Debbie Adler - Girlfriend Hacks for Aging Well

Debbie Adler has done it all—literally. She has held jobs that start with each letter of the alphabet, from Accountant to Zoo Tour Guide. You wouldn’t believe that she is 62 from her looks or attitude, but she is. She shares her journey from a vegan, allergy-free bakery owner to creating her delicious granola and popular vegan cookbooks. She dishes on her relationship with Ray Romano, how sugar causes wrinkles, the top 18 anti-aging foods, how she had the chutzpa to move from New York to Los Angeles to pursue acting when she didn’t know a soul, and how you should never wish to be anyone but yourself. Plus, she tells us a hack that will change your "beauty" routine forever!

https://sweetdebbies.com/

https://www.debbieadler.tv/

The Mediterranean Plate: Plant-Based Recipes Free From Gluten, Salt, Oil & Sugar Hardcover 

Sweet, Savory, and Free: Insanely Delicious Plant-Based Recipes without Any of the Top 8 Food Allergens Paperback

If you want to get in touch with the show, email us at lauren@agelikeabadassmother.com; we'd love to hear from you! 

Transcript

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