Recently, I stumbled onto one of the coolest things I’ve ever found: Marilyn Monroe’s complete health plan, circa 1952. Apparently¹, Ms. Monroe gave Pageant² magazine a huge exclusive, complete with sauna tour, diet advice, workout tips, and plenty of bon mots about her lifestyle. It was just too much of a gem³ not to share, so I’ve reproduced it here. I’m not advocating Marilyn’s diet, but it’s a fascinating look at one of the 20th century’s most iconic women. The text is a little hard to read, so I transcribed⁴ Marilyn’s quotes below. Enjoy! —Lacey Gattis

How I Stay in Shape, By Marilyn Monroe

"Frankly⁵, I’ve never considered my own figure so exceptional; until quite recently, I seldom gave it any thought at all. My biggest single concern used to be getting enough to eat. Now I have to worry about eating too much. I never used to bother with exercises. Now I spend at least 10 minutes each morning working out with small weights. I have evolved my own exercises, for the muscles I wish to keep firm, and I know they are right for me because I can feel them putting the proper muscles into play as I exercise."

She Doesn’t Like To Feel Regimented

"Exercise. Each morning after I brush my teeth, wash my face and shake off the first deep layer of sleep, I lie down on the floor beside my bed and begin my first exercise. It is a simple bust-firming routine which consists of lifting five-pound weights from a spread-eagle arm position to a point directly above my head. I do this 15 times, slowly. I repeat the exercise another 15 times from a position with my arms above my head. Then, with my arms at a 45-degree angle from the floor, I move my weights in circles until I’m tired. I don’t count rhythmically⁶ like the exercise people on the radio; I couldn’t stand exercise if I had to feel regimented about it."

How To Feel Blond All Over

"Sports. I have never cared especially for outdoor sports, and have no desire to excel at tennis, swimming, or golf. I’ll leave those things to the men. Despite its great vogue⁷ in California, I don’t think sun-tanned skin is any more attractive than white skin, or any healthier, for that matter. I’m personally opposed to a deep tan because I like to feel blond all over. By nature, I suppose I have a languorous⁸ disposition⁹. I hate to do things in a hurried, tense atmosphere, and it is virtually impossible for me to spring out of bed in the morning. On Sunday, which is my one day of total leisure, I sometimes take two hours to wake up, luxuriating in every last moment of drowsiness¹⁰. Depending upon my activities, I sleep between five and ten hours every night. I sleep in an extra-wide single bed, and I use only one heavy down comforter over me, summer or winter. I have never been able to wear pajamas¹¹ or creepy nightgowns; they disturb my sleep."

A Set of Bizarre Eating Habits

"Breakfast. I’ve been told that my eating habits are absolutely bizarre, but I don’t think so. Before I take my morning shower, I start warming a cup of milk on the hot plate I keep in my hotel room. When it’s hot, I break two raw eggs into the milk, whip them up with a fork, and drink them while I’m dressing¹². I supplement this with a multi-vitamin pill, and I doubt if any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry. Dinner. My dinners at home are startlingly simple. Every night I stop at the market near my hotel and pick up a steak, lamb chops or some liver, which I broil¹³ in the electric oven in my room. I usually eat four or five raw carrots with my meat, and that is all. I must be part rabbit; I never get bored with raw carrots. P.S. It’s a good thing, I suppose, that I eat simply during the day, for in recent months I have developed the habit of stopping off at Wil Wright’s ice cream parlor¹⁴ for a hot fudge sundae on my way home from my evening drama classes. I’m sure that I couldn’t allow myself this indulgence were it not that my normal diet is composed almost totally of protein foods."

最近，我无意中发现了一件超酷炫的事情：约在1952年玛丽莲·梦露完整的健康计划。显然，梦露向《万象》杂志详细描述了她那独特的生活方式，包括桑拿浴旅行，饮食建议，运动秘诀。这么珍贵的东西不分享太不够意思了，所以我把它复制了过来。其实我并不是提倡梦露的饮食习惯，但了解一下二十世纪最有标志性的女性人物之一，是一件多么赏心悦目的事情。那篇文章读起来有点费劲，所以我摘录了她的语句。尽情享受吧！——莱西·加蒂丝

我如何保持身材——玛丽莲·梦露

“说实话，我从来没有特别留意过自己的身材；直到最近，我也没有想太多。以前我只担心是吃不饱，而现在我不得不担心吃得太多；以前我从来不做运动，现在每天早上我至少花十分钟的时间来健身。我发明了属于我自己的运动方法，因为我希望我的肌肉保持结实。我知道这是适合我的方法，因为当我运动的时候，我能感觉到它把我想要的部位运动起来。”

她不愿意感觉受到管制

“健身篇——每天清早，刷完牙，洗完脸，从深度睡眠中清醒过来后，我会躺在床边开始健身。这是简单的收拢运动，双臂一字舒展，拿起重五磅的哑铃举至头部正上方。我会慢慢地做这个动作十五遍，之后反方向重复做十五遍。然后，手臂离地面四十五度角，举着哑铃不停地绕圈直到感觉累了。我不像收音机里的人做运动那样有节奏地数着节拍，因为如果我感觉受到运动的管制，我就不能继续做下去。”

如何保持肌肤雪白

“运动篇——我对户外运动没什么兴趣，而且我从来没有打算在网球，游泳或者高尔夫做出一番成绩。我觉得这些运动是专属于男人的。尽管古铜色的皮肤在加州很流行，然而我丝毫不觉得它比白皮肤更加有魅力，或者更健康。我是天生性情慵懒的人，我很讨厌在急促、紧张的氛围下做事，所以早上立刻从床上蹦起来对我来说是根本不可能的事。星期天是我的休息日，有时候我要用两个小时来起床，享受每分每秒意犹未尽的睡意。哪怕工作再忙，我每晚也要睡够五到十个小时。我睡的是特大单人床，无论冬夏我都要盖一张厚厚的被子；我从来不穿睡衣或奇怪的睡袍，它们会影响我的睡眠质量。”

怪异的饮食习惯

“早餐篇——有人说过我的饮食习惯很奇怪，但我并不觉得。在酒店里晨起淋浴前，我会用热盘子热一杯牛奶；当它热了的时候，打两个生鸡蛋进去，并用叉子搅拌，这样我就可以一边穿衣服一边喝了。之后我会吃几片复合维生素。对于一个时间很紧的工作狂来说，没有医生可以推荐比这更有营养的早餐了。晚餐篇——我的晚餐也简单得离谱。每天晚上，我会在酒店旁边的超市买上一块牛排，几块羊排或者一些肝脏，然后回去用烤炉烤熟，再搭配五个生胡萝卜——这就是我的晚餐。我跟个兔子似的，因为我从不会吃腻萝卜。另外我觉得白天吃得简单是好事，因为最近几个月，每天上完戏剧课回家的时候，我习惯在威尔莱特买上一个热巧克力奶油圣代。如果不是因为我平常的饮食以蛋白质食物为主，我一定不会这样放纵自己的。”