A Cry For Help?

Hi {{first_name|friend}},

Every year around this time, we think of this 2021 article about how an obsession with fall is “a secret cry for help.” These days, that cry is coming from every corner.

Fall’s no longer a season. Now it’s a look, a feeling, an entire consumer category. There are cozy fall activities, like apple picking. Cozy clothes. Cozy interiors. Cozy recipes. Then there are the drinks; pumpkin blazed the trail that new “fall” flavors, including pecan, cinnamon, and salted caramel, stickily follow. And don’t forget cozy reading and cozy viewing.

Descriptions of aspirational fall comforts can border on the erotic. Here’s Goop fantasizing in our inbox this morning. “Picture this: You’re curled up on the couch, swaddled in a soft knit, sipping a mug of something warm and cinnamony, and watching the amber leaves outside cascade gently to the ground.” Because lady, once you’re in that sweater, you’ve ascended.

Cozy viewing, specifically, also dovetails with another big trend/obvious cry for help: intense nostalgia. Consider that Netflix just announced that they’ve acquired and are offering the full season of Felicity, which is nothing if not fall-coded, down to the enormous cable-knit sweaters swathing a curly-headed Keri Russell. (Take note of how the streamer’s pitching the show to a new, younger audience.)

Not that we’re above any of this! We’re currently 20+ episodes deep in our first watch of Gilmore Girls, conveniently streaming now on Prime Video. It’s nice in there.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

Grace Atwood has been sharing her life online since 2010, first with her blog, The Stripe, then through social media, a podcast, and now, a newsletter. We’ve long been fascinated with how she balances the public and private — not an easy thing to nail, particularly when hundreds of thousands of people are watching. Recently, she disclosed that, on the advice of her doctor, she’d started taking a GLP-1, and we were struck by her honesty. We called her up to ask about what she’s learning about health in her 40s and why she decided to take a risk and share something so personal.

Why did you decide to write about going on a GLP-1, and what has the response been like? 

I was working out every day, eating really healthy, and I had 20 pounds on my body that I could not get rid of. Then I shared on Instagram, and so many women were like, "Oh my god, thank you for saying this. I started one too, and I haven't told any of my friends.”

This is what happens in our 40s. Our bodies are changing, and what worked when you were 30 doesn't work. It didn't work for me.

I had a few people who felt hurt and who said, ‘I have to unfollow you now.’ But I would say it was 95 percent positive. It's good to talk about these things, whether it's with your friends or on the internet, because it can feel really lonely.

You mentioned that you saw a health shift after turning 40. What have you learned about that, both from personal experience and from your doctor?

To stop blaming myself. I was so hard on myself, and my doctor was like, ‘you're doing everything right.’ It was so heartening to feel like he was on my side.

It felt like my body was not my own. It was like everything was just totally out of my control.

My doctor really reinforced that, when you go through something like this, it's not your fault. Our hormones are doing crazy stuff.

What advice would you give to others trying to toe the line between sharing their personal lives and maintaining privacy?

You'll be surprised. People will be supportive, and you might actually help somebody who might be feeling the same way you are and struggling.

I was just starting to lose weight and people were like, "Oh wow, those workouts are really working. You look amazing." And I was like, "It's not the workouts. I've been doing these workouts for two years.”

Can you share the other health shifts you are making at this age? 

A lot of my friends are on HRT. I'm intrigued by that, but I don't know that I'm ready to do it yet. The GLP was a big life change, and now I'm kind of just settling in.

Every year, like clockwork, we’re tempted to buy a sweater. This year, the pull is harder to resist. There are too many good ones, including sweaters in bright, bold, punchy colors like crimson (love this), cobalt blue (this one’s nice), or chartreuse (this one from Tory Burch). There’s also an explosion of cardigans, half-zips, and polo necks. Here, a few of our current faves from every category.

TO LISTEN It is hard to overstate the impact that podcast Sold a Story had on how schools across the country teach reading. Now it’s back with another blockbuster season. We’re curious what the fallout will look like.

TO SIP A full night’s sleep has become a surprisingly elusive thing. We’re awake at 3 a.m., for no reason and thinking too much. We’ve added Traditional Medicinals® teas to our nighttime routine for a calming herbal ritual. Our picks: Organic Nighty Night Extra®, with valerian root, and the floral, mildly sweet Stress Ease® Calm Tea, but they offer so many teas designed to support your everyday wellness. It's a small evening ritual that actually helps us rest better. Gloria readers get 15% off with code GLORIA15. Shop it all here. #partner

TO WATCH Tell someone you’ve had to sign an NDA, and the first question you’ll get is: How is this legal? The new documentary My NDA follows three people who bravely decide to break theirs, risking financial and legal repercussions. It’s being screened at film festivals across the country now, and will be available to watch in NYC (and online) next month.

TO MAKE After trying the Khao Man Gai at Nong’s in Portland OR (IYKYK), we were desperate to recreate it at home. This recipe is the best one we’ve found: simple, comforting, and easy.

Testing if a lymphatic surgery can treat Alzheimer’s disease. • We spot that communal Loehmann’s dressing room. • Early results from a (tiny) trial of an anti-aging drug for the skin are in. • “Ozempic is wreaking havoc on mother-daughter relationships.” • Are they teaching men to flirt, is it a sex cult, and – most pressingly – is all of San Francisco like this right now?

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