A Novel Exercise Idea

Hi friend,

It feels like most women have gotten the message: Lifting weights is really good for our health, particularly as we age. But we speak from experience when we say that walking into a weight-lifting gym can feel intimidating. All of the machines and pieces of equipment lying around can be combined to create a fitness program. Still, it’s often hard to know where to start – much like looking in your fridge and pantry only to see a bunch of ingredients, and then figuring out how to transform them into a dish.

It’s worth trying. According to The New York Times, “even one strength session a week can have a positive impact on your health.” They add that strength training “has been shown to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, decrease symptoms of depression, and minimize fall risks, among other benefits.”

Speaking of recipes and weightlifting, this week we spoke with a woman who has experience in both areas. That’s food writer Julia Turshen, whose new cookbook What Goes With What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities (here on Amazon, here on Bookshop) allows home cooks to riff off her recipes with the options they have on hand.

Read on for our interview, plus a few recommendations for your weekend.

Bye,

Your friends at Gloria

I’ve been following food writer and cookbook author Julia Turshen for years. There’s just something about her. She’s a total pro who – in addition to publishing multiple cookbooks (Small Victories, Feed the Resistance, Now & Again, Simply Julia) – and co-authoring more, also writes a friendly and useful newsletter, helms a podcast, and somehow finds the time to teach accessibly priced online cooking classes each week.

It’s not just that, though. She’s thoughtful and considerate. You feel that specialness in both her writing and recipes; she understands how people cook at home and does the work so other at-home cooks can learn her tricks and techniques. Her new book, What Goes With What (on shelves Tuesday), expresses that effort. It’s filled with recipes, but also shows you how to riff with what you have on hand.

I spoke with her ahead of the cookbook’s release to talk a little about food, but more about another passion of hers: powerlifting. She shared that side of herself recently, both in her writing and in the eighth season of her podcast, Keep Calm & Cook On.

Lifting super heavy weights is the opposite of the programming I got growing up in the eighties and nineties around what fitness for women was supposed to be. It’s a shame, as weight training can help us as we age, improving bone density and grip strength.

I wanted to know more, so I asked her all about how she got started, what beginners should know, and how lifting heavy weights has affected her physical and mental health.

You're known for your cookbooks – your new book, What Goes With What, comes out Tuesday. So I took notice when, in addition to food, you spoke about powerlifting. Can you share how you got into it?

I've had a very challenging relationship with my body and weight my whole life. I've started to write more about it because even though I've spent my career being a cookbook author, I’ve still struggled with that. It's been an interesting field of work because I've gotten to capitalize on my obsessive relationship with food.

I used to exercise a ton, and it was only ever in the pursuit of weight loss. When I started to heal my relationship with my body and food, I realized I had to also pay attention to how I treated movement. I noticed people on social media lifting weights, and I read Casey Johnston's work on strength training. I saw a lot of myself in her writing.

After my last cookbook, I spent a season working at a vegetable farm to shake things up a little. I loved being strong enough to lift big crates of vegetables. When the season came to a close, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do for exercise that would make me feel good about myself and that I’d enjoy. I reached out to a friend, and was like, can you tell me about this powerlifting stuff you do? Where do you do it? She introduced me to the gym. I go to Matt, who's my coach. I didn't start training with Matt to be a powerlifter. I told him I just wanted to remember that I was strong. It evolved into me getting into powerlifting, and it's been an incredibly healing sport.

I made a decision a couple of years ago to limit my social media [posting] to my work. It was taking over my life too much. I made an exception to that self-imposed rule to occasionally share about lifting, even though it's not my job, because of how profound it has been for my relationship with my body. So yeah, people are coming to me for easy dinner recipes, and they happen to learn about powerlifting.

It's my understanding that powerlifting is three movements. Is that right? When you go to the gym, what does the workout look like?

TO STREAM One of the criticisms we’ve seen lobbed at Apple TV is the network makes amazing, premium shows and then just…doesn't promote them. That seems to be changing with its new and highly anticipated psychological thriller Disclaimer*. Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, it’s about a journalist (played by Cate Blanchett) who receives an anonymous book containing secrets from her past she’s kept hidden.

TO TRY: If you’ve been considering adding a few fun, new, trendy pieces to your wardrobe (but are nervous about the investment), you can give them a spin without the commitment thanks to this clothing rental site. We’re considering this cute plaid wool mini, this silky leopard blouse, these fitted cargos, and a pair of barrel jeans. Give it a try, and get up to 50 percent off your first month, with the code GLORIA. #partner

TO WATCH Prepare to cry: In We Live in Time (in theaters), we see the past, present, and future of a love story as acted by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. So what if it’s a little predictable and schmaltzy?

TO READ Finding home decor and furniture that isn’t super expensive can be challenging. But this guide explains how Home Depot — a store we never thought of for furnishings — can be a surprising source for high-end pieces for less. Check it out here. #partner

TO BOOKMARK Quirky interior decor phenomenon John Derian is known for his embrace of old fashioned crafting and his eclectic boutiques full of pretty novelties. We love browsing there, but it can be expensive, so we are honestly thinking of buying a piece or two from his upcoming Thanksgiving collection for Target. (It’s out Sunday; be prepared for things to sell quickly.) The beaded chicken and turkey pillows are incredible, but we’re eyeing this $15 mushroom one. We’re also loving this $20 artichoke stoneware serving bowl.

If you’ve also been obsessed with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, this is the profile for you. • Mother-in-law drama. • Info on menopause and anger. • A friendly little chat with J.Lo. • In the UK, specialized wards are treating postpartum psychosis while keeping mothers and babies together (it’d be amazing to have this in the US). • Reading this story about moving to Provence with fascination and jealousy. 

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