Healthy Living for Age 50 and Beyond (Part 2 of 2)

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Would love to have Walt as your family physician getting his advice and care for your family and have to think about switching done yet bedside manner hospital bed right and the fact is that while you do such a great job with these topics you've written over 30 books you got to get up there. 20 more and you'll be writing 50 bucks on those over 50 and you've done such a great job and you really brought these medical contexts down to the folks who can really absorb them and then hopefully deploy them.

That's what's wonderful about what you've done and in many of the books you've written. So thank you for doing that and I'm looking forward to the second part of the discussion that I think last time John was L'Enfant he did have some good stuff.

Sure will do that again today but if you missed the program last time, get the download to get the app on your smart phone you can listen that way or get a hold of us, if you're struggling with listening to you. In fact, contact us if you have any questions 880, family, or online coursework focusonthefamily.com/broadcasting we do have copies of Walt's book right there on the site and Walt even though I deeply respect you and admire you. I'm very thrilled to also welcome. Maybe even more so my wonderful wife Jean back to the program could have you back to well thank you it's a pleasure being back and I think for the women, listening and watching on YouTube. This is all about, you know, women having a place at the table about health in your 50s.

So I guess exactly what 50 number you are thinking. I'm appreciate to safely say I'm a 50 year in the decade, and it was fun but welcome back to both of you good to be back. It is good let's get moving through the rest of the content Walt last time we talked about the physical health and continue some of that today.

But I also want to address some of the other tire related analogies. So first, as we ask you this question.

What you give us a recap of the four tires and the power steering. We didn't touch on that last time and then describe something that you discovered in Japan. I did study in Japan. I may give it the actual saying, but it's shin ran and that really is connecting with nature as part of the health and well-being of your soul.

So give us the four tires and then speak to the Japanese practice of researchers found great actually the model in my own mind just kind of simplistic in my thinking on these word pictures really help me to think of health as an automobile of vehicle with four tires and the research I'm talking about, not hundreds, not thousands to tens of thousands of studies over the last 50 years show that there's an intimate intricate relationship between our physical health are emotional, mental health are relational, social, family, health, and our spiritual health and if any one of those tires is out of alignment are a little bit flat. It affects the entire vehicle you said flat bright flash of lightning car out of alignment. If they're not operating as they are designed to.

You will not have as long a right as you want, or is comfortable right as you want and even have some repair bills that you probably don't want some medical or if you have as much air in those tires is out of balance again. This guys divinely designed us to be in balance but of those four wills. The critical one the ones connected to the power steering if you would is the spiritual and we did touch on that last time and and will continue to weave that into the discussion after the Japanese observation where the Japanese doing so well.

The researchers were intrigued while they were the first to name the site of the English variation of that is for us to bathing if you would, nice work picture anything in the forest and it relates to our mental or emotional health.

And that is just being out doors in nature helps every portion of our health at every Scripture talks about the grandeur of the creation and house. When we look at creation were able to see God's glory and his power. But in America we don't get outside very much. Studies show that Americans spend about 87% of their time indoors an additional care. Additional 6% on top of 87 is in the vehicle. While most of our day is indoors only about 7% of our time is outdoors, and yet studies looking through the decades show that the more time a person spends outdoors, the more likely they are to get to the next decade irrespective of their physical or emotional health in G9. We can speak to that. We've always enjoyed camping and hiking.

Just as a hobby and as a thing today and we've done that with the boys but I never connected it to a spiritual or health wellness. Is it really that beneficial June we were talking before about y'all's experience when you decided as a family to begin to go camping and research is clear that families that camp together stay together like that bright again.

So much goes wrong with that, but you've experience that is damaging yes we have that Jim and I were just talking about this. We feel like that is one the most important things we did for our kids was camp together, they landed and so bonding but I also want to speak to the spending time outside and for us.

Jim and I that's easier because we live in a forest and we live in Colorado but for me, going out on walks. I think I hit all those tires when Jim and I go on walks. I have the relational time with Jim.

I'm getting outdoors and enjoying God's beauty I'm getting exercise and the times that I walk alone I am spending much time in prayer is just so good for my soul to be outside, and I recognize not everyone lives near a forest, but I would think even even getting out and walking around the park that's nearby or if your parent with young children getting those kids in a stroller or putting them on the back of the bicycle to skating outside with your spot on target and the research is clear even for our listeners who are in urban environments where there is limited outdoor opportunity that even 9:55 minutes in a park or outdoors.

A day has significant impact.

It reduces stress, reduces fatigue, anxiety it boosted levels of happiness.

Other studies show that just that limited outdoor time boost your immune system enhances creativity and helps you focus on what was most important. You said helps you focus on prayer. Jim, I will come back to something you said to just our listeners may not hurt you said we went camping in the boys what they loved loved it because (site of I try to unplug my kids from the television or their computer are there phone if I go to summer. There's no Internet connection. They're going to go crazy. Research and experience tells us it's the exact opposite. You get to see your kids they get to see you and you preached it here for ever.

Jim and that's the fact that quality time with our kids with our spouses only occurs within quantity think that getting outdoors making those walks camping. Does that increase. You guys are seen as a family. Yeah, it's true.

So let's encourage folks in that way. Get outside. Let's turn that corner turn that tire you going to mental health. This is a big issue. Walt and again you're talking about for over 50 and we started yesterday saying at its eat right and exercise some but it's so much more than that you describe the four tires.

One of those is the mental health issue. A lot of this can be taboo in the Christian community. We are chemistry coming. Our bodies are made up in God's creation with molecules and atoms and things that are interacting with each other. Your medical doctor, you studied it. Brain chemistry can affect how we feel our emotions, etc. so jump into this mental health wellness statement and try to hit all those important areas and I think you are planning on a very important factor that is, we know the four wills are connected so when it comes to mental health. If we have relational issues that can affect mental health. If we have spiritual issues that can affect mental health. The churches is known that it's a really good job of concentrating, but we can have physical issues that affect our mental health and can be narrow hormonal issues. It can be medical illness issues that change our chemistries and change how we act and feel and so stressed cycle of sadness, stress, anxiety and depression.

The three most common mental health disorders that are in the developed world. So how can you recognize those. How can you recognize their origins and how can you find good counsel and good treatment.

We look at what people are fearful of as they age.

The number one thing now isn't cancer. It isn't debilitating arthritis.

It's not, it's losing my mind. It's an Alzheimer's dementia that people are art truly frightened and when we look in the world of supplements we see people spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the studies are clear that there is not one so far, there is not one that works but people get it right in on this one, and they can and cannot they should to find out what is the truth because if the church took the tens of millions of dollars. It was spending on supplements to improve mental health and applied that to discipleship and evangelism. While we might have Christ back here somehow connected at a healthier country then measured by an amazing thought my next book as natural medicines because I want to see what works for Alzheimer's.

What works for dementia. I'm getting to think about those things and I have three of our four parents who wrestled with and I was actually disappointed to find me the AARP did a massive study looking for anything that would work in this area and concluded there is nothing only thing that these supplements do for prevention of Alzheimer's dementia is thin your wallet and line someone else's will, but their respective what can you do that works in mental stimulation is one of those things. The five health habits.

We talked about yesterday about not smoking and exercising daily moving daily and getting your weight down all affect your mental health becomes Alzheimer's volunteering, building healthy relationships.

All the things we talked about actually reduce your risk even if you have a genetic form of Alzheimer's doing some of these intensive lifestyle changes reduces that risk well get in touch with us and ask for a copy of the Dr. Will Larimore's book. This is Focus on the Family doctoral Larimore and Jean Daly are our guests at Jim Daly's your host and her phone number if you'd like to get in touch and I'll give Walt's phone number if you have any complaints about what you're hearing right that is 800 the letter a in the word family online.

Read focusonthefamily.com/broadcast what you mentioned volunteering. I don't want to miss that it was subtle. What's the benefit of volunteerism, especially volunteering with a spouse or family member as you get the family healthy to the relational health but we are designed were divinely designed to give.

We are commanded to give and we give of our time are talent are treasure and our temple of the Holy Spirit. But when you look at the research whether sociological research or mental health researcher physical research. People who volunteer who give of themselves always almost always in sight. I'm gaining far more than I get whether it's financial giving treasure giving of time of volunteerism or what we can learn of others. How we can serve others how we can love others and how we can be demonstrable salt and light to people. It allows us to cultivate relationships with people who we may never meet any other way and it allows many of them some of them to see Christians in a like they've never ever seen before and I I fact I have a I volunteer at a local ministry and I work alongside another physician who is just as liberal as can be. I mean, are our political beliefs and some of our social beliefs are just diametrically opposed, but he says you're the only Christian I've ever met that I actually like one because of the sermon it was because we were in the trenches working together and he saw something different and I remember telling him I said I so appreciate you sharing that because there was a day that you and I would be in not recognizably different what you're saying tells me that God's changing something inside me and I appreciate that other benefits, it reduces stress risk of depression keeps you mentally, physically active as we talked about expand social connections to self-esteem gives purpose to live less risk of isolation. It goes on in a way to retired here. It's a biblical principle in loving your neighbor you don't like it.

We actually have a portion of the chapter on retirement is research showing its healthy this research showing it's not healthy week.

Dr. bushman asserted the sect that but the bottom line is whether you retire or not. If you find something God has called you to give to it and that you can give yourself to that helps all of your data difference him and let me give a shot at that wonderful volunteer group that we have her focus a lot of people don't realize that we have volunteers who work here, focus, they come in and some of them volunteer every day and I'm so grateful to them and they have a beautiful attitude about coming in I you know we keep tabs on how much they contribute to the ministry thing now since the volunteer program started many years ago were approaching. I think were approaching like $10 million of wages saved because of that volunteer activity so I'm tipping my hat to everyone here. Focus of volunteers and and encouraging people if you got time and you want to come here during a certain season, you know that yourself somewhere near focus and come in volunteer and encourage you to get in touch invest walk the last couple minutes, it was moved through maybe a little more sensitive issue in marriage. You know, for those of us that are together as a couple, hopefully celebrating our 40 something anniversary are 50 something anniversary it's that issue of physical intimacy still occurring. We don't want to miss that. How critical is that I think as you get older you think that probably doesn't happen much.

But when you talk about when you encourage filling that tire full of you know intimate air while the research is interesting because as women go through menopause. A significant portion their libido actually goes up there sexual aggressiveness because of the sun goes down. Summit goes in over 50 over 50 mattresses, others a variation of the tables can flip if you would, but I remember Jerry Jenkins. Our audience will know the author or co-author of the left behind series of Jerry's anomaly novelist was a biographer and he wrote the biography for Billy Graham and as such he went and actually stayed with the grahams in Montreat, North Carolina, but both Billy Graham and Ruth Graham. At that point in their life or severely crippled. Billy was bedbound and Ruth was wheelchair-bound but at one point during the day.

Ruth was being rolled into Billy turned to visit and Jerry said don't leave didn't need a few minutes accident. Are we just have a few minutes together. She rolled over and they just held him additional hands and looked at each other's eyes, and they didn't say anything. They just held hands and that's on and on and on and then Ruth bent down and kissed his hand and he touched before heading. She rolled out and Billy said this in the book pictures is a Billy said that is physical intimacy and when and Testament that that physical touch till the end becomes critical as we address that critical issue and talk about some of the individuation she can deal with that. I got you brought it up to you and and again. It's one of those taboo subjects that unfortunately, the church, we don't really talk about and therefore it can get unhealthy rather than in a God centric orientation very healthy and that's the point of mentioning it. You talk about it in your book that finally Walt were right down at the end here. I think it's a good placed in the nets on the. The idea of thankfulness as an ingredient to our health in IE look at what's going on in the culture you reference that yesterday a lot of anger a lot of bitterness in it just seems in our culture that has some much less traveled the world happened about 70 countries with Focus on the Family over the years and poor countries seem to have so much better grasp on joy and contentment and you come back to the Western world and the US leading that we have so much materially and yet when one study I saw 40% of our children are suffering from depression and anxiety.

So in a country of some much. How are we so empty.

I this is a great place to land.

Even Oprah would land here to get that the County has gotten into this idea of gratitude because the research on gratitude is stunning. I member the very first study that I saw Kim of the University of Michigan and the researchers there were looking at the three different groups of young people and they randomize in one third of the group. They said at the end of each day when you generally go to bed. We want you to keep a journal and what you write down five things that you are unhappy about that. You're angry about that and injustice today or something that was wrong right five things that you will basically want to grumble about and then think about that for a few minutes before you go to that was the second group they said what we want you to do at the end of each day is go through think through the date of people you've met and compare yourself to the car you better off than them or how are they worse off than you have the jerk factor. If you would write those five down and then think of that in the third group they said right. If I think you're grateful for five you know it is vitally noticeable in five blessings that you have the date that each day. Don't repeat him do new ones, and they followed psychological and physiological monitoring with in three weeks. The benefits of the grateful group started to rise, and it continued all six months through the study, both physically and mentally, physically and mentally even light most all levels. Measures of stress, blood pressure levels blood sugar levels wait and prove Jim anything unraveling that I can identify things I put the gift of gratitude and being able to grateful to our father in heaven and be able to be grateful for everything that he is brought to us. My belief is that everything that he allows everything that he causes his for his glory are good.

We just have to look through to find why is it happening because what he is doing when you try not that I've got my grumpy entry ready terrible cheeseburger treated so poorly today as I ate it. Although it tasted good, apparently, did Gina noticing a victim, not here.

Well, many years. Again own. I was a part of the prayer group and it was actually dead.

Missionary who started using use that her husband Tom used to work your focus yet right for a couple. Yes, a good friend and she started using. I it's an ax acronym for prayer and its adoration in confession and Thanksgiving and supplication, and that she demonstrated starting prayer with thanksgiving, and I probably like many people would maybe think God very quickly and then launch into my request so I need to really train myself to do this.

It was starting a new habit and thanking God for his character for his mercy, his grace, his peace is predominantly gats and then his creation and really spending several minutes thanking God for his character and we can all do that regardless of our circumstances and not only did that revolutionized my prayer time, but it really helped transform me into a more grateful and thankful person that it helps you understand the command of God gives us in Philippians 44 that were to rejoice always, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus and why is that command they are in the midst of the storm. If you find gratitude if you find blessing the research shows that you're going to benefit physically that would benefit emotionally feelings of well-being. Feelings of happiness and blessedness rise up even your ability to cope with the storms improves when you can begin to look for what you doing here, how are you changing me how you glorifying yourself and it's made a difference for you. Absolutely. Well, what you said it well these past couple of days and I would encourage our listeners that get a copy.

Walt wonderful book for over 50.

These are simple things that we can apply to have a better health perspective, not just physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, all of the tires on the vehicle you done a wonderful job Walt and Jean. Thank you.

I think people in a right and it's like we want more of gene so that plaintiffs can hear more often. But it's been great to have you with us.

Jim thanks to focus Barb and I as a young couple newlyweds newly in the faith and new parents. Our lives were transformed by the by the biblical principles that Focus on the Family is always the spouse and it is an incredible joy and great privilege to be able to get back of it but thank you for what you guys appreciate that Dr. Dobson did a great job laying the foundation in our goal to take it forward and keep applying it and hopefully reaching younger families to do the things that they need to do to have a healthy perspective and a godly perspective. So thank you for that. What we want to make sure that you get a copy of fit over 50 and that we serve you in any need. You might have. Beyond this particular topic were here to serve and her number is 800 the letter a in the word family 800-232-6459 or stop by our website that's Focus on the Family.com/broadcast.

Please if you can make a donation to Focus on the Family Jim, we need the support of friends who are listening right now and watching etc. I mean that the lock down the shed and whatever you want to call it the pandemic. Dana has pulled down some of the giving and we get that we know the 40 million people are out of work, but if you can support focus. Maybe you haven't listened for a long time and just haven't thought about it now would be a great time to support the ministry we are donor funded and we would deeply appreciate your support right now and one reason now is such a crucial time is that we have some friends who have made kind of a limited time matching gift opportunity. Your donation gets doubled right now when you contact us and donates a please I do that and know that your dollars will be stretched out to be doubled by these friends and you'll double the impact and will say thank you by sending a copy of this book for over 50 make simple choices today for a healthier, happier you and again our number 800 the letter a in the word family online.

You can donate get that book focusonthefamily.com/broadcast coming up next time Sheila Irwin is mom to the filmmaking Erwin brothers and offers a lighthearted look at parenting people used to say is anything done differently with your voice only to think I would've been a perfect night with the been the perfect that did not happen did not happen either. Count this next time on Focus on the Family.

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I'm John Fuller and on behalf of Jim Daly, and the entire team. Join us next time. As we help you and your family thrive with all the tap room right now you may be looking for ways to attain and encourage her family would like to help you do just that by giving you a 28 day free trial of the adventures in Odyssey club you can find our back catalog of adventures in Odyssey programs.

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