interviewed 40 women for her new book, Walk Away: Step Out to Step Up. She shares real stories of leaders who left toxic corporate cultures, misaligned roles, and outdated versions of success to build something more aligned — including women who went on to found and run their own companies.
We talk through how to tell the difference between an emotional reaction and a strategic decision to leave, why fear can act as a compass rather than a warning sign, and how Sally's concept of "integrity capital" — doing what you say you'll do — shapes trust in both leadership and family life. We also cover the burnout and health warning signs several of Sally's interviewees ignored before they made a change, and what separates a boss who tears people down from one who builds them up.
▶ Listen to the full episode: search The Forties Formula & Sally J. Clarke
Topics covered: midlife career change, toxic leadership, workplace burnout, executive coaching, strategic career decisions, women in leadership, corporate culture
Nervous System Regulation for Women in Their 40s
Episode 124
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 • Duration 55:03
Nervous system regulation, behaviour change and women's health in your 40s: Behaviour Change Strategist Leila Foster joins Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim on The Forties Formula to explore why lasting change is so hard, even when we genuinely want it.
Leila works at the intersection of behaviour change, wellness and nervous-system regulation, drawing on personal experience as a mother of three, a new mum and a business owner with her husband.
They explore why our brains return to familiar patterns, how chronic stress affects our ability to change, why expectations create resentment, and how to recognise when a trigger isn't actually about you.
Leila also opens up about divorce, blended family life, shared parenting and running a business with her husband. Jasmin and Amanda share their very different experiences with 9D Breathwork.
Finally, Leila shares her 40s formula: stop doing what you're told, make micro-adjustments, know your season, hold your paradox, ask for help, and never outsource your decisions.
Nervous system regulation, neuroplasticity, expectations & resentment, inherited trauma, Breathwork, blended families & divorce, sharing the parenting load, conflict resolution
Chapters:
00:00 Why knowing isn't enough to create change
02:17 Your nervous system on a normal Tuesday
04:01 "Is it about you?"
05:30 Expectations, stress and resentment
08:17 The biology of inherited patterns
11:08 Stress, the brain and old programming
15:03 Neuroplasticity and the six pillars of wellness
15:55 Is the problem the fish or the fish tank?
16:43 Breaking out of emotional spirals
21:35 What happens during 9D Breathwork
25:09 Why the same experience affects us differently
40 Is When Your Life Gets Turned Upside Down | The Forties Formula In Focus
Sunday, August 9, 2026 • Duration 11:02
Around age 40 to 42, everyone goes through the Uranus opposition — the point where Uranus sits directly opposite its position in your birth chart, roughly halfway through its 84-year orbit. Yi Mei Lai from Alchemei Healing joins The Forties Formula to explain why this transit tends to trigger a reckoning between who you've been and who you're becoming, and why it often lines up with the physiological changes already underway in your 40s.
May breaks down what feminine energy actually means (it isn't about gender or appearance, but a yin/yang balance of receptive versus active energy), why so many women over-rely on masculine "proving" energy — disconnection from the body, low creativity, inability to rest — and why the cost of that imbalance shows up as burnout. She also covers why boundaries are essential to reclaiming feminine energy, and why intuition, not more information, is what actually guides women through this transition.
In this episode:
What the Uranus opposition is and why it occurs at age 40 to 42
Why this transit coincides with midlife identity and purpose questions
The difference between feminine and masculine energy, and why it isn't about gender
Signs a woman is overly in her masculine energy: disconnection from the body, low creativity, inability to rest
Why boundaries are essential to feminine energy and how to start setting them
Why intuition, not more information, is the way through
How stillness and reconnecting with the body reveal what the mind cannot
The Forties Formula is a weekly podcast on perimenopause, menopause, hormones, and health for women in their 40s — covering weight loss, sleep, low libido, ADHD, burnout, longevity and the body changes no one explains.
Hosted by Jasmin Dhillon, health strategist at Eat with Jasmin, and Amanda Lim, metabolic health coach and director at LIFT Clinic.
Uranus opposition, astrology, midlife, women in their 40s, feminine energy, masculine energy, boundaries, intuition, self-discovery, identity, purpose
Podiatrist Reveals Why Menopause Is Wrecking Your Feet | The Forties Formula
Episode 123
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 • Duration 56:29
In this episode of The Forties Formula, Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim are joined by podiatrist Paul Macaulay to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of women's health: foot health in midlife.
From pregnancy and perimenopause to years of wearing the wrong shoes, our feet go through enormous changes that can affect everything from plantar fasciitis and bunions to knee pain, hip pain, back pain, balance, and long-term mobility.
Paul explains why most women are wearing the wrong shoe size, how hormones change our tendons and ligaments, why "comfortable" shoes aren't always the healthiest choice, and the simple changes that can dramatically improve foot health for decades to come.
Chapters:
00:00 | Why Women Ignore Foot Pain for Too Long
00:57 | Why Your Feet Affect Your Whole Body
03:12 | Why Women Keep Buying the Wrong Shoes
05:26 | The Biggest Mistake People Make When Buying Running Shoes
06:40 | Finding the Right Shoe for Your Foot Type
08:21 | The Shoe Sizing Mistake Most Women Make
10:29 | How Pregnancy Permanently Changes Your Feet
12:27 | Why You May Need Different Shoes After Pregnancy
14:45 | Have Fashion Choices Damaged Our Feet?
16:18 | The Smarter Way to Wear Heels
18:00 | How Perimenopause Changes Your Feet
20:40 | The Most Common Foot Problems After 40
22:03 | How Many Pairs of Shoes Do You Actually Need?
24:26 | Barefoot Shoes: Helpful or Harmful?
26:43 | The Best Exercises for Stronger Feet
31:17 | Why Strong Calves Matter More Than You Think
Matrescence Explained: Why Motherhood Changes You More Than You Expected
Sunday, August 2, 2026 • Duration 09:05
This episode is for every woman who has felt like motherhood changed her more than she expected, and for anyone trying to understand why so many mothers struggle silently behind the scenes. The problem isn't that women are failing at motherhood — the expectations were impossible to begin with.
Author and workplace consultant Sara Pantry joins The Forties Formula to unpack matrescence — the profound psychological and neurological transition into motherhood, similar in scale to adolescence but almost never named or prepared for. Sara shares the brain science behind it (grey matter changes so measurable that AI can identify a mother's brain scan with full accuracy), her own experience of birth trauma, breastfeeding struggles and postpartum anxiety, and the concept of the "invisible postpartum" — the parts of recovery, identity loss and hormonal upheaval that go unacknowledged, especially after pregnancy loss.
Sara also introduces "second best parenting," a framework for making evidence-based decisions without chasing an impossible ideal, and talks through her work with Return, a peer-to-peer mentoring programme supporting mothers returning to work after leave.
We talk about:
Why motherhood can feel emotionally overwhelming even when you "wanted this"
What matrescence actually means, and why more women are finally talking about it
The invisible identity shift that happens after having children
Why so many women feel isolated after birth
The pressure to "bounce back," and why it's harming mothers
The invisible postpartum: what it is and why pregnancy loss deserves the same recognition
How workplaces are failing mothers returning from maternity leave, and what needs to change
About the guest
Sara Pantry is an author and workplace consultant specialising in matrescence and the transition into motherhood. She is the founder of Return, a peer-to-peer mentoring programme for mothers returning to work, and runs "From Me to We," a monthly lean-in circle for working mothers in Singapore.
About The Forties Formula
The Forties Formula is a weekly podcast on perimenopause, menopause, hormones, and health for women in their 40s — covering weight loss, sleep, low libido, ADHD, burnout, longevity and the body changes no one explains.
If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe and share this episode with someone navigating a major life transition or learning to let go of a version of themselves.
You can also support the show by Buying Us a Coffee:
Caroline Warren is the founder of Supporting Eve, Singapore's specialist bra fitting boutique. Supporting Eve carries the widest bra size range in Singapore — A to K cup, 28 to 44 band — and uses a fit by sight technique rather than a tape measure, because no two bodies are the same.
📍 Cluny Court, Bukit Timah — opposite Botanic Gardens MRT, Second Floor 🕐 Open seven days a week, 10am — 7pm 🌐 supportingeve.sg
TAGS: bra fitting guide, perimenopause symptoms, women's health, bra fitting, signs of perimenopause, menopause, womens health, neck pain, back pain relief, midlife women, women over 40, the forties formula, supporting eve, bra size, breast health
20:40 The subconscious volcano
21:16 The childhood needs behind your triggers
23:11 We are meaning-making machines
24:03 Upgrading your inner programming
27:08 How inner work changes conflict
27:41 Avni's journey from zero self-worth to here
31:50 The HAPPY Coaching System
34:48 When habits live in the subconscious
40:06 The HAPPY System and conflict explained
41:14 Why pausing before action changes everything
35:05 Sharing the parenting load and running a business with your spouse
44:15 The calendar invite that can save a relationship
47:00 Leila's 40s Formula
About our guest Leila Foster is a Behaviour Change Strategist and Wellness Architect working at the intersection of behaviour change, wellness and nervous-system regulation. https://www.instagram.com/birthbossmama/
31:45 | Can Your Feet Cause Knee, Hip & Back Pain?
33:51 | Do Orthotics Really Work?
36:16 | Are There Any Stylish Heels That Are Actually Good?
39:03 | The Shoe Brand Paul Macaulay Recommends
42:42 | Do Reflexology & Foot Soaks Actually Help?
45:13 | The Best Foot Care Routine for Healthy Feet
48:41 | Do Toe Spacers Actually Work?
50:16 | The Best Strength Exercises to Prevent Foot Pain
54:04 | Paul's Forties Formula
About our guest
Paul Macaulay is a podiatrist specialising in foot pain, biomechanics, running injuries and lower-limb rehabilitation. Through his clinic and educational content, he helps people understand how better footwear, stronger feet, and smarter movement can improve long-term mobility, performance and quality of life.
About your hosts
Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist and Health Coach helping women in their 40s navigate gut health, hormones and nutrition.
If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe and share this episode with someone dealing with foot pain, bunions, plantar fasciitis, or anyone who wants to stay active and mobile through midlife.
You can also support the show by Buying Us a Coffee:
The Forties Formula is a weekly podcast on perimenopause, menopause, hormones, and health for women in their 40s — covering weight loss, sleep, low libido, ADHD, burnout, longevity and the body changes no one explains.
Support the show for $5 a month and get access to ad-free bonus episodes where we answer your questions: buymeacoffee.com/thefortiesformula
Got a question on weight, energy, hormones or not feeling like yourself? Send it to us on Instagram @thefortiesformula and we'll answer it on the show.
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