my millennial health

Are you concerned your metabolism has slowed down?If you are, you are not alone. It is one of the most common questions people ask as they move through midlife. But what if the problem is not your metabolism at all?In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m joined by Angelique Clark, advanced perimenopause physique dietitian, nutritionist and exercise physiologist. Together we unpack what is actually happening in the body during perimenopause and midlife and why muscle becomes one of the most important assets you can build for health, performance and longevity.We cut through much of the noise around metabolism, weight gain and midlife changes and focus on the practical strategies that genuinely move the needle. Ange also shares her PERI Perfect Plate concept, the exercise hierarchy that gives you the biggest return for your time and the role muscle plays in supporting metabolic health as we age.If you feel like your body has changed in ways you do not fully understand, or you want evidence based guidance on what actually matters for your health in midlife and beyond, this episode will give you clarity and direction.Listen to the previous episode with AngeliqueIn this episode, I coverWhat is actually happening to metabolism during perimenopause and midlifeWhy muscle becomes one of the most valuable assets for long term health and performanceThe role declining oestrogen plays in changes to muscle, body composition and metabolic healthAnge’s PERI Perfect Plate and how to structure meals for midlife physiologyThe exercise hierarchy that gives you the biggest return for your timeStrength training and muscle as a foundation for metabolic health and longevityWhich supplements are worth considering and which are mostly hypeHow to filter through the overwhelming amount of information online about midlife healthKey Quotes“Muscle is one of the most powerful assets you can build for your health as you age.”“What most people blame on metabolism is often a loss of muscle.”“Midlife is not the time to be doing less resistance training. It is the time to prioritise it.”Timestamps(00:00) – The Big Question About Metabolism in Midlife(03:30) – What Actually Happens in Perimenopause(10:45) – Why Muscle Matters More Than Ever(18:20) – Ange’s PERI Perfect Plate(26:10) – The Exercise Hierarchy for Midlife Health(37:40) – Supplements: What Is Worth It and What Is Not(47:00) – The Practical TakeawayMore About AngeliqueWebsite https://www.angeliqueclark.com.au/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/angeliqueclark_nutrition/Peri Lean Method™ Coaching https://www.angeliqueclark.com.au/peri-lean-method-coachingPeri Set Go – 7 Day Challenge https://www.angeliqueclark.com.au/perisetgoTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly?Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I unpack the simple health dashboard every high performer should be using to better understand their energy, performance and recovery.Your body is communicating with you every single day through signs and signals like your energy, appetite and performance. When you learn how to read those signals and combine them with the right objective data, you move from guessing to making informed decisions about your health and your performance.This episode explores how to use both subjective signals and objective data to create a simple dashboard that helps you spot patterns earlier, prevent burnout and sustain high performance over time.In this episode, I cover- Why high performers track business metrics but ignore health signals- The concept of a daily health dashboard for performance and wellbeing- The three subjective metrics everyone should track: energy, appetite and performance- Why these signals often escalate when we ignore them- How objective data from wearables can help reveal what is happening beneath the surface- Why the combination of subjective signals and objective data is the sweet spot- A personal story from my first international keynote where this dashboard helped me recognise early signs of illness and make a smarter decisionKey Quotes“You cannot improve what you are not measuring.”“Energy is not something you either have or you don’t. Energy is something you create.”“When you start paying attention to the signals, patterns emerge.”Timestamps(00:00) – Why High Performers Need a Health Dashboard(03:20) – The Language of Your Body(05:10) – The Three Subjective Metrics to Track(10:30) – When Signals Become Warnings(13:45) – Adding Objective Data(19:20) – A Real World Example(27:00) – The Three Questions to Ask Yourself Each DayTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly? Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I challenge that assumption and introduce what I believe is the most underutilised lever in sustainable high performance.Recovery.Not reactive rest.Not collapse after a deadline.Not a holiday you crawl into exhausted.Intentional, strategic recovery designed into your days, weeks, quarters and year.Drawing from over a decade inside elite sport and Special Forces environments, I unpack how recovery is built into performance architecture at the highest levels and why corporate culture often ignores it. I also share my own experience of neglecting recovery while working across multiple professional teams, relying on adrenaline and eventually paying the price.This episode is both a reframe and a practical guide.In this episode, I cover- Why recovery is misunderstood and treated like a luxury- The difference between reactive rest and proactive recovery- What elite sport and the military get right about performance architecture- Why sustained corporate output without recovery erodes capacity- The concept of unmanaged load and how it leads to burnout- Daily brain breaks and why micro recoveries outperform occasional holidays- The four levels of recovery: daily, weekly, quarterly and annual- Why reaching the top requires a different strategy to staying thereKey Quotes“If you don’t have a recovery plan in action, by default you have a collapse plan.”“Recovery is not the opposite of performance. Recovery is actually the performance accelerator that you need.”“Sustainable performance is not built on intensity alone. It is built on rhythm and it is built on pulses.”Timestamps(01:13) – The Reframe: Maybe It Is Not About Doing More(02:32) – What Recovery Actually Means(04:30) – Elite Sport and Military Performance Architecture(06:45) – The Corporate Reality(10:06) – The Collapse Plan(12:57) – Micro Recoveries and Brain Breaks(14:19) – Reaching vs Staying at the Top(18:09) – Recovery as a Performance Accelerator(27:32) – Three Brain Breaks a DayTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly?Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

2026 is not about overhauls.It is not about extremes.And it is definitely not about detoxes, six week challenges or all-or-nothing resets.In this episode of Stay at the Top, I share a different approach. Upgrades.Small, intelligent, intentional adjustments that compound over time. Sustainable high performance is not built on intensity. It is built on repeatability. And upgrades work because you are not starting from scratch. You are refining what you are already doing.In this episode, I walk you through four powerful daily upgrades that will strengthen your physiology, stabilise your energy and protect your performance for the long run.In this episode, I cover- Why upgrades outperform overhauls- The difference between adding load and reducing friction- How standardising your morning stabilises your body clock- Why wake time matters more than a 5am routine- How to build a predictable morning anchor- The overlooked power of plant diversity for gut health- Why consistency and diversity both matter- The risk factor of prolonged sitting- How to use movement pulses across the day- Why exercise does not cancel out sedentary time- How to design a sleep environment that works with your biology- The three elements of a sleep sanctuary: cool, dark and quiet- Why small upgrades compound into long term resilienceKey Quotes“Sustainable high performance is not built on intensity. It is built on repeatability.”“Your morning is the foundation of your day.”“Overhauls are out. Upgrades are in.”Timestamps(00:45) – 2026 Is About Upgrades, Not Overhauls(02:07) – Why Upgrades Stick (And New Habits Don’t)(03:15) – Upgrade 1: Standardise Your Morning(08:52) – Upgrade 2: Plant Diversity(14:02) – Upgrade 3: Movement Pulses Across the Day(18:10) – The 60-Minute Rule for Breaking Up Sitting(19:12) – Upgrade 4: Design Your Sleep Sanctuary(20:55) – Cool, Dark, Quiet: The Three Sleep Essentials(25:37) – Managing Noise and Real-World Sleep Challenges(27:57) – Recap: The Four Daily UpgradesTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly?Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

If I looked at your last seven days, would your energy be consistent… or chaotic?In this episode of Stay at the Top, I break down one of the most common challenges I see in high performers. Inconsistent energy.The afternoon crash. The midweek burnout. The feeling of starting the week strong and finishing it completely depleted. Most people assume it is random. That it is age, hormones, or just “life being busy”.But in reality, chaotic energy is usually predictable. It is your body giving you a signal that something is missing, and most importantly, it is often within your control to change.In this episode, I share the two biggest drivers of inconsistent energy that I see again and again, and the simple rhythm based strategies that help you stabilise energy without needing a new routine, a full reset, or a complete overhaul.This is about learning how to create energy, not chase it.In this episode, I cover- Why energy is the currency of your wellbeing and performance- The difference between inputs and outputs- Why inconsistent energy is rarely random- The two biggest drivers of chaotic energy- How living reactively creates a constant game of catch up- Why inconsistency creates friction and drains cognitive bandwidth- The importance of rhythm over perfection- How to stabilise your meal timing without living like a robot- Why sleep timing matters more than most people realise- How brain breaks support energy and focus across the day- The F1 pit stop analogy and why it applies to your calendar- What to focus on if you want stable energy without relying on willpowerKey Quotes“Energy is not something you either have or you don’t. It’s something you create.”“Reactive days turn energy into a constant game of catch up.”“If you want consistent outputs, you need consistent inputs.”“If you want better energy, stop relying on willpower.”Take the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly? Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I share three reasons why celebrating milestones and small wins is not just a nice idea, but a performance strategy. Especially for high performers who are ambitious, driven, and constantly raising the bar.I also share a personal milestone that I have not shared anywhere else. Not on Instagram. Not on LinkedIn. Not even on my email list yet. I wanted to share it here first, with you, because this podcast community means a lot to me.This episode is a reminder that celebrating progress is not indulgent. It reinforces behaviour, builds confidence through evidence, and helps you stop living in a constant cycle of chasing the next thing without ever feeling successful.In this episode, I cover- Why high performers often struggle to celebrate milestones- The moving goalpost problem and how it steals success- Why celebrating small wins reinforces behaviour you want to repeat- How celebrating builds confidence through evidence- The identity shift that comes from keeping your word to yourself- My personal milestone and special announcement shared here first- What I have learned about making the ask and not saying no on someone else’s behalf- Why reps and sets apply to confidence, courage and leadership tooKey Quotes“When you celebrate the small wins, you send a message that you want to repeat the behaviour.”“Confidence is built through evidence.”“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”Take the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=enYou can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/Want to contact me directly?Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com