#173 - How To Age Without Apology with Deb Benfield RDN

What if the fear of “looking older” isn’t really about wrinkles at all, but about relevance, visibility, and power? I welcome registered dietitian and author Deb Benfield to dig into internalized ageism and the subtle ways culture teaches us to distrust our future selves. We walk about how it gets tangled up with diet culture, wellness trends, and perfectionism. Together we unpack why compliments like “you haven’t aged a bit” keep youth on a pedestal, how patriarchy and ableism shape appearance pressure, and what it takes to build a truly age-affirming life. We talk about:

• Defining internalized ageism and why it starts early
• Separating facts of aging from fear-based stories
• Naming patriarchy, sexism and ableism in appearance pressure
• How wellness trends can trigger relapse and obsession
• Autonomy vs pressure in skincare, movement and food
• Her book's framework for untangling systems and mending body trust
• Practical steps to notice, name and unlearn ageist thoughts
• Choosing freedom and values over perfection

Learn more about Deb's work:https://www.debrabenfield.com

Order Unapologetic Aging: https://www.debrabenfield.com/book

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