Think you have to give up potatoes, pasta, peanut butter or even pizza to eat well after 50? Not so fast. By the time we reach 50, many of us have heard plenty of nutrition rules: Avoid carbs. Skip the yolks. Never eat anything with fat. Stay away from red meat. And definitely don't touch pizza. But healthy eating doesn't have to mean giving up the foods you love. What matters more is the quality of the food, portion size and what you pair it with. Many foods that have develo

Getting older can bring some changes you expect: You may tire more easily, slow down a little, or find that stairs aren't as easy as they once were. But some changes deserve more attention. Heart failure doesn't mean your heart has stopped. It means the heart isn't pumping blood as effectively as it should. The condition can develop gradually, and some of its earliest symptoms can look like ordinary signs of aging. For adults over 50, knowing what to watch for can make it eas

If you’ve spent years jumping from one diet to another, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve counted calories, cut carbs, skipped meals, tried shakes or cleanses, or followed a strict plan that worked—until it didn’t. You lost weight, gained some of it back, and eventually found yourself thinking, “I’ll start over Monday.” That cycle is exhausting. And after 50, it can be especially frustrating when the strategies that once seemed to work no longer feel realistic—or sustainable. Th

If you enjoy eggs for breakfast, there may be another reason to keep them on the menu. A new study of nearly 40,000 adults age 65 and older found that people who ate eggs regularly were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease during the study period. Those who ate five or more eggs a week had a 27% lower risk compared with people who reported never eating eggs. But there’s an important catch: the study does not prove that eating eggs prevents Alzheimer’s. It found an assoc

An occasional itch is nothing unusual. But if you’re over 50, you may notice that dry, itchy skin becomes more common—and sometimes much harder to ignore. Age-related changes in the skin can leave it drier and more easily irritated. Add cold weather, hot showers, medications, allergies, insect bites, eczema or other skin conditions, and that occasional itch can become a daily nuisance. The good news? There are several simple ways to calm irritated skin at home. But there’s an

When people think about staying fit after 50, they usually focus on the big three: strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Those are important. But there’s another ability that deserves a place in your fitness routine — one that often gets overlooked until it becomes a problem: reaction time. Reaction time is the split second between noticing something and responding to it. It’s what helps you catch yourself when you stumble, step around an unexpected obstacle or re

Anthony Fauci was once one of the most trusted medical authorities in America. During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans heard his advice on television, followed his recommendations, and were told that challenging his conclusions meant challenging science itself. Today, that image looks very different. Fauci’s recent Senate appearance, following the release of portions of his diary, has raised new questions about how much Americans should trust unelected experts whe

You probably know that eating too much salt isn't good for you. But you may not realize just how much sodium you're getting every day—or what happens inside your body when you regularly get too much. The surprising part? Much of the sodium in your diet may not come from the salt shaker at all. It can be hiding in packaged, prepared and processed foods. According to the American Heart Association, most adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Yet

Breathing is something most of us barely think about—until it suddenly becomes difficult. You might notice that you're working harder to breathe, feeling like you can't get enough air, or becoming unusually winded. Doctors may describe this as labored breathing or difficulty breathing. Sometimes, breathing harder is simply the result of exercise or physical activity. But if you're struggling to breathe while resting, or the problem comes on suddenly, it shouldn't automaticall

Going to the bathroom is something we all do, but it isn't something we often talk about. Yet your bowel habits can provide useful clues about your digestive health—especially as you get older. One simple question is: How long should you actually spend on the toilet? Doctors who specialize in digestive health generally say that a bowel movement should take only a few minutes for most people. About one to five minutes is a reasonable rule of thumb. But the clock isn't the most

You may have heard that you need to walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. But there is good news: there is no magic number of steps you must reach to benefit from walking. Whether you take a long walk around the neighborhood, walk the dog, work in the garden or simply move around your home, those steps add up. And for older adults, regular movement can be an important part of staying strong, independent and active. Walking offers many health benefits Walking is one of the

Vitamin B12 is one of those nutrients you may not think much about—until you don't get enough of it. For older adults, paying attention to B12 can be especially important because the body may have more difficulty absorbing the vitamin from food as we get older. B12 supports several basic functions that help keep you healthy. It plays a role in making red blood cells, maintaining healthy nerve cells, producing DNA, and helping the body use nutrients from food. Why B12 Matters

Growing older is something we all experience, but getting older does not have to mean giving up the activities and relationships that make life enjoyable. When experts talk about “longevity,” they are not simply talking about adding more birthdays to your life. The bigger goal is to spend as many of those years as possible feeling capable, energetic, mentally engaged, and connected to the people around you. The good news is that you don't need an expensive program, a complica

If you are 65 or older, there is a good chance prescription drugs are a regular part of your life. And if you have ever stood at a pharmacy counter and wondered why a bottle of medicine costs so much, you are certainly not alone. The high cost of prescription drugs has been debated in Washington for years. Now, the Trump administration is taking a different approach: Make it faster and less expensive to develop and approve new medicines. The idea is simple. If drug companies

Cottage cheese has been around for decades, but this classic dairy food is gaining new appreciation as more people look for simple, nutritious ways to support their health. Once considered a plain diet staple, cottage cheese is now recognized as a versatile ingredient that can add protein, important nutrients, and satisfying flavor to everyday meals. Whether you enjoy it at breakfast, as a snack, or mixed into your favorite recipes, cottage cheese is an easy way to add more n