Cheryl Ladd On Seeing Better Than Before
Before there was Xena or Agent Scully or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there was Cheryl Ladd. Cheryl became one of Charlie’s Angels in its second year in 1977, when she joined her two fellow heroines to take down criminals and villains by all manners of derring-do. They were the super-talented, powerful females who, combined with their superhuman Wonder Woman and Bionic Woman contemporaries, led the way to a mainstream American acceptance of the fact that we women can kick butt just as well as Batman and Superman.
When her time as an TV Angel ended, the iconic actress, singer and author went on to add even more television, movies and discography to her already stellar career, all the while managing to look ageless
But, like the rest of us mere morals, she noticed that there was something that was holding her back from continuing to achieve the quality of life she most desired. Indeed, it was giving her, among many other visual issues, struggles on the set and confusion on the golf course. In her case, the culprits were cataracts, a common condition that is, simply said, a clouding of one or both of the clear lenses of the eye.
I recently spoke with Cheryl, not only about her health, beauty and fitness secrets but also, in recognition of Cataract Awareness Month, about her own personal journey with cataracts and the process that gave her even better eyesight than before.
JWM: Cheryl, I must start by with asking you the question that has been on all of our minds. Given that a milestone birthday is coming up for you, how do you maintain your ageless beauty?
CL: I’ve just been active from the time I was a child. I was a gymnast, I danced, I climbed trees, I built forts. It was just part of my nature. It’s how God made me. I started out with a lot of energy, and I’ve continued to be energetic throughout my life.
JWM: Any beauty advice you can share?
CL: I’m on camera a lot so maintaining a youthful appearance is a part of my life. But I don’t obsess about it. I just work really hard at taking the best care of myself, my skin in particular.
JWM: Let’s talk fitness. What is your favorite workout?
CL: I do Pilates. I love Pilates. I take a Zoom class with my daughter who lives in LA. My husband and I walk all the time. At our age, I think it’s really good for us. We protect our joints while still getting a lot of benefits.
JWM: Favorite fitness tips?
CL: You must get up and move. Invite some friends to walk with you. The more you are with others, the more it becomes fun. You know how women like to talk about their families, talk about their kids, talk about their worries? I find it a wonderful time to have that company and get exercise at the same time.
JWM: Of course, achieving optimal health is not just about exercise. It’s also what you eat. As I always say, you are what you eat. Do you have any go-to healthy meals?
CL: I think what you eat, the fuel you put in your body, is extremely important. I am careful about that. I don’t eat a lot of processed or packaged anything. I try to keep it as natural as possible. It doesn’t hurt that my husband is an exceptional chef.
JWM: What’s your daily diet like?
CL: It includes a lot of fruit and vegetables. Generally speaking, I have three small oranges when I get up in the morning since I like to start off the day with fruit. Apples are also good. I tend to only eat one good-sized meal a day, which is dinner. Everything my husband cooks is fresh which makes a huge difference. It’s not like we don’t have a vanilla ice cream cone every now and then. Of course, we do. How you could live without it! Overall, though, we are very healthy eaters.
JWM: How do you manage stress in the day to day?
CL: Wow. I try not to be stressed, but in this world and certainly through the COVID year, it was very hard for any of us to not feel the stress. We were careful about not going out, and when we did, we wore masks, washed our hands frequently and didn’t get close to anyone. Some people in my family did get COVID-19, but they got through it. Mostly, I just made sure I got enough sleep. Also, one of my favorite things ever in life is to read a good book, to put your life in that life. That really saved my sanity.
JWM: Do you have a special mantra that helps to keep you grounded?
CL: I’m a Christian and I believe God has his hand on me all the time. That takes a lot of pressure off of me. I pray a lot. God speaks to me in different ways. He also has a good sense of humor. He surprises me all the time. I just think something and then it happens. I hadn’t even asked for it, and it’s there. I feel a real connection to Him. It relieves a lot of my thinking that I’m in control. He is, in fact, in control. And as long as I understand that, I’m happy. And happiness is a choice.
JWM: I agree a hundred percent. And if you aren’t a naturally ‘glass is half full person,’ you have to practice happiness everyday, like an instrument. As far as believing in a higher power, as I always tell my audience, spirituality is not something you do, it’s something you are! You are! I am! It’s a great connection. Okay, let’s switch gears for a moment and talk about cataracts, namely about your personal journey.
CL: I didn’t really have any information about cataracts. I just began to realize that my sight wasn’t as good as it used to be. It was gradually getting worse and worse. That said, if your readers feel like their vision isn’t what it used to be, I suggest they go immediately to an eye doctor to find out what is going on. When the doctor told me I had cataracts, I was surprised because, as I said, I didn’t really much about it.
JWM: When did you notice that cataracts were getting in the way of your active lifestyle?
CL: It was so gradual at first. Then all of a sudden, I’d go out driving at night and I wasn’t as confident. The headlights were starting to get very blurry. I couldn’t tell how far away the car was that was coming at me. I was having trouble reading, even with reading glasses. The world was kind of closing in and getting smaller. I thought, ‘What is happening to my eyes?’ So, I went and got them checked.
JWM: What did your doctor recommend?
CL: In some cases, even if you do have a cataract, your doctor might tell you to wait till it’s a certain size. In my case, though, surgery was necessary.
JWM: And did that ultimately change your life for the better?
CL: It has made an enormous difference. Truthfully, I had been afraid that maybe I’d never have the vision I had before. But now I can see like a 12-year-old. Thankfully, you can choose a lens that you want to have put in. I opted for the PanOptix lens. And it has opened up my world once again. I can now see my computer screen and read tiny print with no problem. I can watch my golf ball, hopefully, go straight down the middle of the fairway. I have amazing sight. And I don’t need any type of glasses. I couldn’t be more grateful and happy. The PanOptix lens has given me all of my optimism back.
JWM: That’s amazing. What other advice do you have for others who also want to look and feel Better Than Before?
CL: When you’re in the world, you are the captain of your ship. Captain your ship well. Care for it. Keep it healthy. Keep it strong. The only person who can do that is you. I am going to be 70 years old. I feel 30. Some days, I may go ‘Eh. I am going to lay around and read my book.’ But, overall, I’ve taken very good care of myself and it has paid off.
JWM: To your point, someone once told me, ‘take good care of yourself because you are the only self you have!’ Final thoughts?
CL: If your vision is getting dim, I encourage you to go get it checked. There is a good chance you may have cataracts. There is a fix for that. That’s why it is so great to be living in this day and age.
JWM: Is there a website my audience can log onto for more information?
CL: Go to mycataracts.com. There is a ton of help there.
JWM: Thank you so much, Cheryl Ladd. You continue to inspire us all to look and feel Better Than Before, physically, emotionally and spiritually. And for that we are very grateful.
