Suzanne Somers on The Art of Aging Well with Grace & Vitality

Suzanne Somers is a role model for us all. At 74, she looks and feels terrific. A well-known and respected authority on health and wellness, Suzanne and her 85-year-old husband, Alan Hamel, are showing us a new way to age. They have sex twice a day. Several days each week the couple hold live Facebook and Instagram sessions from their 92-acre Palm Springs compound, sharing stories on Hollywood, health, family and more.

Suzanne has been ahead of her time consistently throughout her 50-year career. In the late 1970s, she created the now-iconic role of ditzy Chrissy Snow in the sitcom Three’s Company, and then was fired when she dared to ask ABC for pay commensurate with that of the male cast members. She never looked back, forging ahead to build a highly successful career in multiple fields.

A prolific author, Suzanne has written 27 books, 14 of them New York Times bestsellers, focusing on health and helping readers to find products, education and services to improve their lives. Covering topics such as mental health, weight loss, nutrition, beauty, integrative cancer protocols and more, her books have been translated into many languages throughout the world.

A savvy serial entrepreneur, Suzanne was one of the very first celebrity entrepreneurs to understand and apply the power of infomercials and shopping on television. She introduced her weight loss program, beauty items, apparel, jewelry and personal fitness products to consumers on Home Shopping Network in 1992, quickly becoming one of the network’s top-selling brand names. Over the years, she expanded her product offerings to include vitamins and supplements.

Suzanne Somers

Suzanne’s famous 1990s sensation, the ThighMaster®, is still as popular as ever, with over 10 million sold worldwide. She has since developed thousands of products in multiple categories that can be found on her website.

Finding opportunity in adversity, Suzanne completely changed her lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis in 2000, and now follows a strictly organic diet. “I eat as though my life depends upon it, because I believe it does,” she says. Her further research revealed that in addition to the food supply, toxins are also present in commercial skin care and hair care products, as well as in cosmetics. So, she developed her own line of organic, toxin-free beauty products for hair, skin and nails.

Suzanne introduced mainstream America to bioidentical hormones (BHRT) and continues to educate women and men on the life-saving benefits of this natural alternative to help turn the clock back – from the inside out.  She follows a detailed regime of alternative and integrative medicine, including supplements, enzymes, peptides and more.

After Suzanne was fired from Three’s Company in 1980, her husband Alan declared that they would never work for anyone else again, and ever since the duo has run a lean, efficient company, one of America’s greatest success stories of a female owned-and-operated business. Caroline Somers, their daughter-in-law, has been president of SOMERS Companies for 30 years, overseeing product development, web sales and marketing.

In short, Suzanne Somers was and continues to be a trailblazer, establishing herself as a brand decades before modern-day influencers like the Kardashians latched onto the concept.

Suzanne Somers

How to age successfully

Aging is an inevitability, and we’ve come to expect that we’re going to get sick as we get old. Suzanne Somers challenges us to entertain the idea that we can age without illness, that we can live out our lives with vitality, keeping our minds and bones in top condition.

“I have to say that since I embraced health, I have never enjoyed life more,” she says. “I like the way I look. I like the way I feel. I like my energy. I have wisdom. I have perspective, and I can tell you that aging can be so incredible if you know how to approach it. It takes a little bit of work. It’s about health; about shifting your thinking and understanding what it is that’s making us sick and how we can combat it.”

Suzanne strives to view everything in life as an opportunity. When life threw her a curve with a breast cancer diagnosis over 20 years ago, she asked herself how her diet and lifestyle habits led her to play host to this disease.

Examining her lifestyle, she realized that she hadn’t been getting enough sleep, kept up a stressful schedule with long hours, partied a lot and wasn’t concerned about the chemicals in the food and beauty products she consumed. She knew nothing about hormones, which play an important role in keeping us healthy as we age. “Now that I’ve put all the pieces together, I realized I was such a likely target,” she says.

Sleep, hormonal balance, eating right

Each person’s body is different, but some key factors for aging successfully are eating right, getting a proper amount of sleep, and maintaining hormonal balance. “These are all connected,” Suzanne stresses.

“We have to learn the language of our bodies. Itching, bitching, lack of sleep, sweating, bloating, forgetfulness, being dried up; that’s the body talking,” she says. Those symptoms are your body telling you it needs some help.

“Listen to your body,” she advises. “You can’t sleep unless you balance your hormones,” she explains. Once your hormones are balanced you can start going to sleep earlier, which reduces cortisol and insulin levels, allowing weight loss.

Hormones

“Hormones are not just for menopausal women,” Suzanne declares. “Hormones are for all of us, they’re the juice of youth, governing every aspect of our lives and emotions and health.” If we’re cavalier about our hormones and don’t keep them balanced, it creates chaos, with sickness and emotional upheavals and stress, making it difficult to embrace life.

“Perimenopause is actually a great stage of life if you have balanced hormones,” Suzanne says. “If you get your hormones back, your brain thinks you’re reproductive, everything is working nicely, but you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant,” she explains. “You can have all the fun you want.”

At this phase of life, hair loses some luster, wrinkles begin to appear, and there are bloating and mood fluctuations. “I threw things!” she says. “I can’t believe I threw things; I’m so even-tempered now. I’m so wonderful to live with now.”

However, perimenopause is the phase when many women develop breast cancer; it’s when Suzanne was diagnosed.

Now she wishes she’d started on hormones in her thirties. “As we decline, we can now fill the tank with bioidentical hormones; not too much, not too little – exactly; optimal health. It’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened. It means that we can remain even all the way through, and as you get older you just need a little more.”

And balanced hormones help to maintain a normal sex drive. “When you don’t have hormones, you don’t care about sex. I mean, you can do it, but you’d rather have a smoothie.” She knows, she’s been there. “I didn’t like being there. I used to really like it, and I had three miserable years.”

Eating right

What we eat is so important, and nature provided us with herbs and spices to make food more flavorful. Thyme, rosemary, tarragon, mint, turmeric, chives, cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon are nature’s antioxidants. “It’s as though nature knew we’d be bombarded with free radicals and chemicals coming into our bodies all the time. Bringing these antioxidants into your food helps eliminate free radicals.”

If she goes to a restaurant whose food is not organic, she later takes a course of antioxidants to counterbalance the effects of her meal.

A simple change in your diet, taking in omega-3 oils like olive, flax, or coconut oil, helps to keep cell membranes pliable, allowing air and water to flow through and flush chemicals that enter the body from food or the environment. Too many malfunctioning cells can lead to diseases like cancer, from lack of nutrition, hydration, and oxygen, explains Suzanne. “We need air and water in our bodies to be more energetic.”

Suzanne also takes fish oil daily, morning and evening. “People say, ‘Fish oil, ugh! It’s something our mothers made us take, cod liver oil.’ Our mothers had wisdom!” she says, laughing. Plus, these days it tastes much better.

Making simple dietary changes is easy, she says. For instance, smear an organic chicken with olive oil, rosemary and thyme (or whichever herbs you prefer), add sea salt, and cook in the oven. “When I eat this meal, I think it’s like healthy medicine I’m eating,” Suzanne gushes. “It’s just so delicious.”

 Wellness can be exciting

You can make wellness exciting, something that you look forward to doing. “My routine is estrogen every day. That’s my happy mood,” Suzanne says. “And I’m telling you it’s nice to live with a woman who’s in a good mood every day because I didn’t used to be. So, now I know the difference.” She also applies progesterone at certain times each month, which helps to eliminate water weight.

“That combination of estrogen and progesterone makes you feel really good, and there are days when you get a glint in your eye, and look at your husband and go, ‘Hello, sailor!’” she laughs.

“Aging is amazing. Aging is something you should aspire to and look forward to and want.”

Suzanne Somers & Alan Hamel aging beautifully

At this stage in her life, Suzanne has something one can only acquire with age – wisdom. Her life’s purpose is sharing her knowledge, teaching others of all ages how to have an active, energetic life filled with energy, vitality, health and wellness. Millions of fans and followers access this information through her books, website and social media platforms.

On her social media platforms, Suzanne and Alan offer an up-close look at their daily lifestyle. Mornings start with organic coffee – in bed – with scenic views of desert mountains and herds of big-horn sheep drinking from shallow springs. They delve into their boxes of supplements to concoct gut-healthy smoothies.

Every Tuesday, Suzanne gives Alan a shot in the behind – of testosterone. “We can’t film on Wednesdays because we just might be in bed ALL day!” she quips.

You’ll see them take their golf cart to the organic garden. Where they come up with natural solutions for keeping the critters from eating the plants. They dance in the kitchen while Suzanne whips up one of her healthy, delicious meals. Alan often snacks on fruit and nuts, spoiling his appetite – however, you can’t argue with his health! He’s clearly doing something right.

Suzanne and Alan dote on one another. They are attached at the hip and haven’t spent a night apart in decades. That might seem odd, but they are happy being always together. They consider themselves “wonderfully co-dependent.” At 5pm every night, they meet at Big Al’s Bar – a special spot on their property, where they share a tequila and chat about their day.

The post Suzanne Somers on The Art of Aging Well with Grace & Vitality appeared first on R. Couri Hay.

Carlton Fine Arts

A 100K painting by Marc Chagall was the target of a smash and grab caper on Madison Avenue on the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur, while the gallery was closed all day. The business’s owner, Charles Saffati, is offering a 5-figure no question asked reward for the return of the unique art piece, called “Eve” that features two women embracing.  Chagall has two large murals with the same theme hanging permanently in the Grand Hall at the Metropolitan Opera House. “The robbers must have been pretty smart enough to know that we would be closed for the holiday,” noted Saffati. He added “Mayor Adams has to wake up and smell the bagels. First it was drugstores and supermarkets, then Gucci and Hermes, and now these street thugs are targeting high end art galleries. I hope Mayor Adams takes the proper steps, but I’m not waiting for him. I have hired two round the clock armed guards and installed museum quality motion detectors and cameras to watch over the Warhols, Basquiats, Picasso and Mr. Brianwashs.” The gallerist added, “This piece will be impossible to resell as its instantly recognizable like the Mona Lisa. If these hoodlums haven’t already dumped it for drug money, I hope they’ll return it and take the cash reward.”  The gallery’s current show is by artist and photographer, Bonnie Lautenberg, the widow of former Senator Frank Lautenberg, whose show features photos of stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn alongside iconic works of art by Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein. Skincare mogul Peter Thomas Roth and influencer Sofie Mahlkvist were in the opening night mix. carltonfa.com

Joaquin Phoenix is Napoleon  

Joaquin Phoenix is starring in Ridley Scott’s upcoming biopic “Napoleon,” releasing across the country during the holiday season. The movie, which is already garnering Oscar buzz for Phoenix, co-stars Vanessa Kirby as Josephine. The film looks back on Napoleon’s rise from French soldier to emperor.  Scott told Variety about Phoenix, “If something bothers him, he’ll let you know. He made ‘Napoleon’ special by constantly questioning.” Deep-pocketed fans of Napoleon Bonaparte can buy his personal footbath for $24k, his plate warmer for $14k, or his camel saddle, used in one of his Egyptian campaigns, for $20k from M.S. Rau in New Orleans. They are also selling a Diamond necklace, bracelet, and tiara for a cool $1.250 million that Napoleon gave not to his beloved Josephine, but to one of his mistresses! rauantiques.com

Suzanne Somers

Suzanne Somers’s iconic comedy Three’s Company has inspired a new party trend from NYC to Beverly Hills. The “Mrs. Roper Romp” fetes are inspired by the late Audra Lindley’s landlady character Helen Roper, who always wore a caftan and carried a cocktail on the program. Somers, who played Chrissy Snow on the show, told me, “I loved Mrs. Roper, she was all about mischief and double entendre. Her sexual responses to Mr. Roper always had to do with Mr. Roper not performing, but lovingly.  In the 50’s, Mrs. Roper would have been ‘a great broad.’” Alan Hamel, Suzzanne’s husband of nearly 50 years, confided to us “Suzanne is not a huge fan of costume parties, even though she says, ‘my billionaire friends love them.’ In the 70’s, we were bullied into going to a 70’s themed party and since Suzanne was all over the TV at that time, she went as herself.”  Somers’s daughter in law, Caroline Somers, has released her first cookbook, SERVED featuring over 50 recipes highlighting her Italian heritage, which she tested on the comedy legend’s family. suzannesomers.com

Star Trek’s William Shatner & James Bond’s Pierce Brosnan,

Star Trek’s William Shatner, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, and the Soprano’s Vincent Pastore are just a few of the actors who have been honored at Roberto Rizzo’s NYC TV Festival over the past 14 years. This year, he featured over 30 TV shows by independent filmmakers at The Dolby Theatre. The winners included Hot Angry Mom, Timeless Love and the documentary “UNDIVIDED: Pandemic with a Purpose” by director Richard Yelland. The film, produced by SOMOS Community Care founder Dr. Ramon Tallaj and Anel Pla, weaves together the inspirational story of nonprofits, physicians and brands including Lysol’s Here for Healthy Schools. Although SOMOS lost 12 doctors to Covid, the organization’s 2,500 + doctors delivered over one million free vaccines to the most underserved in the five boroughs, saving thousands of lives. somos.org

Kyra Sedgwick & Manhattan Movie Studio

Kyra Sedgwick and Method Man have just wrapped the Jewish comedy Bad Shabbos with Zack Weiner’s Manhattan Movie Studio. He is also releasing a film starring NBA star Evan Mobley called Magic Money about a multi-million-dollar Nike sneaker deal gone awry. Weiner and Bitcoin pioneer Nick Spanos have just acquired a space at 2307 Broadway on the Upper West Side. They plan to turn it into a Gen Z version of Andy Warhol’s famous downtown Factory that turned out iconic films such as Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein with 70’s bombshell Monique van Vooren. The studio has also released a documentary called “Citizen Weiner,” about Zack’s BDSM scandal during his unsuccessful city council run against Gale Brewer. Their movie, “How the Gringo Stole Christmas,” is a new holiday comedy starring famed funnyman George Lopez. manhattanmoviestudio.com

Andy Warhol & The New York Academy of Art

Kanye West’s muse and former paramour, sex pot Julia Fox caused heads to swivel when she posed nearly nude for approximately 70 patrons and artists at The New York Academy of Art’s studio on Franklin Street. The Academy, which was co-founded by Andy Warhol and whose supporters include Brooke Shields, Naomi Watts and Galerie Gmurzynska’s Isabelle Bscher, invited select students and famous artists including Will Cotton to paint Fox, who was provocatively posed on a couch, her lady parts barely concealed by leather pasties and strategically placed leather straps. A good time was had by all at the peak a boo art happening where a minor wardrobe mishap added even more drama. Warhol would have loved it. nyaa.edu

The East Coast Club of The Year

The Hustler Club was nominated in the Best on The East Coast Club of The Year category by the Adult Night Club Awards. The gentleman’s club spotlights several dozen bodacious dancers on their multiple stages and poles over the three-floor mega club. They are also holding regular hand rolled cigar and whiskey nights, including Brian DiMarco’s Harlem Standard brand which won Gold in the recent Bartenders Awards. The events, which also feature local DJs, are being held on their new outdoor terrace called Althea’s Rooftop, which overlooks the Hudson River on the Westside Highway. TV star Joseph Sikora, of Power Book IV: Force, is a regular at the hot spot that also attracts top tier athletes. 

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