IT wasn’t until after hitting the Big Five-O when Zsa Zsa Padilla got her driver’s license. After holding off because she was “scared”—that “there were so many things to worry about”—the celebrity singer gave driving a go a few years back alongside her daughter, Coco Quizon.
The attempt, however, was unsuccessful. “We were hitting every curb!” Coco recalled. The mother-daughter duo eventually gave up.
“But then one day,” Zsa Zsa said, “I surprised Coco by picking her up for dinner.”
At 53, Zsa Zsa isn’t done conquering new heights. After having ticked driving off her bucket list, she already has another target on sight. “I want to open a business on home items.”
Regardless of accomplishments, and more so of age, there’s always something new to discover, a fear to conquer and an experience to have. This mantra is also shared by musician RJ Jacinto, who still does rock and roll every weekend.
“I was told that life begins at 40. But then I turned 50, and I thought life begins at 50. And then I turned 60, and I thought life begins at 60!” the 72-year-old Jacinto said. “When I turned 70, I don’t know if God will listen, but I think I’m also just beginning.”
Jacinto shared that his key to staying full of life is engaging in innovations. He said he still does many things at his age, such as designing guitars and drums. “Age is never an excuse to stop yourself from trying new things,” he said. “I see it in my kids. If I want to be youthful like them, all I need to do is believe that I can still do as much as they can!”
Jacinto’s son, who also goes by RJ, said he noticed his father has been more daring. “Ayaw magpatalo sa millennial!”
Jacinto and Padilla shared laughs and inspiring stories with fellow “seniors”—physically active businesswoman Ruby Gan, out-of-the-box socialite Tessa Prieto-Valdes and sportscaster Quinito Henson—at the launch of Nestlé Boost as the faces of the “Age of Possibilities” campaign. The initiative centers on inspiring people of advanced age to continue pursuing goals.
“We’re bringing back the attention to the baby boomers. They’re actually are as enthusiastic about the new things that life has to offer,” Nestlé Boost Philippines Consumer Marketing Manager Patricia Turcuato said at the event in One Canvas, Makati City. “Maybe it’s the influence of the internet. These people don’t just plan to lay down. They say, ‘It’s when I stop doing things, that’s when I start aging.’”
Turcuatro added that the fastest growing age group in the country is senior citizens. According to the 2010 Census-Based Population Projections of the Philippines by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the number of people aged 65 and older may quadruple, from 4 million between 2010 and 2015, to 16 million by 2040 to 2045. The challenge for these people is dealing with the effects of aging. Chief among them is nutritional changes. St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City Head of Geriatric Center Dr. Earleen Seno-Ong said senior citizens need to have a balanced nutrition composed of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) and micronutrients (fruits and vegetables) to decrease the risk of Sarcopenia, or muscle loss that comes with aging, among other illnesses.
“Nutrition is very important to our lives to prevent the downward spiral toward dependence,” Seno-Ong said.
She added that supplements help. Together with the tried-and-tested-and-tired combination of balanced diet and regular exercise, Nestlé Boost can help senior citizens meet their nourishment requirements. The vanilla-flavored product is a nutritional powdered-supplement drink from Nestlé Health Science, especially formulated for adults 50 and up. According to Regional Business Head of Nestlé Health Science AOA Paul Bruhn, they “aim to empower [aging consumers] to take action to manage the age-related changes they experience and help them stay healthy.”
Developed in Switzerland and manufactured in Germany, the Boost brand has been around for 20 years in North America and was recently launched in China. The Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country to carry Boost and its three variants.
There’s Boost Optimum, which has 50 percent whey protein for maintenance of muscle mass;
Boost Energis, which contains 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B2 for energy production; and Boost Mobilis, which has active ingredients for the joints, muscles and bones to support mobility. The products are currently available in Mercury Drug Stores.
Before the launch wrapped up with a proverbial toasting of Boost, the panel of active seniors participated in a contest. Host and a new member of the 50-club Christine Jacob asked them to define some millennial slang, such as “lit fam” (lit as in lighted up or hyped—you’re welcome) and “G” (as in game).
The questions then turned to “woke” (as in awake or to be conscious and aware) and “shookt” (as in shaken or shocked). Jacinto didn’t know what “shookt” meant, saying all the “shookt” he knew was the 1960s hit “All Shook Up”.
Zsa Zsa quipped, “We’re shookt that you don’t know that!”
RJ replied, “Stay woke.”
Quinito, who was watching the exchange, whispered, “SMH.”