In this episode of Soma Says, Dr. Soma Mandal sits down with award-winning producer, video confidence coach, and midlife advocate Rosie Faulkner for an honest conversation about confidence, identity, aging, and rediscovering yourself during perimenopause and beyond.

Rosie shares her personal experience navigating midlife changes — including weight gain, depression, shifting identity, and the emotional impact of no longer recognizing herself in the mirror. What followed was a powerful realization: accepting your current self doesn’t mean giving up — it means meeting yourself with compassion while still taking steps toward feeling better.

Together, Dr. Soma and Rosie explore the pressure women face around aging, appearance, and “anti-aging” culture — and how authenticity, style, mindset, movement, and small daily actions can help women feel confident and visible again.

• Why so many women feel disconnected from themselves in midlife
• How perimenopause can impact confidence, body image, and identity
• The emotional toll of clothes no longer fitting — and what it represents
• Why accepting your body and wanting change can coexist
• Practical ways to rebuild confidence through style, movement, and mindset
• How small daily actions create lasting transformation
• Why self-care becomes essential during the “sandwich generation” years

• Aging gracefully vs. anti-aging culture
• Positive self-talk and personal style
• Visibility, authenticity, and fear of being seen
• Midlife reinvention and confidence rebuilding
• Walking, weightlifting, and sustainable wellness routines
• Prioritizing yourself without guilt

Rosie Faulkner is an award-winning producer, speaker, and video confidence coach who helps women — especially those in midlife — show up confidently on camera and in life. Through coaching, workshops, and online programs, she empowers women to embrace authenticity, rediscover confidence, and stop hiding themselves during seasons of transition.

She is also the creator of the upcoming intimacy-focused course: 🔥 Reclaim Your Sexy

Rosie is based in the Washington, DC area and works with clients virtually.

• Website: https://www.rosiefaulkner.com
• YouTube: https://www.instagram.com/faulkner_rosie/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosiefaulkner/

00:00 – Disclaimer and Introduction 00:52 – Meet Rosie Faulkner 02:03 – Her Midlife Wake-Up Call 04:39 – Positive Self-Talk and Style 06:01 – Why Identity Shifts in Midlife 07:36 – Getting Unstuck Through Action 09:36 – Who Rosie Helps Most 11:27 – Understanding Perimenopause 12:11 – The Aging Gracefully Mindset 16:28 – Accepting Change Without Giving Up 19:11 – Self-Care During the Sandwich Years 23:11 – Starting Small: One Step at a Time 24:31 – Client Transformation Story 27:24 – Where to Find Rosie 27:58 – New Course + Wrap-Up

Now streaming on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube

• Website: https://www.somamandalmd.com
• Instagram: @drsomamandalmd

In this episode of Soma Says, Dr. Soma Mandal sits down with Dr. Loretta Friedman — a Directional Non-Force Technique® chiropractor, integrative clinical nutritionist, and founder of Synergy Health Associates — to explore what happens when patients don’t feel well… even when everything looks “normal” on paper.

With over 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Friedman brings a unique perspective shaped by her early career as an operating room nurse in cardiothoracic and transplant medicine, followed by her transition into integrative and functional care.

Her work focuses on inflammation, metabolic health, lymphatic function, and personalized treatment — particularly for women navigating midlife changes. She is also known for developing proprietary approaches such as Lymph-Biologics™, a specialized form of lymphatic drainage, and her “Aging Analysis” testing methodology.

• Why chronic symptoms are often missed in traditional medical models
• What “toxicity” and inflammation mean from an integrative perspective
• The role of the lymphatic system in chronic disease and overall health
• Why some patients don’t feel well despite “normal” lab results
• How stress, hormones, and metabolism intersect in midlife women
• The benefits — and limitations — of both conventional and integrative approaches

• A different lens on inflammation and detoxification
• The importance of listening to patient symptoms, not just lab values
• Lifestyle foundations: nutrition, sleep, stress, and light exposure
• Individualized care vs. protocol-driven medicine
• The evolving conversation around women’s health and midlife wellness

Dr. Loretta Friedman is a New York–based practitioner specializing in:

• Integrative and functional medicine
• Lymphatic drainage and detoxification
• Clinical nutrition and metabolic health
• Women’s health and anti-aging care

She has been in practice for over two decades and is recognized for her work in lymphatic health and holistic approaches to chronic illness.

• The Lymph Link (available on Amazon)

• Website: https://synergyhealthassociates.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synergyhealthassociates/
• Facebook: https://www.somamandalmd.com

In this episode of Soma Says, Dr. Soma Mandal sits down with Dr. Namratha “Nammi” Kandula — Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University and a leading investigator in the MASALA Study — to unpack a critical and often overlooked topic: cardiovascular risk in South Asian populations, especially women.

Drawing from her clinical training at Bellevue and public health work in Bangladesh, Dr. Kandula shares how culture, migration, and social determinants of health shape disease risk in ways traditional medicine often misses.

Together, they explore the groundbreaking MASALA Study (Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America) — a long-term research initiative designed to better understand why South Asians face disproportionately high rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease — even at lower body weights.

• Why South Asians have higher cardiometabolic risk — even when “healthy”
• The surprising diversity within South Asian diets and metabolic outcomes
• How stress, discrimination, and acculturation impact long-term health
• The protective role of community, culture, and social support
• What women need to know across the life course — from pregnancy to menopause

• A history of gestational diabetes is a major long-term risk marker
• Postmenopausal changes can increase cardiovascular risk, including calcium buildup
• The importance of screening for lipoprotein(a) and tracking waist circumference
• Why strength training, sleep, and stress management are essential — not optional
• How to advocate for better, more personalized preventive care

This is a must-listen for women navigating midlife health, clinicians seeking deeper insight into health disparities, and anyone interested in the intersection of culture, biology, and prevention.

00:00 – Welcome and Disclaimer 01:01 – Meet Dr. Kandula 01:40 – Residency at Bellevue 02:46 – Public Health Work in Bangladesh 05:42 – Why Focus on South Asian Health 09:19 – Origins of the MASALA Study 12:51 – Key Cardiometabolic Risk Findings 15:25 – South Asian Diet Patterns 17:34 – Culture and Social Support 20:15 – Stress and Discrimination 24:22 – Family Stress and Health 24:39 – Preventive Care for Women 25:27 – Pregnancy History as Risk 26:29 – Menopause and Calcium Rise 27:04 – Genetic Risk and Lipoprotein(a) 27:40 – Strength Training and Sleep 29:15 – Gendered Stress and Support 32:31 – Key Tests and Markers 35:40 – Statins and Lifestyle Choices 37:49 – South Asian Diabetes Biology 39:49 – Community Outreach and Action 41:52 – Healthcare Access and Dignity 43:30 – Representation and Reception 45:00 – MASALA Study Next Steps 45:59 – Closing and Signoff

Connect with Dr. Kandula: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=15620

Follow Dr. Soma Mandal: Instagram: @drsomamandalmd Website: https://www.getcare.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/provider/soma-mandal/5921600