DAY1

My friends at Spa 7, that fabulous new med spa inside Burke Williams in West Hollywood (there is one at the Pasadena Burke Williams also) have sent me on the road to diminishing  wrinkles. Today I have begun my 8 week journey to new skin. Very Exciting.

I met with Bobby, the office manager and my consultant. He started off my program by handing me a giant white and powder blue box of goodies from Obagi Medical Products. The box top lifts up to reveal 6 beautifully packaged potions.  He carefully instructed me on how I am to apply each of the creams morning and night. There are various combinations of one through six for day and night depending on your skin type. Then he handed me a tube of a power packed cream called Tretinoin.  When mixed with a dab of the contents from tube 5, aptly named blender, it is going to rid me of my old tired top layer of skin.  Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative. It works first by increasing the cell/skin turnover rate, and second, it boosts collagen synthesis.  They tell me it will diminish the fine wrinkles on my face and eliminate dispigmentation, or color differences in the skin. IE, all those freckles I earned as a teenager when I did nothing but tan. It was my “job” afterall! I didn’t look good unless I  had that sunkissed look and I spent hours laying by the pool. Now my face is paying for it.

Bobby, who is this beautiful young man at least half my age swears by the stuff! Lord  knows why he needs it..but I am not here to judge.  “First you are going to get all flakey and peel,  maybe a little red but then your new skin is going to look amazing!” he promised.

In two weeks there is a follow up appointment and a CO2 skin resurfacing treatment. I am committed.I firmly believe if there is a medical treatment or procedure that isn’t going to kill me but might absolutely help make me feel better about me. I’m there!

I will keep you posted.

Day 2 – btw. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Last night slathered on  my Tretinoin cocktail. My skin is definitely feeling delicate this morning, but no sign of peelage.

Day 5 – My skin is feeling a little dryer than usual…but no signs of peeling. I’m a resilient lizard.

Day 6 – I’m beginning to see signs of peeling around the edges. product #3 is pretty strong stuff.

Day 10 – At this age I never thought I would have pimples again in my life. But I do. More like red bumps than pussy pimples, but red spots nevertheless. They started appearing about three or four days ago. I called Vishi, the Obaji rep, to inquire. She not only answered all my bumpy questions, she is so knowledgeable about medical skin care, she is like a one woman Obaji cheerleader…I am excited about the prospect of my skin transformation because she is excited for me. I’ve never felt so good about skin care. What Vishi explained is that skin is three layers deep and in order to affect the most change, reach the freshest skin, will take three six week cycles. As each old layer is removed a new cleaner and collagen filled new one takes the top spot. The first cycle, which is where I am at the moment, is the harshest or most corrective, as she put it. Breakouts, blemishes, dryness and peeling is a result of the Obaji at work. It is getting rid of all the damaged old icky skin and replacing it with the healthy lower layer stuff. Vishi was so excited about the new skin that’s going to show up on my face I couldn’t help but get excited too. She said the product works from the inside out, it works it’s way deep into the skins recesses.  And my favorite quote, the one that made the most sense to me, “It’s like going on the best diet for your skin.”  Love that,  it totally makes sense.

Day 12 – I had lunch with my girlfriend today. She noticed my skin was glowing! Thanks Obagi..I’m seeing the blemishes but the world is seeing beauty. I am so excited.

Day 20 - Peeling and somewhat pimply..but I have definitely got a healthy rosy cheek AM glow. My skin is very sensative to the touch.

Day 21 – IT’S AN OBAJI MIRACLE. I had a small raised brown spot on my face that developed over the last few years. It passed as a freckle event though it wasn’t. No matter what I put on my skin before the spot stuck. I am pretty sure short of going to the derm and having her burn it off with dry ice that brownie was sticking with me for the long haul. Well, it’s gone! The Obaji lifted it off!  I’ve got a little scab right now, well two actually, but they are healing. It is amazing!

Annually on March 8th, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of womens visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life women have gained a great deal of equality. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. There is still more that can be done to insure that women are  paid equally to their male counterparts, that more women are present in business, and politics.  Globally women’s health, education and welfare are tested daily so we need not forget what still must be overcome.

Celebrate the day with your girlfriends, seek out and participate in one of the many diverse activities that will connect women on this day. Make an effort to become involved in women’s networking groups in your local community and broadly in your on-line community on a regular basis. We are all here to support, inspire and promote each other.

Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Clinical Assoc. Professor of Plastic Surgery,  UCLA Division of Plastic Surgery

Plastic Surgeon for the ABC TV Show Extreme Makeover (www.perlmanmd.com)

Even here in the heart of Beverly Hills not every patient wants to undergo plastic surgery. I’m often asked by friends and patients in their 40s through 60s what I can offer them to provide a younger and rejuvenated appearance. Generally the answer relates to the degree of improvement desired by the individual, as well as my assessment of the severity and nature of the aging that’s present.

As soon as someone walks into my consultation office, I am assessing their appearance and forming an impression of how they look compared to their chronological age. The signs of aging I look for are excess skin and bags around the eyes, drooping of the cheeks, neck and brows, the presence of jowls and the existence of unflattering hollowing of the cheeks from volume loss of the face.  Together or separately, these can result in an undesired aged and tired appearance.

The use of filler injections to the face such as Juvederm and Restylane has skyrocketed for good reason in the last several years.  Without surgery I can soften folds and wrinkles, improve bony contours of the cheeks and jawline and provide my patients a more youthful appearance free of recovery. I often supplement the use of fillers with the addition of Botox injections to the upper face to weaken muscle-related wrinkling and furrowing (frown lines, forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet most commonly), and provide mild brow elevation.  Fillers generally last for 9 to 12 months but Botox usually wears off after 3-4 months and needs to be repeated.  Used together, I see good improvement from fillers and Botox but there is an ongoing need for repeated treatment at ongoing expense.  Generally the best results from these fillers are for patients between their 30’s and mid 50’s.

For the most part, Botox and fillers successfully provides temporary modest improvement but ultimately many patients age sufficiently to need an actual lift with muscle tightening to potentially achieve the hoped-for 10 to 15 year improvement in their appearance. One of the unique things I provide my facelift patients is a supplementary fat injection. This gives them the potential for long-term volume enhancement and textural improvements to their skin.

At what age should a “lift” be planned?  That’s a decision I make with my patient as we weigh the degree of improvement that is reasonably expected, and balance it with the patient’s own sense of need and motivation.  Contrary to the old “wives tale,” I have never seen evidence showing that it is better (or worse) to have a facelift at a younger age.   I advise my patients that the best age for a facelift is when they are motivated by a sense of desire for a rejuvenated and refreshed look, and they are willing to commit to an average 2-4 week healing and recovery period. I also assure them that with modern techniques, I can camouflage the incisions and create a natural and long lasting result.

Every so often I receive one of those emails that are passed from woman to woman about the importance of girlfriends. They are so poetic and poignant. I love them. I know there is a long routing list of which I am one of dozens, but I like being included. Friends are such a cherished part of my life and the words expressed in the content of the passages resonate to my core. We ladies would be lost without our girlfriends!

Friends help up pick up the pieces after an ugly (or not so ugly) break-up, they are our support when our children confuse us, a sounding board for just about every situation that comes across our path and if that weren’t enough they are our most trusted fashion advisors. My best friend Sue often reminds me, “friends tell us what we need to hear not what we want to hear.” She never passes judgment, always a sympathetic ear and tells me like it is.

The other day I was having lunch with one of my other best friends, my 90-year-old mom.  I asked her what brought her the most happiness in her life. Without a second thought, she proclaimed,  “my friends! They are always there for me. They help me through thick and thin, I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

No doubt friends are the key to a fulfilling life. We’ve known it forever.  Now researchers are finding another reason to keep friends close.  There is scientific evidence that friendships and being a part of a social network can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Staying in touch with friends can keep depression at bay and keep us young. A Harvard Nurses Health Study found that the more friends a woman had the less likely they were to be physically incapacitated, as they grew older.

Why do women love sharing, discussing and dissecting so much? It appears that sharing with friends is hard wired in our brains. Stress from jobs, challenging relationships and even traffic can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone which increases blood pressure, blood sugar and reduces immune responses. Luckily, our brains have a built in mechanism to counter the harmful affects of cortisol, called oxytocin. Intense pressure for women triggers the release of oxytocin, or the so called calming hormone. A number of activities increase the output of oxytocin, including my favorite activity, exercise, along with a few other favs – yoga, massage, meditation, caring for a pet and you guessed it hanging out with friends. All these activities including companionship leads to the release of more oxytocin creating an increased sense of well being. Combine that with exercise and you’ve got a double dose of zen.  Oxytocin is a unique neurochemical, difficult to replicate synthetically, but the more we make with the above mentioned activities the stronger our body and mind responds to it.  The stress relieving aspect of friendship and fitness can play a big role in helping women stay healthy and far better than a medicine cabinet full of drugs.

Try spending at least an hour a week with your friends walking and chatting, it can lead to better health and will definitely be a ton of fun!

A few years back my friend and I saw a play called “The Four Man Plan”.  The essence of the story was about a single woman looking for Mr. Right. Until she was convinced that he had truly arrived at her doorstep, she kept a constantly rotating board of four eligible men. If one fell off the board for any minor infraction, he was immediately replaced with another.  She always had choices and was never left solo. Yes, it was a comedy. My first reaction was this is a juggling nightmare! How do you keep them straight? What if two of them are both named Jeff and you can’t distinguish one Jeff from the other on the phone? How can one woman possibly be available all that time and maintain a life outside of dating!?

But then I found that the idea of rotating dates had validity. Much like “The Bachelor” reality TV show, if you are seeing several people at the same time you have the opportunity to compare and contrast. I am in no way condoning several simultaneous sleeping partners. Personally this is not my preference.  But I’m not judging you if that panics your disco. What I do believe is seeing a couple of different men allows for a better barometer. It also gives you the ability to make a wiser decision when it comes to choosing Mr. Right. I think you absolutely must be honest, just like they do in “The Bachelor”, and let each of your planners know you are dating other people. Then of course they can decide if they can take the heat, get out of the kitchen or see you and other people too.

There was a time, shortly after seeing the play I quite unexpectedly fell into the exact same circumstance. I was dating a couple of perfectly delightful men. I was very busy!  After seeing each of them two or three times I began to see what I liked about each and what I didn’t like, qualities I felt were livable and ones that I thought in the long run would create a rift. At times I wished I could blend all the right things about each of them into one perfect match – but of course that was unrealistic. In any event I had a lot of fun with each.  I relished every exquisite dinner, football game, outdoor concert and opera I was invited to attend. One of them arrived on my doorstep with two-dozen long stem red roses. The following week another showed up with a delicate bouquet of pinks. My ego was soaring and my house looked like a floral shop. Every time I looked at a flower I smiled. I was enjoying the journey. I got it. I understand the true essence of the four man plan.

Ultimately I think I knew on some level that none of those guys were Mr. Right. As one solidly became Mr. Wrong or Mr. No Way, I replaced him with another potential Mr. Right. Being a single woman in the dating world should not be a chore.  You should never feel as though you are on a desperate hunt for “the one”.   If each time you meet someone you immediately try to fit that man into the Mr. Right mold, you will continually be disappointed. There has to be ease to the process, a natural blending of lives. It will happen but you cannot force it. That being said, you also don’t have to be frustrated and miserable along the journey.

Don’t be so focused on the end game that you forget to enjoy the journey.

Singledom can be entertaining. Have fun and let each of your four-man planners treat you to something they enjoy. If he flies a plane – go flying, if he likes to golf – let him teach you, if he’s a wine expert – learn the nuances of a fine cabernet.  Experience a new flavor at his favorite restaurant or go to a concert where the band he loves is playing.  Perhaps he’s a brilliant businessman, ask lots of questions and figure out his success strategies. Revel in the first few dates of really getting to know each of these men and their world. Remember there is something for you to gain from every person you meet. They don’t all have to be Mr. Right they can be Mr. Fun. Don’t miss out on the gifts life has to offer by myopically focusing on the end game.

The day I met the guy I knew WAS Mr. Right, it was so clear. I was confident about only seeing him because all my four man experiences led me to know he was what I wanted. I didn’t feel like I was making crazy compromises because he was my ONLY choice. He was the right choice. I’d had a good time with all of my four man planners but this guy had so many of the qualities I wanted in a man the natural attrition of the others led to an exclusive relationship. And making the commitment to see only him was easy.

When Mr. Right shows up he will fluidly blend into your life.  Don’t stress, when you least expect it… it will happen.

Though I’ve never observed lent, I think the tradition has merit and the ability to stick to a lent-like commitment a worthy endeavor. We all have something that we could do without and be better for it. I for one am a sweet addict. I am completely addicted to a nightly dessert fix. There is this weird trigger that goes off in my brain every night after dinner and I am not happy until I have a bowl of ice cream or a slice of cake. I’M GIVING IT UP! I can’t believe I just said that. But alright, I’m going to obliterate sugary desserts from my diet for the next 4o days. It is a known fact that bad habits can be broken in 21 days. So, if you hold fast to your lent self-promise for 40 days you are golden.

Here’s some other suggestions to help you stay on track:

1. Write down what you are giving up for lent. Writing it down makes it concrete and real.

I am giving up dessert after dinner

2. Make a list of the reasons for giving up your lent item.

Eating dessert every night after dinner is excessive

3. Find satisfying substitutes for that item.

I am going to try a different fresh fruit every night

4. Recruit help to stay on track

My daughters are my witnesses

5. Stay true to your conviction. It will be gratifying

If I can do this it’ll be a miracle!

I also believe that there should be rewards along the way for one’s stick-to-it-ivness. Fortunately, my Spa 7 friends think so too. And they have promised some pretty special pamper deals, that won’t interfere with your good lent behavior.  Call Bobby at 323.656.1182 and tell him that you are due for the Kerri Zane Mardi Gras special and he’ll give you a sweet discount on services. Visit them at either Burke Williams locations in West Hollywood or Pasadena.

Hair Removal :  Half off all packages of 6
Pixel:  Promo $400  : Regular: $600
Body Contouring:  $1000 for 5 visists: Regular:  $2200
CO2:  $1500 Regular $2200

It’s all good till March 1.

Would you date a plumber or are you holding out for the investment banker? What if you found out the plumber was worth millions and the investment banker rented a room in a house with seven other people sharing a communal bathroom. Is the man a high school teacher with a heart of gold or a real estate developer who takes the last bite? I have got to be honest, I’ve been presented with these kinds of scenarios in my dating journey and I’m not positive I have always made the best choices.

You ladies know what I’m talking about, it’s date profiling. How do you evaluate the man and are you using the best criteria?  Shouldn’t a date/mate be assessed for their inner qualities instead of their wallet stack or job title? Do you think the top line, quick stats you see on the first page of an on-line profile or the download your friend shares before she hooks you up on a blind date tell the deeper story?

I do know someone who definitely made a wiser choice than I did and most likely better than a lot of us. My mom. She set a beautiful example in finding her true soul mate, my dad. When she met my father in 1962 he was a recent immigrant to this country, a holocaust survivor and Israeli soldier. He endured one of the most horrific atrocities exacted against a race of  people, followed that up with a good freedom fight for the burgeoning Israeli state and then traveled to the US to find  his fortune.  This was no meager man. But he did not have a penny to his name, he had no formal education beyond elementary school, worked manual labor, and spoke a rough and ready English at best. On paper he was hardly the pick of the litter.  If he were a prospective date in today’s market, as a match.com profile, he’d likely be a low level choice.

A mutual acquaintance introduced my mom to this FOB guy and sparks flew. Within months they were living together. Yep, mom’s progressive. Most of my mother’s friends told her she was crazy for pursuing this man. But she saw something different in him. The more she got to know him the more she came to love and respect him. Whenever I would question her about her choice she always told me “I knew he had more integrity in his pinky finger than most men had in their entire bodies!” She was right.

My father enveloped my mother with the purest love any one person can give to another. His love wasn’t a shower of gold and jewels or lots of fancy vacations to exotic destinations. His was a deeper more powerful love. It was a cascading waterfall of thoughts and actions affection. He would warm up my mothers car on cold brisk New England mornings so she wouldn’t have to get into a cold vehicle to run her errands, he soothed her aches and pains without her having to ask, lifted her heavy chicken soup pot when she was too weak to carry it, colored her hair so she’d never be gray and fixed a broken anything in her house – no “honey do” list necessary. My mom said she never felt alone with my dad. And most importantly, she was never afraid.  Side by side she was confident they could persevere through any personal crisis and together they could accomplish anything. Even on his deathbed, while the morphine drip masked the pain of his massive heart attack, my father went over the details of his routine house chores that he knew he wouldn’t be able to do for her while he was in the hospital. He wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly for her. My father dedicated his life to his wife. She came first and she knew it. What an amazing feeling that must be.

So what do you look for in choosing a mate? Is it his job title, bank account, and biceps or is it his heart, his integrity and his spirit?

Yep, you heard me right. Weird I know. And for those of you who know the two of us it is especially weird.

Ten years after a highly contentious divorce, a consistent littering of acrimonious barbs, terse emails, and putting the children in the middle more than I care to admit, two weeks ago my eX-husband and I briefly embraced and sat down to a friendly meal of wine margarita’s and cheap tasty tacos.

Most, not all, but the vast majority of divorced couples never seem to manage to find a place of peace in each others lives. It is a shame. Being able to communicate with the father of your children on a friendly basis is a godsend.

Children are amazingly resilient, they will “survive” the divorce far more intact and sane than the parents. With the divorce rate in the US steaming past a healthy 50% the stigma of being a child of a broken home is virtually non-existent. So the need for couples to stay together for the children is not necessarily necessary. No one has to be in an unhappy place to placate a youngster. In fact, many adult children of unhappily married parents have said that they wished their parents had split up. With that said what divorced parents should strive for is to find a happy place apart. It will make a world of difference to your offspring.

I am not here to tell you that my eX and I are the poster children for this philosophy. FAR FROM IT. But I do believe it is never too late to embrace a kinder, gentler post-divorce relationship. In the last 8 to 10 months, as he and I mellowed to each others presence, there has been an audible sigh of relief from our two daughters. It is a reprieve from the constant tension of parental non-communication. For the two of us to come together for some one on one time gave our girls a deep sense of calm. It is in no way an indicator for a reconciliation and I know for a fact that is not in the back of their minds, but it does allow our children a sense of freedom to openly discuss what goes on in their lives in each household and with each parent.

For us, the mom and dad, it also brings a sense of calm in our lives.  There is an ease and friendly rhythm to our mutual existence. As difficult as it may seem, especially at the beginning of a divorce situation, a conciliatory ex-relationship is an absolutely worthy goal in ones life to achieve. Happy and content is the only place to be and if you harbor feelings of anger and resentment towards an ex-spouse it will only eat away at your core and cause upset and illness.

How can one find this place of peace? Forgive and forget. Trust me there were plenty of horrible accusations and dirty underhanded manipulations on both sides of my divorce equation. Even now there are things that go on that I don’t understand, but I cannot continue to resent. The pain is not worth it. I am blessed with the ability to block out the bad and move on to the bright. It is a gift. But if your brain doesn’t work that way, there is a solution. Keep a divorce diary. Write down every single hurtful, hateful, ugly detail you can remember. Put the book away and let go of everything on the pages. When you are truly ready to move on, burn the book.  Then pick up the phone and take the first step toward a new kind of ex-relationship. You will find that when you can speak to your ex with civility the hate will melt away.  You will never have the same kind of relationship you did as a married couple. Thank goodness, right, but you will find a very different kind of friendship will blossom.

Do you have your own eX success story? I want to hear about it.

Questions about how to deal with your ex? write me or my eX. He’s promised to become a regular contributor.

Who are those brilliant marketing executives who decided they could make us single people miserable? For the past 9 years I have spent the two weeks leading up to the fateful Feb 14 date dreaming of other places I could be. Just don’t want to face another Valentines Day SINGLE. Aww for gawd sakes, it’s time to get over it already. I have mastered the going to wedding with no +1. I can even enter a roomful of pairs at a party and manage to hold my own in a couplecentric conversation. Why should a silly fabricated holiday, that is truthfully nothing more than a clever marketing ploy to sell diamonds, flowers and greetings cards, hold me back from my perpetual happy.

With that in mind single people rejoice! You are not being conned or cajoled into purchasing anything. Instead consider Valentines to be your solo mio 24 hour window of personal pleasure. It is your take no prisoners, make no compromises, commitments be damned joyous day. You are tethered to no one.

Here are some anti-Valentine day indulgences I would like you to consider.

1. It’s a day of vast opportunities. You can pick and choose to spend your valentines with anyone you want and maybe even several anyone’s you want. You have no obligation to any one person.

2. One is NOT the loneliest number! Being single is not a reflection of your “lovability” it’s a personal preference. If you wanted to spend Valentines with a significant other you could, you simply choose to leave your options open.

3. Love yourself first. Self indulge with reckless abandon. You are in the enviable position of having no one to answer to and no one to cater to but you. Get a massage, try a new facial, or do a mani, pedi AND a bikini wax. Anything you wouldn’t normally treat yourself to – just do! The cash you are not spending on someone else is strictly for your enjoyment.

4. If you just lost a loved one or went through a recent break up go easy on yourself. It’s okay to feel the loss, but then you also have to promise to balance it with the bliss. Keep in mind that the future holds abundant possibilities.

5. Feeling amorous. Sign up now for any one of the bazillion on-line dating sites. There is literally one that caters to every interest and they usually offer a 30-day free trial. There are lots of other singles just like you looking for love. If you sign up today you could have a date by Valentines Day.

6. Get excited about reconnection. Take some time to surf facebook, Linked-in or one of the other social networking sites to find old friends and flames – you never know what might develop.

7. Most importantly celebrate the loves you do have in your life. Spend the day with family and friends.

Is fibbing about ones age deceit or a woman’s prerogative?

It is just a thing with me, a huge thing. As I’ve gotten older my calendar age has become increasingly more difficult to actually say out loud. So what if I slightly embellish just a few clicks to the south of true center. It’s not a big deal. I mean really, what are a few years between friends? The number I confess to be is in no way a reflection of who I am as a person.

That is what I truly believed — until last week. Until the person I had fallen in love with, “the one” I thought, broke up with me, because I put out my real age, the age I feel best represents me. His visceral reaction to my perpetual “sin” sent me into a tailspin. I vacillated between — why should it matter? I cared for him so completely and I really wanted to make this relationship work. That is what is important, right? How dare he judge me for such a minor infraction! AND then I would consider his side; I totally get where he is coming from and accept that no matter what a lie is a lie. And if you can lie about a small thing what will you do with a big thing.

I couldn’t just let it go though and needed to know what others thought. I questioned a myriad of people about this fem age dilemma, which elicited a variety of interesting and thought provoking perspectives on the matter.

The Women said…

“It shouldn’t matter because an age lie is a little white lie it doesn’t hurt anybody. Like when you tell someone they look great in a sweater — but they don’t. Or when you tell your boyfriend that was the best sex ever — but it wasn’t”.

Got it.

“Any man who has the nerve to ask a woman her age is a loser and uncouth. The subject is taboo everybody knows that!”

Of course!

“If a man is attracted enough by your look to have sex with you, then age should not even factor in his equation”.

Yeah! That’s right!

“Had the tables been turned and he lied about his age would you break-up with him?”

Probably not.

“Saying you are younger than your age is NOT a lie it’s just a fact, no woman ever tells her true age”.

Has merit.

“Did you ask him how much money he had in his bank account? No. So why did he think it was ok to ask you your age!”

You know she’s right…that is a NO CLASS question. Clearly not coming from a loving place.

Male thoughts on this….

“I have to know a woman’s age because I need to know whether I want to date her or not”

Really..That’s what matters?

“Women my own age have no energy”.

Does this guy know that women outlive men by an average of 7 years!

“Women my age just can’t keep up with what I want to do”

Are you sure? Women are extremely proficient multi-taskers.

“They just don’t want to do anything fun anymore”.

Oh, this is SO not true.

“They just don’t take care of themselves and they look frumpy it makes ME look old.

Alright, I have heard enough! You need to be the master of you.

Why do women hide there age

What the men I interviewed said is indicative of the male population mindset. The ugly truth is the world is an unforgiving place for women of a certain age, especially single women of a certain age. A woman’s viability as a sexual being seems to come with an expiration date. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Adding or subtracting a few years just to stay in the game seems to be the only logical solution. It’s a calculated risk, certainly. But I think there is a way to make this numbers game legit.

Real age is my mantra

I believe we should be judged by how we take care of my mind, body and spirit. A 45 year old who smokes and drinks could biologically be 65 and a 54 year old who regularly exercises and eats right could biologically be 45.

There is a website I love called real age, www.realage.com, which is endorsed by Dr. Oz. On the site is a questionnaire you fill out that determines your biological age based on health and lifestyle factors. Granted you do have to plug in your calendar age. But using that as a baseline the test asks you questions about your general health, habits, relationships, diet and fitness to determine your real age. The test takes about 20 minutes and is about 20 pages. I took the test last night and scored 8.9 years younger than my calendar age. Rock on! I propose we all live by this yardstick. If we take good care of ourselves we truly can be as young as we feel. So how old am I? My REAL AGE, well, I’m a proud gen jonser born between 1954 and 1965.

Is that a lie?

What do you think? I’d love to hear what YOU have to say.