How To Fall Asleep When Your Brain Won’t Shut Up

For a good lot of us, falling asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow is something we can only dream of. More often than not, the timeline looks something like this: 10 p.m. lights out, 10:01 p.m. a deluge of thoughts begin making their way to our consciousness. And anyone who’s been in […]

The Devil Wears Trendy Trash: The Dark Side of Ultra-Fast Fashion

The True Cost of Ultra-Fast Fashion: Cheap Clothes, High Consequences Is ultra-fast fashion bad for the planet and people—or are sweatshops raising families and nations from poverty? Eighteen years ago, while raising my two young towheaded children, I embarked on a month of consumer celibacy, writing about it for the NRDC’s OnEarth magazine. I was […]

The Blue Zone Controversy: Does It Matter if the Science is Wrong?

The Skepticism Behind Blue Zone Map Hotspots When Karen McCann was in her late 60s, she was faced with an undeniable fact: She was no longer middle-aged. She and her husband Rich decided to set off on a five-month trip around the Mediterranean rim to learn how to age well. McCann, who is now 73, […]

What Madonna’s Plastic Surgery Teaches Us About Aging (and It’s All Good)

Lately, Madonna’s plastic surgery and antics have been called sad and embarrassing. But her wild style should be cause for celebration, not condemnation. I open Instagram and see a video of a favorite singer of mine dancing in a silvery, shimmery bodysuit. It’s wildly futuristic and wonderful … until I read the comments. “Grandma, what’s […]

Invisible After 60: The Moment My Doctor Made Me Feel Irrelevant

I asked my new, 40-something female physician (a specialist) about the risks versus the benefits of an increased dose of a medication. We had mostly concluded the annual visit, and as the doctor stood up to leave, she said at my age (63), if the medication made me feel better, use it. She cited no […]