Tracey Racen, 59: Reclaiming Health and Vitality

With Morton Downey Jr. as her dad, Tracey had a unique childhood but not one that she regrets. Despite being controversial, he taught her she could do anything she put her mind to, and there has been very little that has stopped her. Her motto when faced with naysayers is: “Just watch me.” Yea, you go, Tracey. 

Like many of us, she has had some health challenges, including having a gastric bypass operation which caused her considerable problems. Now she is fully back and loving life, having found a supplement solution out of New Zealand that has allowed her to get her energy back. She is now exercising with a zeal she has not had in years. This newfound energy and her much younger work team have Tracy feeling vital while staying focused on essential self-care. 

How old are you?
59.

Where are you living?
Defiance, Missouri, the oldest viticulture, or wine-growing, region in the US. (Defiance is known as the Napa of Missouri.)

Where are you from? 
Originally, born in La Jolla, CA.

What is your line of work?
I’m the Vice President of Sales for Savorly, an elevated frozen appetizer and sides company based in Brooklyn, NY, with European roots. @savorlyus 

How do you manage your work-life balance?
(Ha Ha!) Still working on it. I’ve always been a workaholic, and balance was not part of my vocabulary. It’s only been the last couple of years that I began to understand there is a timeline to life on Earth. 

“Anything is possible if you set your mind to it”

You are the oldest member of your team by quite a margin. What are you learning from your younger co-workers?
Work-life balance! I have a great founder who understands each of us at our core. He purchased the team a premium subscription to Calm, and he checks in and makes sure I am stepping away from my computer without feeling guilty. The team works hard, understands boundaries, and are all great examples of how life should be enjoyed. I learn from them each day. 

How do they regard you?
Young at heart, energetic, and confident, but aware of my weaknesses.  

What does your younger team learn from you? 
The same thing my father taught me: that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.  Obstacles are opportunities to problem solve, and age is just a number.

You had gastric bypass surgery many years ago. How has that affected your health?
I had a very invasive procedure called an “Open R-N-Y.” I have several issues that I must watch. Malnutrition, malabsorption, and dehydration are the biggest. The surgery was a great tool for me as I was very heavy before it but if I had it to do over, I probably would have done a procedure that didn’t restructure my gut. 

“After 3 months, I actually have fewer wrinkles…I had no idea that would happen”

You have had some experience with supplements. You recently started taking Cel 1,2,3 from SRW. What have you seen?
I take all three 2x per day. Within the first couple of weeks, I noticed an increase in my energy levels. I hadn’t worked out in over 18 months and, suddenly, I started to feel like I had the energy to get going again. 

But now, after 3 months, I actually have fewer wrinkles; it’s like they’re softening. It’s crazy. I had no idea that would happen. A year ago, I was doing Botox. I had a reaction, I had to stop it completely. Now, I look like I have had Botox. I’ve had nothing. There’s nothing in my system. 

And then of course, the energy has just continued to be excellent. I actually now have a coach. I’m gonna be ready for bikini season! I’ve never been able to wear one a day in my life, and now, because I have so much energy, I absolutely have to go on the treadmill. I have to; my body says it needs to move. And so it’s crazy that after the full three months of taking SRW, I really saw so much improvement. So it’s pretty insane, but I still can’t believe that my face is changing, the softening in the wrinkles in my face is astounding.

“Because I have so much energy, I absolutely have to go on the treadmill”

So you’ve gone from not really being able to move too quickly to having so much energy that you have to work out every day?
Yes. Literally, I had not worked out in a year and a half because I could barely move. I was getting out of bed, getting my shower, getting to my desk, working all day, being so exhausted, going back to eat dinner and sitting in the chair. I couldn’t do anything. And after 2 weeks of taking SRW, I felt a little burst of energy. Then after about 2.5 months, it was when I was like, oh my god, I can’t sit here anymore. I need to move. I’m working out with a coach, it’s only been a couple of weeks with him, but my energy just keeps getting higher and higher.

How’s your sleep?
So, sleep, that’s another one — because I still have off-days where I’m at, like, 6.5 hours. But for the most part, I’m averaging 7 to 7:20 a night. Before SRW, I was only averaging 6 to 6:15. So I’m getting a full extra hour of sleep at night. I don’t see as many dark circles under my eyes, which is also amazing.

How did you discover SRW?
I belong to an entrepreneurs start-up group where someone there asked if I was interested in basically being a guinea pig to try their products. And I said: Sure, let me check it out, and let’s have a conversation. I told them all about my gastric bypass surgery because I have malabsorption issues. I thought they might not even work for me, and it may be why it took a little bit longer for me. But it’s working; I’m obviously absorbing. It’s proof that it works even if you don’t have the first 18 inches of your small intestine; I’m still absorbing the nutrients that they’re giving me, and it’s working.

“I feel that SRW is very safe and just an incredible product”

What are your thoughts on SRW being created by scientists? Why did you choose their products?
I think that’s very important. Very. I mean, there’s so many supplements out there that say they’re natural, they’re this and that. There’s so much that science brings, and I think that having the science backing and understanding how the body works at a metabolic level and down to a cellular level is very important. The fact that it’s not weird, funky chemicals that are going to create problems is even a bigger bonus because I know a lot of people who will go to any extreme, even if it’s risky. But I feel that SRW is very safe and just an incredible product.

I chose Cel 1,2,3 for several reasons, but a big one is that SRW uses biotechnology and has well-researched ingredients to address aging. 

Does having the products designed by scientists give you an added layer of trust?
100%. And then also the fact that it’s coming out of New Zealand adds reputability for me. Because they are so sustainable and ecologically attuned. There’s a lot of quality that goes into products that I’ve had from New Zealand that you don’t necessarily get if it’s a US-based product.

What are your general thoughts on health and wellness? How much emphasis do you put on those?
For me, it’s very important. I had been very big, overweight, and unhealthy for many years. I was an unhealthy 300 lbs before my gastric bypass surgery. So for me, health and wellness are extremely important, which is why it was bothering me that, at 58 years old, I was waking up with such crazy aches and pains. I was like, “Something’s gotta give; I can’t live like this. I’m 58 years old. I shouldn’t be in this much pain every day when I wake up.” And that was part of my reasoning for trying this product, seeing what happens, and then starting to get enough energy and actually feeling well enough to be able to start working out.

With your new energy from the SRW supplements, what sort of activities have you been able to add to your life that you couldn’t do before?
As I mentioned earlier, I hadn’t had the energy or mental motivation to work out. I’m back to regular Pilates, waking up invigorated and ready to start the day. When I visit my granddaughters, I can dance and play longer. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to support their body’s ability to recover faster and maintain or increase their energy as they age.

What is your ambition for the next 10 years?
To increase my mental and physical agility so I can continue doing what I love, working and mentoring others.

“I’m Daddy’s girl and am grateful he was mine”

You had a well-known father. What was it like growing up?
My father is the late Morton Downey Jr, known for his late-night talk show in the ’80s. But he wasn’t Morton Downey Jr. when I was a little girl. He didn’t find his fame and fortune until I was already married and had children. When I grew up, he was actually a lobbyist on Capitol Hill. He founded the World Mercy Fund and built hospitals in Nigeria. He wrote the national anthem for the right to life. And when I was 11, he decided he wanted to get rid of everything political and moved to California, and then he decided to go back into show business. He was brilliant. He got up and read four newspapers every single morning. He always knew everything about pop culture. His show was admittedly very controversial.

He always told me that I could be or do anything I set my mind to. Our house, like his show, could be volatile at times but he was so much more than what was portrayed on television. He was the dad who took me fishing at 3 am just so I got to experience it, not because it was his hobby. I’m Daddy’s girl and am grateful he was mine. 

What are your weekends like? 
I usually run errands on Saturdays, clean and do laundry on Sundays, go do a float tank session every 4-6 weeks, occasionally have a massage, or get my nails done.   

Are you planning any trips this summer? 
Yes, my husband and I will head to his family’s property at the Lake of the Ozarks a couple of times. I’m also planning a long weekend, destination unknown, and I’m sure we will go to California to see our granddaughters and our three California-based adult children.

What are your hobbies now? 
I’ve stopped my favorite hobby, beekeeping, because of my work schedule. Other than that, my passion has always been food, product development, and doing things people say I can’t do…my answer is: WATCH ME!

What is your philosophy of living? 
Be kind, treat others the way you want to be treated, make others feel special, and always have an attitude of gratitude.

What are the 3 non-negotiables in your life today?
Kindness, honesty, and self-care.

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