The all-energy foodie dishes on how her priorities are changing in a new stage of life: "I only take on causes that are close to my heart."
TV Chef Carla Hall Serves Up Something Unexpected This Season
Published on Dec. 05, 2024
Cooking is about love, and that vibe is right-on when you think of Carla Hall, a renowned chef who was first introduced to TV audiences on Top Chef before co-hosting the daily talk show The Chew for seven years.
Now Hall is a regular on various Food Network programs, but she’s also serving up something new: an increased awareness of RSV and how to prevent it. Hall, who recently rang in a new decade, is a spokesperson for the Sideline RSV campaign to spread awareness about the risk for RSV among older adults, like herself, and what they can do to help protect themselves. Read on to see what the bubbly media personality recently learned about RSV—and what she’s looking forward to this holiday season.
This interview has been edited for length.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Carla, our readers probably know you best from your appearances on several food-based shows over the years. So first we’d love to know: How do you weave your passion for food into a healthy lifestyle? And do you have a health regimen?
Carla Hall: Creating healthy recipes or tweaking recipes to make them healthier is a way I combine my passion for food and health. It’s easy to do—first off, you start with whole ingredients, so you know what’s in it—[and] you know how much salt, sugar, and fat [are used]. Secondly, you can always cut back on salt by using fresh herbs and citrus; you can also choose healthier fats combined with a little butter.
Especially now that I’m 60 years old—affectionately called “sexty”—I need to make sure I stay on top of my health so I can keep doing the things I love. For me, part of that includes conversations with my doctor about my risks for certain illnesses and doing what I can to help protect myself, like getting vaccinated against RSV.
The Healthy: Let’s talk more about that. Why did you decide to champion this RSV cause? Do you have a personal connection to it?
Carla Hall: I am excited to be partnering with GSK on the Sideline RSV campaign. Growing up with a mother who was an infection control nurse and having a husband who has worked in a government public health capacity, [it’s] shown me the importance of being proactive about my health. I want to inspire fellow older adults and their loved ones to understand their risk of RSV and what they can do to help protect against it.
I only take on causes that are close to my heart, and this is a very personal campaign for me, especially because I am now 60 and I just got vaccinated at my local pharmacy. I am also telling all my friends and family about it as well. Keeping it real! I was surprised when my doctor told me about the risks of severe RSV for older adults, and that I fell into an at-risk category. The CDC recommends a single dose of RSV vaccination for adults aged 75 and older, or for those aged 60 to 74 with specific risk factors. I thought, “If I didn’t know this, chances are others don’t either.”
I also learned that approximately 177,000 adults 65 years and older are hospitalized due to RSV in the U.S. each year. Many people may know that RSV affects infants and young children, but the reality is that anyone can contract RSV—and those at an increased risk for severe illness from RSV include older adults. For most people, RSV causes only mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, dry coughing, sore throat, headache, or low-grade fever. However, in certain people—such as older adults, including those with certain health conditions like chronic heart or lung disease—RSV can develop into pneumonia and may lead to hospitalization or even death.
Since there is no specific treatment for RSV, it’s important to talk about your risk and vaccination—education and taking preventative steps is so important! Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your RSV risk and vaccination and visit SidelineRSV.com to learn more.
The Healthy: As a cook, do the holidays exhaust you or energize you?
Carla Hall: The holidays are such a special time to create memories with one another. It’s all about sharing, caring, and loving one another. Right now, we aren’t just in the holiday season, but we are also in RSV season, so it’s the perfect time to get the conversation going. We’re all looking forward to gathering with loved ones, cooking and sharing meals, and making memories—no one wants to be potentially sidelined by RSV. We want to enjoy those special holiday moments!
For more wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
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