I’m 50 Today! Musings On Turning A Half Century Old + 7 Longevity Tips

Well today I turned 50!  Woot!

So here is how I am approaching my very first day of being 50. Or at least how I’ve thought about it in the past few months leading up to it — who knows how I’ll feel a year or two into it.  But for now, my thoughts are this:

I don’t want to be an older woman trying to hold onto being young.

I always found it depressing to hear  “OMG you’re 50?!?!  You look 10 years younger!”  Or to hear people try to cheer me up by saying “you look FANTASTIC for your age.”

Ummm… no.

I actually don’t want to try to look 40 years old at 50.  I’d so much rather look like a phenomenal kick ass 50 year old at 50 than a questionable 40 year old who is aging possibly not so well.  Instead of feeling empowered by looking younger (which just means I’m then in competition with someone actually younger) I’d really much rather consider myself a baby-older-person — a baby of old age.

If I try to think “I‘m still young… I still look and feel years younger than my biological age…” than it’s a losing game, because at some point I won’t look young or feel young and then what happens to my fragile sense of self, if feeling and looking young for my age was what I was hanging on to?

Instead, what if I’m actually just starting out, day 1 at being old.

I am the youngest baby-old-person I will ever ever be.  And in my 60s I’ll be a teenager of my older years.  And in my 70s I’ll be a young adult of my older years.  And in my 80s I’ll be a full on goddamn adult of my older years.  And if I’m lucky enough to live into my 90s and 100s, it will not be until then that I will I even think of myself as being an older person at all, in which case I will then have every right to flaunt my age as an immense success.

But what I won’t do, what I don’t want to do, what I don’t want other people to tell me at all, is that I’m “still young.”

Oh hell no!!!

OMG do you know what I have had to get through to become a 50 year old woman?

I’ve had to fight my way to be accepting into medical school and get my MD at a time when only 20% of my classmates were female — I was surrounded by a male dominated medical world that was 80% male and had to fight against so much sexual harassment and sexism in general to become not just the first (and still to this day the only) physician in my entire family, but the first female physician to boot. I endured being in the minority of females as an officer in the military (which again — no shock — male dominated, especially 25 years ago) and the mental and emotional abuse that came with my military career.   I endured several abusive relationships and then a marriage where I was abandoned in the middle of the night — literally waking up to a dear John letter on the kitchen table after 15 years of marriage — with two scared utterly traumatized children looking up at me wondering where their father was.  I endured being homeless for a period of time because of it and stuggling to put a roof over my children’s head and a sense of security back into their life.  I endured watching my children wade through trauma and PTSD, I endured my own traumas and PTSD.

But I also grew my own business from the ground up with no help.  I also solo parented and am so damn proud of my kick ass adult children that I can barely see straight when I think of them, I love them so much.  I wrote the first (and I believe still to this day the only) book written by a female physician on grounding as a healing modality.  I started a new branch of medicine that I call Conductive Medicine, based off of the new research coming out about the electrical nature of our body’s health.  I have done it all while being a kind, honest, transparent, and hardworking person.  I have no desire for anyone to wipe away a single day of my 50 years by telling me I look younger.

Why can’t I be a kick ass amazing just-starting-out-as-a-baby-old-person?

I think women in their 30s and 40s would appreciate a woman who wants to look and own and find power in being a 50 year old that is just starting the newest phase of the rest of her life — not trying to grasp at a younger self but excited to be the youngest old person she knows and to bring that momentum into her life moving forward.

And I think women in their 60s and 70s and 80s and 90s would likely tell me that I am only just a baby starting out the second part of her life now that I am an empty nester and have the freedom to move through my days figuring out what makes this part of my life meaningful.

I could be wrong?  I could be right?

It feels better to me to claim being older and being 50 than it does trying to trick a single person into thinking I’m younger.

Won’t do it.

Instead, I’m going to focus, as I always have done, on my physical health over my physical appearance.  So to that end, here are some of the things I’ve started doing as a baby 50-year-old-newly-minted-older person in the path to feel the best I can for however many decades I have ahead:

7 Holistic Longevity Tips:

1.  Move

Use it or lose it is the body’s internal mantra.

If you do something every single day, then hopefully you can continue to do it every single day… indefinitely.  Like standing up from a chair without using your hands.  If you do that every single day, you continue to be able to do that no matter what age you reach.  If you stop doing it, all of a sudden you realize one day you truly can not stand up from a chair without leaning on something to help you do it, even in an emergency.

Preserving muscle strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and bone density are all key ways to age well, and moving your body is how you do it.  I love my Barre3 classes, my yoga class, and going on after dinner walks.

For more encouragement and ideas on how to incorporate more movement into your day, here is an article I wrote for you that will help:

• Try Not To Sit Still For More Than 2 Hours At A Time Today, Here’s Why

I also mention how sauna provides many of the same longevity benefits — perfect for those who can not exercise or to add onto your wellness routines in addition to exercise.

You can read more about the health benefits of sauna, and details on how long and how frequently to do it to get these health benefits, right here:

• When You Can’t Exercise: Sauna For Similar Health Benefits

2.  Sunlight

A large medical study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that folks who avoided sun exposure actually had a shorter life span… with a decreased life expectancy that was shorter than even heavy smokers who bathed in the sun.  What?!?! Yes.

Though risk of skin cancer did increase with increased sun exposure, the patients that had skin cancer occur in relation to sun exposure actually had a better long-term prognosis. This on top of recent research revealing that melanomas that occur in patients with low Vitamin D actually have more malignantly aggressive melanoma and their prognosis is worse than those with adequate Vit D from sun exposure.

These results show that avoiding the sun is a “risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking” — directly quoting the researchers of this study.  So the verdict: under-exposure to the sun is actually dangerous. Turns out, longer time in the sun correlates with a longer life span. It’s that simple.

To read more about this study and for lots of tips on how to spend time in the sun safely, I wrote this article for you:

• 6 Ways To Make Spending Time In The Sun Safer

3.  Grounding

This is something I talk about so often that if you’ve read anything from me prior to this one article you are reading right now, you already know all about grounding.  Grounding is simply touching the earth to improve the health of your body.

Here are some resources I’ve created for you to get you started in this life-changing healing practice:

• Grounding FAQs
• Grounding Medical Studies

The easiest way to get started?

I wrote a book to literally walk you through everything you need to know to set you of for an entire year of healing.  I’ll sign it and send it to you myself!

your next must-read: The Earth Prescription

4. Hydrate

I’m going to be writing an entire blog post dedicated to the importance of hydration, how to tell if you are dehydrated, and tips and tricks on working with water for healing. But today let me just touch on why I filter my water in addition to being sure to drink water often.

After hundreds of studies have shown fluoride affects everything from cognitive function in humans to diabetes, fertility and more in animals, I highly recommend avoiding fluoride in water and never use fluoridated toothpastes.  Fluoride is an enzyme inhibitor, point-blank. But what’s the problem with the minuscule amounts of fluoride added to the public water supply?

The old problem that is widely recognised (even by the National Institutes of Health) is that it accumulates in bone. It is estimated about 50% of the fluoride we consume is eliminated, and 50% is stored. Miniscule amounts of fluoride adding to our bodies sip after sip after sip equals a not-so-minimal exposure. Over a lifetime, these levels can reach high proportions… decreasing bone density and causing brittleness. For a nation whose women have epidemic proportions of osteopenia and osteoporosis, it would be counter productive to continue to drink fluoride on a daily basis. Studies have shown that the rate of hip fracture in elderly is directly increased in areas that fluoridate their water.

Fluoride is being taken up by your cardiovascular system as well. Direct absorption to of fluoride into our cardiovascular walls (and a significant correlation between cardiovascular events and fluoride uptake) makes it all the more urgent for us to avoid fluoride all together.

And now new reports are revealing something even more disturbing — fluoride lowers IQ.    Statements from reps of the National Institutes of Health recommend that people who drink large quantities of water should not drink tap water, but instead switch to bottled water.  We are just getting so much exposure to fluoride, to intentionally consume extra fluoride, whether through drinking water or toothpaste, is way too much.

But bottled water is incredibly un-eco-friendly, so I don’t recommend that either.  I recommend filtering your water — this is win-win for both us and for the planet.  I keep a water filtration system out on my kitchen counter space and not only am I drinking pure, clean, fluoride free water, but every time I walk by my water filter, the visual reminder to drink more water has really helped me to remember to maintain my hydration status.

Here is my favorite water filtration system, in stock right now.

5. Supplements

To me, body care starts with nurturing the inside with high quality supplements.

I take key supplements that I trust and have had ample evaluation in the medical literature so that I know there is evidence based purpose for taking them.  Supplements I would not go a day without taking include Omega 3 fatty acids, Vit D, COQ10, Lutein, Reseveratrol, Curcumin, Pomegranate, Glutathione, Magnesium in several forms, Wild Blueberry and more — it’s all here in this exact protocol that I personally take.

If you hop over to my online dispensary you will not only find my Longevity Protocol, but tons of free protocols where I list my personal recommendations to you based on your health goals, everything from Skin Repair to Stress Relief to Blood Pressure Support to Mold Detox to Sleep Restore to Brain Protective to EMF Mitigation and more!

Here is the one I’m on:

Longevity Protocol

6.  Sleep

Sleep is non-negotiable.  It’s impossible to maintain wellness without high quality sleep.  Poor sleep is related to mental health, accelerated aging (literally shortening your telomeres) weight gain, accidents, increased risk of death, etc… so hopefully this is a sharp reminder to focus on repairing your sleep.

If you need some resources to help you do this, I’ve go you.  Hop over here and read this article now:

• Winter Sleep: 12 Ways To Hibernate Now For A Deep Reset

7.  Create

If you read my blog you already know I love to paint. 

You might already know what you like to do to express yourself too.  Maybe you sing while you drive.  Maybe you dance as you get dressed every day.  Maybe you enjoy cooking new dishes and making up your own recipes.

If you don’t already have an outlet of creative expression, explore your thoughts with the following journal questions.  Grab a piece of paper and free write, without censoring yourself, what immediately comes to mind when you read each question:

1. How much of each day do you devote to your own creative pleasure? Any?  Do you feel any guilt when you allow yourself simple pleasures like eating, daydreaming, self care?
2. If you had to pick one emotion that you value more than any other, which emotion would that be? How often do you feel that emotion? What is the emotion you feel most often throughout the day?  How do you express that emotion now, and how do you think you might be able to express that emotion through a creative act.  If you had to express that emotion through your body in some way, what would that be?  What activity would allow you to express and release it most enjoyably?
3. What part of your life do you feel has the most flow? Your career? Partnerships? Parenting? Friendships? Your inner world? Hobbies? Travel? Education? Entertainment? Health? What area would you say is the most stagnant? Do you want to change that?
4. Do you consider yourself creative? Do you feel you were more creative in the past? Do you wish to be more creative in the future? What pleasurable steps can you take to express your creativity more?

Do you have a favorite way to play?  If you don’t, this is the article you want to read right now.  In it, I help you figure out what activity you might enjoy and how it can help boost your health:

• How To Discover Your Play Style & Improve Your Health

8.  Self Care:

So to be honest, I really didn’t feel physically good until I became an empty nester.

Of course I miss my children — painfully so. But as a single mom, not only did I have zero time to take care of myself, on some subconscious level  I prioritized my children so much that I would not even allow myself to focus on me in any way.   I didn’t really realize I was doing this until they were both off to college and I noticed I started taking care of my own physical body so much better.  I exercised more, I went to bed earlier, I did little things like put on a hair mask or stopped to read a book here and there so much more often.

In allowing myself a little self care I started liking, and even loving, myself more.  I can feel the difference inside and out.  Maybe you can try one of these ways to practice a little self care today too:

Gratitude Shower

Showers are the perfect way to enjoy a private sanctuary to practice self care and by incorporating gratitude, your shower will reset you inside and out.  Here’s how:

• Set an affirmation for your shower today, for example:

“I step into this shower and feel peace envelope me…”

“I step into this shower to show gratitude to body…”

“I step into this shower and accept an instant health boost…”

• Step into the shower and take a moment to allow it to cover you with warmth.
• As you begin to wash yourself, truly focus on the body part you are cleaning, and the organs that lay underneath each part. As you bath your leg, for example, thank the muscles that hold you upright, the bones that support you, the blood that faithfully brings energy and nutrition to your legs and the nerves that allow you to feel this warm water on your skin. Just hold your leg and gently cleanse it in the water, saying to your leg, “I love you. Thank you.” Feel the love and gratitude pouring through you while you are washing your leg… I actually have been moved to tears in my shower, taking the time to finally say thank you to the body that I tend to ignore for so long.
• When you are done cleaning, take some oil  (you can just grab some olive oil or coconut oil from your kitchen pantry, or use skin or massage oils if you happen to have any) and pour a bit into your hand. Massage it into each part of your body you can reach… repeating your thankfulness. Allow that part of your body to relax, and let it feel you taking care of it for a change. Feet, legs, arms, stomach, chest, neck, shoulders, hands, face… lovingly apply oil to the skin and bath your body in loving gratitude again.
• As you towel off each part of your body give gratitude one more time to your healthy body, for supporting your journey in this lifetime.

Once you get in the habit, you’ll never let a shower go by without turning the water into an intentional health experience again!

Bath

There is significant benefit to be gained from an epsom salt bath at home. Not only are you likely grounded in your bath (watch this video here where I show you with my grounding test meter how you are grounded inside through the plumbing) but by adding Epsom salts you can deeply relax your muscles as well.

Magnesium is an essential mineral (required for over 300 different enzymatic reactions) and absolutely crucial for energy production as well as proper function of our heart, our nerves, our brain and our muscles. And most of us are magnesium deficient.  If you are magnesium deficient, you can be anxious, depressed, low energy, have muscle tension, headaches and insomnia…. and you might find immediate benefits after just one single Epsom salt soak.

Here’s how:

• To experience an inexpensive at-home version of float therapy, draw a warm bath just before bedtime, making it just a bit warmer than body temperature (around 100 degrees or so) and add several cups of epsom salts to make a hypertonic magnesium solution.
• 2 cups of Epsom salts will equal one pound of salt in your bath, so shoot for at least 2 cups of salts per bath, but if you want to ration your Epsom salts, even 1 cup will make a difference.
• Darken the room or place a warm washcloth over the eyes and soak for at least 15 minutes and up to 60 minutes, adding warm water when needed to maintain body temperature.
• See if you feel more calm, with less muscle tension, and get a better night’s sleep!

Whiten Teeth

Because it is natural for our enamel to yellow as we age, it is an instant boost to your appearance to whiten your teeth… making you look years younger. So here is how I boost my whitening naturally… it’s only three steps and will make a noticeable difference in your teeth!

• Start by oil pulling: I talk about oil pulling with coconut in more detail here… but I basically take a small scoop of coconut oil into my mouth and swish it around my teeth for as long as I can stand it — typically I hold it in my mouth for the 5 minutes I take a shower, then I spit it out down the shower drain before stepping out of the shower and drying off. The oil works to soften any plaque build up on your teeth, and is a FABULOUS healthy fat for your body so the more your oral mucosa absorbs, the better!
• Swish with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: I use this as a pre-rinse before brushing… I just use a little bit (be sure not to swallow!!! It will burn!) and swish all around, letting it foam all over my teeth and my tongue. Then spit out the hydrogen peroxide and follow with this:
• Brush with baking soda: Although there are lots of great all natural toothpastes, when you are whitening your teeth, the combo of hydrogen peroxide with baking soda is AH-MAZ-ING. And the added bonus of not having to worry about any additional fluoride exposure is liberating. If you are using a fluoridated toothpaste, and you are a female, please think again. As I talked about above, fluoride is thinning to your bones and whether you are 20 or 70 you really want to protect the strength and long-term density of your bones.

It’s that simple: oil pull, swish with hydrogen peroxide, and brush with baking soda.

Do this as often as you like… I do it once a week. Give it a try for a month and you will see noticeable results!!!

DIY Face Mask

There are so many incredibly awesome DIY face mask recipes on the internet, so you should be able to find some ingredients in your pantry to make at least one or two different face masks without having to buy a thing.

There are face masks based off of yogurt, ones based off of honey, ones based off of oatmeal, ones based off of coffee grounds… look around your kitchen to see what you might have on hand already and then do an internet search to find hundreds of masks to whip up!

Here are my two favs:

Avocado Honey Mask

• Mash one-quarter of an avocado in a small bowl.
• Drizzle in one tablespoon honey, mashing and mixing well.
• Apply the mask to clean skin for 10 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water, then follow with a moisturizer.

Banana Mask

• Mash one-half of a banana in a bowl.
• Mix in a tablespoon of orange juice and a tablespoon of honey.
• Apply the mask to clean skin (it will be lumpy and that’s fine) and keep the mixture on for 15 minutes.
• Remove banana mixture from skin and discard in the trash, then rinse with warm water and follow with a moisturizer.

Don’t feel like mixing up a face mask?

Just apply plain yogurt to your face before hopping in the shower or bath and rinse off!

DIY Hair Mask:

Most people think of doing a face mask when doing an at-home spa day, but lots of people skip one of the easiest ways to refresh your look, and that’s with a hair mask!

There are just as many lovely ingredients in your pantry that you can use on your hair as there were for your face, maybe more! Even simply warming some coconut oil or olive oil in a microwave safe bowl for 15 seconds and applying it to your hair before showering can completely transform your locks.

To go one step more fancy, consider any one of these hair mask recipes:

• 1 egg + I tsp honey + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp coconut oil + 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 an avocado + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise + 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg + 1/2 cup yogurt

Apply blended ingredients to dry untangled hair, wait 20 minutes, rinse thoroughly with warm water, follow with a gentle shampoo if desired.

Exfoliate

Give your skin a quick weekly exfoliation to sweep away dead skin cells and allow your skin to better absorb your moisturizer afterwards as well. Over time, you will notice improved circulation, improved texture, softer plumper skin.

To exfoliate, simply make a paste by mixing baking soda and a little coconut oil and us it to gently scrub your skin to remove dead skin cells. If you want to go even more simple, you can literally just sprinkle some baking soda in your hand, dampen with water and massage on skin in gentle circles.

But to up the moisture of your skin, I love going the extra step of mixing baking soda and coconut oil, like this:

• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil, melted or very soft
• 1/4 cup baking soda

Mix ingredients well, until thoroughly blended and creamy. Use a small scoop to exfoliate skin gently all over the body. Any left over? Your exfoliator will keep for weeks at cool room temp.

Dry Brushing:

Alternatively you can dry brush your skin using a natural bristled brush before stepping in the shower or bath. Simply:

• Use a natural (not synthetic) bristle brush.
• Get naked and use long sweeping motions lightly over all skin surfaces.
• Overlap strokes as you go, and be sure to lighten your pressure over any sensitive areas. Do not dry brush on areas with rashes or broken skin.
• After dry brushing your entire body, shower or bathe to cleanse.
• When finished bathing, pat skin dry and apply a natural moisturizer (like coconut oil) to further pamper your skin. While you are at it, drink a big glass of water to internally hydrate as well!
• Leave your dry brush in a clean area with good air flow, to air dry before the next use. Use daily or as often as desired.

Scalp Massage 

I highly recommend scalp massages because you can give them to yourself any day, any time, any location, and they help reduce stress and tension throughout your entire body!

Just like a foot massage is something simple you can do for yourself to relax your body from head to toe, a scalp massage brings more blood flow to your scalp, which stimulates healthy scalp and healthy hair.

You can do a dry scalp massage… simply using clean fingertips to gently rub your scalp in circular motions… or just prior to stepping into the shower, you can even use some coconut oil to really give yourself a luxurious scalp massage. Simply dip your fingers in coconut oil and rub in circular motions all over your scalp. This is so fabulous if you have a flaky scalp, as the oil will help lift and the rubbing motion will help remove any flakes… and the moisturization of the coconut oil is fabbo for hair! Just shampoo twice to be sure to rinse the oil out.

Pleasure

The absolute epitome of pleasurable self care is nurturing the sensual nature of our bodies. Sensual pleasure is something to allow and welcome and receive… not something you need to force or fabricate.  Orgasm — either alone or with a partner — is awesome of course, but is not the only way to focus on your pleasure today.

Some other ideas include:

• picking clothing that **feels good** to your skin to wear
• choosing underwear that makes you feels attractive
• placing your hand on your lower abdomen to center on and connect to your sexual energy center, then actively visualize expanding this energy to include your entire body and outwards, filling your entire energy space — use your whole aura to exude sensual energy!
• re-assess what sensuality means to you right in this moment… everyone’s sexuality is constantly evolving and expanding. What is your definition of sexy right now? What makes you feel sexually alive? What attracts you or catches your eye throughout the day?
• getting or giving a massage
• soaking in a hot tub — light candles, add pleasurable scents/essential oils in the water that appeal to you, finish with luxurious oils to moisturize

Be sure to keep your favorite new additions to your daily self care practices going indefinitely!

Self care ultimately is not about how you look but about how you feel, and self nurturing practices care for your mental and physical health above and beyond what they do for your appearance.

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To your naturally resilient, astoundingly incredible human body!

xoxox, Laura Koniver MD