Latest / Age Like a Badass Mother / Ep. 41: Girlfriend Hacks for Aging Well with Debbie Adler
Transcript
- 0:00Hi, friends.
- 0:00Lauren here.
- 0:02This week's guest is Debbie Adler.
- 0:04She is the vegan cookbook goddess and titan of the granola industry.
- 0:09She dishes on her past relationship with Ray Romano, talks about how sugar causes wrinkles, and lists off the top 18 anti-aging foods.
- 0:20Plus, she shares a hack that's going to change your beauty routine forever.
- 0:25If you are looking for some whole food plant based recipes for health and weight loss, please go to my website.
- 0:33Well, elephant.com and download my free cookbook.
- 0:38I want to thank each and every one of you for listening.
- 0:42You have made age like a badass mother, one of the top 10% of all podcasts, and it means the world to me are greatly appreciated.
- 0:53So please keep spreading the word.
- 0:55And don't forget you can watch us on Spotify and YouTube now.
- 0:59Thanks for listening.
- 1:02Hi friends, I'm Lauren Bernick and I'm flipping the script about growing older.
- 1:07My guests have been influencers since before that was even a thing.
- 1:12Welcome to the anti Anti-Aging podcast.
- 1:16Welcome to age like a badass mother.
- 1:22Debbie Adler is the founder and CEO of the vegan, gluten free, sugar free, oil free granola company, Sweet Debbie's.
- 1:31She is the author of the critically acclaimed cookbook Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats allergy Free and Vegan Recipes from the famous Los Angeles Bakery, which was named a best Gluten free cookbook by Delicious Living Magazine, a favorite cookbook by Gluten Free and More magazine, and a Best Vegan Cookbook by Green Vegan Living.
- 1:54Debbie has also authored the popular vegan cookbooks sweet, Savory and Free, and most recently, The Mediterranean Plate.
- 2:04Please welcome the ageless Debbie Adler.
- 2:11Yes. Look, I'm holding up your beautiful cookbooks, which I just absolutely love.
- 2:16Well, welcome.
- 2:18Thank you.
- 2:19I'm so glad to see you, Debbie.
- 2:21Yeah. So nice to see you, too.
- 2:23We're usually just texting or talking on the phone, so it's nice to see your beautiful Putnam.
- 2:29Nice to see your beautiful Poonam.
- 2:31Okay, that's face for all you non-Jews out there.
- 2:35We're gonna have to have a subtitles.
- 2:38So let me, let me start by asking, how how old are you, Debbie?
- 2:44I'm 62.
- 2:45That's impossible.
- 2:47You guys, you can watch this on Spotify or YouTube, but you have to see Debbie. She.
- 2:52She truly is ageless.
- 2:55How old do you feel?
- 2:56I do feel better than I did in my 20s, because in my 20s, I remember feeling like I had no energy.
- 3:03And for whatever, I wasn't eating right.
- 3:05You know, in college, you not eating right?
- 3:07Who knew back then, all about what we know now?
- 3:11So I feel like I have energy.
- 3:13I feel like I can do anything.
- 3:15I have, you know, luckily, mobility and and stuff like that, so I, I feel like, I took a test.
- 3:25Have you have you ever taken that test where you find out your, What is it called? Oh, yeah.
- 3:31Not you're you're like, biologically biology age or something like that versus your chronological.
- 3:38Yeah. Based on your lifestyle.
- 3:40Oh yeah.
- 3:41so for people who don't know the the way you became the Wholefood plant based granola queen that you are was mostly because of your son Sean's allergies, is that right?
- 3:54Oh, well, I actually started the business way back in 2006.
- 3:59That was two years before he was born.
- 4:01What? The granola part.
- 4:03My bakery.
- 4:04Okay, so I had I had a, a vegan bakery, sugar free before he was born.
- 4:10And then he was born with these terrible food allergies.
- 4:15All eight he had all plus eight plus allergies, you know, dairy and egg and, nuts and seeds.
- 4:24And then I made the bakery allergy free and gluten free.
- 4:28Wasn't gluten free before. He he doesn't have a gluten allergy.
- 4:31But I realized there were a lot of kids who had, right.
- 4:34And and intolerance. So.
- 4:36So I actually started it before he was born because I was opposed to sugar.
- 4:41This is way before it was accepted.
- 4:44Now everybody knows about it.
- 4:46Everyone's all about I don't want any sugar.
- 4:48Back then it was not as accepted.
- 4:50It was like, oh, so what?
- 4:50You know, a little sugar doesn't kill you.
- 4:53But, But I was very, into that.
- 4:55No sugar.
- 4:57And that's when I started doing it myself, because I couldn't find anything at the grocery store.
- 5:02You know, I wanted cupcakes.
- 5:02I wanted sugar free dessert.
- 5:05I have a sweet tooth.
- 5:06There was nothing available. Really?
- 5:08Everything had, you know, the sucralose, which is poison.
- 5:13Right. Okay. I'm going to have to figure this out myself.
- 5:15I never took a baking course.
- 5:17I never went to cooking school.
- 5:19I didn't really know how to do it, but I was very determined, so I did it.
- 5:23And then people say, oh, it's good.
- 5:24You should start a bakery.
- 5:25I said, okay, so I okay, okay.
- 5:29So I did that.
- 5:29And so that's how it started.
- 5:32And what did you sweeten things with?
- 5:35Well, at the time it's I, it changed.
- 5:38I started to use xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol.
- 5:42But people were having digestive issues with that, so I switched it to coconut nectar and a little bit of stevia.
- 5:49I don't use stevia anymore.
- 5:51People complain about that as well.
- 5:53So I just use, coconut nectar or dark maple sirup, which is very high in minerals and vitamins.
- 6:01So that's so good I like dates.
- 6:06Okay. That's good.
- 6:07And so now you're kind of focused on the granola business.
- 6:11So now it's just yeah in the e-commerce granola business.
- 6:14Right. Okay.
- 6:15And do you have like different flavors each month or how does that work.
- 6:19Yeah.
- 6:20There are nine flavors that are the same.
- 6:24And then every month there's a new flavor.
- 6:26Oh yeah. Like flavor of the month.
- 6:28Flavor of the month okay.
- 6:30So that keeps you busy.
- 6:31Well, I mean like I absolutely love your cookbooks and I've used them a lot.
- 6:38Out of your sweet, savory and free.
- 6:40I've told you this before.
- 6:41You're eggplant parmesan Florentine is, like, my favorite.
- 6:45It's all it has, like, red spots all over the recipe.
- 6:49So, you know, it's good for me cooking, like, you know, sauce all over it.
- 6:53But, that's that's my absolute favorite.
- 6:56It's in my rotation.
- 6:57And so tell everybody, like what you make the, the parmesan out of because I thought this was genius.
- 7:04I use it all the time now.
- 7:06So yeah.
- 7:06So it's just a combination of nuts and seeds and you know, so it's the pumpkin seeds and I don't even remember a little, some nooch, nutritional yeast.
- 7:17Right. Hemp seeds.
- 7:20I think there's some red pepper flakes in there to give it a little kick.
- 7:25Yeah.
- 7:25Lower seeds.
- 7:28My gosh.
- 7:28Yeah.
- 7:28And it's it's so, so you crumble it up, you know, you put it in maybe like a coffee grinder, right?
- 7:34You make it a little crumble out of it, and then you just pour it.
- 7:36And people say they have it in their fridge.
- 7:38They pour it over.
- 7:38Everything I do, I do.
- 7:41I make this all the time now.
- 7:42It's one of my favorite things.
- 7:45So, yeah, you're you're an incredible cook.
- 7:47You have, you know, this great Instagram following.
- 7:50And, if people should follow you and get your cookbooks if they haven't, because, okay, so it's free of the top eight allergens, which are what?
- 7:59Nuts, seeds, eggs, soy, fish, soy, dairy, shellfish.
- 8:07Yeah. Shellfish.
- 8:08Peanut tree nuts.
- 8:09I think that's a gluten.
- 8:11Okay. Yeah, well, I hear that, shellfish and fish make terrible cupcakes anyway, so that's probably good.
- 8:17You didn't have those in your in your bakery.
- 8:21One of the things you and I have talked about this before, but on the back of this, you have, a little blurb from Ray Romano.
- 8:29It's it talks about how good your cookbook is.
- 8:33How do you know Ray Romano?
- 8:35Oh, gosh. So, so in another lifetime, I was a standup comedian in New York.
- 8:41I'm from New York.
- 8:42And, but before I even did that, Ray and I were in, a class together at Queens College.
- 8:48I took a summer class at Queens College just to get some credits so I could, get.
- 8:54Yeah.
- 8:54To do to do something else, you know, take another class when I got back to college.
- 8:58So I just went to Queens College, was close to my house, and, he was doing the same thing.
- 9:02He went to Queens College full time, and he was there for summer school as well.
- 9:06We were in the same business law class, and so we sat next to each other and we started dating.
- 9:12And, so that was how it's that's how I got to know him.
- 9:15And then that was when he first started his stand up career.
- 9:18And I would that was the time of boomboxes.
- 9:21And so and he couldn't even afford one.
- 9:24So I would bring my boombox to his open mics and record his sessions, you know, just so he could get some feedback and, you know, hear what worked, what didn't work.
- 9:34I would schlep this boombox.
- 9:36And, we did we did that for a while.
- 9:40And then, he he said if your name was.
- 9:44Oh, so my so my my name, my maiden name is Rambler.
- 9:50And so he says, well, if you're if your name was Stan Ballerini, I would definitely marry you.
- 9:55But, you know, I need to marry Italian girl.
- 9:58I said, well, yeah, I mean, if your name was Romano, which I would want to marry.
- 10:02Well, so, so that was the end of that.
- 10:05And, he went on to marry a very lovely girl named Anne, and, and that was it.
- 10:11But, we've remained friends.
- 10:14And then he went on to, you know, fame and fortune and good for him.
- 10:17He's really, really nice guy and so good.
- 10:20He really deserves it.
- 10:22And, so then when that book came out, I asked him and he very kindly, And he has a food allergy to.
- 10:29He's allergic to peanuts.
- 10:30Oh, he is. Yeah. Who?
- 10:32You were getting all the inside dirt here.
- 10:35Ray Romano allergic to peanuts.
- 10:36You heard it here first.
- 10:40And, Ray Romano, a good kisser.
- 10:43Debbie.
- 10:43Yeah, yeah.
- 10:44Oh, yeah. Yeah.
- 10:47Okay. Good. Good news.
- 10:48I'm glad.
- 10:49Glad, I would hope to hear otherwise.
- 10:53You don't want to hear that.
- 10:55So you have famously said.
- 10:57And you did stand up comedy too, didn't you?
- 11:00You all right?
- 11:01You you were saying that that was after. Right?
- 11:03I that was not during the time I was dating him.
- 11:06So that happened later when I had like, this crisis where I realized I was living my life for my parents, I was, CPA in New York, and I was so unhappy.
- 11:19It was not me. Yeah, I was more creative.
- 11:22I knew I had something else in me that I needed to get out.
- 11:25And I quit accounting, and I started doing acting and standup.
- 11:30And so when I was. Yeah, so I right.
- 11:34So I took, you know, courses and acting classes and all that.
- 11:37And that's when I started to do my own thing with, with, standup.
- 11:41It had nothing to do with Ray.
- 11:43Okay. You know, it's, it's interesting that you kind of learned that so young that you were living your life for your parents.
- 11:51A lot of people don't get that lesson until much later.
- 11:53How old were you at that point?
- 11:56Oh, I yeah, I was, in my 20s, like mid 20s, like 27, 26, 26.
- 12:05That's good. Yeah. That's nice and early.
- 12:08A lot of people don't get that right away.
- 12:10Is there.
- 12:12Something else that, like, you wish you had gotten sooner in life that you like a lesson that now seems so incorporated into your life, but something you wish you knew sooner?
- 12:26Yeah.
- 12:26I mean, I wish I had known that it's okay to not agree with your parents and you're still a good person.
- 12:33Because I thought that I had to be the good daughter, and I could still be a good daughter, but not agree with them.
- 12:40And I didn't understand that back then.
- 12:42Now I realize I.
- 12:44I should have stood up for myself and say, you know what?
- 12:47This isn't me. This isn't what I want.
- 12:49I'm not this person that you're trying to mold.
- 12:53I, I need to do something else.
- 12:55And I didn't do that.
- 12:57And so I wasted a lot of years studying accounting, being in accounting.
- 13:01Those are precious years when you're in college.
- 13:04Those are formative years where if you're studying the thing, you're meant to study, then you could use it later, right?
- 13:10I mean, not to say I don't use it. Sure.
- 13:12I do my own books for my business, but, but really, I anybody can at this point, you know, when you have the right programs, anyone could do their own books.
- 13:21So, I'm trying I'm trying to rationalize it basically is what I use that accounting?
- 13:28No, that's good that you you did get that early enough, but you wish you got it sooner.
- 13:35You also kind of famously have said that you have had a job that starts with every letter of the alphabet.
- 13:43You've had so many jobs. Is that right?
- 13:45That's correct.
- 13:46Okay.
- 13:46So a I guess was what, acting or accounting?
- 13:49No account.
- 13:50It was accounting. B was, oh gosh.
- 13:54B was like a black B rated actress, I don't remember I list I listed it in this email that I wrote many years ago, and I did have a job for every C.
- 14:07My God, let her tell me some of them that you remember.
- 14:11Yeah. So, you know, you know, caterer, waitress, bookkeeper.
- 14:22Bookie.
- 14:24Yeah, I, I took bets.
- 14:26Oh, my God, you know, oh, marketing, you know, like a marketing assistant.
- 14:35A production assistant.
- 14:38I did so many stupid jobs, like, you know, those call in things, you know?
- 14:42Oh. Telemarketer marketing.
- 14:44Yeah, I did that.
- 14:46Just, you know, things like that I did when I was here, when I first came to LA.
- 14:51Just to have money so I could continue to, to audition, you know, things at night that were dangerous, you know, such as?
- 15:02Yeah.
- 15:03Well, you know, like telemarketing from, like, 10 p.m.
- 15:05to 5 a.m.
- 15:06and then you're walking home in the dark.
- 15:06Yeah.
- 15:09Like that.
- 15:11We're not safe.
- 15:12Yeah. You remember? Yeah.
- 15:13So every possible thing you could do, I probably did.
- 15:17That's. And so you did some acting then?
- 15:20Yeah, so I did.
- 15:21I did, you know, I did get films.
- 15:24I, I didn't have my sack.
- 15:26I came out without my sack or, and everyone said I was crazy.
- 15:29But I did get it's called Taft-Hartley.
- 15:32So when you're not in SAG, but the producer or the director want you in their film, they they're really commit not committing a crime.
- 15:40But let's just say it's a crime in the SAG world because they really want you to use SAG actors, Screen Actors Guild actors because those people are professionals.
- 15:49So when they don't use a SAG actor but they are a SAG film, they have to what's called Taft-Hartley you into the film, which means they give you your SAG card, but they pay a fine, for doing that. So.
- 16:06So, so I was apparently the only person that was right to play a whore on this film, and they couldn't find anybody else.
- 16:15And so I played this part, and they Taft-Hartley me into this part.
- 16:20So anyway, that was just like an aside, but yeah, so I did a lot of independent films that went nowhere.
- 16:25And I did The Amanda Show.
- 16:28She's such a sweet girl.
- 16:29The Amanda Show I remember Amanda, like, she was like a teenage girl.
- 16:36Yeah, she was a teenager, and her show was very, very popular.
- 16:40My kids used to watch that.
- 16:42Did you play on The Amanda Show?
- 16:44Yeah. It was just like it was nothing. It.
- 16:47I don't even remember such a lot.
- 16:48It was in the 90s when I first came out here.
- 16:50I just walked on and said something to her and walked out.
- 16:53It was not a big deal, but I just remember her being so sweet.
- 16:56Yeah.
- 16:57And I, I just see her now and she's.
- 17:00It looks like she's struggling a little bit.
- 17:02I am sad because she was the nicest young girl.
- 17:07Yeah, I know you're talking about.
- 17:09I can't remember her last name, but, Yeah, my my kids are like 31 and 30, so that they used to watch that show.
- 17:17They loved her.
- 17:19So. All right, so what what do you do to keep yourself so youthful?
- 17:25Tell us you're like, what?
- 17:26Do you have a routine or is it.
- 17:28Don't tell me it's genetic.
- 17:30I'm sick of hearing that. Oh, no.
- 17:33So I have this.
- 17:33Well, you know, physically, so this is not what you think it is.
- 17:38This. What is that?
- 17:39She's holding up? Okay, don't forget, this is a podcast.
- 17:41Describe what you hear. Okay? Okay.
- 17:41All right.
- 17:44I'm showing Lauren a, That's a stick that looks like, it could be a vibrator, but it's not. It's.
- 17:51That doesn't look like a vibrator play.
- 17:54It's a late. It's a late.
- 17:55It's called a Lima laser.
- 17:57And so you just use it on your face. I mean, I've started to use it, and maybe it's working.
- 18:03So you just turn it on, and you put on this, this lotion they give to you, and you turn it on, and it's like this laser.
- 18:09Oh, it has the red light that has.
- 18:11It's like a red light therapy.
- 18:11And I use that.
- 18:14So this is, this is something that if, you know, if you really want to I don't know I think it's working.
- 18:21Yeah. So this also was a Lima Elements Lima laser that I use now that I think is working.
- 18:29I think it is.
- 18:30Yeah. So yeah I just don't I don't really know.
- 18:36I don't really know, what else to do.
- 18:40I whatever comes out, whatever cream or lotion or I use like do you get all the Instagram ads and then you buy something.
- 18:51Yeah, yeah.
- 18:51And I do, I do because, like, I'm such a chicken, I know I don't want to do surgery.
- 18:56Yeah.
- 18:57So I, and I don't want to do fillers because I could see it on somebody immediately and they, you know.
- 19:03Right, right now is everybody, like, even if it's done.
- 19:07Well I could tell. Yeah.
- 19:09And I just don't like that look.
- 19:11So I will never do that.
- 19:12I'm afraid of surgery.
- 19:14So I'm trying to just do what I can to to do it in a way that's safe.
- 19:20And yeah, whatever it does, it does.
- 19:22And if it doesn't work, then I'm just going to live with the wrinkles and whatever else I have in store for me.
- 19:29But so far the line is working and, does the stupid, you know, anti-aging hyaluronic potion that they sell, they all have that stuff in it now.
- 19:42So I use that.
- 19:44You're like me, I get all the Instagram ads.
- 19:47I should be hiding my phone because now we're going to get even more.
- 19:51But I'm like the sucker who will try.
- 19:52And I'm like, oh my God, look at that person.
- 19:55Yeah, I don't want to be like that either.
- 19:59You know, I, I really do want to be more accepting.
- 20:04But also I want to be the best that I can be for whatever I am with, you know, with me.
- 20:11But I know I'm the sucker to try all that stuff, but I do.
- 20:15I also have, like, a red, light mask that I've only.
- 20:18I've had a couple months now. Do like it.
- 20:21I think that it's helping. I don't yeah.
- 20:24You look great.
- 20:25You just do what they say.
- 20:27And, you know, you just have to hope for the best.
- 20:30I had a dermatologist on the other day and I asked her about the red light therapy, and she's like, she she kind of specializes in allergies.
- 20:38And so she's like, oh, I don't really know about that yet.
- 20:40I'm like, come on, lady, this is way to go.
- 20:44Red light.
- 20:45Yeah.
- 20:46She, I mean and she's she's my age.
- 20:49She's 55 or 56 and she looks phenomenal.
- 20:53She doesn't do any fillers or Botox either, which is also refreshing to see that in a dermatologist.
- 20:59And she but she said she didn't know about she's like, I've heard she's like, I haven't heard anything bad.
- 21:04So that's the good news.
- 21:07I was like, okay, but yeah, I need to have somebody on who knows about red light therapy because I think that it is it.
- 21:13I mean, it's allegedly it stimulates collagen.
- 21:16Well, I don't know, but what else?
- 21:19I mean, I know that the way you eat contributes you you also talk about, in one of your books, the top 18 Anti-Aging foods.
- 21:28That's right.
- 21:29It does help to eat plant based because you're not causing inflammation, in your body.
- 21:38And, sugar also, disintegrates your cellular structure.
- 21:43So no, sugar is good because I would say sugar causes wrinkles.
- 21:49You think so? Really? Yeah. Oh, yeah.
- 21:52Absolutely.
- 21:54It doesn't.
- 21:55It's disintegrates the walls of the cell.
- 21:58And, that causes wrinkles in your skin.
- 22:01Oh, wow.
- 22:01So that's another reason not to eat sugar.
- 22:05But yes, the the 18, top anti-aging foods are in the book.
- 22:09The Mediterranean. Oh, no, it was it was a sweet a no.
- 22:12The Mediterranean plate and that is, is is basically the top.
- 22:20What are they?
- 22:21Oh, yeah. Here they are.
- 22:21Do you want me to read them?
- 22:23Yeah. Please do. Okay.
- 22:26Here they are.
- 22:26They are in the Mediterranean.
- 22:27Played the top 18 anti-aging foods.
- 22:30Almonds.
- 22:32What are those do it has vitamin E.
- 22:34They have vitamin E. Oh, yeah. Fatty acids.
- 22:37Polyphenols are antioxidants.
- 22:39Asparagus.
- 22:42That aids in vitamin C and vitamin E, fighting off free radicals.
- 22:48Avocados. Blueberries.
- 22:50Broccoli Brussels sprouts.
- 22:53Carrots. Cauliflower.
- 22:56Cucumber.
- 22:57Lima beans Lima beans are awesome.
- 23:00You have a great garlic spice Lima Bean hummus recipe number one we have kids.
- 23:05That was like the thing that everybody hated.
- 23:07I know, but because I'm beans Lima beans, bell boiled.
- 23:12Yeah, they're not great.
- 23:13But just, you know, put a little spice on them.
- 23:16Kale lemons.
- 23:18Oh that's good I love lemons I go through so many lemons.
- 23:22Shiitake mushrooms, pomegranate seeds.
- 23:25That's good.
- 23:26I love pomegranate seeds.
- 23:27Red bell pepper.
- 23:30Spinach. Sweet potatoes.
- 23:32Tomatoes. Is that it. Yeah. That's it.
- 23:35So those are all like delicious foods right.
- 23:39Yeah it is I think it's the secret that we have to yell from the rooftops to keep people healthy.
- 23:48That's why we're so passionate about it.
- 23:50Because we know personally how it saved our lives. Yep.
- 23:54And I wish all people would do it.
- 23:56I wish I truly wish that killing animals was illegal.
- 24:01Yes, that's my goal in life is to make it illegal.
- 24:05I really want it to be illegal for the animals sake and for our sake.
- 24:09Yeah, I know it's so.
- 24:12You know, like I always say this, I don't want to shame anybody if they eat animals, but I.
- 24:19I think that if they saw, like a dog on the side of the road that needed rescuing, they'd go help a dog if they saw, you know, you see all these videos of like, these people and, like a calf escapes the, the, the, the truck that's going to take it to slaughter.
- 24:35And everybody's like, yes, yes.
- 24:37And they help the calf.
- 24:38But those same people might be eating a hamburger the next day or dairy and, you know, it's so where's the disconnect?
- 24:47Why would you help that calf?
- 24:49But yet you're paying for it in a different way.
- 24:52You're paying for a murdered animal. Yeah.
- 24:55I, I think it's something that we're ingrained to believe is okay from a very young age.
- 25:02And it's hard to change.
- 25:05People find change difficult and that and they don't want to give something up that they enjoy.
- 25:13However, there are ways to enjoy plant meat that will taste exactly like meat.
- 25:20They have, plant lab.
- 25:24They have lab meat.
- 25:25Now that will taste exactly like steak if you want it.
- 25:30And so there is no reason to kill animals anymore.
- 25:33It's not in the market just yet, but, it will be very soon, and hopefully it'll be affordable, so that everybody can partake so that we don't have to kill animals.
- 25:46So, I think it's just something that we're born and bred to believe we have to do for protein.
- 25:53And it really is a it's not it's really not true.
- 25:57We don't need meat for protein.
- 26:00We can get it in blueberries.
- 26:00We can get it in lettuce.
- 26:02We can get it in quinoa and beans and rice.
- 26:06Everything has protein.
- 26:08There is not one food on them.
- 26:10In, in, in the in the world that does not have protein, everything has protein.
- 26:15So people think but but there is some kind of this feeling like you need to eat meat for protein.
- 26:22And it is so not true.
- 26:23And I think that's why people are getting so sick.
- 26:25We get too much protein and we're eating meat that causes inflammation and inflammation causes disease, right?
- 26:32Not to mention all the cholesterol.
- 26:33Right. Exactly.
- 26:35And all the the things that I just read off and all the fruits and vegetables and the legumes and whole grains, are all they're all anti-aging and all, even even the, you know, it's so funny that every specialist that I have on every doctor for like the dermatologist that I had on the other day, I was just talking about she was talking about, eating a whole food plant based diet for your skin.
- 27:02And then I'll have on, like, Doctor Barnard and he's talking about, you know, you have on you have to eat these foods for, you know, so you don't get Alzheimer's or it what for whatever condition like Doctor Clapper.
- 27:16So you don't get heart disease, but eat.
- 27:18So it's the same diet for all of these benefits.
- 27:23Yeah.
- 27:24To to avoid disease and, you know, the wrinkling of your skin.
- 27:29Right. Things that we were talking about.
- 27:32So let's move on.
- 27:34Okay.
- 27:35What we, we sort of touched on this, and you did have, like, a lot of, again, the, the word spa.
- 27:41Like what what do you think that you had the most Hotspur or balls about?
- 27:47Like what in your life did you do that.
- 27:51Well yeah. That.
- 27:53Well, the biggest balls I had were to leave everything I know and love in New York and to move out to California knowing nobody.
- 28:01Sometimes I think about that and I realize that was pretty ballsy.
- 28:06Oh, yeah.
- 28:06I can't believe I did that.
- 28:07I'm so glad I did, because everything about California really worked out for me.
- 28:12But to think about doing that now is so terrifying.
- 28:17Like to, for me to just go to a different state and not know anybody, that would be so terrifying.
- 28:22But I did it because I was so desperate for a change in my life.
- 28:26So I think that was the biggest thing I ever did.
- 28:29Yeah, that's some big balls what's your best piece of advice for aging?
- 28:32Well, what do you.
- 28:34Well, I think the most important thing is not to let people's opinions get to you, not to care.
- 28:44So much about the outside world, and to just be okay with the chaos around you and to be at peace because it's so easy to get caught up in the chaos and and that ages you because the stress creates cortisol in our bodies and the cortisol creates disease and it causes aging.
- 29:10So the thing to do which is also very hard to do, but it's important, is to just let the chaos happen because there there will always be chaos.
- 29:23There's always going to be something happening that you're not happy about, maybe that you're not even in control of.
- 29:29And just to have that stillness and and calm and know that everything's going to work out the way it should.
- 29:37And you may not know that until maybe ten years later.
- 29:41Because when things are happening that you say, why is this happening to me?
- 29:45This shouldn't be happening.
- 29:47I didn't want to say it was what?
- 29:48Wow, I'm such an idiot.
- 29:49This mistake, I made it and I shouldn't have done that.
- 29:53But sometimes things that you don't think are things that you want end up being a blessing.
- 30:01Because I believe the universe works in mysterious ways, that you will eventually see why those bad things happened.
- 30:10And you'll say, oh, and those bad things have led you to the good things that you will have in your life later on.
- 30:19Do you have some kind of practice, like meditation or yoga, that you do?
- 30:24So yes, I do meditate.
- 30:26I have the Deepak Chopra and Oprah meditations on an app that I bought.
- 30:33I think I bought almost all of them because Deepak Chopra has very intuitive and very unique insights into living that I find profound.
- 30:44And and he always he's like my therapist. Yes.
- 30:48So he always says a little intro to the meditation and he'll say his little piece, because each little meditation has a theme and I love those themes.
- 30:58And then you do like a 20 minute Oprah.
- 31:01Oprah says something to and then they go into the meditation and you have he gives you a little mantra to describe and I find those very helpful.
- 31:10So I do that.
- 31:12Yeah, I've done those before, like in a challenge.
- 31:14And I love his mantras.
- 31:16And they are helpful to, to just kind of keep repeating that and letting it go.
- 31:23What what's some advice that you've held on to from Deepak?
- 31:30Oh, gosh.
- 31:31You know, he he talks about every moment is like a lifetime.
- 31:40And I really try to take that in because sometimes we just waste our moments and we say, oh, you know, I'll do that tomorrow, or yeah, things will get better next year or whatever you're saying to yourself.
- 31:54Yeah, you, you always thinking about the future or you're worrying about the past, but all we have is this moment now, and we can do so much in that moment and make, you know, make the most of that moment by just the way we think about it.
- 32:13Like this is all we have.
- 32:15And so that he says it in a, in a much more eloquent way.
- 32:19But that's the gist.
- 32:21Yeah. He's Deepak, he's yeah.
- 32:24And you know something along those lines I remember reading a really long time ago.
- 32:30But it's always stuck.
- 32:31Stuck with me.
- 32:31I don't even know where I got this, but somebody said that we spend the majority of our life doing, like, the same five things, like going to the grocery store, cooking, driving the kids to school, doing the laundry, whatever it is.
- 32:48You're five.
- 32:48Things are different than my five things, let's say.
- 32:51But, you know, don't make those things dreadful, because those are the things that you do on the regular on a regular basis.
- 32:59Those are your things that you're doing.
- 33:01So like, I really took that to heart.
- 33:04It's like when I'm folding the laundry, I try to see that is like some downtime.
- 33:09Or I could just let my mind flow or, you know, say I'm doing the dishes or, you know, going to the grocery store.
- 33:16I try to enjoy that and, you know, talk to some people or whatever it is.
- 33:21Now, I'm the old lady in the grocery store talking jam people up.
- 33:24Hey, how's it going?
- 33:27And and the the lady's probably like, I gotta go pick up my kids from school.
- 33:30Leave me alone, lady.
- 33:31You know, so, I mean, but those are the truths that, you know, it kind of ties into what you're saying, like, we only have these moments, right?
- 33:40You just have to try to make the best out of them.
- 33:44Do you have a best piece of advice that you've ever received?
- 33:46It doesn't have to be about aging.
- 33:49I've never received good advice, technique, I, I really haven't, and it really bothers me that I haven't because I, I have had to struggle every step of the way and find my own good advice.
- 34:03And as I've said, that's why I'm 62 and still trying to figure it out.
- 34:10But but I do read a lot and I the advice that I have now because I'm so old and because I lived so long, let's say you're old.
- 34:22So you've lived a long time. Yeah.
- 34:24So yeah, I, I've, I've, I've lived all these years.
- 34:28So when you live all these years you become wiser.
- 34:32You really can't help but become wiser because you've lived so long and so, you know, so what I've garnered in all these years are things that I think I mentioned, but they're so important is to be who you are and don't apologize for it.
- 34:49And you are who you are for a reason, and you're not meant to be that other person that you're admiring saying, oh, I wish I had that life.
- 35:00No, it's you have your life because you are meant to have your life.
- 35:06And whatever unique qualities you bring to it were meant for you to bring to the world.
- 35:11The world needs you for whatever you bring, whatever unique things that you bring to the world that is that is your gift to the world and not to envy other people.
- 35:23Because I did have that problem early on, was always envying other people that I thought had a better life.
- 35:29Certainly, you know, who were more successful, who were whatever.
- 35:34And I always had that issue of envy being more successful women, whatever.
- 35:41But I realize I have my own path, and I have to live that, that path and bring what I have to bring to the world.
- 35:50And it took me a long time to realize that that's just through living and just growing wiser and realizing I was hurting myself.
- 35:58It's so counterproductive to have those feelings of envy.
- 36:03It's so counterproductive, to being, living your best life because you just feel badly about yourself when you're comparing.
- 36:13And that's not helpful.
- 36:14No, I mean, you're absolutely right.
- 36:16You're here for your unique gifts. And, the I learned that envy thing also, this is a crazy story.
- 36:25I was walking into the gym one day, and this is before I was whole food plant based, and I weighed like 20 pounds more than I do now.
- 36:32And this lady was walking in front of me, and, I mean, she had the tightest little body.
- 36:39And I thought to myself, if I had that ass, I would rule the world.
- 36:43And she turned around and she had a hook for her arm, and I was like, oh my God.
- 36:49I was like, I'll take my ass any day.
- 36:51I was like, thank you, God for this ass, this body, my healthy limbs.
- 36:57I in that moment, I was like, I will never, ever want what I think somebody else has because you don't know what's going on.
- 37:06Your life is probably so much better.
- 37:10Exactly.
- 37:11I didn't even get to that part.
- 37:13But you're right. That's a great story.
- 37:15Because that's what I realized later on was the what you just said is you don't know what's going. And I have envied all the famous actresses, all the people you would want to.
- 37:26And I realize that when you start to learn more about their lives, it's a lot of stuff that you don't want and that comes with the territory.
- 37:39And you just you just have to be grateful that you have your life.
- 37:43And so yeah, that's a great that's a very good story that proves that point.
- 37:48Yeah.
- 37:49Oh my God, I'll never forget that.
- 37:51It was it was very shocking.
- 37:53It was Yeah.
- 37:55So you definitely I think that's a good point that you made.
- 37:58What?
- 37:59I know that, so your dad passed away, right? Yes.
- 38:03Yeah. So.
- 38:04But what did you learn from watching your parents age?
- 38:09Oh, so I learned from my dad to shave your face, I.
- 38:14So. Yes.
- 38:17When when I looked at my parents, my mom was nine years younger than my dad, and then my dad had much better skin then my mom.
- 38:27I mean, my mom is beautiful.
- 38:28She's beautiful. But.
- 38:30But I noticed that he was aging better than her.
- 38:32And he's nine years.
- 38:32He was nine years older.
- 38:34I was like, what is the difference?
- 38:36Because I know my mom was taking better care of her skin.
- 38:39What is the difference?
- 38:40And then one day I see him shaving.
- 38:42I was like, oh, my dad shaves, my mom doesn't shave her face.
- 38:48And I thought that is the key, his face.
- 38:52That's why he has such smooth skin on his face.
- 38:55And I thought, I'm going to do that.
- 38:57So I started I started shaving my face. Yes.
- 39:02And that's what.
- 39:03And that's another thing I do.
- 39:05And and it I think it works.
- 39:08I think it does too.
- 39:09You know what? It's so funny.
- 39:11A friend of mine told me that a few years ago because, you know, I'm like, dermaplaning and doing all this stuff to get your peach fuzz off.
- 39:17But also, I think you're right.
- 39:20She's like, you should shave your face instead of doing all that stuff.
- 39:23And she's like an it's better for your skin.
- 39:25I guess it maybe it's exfoliate or it's getting rid of that.
- 39:28Do you think it's getting rid of the dense layer of skin layer?
- 39:32Yeah.
- 39:33Oh my God I know.
- 39:35And so we have to bring this out in the open. Ladies.
- 39:37Because I think some people are like even like I do it in the shower, I shave my face and I'm always like, oh please God, don't let my husband walk in here.
- 39:44I don't want him to see me shaving my face.
- 39:48But, I mean, I think that it's true.
- 39:50It's good for you.
- 39:52Do you, shave your face in upward strokes or down, or does it matter? Oh, I don't not not down.
- 40:01Definitely not down.
- 40:02But I think, I think when you go like this, like, like to the diagonal, the podcast.
- 40:10Yeah, yeah.
- 40:10So what I do is I hold my skin.
- 40:12I think it's a little loose.
- 40:14You could cut yourself, right?
- 40:15This make it taut. Okay.
- 40:18As it. Because it's taut.
- 40:19And then I just go on the diagonal on each cheek like that and then hold on the diagonal across, and that's it.
- 40:28And that's all I do.
- 40:30Very simple.
- 40:30Oh my God, I'm so happy we are talking about this because I've wanted to, bring this up and I, I guess I just forget about it or it's never worked itself into the conversation, so that's good.
- 40:44Okay, you heard you're getting all the scoop.
- 40:47Ray Romano is allergic to peanuts.
- 40:49Shave your face.
- 40:50Okay, we're covering it all.
- 40:53Do you have a favorite health or beauty product?
- 40:56Oh, I guess we might have talked about that.
- 40:57Is your Lima laser or.
- 40:59Yeah, the Lima laser is a new favorite.
- 41:01I just started using my Lima laser, and I'm really.
- 41:05I am in possession of way too many beauty products right now.
- 41:09I couldn't even give you a name because I'm using all of them.
- 41:14I think the latest one was Pacifica.
- 41:16I'm doing.
- 41:17Oh yeah, I've used that.
- 41:18Yeah. Pacifica Fountain of Youth serum.
- 41:21So that's what I'm using now.
- 41:22But I do have a lot and I don't even have room for it.
- 41:26They're all falling off my eye ledge.
- 41:29I need a new ledge.
- 41:30I think I have the built shelves in my bathroom for all the stuff I have.
- 41:35Oh, buying it all I know because then you're like, all right, this doesn't work.
- 41:39And then you order the next thing to start using that next, next.
- 41:46Which public person do you admire for their approach to aging?
- 41:51Well, I do admire the two Jane's.
- 41:55I admire Jane Goodall and Jane Fonda for two very different reasons.
- 42:03I think Jane Fonda is an anomaly.
- 42:03Of course.
- 42:06I mean, she's just beyond.
- 42:08But I think she's a good example of what is possible.
- 42:12Yes. When you look at her and her energy, her age, I mean, she just defies it all.
- 42:18She's active. She's, she's an activist.
- 42:21She's gorgeous.
- 42:23She's everything that a woman should aspire to because she speaks her truth.
- 42:30Yes. Doesn't care if you don't like her.
- 42:33That's okay with her.
- 42:34And she's an activist for things she believes in.
- 42:37Whether it's popular or not, she doesn't mean she believes it.
- 42:41And Jane Goodall, of course, because she.
- 42:43She loves animals and she takes care of the animals and she doesn't do anything.
- 42:49I don't think in particular.
- 42:50I mean, maybe we should interview her and ask, but I think in particular to take care of her face or whatever.
- 42:57But she's so beautiful because of who she is.
- 43:00Because of her vanity.
- 43:02Yeah. And I love that about her.
- 43:05I'm going to give that answer an A-plus.
- 43:07Yes, absolutely.
- 43:09Jane Fonda has lived her truth and was very unpopular for a long time.
- 43:15Like during the Vietnam War.
- 43:16And, I mean, going way back.
- 43:19And she's still an activist.
- 43:20She gets arrested, like, all the time.
- 43:23And she loves when she gets arrested because she knows it's going to make the news, and that's what she wants.
- 43:28She's incredible.
- 43:28And Jane Goodall, you're absolutely right.
- 43:30She's she's also incredible.
- 43:33And what's your favorite concert you've ever been to?
- 43:38Yeah, that's a hard one because I, I know that you go a lot to concerts, so, I mean, I don't go a lot so I can name like five and then that's all the ones that I've ever been to.
- 43:48But I would say the best one.
- 43:51With Celine Dion, I saw her quite a few.
- 43:54Oh, gosh.
- 43:55Probably like 17 years ago in Las Vegas.
- 43:58Oh, wow.
- 43:59I didn't realize at the time that she's the funniest person on the planet.
- 44:05I had no idea she seems like.
- 44:09Yeah, we now we see her personality, but at the time, she was just the most amazing singer.
- 44:15You heard her voice.
- 44:16She was singing all the the movie albums.
- 44:19But to see her in person, you see how funny she is.
- 44:23She makes fun of herself.
- 44:24She's very irreverent.
- 44:26She is a blast.
- 44:28So to see you in concert with that voice and then her sense of humor was very, it was really eye opening, and it was so refreshing to see that that she's just hilarious.
- 44:40That's that's always so nice to hear.
- 44:42I mean, she yeah, I lately have seen her personality come out and she seems like she's irreverent.
- 44:50She's, she's somebody who's had man talk about somebody you would, like, think to envy and then just turning out to have such a tough life.
- 44:58She's had.
- 45:00What did she have those days where it's, like, tightening of the skin?
- 45:05Yeah. I forgot the name.
- 45:07Something like something person or stiff person is that.
- 45:11It's quite stiff person syndrome.
- 45:13Yes. That's so sad. Yeah.
- 45:17Yeah, but she's an incredible an incredible person.
- 45:21Well, Debbie, you have.
- 45:23I think we've covered it.
- 45:24You have, through anything else?
- 45:27Did we leave anything out?
- 45:29Well, yeah.
- 45:30You and I could just go on forever, so. Yeah.
- 45:33Stop somewhere.
- 45:34We got to stop.
- 45:36I feel like we really, opened the.
- 45:38I feel like we've changed people's lives today with the shaving of the face.
- 45:43I swear, guys, ladies, you give that face a shave, and you tell me if that is not the best thing.
- 45:52Email me at Lauren at age like a badass mother.com.
- 45:56I'm not joking. Tell me.
- 45:58Tell me how shaving your face has works.
- 46:02I mean, first of all, not only to make your skin gorgeous, but just the the peach fuzz.
- 46:08I mean, you won't have to deal with that.
- 46:10No waxing and all this stuff.
- 46:13Okay? We're starting a revolution. Debbie.
- 46:15Yes, I hope no.
- 46:17Oh, for the better, for the better.
- 46:20All right.
- 46:21Thanks, Debbie, I love you. Take care.
- 46:23Lauren. Thank having me.
- 46:25All right.
- 46:25Bye bye. Bye.
- 46:29Thanks for listening, friend.
- 46:31From my heart to yours.
- 46:33Be well. Until we meet again.