Garcelle Beauvais is aging like fine wine; this is only the beginning for her.

On Friday (August 11), the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star caught up with PEOPLE on why her 50s have become her best decade yet.

For the actress, turning 50 proved to be the opposite of what naysayers tried to convince her years prior during her career. “It's so funny because when I started in this business, everybody told me that once you're 40, you'll never work again.”

As for Beauvais, she is simply living her best life. “But I do feel like I'm thriving in my fifties, not only because I am staying ahead of my health as much as I can, but also I’m more self-conscious and I’m more active.”

Although the summer is winding down, it will go down in history as one punctuated with a well-deserved dose of tender loving care. “You know, I said this summer I'm going to be outside,” Beauvais quipped. “For the first time — I think maybe because my kids are getting older — I really am putting myself first in terms of taking care of me because I can't fill somebody else's cup if my cup is not full, right? That's really important.”

She continued, “In my fifties I'm doing things that I never thought I would be doing and I'm happier,” she continues. “So it's really important that I stay healthy because otherwise I won't be able to do any of these things.”

For the 56-year-old, achieving health and wellness begins with routine doctor’s visits and being proactive.

“I feel the most healthy when I'm able to do all the things that I wanna do and there's no aches,” Beauvais told the outlet. “I wake up in the morning and I'm feeling good. I either go for a walk or take the boys to school and then meet up with a friend and do something.”

“It's when I feel like I'm in my twenties again,” she says with a laugh. “When I feel energetic and feel like the world is my oyster.”