IT'S A BAGEL-VERSARY!
@MEETCUTESNYC, HAIR REPAIR BY BROOKE SHIELDS, MOVIES I LOVED, LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO STAVE OFF ALZHEIMER'S
Hiya Friends,
Today marks 18 years since Jared and I got hitched at SF City Hall and 21 years of togetherness. We celebrated this morning with bagel sandwiches from Maury’s, our favorite local bagel merchant, and pretended we were being interviewed for the MeetCutesNYC Instagram feed.
If you’ve never seen the MeetCutesNYC account, it’s one of the most heartwarming feeds on Instagram. Here’s the gist: A man on the street approaches pairs of strangers in NYC and asks, “Are you a couple?” If the answer is yes, he poses follow-up questions like, “How did you meet?” and “How long have you been together?” The third question is often, “After __ years together, what’s your favorite thing about her/him/them?”
So I asked Jared, “After 21-years together, what’s your favorite thing about me?” He said he loves my positive outlook and attitude. I told him I love his sense of humor and that he always make me laugh. Honestly, without a good sense of humor, I don’t know how any couple makes it. If you’re looking for a lift, spend a little time on the MeetCutesNYC feed and listen to couples of all ages and races reveal how they met and what makes their union work. It’s a guaranteed mood elevator.
DON’T TELL BROOKE SHIELDS SHE’S STILL BEAUTIFUL
Years ago, I was sitting at a nearby lunch spot and Brooke Shields rolled in with a baby stroller. As one might expect, she was tall and gorgeous, and rocked the most lustrous head of hair. With a mane like that, I suppose it was inevitable that she’d one day launch a line of hair-care products. Well, she’s finally done it, and the products are designed specifically for women 40+. 🎉 In an interview with Allure, Shields—a pro-aging advocate who I’ve quoted in this newsletter before—talks about her new hair care biz—Commence, and explains why, at age 59, she feels more youthful than she did as a younger woman.
“We’ve been relegated to words like ‘aging’ and ‘dry’ and ‘menopause,’” she says. And then there’s this word: ‘still.’”
“People will say, ‘Oh, you're still beautiful!’ What do you mean still?”
“I am more youthful now than I was in my youth,” says Shields. “My energy, my confidence, my lack of self-judgment. The negative tapes that I played [in my mind]… they don’t play anymore. They’re all stretched out.” (Young people: We used to listen to music on things called cassette tapes and they had ribbons and sometimes they would get stretched out.)
As she talks about nearing 60, Shields uses the word “buoyancy” more than once. “Yeah, things ache. And I wish I could sleep more. I wish everything was higher. I wish I didn't need kinesiology tape to bring my knees up to where they should be. But I don’t get to have it both ways,” she says. “My daughters walk in in a bikini and I'm like, ‘hey, I made them!’ [Shields has two daughters, who are 20 and 18.] As I see [my own] butt hit my calves. But I’m not trying to look like my daughters. I have this opportunity to get to know myself here, and I want to maximize what I have here.”
Hear, hear, Brooke Shields! Dang. I just love her.
After listening to older women complain about scalp issues, Shields and team developed hair products packed with stuff like quinoa (!), alfalfa, sandalwood, minerals, and, honestly, I don’t even care what’s in it. Take my money, Brooke Shields! I’m ready to dump this stuff on my head immediately. Stay tuned for a report on whether this shampoo helps me achieve some of that Brooke Shields’ hair magic.
MOVIES I WATCHED ON A PLANE AND LOVED
Whenever I’m on a flight, the viewing choices overwhelm me. TV or a movie? Will Jared feel betrayed if I watch this new release without him? Should I go for an old favorite like Moonstruck instead? Why don’t I just read this heavy book I insisted on stowing in my carry-on? I wrestled with all these questions when I recently flew to the east coast for a work trip and finally, I committed to three films that may or may not make Jared a little jealous.
REMEMBERING GENE WILDER streaming on Netflix
Full disclosure: This movie made me weep. Yes, I was the passenger with tears streaming down my face. I first became enamored with Gene Wilder in the original Willy Wonka movie. In fact, when a clip of Wilder singing Pure Imagination appeared in the documentary, the waterworks started. I loved him as an actor, but there was so much about him I never knew. I didn’t realize he’d improvised and changed scenes in Willy Wonka, or that he wrote Young Frankenstein, or that he had a long and happy marriage after Gilda Radner died. If you’re a fan of Wilder, I’m certain you’ll enjoy this film, but keep some tissues handy. He died of Alzheimer’s and it’s quite heart-wrenching to listen to his wife talk about that time in their lives.
MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime
Lesley Manville is the absolute coolest actress in my opinion. I adore her in everything. Whether she’s playing Princess Margaret in The Crown, or the sleuthing editor Susan Ryeland in Magpie Murders, she’s fantastic and looks divine in whatever the costume department throws on her. In this film, Manville plays Mrs. Harris, a housekeeper in 1950s London who becomes obsessed with owning a Dior dress. It’s a delightful film with a great cast and so many beautiful Dior dresses. Highly recommend.
YOU HURT MY FEELINGS streaming on Paramount Plus
I’d held off on watching this one for a while because Jared wanted to see it, but I just couldn’t resist the temptation anymore. Sorry, Jared! I ❤️ all of Nicole Holofcener’s funny, poignant, and relatable films and this one is so excellent. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character is a writer married to a therapist played by Tobias Menzies. They appear to have a very healthy and happy relationship on the surface until Louis-Dreyfus overhears her husband talking about her writing. I won’t give away any more plot points as it’s way more fun to watch the characters unravel on the screen.
CAN EATING VEGAN & YOGA HELP STAVE OFF ALZHEIMER’S?
As far as I could tell by watching the documentary, Gene Wilder did all the things he was supposed to do to stave off Alzheimer’s. He kept his brain active by writing and working, he danced and swam, he was constantly surrounded by people he loved, and yet, the disease still ravaged his brain. It’s hard to know why the disease affects some people and not others, but a new study conducted by the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, has found that eating a vegan, whole-foods diet, walking regularly, social connections, supplements and stress reduction had a profound effect on folks suffering from early signs of Alzheimer’s compared to people who didn’t change any of their habits.
The habits implemented by the participants:
Diet: A vegan diet rich in complex carbohydrates and whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, soy products, nuts, and seeds. Three meals a day, along with snacks, were shipped to participants and their spouses.
Exercise: Participants adhered to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily, mainly walking. They also completed a guided mild strength training class three times a week.
Stress reduction: For one hour each day, participants took guided classes on breathwork, meditation, yoga, and/or stretching.
Connection: The participants and their spouses attended a one-hour group session with a mental health supervisor three times a week.
A dose of vitamins: Participants took supplements including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin B12, magnesium, and other minerals.
Now granted, that’s a lot of variables, but the result listed below is pretty compelling.
“Many patients who experienced improvement reported regaining lost cognition and function,” the press release reads. “For example, several patients in the intervention group reported that they had been unable to read a book or watch a movie because they kept forgetting what they had just read or viewed and had to keep starting over, but now they were able to do so and retain most of this information.”
Realistically, it would be difficult for the average person to implement all the changes listed above, but I bet just making a couple of these adjustments to our lives could lead to overall better health. I for one need to meditate more and do more yoga. What do you think, readers? Are any of you open to making some of these lifestyle changes?
Okay, that’s a wrap for today. If you enjoyed this issue, hit the ❤️ button or drop a note in the comments. I always love hearing from you.
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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was actually a remake of a TV movie starring Angela Lansbury that was based on a book . Both the TV movie and book were titled Mrs. ‘arris Goes to Paris.”
Always an interesting and fun read, my dear. Congrats to you and Jared!