Aging with Giggles & Grace - and love for my dear friend 💜

Recipe: No-Bake Lime Coconut Avocado Tart

*This newsletter is not intended to be medical advice. Supported by Mandy Murphy Carroll, RD MPH, Dr. Rosa Keller, PHD RD, Dr. Ricki Pollycove OBGYN, & Dr. Claire Packer OBGYN

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This post is an extra extra extra special one.

It’s full of love and celebration of one of my absolute favorite people in the world, who is now watching over us and is sending us even more comfort, joy and love from above. Every time I have some good luck now, I look up at the clouds and thank her. 💗

We met about eight years ago with giggles and curiosity. She was 78, myself 25, and we both were in a totally different season of life but somehow felt like that didn’t matter at all.

She was the person I would call on my afternoon walks almost everyday. We’d talk about anything and nothing, and she’d somehow make me laugh over and over. She was the friend who responded to every message, within minutes, always with extra hearts, colors, and emojis, like she was painting joy into the digital world one reply at a time. 💙🩷🧡💛💚💜

These responses took her a lot of time to write, but she prioritized bringing joy to my life, just like she did for others incessantly.

Once, when I thought my car was stolen (don’t worry, I found it!), I called her nervously at two in the morning. My husband was out of town, and she picked up the phone. Of course she did! She always did. She helped me face it like an adventure instead of a fear, and she was with me the whole way through—driving through San Francisco seeing if we could find my car that wild night, at 2:30am, even though she was almost 80!!

She was sharp as a tack, full of life, spirit and joy. Her life, to the very end, was luminous. Her magic was in how she lived, how she lit up with curiosity and tried new things even into her golden years.

One time we went to breakfast together and she ordered oatmeal—not because she liked it (she sure didn’t)—but because she said, “This is my one new thing for the day. I am going to try eating like you, Anja! I want to challenge myself.”

There’s real science behind what she knew instinctively.

Staying mentally engaged, especially by doing new things, helps preserve cognitive function as we age.

It’s so easy for us to get stuck in our ways, always eat the same, follow the same rhythm, go to sleep at the same time…but when this happens, it can affect our long-term brain health more than we know.

Studies show that novelty stimulates brain plasticity, encouraging new neural pathways and boosting memory and resilience. One study in Psychological Science found that older adults who engaged in unfamiliar activities, like learning digital photography or quilting, showed improvements in memory and cognitive performance within just a few months (source).

Yet, I don’t think she ever made a decision without joy, and there’s a good chance that joy is the most powerful nutrient of all.

If you’re lucky enough to be alive today, please try something new. For her, and for me.

Send the heart emoji, even if it feels silly. Text your friend back quickly, even when you’re busy. Order the scary healthy-sounding-thing on the menu even if you’re convinced you won’t like it. Say yes to something just because it’s different.

And when someone you love calls you at 2 a.m., pick up. Even if you're deeply asleep. Especially if you're deeply asleep. And ride the journey with them, whole-heartedly.

This is the life we get. How we show up in the ordinary moments, the tiny, unremarkable ones, is what shapes our brains, fills our hearts and connects us more deeply to the people who get to love us for just a little longer.

That’s how my BFF lived. Not perfectly. But fully. With sparkle and curiosity and tenderness. I can hear her giggling now…

And maybe that’s the most powerful brain food of all.

To continue reading (paid subscribers only):

5 Ways to Support a Bright, Long Life (Starting in Your Kitchen)

If you’re like me, you want your people to stick around. And they want the same for you. Not just live longer, but live well, with clarity, energy, and sparkle in their eyes, until the bitter end. Just like my beautiful friend.

And the great news is that what we consume can have a serious influence on our health and longevity. And since healing through food is my happy place, there were times when I found myself wishing that my beloved friend would have understood better the affects on brain health when it came to what we eat and drink.

In honor of her, I reviewed all that I know about using food to support brain health and came up with 5 simple ways to boost cognitive function. You’ll find those in the paid subscriber section below, plus a recipe I developed to celebrate the beauty of friendship. I hope you enjoy!

👉 Become a paid subscriber to access the rest of this week’s newsletter — designed to support you, your brain health, and your continued joy.