OK, I’ll admit that publishing my age in my column today gave me pause when I thought of it again AFTER I’d turned in the column. But really — the contrast between Nora Ephron’s book “I Feel Bad About My Neck” and local author Sally Thomason’s book “The Living Spirit of the Crone: Turning Aging Inside Out” shows clearly how obsessed we are with getting older, and what we will — and won’t — do to stave off the inevitable.
A long afternoon’s chat with Thomason gave me more hope, though: She spent 10 years on her book, and did countless interviews with women whose stories are inspiring, poignant, sad and authentic. Plus she’s a dedicated yoga practitioner, something I think will play a bigger and bigger part in my anti-aging rituals from now on. Pick up Thomason’s book in your local bookstore. I think you’ll be glad you did.
But back to the real question: What would/will/do you do to stay young? How far are you willing to go? A call on my voicemail this morning from a reader said she wasn’t up for plastic surgery: Does anyone know any magic way to get rid of wrinkles? 
October 16th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
It’s one thing to age gracefully by taking care of ourselves through proper nutrition, an active lifestyle, a healthy attitude, and a skin care regime that includes sunscreen. It’s another thing to actually cut ourselves and inject foreign objects or substances into ourselves in hope of looking better or younger. People who have undergone cosmetic surgery or injections often look different, but not always better or younger. See http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com or read “Beauty Junkies” by Alex Kuczynski.
I’m sure that as long as mirrors have been around, people have been obsessed with their looks. However, in our youth- and celebrity-obsessed world, with its many media outlets, looks obsession has gotten out of control and is changing society. When teens want to look like a famous person and then go under the knife to do so, something is wrong. For example, the MTV show “I Want a Famous Face”: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/i_want_a_famous_face-2/series.jhtml#/ontv/dyn/i_want_a_famous_face-2/series.jhtml
If a woman doesn’t think her obsession with her looks or age is affecting anyone but her, think again. For anyone who’s worried about her looks, especially if she has a daughter, click on this link and watch two new Dove commercials:
http://www.reginaldpike.com/dove/index.html
What will I do and how far will I go to stay young looking? Eat right, exercise daily, get enough sleep, drink water, wear sunscreen and maintain a positive attitude.
As for preventing wrinkles, stay away from sugar, eat salmon and wear sunscreen. There’s been a study linking sugar and wrinkles, and that’s enough for me to stay away from baked good goods, especially those containing trans fats.