The Mama Mudra Podcast

We’ve been sold a very tired narrative about aging.

That everything declines, energy drops, hormones become the enemy, and joy somehow becomes harder to access.

I don’t believe that. And, thank goodness, neither does Andrea Back.

In this episode, we unpack what’s really happening in our bodies as we move through different life stages - and more importantly, how to work with it instead of resisting it.

Because what if aging wasn’t something to manage... But something to optimise? This conversation shifts the lens from fear to empowerment.

From “how do I survive this phase?” to “how do I feel my absolute best in this phase?”

We talk about:

- Why your current approach to wellness might stop working (and what to do about it)

- Hormones, stress, and why they’re not the villains we’ve made them out to be

- The role of nutrition and lifestyle in how you experience aging

- Why “feeling good” needs to become your baseline, not your reward

- And how to actually build a version of wellness that evolves with you

This is not about anti-aging. It’s about aging well, with energy, clarity, and yes… joy.

If you’ve ever felt like your body is changing and no one’s given you a roadmap - this is the episode you need.

If this episode shifts how you think about your body even slightly, send it to a friend who needs to hear it. And if you’re not already subscribed - this is your reminder. We’re dropping episodes weekly, and this is just the beginning.

Walk into any health store and it feels like you need every-single-thing! Powders. Pills. Adaptogens. Sprays. Tonics. So where do you actually start?

In this episode, Kate Thompson-Duwe sits down with Toni Carroll to cut through the noise of the modern supplement industry - and answer the question everyone is asking:

Are we actually deficient… or just overwhelmed?

They unpack the tension between real nutritional gaps and aggressive wellness marketing, and why more supplements don’t always mean better health.

This is a grounded, honest conversation that will save you money, time, and confusion - while helping you make smarter, more intentional choices for your body.

In this episode:

- Whether we’re truly nutrient deficient today

- Why the supplement industry feels so overwhelming

- The difference between necessity and marketing hype

- How to know what your body actually needs

- Why more is not always better (or effective)

You don’t need everything. You need what works for you.

And understanding that is where real wellness begins.

If your brain is wired for survival… how are you ever supposed to feel happy?

In this episode, Kate reconnects with Matt Furlonger to unpack one of the most important truths in modern wellness: Your brain is not designed to make you happy. It’s designed to keep you alive.

Which means stress, worry, and negativity aren’t personal failures - they’re biological defaults.

But here’s the shift: once you understand that, you can start working with your brain instead of against it.

This conversation moves beyond theory into practical application - helping you understand how to reshape your neurological patterns, expand your capacity for joy, and actively build your own pathway to happiness.

In this episode:

- The truth about your brain’s negativity bias

- Why you default to stress even when life is “good”

- How to stop judging yourself for anxious thoughts

- Practical ways to rewire your brain for more joy

- How brain health directly impacts your happiness

You’re not broken. You’re wired for survival.

But you can train your brain to experience more joy - on purpose.

What if everything you’ve been told about “doing health right” is wrong?

In this foundational episode, Kate Thompson-Duwe sits down with Dr Simone Silver to challenge one of the biggest myths in wellness: that there’s a single formula that works for everyone.

Because there really isn’t.

This conversation reframes health not as a checklist of protocols, but as something far more nuanced, dynamic, and personal - an art form, in Dr Silver's words.

They explore why copying routines, stacking supplements, and chasing trends can actually disconnect you from what your body truly needs - and how your ability to feel good, stay consistent, and experience joy is deeply tied to understanding your own biology.

This is the episode that changes how you think about everything that follows.

In this episode:

- Why health is not a protocol - it’s a personalised ecosystem

- The danger of “copy-paste” wellness routines

- The missing link between optimal health and happiness

- Why healing requires connection, not just diagnosis

- How to start thinking about your own “artistry of health”

Stop outsourcing your health. Start understanding it.

Because your pathway to happiness is built on your version of optimality, and joy is our performance metric.

DISCLAIMER: The views shared in this podcast are the views of guests and not medical advice. Please seek a registered practitioner for professional advice to suit your individual needs.

Everywhere we look, someone is telling us how to live well.

What to eat, how to train, when to fast, what supplements to take, and generally how to optimise every single part of our lives.

And yet… people are more overwhelmed, more confused, and often feeling worse than ever.

So what’s going wrong?

In this episode, Kate Thompson-Duwe unpacks something that sits right at the centre of Mama Mudra: that there is no single “right” way to do wellness.

What energises one person can completely deplete another, and what works for someone else’s body, lifestyle, or season of life might not work for yours.

And maybe the real issue isn’t that we’re not trying hard enough… maybe it’s that we’ve been trying to follow someone else’s formula.

So, this episode is about coming back to yourself.

It’s about stepping away from the noise, the pressure, and the idea that there is one perfect protocol… and instead starting to build your own, deeply personal pathway to happiness and wellbeing.

Because happiness isn’t the reward for getting everything right.

It’s the thing that allows you to keep going.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why the modern wellness industry is creating more confusion than clarity

- The danger of copying other people’s routines and protocols

- How to start identifying what actually works for you

- Why happiness is not the outcome, but the driver of consistency

- Letting go of judgement around how others choose to live well

- Creating a more supportive, less critical wellness culture

If something makes you feel strong, energised, and good in your body… that’s your signal. Whether it’s strength training, yoga, peptides, running, walking, cold plunges, or none of the above.

We’re all working towards a similar goal, but the path there will look different for each of us, and instead of questioning or criticising those differences, we should be supporting them.

If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need to hear it.

And if you’re on your own journey of figuring out what works for you - you’re exactly where you need to be.