Breaking Burnout for Nurses podcast sets menopause two-part episode with Maria Luque

Breaking Burnout for Nurses Podcast will air a two-part conversation with menopause coach Maria Luque starting July 6, 2026, focusing on body image and nourishment for nurses. The episode ties menopause to burnout recovery and points listeners to the podcast and Luque’s book and website.

Why it matters: - The episode connects menopause, body image, and nourishment to nurse burnout, a mix that can affect confidence, energy, and self-image for healthcare workers. - The conversation is aimed at nurses who often put their own physical and emotional well-being behind the demands of patient care. - The podcast frames midlife health as part of burnout recovery, not a separate issue.

What happened: - Breaking Burnout for Nurses Podcast, hosted by Bonnie Kitahata, RN, ONC, announced a two-part interview with Maria Luque, PhD. - The first episode, “Menopause Body Image for Nurses: New Moves in Menopause — Part 1,” releases July 6, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific. - The second episode, “Menopause Nourishment for Nurses: New Moves in Menopause — Part 2,” follows the next week. - Luque is a fitness expert, menopause coach, Air Force Veteran, former health sciences professor, and founder of Fitness in Menopause. - The discussion is inspired by Luque’s book, New Moves In Menopause: A Fearless Guide to a Stronger, Healthier, & Saner Midlife.

The details: - Part 1 focuses on body image in menopause and encourages more compassion, curiosity, and self-respect instead of comparison, shame, or unrealistic expectations. - Kitahata said nurses are often so focused on caring for others that they forget they are allowed to feel good in their own bodies. - Luque’s book, co-written with Robin Chotzinoff, takes a broader view of menopause, movement, fitness, and midlife health. - The book emphasizes strength, flexibility, and mental resilience, not just workouts, routines, or fitness tracking. - The “New Moves” approach values curiosity over control, compassion over comparison, and adventure over perfection. - Luque has a PhD and MS in Health Sciences and more than two decades of experience in women’s midlife fitness. - Luque is also known as a menopause coach to Halle Berry. - A quote on the book cover says, “Working with Maria as my menopause coach completely shifted how I see this stage of life.” - New Moves In Menopause is published by Fitness in Menopause, LLC. - The book is available through Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers. - More information about Maria Luque and her work is available here. - The episode will be available on Libsyn, iHeartRadio, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. - The podcast’s YouTube channel is Breaking Burnout 2033.

Between the lines: - The episode extends the podcast’s core mission: helping nurses avoid, survive, and recover from burnout while reconnecting with health, meaning, and joy. - Kitahata’s framing suggests menopause is part of the emotional and physical strain many nurses already carry, not an isolated life stage. - The book’s language signals a shift away from perfection-focused wellness toward a more flexible view of midlife health.

What's next: - The first episode arrives July 6, 2026, and the follow-up episode will be released the following week. - New episodes of Breaking Burnout for Nurses are released Mondays at 10 a.m. Pacific. - Listeners can find the show on major podcast and video platforms after release.

The bottom line: - The podcast is using a menopause-focused two-parter to widen the burnout conversation for nurses and push self-care, body acceptance, and midlife health into the spotlight.