262. Laura McKowen: Navigating Perimenopause, Alcohol, Food, and Midlife's Challenges

Insatiable with Ali Shapiro, MSOD, CHHC

In this second episode of season 14, I have a thought-provoking conversation around midlife experiences, alcohol, and personal growth with bestselling author Laura McKowen.
We explore the challenges of perimenopause, menopause, and the impact of alcohol consumption on women's health. We cover it all, from the intersection of food and alcohol struggles with hormonal changes to the spiritual reckoning and opportunities that come with midlife. Whether you're struggling with food and alcohol during this stage in your life, are sober curious, or just asking yourself some of the big midlife questions, this episode is for you.
Topics Covered:

• Introduction: Why this episode? Why Laura McKowen? And quick disclaimer
• 3:55: Laura's perimenopause experience so far...
• 9:47: Work-life balance, shifting mindset, and newfound contentment
• 14:53: Navigating body changes and exercise struggles
• 18:21: Exploring the impact of food on glucose levels
• 24:03: Unacknowledged grief: from addiction to menopause
• 35:14: Empty nest and drinking?
• 39:38: Anger and "going mad" in menopause
• 45:56: "Moderate" drinking in menopause?
• 52:22: What is your relationship to alcohol?
• 54:18: Cheryl Strayed exploring her own alcohol use
• 56:00: How to experiment with not drinking
• 01:05:05: Navigating life's changes with grace, compassion, and acceptance
• 1:13:19: Predictions for the future of alcohol and menopause

Guest: Laura McKowen is the author of the bestselling memoir, We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). She has written for The New York Times and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, the TODAY show, and more. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community. Laura lives with her daughter and partner on the North Shore of Boston.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Laura McKowen's The Luckiest Club, a dogma-free, compassionate place to recover from alcohol addiction and thrive in life.
• Laura McKowen's excellent substack Love Story.
• Sunnyside app and community to explore a more mindful approach to drinking.

Send me (Ali) a text message.

Connect with Ali & Insatiable:

Join me on January 8th at 12pm EST for "Stop the Quick-Fix Cycle: Why Band-Aid Solutions Make Emotional Eating Worse (And How to Actually Get Results)" to discover why your struggles with food actually make sense and learn a revolutionary framework that transforms how you set goals—no more falling off track with food, plus receive a special bonus only available to live attendees. Completely free. CLICK HERE
Discover Truce with Food, a revolutionary 6-month program that opens just once per year and goes beyond food rules and willpower to uncover your hidden food story, transform your relationship with eating, and finally create lasting change through a proven approach that's helped hundreds find food freedom—registration closes January 20th. CLICK HERE