Health & Beauty

• At 17, I worked as a driver for an Encyclopedia Britannica salesman who lost his license after too many DUIs. I went inside with him and sat through all the sales pitches. That was more uncomfortable than being in the car alone with this guy.
• I just found a gray hair… in my nose! I shouldn’t have looked up there. 👀
• In 1991, I sang the national anthem at a Chicago White Sox game in Comiskey Park. As a Canadian, I didn’t know all the words and had to study them first. I don’t know if they applauded for me or just for the anthem. 🇺🇸
• As a standup comic playing clubs on the road in the 1980s, I worked with lots of other comics playing the circuit, all of us hoping to make it big, including Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Billy Crystal, Bob Saget, Larry Miller, and Brad Garrett. We all played clubs across the country, never knowing who would be on the bill until we got there. 🎤
• Every night right before bed, I eat a muffin, a glass of milk, and a small piece of dark chocolate. Then right to bed. I think that’s against the rules…🤔
• I was a contestant on The Match Game.
• When I was 11 years old, I ran away from home with an older girl – she was 13. We passed for 16 and we both worked as waitresses. They didn’t find us for a month and we only got caught because we shoplifted an iron for our uniforms.
• I’m not afraid of snakes. Only spiders.
• I’m not an adventurous eater. I’ve never had sushi, escargot, or blood sausage (did they HAVE to call it that?) or oysters. People eat them raw? Seriously? I won’t eat anything that might still be moving. 🤢

I was born in 1946. My parents were Polish refugees. They came to Canada with their own history and experiences, trying to make a new life and raise their two daughters. They were doing the best they knew how… ❤️

THEN: As children, to keep us from getting sick, my sister and I were given sugar cubes soaked in naphtha. I still remember the awful aftertaste. Naphthalene, which is highly flammable, is processed from crude oil and is used to make gasoline, solvents, and paint.

NOW: We just eat right.

THEN: One of our lunches as kids was a sugar sandwich. It was on Wonder bread of course, and here’s the recipe: Slather the bread with butter and top it with lots of sugar. What kid wouldn’t love that?

NOW: A salmon sandwich on whole wheat bread.

THEN: If we got sick, we ate a big raw clove of garlic followed by a piece of bread. I don’t know what the bread was for. Just so you know, raw garlic is hot, spicy, and burns when you eat it, nothing like when it’s cooked.

NOW: We cook with garlic for its antibiotic properties.

THEN: When we cut ourselves, the treatment was usually more painful than the cut. Mercurochrome! Yes, there’s nothing like a burning dose of mercury on an open wound! It was either mercurochrome or iodine, which was equally painful. After applying it, my mother would blow on it to cool down the burn! 🔥

NOW: Luckily, we have antibiotic creams with pain medicine added.

THEN: Zimne Nogi. ⬆ That’s Polish for “cold legs” and it was my dad’s specialty. He cooked a big pot of pigs feet and other ingredients for hours on the stove and wound up with a gelatinous glob that I could barely look at, and definitely not eat. He called it Galaretka. He loved it but I saw it as pigs in aspic and just couldn’t even try it.

NOW: Still no.

THEN: When my boobs didn’t grow by 14, my parents were not happy. They had ideas. My dad said to try ice water on my chest and to drink wine to stimulate my appetite to eat more, hoping if I gained weight, it would all go to my chest. My mother bought me falsies and ordered a Mark Eden bust developer from the back of  a magazine. ⬇

NOW: “You are beautiful the way God made you.” 😍

I don’t take for granted how fortunate I’ve been that I can splurge on pricey cosmetics but they’re not all expensive. Here, I’m sharing a list of my favorite products priced low to high. These are all in my medicine cabinet right now…

Under $25:

• Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy
• Fresh Face Vitamin Nectar Face Mist
• LaRoche-Posay Toleraine Double Repair Face Moisturizer
• Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream
• Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion (I use for the body)

Under $50:

• Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream Light
• SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub
• EltaMD UV Sheer SPF 50+ Sunscreen
• Avene Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser

Under $100:

• Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Overnight Wrinkle Treatment Serum
• Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Intense Wrinkle Cream
• Natura Bisse C+C Vitamin Splash Face Mist

Over $100:

• SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore Moisturizer
• SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex
• Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme (it’s best to be seated when checking this price! 😳)

p.s. I took that flower photo last year. 🌺

Cheap washcloths? Check ✓

Hygrometer? Check. ✓

Sunscreen? Check. ✓

I’m not sure how helpful my skincare notes will be since I don’t really do a lot, but I’m consistent so that makes a difference. Anyway, here I go with my first skincare notes:

MORNING: First thing I do after brushing my teeth is apply lip balm and spray my face with a facial spray. The cool blast helps me wake up and provides a little immediate moisture while I have my green tea.

Ready to start the day, I wash my face using an unscented cream cleanser and a warm (cheap) washcloth. For years I used Cetaphil cleanser but they changed the formula and now I use Avene because it’s similar and unscented. I am bothered by perfumes and scents – an allergy I think –  so all my home cleaning and laundry products are “free and clear.” (Windex makes me gag but that’s for another time! 🤢) Anyway, back to the face. I let the cleanser “melt’ for a minute and then run a washcloth under warm, not hot water. At 79, my skin is thinner and drier and hot water strips the skin’s natural oils. I wipe off the cleanser with the washcloth and let the skin dry for a minute.

Cheap washcloths are my preference. Mine come in a stack at Target and they are anything but soft and that’s the point. Every time I wash my face, I get a very gentle exfoliating from these “grainy” washcloths. After many many uses, they soften up so I buy a new stack and keep the old, soft ones for cleaning.

When my face is dry, I apply a serum and let it set for a couple of minutes. I follow that with a moisturizer on my face and neck. I wait a bit for the moisturizer to absorb and follow with sunscreen on my face, neck, and the back of my hands.

THROUGHOUT THE DAY: There is water and lip balm everywhere – at my desk, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, by the sofa, and in my car. My skin benefits greatly from sipping water all day long. I drink before I get thirsty because if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. At 79, our lips get dry easily so I apply lip balm whenever needed.

NIGHTTIME: My face washing is the same, using the cleanser and washcloth, but about every 3rd day, I use a gentle scrub instead of the cleanser. Mature skin doesn’t need harsh grainy scrubs so I use a very fine, gentle exfoliating scrub, using that warm washcloth to remove it. Once the skin is dry, I apply a serum, let it set for a couple of minutes and follow with a moisturizer.

BRANDS I LIKE: Avene, EltaMD (sunscreen), Laroche-Posay, Dr. Dennis Gross, SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, Rilastil, and Natura Bissa ⬅ Sticker Shock on this one! 💰💰 (I never do paid endorsements – just sharing here in case someone is interested.)

HUMIDITY: I run humidifiers in the winter. Even in California, when the heat comes on, it dries the air and that is bad for your skin. (Dry air also increases your chances of getting sick but that’s for another time.) We have two humidifiers that need constant filling and occasional cleaning but I do the work because it’s worth it. I keep hygrometers around and can see that with the humidifier tanks running constantly, the humidity stays above 40%. If you get sparks when you touch things, your air it too dry – and so is your skin and cuticles, too. When I’m someplace else where the air is really dry, I use lots of hand cream and I put Vaseline in my nose.👃

NO MAKEUP: I don’t wear makeup. That may be why my skin glows because the pores don’t get clogged up with foundation and the skin can breathe. I had to wear lots of makeup on TV with even more touchups between shows, and I couldn’t wait to wash it off as soon as I could. It felt like a heavy mask but now I’m free so… no makeup!

NO FACIALS: I stopped doing facials years ago after I got better at my skincare. The last time I did my own facial (about 15 years ago) I did not see any improvement because my skin was in such good condition already.

6 THINGS TO AVOID FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN: Smoking, alcohol, hot water, the sun, dehydration, and sleep deprivation.

HONORABLE MENTION: With everything above being important, I still believe my diet… what I’m eating/drinking and not eating/drinking… is the biggest contributor to my healthy skin.

Well I hope this is helpful.🙂 Once when my sister was visiting, I convinced her one night to stop wearing (matte!) makeup and just scrub and moisturize, and the next morning at breakfast, her skin was glowing! I remember it to this day. It was an immediate improvement that even I wasn’t expecting. We were both surprised. ❤️ I hope you find yourself pleasantly surprised, too.

I hate it but I do it. I exercise religiously every single day and that is a lie. 🙂 The truth is I do the best I can. What I can’t do is set aside time every day for a 10 or 15 minute workout. I’d rather clean my oven. But the good news is… cleaning your oven counts as exercise! So does vacuuming, dusting, doing laundry, cleaning floors, and gardening… all of which I’d rather be doing than taking laundry off the treadmill to walk on it! By the way, underwear and socks dry beautifully on the treadmill. 🧦🧦🧦🧦 So am I using a treadmill? Yes. 😉 For laundry.

I do walk pretty much every day but to me, it’s fun. I get to see birds and flowers and clouds, and sometimes other people walking, but using headphones and not enjoying nature. I am motivated to walk because there’s always something to experience. You never know when you might see somebody walking a cute dog or teaching a child to ride a bike. So I’m all in on walking.

Here is the best I can do with “exercising.” I work things into my busy day so it doesn’t feel like a chore. I exercise mostly when I’m waiting for something. I do pushups against the kitchen counter while waiting for water to boil. I do reverse pushups on the counter while steeping tea. I do squats while on hold with the phone company – there’s always A LOT of time for squats! I also do reverse lunges, which I highly recommend – that’s gas company time! ⏰ I’ve even done my standing alternate arm & leg raises while waiting for the doctor to come in. I do that for my back.

I’ll get more specific about those few things I do, some with weights, but for now these are some basic details. Being active all day is how I have always lived. These days I’m up at 8 and on the go until 8 or 9:00 pm and almost always moving… from cooking, baking, washing dishes, grocery shopping, loading groceries, running errands, walking around Target (that counts), taking out the trash – I believe all that activity is beneficial if only because it’s time not spent sitting down. I walk up and down stairs and escalators. I park far away and walk to my car. We have to move! I told my husband we have to move and he said, “Okay, I’ll start packing boxes!” (more about the funny man I live with later ❤️)

My system is not for everyone but for someone who really does not like to exercise, it works for me. I like being busy so I’m also using my brain all day long. I can barely sit through an hour of television so I am the farthest thing from sedentary. I just find ways to insert some weight-bearing moves throughout my day. I also stretch every night before bed (more on that later). I do not, however, participate in any activity that requires a helmet or getting on the floor. I am NOT getting on the floor! If I do, I’m staying there until help arrives. 😀

This is me walking. Big hat, long sleeves, shirt buttoned up, collar up, sunglasses, and sunscreen – sunny or overcast, I do this every time I walk. This is how my skincare starts. Here are some things you may not know:

1. Did you know that there is no such thing as sunblock? Nothing can block the sun from damaging your skin. They used to call it sunblock but then the FDA got involved so now it’s called sunscreen.
2. But sunscreen does not block the sun’s damage – it only helps decrease the risk of skin cancer and the aging effects of the sun. The risk is still there. So even with a high SPF, you are only reducing the exposure from dangerous UVA/UVB rays, which is why I always cover up when I’m outside. UVA rays age the skin with wrinkles and spots and UVB rays cause sun burn. Both contribute to skin cancer risk.
3. Here’s a shocker: On overcast or cloudy days, I’ll bet you didn’t know you’re still getting up to 80% of the sun’s damaging rays. Look it up!
4. One popular sunscreen has this in their description: “Helps decrease the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun if used with other sun protection measures.” No sunscreen can completely prevent damage.
5. How about this? Time spent sitting near windows or in a car, also has risks. Glass blocks most UVB rays but UVA rays can pass through glass.
6. Here’s one more: Those harmful UVA/UVB rays also bounce off of concrete & pavement, water, sand, walls, and snow, with snow being especially dangerous. Skiers know that.
7. I’m not done yet. Did you know that the sun is also damaging to the eyes? Sunglasses are vital. I asked my eye doctor, “What’s the most important thing to do to protect your eyes?” He said, “Wear sunglasses.” Got it! (He also told me I had the retinas of a 40-year old! 👍) My big sunglasses also have protection on the sides so the rays can’t sneak in when I’m not looking. 👀

I’m old enough to remember not just basking in the sun, but actually applying coconut oil to intensify your tan! With a foil reflector!! 🔥 OMG!! Nobody knew – it was the 1950s. We tanned. We burned. Our shoulders peeled like blistered shishito peppers. 🌶

Too much fun in the sun…
And you’ll end up “well done.” 🥵
I’ll shut up now, I made my case.
Get some sunscreen and slap it on your face! 😎

p.s. Teresa made a valuable comment below. It’s important to get your skin checked regularly by a dermatologist. During my own screening late last year, the doctor said it was rare to see someone my age without skin cancer. Whew! 👍 I still go every year. 

The things I mention here are all second nature to me, It’s just the way that I live and have lived for years. In fact, I had to think hard about what might be different since it’s all so normal to me. Here it is and I hope it’s no too long-winded!

• I don’t use teabags. I use organic full leaf green tea and brew one cup at a time as needed in my mini glass teapot. The same goes for black tea – organic, full leaf tea brewed one cup at a time.
• I never drink any very hot beverage. Into my biggest mug, I pour my hot brewed tea and add enough cold water to cool it down to luke-warm. It just feels like very hot beverages are not kind to the throat or tongue, and long term, they are also a risk factor for esophageal cancer.
• No ice cold drinks either. Room temperature only.
• The only beverages I drink at all are tea and water – nothing else. I have no desire for anything else.
• I eat very little fruit, maybe a bite or two a day. (but I do eat LOTS of vegetables! 🥦 🥕🫑 🍅 🧅)
• I never eat sweets on an empty stomach. It’s always better to include some fat and protein with sweets to slow down the sugar spike (like an apple with a few walnuts) (or a cookie with a glass of milk).
• We have no aspirin, tylenol, antacids, cold medication, allergy pills, none of that in our house. If we have any discomfort, we focus on finding the cause, not masking the symptom. If I have pain, I use ice or heat. I sometimes consider getting anti-anxiety medication when I look in my lighted, magnified, makeup mirror, but I finally decided to stop looking so hard. 😳
• Skin gets thinner and drier as we age, so I keep water and lip balm everywhere: in the kitchen, bathroom, at my desk, by the sofa, in my purse, and in my car.
• I don’t take multi-vitamins. I feel my diet gives me all the nutrients I need.
• I peel peppers before eating or cooking. The skins seem hard to digest.
• Finger nails also get weaker as we age. They can crack or peel so I use a glass nail file. It’s a lot kinder to the nails than an emery board.
• Manicures – pedicures – facials – massages? Not for me. I can’t seem to sit still long enough!
• I eat something every 3-4 hours.
• It’s my belief that in many cases, you can decide not to be sick. I have had occasions when I feel a cold coming on and I simply decide that, “this is not going to happen!” I make chicken soup, rest for the day, and start making a To Do list for tomorrow. That’s as far as it’s ever gotten. No cold or flu in over 50 years.
• I trust what my body tells me. Some things are obvious: When I’m thirsty, it’s telling my I’m dehydrated and should drink some water. When I eat too much, it punishes me by making me lethargic and uncomfortable, to each me a lesson. Listen to your body. It will let you know what you need, and don’t need. Craving an orange? You might need some vitamin C. Craving a steak? You might need some heme iron. Craving something salty? You might be dehydrated – salt is an essential electrolyte. And you body will readily let you know what you don’t need. A perfect example is a hangover. 🤢

I hope these things are helpful without being too preachy… 🙂

I realize my lifestyle may seem extreme but it’s really just routine to me, not a hardship at all.  But if it seems overwhelming, here are five small changes anyone can make towards better health. No step is too small to make a difference:

1. Reduce or eliminate soft drinks. There is nothing redeeming in these beverages and even worse are diet sodas.  You could start by adding sparkling water to a variety of fruit juices. Orange juice with sparkling bubbly water is good, or start with a flavored bottled water but beware of “zero calories” which usually means artificial chemical sweeteners. I would rather have a drink with sugar than artificial sweeteners. If you’re hooked, try diluting your soda with sparkling water as a first step.
2. Vegetables With Every Meal. Vegetables, especially cooked vegetables, are your lifeline to good health. So no matter what you’re having for lunch or dinner, make sure there is some vegetable with each meal (preferably more than one). At home, a steamer makes this really easy. I routinely steam carrots, beets, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. I add them on the side with casseroles and pasta dishes. When eating out, if your meal doesn’t include veggies, most restaurants have side orders of vegetables you can add and share at the table.
3. Make your own salad dressing. You are eating salads, right? 🙂 You don’t need the store-bought dressing when it’s so easy to make your own with heart-healthy, vital olive oil. Just stir it up with any vinegar of your choice or fresh lemon juice with some herbs, mustard if you like, salt & pepper. You can make it on the spot as needed or make it in a jar to keep refrigerated, like I do. Olive oil has numerous health benefits and is also great for your skin. (p.s. I just looked up a popular Ranch dressing – 😳 it has MSG and other things I can’t pronounce! 👎)
4. Learn to love dark chocolate. I like this part because I like sweets. I used to enjoy milk chocolate but knowing the health benefits of 70% dark chocolate, I learned to like it and now I love it. I started with bars with more cacao, from 40-50-60% and eventually 70%, which is where the heart health comes in. I love 70% dark chocolate and now I use it to make my own cashew or almond clusters. Don’t try too hard!  80 and 90% chocolate is a tough sell! Stick to 70% for the best taste and its many healthy benefits.
5. Eat less sugar. This is a challenge for me because I love sweets! But I’m working on reducing my sugar and you can too. I’m baking my cookies smaller or have half a cookie for dessert. You don’t have to give up ice cream, just eat less (and never out of the carton!  🥄) I rarely bake cakes any more and most of my desserts are a small cookie or one or two of my dark chocolate clusters. When eating out, when I had a fancy, rich dessert, I always felt overloaded. These days, I don’t even want it. So now we split dessert, if we have it at all. Going out for ice cream or gelato? Ask for a child’s portion or ask for a smaller serving. We go for gelato occasionally, and I just say, “That’s enough right there.” I enjoy the treat and feel better afterwards.

p.s. My husband then asks if he can have the part of gelato that I didn’t get! This is what I have to deal with…. ❤️❤️

Yes, I have my own way of making a sandwich. They are always open face with lots of lettuce on top. I use either baby romaine leaves or chunks of iceberg lettuce. I always add fresh vegetables. This time it’s cruciferous radishes, crisp carrots, and important leafy greens. (Thank goodness we don’t have a hungry pet rabbit! 🥬 🥕🐇) Does that not look delicious?? That and a cup of tea makes a fantastic lunch! I’m never too full because it’s not a lot of bread, which is my own whole wheat bread. Salmon is my favorite but I also make tuna, egg salad, and sardine sandwiches this way. Other favorite lunches are: almond butter & banana sandwich, lentil soup, or potato pancakes (when I have time). It’s usually a quick sandwich since there is always lots to do.

I’m on my feet all day so I put on sneakers first thing in the morning. I remember an all-day shopping spree with my older sister when she was wearing sandals and I was in sneakers. At the end of the long day, she was dead on her feet and I could have still gone for hours. Sneakers are a must!

My afternoons are usually spent stocking up on a couple of our “staples” like making tortillas, granola bars, or bread. Other times it’s almond or peanut butter or hard boiled eggs, salad dressing, butter-mix, things like that. (This is NOT all in one day! 🙂 just a sampling) It’s also when I try out new recipes. When everything you eat is made from scratch, its takes effort. To me, it’s worth every effort. This probably seems like a lot of work but to me, it’s a labor of love, a gift I give to myself and my husband, that keeps us healthy.

Oh, I also grocery shop about every third day. It’s mostly “perimeter” shopping because that’s where all the good stuff is: produce, dairy, and meat, while most of the processed foods are in the cereal, snack, bakery and beverage aisles.

I’m not done yet! There is also laundry, washing dishes, and making the bed. I have no housekeeper because I prefer a less hectic household and don’t mind doing my own chores. I also monitor my website and YouTube comments every day, answering some questions when I can. By the way, companies approach me every week asking to place ads on this website or asking me to promote a certain product. It’s a firm no every time.

So there’s a typical, busy afternoon. Doing all this keeps me productive and stimulates my brain every day. I hope some of this might be of interest. I have lots more to share but it’s hard to find the time… and now you know why. 😀

• The more expensive the restaurant, the less I like the food.
• English was not my first language. It was Italian.
• My first full time job was working as a waitress for a month when I ran away from home.  I was eleven years old.
• I worked as an opening act for Tony Bennett.
• I sewed a lot of my own clothes when I had no money.
• I composed the theme music for my talk show.
• I was arrested and handcuffed at the Newark airport.
• Larry King asked me out to dinner.
• I can’t cook pork chops.