Chapter 3

Foundations of Youth

The 5 Principles of Glow15

“What you can do, or dream you can, begin it,
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it . . .”

—Goethe

Glow15 is about being bold.

Yes, in so many ways, you’re already bold—doing it all by balancing work and life, wearing the multiple hats of caretaker, teacher, employee, confidante, friend, parent, mentor. But I want you to believe that you can be even bolder.

Glow15 will help you do that. This plan is about you. And its principles are designed to help you not only survive, but thrive.

How do you get there? Above all, the boldest thing you can do is to make yourself a priority. While we’ve been conditioned to think that being bold is about aggressiveness or stomping over other people to get what we want, this is not what being bold is. My friend Lisa Schiffman, who helps women thrive by teaching them to scale and grow their businesses as the director of brand, marketing, and communications at Ernst & Young, is passionate about empowering women to be bold. She says, “It means having the heart or the courage or the conviction to pursue a dream, stand up for something important, carve a path. Sometimes we hold back on bold out of uncertainty or concern for how we’ll be perceived. But the most worthwhile challenges are often the ones that are hard.”

I want you to remember this as you begin your journey on Glow15: Give yourself permission to be bold.

Be bold with courage. You’ve already shown the courage it takes to make changes by the mere fact that you’re reading this and feel ready to start. That does, in fact, take courage—courage to attempt something you’ve never done and courage to do it even if it means you may feel temporarily uncomfortable. Yes, it will take courage to achieve your goals, but you gain courage with every new attempt. That allows you to be more courageous in your everyday life, which in turn will help you achieve your goals and aspirations.

Be bold with determination. You can pick whatever “one step at a time” cliché you want, but that’s how life works. You don’t achieve your goals by wishing yourself from point A to point Z in a blink. You get there by taking one step, then another, then another. And when you put forth that “I can” attitude, you will end up with an “I did” result. You absolutely have the power to make whatever changes you want in your life. Just take the first step, and the next one will follow.

Be bold by example. Throughout this book, you will read the stories of women who were bold enough to say “enough” to putting everyone else ahead of themselves. They decided it was “me time,” and they got results, because they made a conscious decision to stop feeling guilty about taking care of themselves. Please let their examples lead you—and as you enjoy your own success, you will boldly lead others as well. We have an incredible power to lift each other up—with encouragement, with inspiration, with messages of determination. Sometimes those messages can be direct, and sometimes they can be subtler: a hug, an encouraging conversation, the right emoji at just the right time. Don’t underestimate your power to not only help yourself, but to help others as well.

In the next few chapters, I’m going to take you through the major elements of Glow15 so you can get a full look at how diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, sleep, and beauty work together to create the components of the program. But in this chapter, I want to pull the curtain back on the core principles of Glow15. These guiding themes are at the heart of who I am and how I live—and I hope they will guide you, as well.

Principle 1: Outer Beauty Reflects Inner Health

In most areas of life, we do judge a book by its cover. The way something appears on the outside gives us a taste of what it’s probably like on the inside. That goes for the major “things” in our lives, like cars and homes. That goes for actual books—you likely picked this one up because something about the cover resonated with you. It also goes for people. Yes, our human book covers include several factors, like our fashion and our general joie de vivre. Our appearance is tied to so many other factors in life. For example, it plays a role in first impressions, in confidence, in self-esteem, and in our sexuality. All those roles have an effect on our health. Any negative emotions tied to your appearance can lead to very real physical issues. For example, being unhappy about how you look can make you anxious. That anxiety can lead to a suppressed immune system, extreme fatigue, high blood pressure, and stomach and back pain.

Your outer beauty reflects your inner health.

Many people assume that any talk of beauty is simply some superficial banter about creams, makeup, and cover-up, lipstick and lip gloss. They assume that a woman’s quest to be beautiful is about pleasing others. They assume that the only value in trying to look good is attraction. And they assume that any talk about skin is, well, just skin-deep.

Those assumptions, however, simply aren’t true.

While beauty can certainly be about attraction and self-confidence, beauty is about health and wellness. The health of our skin is also a reflection of how healthy we are overall. That’s because aging affects every cell of every organ, and your skin, your largest organ, reflects cellular damage in the form of wrinkles, dryness, dullness, and discoloration. These are visible signs of aging, reflecting poor health in need of repair. Invisible signs of aging can affect your heart, your lungs, and your brain with no outward manifestation.

Outer health and inner health are tied together in an infinite loop: The healthier you are on the inside, the healthier you are on the outside, and vice versa. So when you boost autophagy—which you do throughout Glow15—it allows every cell to perform at its best, every organ to function at its best, so you look and feel your best.

You can help the autophagic process in many ways; that’s what Glow15 is all about. But one of the most profound ways to activate autophagy is by nudging your body toward purity.

What does that mean?

Purity, to me, means that you treat your body with the respect it deserves, by warding off toxins internally and externally.

I think that perhaps the word “purity” can send the wrong message—that the goal has to be perfection, and if you skip a day of exercise or eat too much sugar or pull an all-nighter, you’re ruined. That’s not the case; you will not be ruined. You will not be less than. You will not be perfect, but that’s okay, because you shouldn’t be.

Instead, I want you to think of purity as the ability to prod, nudge, and shift your behaviors—and your body—into the direction of acceptance, confidence, health, and wellness. Purity is about living a life that feels good, happy, strong, and young. After all, “glow” isn’t just about dewy skin and looking beautiful—it’s about feeling beautiful. Inside and out.

It’s about a radiant life—no matter from what angle you see it.

Principle 2: Small Changes Yield Big Results

From an early age, I’ve been fascinated with numbers. I remember being seven years old and going for walks with my father, who as a chemist and mathematician always loves to share his view on numbers. We would go for an hour-long walk and count our steps; he would teach me basic algebra with apples we had just picked from the tree. We did multiplication tables over and over. When I was twenty-five, my father gave me the book The Magic and Beauty of Numbers. I love the way numerals look, I love the way they work, and I just love the majesty and science that come with formulas and functions.

I tell you this not to scare you into thinking I’m about to unveil some tricky statistical analysis for how to integrate autophagy into your life. Quite the opposite, actually.

I want you to embrace one mathematical equation:

1 + 1 = a lot more than you think!

One of the frustrations many of us feel is that we don’t do enough—that in order to have big effects, we have to make big changes (the superwoman complex). We have to turn our lives around 180 degrees. And because of that, we believe small changes won’t make enough of a difference. We don’t see immediate results, and then stop doing whatever it is we were doing. We don’t give ourselves a chance.

That’s the beauty of autophagy. Because it has such profound effects, you can make small changes—and your body will start experiencing big results. Some of those results may be noticeable quickly, while others may be happening at a cellular level and not as noticeable.

Glow15 will give you simple nutrition, exercise, sleep, and beauty modifications. These changes will take a minimal amount of time.

I don’t want you to think of your actions in absolute numbers (i.e., if you consume X fewer calories, you will lose X pounds). Instead, assume that every change you make has rocket fuel in it—with positive impacts felt throughout your body. This is what makes autophagy such an efficient and powerful biological process.

Now, I do want to briefly mention that dreaded five-letter word: change. Change, no doubt, can be difficult. That’s the dilemma of any lifestyle switch: Can you adapt to a new way of living that gets you out of your normal habits and into newer ones? Can you get past the fear of change in your mind to make a change in your life? Certainly, how you feel about change depends on a number of factors, like the difficulty of the plan, the support you’re getting from others, as well as your own boldness.

Glow15 Success Story

Margaret “I’m a better version of myself”

“I think I spent the first week of Glow15 feeling guilty. I had a really hard time putting myself first—whether it was my food, my workout, my sleep schedule—it was tough not to feel like whatever I did was at the expense of someone else. I run our family business and feel responsible for my parents not only emotionally, but monetarily because I know it’s their only source of income. My three kids, ages 16, 11, and 2, all need things at different times, and my husband, he helps, but I’m the one constantly doing everything for everyone else. Still, just like I am committed to my family, I committed to Glow15. And the most amazing thing happened: I became a better daughter, a better mother, and a better wife. I was more engaged. I was calmer. I was a better version of me. This didn’t happen overnight. The workouts were hard, but they slowly got easier. I stopped feeling like I just needed to make it through and started reveling in the challenge of each new exercise. The Low days were tough, and sometimes still are, but I like knowing the High day is less than 24 hours away. And I’m seeing the difference. My clothes are looser, and my body is tighter. I lost 6 pounds and 2 inches off my waist in just 15 days, And I literally see a difference when I look in the mirror. I have rosacea and my face is normally red and splotchy. Now, like my demeanor, it’s calmer. I need less makeup. Glow15 has helped me to glow—inside and out.”

Many times, we get so frustrated with instructions and rules and “don’t do” lists that we give up, because it’s hard and we feel miserable. Our lives are hard enough already—and when we add the daunting task of making lifestyle changes, we think the pain and effort are not going to be worth it. After all, if it’s no fun while we’re doing it and it’s taking a long time to see results, why bother?

Glow15 doesn’t work that way. It incorporates small changes to ensure manageable adjustments. It’s designed so that you won’t feel the need to quit before reaping the benefits. One of the most telling parts of the clinical study (see page 6) was the fact that 97 percent of the women stuck with the plan. They enjoyed it. They found value in it. They liked the new flavors and new habits, and they were better off for it—so much so that they still check in to report their continuing success. My hope is that you will do the same.

That, ultimately, will be what makes your fifteen-day jump-start become a long-term lifestyle.

Some women in the study did report that there were parts of the plan that were temporarily uncomfortable, because they were doing things they hadn’t done before, like intermittent fasting or different kinds of exercise. But once they did those unfamiliar things for a bit, they learned to love them—which is the way it should work. Change can be intimidating, but I believe you will be so taken with how Glow15 makes you feel that the changes you make as part of the plan will be transformative. Knowing that small changes can lead to big results makes it so much easier to push through the temporary discomfort—and keep your eyes on the ultimate prize.

You have the power to change your health. You have the power to change your life.

Principle 3: Less Is More

If only I had more time . . . for myself. If only I had more time . . . to cook healthy meals for my family. If only I had more time . . . I could exercise. If only I had more time . . . I could achieve the body, health, skin, and life that I want. If only I had more time . . .

That’s the way I once thought.

But I was wrong. The answer isn’t to wish for more time.

The answer lies in working with the time you already have. Glow15 values simplicity and believes more can be accomplished with less. More reward for less disruption.

When you maximize autophagy, less is more. And less is the answer to making cellular switches to restore your youth. When there is less toxic waste in your cells from the Inevitable and Accelerated Agers, your body will reap more benefits, like boosted immunity, protection against disease, and increased energy.

On Glow15, less is more means you can do shorter workouts to boost longevity. It means your meals can be prepared quickly and easily—taking less time, but with maximum amounts of pure and powerful foods to fight the signs of aging. And it means the simple supplements suggested will give you the greatest nutritional value to make your body and brain work more efficiently. It also means you don’t even need as much sleep as you might think—fewer hours of sleep may actually give you better sleep quality.

I believe the most efficient path is the only path. You will not sacrifice any time doing this plan; in fact, depending on what you do now, you may even save some time with its simplicity. That’s the beauty of Glow15.

To prove my point, I’m keeping this principle short, because I know you’ll want to spend less time reading and more time putting Glow15 into action.

Principle 4: Timing Matters

Much of what you’ll do on the Glow15 plan is about timing. Timing, of course, isn’t time management. Timing is about aligning actions with a certain moment to maximize effect. What you do is important, but when you do it is just as important.

That is a core part of Glow15—when you eat, when you exercise, and when you sleep will help you optimize autophagy and get the results you want. That’s because autophagy is influenced by your circadian rhythm, your natural waking and sleeping cycle. Think of it as a symphony: Your brain is the conductor, your body is the orchestra, and your circadian rhythm sets the beat, helping your body to stay in time. You can make physiological, mental, and behavioral changes by understanding your body’s 24-hour clock.

The autophagy-activating actions you take sync up with when you do them through that cycle. Recent research has shown that autophagy is rhythmically activated by our internal clocks. And that cycle is key to making it work efficiently.

To that end, you will find that cycling is a major theme of Glow15. Cycling may be something you’re not used to. Rather than forming a habit and doing the same thing every single day, you’ll be creating a rhythm of turning autophagy on and off.

The idea is that if you’re constantly in a state of having your cells just do the jobs they’re supposed to do, they don’t have time to renew and rest and clean themselves out. You have to strike a balance—turning on autophagy because it naturally slows down as we age and because it’s naturally turned off during our normal routines.

This on/off cycle provides a natural rhythm to your body’s cells. Considering the way I’ve talked about autophagy, you may think you want it revving around the clock, but in your body, as in life, you can have too much of a good thing. Calories are designed to help us by providing energy to our bodies so we can function, but what happens if we have too much of a good thing? Those calories get stored as fat, which can have a host of negative consequences. Think about your immune system: It’s designed to fight off invaders of all sorts—bacteria, viruses, and more. But sometimes an overactive immune system can destroy healthy cells; that’s what autoimmune diseases are—a form of friendly fire. That’s the way to think about autophagy: It’s a process that declines when we age, so we need to bolster it, but we don’t want it activated 24/7. When we achieve that balance, activating autophagy in reasonable amounts, we’ll find the ultimate life boosts.

Think of it as exhaling and inhaling. We can’t do one without the other, and it’s the back-and-forth of this process that makes breathing work. We’ll be doing that here, too—activating and deactivating autophagy. But instead of doing it with your lungs, you’ll be doing it with slight adjustments to your day.

In lots of ways, timing is a funny thing. Most people will chalk up “timing” to some supernatural force. Coincidence. Luck. Fate. Yes, that certainly seems to be the case many times. But when it comes to our bodies, timing is not luck. It’s strategy.

Principle 5: Make Glow15 Your Own

I once read that to “break the rules you must master them.” That’s how I want you to think about Glow15. I’m going to get you started with specific instructions and then you’re going to take them, learn from them, and build your own way of living the Glow15 life.

Learning any skill is about a set of progressions—you start with the basics that act as a foundation you build upon until, eventually, you’re doing your own thing.

Take a look at music in particular. My daughter plays guitar, and my son plays the piano. They learned those skills the way anyone does: by first learning the notes and scales and practicing them to get a sense of how everything works together. They practice the parts, and then they put them together. They worked their way up to songs, and if they keep on going, they’re going to use the skills they’ve learned to do even more—maybe create their own songs, maybe improv within songs, and definitely add their own style and voice to whatever they play. They will do what any musician or artist does: take the tools we all have access to and then make them their own.

That’s exactly what I want you to do with Glow15: Learn the notes and scales—and then feel free to improvise and make it your own. It is my hope that you take the main tactics and principles of Glow15 and create your own symphony of sorts.

I picked fifteen days because that’s enough time for you to see some powerful and motivating results, be inspired, and learn to start forming new habits. It’s also enough time to see what notes you like to play and how you can riff—to make the plan your own. There’s also evidence, according to a study published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine, that autophagy can be accelerated within fifteen days, which can give you that kick-start to see some of your work in action.

Glow15 Success Story

Sarah “I did it for my daughter”

“When I first began Glow15, I was keeping a secret. I hid it from friends and coworkers and, most significantly, I kept it from my teenage daughter. I could never let her know how much I hated the way I looked and felt—fat, ugly, and disgusting. And worse, my daughter, BaileyAnn, could never see how it affected my self-esteem. In my mind, this was not supposed to be important, this was vain. I’m the funny, smart one—and that’s more valuable than being the pretty one, or that’s what I wanted her to believe, anyway. But how could I tell BaileyAnn that I want her to have my heart and not my looks? Then I started Glow15 and things changed. First, I had a plan—something that told me what to eat, how to sleep, when to move, and what to use. And secondly, I realized that the best way to influence how my daughter feels about herself was to start taking care of myself. For the first time since BaileyAnn was born (that was 16 years ago!)—I put me first. I never really thought about the emergency info you get on an airplane: ‘help yourself before your child’—but all of a sudden, it made sense. Slowly, I started helping myself. I began to follow the plan—and I even started a skincare routine. This may not sound like a big deal, but up until now, I’ve used bar soap and water—that’s it—to care for my skin. And to my surprise (and delight!)—people noticed: My husband started giving me more compliments—he told me I glowed the way I had the day I walked down the aisle. My coworkers wanted to know what I did or where I went that left me so ‘radiant.’ But the best was, and is, BaileyAnn. Not only did she notice a change in how I looked, but, for the first time in her life, she knows there are no secrets about how I feel.”

Like any biological function, autophagy will work differently in every person. I designed Glow15 for you to customize it into your own unique approach to attack accelerated aging. And when you’re done with those fifteen days, my guess is that you’ll be silently saying to yourself, Encore! Encore! Encore!

Now let’s see how the big-picture principles turn into the strategies that you will use on Glow15 when it comes to the major areas of your health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and beauty.