The Dr. Josh Axe Show - Top 5 Things To Do in Your 50s for Longevity

Starting point is 00:00:00 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, you know somebody who's a different demographic than you, then, hey, share these episodes with them.

Starting point is 00:00:33 Also, make sure to subscribe to this channel so you never miss an episode. You know, by learning what we cover on the show so much about health and science and psychology and growth, it's going to help take your wisdom to a whole new level. So, hey, don't forget to subscribe. Okay. So today we're going to be talking about how to thrive in your 50s. So if you are 50 years old, 50 plus, we're going to go through how. to thrive and get in the best shape of your life.

Starting point is 00:01:03 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 going to 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

Starting point is 00:01:41 chronic conditions that people need to be aware of is 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.

Starting point is 00:02:35 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 want to take care of. I'm going to go through how to make sure to support your blood pressure. later on, but just a few tips here I do want to mention. Magnesium as a supplement is critical for getting blood pressure under control. I recommend typically 300 to 600 milligrams a day.

Starting point is 00:03:04 There are many forms of magnesium. I like magnesium glycinate. I like magnesium citrate. I like magnesium 3NA. I like the best magnesium chelite, 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 want to take magnesium.

Starting point is 00:03:24 Also consider omega-3s like fish oil, a thousand milligrams a day. And then there are herbs like Hawthorne, 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. start to happen as you get older. You really want to keep insulin under control. Again, increasing your protein and fiber intake will actually help that heart disease, of course,

Starting point is 00:04:03 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 going to go into the nutrients that are best for that in a moment or at the end for men and women. But let me go through a few right now. Arthritis, we want to, again, decrease inflammation and autoimmune reactions by your body.

Starting point is 00:04:43 The number one supplement to help with this is going to be turmeric, okay, and it's active compound curcumin. You want to typically do about 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of turmeric a day. The second best is typically going to be Basuelia. That comes from the frankincense, from frankincense resin. You may be familiar with the essential oil, but maybe not with basuelia as the powdered, which is very effective at reducing inflammation. Number three is going to be omega-3s like fish oil. Again, 1,000 milligrams a day.

Starting point is 00:05:15 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 going to help support your joints. Collagen or a bone broth protein or drinking bone broth.

Starting point is 00:05:38 So again, if you want to fight arthritis, turmeric, Boswellia, omega-3 fatty acids in 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 want to help fight arthritis. In addition, of course, following a diet that's full of vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins is going to help reduce inflammation. Now, I want to 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

Starting point is 00:06:22 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 want to do for that is you want to

Starting point is 00:07:08 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 going to help with hot flashes. Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil is very good for this. Eating a lot of fruits that are moistening like mango and bananas are going to be helpful. And then you want to do some steam vegetables. You want to do things like wild caught fish where you're getting some of that healthy fats and oils. But remember, you want to cool your body and moisten your You want to bring moisture when you're having menopause. Also, fermented soy like Nato and miso are very good.

Starting point is 00:07:47 And then the herbs that really help with this are black cohosh and wild yam. There's also an herb called, actually an extract called Pearl, which also is very yin producing. Romani is another good herb. That will all help with those hot flash symptoms and help. And here's the thing. It not only helps with your hot flashes, it actually helps your body get healthier. If you want to age and slow the aging process and look younger, you want to keep your body moist and you don't want it to get overly hot. And so those things will help with those menopausal symptoms.

Starting point is 00:08:24 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 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 less admit things less than women do. So I think the percentage is very high for men. And when you start to see those testosterone levels decline and you start

Starting point is 00:09:10 feeling that lack of vigor in your 50s you want to start you want to 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 yin that's going to be a lot of red meat so you want to eat grass fed beef bison lamb venison uh that's going to be very helpful consuming herbs like fenya greek taking Ginseng is very, very good for this in particular. And so, yeah, you have fenigreek, ginseng, cortisept mushrooms, rhodola rosea.

Starting point is 00:09:51 Those are some herbs tribulus that 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 want to 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 going to help those testosterone levels,

Starting point is 00:10:29 along with lifting weights and taking down time to hang out with other guys on a regular basis. Go throw axes, chop wood, go hunting, go do mainly 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 of 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.

Starting point is 00:11:06 In some studies, nearly 50% of people have, insomnia. And that's where you, this happens really frequently to where maybe you can fall, 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.

Starting point is 00:11:42 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. But 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're going to have a weighted blanket. Make sure your room is pitch black and cold

Starting point is 00:12:24 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 chalet is good for that as well. And then certain foods that are more moistening to the colon tend to be very good.

Starting point is 00:13:06 papaya, bananas, doing steam vegetables, getting it, 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 do stress. Typically, constipation is caused because your liver is stressed. You're frustrated. You're impatient. Maybe there's just emotional stress.

Starting point is 00:13:32 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 ten 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 percent 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.

Starting point is 00:14:01 Now, I want to go through specifically men and women in their 50s. I'm going to 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 reduce skin synthesis. So as you age, typically you don't absorb as much and your body can't synthesize as much vitamin D. You want to be doing about 5,000 I use daily if you're not getting direct sunlight that day for men in their 50s. And you tend to want to take vitamin D with a magnesium supplement, and your vitamin D should also have vitamin K2 in it.

Starting point is 00:14:42 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,

Starting point is 00:15:01 for heart health, for brain function, for testosterone, for all of those issues, Also, the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are going to 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.

Starting point is 00:15:34 blood sugar control, muscle function. This is going to 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.

Starting point is 00:15:59 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 going to be organ meats, followed by red meat, fermented dairy like sheep smoke yogurt or goat smoke 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 hard issue, then also take co-inzyme 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 co-enzyme Q10 in there if it has heart tissue. And then last one here for men,

Starting point is 00:16:43 turmeric and curcumin is probably the best herb for men in their 50s. This is going to 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, you know, goat's milk, kefir,

Starting point is 00:17:34 or sheep's milk, yogurt. Green leafy vegetables are also going to 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 want to take those together. Typically about 5,000 I use daily, plus you want to be outside for at least 20 minutes a day, walking, getting some sun on your skin.

Starting point is 00:18:05 Even in the winter months, just getting outside and having 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. You know, these B vitamins like vitamin B12, B6, folate, B2 also support methamphetamine. 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 going to be meat, fish, and fermented dairy products. And the 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, you

Starting point is 00:18:55 unique is an iron supplement or taking an herb like don 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 beats. And the last one here for women is probiotics. And I almost, 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, where you're trying to actually treat and heal yourself, anywhere from 500 billion to even one trillion daily for some women. Now, the best

Starting point is 00:19:46 sources for probiotics are going to 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 sourcrow and miso would also be very, very helpful. And that's also going to 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 in levels of those B vitamins by 30 to 50%. Now, as you age as well and get up into your 50s, you want to continue to exercise. You want to both put on muscle mass or maintain muscle mass.

Starting point is 00:20:24 be able to walk as much as possible. So in order to put on muscle mass, you want to do some weight training. Now, I know for a lot of women, when they get in their 50s, many women don't necessarily want to wait 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 want to encourage you lift weights, or do some body weight squats if you can. Do some light dumbbells, do machines, whatever you can do,

Starting point is 00:21:13 but do some things to build and maintain muscle in your 50s. And then the second thing you want to do for exercise is walk. A study that was done on adult 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

Starting point is 00:21:32 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 slowed 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,

Starting point is 00:22:01 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 a study, 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 want to 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 yourself, you know what, I want to be as healthy as possible. I want to be in my 80s and 90s and still healthier. I want to thrive in my 50s. I want to be the healthiest 50 year old possible. Then oftentimes it can

Starting point is 00:22:47 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 thriving, creating a customized plan. So if you're a person saying, you know what, I want to 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, acts wellness.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 console and learn more about how to optimize health in your 50s and have somebody create a very specific

Starting point is 00:23:35 plan for you, or at least do a consultation to learn more. Again, that's axwellness.com. I want to 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 like 20s and really a lot in your, throughout your 30s. 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 now, maybe they're out of college and they've moved out of the home. And,

Starting point is 00:24:15 That changes things. And so one, I want to encourage you stay connected to your kids, you know, regularly communicate with them, calls, video chats. And this is also where you want to 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 an empty nest syndrome if you can still can regularly connect and see your kids.

Starting point is 00:24:40 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.

Starting point is 00:25:11 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 sowed into me, that gave me life advice, that helped mentor me and disciple me spiritually and in business and just generally in life,

Starting point is 00:25:55 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.

Starting point is 00:26:41 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

Starting point is 00:27:01 is that sometimes, you know, marriage is, you know, people start to move apart. But I will say, One of the things I do appreciate, so my friends that 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, it's not a feeling.

Starting point is 00:27:28 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.

Starting point is 00:27:48 And I think, again, love is not a feeling. It's a choice. It's just choosing to love the persons 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,

Starting point is 00:28:13 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 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

Starting point is 00:28:58 we get into more social isolation oftentimes so again prioritizing volunteer you know 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 Brecker, 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.

Starting point is 00:29:38 And so really social connection. And this is 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 in your, maybe your kids move

Starting point is 00:30:12 away and your identity changes because you're still a parent, but it's a very different role in responsibility now that your kids are out of the house. And that identity change can also create a shift in your purpose and life. So what I want to encourage you to do in your 50s is reflect and plan and goal set and re-visualize your life. Think about, okay, I'm in my 50s now. Let me re-prioritize. 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.

Starting point is 00:30:40 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 chi, 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

Starting point is 00:31:17 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,

Starting point is 00:31:59 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. And so I'm having to remind my own mom who's in her 70s and tell my mom, listen, mom, you know what?

Starting point is 00:32:18 Go and take care of grandma. Go and do everything you can't. 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.

Starting point is 00:32:39 Listen, she's not going to listen to this. And I don't, I'm not going to speak negatively here. I'll just say this. Imagine one of the hardest family members you've ever had and then 10 X-in. That's my grandmother. And so my mom constantly is also the walking with this, you know, reading her Bible and thinking about serving her parents with love and 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

Starting point is 00:33:07 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. that 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.

Starting point is 00:33:34 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.

The Dr. Josh Axe Show - Top 5 Things To Do in Your 50s for Longevity

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