Today I have the pleasure of being joined by an old friend, Sally Saks. We met when we both lived in Acton, MA many years ago.

Sally will soon turn 70 years old but she is not slowing down. In fact, she wakes up every day feeling lucky that she is active and can move. She continues to work part-time as a social worker because she loves her job. She loves to work with people.

She is married, has 2 grown children and 2 dogs. She gets plenty of exercise walking her dogs but she also loves hot yoga and takes classes at her local YMCA. She exercises 5 times per week.

Some of her tips for healthy aging included:

- don't think of age as a limit

- try new things, get out of your comfort zone

- meet people

- exercise

- get involved in your community

She brought up a quote that her uncle used often. It is a line made famous by Clint Eastwood - " I don't let the old guy in". This summarizes her attitude towards aging. There are no "shoulds" - don't let anyone tell you that you should not do something or you should not wear something just because you are a certain age. Don't limit yourself.

Her purpose in life is family including her dogs and continuous learning. She is grateful that she is healthy and active. She lives life to the fullest and steps out of her comfort zone as evidenced by the fact that she recently moved across the country from California to Florida where she knew no one. She settled in Florida and immediately joined various community events to meet new people. She is enjoying her new community because it is geared toward older adults and has many opportunities to connect with others to combat loneliness. As we've previously discussed, loneliness can shorten a person's life span so finding ways to connect with others is great for our health and longevity.

Her future plans include the marriage of both of her children next year.

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We all know what it’s like to tend to a garden—whether it’s a thriving backyard oasis or a few stubborn herbs on a windowsill. There’s planting, pruning, watering, hoping. We’re cultivating life. But what if I told you that you’re also the proud caretaker of another garden… one that’s invisible, internal, and wildly important?

Welcome to your gut microbiome—a living ecosystem planted deep in your belly.

Inside your gastrointestinal tract live trillions (yes, trillions) of microorganisms.

What Lives in This Garden?

Probiotics: These are your friendly bacteria—Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and friends.

Pathogens: Harmful microbes can cause bloating, inflammation, and even infections.

Commensals: These neutral microbes go about their business quietly—but support harmony.

Fungi & Archaea: Often overlooked, but they help with digestion and compete with harmful organisms.

You don’t want just one kind of microbe taking up residence. You want diversity.

A diverse microbiome tends to be more resilient.

How can you fertilize this garden? Eat the rainbow!

Every color on your plate is like a different fertilizer for your gut garden. Nature coded nutrients in hues—each pigment represents compounds that nourish your microbiome and your body.

Now that your mental soil is fertilized with knowledge, here’s how to make your gut garden thrive:

🌱 The 7-Day Gut Garden Challenge

Day 1: Eat 3 plant colors

Day 2: Try a fermented food

Day 3: Add a fiber-rich dish

Day 4: Practice deep breathing for 5 minutes

Day 5: Limit sugar

Day 6: Take a walk outdoors

Day 7: Journal your gut feelings—note any bloating, energy levels, mood shifts

I invite you to imagine your inner garden daily. “Every bite is a seed. Every breath is sunlight. Every moment of peace is water.”

Dietary phytonutrients in common green leafy vegetables and the significant role of processing techniques on spinach: a review | Food Production, Processing and Nutrition | Full Text

9-5-258-155.pdf

Phytonutrients: Paint your plate with the colors of the rainbow - Harvard Health

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables : USDA ARS

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It is my pleasure to have Susan Miller as today's guest.

Susan is 64 years old and has worked in the health and wellness space for many years in various roles ranging from massage therapist to life coach.

One of the things she has noticed as she ages is the freedom to do what she wants and not doing things just to please others.

She recently got remarried and started her own business, Steeped in Soul, where she prepared gift boxes. She believes in gifting with intention so her gift boxes include tea, candles, crystals, healing notes which include breathwork and meditation. She created this company to help people feel more connected but she also got an extra perk from this venture - she has had to learn lots of new things so it's been great for her brain health.

She is a cancer survivor and takes care of her body in special ways as a result. Her cancer treatment left her with only 1 kidney so she avoids alcohol and eats a mostly plant-based diet. She runs courses for cancer survivors to help them thru the process.

She listens to her body and is very mindful of the signs that her body gives her. For this reason, she knows that strenuous exercise is not good for her. Instead, she goes for long walks with her dog, stretches, lift weights, dances and does yoga.

In the future, she will become a grandmother which she is thrilled about.

As a form of self-care, she treasures her "alone" time. She uses this time to ask herself some important questions such as "'what do I want" and "what makes me happy".

Her purpose in life is to help people and connect with them. Her company, Steeped in Soul, helps to fulfill her purpose. She says that creating this company was a calling that she couldn't put the brakes on. She had to do it even though she is 64.

She is mindful, intentional and living with purpose. If you would like to reach out to her, contact details are below:

Website - www.steepedinsoul.com

Instagram - @steeped_insoul

FB - steepedinsoul

Email - steepedinsoul@gmail.com

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