Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 📰 

Edition 12 🎉—Let’s Take a Minute

This is officially the 12th edition of In the Saddle (or ITS if you’re in the know), and I just want to say—thank you. Since launching a few months ago, I’ve learned so much about what resonates, what confuses, and what absolutely needs to be said louder.

When I graduated college, my first job was in healthcare public relations. I knew I wanted to translate clinical info into something people could actually understand—and ideally not fall asleep reading. My salary barely covered my NYC clubbing habit, but more than that, I knew I had to get my hands dirty first. And I did, in the exam room, for the last two decades.

But coming back to this—writing, educating, storytelling—feels like I’ve returned to what makes me tick.

In a world where social media is fast, furious, and sometimes shadow banned, ITS gives me space to go deeper with you. Menopause (and midlife in general) deserves more than a disappearing reel.

This community has grown to over 3,000 readers in just 12 weeks (!), and I’ve received so much positive feedback—DMs, emails, texts from friends and strangers—doubling down on what I’m building here. There’s so much more to come, and I have big ideas for how to grow this into a real community and finally bridge the gap in midlife wellness and education.

As a thank you for being here early: What should I cover next week? You get to decide.
👇 Vote below!

👚 ITS Woman to Watch: Amy Guzzi on Style, Identity & Reinvention in Midlife

One of the joys of building In the Saddle has been connecting with women who are not only redefining midlife—but doing it in style.

I’ve followed local Connecticut stylist Amy Guzzi for years, admiring both her polished, classic aesthetic and the way she’s grown her platform with grit and grace. What really struck me, though, was how she launched Llewellyn, a luxury shirt line, not in her 20s—but in midlife, as a mom of two.

This interview is for every reader craving more self-expression, more self-trust, and a little more style in their everyday.

📍 Follow Amy @amyguzzi_ and @thelewellyn for more midlife style inspiration 💫 

🧵 ON STYLE & IDENTITY

You’ve said getting dressed gave you purpose in early motherhood. What does style mean to you now, in your 40s?
I just feel better when I get dressed. Lipstick and earrings—non-negotiable. It’s the one thing I do for me every day.

How do you stay true to your aesthetic even when trends are pulling you elsewhere?
You have to stay consistent. People follow me for a reason—if I’m all over the place, I’ve lost the plot.

Stuck in a leggings rut? What’s your advice?
Find someone whose style you admire and copy them shamelessly. I’m always pulling inspo from Paris street style on Instagram.

What does it mean to dress for yourself in midlife?
It means I no longer care what anyone thinks. At 45, I’m more confident than ever—and it shows in how I dress.

🧵 ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP & EVOLUTION

Llewellyn isn’t just a shirt line—it’s a statement. Why did you create it?
I wanted to make luxury closet staples that didn’t feel overly precious. There’s a gap in quality basics, and I went for it.

What makes the perfect white shirt?
Button placement and fabric. It has to be structured, crisp, and just sexy enough without trying too hard.

What would you say to women who feel like it’s “too late” to start something?
It’s never too late. Social media lets you reinvent yourself—if you’re consistent and willing to work.

Scariest part of launching Llewellyn?
The week before launch I didn’t sleep. But that’s the point—if it doesn’t scare you a little, it’s not growth.

🧵 ON MINDSET, MOTHERHOOD & MIDLIFE TRUTH

You once said, “I wasn’t raised to take risks.” How has that shaped how you raise your kids?
I want my kids to do the things I was afraid to do. I’m encouraging them to take risks and be creative.

How do you separate ambition from comparison in the age of curated success?
I used to compare, but I’ve outgrown it. I built this from the ground up—and I’m proud. We don’t say that enough as women.

What’s your armor against imposter syndrome?
It used to show up a lot. Now? Not really. You stop giving it oxygen when you’ve done the thing long enough.

Finish this sentence: Style in midlife isn’t about impressing—it’s about...
Being comfortable in your own skin.

🧵 CLOSING REFLECTION

What does taking up space look like right now for you?
Helping women get dressed while spending time with my kids (who still like me at 9 and 12!).

Llewellyn’s unofficial tagline for midlife women?
Not more shirts. The right shirt.

One shirt every woman should own—and one belief to let go of?
Own: a crisp, beautifully made button-down.
Let go of: the idea that your best self was someone you used to be.

📝 Want to see more interviews like this in ITS? Forward to a friend, or hit reply and tell me who you want to see featured next.

The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 🛍️ 

🏃‍♀️📉 Exercise Drops Off Sharply at 49

New research shows that physical activity takes a nosedive right around age 49. And it's not just your schedule or motivation—it’s your salience network, the part of your brain that controls impulses and effort. As we age, that network shifts, making the couch way more appealing than cardio.

Translation? If working out suddenly feels harder, it’s not a moral failure—it’s biology. But good news: rewards, novelty, and just making movement fun can help rewire those patterns. It’s not about discipline. It’s about brain strategy. 🧠 (Axios)

💊 ❎ Vitamin D may slow a process related to aging

In the latest chapter of the longevity gold rush, a new study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests vitamin D might help slow telomere shortening—a biological marker tied to aging. Researchers believe the benefit may come from tamping down inflammation, a known driver of chronic disease and cellular aging.

Yes, the data on who should supplement—and how much—remains mixed. But the risks are generally low, and this study may be one more check in the “why not?” column. 🤷‍♀️ (WaPo)

👩‍⚕️💉 The Inner Voice vs. the Oncologist

I see it everyday in my practice. More women are pushing back on standard breast cancer treatment—not out of denial, but out of deep distrust. This piece from The Cut explores what happens when personal intuition, influencer advice, trauma and a trust recession all collide with modern oncology. (The Cut) 😷

Wellness Wordplay: Talk the Talk 🔈️ 

Term of the Week: Frisson

🗣️ Frisson (free-sawn) is the technical term for that full-body chill you get when music hits hard — like when the beat drops, the chorus swells, or Adele breathes between lyrics and your entire nervous system takes notice.

Only about 50% of people feel it — and if you do, you might have a sensory superpower. Frisson is linked to unique brain wiring and higher levels of creativity, openness, and curiosity.

Stay tuned: I’m going to show you how to strategically use music — yes, playlists as performance-enhancing medicine — to regulate your mood and reset your midlife nervous system. It’s coming, and I’m calling in help from a special guest. 🎧🔥

This Week on The Well Kept Podcast🎙️ 

Unpacking Wellness Trends & Propaganda We Are Not Falling For 🙅 

This week, Carmen and I unpacked some of wellness TikTok’s greatest hits—

• mouth taping 👄 

• wild yam cream 🧴 

• dry brushing 🦵 

We break down the science (or lack thereof), call out the nonsense, and remind you that just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it belongs on your nightstand. Come for the debunking, stay for the laughter. 🎧

The Group Chat Edit 📲 👯‍♂️ 

📘 To Read: How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time

Expertly written by the former fashion director at New York Magazine, Amy Larocca doesn’t just trace the history of yoga mat hysteria and bone broth devotion—she gets on the colonic table herself. But this isn’t just wellness anthropology, I haven’t been able to put it down (see photo below). As Jill Kargman brilliantly put it in Airmail, Larocca has written a “savage takedown of the goopstapo,” peeling back the privilege, projection, and quiet desperation behind the search for meaning in wellness.

🛍️ To Buy: This Serotonin Bath Soak

Coming off a soggy, freezing Memorial Day Winter (seriously, did May miss the memo?), I’ve been leaning into one of my favorite reset rituals: a next-level bath soak that actually does something.

This one’s loaded with magnesium flakes to relax muscles and calm your mood, French green clay for trace minerals and skin softness, and apple cider vinegar to balance your skin barrier.

✈️To Try: How to Travel Without Your Phone (yes, really!)

A real digital detox while traveling this summer? Sounds wild, I know — no phone for photos, Google Maps, or even emergencies. But this NYT piece breaks down exactly how to pull it off without losing your mind, and why it might be the reset your nervous system’s been begging for. 🤳 🧳