I was thinking about who would be a great guest for Earth Day. I wanted to talk with someone who is committed to nature, has a zestful attitude towards life and has shown resilience in her life despite dealing with painful losses. If she was an adventurous traveler that would be even better. Then I realized I knew just the woman! Irene Mazzocchi is retired from the Department of Environmental Conservation in New York State and organizes annual bird counts in the Northern part of NY. Since her retirement, she continues to volunteer for environmental causes and even created a bird quiz on her private birding Facebook group. She’s particularly partial to protecting the birds who make their home on the dunes on Lake Ontario. Irene also travels frequently with a pack of her women friends, and is known as a passionate and energetic force. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Holly Greenberg is a professor of Art at Syracuse University specializing in printmaking. She’s long been aware of how toxic some art materials are, but has recently realized how damaging the mining and production practices are that are used to create these art supplies. Since that realization, she’s committed herself to stop using manufactured art materials. More recently, Holly became aware of invasive plants and has become interested in habitat restoration. In the last year and a half, Holly has begun to create works of art that highlight the importance of creative native plant habitats for other living creatures. Find out more at HollyGreenberg.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Rona Maynard found happiness at 65—a story she tells in her new memoir Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World. Rona capped a stellar career in magazines with a decade at the helm of Chatelaine, Canada’s leading magazine for women. When she disclosed a struggle with depression, she helped kickstart a national conversation about mental health. After Chatelaine, Rona had to learn to unwind—and found that her best teacher was a rescue mutt who had received his basic training in a prison. She credits Casey for teaching her how to fully love. Find out more at RonaMaynard.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

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

Mary Bryant Shrader is the host of “Mary’s Nest”, a Youtube channel with over a million subscribers. She teaches the simple pleasures of cooking highly nutritious and affordable foods from her Texas kitchen. A native New Yorker, Mary learned cooking from her mom and began cooking “in a sliver of a kitchen.” She thinks preparing a beautiful roast chicken, soup or bread can be its own kind of therapy in these unsettling times. Her style is so inviting that even viewers with no interest in cooking tune in for her classes. Find out more at MarysNest.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

There’s been a lot of buzz about the new weight loss drug like Ozempic. Celebrities are singing their praises. But are they appropriate for midlife women who are frustrated by their menopause midsection weight gain? Do they work? Are they safe?  I had a very eye opening conversation with Peg Doyle, an expert in the field of nutrition and lifestyle. Peg is committed to the vital link between food and health, especially for women over age 50. Her book, Food Becomes You - Simple Steps for Lifelong Wellness is an easy how-to on eating well and preventing the diseases of aging. She talks about the pros and cons of the new weight loss drugs and some of the facts that are not discussed on the catchy ads. Learn more about her programs here: WellnessandYou.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com.

After a particularly painful break up and the death of his father, artist Day Schildkret began using materials in nature to make designs–what he calls "morning altars" by gathering stray twigs, flowers, pinecones and leaves, and turning them into beautiful works of art. He calls his technique “Impermanent Earth Art”. He’s developed a curriculum to teach this technique to people all over the world through his workshops, both online and in person. Morning Altar public installations have been commissioned internationally by parks, museums, galleries, corporations, festivals, community centers, cemeteries, and weddings. Large scale installs have also been featured at The 9/11 Memorial Plaza, NYC. Find out more at MorningAltars.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Julia Daily calls herself a late bloomer, but that’s really not the case. Instead, she bloomed throughout her life with various careers, from teaching to public relations and marketing to non-profit work. She even shadowed Martha Stewart. But, as her age topped six decades, she ran a marathon, wrote two novels, and began a podcast to celebrate those like her who published their first books after the age of 50. So what is there left for her to do? Well, she’s taking pickleball lessons and assisting a scriptwriter in Hollywood with the treatment of her stories. Find out more at JuliaDaily.com. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com.

Dr. Peter Rohloff is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer for Maya Health Alliance, a primary care organization working with indigenous Maya communities in rural Guatemala. He never intended to move to Guatemala, but when he went to visit on vacation and learn Spanish he found his calling.  Rohloff soon learned that Guatemala has one of the largest Indigenous populations in the Americas, and more than 20 Indigenous Mayan languages. These languages are becoming endangered there which affects the health and wellbeing of the Maya people who speak them. Most health care providers do not speak the Mayan dialects, and many indigenous people do not speak Spanish. Rohoff shares his time between his home in Guatemala and teaching at Harvard Medical School. He’s an avid hiker and birdwatcher. Find out more about Maya Health Alliance: https://www.wuqukawoq.org/ Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com

Have you ever considered hiking in Europe but think of hiking as too strenuous? Well, it doesn't have to be. Cassandra Overby is the author of "Explore Europe on Foot" and several other walking-based travel guides that promote hiking as a better way to travel. She describes it as a more intimate experience because you get to know your surroundings, and you are able to get a taste for the local culture. You might have seen the New York Times recent article on ‘the year of the long walk”. People are longing for a slower and more mindful experience when they travel. Cassandra also teaches classes and offers trip consultations to help people plan the walking trip of their dreams. She’s a specialist on the Camino de Santiago and is likely one of very few who got married on the steps of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. She was also travel host Rick Steve’s guide on the Camino. Learn more about the appeal of walking vacations here: https://explore-on-foot.com/ . Camp Reinvention - Fall 2023 Program You know I am not one to promote anything that I don't stand by 100%. I am thrilled to be partnering with Wendy Perottii and Dana Hilmer, the minds behind Camp Reinvention. If you are interested in learning about how to become the very best version of yourself in this new phase....you owe it to yourself to check this out. These women are both master coaches with tons of experience helping women transform their lives. They've put together a comprehensive program that is science and results based and helps you create a life with more vibrance, passion and clarity. I'm really impressed with their work and happy to be supporting them. Please use this link: https://zestfulaging.krtra.com/t/H5VIADPLa4lF when you order.* Please give me feedback about your experience. *I will receive an affiliate benefit.

Krista O’Reilly-Davi-Digui is a writer and holistic mind-body coach and the voice behind “A Life in Progress” community. She helps people navigate profound loss (her son who died by suicide in 2019) and at the same time cultivate joy. Her particular focus is women in mid-life. Find out more at ALifeinProgress.ca. Find out more about the Zestful Aging Podcast at ZestfulAging.com