The Power of Communities

Seeing food as the bond with health, aging and longevity

I love health, aging, and longevity gatherings and communities. From my perspective at the Fischer Kitchen, food is almost always part of the conversation when these big ideas come up. In addition, we often hear that food, gut health, brain health, and well-being are all connected. Experts provide insights into these links.

Sometimes, we can immediately apply what we learn, like eating carefully and well. Other times, the payoffs are longer-term, and the plans need to be developed. For example, you should be healthy as you get old. It’s easy to order takeout, but you risk getting the wrong kind of food unless you order with care. I’m not alone here. You will find entire communities devoted to the idea of short and long-term health benefits from eating well and forming other good habits as you age.

The Flourishing Mind Symposium: Insights & Takeaways

The Swell is a global community and learning platform that helps people age better. Recently, I attended one of their learning events, The Flourishing Mind Symposium, at Soho House in New York City. There, I heard bestselling authors, a foremost cognitive scientist on happiness, and esteemed psychologists, oncologists, and psychiatrists give the latest insights from their work. Of course, the importance of good food came up during the event.

Here’s what resonated the most with me:

1. Set the Bar Low & Start Small

Dan Harris, the bestselling author of 10% Happier, told the packed house that meditation adds value to your life. He suggested starting small with just one minute a day. If you can keep that going, you’re headed in the right direction.

Favorite quip? When he said one minute of meditation counts – a “daily dish.” I smiled and thought about recipes where I forgot an ingredient (like the honey over the squash!) or something that turned out overcooked (Brussels sprouts are too soft). My advice? Don’t sweat it—take a deep breath. Actually, take a minute. We are not perfect in the Fischer Kitchen, but we try. And I urge you to do the same. If things don’t work out as planned, you’re good anyway.

2. Have an Anchor Person in Your Life

Dr. Aliza Pressman, a developmental psychologist, emphasized the importance of having one person who grounds you. She said people need people, and communities—big or small—lift us. That was echoed by Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist, professor, and author of all in her head.

By the time they were done speaking, it was clear that they viewed people as having nuanced and complex lives that could flourish even under uncertainty. We can enhance our lives by cultivating our minds, bodies, and supportive relationships around us. Food can play a big role in that.

3. Food as Medicine

Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and nutrition specialist, said mood, especially anxiety, is impacted by food. She outlined five key points:

1. How you eat significantly impacts your well-being.

2. Diet influences both physical and emotional health.

3. Your gut is the center of it all.

4. Eat the colors of the rainbow (this sounded like my mother who said: “Make sure there’s a rainbow of colors on your plate.”)

5. Be your advocate—only 20% of doctors are taught nutrition.

I left with her book Calm Your Mind with Food and a firm decision to read it all.

4. Recognizing the Value of Our Emotions

Dr. Laurie Santos (The Science of Well-Being), Ethan Kross (Shift), and Yung Pueblo (The Way Forward) all discussed the power of emotions and inner resilience. A key message from Yung Pueblo: Life is a long series of problem-solving.

And from Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project): Simple aphorisms stay with us. She’s got a new book coming out on April 1, 2025: Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives.
Here’s mine: Cook for your health or your health might get cooked. (Okay, it’s not great, but you get the idea!)

The New Pause Symposium: Menopause & Nutrition

I walked out from The Flourishing Mind Symposium feeling energized and more committed to good health. And this was not my first time at a Swell event. Last year, I attended The Swell’s New Pause Symposium, a full-day event focused on menopause and women’s health at 1 Brooklyn Bridge Hotel. Even though the primary topic was menopause, food came up again and again—because food contributes to how we age, and I thought I’d share a few highlights as a retrospective.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Fitness expert Holly Rilinger emphasized strength-building as we age with deadlifts, squats, chest presses, rowing, and box jumps as well as feeding our bodies good nutrition.

• Dr. Lisa Mosconi (The Menopause Brain) discussed how diet impacts cognition—because the body and brain are connected. As someone who had brain fog during menopause, I have experienced some of this. I ate okay but did not intentionally focus on this problem. Live and learn.

• One of the best aging summaries came from makeup artist and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown: “Aging is a lot of work. It requires exercise, healthy eating, good makeup, and a sense of humor.”

By the way, I realized that the conversations weren’t just for women. They were for men, too, who could benefit from the sage advice. And the word men is literally in menopause—why let them off the hook? Even if they don’t experience it firsthand, they know a woman who does, and it affects them. My husband Phil went right down the menopause rabbit hole with me, so it can be done!

“Never did I think I’d be a ‘menopause’ lady,” said Naomi Watts, CCO & Founder of Stripes. “I’m learning and reaching for the same goals as you. Age with power.”

Age with power—that’s a goal without regard to gender.

Aimee Cox, an Anthropologist and movement Artist, understood the role of power. She said, “Whenever women gather, power is afoot.”

Wellness Communities Rock

Wellness communities can teach you things and help you feel better. I knew a great deal more after attending The Swell events. The Swell is a savvy and innovative group drawing from the best minds to support its community of women over 40 to live the best lives they can. How valuable this is, especially if you have personal challenges. You can find The Swell online to check out their in-person and live-stream events.

Don’t forget, though, that there are other ways to connect with communities. You can find an online group focused on intentional eating and wellness. Follow experts who align with your values.

Most importantly, from my perspective, make your kitchen a wellness hub—because health can start with food. That is why we have the Fischer Kitchen: to encourage this crucial idea. Your kitchen and life are inexplicably tied together.