Your 50s: Have You Made it Through Your Midlife Crisis Yet?

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October 17, 2014

So, you’ve made it to your 50’s huh? Just kidding. Welcome to a new decade of re-igniting your passion or finding a new one. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

We hope you’ve read our article on Your 40s and have started applying some of the health tips listed there to help you stay healthy as you get older. Here are some things to look out for and adopt in your 50’s.

The obesity epidemic in an ageing population. You should be gaining years, not gaining weight as you grow old. The majority of older Australians are on average 6–7 kg heavier than their counterparts were twenty years ago. One in every five senior adult in Australia is obese. Aged Kiwis aren’t far behind. In fact, Kiwis have a higher rate of obesity than their neighbouring Australians. Two thirds of New Zealand adults are categorised as overweight or obese. So what can you do in your 50s?

Uhm, setting aside your low performance score in your 40s (we hope not), you can still do something about it in your 50s. Get a baseline lipid profile of your blood. This will roughly determine the percentage of healthy versus unhealthy fats in your system. You can then adjust your diet accordingly. Additionally, if you haven’t already, find yourself a form of exercise that you enjoy doing regularly such as walking or swimming. Exercise helps you lose weight and supports many others areas of your health as well.

Your heart again. Regardless of what decade of your life you’re in, advice for a healthy heart stays more or less the same. Don’t smoke, do cardiovascular exercise, remove those sugary and carb rich foods and lose that excess weight. Don’t they sound redundant? They do, until you start doing them. Get moving!

It’s true that more heart problems are encountered in your 50s. But remember, these are just cumulative effects from your previous decades. This is best portrayed by coronary artery disease. In this medical condition, the arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle are narrowed by plaque build-up. This doesn’t happen overnight, but occurs as a result of years of abusing them which can start as early as your adolescent years. Too much plaque build-up will limit the blood supply to your heart muscle.

Now for your brain. When you reach your 50s, your brain is in its prime. Absentmindedness and forgetfulness aren’t main characteristics that you should be worried about. By this time, you’ve had a lot of life experiences.

But its important to keep on challenging your brain by learning new things such as a new language or a new skill.

It’s like a muscle, the more you train and exercise it, the bigger it gets. If you keep this in mind when it comes to your brain, you’ll have more competence and better judgement as time passes. Remember though, you don’t have the same multitasking abilities you had in your 30s or the same ability to absorb information like in your first decade of life.

Most forget about their colon. The majority of doctors around the world recommend a colonoscopy when you reach your 50s. You should ask your doctor about this. A fibre optic camera mounted on a tube (flexible that is) is carefully inserted into your anus. This camera will record the state of the inside of your colon. It can identify polyps and any masses like colorectal cancer which could interfere with your normal bowel habits.

Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) is the second most common cancer in Australia. In New Zealand it comes first as the most common form of cancer. It’s really wise to take care of your colon especially if you’re at risk.

Here are the risk factors:

A strong family history of colorectal cancer
Diabetes mellitus type 2 or insulin resistance
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Prior history of colorectal cancer
History of multiple polyps in your colon

Note: If you’re experiencing any abdominal pain, rapid unexplained weight loss or blood in your stools, go straight to your doctor for a check up. Though we’re not saying to wait until you develop these symptoms, have your colon checked out anyway, it’ll put your mind at ease.

Mid-life crisis. The term ‘midlife crisis’ has been used so many times and in so many different situations that giving it an exact definition can be difficult. What is a mid-life crisis? For starters, a midlife crisis isn’t a made up term, it’s a proven fact according to studies. It can start anywhere throughout your 40s or 50s and is usually experienced as a low period with a reduction in ones satisfaction of life.

Here are some tips to help you get through a midlife crisis gracefully:

1. Know what you want in life and what makes you happy. Evaluate your goals.
2. Share your problems or dilemmas with a therapist or a trusted friend.
3. Regular exercise will reduce your tension and stress.
4. A nutritious diet will help your physiology get through midlife with no health problems.
5. Get the right amount of sleep.
6. Welcome your own mid-life crisis, take it as a challenge.

Screening tests. This is just a reminder of screening tests mentioned in our previous article in this series. Ask your doctor about these:

Pap test and pelvic exam (for the ladies only).
Prostate exams (for the gents only).
Lipid profile and blood pressure.
Diabetes screening.
Breast exam.
Dental, Skin and Eye Exams

Supplements in your 50s. Age changes your body’s needs for different nutrients. So in addition to following a healthy nutritious diet, the following supplements can also support your body as you age:

Supplements To Support A Healthy Midlife

Minerals	Vitamins	Antioxidants	Probiotics	DHA & EPA
magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium and iodine	B’s (esp: B12 & folic acid), D and E.	e.g. Co Q10, Astaxanthin, Resveratrol	with prebiotics	Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
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For older males out there

Welcome andropause with open arms. If you’re unfamiliar with andropause, click here to learn the signs and symptoms and tips for how to manage andropause. Briefly, andropause or male menopause, is primarily caused by a decline in testosterone production.

Andropause gradually starts in your 40s, but peaks in your 50s (where you are right now). Just remember that if you’re still diabetic, hypertensive and overweight by this time, you’re more likely to experience the effects of andropause. If you’re feeling the signs and symptoms of andropause visit your doctor and inquire about hormone replacement therapy. In addition, make adjustments to your lifestyle and diet and get out for some much needed exercise.

For older females out there

Menopause is a bit more dramatic than andropause when it comes to showing its true colours. Just in case you’re not aware of it, you can deal with its dramas naturally. Though most women are in the postmenopausal stage by their mid 50’s.

These are several of the key health challenges and changes that may crop up in your 50’s. Its not too late to prevent chronic lifestyle diseases from taking hold so step into action and get healthy. You can also look forward to following new and exciting passions and interests. In fact often people experience a new zest for life at age, especially after waving goodbye to their midlife crisis. So take life by the horns and enjoy the ride!