Happy holidays to all of my fellow boomers & honorary boomers. This episode contains a holiday greeting where I share with you what Christmas means to me.

Laura, Romey, Lola (in memory) and I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, Pancha Ganapati, Kwanzaa, and a joyful festivus!, I also wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2016.

Just a quick heads up too that I will be taking next week off of my podcast, to celebrate the holidays with my family.

Be sure to catch my highlights of 2015 show which will air on January 5th 2016, where I will talk about the big changes that took place in 2015 that will directly affect you, and your pocket book. I have some great guests lined up so don’t miss it. I also have some exciting changes coming to the Essential boomer that you won’t want to miss.

I want to thank my partner in life, Laura, for her undying support and encouragement of my podcasting venture with the many hours I spent in front of my computer and microphone. I’m am so very lucky to have her in my life. I also want to thank all of my past guests for generously taking the time to share their expertise and wisdom with my incredible boomer audience. I also want to give a big thankyou to all of the people, including all of my podcasting buds who have supported, encouraged and mentored me in this amazing venture. I am so much richer with you in my life. And, I also want to give a huge shout out to my good friend Mr. Dave Hydie for allowing me to use his incredible blues music for the essential boomer. He definitely provides the soul of the essential boomer.

And most of all I want to thank you so very much for listening to my podcast, visiting my website and joining the essential boomer. I am so grateful for your continued support and interest. I love you guys.

Happy Holidays!

Jim & Laura & Romey

In episode 36, I talk about sleep, why it’s so good for us, what can make it go south, and 21 Safe and Simple things that you can easily do to give yourself the best chance to have the highest quality sleep possible.

The importance of good sleep

Sleep is very important for people of every age. There is a close relationship between the quality of sleep you get and the quality of your life…and as we age, it becomes even more important because regular, quality sleep is vital for good concentration and memory, which as you know is often not what it used to be for us boomers. Sleep allows our bodies to repair the   cellular damage that occurs during the day.

Regular quality sleep supports our immune systems to help ward off the legions of viruses and disease that are relentlessly assaulting our bodies. Studies also suggest that poor sleep may contribute to increased inflammation, which may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Studies also show that people who sleep on an average of seven to eight hours a night live longer and better than the people who experience too little or too much sleep.

In one study, from the Obesity Society, it was shown that just one night of poor sleep could be the equivalent of 6 months of consuming a poor, high-fat diet when it comes to insulin impairment, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Imagine what a week of sleep deprivation could do to your body.

Okay, so the big takeaway here is that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and improving longevity depends on establishing and maintaining healthy sleep habits. I’m sure that we’re all on board here.

 So now here’s the rub for us boomers. As we age, it often becomes more difficult to get regular quality sleep. There are many factors that can rob us of a healthy night’s sleep. Heck, just worrying about being able to get a good nights sleep can deprive you of your beauty rest. Quality sleep can be very elusive. The good news is that studies show that the number one, numero uno thing that we can do to improve our sleep is to establish healthy sleep hygiene. Download the free PDF to get the entire list which contains detailed instructions for multiple proven techniques to help you sleep better.

Click Here to get the free PDF - 21 Safe & Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep

Improving your sleep hygiene with some or all of these tips will go a long way to help you to consistently get a good night’s sleep, but some sleeping disorders and problems require more aggressive means, so if you try everything to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep and it still is a struggle than be sure to see your doctor. There are many advances in the methods for helping people with severe sleeping problems. You don’t want to just give up and live with it because it will adversely affect your health and the quality of your life as well as your partner’s.

Click Here to watch the video Jim’s 10 Minute Cardio Workout

Episode 35 marks a first for the Essential Boomer for I interview my very first repeat guest, Sandy Weiner. A lot of you will remember her from episode 24 when she shared with us boomers the low-down on how to find love after 50. Today, Sandy Weiner is going to tell us all about having great sex after 50, 60, & beyond in both new & long-term relationships.

Sandy is a dating coach, founder of LastFirstDate,  a website devoted to empowering women over 40 to achieve healthy, lasting, loving relationships.

Sandy is also an internationally known TEDx speaker, dating coach, blogger and workshop leader specializing in helping women date as the high value women that they are. She writes for many prestigious publications including the Huffington Post and The Good Men Project, and is the dating expert at Better after 50.

You may have heard her as the host of Last First Date Radio, the acclaimed show about attracting and sustaining healthy relationships in midlife.

In the interview Sandy answers the following questions:

• Let’s start off by you sharing with us how sex is different after 50? How have the rules changed?
• So how do we boomers know that the time is right to start having sex in a new relationship?
• What are the biggest mistakes us boomers make in regards to sex in new relationships?
• I know that many people are in long-term relationships where sex has lost a bit of its luster. How can we spice up a tepid or dormant sex life?
• I know that sex is often a loaded subject and tough to talk about with the opposite sex. What is your advice on the best way to talk about sex?
• What about people who haven’t been involved in a sexual relations for a long time? What advice do you have for them?
• Okay, so say that I’m in a new relationship and so far it’s fantastic. How can we continue to have great sex into our 70’s and beyond?
• Do you have any parting words of advice for us boomers when it comes to sex?
• Tell us a bit about some of the irons that you have in the fire.

CLICK HERE to contact Sandy Weiner

In episode 34, Chris Crowley, author of the Younger Next Year books, talks about how exercise and a healthy lifestyle can turn back the clock … and he’s living proof! Chris has been very influential to me over the last decade. He is the New York Times best-selling co– author, with Henry S. Lodge M.D., of Younger Next Year – A guide to Living like 50 until you’re 80 and beyond.

This book has been instrumental to me for establishing my adaptive fitness training business. It is my bible and number one source for motivating my boomer and beyond clients to establish an active and healthy lifestyle. I love his no BS, non-negotiable approach to the exercise required to truly turn back your biological clock. Chris has also authored Younger Next Year for Women, Thinner Next Year, The Younger Next Year Journal and a soon to be released book on Fitness.

Beside an author of books and his Younger Next Year blog, he is also an attorney, a keynote speaker and the host of total immersion retreats in Aspen, Colorado. Needless to say retirement is not in his lexicon.

In the interview, Chris answers the following questions:

• Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.
• Your book, Younger next year was very influential to me personally and it obviously is very biographical for you. Can you tell us the story of how you came to write that book?
• In your teachings you talk about the good life as being a 3 legged stool. What do you mean by that?
• It has now been 10 years since you wrote Younger next year and obviously you are your own testimonial for your teachings. How has adapting this lifestyle affected your own life up to now?
• A lot of us boomers find it difficult to adapt to a healthy lifestyle that we can stick with. What do you see as the biggest mistake that most baby boomers make when it comes to trying to establish a healthy lifestyle?
• In your book, you make references to Kedges. What are Kedges and why are they so important?
• You also started to host retreats in Aspen, Colorado. Can you tell us a bit about these total immersion and mini retreats?
• Do you have any parting advice that you’d like to share with your fellow boomers?

CLICK HERE to contact Chris Crowley

CLICK HERE to go to the Younger Next Year Blog/Website

CLICK HERE to find out about the Total Immersion and Mini Retreats

CLICK HERE to order Chris’s new book, Younger Next Year: The Exercise Program: Use the Power of Exercise to Reverse Aging and Stay Strong, Fit, and Sexy

CLICK HERE to order any other of Chris’s books

CLICK HERE to go to the Younger Next Year’s Facebook Page