Now is the Best Age to Travel and Make Friends

This episode looks at the difficulty of realizing that a loved one is experiencing cognitive decline.  I met Darlene Mahoney at a recent podcasting conference and was struck by her honesty and willingness to talk about her discovery that her father had Dementia. She tells the story of witnessing her father’s strange behavior and how she couldn’t–or didn’t want to–see the writing on the wall. And we reflect on why the truth is sometimes so hard to face. Check out Darlene’s podcast at SeniorLivingGuide.com.

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Anyone else need an adventure? Here in Upstate NY it’s been grey as usual, and I need something to look forward to.

Today we’re going to talk about the benefits of traveling with Jeannie Ralston, the co-founder and CEO of NextTribe, which started life as a digital magazine for women over 45 and has now morphed into a travel company. Jeannie believes that this is the best age to explore the world and make new friends in memorable destinations, and that anyone who tells you to act your age is to be promptly ignored! Find out more: NextTribe.com.

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Over the past 40 years, Dr. Ken Dychtwald has emerged as a foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, health care, economic and workforce implications of the age wave. Ken is a psychologist, gerontologist, and best-selling author of 19 books on aging-related issues. He also released a memoir in April 2021.

During his career, Ken has addressed more than two million people worldwide in his speeches to corporate, association, social service, and government groups. His strikingly accurate predictions and innovative ideas are regularly featured in leading print and electronic media worldwide and have garnered nearly fifteen billion media impressions. He has garnered many awards, including a testimony from President Jimmy Carter: “I have been learning from Ken Dychtwald for years and am convinced that he is today’s most innovative and original thinker on the important subjects of aging and longevity”. Find out more at AgeWave.com.

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Kim Rahir is a 60 year old mother of three who was diagnosed with MS 10 years ago and was in a wheelchair. She ignored her doctor's advice and slowly began lifting weights. This year she became European Champion in Masters Weightlifting in her age and weight category.

Kim’s journey inspired her to leave her career in journalism in her 50s and become a health coach for middle aged women - with a big focus on reactivating and rebuilding muscle. Today, she helps women tap into an abundant source of vitality by reactivating and maintaining their muscles, while ditching diet culture conditioning to actually eat to nourish and flourish. Find out more at https://kimrahir.com

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

I think we all are searching for a more meaningful and joy filled life, but don’t quite know where to start. Many of my clients experiencing empty nest and all of the accompanying over 50 challenges tell me they feel totally lost and paralyzed. They are asking the proverbial “What now?” Wouldn’t you love a blueprint to figure out how to be your most vibrant self in this phase of life? This week’s interview is with master coach and super zesty Dana Hilmer. She and her partner developed a coaching program that is like rocket fuel to take you to a life that’s more energized and meaningful. Right now, you can sign up for Camp Reinvention with my code: 

https://zestfulaging.krtra.com/t/y2cD3Ltr1ga4.

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Twins Cynthia and Edwina Bringle are 84 year old artists and legends at the renowned Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.  The new documentary, "Bringle: A Tale of Two Makers", was written and directed by artist E. Vincent Martinez a Cuban-born, Atlanta-based mixed-media artist, filmmaker and educator. He was originally a student at Penland and returned to interview his mentors. Martinez also produced “Doggies on the Catwalk” where service dogs walked alongside models to bring attention to animal welfare and adoption. Fashinado is the home to his art and lifestyle channel. Find out more at Fashinado.net

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Claire and James Davis are the British dynamic duo of midlife health and well being. They are experts in, among other subjects, menopause and hormones. They are also multi award winning coaches, co-authors of a bestselling book, regular speakers and press commentators and podcasters, in the 1.5% of listenership. Their travel company was included in the New York Times list for best fitness retreats. Find out more here: https://themidlifementors.com .

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

She was uninspired, out of shape, and longing for the younger version of herself. She thought a hip hop dance class might solve some of her problems.

Valentine’s Day greeted her with the flu, thousands of notifications on her Facebook account, and hundreds of messages from strangers. Her immediate assumption? She’d been hacked. But she was wrong. A random social media post made of her hip hop dancing had gone viral. With nothing else to do while sick in bed, Catherine Diane responded to over 15,000 messages and began a reinvention of herself at the age of 57. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/catherine.bedell.3/ .

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com.

Dog Mountain is set on 150 acres on a private mountaintop spot in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The grounds are always open to people and their dogs. Artist Stephen Huneck and his wife, Gwen, bought the property in 1995 and turned the barn into studio space. After Stephen’s unique visionary experience, the Dog Chapel soon followed. The Dog Chapel opened its doors Memorial Day weekend of 2000. The unspoiled haven is covered with hiking trails and dog ponds. Wildflowers abound in the summer and snowshoeing is a favorite activity in the winter. Year after year, the Dog Chapel and the Stephen Huneck Gallery get more and more visitors from all over the world.

Leashes are optional on Dog Mountain. Dogs are free to run, play, swim, and (best of all) meet other dogs! Dogs are not just welcome here, they are cherished.

Find out more at: dogmt.com.

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com.

We’ve all heard midlife reinvention stories, and I’ve got a special one for you. I’ve wanted to interview this guest for years, and I finally got to meet her recently at a public radio shindig. Her life story illustrates the bittersweetness of life–also known as “life is Brutiful”, a phrase coined  by Glennon Doyle. 

Diane Jones is a composer, musician, and host on WCNY Classic FM in Syracuse.  After too many years in the administrative world, she left the corporate workforce to pursue her passion in music – a choice that has taken her to Carnegie Hall and recording with the London Symphony Orchestra. Her love of music is now joined by a love of cycling and raising awareness and support for cancer research and patient services. Find out more at https://www.petdragonmusic.com/

Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com