How to guide your dad (or loved one) back to health
Kaya KozaneckaWritten on 14th June
Because he taught you everything, and now you’re watching him suffer.
He likely doesn’t talk about declining energy, softer muscle tone, or the creeping fatigue that never fully lifts. Maybe he jokes about it, calls it “just getting older.” Testosterone levels fall, gut health suffers, and vitality fades quietly. And often, no one tells men how to get it back.
Let’s be honest. If you’re deeply into health, as we know you are, it’s likely you feel this frustration. You’ve done the research. You’ve seen the results. And it hurts. You know he doesn’t have to feel like this. You’ve felt the difference a yolky egg, a walk in the morning sun, or a spoon of liver can make. And all you want is for him to feel that too.
And yet, how do you help the people you love without sounding like a tinfoil hat wearing cult leader?
Let’s talk about it.
1. Start with empathy, not evidence
No one wants to be told they’re doing everything wrong, especially by someone they raised. Don’t lead with the PubMed citations. Instead, lead with how the changes made you feel.
“I was waking up foggy every day. Now I actually feel clear-headed by 9am.”
“I’ve been trying a few things that really helped my energy/gut.”
That’s the hook. Then you can casually sneak in: “It’s mostly from upping my minerals and adding some real food protein.”
That’s it. The seed is planted.
2. Upgrade his staples, without changing the menu
He doesn’t need to give up burgers. He needs better burgers. Start by rewilding the foods he already eats:
- Add a spoon of liver to minced beef for his usual spaghetti bolognese.
- Offer crispy potatoes in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil.
- Swap supermarket cheddar for raw milk cheese from a local farm.
Some other quick swaps:
White bread → fresh sourdough or sprouted spelt
Flavoured yogurt → kefir or raw yogurt with fruit and cinnamon
Toasted sandwich → pastured eggs, sourdough, raw cheese
The point isn’t to “healthify” his plate. It’s to anchor him back to real nourishment, the kind that’s recognisable and satisfying. Help and then teach him how to make better versions of what he already loves.
3. Bring back the foods he ate as a child
It’s also very likely that many of the foods he ate as a child are the very ones that his body craves the most. Remember the kidney pie? Liver with mash? Oxtail soup? Or if your dad didn't grow up in the UK, it's likely his culture had it's own nose-to-tail dishes.
Long before he heard the propaganda that eggs raised your cholesterol and margarine was a heart healthy choice, there’s a chance he ate these foods. He doesn’t need a nutrition lecture. He needs to remember how good real food used to taste, and how good it can still make him feel.
You don’t have to convince him to eat liver with a fork (though that’s great too). Blend it into beef mince. Stir it into chilli. Use Organised in coffee, broths, sauces or shakes.
4. Give him a win, fast
A properly balanced breakfast. A pinch of sea salt to mineralise their water. People are more likely to continue something that makes them feel better immediately. Enter...
The “Gateway Shake” for skeptical dads
They don’t need to know it’s full of organs. They just need to know it tastes like a creamy milkshake, and makes them feel sharper by 10am. Blend...
- 2 scoops of Organised
- 200ml raw or full fat milk
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 banana (frozen if you want a thicker texture)
- A dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
5. Understand that testosterone is a key player (and it’s not just about libido)
Testosterone isn’t just a male hormone, it’s a metabolic engine. It fuels drive, energy, muscle tone, mental clarity, and emotional resilience. And while it’s true that testosterone levels gradually decline with age (about 1% per year after 30), the more accurate truth is this: testosterone doesn’t just drop because you’re getting older, it drops because the body is being depleted.
Poor sleep, chronic stress, processed food, blood sugar instability, and low intake of animal based nutrients all interfere with testosterone synthesis. Add in environmental toxins (plastics, seed oils, pesticides), statins, and endocrine disruptors, and the body simply doesn’t have what it needs to keep hormone production steady.
By age 50, many men are running on low testosterone without ever being told what’s happening. The signs are subtle but significant:
-
Lower motivation or confidence
- Declining muscle tone despite exercise
- Irritability or emotional flatness
- Slower recovery, brain fog, and persistent fatigue
But it’s not irreversible. Read our 5 tips to naturally boost testosterone.
6. Make him a weekly bone broth
Cartilage is nearly 60% collagen, yet most modern diets barely supply what’s needed to maintain it, let alone rebuild it. As collagen breaks down with age, joints grow stiff, inflamed, and creaky. Painkillers might mask the discomfort, but they don’t restore what’s lost. That’s where food steps in.
A weekly batch of homemade bone broth, simmered low and slow with marrow bones (or chicken thighs, or oxtail), cartilage, and a splash of vinegar, becomes more than just nourishment. It’s raw material for his knees and hips: glycine, proline, gelatine, and minerals that support the repair of connective tissue. Pour it into jars to drink daily or use it as a base for soups and stews. It should gel when cooled, a sign of rich collagen content.
Need a recipe? Here's ours.
If you don’t live nearby, or cooking isn’t your thing, high quality broth can be bought, just ensure it’s slow cooked and the only ingredients are the bones, herbs and sea salt.
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7. Encourage him to tell stories and learn new things
As men age, the fear of memory loss often lingers quietly. Slower recall. “What did I come in here for?” Brain fog. And worse, no clear guidance on what to do about it. Cognitive decline can range from mild forgetfulness to serious conditions like Alzheimer’s over time.
In ancestral societies, elders remained integrated in the community. They told stories, advised the young, practiced crafts, and had a sense of purpose. This mental engagement is crucial.
Your dad may not want to meditate, but he might love:
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Picking up an old hobby (woodworking, chess, puzzles)
- Playing cards or socialising more
- Learning a new instrument or language
- Enjoying movement out in nature.
Physical exercise has huge benefits for cognitive function. It increases blood flow to the brain, reduces inflammation, and promotes neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells). Additionally, spending time in varied natural environments provides mental stimulation, the smells, sounds, and sights of nature are rich sensory input that keeps the brain engaged (and it’s relaxing). Our brains evolved in nature, not in sterile indoor spaces, so regularly reconnecting with outdoor environments can sharpen attention and lift mood (some call it “ecotherapy”). Even having plants at home or a garden to tend can be beneficial for mental agility. Get him outside in the morning sun, and into nature often.
8. The best medicine might just be your company
And perhaps the most powerful part? These moments become time together that nourishes you both. Supporting his brain doesn’t need to look like another health protocol, it can look like a walk along the coast, fixing something in the shed, or playing cards on a Sunday afternoon. You don’t need to call it “neuroplasticity” for it to matter. Join him for a forest walk instead of Sunday lunch in the pub. Teach him how to make bone broth, or better yet, let him teach you a recipe from his childhood. These shared rituals create new neural pathways and new memories. It's not about telling him what to do. It's about reminding him who he is.
Why this is so hard (and so important)
If you’ve done the work to heal your gut, rebuild your hormones, or crawl out of chronic fatigue, watching someone you love not do the same is heartbreaking.
You know they could feel better. And yet, often our parents are stubborn. Or change is scary. It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to care deeply.
So even when it’s slow…
Even when they resist…
It’s about walking beside them. Holding space for change. Sharing what worked for you, and inviting them to try, without pressure. Healing doesn’t need to be solo. It can be shared, sacred, and even joyful.
One meal. One walk. One conversation at a time.
