Top 5 Things To Do in Your 50s for Longevity

Health Longevity
19 followers
1 Video View·Jul 3, 2024
Hey everyone, welcome to the Dr. Josh Axe Show.
I'm your host, Dr. Axe.
And each and every week on this show,
we explore the science behind how to grow
in body, mind, spirit, and take your health
and your life to the next level.
On today's episode, I'll be sharing my top five things
to do in your 50s and beyond for health and longevity.
And this is part of my four-part series
on how to get healthy based on your age and demographic.
And if you haven't checked out the other episodes,
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Okay, so today we're gonna be talking about
how to thrive in your 50s.
So if you are 50 years old, 50 plus,
we're gonna go through how to thrive
and get in the best shape of your life.
And what starts to happen when you get in your 50s
is certain chronic health conditions start coming in,
certain nutritional deficiencies become more common.
Also, there's some things that happen personally
at this stage of life,
such as maybe you become an empty nester.
Maybe your parents get sick.
Maybe it's time for a career change.
Maybe you're thinking about retirement and finances.
All of those things start to happen as well.
So I'm gonna go through how to navigate
those personal life issues,
as well as how to thrive in your house,
start to turn back the clock and get younger
with nutrition and supplementation all on this episode.
Well, for starters,
let's talk about some of the most common chronic conditions
that people need to be aware of as they approach their 50s.
And the first one is high blood pressure.
Approximately 45% of adults
between the ages of 45 and 64 have hypertension.
And this percentage increases to 77% in males
and 75% in females as you get up over 60 years of age,
according to the CDC.
So obviously, high blood pressure is an issue.
When your blood pressure gets high,
it increases your risk of pretty much
every form of heart disease out there today.
You know, there are many men, especially that I know,
in fact, this is something that tragically happened
to someone who was one of my best friends.
He was my father-in-law,
probably the male I was closest to in my life,
even this past year.
And so this is something that, you know,
heart attacks can be very real.
Even when somebody is active and generally healthy,
it's something that can happen out of nowhere
because there really typically aren't many warning signs.
And so it's something you really wanna take care of.
I'm gonna go through how to make sure
to support your blood pressure later on,
but just a few tips here I do wanna mention.
Magnesium as a supplement is critical
for getting blood pressure under control.
I recommend typically 300 to 600 milligrams a day.
There are many forms of magnesium.
I like magnesium glycinate.
I like magnesium citrate.
I like magnesium threonate.
I like the best magnesium chelate,
which is a sort of a spirulina-bound magnesium
that has multiple amino acids,
can be a great option as well,
maybe the best option out there.
But you wanna take magnesium.
Also consider omega-3s like fish oil,
1,000 milligrams a day.
And then there are herbs like hawthorn,
regular exercise, keeping stress low,
all of those can help lower the blood pressure,
and a Mediterranean diet.
Again, lots of omegas, lots of olive oil,
lots of good fats, lots of protein would be helpful.
All right, let's talk about the next one
is diabetes, about 11.5% of the adult population,
about 32 million people are affected by diabetes.
That can start to happen as you get older.
You really wanna keep insulin under control.
Again, increasing your protein and fiber intake
will actually help.
That heart disease, of course, is very, very common
in people over the age of 50.
And we start to see about 50% of people in this age range
have some form of heart disease.
Think about that, 50%, that's incredibly high.
Now, number four is arthritis.
Between the ages of 45 and 64,
24% of adults have major joint pain.
And I would say you might not have arthritis,
but your joints probably hurt.
I'm gonna go into the nutrients that are best for that
in a moment, or at the end for a minute.
But let me go through a few right now.
Arthritis, we want to, again, decrease inflammation
and autoimmune reactions by your body.
The number one supplement to help with this
is gonna be turmeric, okay?
And it's active compound curcumin.
You wanna typically do about 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams
of turmeric a day.
The second best is typically gonna be boswellia.
That comes from the frankincense, from frankincense resin.
You might be familiar with the essential oil,
but maybe not with boswellia as the powdered,
which is very effective at reducing inflammation.
Number three is gonna be omega-3s like fish oil.
Again, 1,000 milligrams a day.
It's great for arthritis.
It's great for blood pressure.
It's great for heart disease.
This is one that's especially important as you age,
getting those omega-3s, which help reduce inflammation.
And then there are others that are also good for this
that you can add in.
But really, if you just focus on those three.
Actually, one more that's very important, collagen.
That's gonna help support your joints.
Collagen or a bone broth protein or drinking bone broth.
So again, if you wanna fight arthritis,
turmeric, boswellia, omega-3 fatty acids,
and a collagen supplement like a bone broth protein
or a collagen protein,
those are the four that would move the needle
the most for you.
And you can do higher doses of all of these,
typically a double dose,
if you really wanna help fight arthritis.
In addition, of course, following a diet
that's full of vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins
is gonna help reduce inflammation.
Now, I wanna get into, between men and women,
what we start to see happen when you get into your 50s
and sometimes earlier.
First here with women is menopause.
These symptoms affect nearly all women during menopause.
Hot flashes, mood swings, decreased libido.
And most women go through menopause
between the ages of 45 and 55.
The North American Menopause Society reports
that 75% of women or more experience hot flashes
as they go through menopause.
And the reality is there are things you can do
to start to calm the body down.
So here's what happens
from a Chinese medicine perspective in menopause.
Your body starts to become deficient in what's called yin.
So your body becomes more dry and more hot, okay?
And you feel that.
That's why you have hot flashes.
Your body now isn't as good as cooling itself off.
When you start to have a decrease in estrogen
and progesterone,
those hormones help regulate body temperature.
And when that doesn't happen,
you start to get very, very warm.
And so what you wanna do for that
is you wanna consume in Chinese medicine
what are known as yin building foods.
These are foods that help moisten the body.
That would include yogurt,
especially coconut yogurt or sheep's milk yogurt.
That's gonna help with hot flashes.
Flax seeds or flax seed oil is very good for this.
Eating a lot of fruits that are moistening
like mango and bananas are gonna be helpful.
And then you wanna do some steamed vegetables.
You wanna do things like wild-caught fish
where you're getting some of that healthy fats and oils.
But remember, you wanna cool your body
and moisten your body.
You wanna bring moisture when you're having menopause.
Also, fermented soy like natto and miso are very good.
And then the herbs that really help with this
are black cohosh and wild yam.
There's also an extract called pearl
which also is very yin producing.
Ramani is another good herb.
That will all help with those hot flash symptoms.
And here's the thing,
it not only helps with your hot flashes,
it actually helps your body get healthier.
If you wanna age and slow the aging process
and look younger, you wanna keep your body moist
and you don't want it to get overly hot.
And so those things will help
with those menopausal symptoms.
Now men, on the other hand,
in their late 40s through their 50s
have something we call andropause.
And this is where men start seeing
a bigger and bigger decrease in testosterone levels.
This can reduce libido, cause fatigue,
mood changes like lack of motivation
and wanting to go out there and sort of take on the world
or pursue their spouse or just be motivated in life.
And according to studies,
about 30% of men in their 50s
experience symptoms related to this andropause.
And some people say it's actually
much, much higher than that.
I think men just are less aware
and admit things less than women do.
So I think the percentage is very high.
For men, when you start to see
those testosterone levels decline
and you stop feeling that lack of vigor in your 50s,
you wanna start lifting weights.
You want to start hanging out with more manly men
and building those strong relationships.
You want to consume a diet
that's more what's called yang in nature,
where women need to work on their yin,
men need to work on their yang.
That's gonna be a lot of red meat.
So you wanna eat grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, venison.
That's gonna be very helpful.
Consuming herbs like fenugreek, taking ginseng
is very, very good for this in particular.
And so you have fenugreek, ginseng,
cordyceps mushrooms, rhodiola rosea.
Those are some herbs, tribulus,
they can all help with boosting testosterone naturally.
Doing more nuts and seeds specifically,
walnuts and Brazil nuts would be good.
Pumpkin seeds are another one that are good
for building up that yang within the body.
And then you also wanna do things like beets
or beetroot juice powder is good for the heart
and for nitric oxide and blood flow,
which also helps stimulate testosterone production
by the body.
But again, a lot of meat, things like broccoli and spinach
and a lot of those good nuts and seeds,
healthy fats, omega-3s, coconut, extra virgin olive oil
are all gonna help those testosterone levels
along with lifting weights and taking downtime
to hang out with other guys on a regular basis.
Go throw axes, chop wood, go hunting, go do manly stuff.
It's shown in studies to actually help increase
your testosterone levels.
Now, as people start to age as well
and you get into your 50s,
one of the biggest side effects as we age
is we tend to sleep less.
In fact, around 30 to 48% of older adults
report symptoms of insomnia with the prevalence
increasing even more so as you age.
So think about that.
In some studies, nearly 50% of people have insomnia.
And that's where you, this happens really frequently
to where maybe you can fall asleep.
One, maybe you can't fall asleep.
Or two, maybe you sleep for a few hours,
but then you wake up at 3 a.m. in the morning
and you just can't fall back asleep.
And so this becomes really common.
And hormonal changes, of course,
during menopause can impact that sleep quality,
you know, with your body getting too hot.
In fact, by the way, the number one reason
why people suffer from insomnia
is because they get too hot while they sleep at night.
Okay, the second one is their mind is racing.
They keep thinking about things.
But the first one is, again,
you get too hot while you're sleeping.
And so one thing you can do to help that
is do a cold shower before bed, do a cold plunge,
even if it's for two minutes sometime in the day,
or even going back and forth between hot and cold.
That's one way to cool your body temperature.
Also, just reducing inflammation
by following an anti-inflammatory diet would be helpful.
Tart cherry juice, magnesium supplementation
also helps with sleep.
And then taking more floral herbal teas like chamomile
can also improve your overall sleep quality.
Also remember, you can have a weighted blanket.
Make sure your room is pitch black and cold at night.
That will help you sleep better in your 50s.
And then something else that can start to happen
to a lot of people in their 50s is chronic constipation.
In fact, over 20% of adults in their 50s
have constipation as they age.
And to do that, doing a tablespoon of cod liver oil is good.
That could be your omega-3 supplement.
So an omega-3 supplement.
Drinking more water, so staying hydrated.
Also doing a magnesium supplement,
around 500 to 600 milligrams a day of magnesium citrate,
or a magnesium chili is good for that as well.
And then certain foods that are more moistening
to the colon tend to be very good.
Papaya, bananas, doing steamed vegetables,
taking a fiber supplement, okay?
An organic or a healthy fiber supplement
can also be good for regular bowel movements
and getting your bowels going.
And then activity, doing things that reduce stress.
Typically, constipation is caused
because your liver is stressed,
you're frustrated, you're impatient.
Maybe there's just emotional stress.
Getting out in nature and doing a lot of walking.
Walking a lot also helps relieve constipation.
Getting on a MIDI rebounder
and jumping up and down for five to 10 minutes a day
helps with that lymphatic and liver flow as well,
would also be helpful.
And then another common digestive issue
for people in their 50s is acid reflux.
Around 30 to 40% of people in this age group,
big thing there is don't rush,
take your time while you're eating
and consider taking a digestive enzyme.
Now, I wanna go through specifically
men and women in their 50s.
I'm gonna go through men first
and then I'll go through women here
of the supplements that you probably
most likely need to be taking.
The first one for men in their 50s is vitamin D.
Men in their 50s often have lower level
due to reduced skin synthesis.
So as you age, typically you don't absorb as much
and your body can't synthesize as much vitamin D.
You wanna be doing about 5,000 IUs daily
if you're not getting direct sunlight that day
for men in their 50s.
And you tend to wanna take vitamin D
with a magnesium supplement
and your vitamin D should also have vitamin K2 in it.
So remember men, if you're taking a vitamin D supplement,
it should also have vitamin K2 in it
and you should take a magnesium supplement with it
or it should have magnesium in the formula
because if not, vitamin D can actually
increase constipation if it's not taken with magnesium.
Number two is an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
This is great for reducing inflammation.
For heart health, for brain function,
for testosterone, for all of those issues.
Also the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids
are gonna be wild caught fish like salmon and mackerel,
flax seeds, walnuts, and again,
taking a fish oil supplement about 1,000 milligrams a day.
Or if you also have constipation,
switch to a liquid like a tablespoon of flax,
I'm sorry, a tablespoon of fish oil a day
or one teaspoon of flax,
one teaspoon of fish oil would be beneficial.
Number three for men in their 50s
is magnesium.
This again is good for blood pressure,
blood sugar control, muscle function.
This is gonna be found in high amounts
in nuts and seeds and whole grains,
green leafy vegetables as well as a supplement
but I would recommend for most men
taking a supplement there, 300 to 600 milligrams a day.
And then I would do a B-complex for a lot of men
or a men's multivitamin.
Or if you don't do that,
then take an organ meat supplement, okay?
Taking a male performance or a male,
a multi-organ or just a liver supplement
would also be great for men.
Of course, the foods that are highest in B vitamins
are gonna be organ meats followed by red meat,
fermented dairy like sheep's milk yogurt
or goat's milk kefir, eggs, and then protein powders
I suggest men take, especially a bone broth protein
for men in their 50s there as well.
And then another one men might,
if you've ever taken a statin drug
which a lot of men have or have a heart issue,
then also take coenzyme Q10,
about 100 to 200 milligrams daily.
The great thing is if you're taking
a multi-organ supplement,
oftentimes it'll have a little coenzyme Q10 in there
if it has heart tissue.
And then last one here for men,
turmeric and curcumin is probably the best herb
for men in their 50s.
This is gonna reduce inflammation.
I'd recommend about 1,000 milligrams a day.
It's great to take that typically for the best brands.
It'll have a warming spice in it like ginger
or black pepper that have been shown to increase absorption.
Now for women in their 50s.
If you're a woman in your 50s,
one of the top supplements you should be taking
is a magnesium supplement that also has calcium,
vitamin K2, and other things that help build bone density.
Many, many women in their 50s start to have,
especially postmenopausal, osteopenia or osteoporosis,
increasing your consumption of certain dairy products
like raw organic cheeses like manchego cheese.
Also doing goat's milk kefir or sheep's milk yogurt.
Green leafy vegetables are also gonna have
some of those in celery.
So green leafy vegetables, celery, broccoli,
some of those raw organic fermented dairy products
are the best for building bone density.
Number two for women, vitamin D.
Again, vitamin D, by the way,
also supports calcium absorption
and magnesium supports vitamin D absorption.
So that's why you wanna take those together.
Typically about 5,000 IUs daily,
plus you wanna be outside for at least 20 minutes a day
walking, getting some sun on your skin.
Even in the winter months, just getting outside
and having it on your face a little bit
is good for vitamin D levels.
Number three nutrient for women in their 50s
is a methylated vitamin B complex.
These B vitamins like vitamin B12, B6, folate, B2
also support methylation in the body
which will support your energy levels.
And oftentimes our absorption of nutrients
decreases as we age.
So a methylated B complex is necessary.
The best foods for getting B vitamins
are gonna be meat, fish, and fermented dairy products.
And then number four, I think omega-3 fatty acids
are important for women.
You can get these via fatty fish like salmon,
flax seeds, walnuts, and fish oil supplements.
Number five for women which is unique
is an iron supplement or taking an herb like dong quai.
Iron is important for energy, prevents anemia.
Many postmenopausal women need this.
Also eating more red meat, beans,
especially kidney beans and lentils
will also help with your iron levels and eating beets.
And the last one here for women is probiotics.
And this could have been on the men's list as well.
This is one of the top five supplements
I recommend everyone take,
but it's especially beneficial for women in their 50s.
I would recommend a probiotic supplement,
about 50 to 100 billion I use daily.
If you've ever taken an antibiotic though
or you're trying to actually treat and heal yourself,
anywhere from 500 billion to even 1 trillion daily
for some women.
Now the best sources for probiotics
are gonna be something like a sheep's milk yogurt,
which you can find at most health food stores,
goat's milk kefir, coconut yogurt and kefir,
and fermented foods like sauerkraut and miso
would also be very, very helpful.
And that's also gonna help you
better absorb your vitamins and minerals.
I mentioned B vitamins earlier.
Studies show that if you supplement with a probiotic,
it increases your absorption and levels of those B vitamins
by 30 to 50%.
Now, as you age as well and get up into your 50s,
you wanna continue to exercise.
You wanna both put on muscle mass or maintain muscle mass
and be able to walk as much as possible.
So in order to put on muscle mass,
you wanna do some weight training.
Now I know for a lot of women,
when they get in their 50s,
many women don't necessarily wanna weight train,
but you should.
One of the greatest things you could do,
and I would say the top three things you could do
to promote longevity and slow the aging process,
actually get younger, is do weight training,
even if it's only two to three days a week for 30 minutes.
And I'd recommend if you can, do a group fitness class
or get a trainer, even once a month,
that can show you the ropes
and then get you on a program of what to do
in terms of your weight training program.
But I wanna encourage you, lift weights
or do some body weight squats if you can.
Do some light dumbbells.
Do machines, whatever you can do,
but do some things to build and maintain muscle
in your 50s.
And then the second thing you wanna do for exercise is walk.
A study that was done on adults over 40,
they found that when you're taking over 8,000 steps a day
compared to only half of that 4,000 steps,
you decrease your risk of all death by 51%.
So really exercise is crucial for anti-aging.
Also, generally speaking in terms of a diet
that there's some good research and studies on,
a Mediterranean diet has been shown to be great
for people in their 50s and slow the aging process.
The Mediterranean diet prioritizes foods
such as wild caught fish.
It also prioritizes plant-based foods
like eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
nuts, legumes, and doing a lot of healthy fat
from extra virgin olive oil.
And there's some great studies on the health benefits
of that diet in particular.
Actually, there's several studies done,
one on 21,000 people, another on 90,000 people on it,
reducing the risk of bone fractures,
reducing your risk of heart disease,
reducing your risk of dementia,
and overall promoting longevity as well.
And one of the last things I wanna share
is I think it's really important
in terms of the nutrition piece here
that if you are in your 50s and you're saying to yourself,
you know what, I wanna be as healthy as possible,
I wanna be in my 80s and 90s and still healthy,
I wanna thrive in my 50s,
I wanna be the healthiest 50-year-old possible,
then oftentimes it can benefit you
to work with a practitioner who can customize
a plan for you.
I think everybody needs a customized plan.
And one of the things I've done
is I've trained practitioners on exactly what to do
in order to help people in their 50s thrive
in creating a customized plan.
So if you're a person saying, you know what,
I wanna work with a functional medicine practitioner
or a cellular longevity practitioner
to help dial in exactly what I should do,
hey, go to the website Axe Wellness.
Again, that's axewellness.com.
And you can watch a video there.
I recorded a video.
And at the end of that, I can refer you to a practitioner
that could help customize a plan for you.
You can do a consult and learn more
about how to optimize health in your 50s
and have somebody create a very specific plan for you
or at least do a consultation to learn more.
Again, that's axewellness.com.
I wanna go through just a few more things here
for thriving in your 50s.
And this has to do with life challenges.
You know, what happens in your 50s oftentimes
is maybe you had kids, let's say, maybe late 20s,
and really a lot throughout your 30s.
This is very, that's the most common age group today,
especially.
So when you start getting in your 50s,
you might end up being an empty nester.
And all of a sudden, you went from this life
of the past maybe 20-some years
where you had kids running around constantly,
and that was a big part of your life,
to where now maybe they're out of college
and they've moved out of the home.
And that changes things.
And so one, I wanna encourage you,
stay connected to your kids.
You know, regularly communicate with them,
calls, video chats.
And this is also where you wanna prioritize
vacations and holidays to schedule
meaningful time with them.
And so do that in order to stay connected to your kids.
That can help with that feelings of empty nest syndrome
if you can still can regularly connect and see your kids.
Rekindle old interests, like rediscover the hobbies
and things you love to do that maybe you set aside
while you were raising kids.
And then also embrace even more of a faith perspective.
Embrace this season as an opportunity
to deepen your relationship and trust in God.
Know that He has a plan and purpose
at this time in your life.
And another thing, when your kids move out,
you probably are doing less now of mentoring,
discipling someone that's younger.
Well, take that wisdom that you now have.
Go and get plugged in at your church or your synagogue
or your place of worship or in the community
and now start to mentor and disciple others
with those things that you've learned.
I mean, I think this is one of the biggest things
that people miss in life in their 50s and 60s
is they don't go and use that incredible gift
God has given them, the wisdom they have
through years of learning,
and now passing that on to others.
It's probably the most fulfilling thing in life.
I can tell you for myself,
I'm thinking about a lot of people in their 40s, 50s,
and 60s that when I was in my 20s and 30s
that sewed into me, that gave me life advice,
that helped mentor me and disciple me spiritually
and in business and just generally in life,
even in health and fitness.
So one of the greatest things you can do
for blessing the world is go and mentor
and disciple others when you're in your 50s.
Pursue doing that again at church
or in some group in some way.
Here's another life challenge that happens in our 50s,
relationship changes.
I remember when I went to college
and all of my friends went to college with me.
You know what I was just shocked by?
Is that how many, as soon as their kids went off to college,
how many of my friends, their parents got divorced.
Now, this is something that happens even less today
because what happens is most parents just,
they have a modern identity, younger parents today, many.
And so they're all about them.
So they'll get a divorce even before that.
They'll get a divorce when kids are younger.
And I'm not saying there's never a time,
but I think 90 plus percent of the time,
parents should even try and stay together
in order to care for their kids.
You know, I think that one of the things
that tends to happen is that sometimes, you know,
marriages, you know, people start to move apart.
But I will say one of the things I do appreciate,
so my friends, many, I'm not talking about a few,
I'm talking about a lot of the parents of the kids
ended up getting divorces.
And I was so shocked by it the next few years after.
And again, they stayed together for the kids,
which I really, really, really applaud.
But I also think that, again, love is not a feeling.
That's the biggest thing to remember.
Love's not a feeling, love is a choice.
And so part of loving is sticking with somebody
no matter what.
Now, if there's marriage infidelity,
I think if there's certain things like that,
there's more of a, you know, more of a reason
and a question, but I think generally speaking,
outside of those things, it's like, you know,
we are called biblically to love the one we're with.
And I think, again, love is not a feeling, it's a choice.
It's just choosing to love the person
despite their shortcomings and doing your best with that.
I believe we're all called to do that.
Some people are going to disagree with me on this,
on the show about that.
And I'm not saying this to make anyone feel guilty.
If you were in that situation, I'm here to tell you,
it will lead you to your most fulfilling life
in almost every case.
And so, you know, I would say during this time,
if you're going through relational changes,
like being an empty nester, or again,
as we talked about this thing with divorce,
have a stronger inner circle
is one of the greatest things you can do.
If you want a great marriage, hang out with other people
that have great marriages, seek counseling.
Do things when you go through these life transitions,
get support from people who have done this
or who have the wisdom to help you go through that
so you can thrive in your marriage.
And as your kids move away and as your parents age,
get counseling, have a support group,
get plugged into places that can help with that.
Also lean on your faith during this time,
pray for wisdom as you go through these life changes.
You know, another thing that, again, I think happens
is we get into more social isolation oftentimes.
So again, prioritizing, being part of community groups,
workout groups, hobby clubs, church, those sort of things
would really, really help
with sort of feelings of isolation.
I was in doing an interview with Gary Breka,
and he used to do life insurance policies.
And you want to know the number one predictor
that they would have their biggest red flag
if somebody was going to die soon
was if they were living alone.
If somebody started living alone,
let's say their spouse passed away,
and then they had to live alone after that,
that was a big warning sign
because of how that impacted their mental health.
And so really, social connection.
And this was actually, according to a Harvard study,
one of the number one, actually,
I think it was the single largest predictor of longevity
is that you have a strong social group.
You have friends, maybe a spouse, family,
you have people you feel closely connected to
you're doing life with.
If you don't have that,
you have to pursue that in your 50s,
and you should be doing that in multiple areas.
Have really, really close friend groups that you pursue.
Another thing that can happen as we get into our 50s
is you start thinking about maybe retirement,
and maybe there's a sense of,
maybe your kids move away,
and your identity changes because you're still a parent,
but it's a very different role and responsibility
now that your kids are out of the house.
And that identity change can also create a shift
in your purpose in life.
So what I want to encourage you to do in your 50s
is reflect and plan and goal set and revisualize your life.
Think about, okay, I'm in my 50s now.
Let me reprioritize.
What do I want my life to look like now in my 50s,
but also my 60s and beyond?
Take time to reflect on that.
Also think about what are your passions and skills
maybe you haven't put to use yet, or you have,
and you want to take those to another level.
Set new goals, have a new vision,
and create a plan of purpose.
There's a study from years ago I read
that found that when people retire,
if they don't find a new purpose and something to pursue,
they die early.
Purpose in Chinese medicine
is known to actually fill our qi, our life force.
It's actually what gives us our energy.
It's what fills our adrenal glands.
It's actually good for our organ systems
and for longevity is having a purpose in life.
So make sure you have that.
And our purpose should always be tied to blessing others,
volunteering, mentoring others, discipling others,
helping others grow in their life
is a key to finding your purpose there as well.
So embrace that calling in your life.
And then caring for aging parents.
I think that this is something
that a lot of people go through in their 50s.
Here's the thing.
You can't pour into someone else
what you don't have yourself.
So if you're not caring for yourself,
if you don't have your rest, your downtime,
those sort of things,
then you can't care for someone else in that way.
So I want to say this.
Don't hesitate to ask for help from other family members
or from professional caregivers
if you're in that financial situation.
And again, recharge yourself, care for yourself.
I can tell you something.
My mom is in her 70s
and I have a grandmother in her 90s right now.
And she is a handful.
And not just a handful.
I mean, she is a very difficult person.
And you may have someone like this in your life.
And that's very stressful for my mom right now.
So I'm going to have to remind my own mom
who's in her 70s and tell my mom,
listen, mom, you know what?
Go and take care of grandma.
Go and do everything you can.
But remember, I want you to be working out.
I want you to be going on walks.
I want you to be reading your Bible.
I want you to have downtime in between
because my parents are caring for her.
And so I have to continue to remember my mom
to have proper self-care during that time.
And also, I hate to say this,
listen, she's not going to listen to this,
but, and I don't, I'm not going to speak negatively.
I'll just say this.
Imagine one of the hardest family members you've ever had
and then 10X it.
And that's my grandmother.
And so my mom constantly is also walking with this,
reading her Bible and thinking about serving her parents
with love and patience on a regular basis.
It's helping her grow spiritually as well
as she goes through this process.
But you don't want to let it stress you
to the point where you get ill
and it's hard on your own mental, physical,
and spiritual health.
So again, proper self-care, body, mind, and spirit
in order to care for others as well there.
Well, hey, I hope you've enjoyed this show
on how to thrive in your 50s.
If you know someone in their 50s or 60s,
share this with them because it may save their life.
It might help them thrive through their 50s.
Again, more people need to know the truth
about how to care for themselves and body, mind, spirit
with nutrition and good life advice.
And hey, if you're not subscribed,
don't forget to subscribe, like, and share this episode.
I'll see you on the next episode coming soon.
