Zestful Aging

Eldera is a health tech company built as a global platform for wisdom sharing and intergenerational connection. They are on a mission to unlock the time and wisdom of 1 billion elders around the world as a new natural resource for all generations to thrive. Eldera is the opposite of eldercare; they believe that older adults want and need to care for the next generation. They stand for bringing bac...

Meg LaPorte co-created Art Against Ageism as an alliance and media platform for the purpose of identifying, amplifying, and creating artistic endeavors that confront and tackle damaging stereotypes and misperceptions about age, older adults, and being older. Find out more about their creative (and humorous) initiatives: https://artagainstageism.org/ Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at...

Today's interview is with the "queen of natural wine", Alice Feiring. Among her many awards is the coveted James Beard Award for wine journalism. Alice calls herself "a whistleblower" and has made herself unpopular with some of the wine manufacturers who add chemicals and even sawdust to enhance the taste. When she's not writing, she is a frequent lecturer and panelist on all things wine. Her care...

Maria Teresa Ferretti is a biomedical researcher, TED-x speaker, co-founder of the Women's Brain Project and breast cancer survivor. She spoke with us about bridging immunology research with gender medicine. Her organization studies how the immune system affects the brain, and how to develop an effective therapeutic plan that's also based on the gender of the patient–one size does not fit all. FIn...

Anne Phinney is a retired teacher who is living her dream in the Adirondacks. She runs Moose River Farm, where she introduces the public to her collection of beloved animals. One of her offerings is to walk the llamas on the nature trails around the farm - "Llama Trekking". I had the privilege of joining Anne on a cold winter day as a celebration of Zestful Aging Podcast's fifth anniversary. Find...

Randy Tessier is a 72 year old University of Michigan faculty member who organizes the "Geezer happy Hour" – a weekly rock and roll show where everyone is 60 or over. Randy was recently featured in the New York Times, NPR and other major media outlets. Coincidentally, he's also shared the stage with one of my previous guests, Judy Banker, who was my clinical supervisor in Ann Arbor and whose music...

What do you call that murky time between the ages of 45 and 65? What if that time had its own name and we could understand it as a specific phase, with specific joys, expectations and challenges? Gerontologist and life stage expert, Barbara Waxman, shares some of her insights that will turn everything you think about the future of aging and longevity in the 21st century on its head. Find out more...

I'm thrilled to welcome back today's guest. Peggy Orenstein , a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and internationally recognized speaker on gender issues, especially those related to teens, sex and relationships. She is the author of eight books, including her latest, Unraveling. Peggy Orenstein's new book is quite a departure from her usual fare. In it she explores some...

C atherine Owens is a nationally recognized Senior Living industry expert and has worked in a variety of roles in Senior Living including leadership, staff training, sales and marketing, and corporate development. Along with her book, " Be Your Own Hero: Senior Living Decisions Simplified" , Catherine has been published and featured in national industry journals, is a regular guest on national and...

Angela Mitchell Hill is an entrepreneur and the owner of Nashville Nails By Na'Sah's, a full service nail salon located in the Nashville International Airport. She actively seeks out products that support marginalized populations and favors environmentally sound beauty products. As a business leader, she values being a force for good. Find out more about her here: https://angelamitchellhill.com Fi...

Some of you may have heard of a little show called HGTV. Traci Schubert Barrett was one of the founding team members, but after thirty years of experience in corporate America, she began to wonder "what if there's more to our lives than job success?" In a huge leap of faith, she quit her executive job and went on a soul-searching journey. Today, Traci is an entrepreneur, podcast host, speaker, aut...

One of the challenges of older adults is getting enough stimulation. To make things worse, we're all aware that COVID increased isolation, loneliness and depression. Christ Brickler has co founded a company that 's mission is to keep older adults engaged and active in new experiences. Enter Virtual Reality. This new technology is being embraced all over the globe. Find out more: digital therapy no...

Janet Reilly loves pickleball so much that she became a Pickleball Ambassador for Central New York. She sings its praises wherever she can. When she brought me to the local college gym to play for my first time, she quipped, "Welcome to your new addiction!" The pure fun of it is a welcome salve to the world's challenges. Find out more at USAPickleball.org. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Pod...

Dr. Joshua Coleman is the foremost expert on parent/child estrangement. He's been on every media outlet you can think of--including Sesame Street! I think he's the first of over 300 guests who have had that honor. Dr. Coleman talked to me about why parent/child estrangement is on the rise. Some even call it a national epidemic. And he went into detail on some of the surprising reasons why. Find ou...

Having odd health symptoms? This episode could help. Dr. Bruce Dorr is a leading expert in menopause and hormonal balancing. He helps women with their hormone issues which can look like heart problems, anxiety and various other maladies. Often women wind up going to all kinds of specialists before they end up in his office. Dr. Dorr talks in laypersons' terms about what hormones do and how they ch...

William B. Miller, Jr. M.D., is an internationally known evolutionary biologist, medical doctor, and author of seven acclaimed books. After a career practicing medicine, Dr. Miller became fascinated in evolution upon seeing Sue, a T-Rex skeleton housed in the Chicago Field Museum. Since then, Dr. Miller has become a leading expert in the field of evolutionary biology as the developer of Cognition-...

As we age, we often have more time and energy for creativity. And there's even a theory that after we're done having babies we need to do something with all of that creative energy. But where to start? What if you can't even draw a stick figure? Faigie Kobre helps women who may be intimidated by art but who want to reignite their creativity. She talks to us about the magic of alcohol inks, which s...

Keri Gans is the author of "The Small Change Diet", and a blogger for US News & World Report. "The Keri Report", her own bi-monthly podcast and newsletter, helps to convey her no-nonsense, sometimes controversial, and fun approach to living a healthy lifestyle. Today we're going to get her true confessions–including that she doesn't like kale or sweet potato–and hear about what actually works for...

It's no secret that in our culture most older people experience ageism– discrimination that's based on a person's age. In fact, in a recent study reported this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association 93% of people ages 50 to 80 reported experiencing one or more forms of ageism in their everyday lives. While it follows that we would want to do something to abolish ageism, we may fee...

Have you tried the sport that is literally sweeping the nation? Pickleball is appealing to all kinds of people, at every age. Mike Branon talks to us about why it is the perfect activity for us as we age. And why it checks so many boxes–movement, social engagement, and brain strategy. Mike Branon is the author of "THE JOY of Pickleball", the definitive instructional guide for the senior player. Fi...

Did you know that over 80% of patients lie to their doctors, and women lie more than men do? Why is that so? When the possible consequences are quite serious…like inaccurate diagnosis and inaccurate treatment. Susan Salenger, author and researcher, looks at women and their complicated relationship with their doctors and the healthcare system. She shines a light on the cultural history and gender b...

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell is an award-winning fashion historian, curator, and journalist based in Los Angeles. As well as writing books and articles, she does writing, lecturing, curating, and consulting for museums, universities, and the entertainment industry. She has written about fashion, art, and culture for "The Atlantic", "Politico", "Slate", "The Wall Street Journal" and "The Washingt...

Kip Clarke has been a multi-sport elite athlete who now, as she turns 60, uses her experiences to coach women in their middle and later years. Some of her accomplishments include championship titles in rowing, basketball, badminton, and field hockey, but most of her success in sports has come through playing competitive tennis. She currently holds three National Tennis Championship titles and has...

For over 30 years as a 4th-generation physician, Dr. Bill Rawls has dedicated his life to medicine. When a health crisis in his early forties abruptly changed his quality of life, he came face to face with the limitations of modern medicine and began to research the vast possibilities of alternative treatments. Today, Dr. Rawls shares the revelations that helped him and thousands of others reclaim...

Alice Tym played at Wimbledon 5 times--limo and strawberries included. She began her tennis career before Title IX was enacted, when women athletes were not supported by their universities and had to organize their matches and transportation on their own. At 79, Alice is a gold medal winning pickleball player who says pickleball is a way to keep active and avoid loneliness. To say she is sassy is...