5 Ways to Look Great at any Age

Women, it is time that you embrace your beauty, be confident in who you are (and how you look), and accept aging as a challenge to age gracefully. I know, I know, you all are rolling your eyes. The same old phrase that we have been trying to magically escape for decades with plastic surgery, injections, pills, and schemes. There is no escaping and there is no magic pill, but that may be a blessing in disguise. There are many things you can do to remain youthful as you near your 30’s, 40’s, & 50′,s and beyond. I am not a doctor, but I do come from a generation of women that have been successful at staying youthful naturally and keeping the grace alive as we age. Here are my top 5 (favorite) tips on staying youthful as you age.

1) The first one is boring, you’ve all heard it a million times. Drink lots of water. However, I will take it a step further and add to this, drink less of everything else! Very little (preferably zero) soda’s, juices, and anything touted as an energy drink. You do not have to drink plain water! I am literally addicted to sparkling water. I could drink it by the gallon every day. I buy the Whole Foods Brand Sparkling water from Italy in the big glass bottles by the case and if it weren’t for my cost-conscious thrifty nature, I would drink it continually.

I know some of you do not like the bubbles, so another awesome way to get water in your body is through tea. The herbal kind, not the ‘other fake’ kind. I will also give you a bonus with this number 1 youthful tip and say to drink Green Tea. Tazo is a great brand of tea and has a yummy green tea flavor. Green tea has been shown to block the signaling network that is linked with the progression of cancer. Studies have shown that it reduces the risk of breast cancer and it is now being tested to prevent bladder, colorectal, & lung cancers.

Green tea is a great weight loss tool as well. It has been shown to rev up the metabolism and also helps keep your brain sharp as you age. Other herbal tea combinations can help with all sorts of problem areas. There are calming teas, detox teas, digestive aid teas, and many many more. Drink water, tea, bubble water… you get the point.

2) De-stress. Women are faced with many challenges today, honestly we always have been. One of the worst things for your body in all ways is stress. Stress will age you dramatically. We need to relax a little more, and this can be achieved very easily in small time dosages. One of the better ways to help you de-stress is to meditate and/or breathe. Taking a few minutes a day to meditate in a quiet, uninterrupted area can be amazing for your mind.

I am a strong advocate for having the parental bedroom be strictly for the parents. I understand in our society, most families have open door policies and I also understand that to each his own…however, for me and my house, the parental bedroom is for the parents. It is the special intimate place. Peace, quiet, love, etc. all are better with an adult only section of the house. When I need to take a second and breathe, I head to my room. I know it is my safety zone, and I can easily be re-charged. If you remember growing up, it was typically the norm to not enter the parents room unless you asked. You also rarely asked.

Breathing. Many benefits of breathing. It relaxes and calms. Deep breaths have been shown to be very beneficial for the lungs, and it fights off anxiety or any type of nervousness. Take a moment to sit and meditate or just sit and breathe. Long deep breaths emptying out all the air in your lungs and filling them back up slowly. The old saying count to 10 is the same philosophy. This brings us to number 3.

3)Exercise. Beyond the typical exercise regime, I want to focus on two forms that you can embrace. Yoga and/or pilates. I personally have done pilates for years. Pilates has been shown to increase flexibility, increase body awareness, increase your posture and balance, and it is great for the prevention and treatment of back, neck, & shoulder pain. If you just look at the life of Romana Kryzanowska, one of the original students of Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara, you can see the benefits it had for her entire well-being. One of my instructors, Christina Gadar, is another great example of the benefits of pilates. Her posture and flexibility are unparallel to anyone I’ve ever met.

Yoga is very beneficial as well. Many yoga poses have been shown to actually oxygenate the cells of the body and keep things moving inside. Start one with a qualified instructor today. At any level, I think you will instantly see results.

4)Skin-care. OK, I know this topic could be 100 blogs all on its own, but I am going to summarize and break it down to basic skin care moisturizers and make-up. I will keep make-up even shorter and just say that make-up should be minimized. Make-up should be replaced often, not shared with others, and keep all brushes and applicators clean. Replace them often as well. I am not a big fan of make-up. I think it makes many women actually look older when applied to a maximum amount. I understand women love their makeup though, so just try and keep those things in mind when using and applying.

Moisturizers and daily regimes. It is most important that you clean your face at night. With make-up and all the extremities that we face, it is good practice to clean the face and get rid of all things clogging. As far as what to do next, again, keep it simple. You don’t need 5 creams every night. Some of the great ingredients for our skin are retinol, Madecassol, Vitamin C, DMAE, & AHA’s such as glycolic acid, and BHA’s which is salicylic acid.

One of the greatest places to buy your skincare products are from vitacost.com. They are a superstore and have all natural, organic, and even non-GMO products at (here’s the best part) discount prices! Some of my favorite brands are Alba Botanica (Natural Even Advanced Sea Plus Renewal Night Cream), Reviva Labs (Alpha Lipoic AcidVitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream), & Derma E (Firming Moisturizer with DMAE Alpha Lipoic Acid & C-Ester). All very great creams. Other good brands to peruse include Devita and Andalou Naturals.

Sunscreen is one of the most important skincare items, so it must be mentioned as well. My favorite sunscreen is Neova Ti-Silc Sheer SPC 45. It is a great anti-aging, sunscreen, moisturizer, and concealer all in one. It can be found at neova.com or at dermstore.com, and I’m sure many dermatologists and skincare spas carry it locally as well. The most important thing to put on your face, sunscreen!

Goji berries have 500 X more Vitamin C than oranges.

5)Superfoods. We’ve all heard the name, many of us have researched and started eating some of these superfoods. We kind of view them as magic pills in a way, every time we eat a goji berry we automatically feel younger right? I do! It’s great. Goji berries have 500 X more Vitamin C than oranges. It is the most abundant source of carotenoids, a type of antioxidant. It has more iron than spinach, 18 amino acids, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and Vitamins B1, B2, B6, & E. They’ve also been known to stimulate the release of Human Growth Hormone. HGH helps to reduce fat, improves memory, boosts libido, and enhances your immune system, just to name a few.

Pomegranates are another great superfood. Pomegranates have been found to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Some new studies have shown that it can possibly delay the onset of some forms of cancer.

Salmon, walnuts, sardines, and other forms of Omega 3’s. The good kind of fat, the Omega 3’s, are very vital to helping keep the skin radiant and healthy. They also help pull out stored fat for usage, stabilize your moods, and reduce inflammation. Wild Alaskan Salmon has the lowest levels of toxins and is probably one of the best choices to purchase. Other North American varieties that are good are Sockeye, Coho, & Pink. Wild salmon over farmed is always going to be a better choice as well.

Blueberries, the last one I will mention. Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, blueberries are high in potassium and vitamin C, and are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the key driver in all types of chronic diseases, so blueberries clearly offer many health benefits.

I love coming up with new ways to make me feel more youthful. Everyone can use tips to help now and then, and it’s good to personalize and find out which things work best for your body and skin. As you embark on your journey to become youthful, keep in mind that a positive attitude and a personal awareness and acceptance are also important. It starts from the inside.  Just Say No to Aging Ungracefully!