This week the Glam Gals of Fabulous After Forty  are hosting Fashion Flash.   In addition to fashion and beauty advice, they now have celebrity news and I am looking forward to their Oscar coverage.   There seemed to be two  main  styles of gowns– strapless ball gowns for the younger stars  and V neck long sleeve sheaths for the over 40 crowd.  I’m not sure  if I liked  the latter.  I remember from my mother of the bride days ( married two daughters in three years), that  the designers found clever ways to get the ball gown effect without   baring arms.  One dress offered the option of a little bolero jacket over a strapless  A line satin gown.  Another added little chiffon drapings over the upper arms with  a fitted bodice.  My all time favorite was a shirtwaist style top with a full  satin skirt that has almost too big to get through a door.  The long sleeve sheaths at the  Oscars  just seemed to be a bit dowdy.  Any thoughts?

Book of the Week

 When I was a young girl, the Swiss health clinics were one of the  perks of the very rich that included Greta Garbo and   Elizabeth Taylor.   From injections of embryonic lamb cells  to  long   soaks in hot minerals baths, these remedies were standard for the rich and famous over 40.  So when I saw “The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health” by Dr Thomas Rau on the pile of discount books, I  plucked up  a copy for myself.

The first third of the book is pretty  dense science.  I know that I can be a science wonk, but these long discussions on  lymph glands, hyperacidity, and  toxic load  put me into an  infomation haze.   When  Dr Rau actually got to his Swiss Detox Diet , I finally began to understand  how its concepts actually worked.  The basis of his approach   is focused on increasing the alkalinity of the body which he  believes can  treat  everything  from allergies to cancer.  It  is very similar to the approach of  Crazy Sexy Cancer by Kris Carr  but not nearly as much fun.   However  the last third of  Dr Rau’s  book has a  useful collection of recipes that help the body reduce toxins and restore PH balance.  They are also easy to do and genuinely tasty.  Most were gluten free and dishes like Asian baked cod and zucchini lasagna were so good, no one believed they were from a detox style diet book.