Welcome My Lovely

In this post let’s talk about 9 Awesome Anti-Aging Secrets…a subject close to ALL our hearts. So far, there’s no magic pill to stop us getting older. But are there any tricks that can keep us looking and feeling fabulous no matter what stage of life we’re in? You bet there are.

Does The Fountain Of Youth Exist?

Sadly no.

But if it did, I guarantee the government would claim ownership and tax it!

Instead, Mother Nature leaves us to our own devices when it comes to combating the signs of aging. But, as is often the case, ‘She’ also makes everything available to those of us who take the time to explore our options.

It will mean choosing not to get your food from a packet, jar or anything containing a barcode…or having to check Google to figure out what some ingredients or weird abbreviations are.

Sorry, just telling it like it is. If you read my blog regularly you’ll know I’m blunt about these issues.

The Truth About Anti-Aging

Many people think wrinkles and fine lines are both things we can’t combat without undergoing surgery, or spending a fortune on skin supplements and treatments, including Botox and fillers.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those people who gets ‘precious’ about women having cosmetic surgery. Quite the opposite in fact. You have to look in the mirror each day, and if having a facelift, eye lift or neck folds removed makes you feel better about yourself, then go for it!

It’s your life, and as far as we know we only have one shot at it (in this human form anyway) so exercise your personal choice and do what’s right for you.

I may even do it myself at some point in the future!

However, before you take that big a step, let’s consider another option for finding an elixir of health.

There are plenty of things you can do to look and feel younger from the inside out, all in the comfort of your home (and without paying a lot of money to do it!).

What do you think is the most important thing you can do in order to slow down the visible aging process?

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Come on…I’m a health coach so take a guess…

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YES!  If you said “change your diet” you are absolutely right.

Your diet is so significant in slowing down the aging process and helping you look and feel years younger.

Proper nutrition that includes powerful minerals, vitamins and nutrients that fine-tune your system, while providing your skin with everything it needs to thrive, is the ultimate way to reverse the signs of aging without surgery.

It’s true.

When it comes to looking younger, there is nothing as effective long-term than when you incorporate powerful anti-aging nutrient-dense foods and some supplements into your diet. Together with following some simple steps to take care of your skin and overall health.

Here Are 9 Awesome Anti-Aging Secrets:

Secret 1 – Protect Yourself From Free-Radicals

What is oxidation and why is it so damaging? I’m sure by now you’ve heard the words free radicals bandied around more then once. It’s a buzzword these days, but it’s also incredibly significant.

Warning: mini bio-chemistry lesson ahead!

Put simply, free radicals are unstable atoms floating around your body that can damage cells leading to illness and aging. These nasty little beggars are caused by consuming too much high glycemic foods, eg; highly processed foods, anything containing high levels of sugar, and anything containing high levels of preservatives.

Sound familiar…pretty much the Standard American Diet, affectionately labeled as S.A.D! (no pun intended but it deserves the acronym)

Free radicals can lead to inflammatory joint disease, asthma, diabetes, various cancers, degenerative eye disease and senile dementia, and this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means.

Basically you want these nasty little atoms out of your body. To do that you need Antioxidants

Secret 2 – Eat Antioxidant Foods

Fueling your system with a hearty and consistent supply of antioxidants will help protect the cells from oxidation, which can lead to tissue degeneration that has been proven to speed up the aging process.

Here are a few anti-aging foods that are high in antioxidants that you’ll want to start incorporating into your daily diet:

* Berries like Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
* Green Tea
* Dark Chocolate
* Pineapples
* Pomegranates
* Red Bell peppers
* Nuts like Almonds, Walnuts
* Artichokes
* Goji Berries
* Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard
* Tomatoes (especially cooked tomatoes)
* Sweet Potatoes
* Turmeric, Cinnamon

You also need to incorporate some essential fatty acids like Omega 3 into your daily diet. Most people don’t, but it doesn’t take much to ensure you do. (Think of all those nasty little unstable atoms floating around inside you) It’s enough to make me eat fish!

Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in helping you look and feel younger and thankfully and some of the best sources are the following:

* Salmon, Tuna & Mackerel
* Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans
* Flax Seeds & Fish Oil

Omega fatty acids are truly remarkable ingredients for improving your skin. They serve as the foundation to smoothing the skin’s surface layers, which in turn, leaves you looking years younger. It will feel as though you have found the fountain of youth!

Also, many of these foods are incorporated into one of the best eating plans available for optimum health. Take a look at the Mediterranean Diet.

Secret 3 – Take Fish Oil Supplements

If you don’t like fish, or struggle to eat enough of the above foods, consider taking a good quality fish oil supplement.

As we age, our skin cells become thinner. In turn, this thinning causes dryness which makes our skin look older. Taking fish oil supplements can bolster the skin cell membrane, releasing moisture which will lead to softer, more supple skin.

Secret 4 – Eating Super-Foods For Beautiful Skin

There are other amazing foods that you should incorporate into your diet as the really help with reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Avocados – I’ve never met anyone who isn’t aware that avocados are so good for you. Here’s why: they are one of the best fruits (yes they are actually a fruit) for nourishing and moisturizing your skin due to the high levels of vitamins A and B Complex. These fruits make a great addition to salads and smoothies helping you feel fuller for longer…great for weight loss.

Papaya – This wonderful fruit is packed full of antioxidants. It also includes important vitamins and minerals such as: A, E, C, and K, together with phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

This anti-aging effect is a boost to your skin’s elasticity, making it look smoother and helps your body to shed dead skin cells, all the while reducing inflammation. This is why papaya is used in so many skin masks and cosmetics. Just 2-3 cups of this tasty fruit will help you reap the benefits.

Watercress – This wonderful veggie increases your circulation, allowing for the effective delivery of nutrients and minerals throughout your body. This improves the oxygenation which helps to reduce those fine lines and wrinkles. Add Watercress to salads 3-4 times per week.

Secret 5 – Things You Must Avoid

If you’re worried about premature aging, or you want to get your skin in better shape so that you look and feel younger, there are 4 important things to avoid. The first is pretty obvious, although you may not fully understand why. The other 3 are maybe not so obvious.

Sugar
A diet high in sugar accelerates the process of glycation. This is where sugar molecules attach themselves to other molecules, one of which is your skin protein which includes collagen and elastin. This makes then dry and brittle resulting in the loss of skin elasticity causing your skin to age.

Seems so counter productive for us to be adding beautiful nourishing creams to our skin, only to have this loss of elasticity happen from too much sugar. So, minimizing your sugar intake as much as possible will help to make your skin look younger AND you’ll probably find you lose weight!  Win-Win!

Smoking
Smoking can speed up the aging process of your skin by reducing vitamin absorption and restricting the blood flow causing skin discoloration. Not to mention, it often causes yellowing of your teeth which doesn’t help you look younger.

Plus, smoking causes a host of other health issues…but that’s for another conversation.

Processed Foods
Eating too many processed foods can lead to serious damage in your skin’s collagen which will result in wrinkles and dry, aged skin. Worse, they are tied to heart disease and diabetes!

Also included in this list of bad boys are:

– Deep Fried Foods
Any food that is deep fried in oil will add inflammation to your skin, especially trans fats. It an also raise your LDL bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.

– Fatty Meats
Avoid meats that are high in saturated fats. They’ll reduce collagen production which will leave your skin dry and wrinkled. Instead, focus on buying lean meats whenever possible. Preferably not heavily processed deli-style meats (or bacon) I know, life’s torture!

Alcohol
No surprises here. Heavy drinks speeds up the aging process. It’s also not good for your heart, kidneys or liver. Drink in moderation. A glass of wine a day can actually be good for your heart but watch your intake levels. Once again, moderation is the key!

Secret 6 – Why Collagen Really Matters For Anti-Aging

Did you know that somewhere around the age of 35 your body stops producing as much collagen as it did when you’re younger? Seems a very young age for something so drastic to happen doesn’t it?…but it actually begins in our 20’s.

The collagen and elastin fibers become looser and thinner as we age. The transfer of moisture from the dermis (the deeper layer of skin) to the epidermis (the outer layer of our skin) is slowed and fat cells begin to shrink.

This is one of the main reasons why we start to get wrinkles and fine lines?

Collagen is the protein that gives skin its structure, suppleness, and elasticity, and it’s one of the most important things when it comes to looking younger.

But thankfully, there are simple things we can do to help boost collagen levels, regenerating old collagen so our skin looks younger again.

One of the main ways to do this is by incorporating foods and supplements into your life that are specifically focused on increasing collagen production as well as repairing old collagen.

Secret 7 – Collagen-Rich Foods Rejuvenate Your Skin

Try to incorporate at least 2-3 of these foods into your weekly diet:

* Bone Broth
Bone broth contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, amino acids, and many other powerful nutrients – all of which lead to healthier, younger looking skin.

Here’s how to make your own bone broth (sorry vegans/vegetarians…this one’s not for you)

* Chicken
Most collagen supplements are derived from chicken because it contains so much connective tissue.

* Egg Whites
Egg whites contain large amounts of proline which is one of the most important amino-acids when it comes to collagen production.

* Citrus Fruits
If you’re looking to boost collagen production levels so your skin looks younger, you’ll want to load up on citrus fruits due to their high levels of Vitamin C. This well-known vitamin plays a major role in the creation of pro-collagen, the body’s precursor to collagen.

Also, don’t forget to include berries in your diet. This includes strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, goji berries, blueberries and also oranges as they are all excellent sources of Vitamin C.

* Garlic
Believe it or not, garlic is known to boost collagen levels due to its high sulphur content.

Secret 8 – Best Anti-Aging Home Remedies

So far we’ve talked about the different ways you can incorporate anti-aging foods into your life that will help you look and feel younger while also discussing the importance of boosting your collagen levels so your skin is soft and youthful.

Today I want to give you a few anti-aging home remedies to try. I hope they help you on your quest for radiant, youthful skin.

Anti-Aging Tip 1:  Egg White Mask

Egg whites are loaded with protein that helps with tissue repair and regeneration. They also include potassium that helps preserve moisture leaving your skin looking smooth.

Here’s how to create an egg white mask:

Mix together one egg white with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and half a teaspoon of honey. Apply to your face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Anti-Aging Tip 2:  Lemon Juice Dab

If you want to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines before you go out, create a lemon juice dab. It takes only a few minutes to create and will instantly tighten up your skin.

Here’s how to do it:

Apply a thin layer of lemon juice mixed with honey to your face for 6-10 minutes. Then rinse it off with warm water.

Anti-Aging Tip 3:  Aloe Vera Gel

Few things beat the healing properties of Aloe Vera. The Egyptians considered it ‘the plant of immortality’. It has been found described on ancient papyrus documenting the it’s anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities. Cleopatra allegedly rubbed aloe vera onto her skin everyday.

Consider taking a daily aloe supplement or apply aloe gel to your skin 3-4 times a week. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then wash off with warm water.

Anti-Aging Tip 4:  Cucumber Yogurt Mix

A single cucumber contains many different minerals and vitamins including Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, folic acid, iron and much more.

Puree half a cucumber with 1-2 mint leaves. Then mix with half a cup of Greek yogurt to make a cream. Refrigerate it for 15 minutes before applying. The coolness is so refreshing.

Anti-Aging Tip 5:  Banana Mask

Bananas contain natural vitamins and powerful oils that will improve your complexion and overall skin health.

You can easily create a mask by mashing one banana and then pasting it to the skin. Make sure that the banana is mashed enough so that it forms a smooth paste. Apply and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

I think you will love trying these natural home remedies. But, maybe not with the dog around. You may become extremely attractive as an afternoon snack.

My friend’s dog loves bananas so much that he followed her around for the full 15 minutes trying to lick her face. Better that you choose when to rinse your face rather than him (slightly slobbery!)

Secret 9 – A Simple Anti-Aging Skin Routine

Creating a simple, yet effective anti-aging routine is an investment in yourself. It’s called Self-Care. It will not only help you look younger but you’ll gain a boost in confidence and feel at your very best.

Thankfully, anti-aging routines don’t have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, many dermatologists recommend following a straight-forward routine that is easy to do so that you’re able to stay consistent. Because that’s what matters most!

The trick is to follow your anti-aging routine regularly. Try not to skip days if possible. This will be the most effective way to help you to look your best. So, don’t over-complicate the process.

Here’s a post you may like: 16 REASONS WHY WATER IS CRITICAL FOR YOUR HEALTH

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Step 1: Morning & Night Cleanser

There are hundreds of cleansers on the market so do your research but make sure that your cleanser is oil-based so that it doesn’t dry you out. Start with a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of natural oils.

Step 2: Toner

If your skin tends to be on the oily side, you’ll want to incorporate a good toner into your daily routine. Toners are designed to remove any last traces of the daily grime from your skin, and bring your skin back to it’s natural acidic state.

A beautiful natural choice is a Rose Water toner. It’s becoming more popular in later years, it has actually been used for centuries. Which ever toner you choose, make sure it’s NOT alcohol-based as this will strip your skin of it’s natural oils.

Step 3: Serum

Face serums are a lightweight product  containing a high level of active ingredients. They are typically absorbed rapidly into your skin, should never feel oily and are a natural base before applying your moisturizer.

The molecules are very small and therefore are able to penetrate your skin and hydrate at the deepest level. Layered under moisturizer they act as treatments for pigmentation, wrinkles and redness helping to even out your skin tone. Don’t underestimate the significance of using a great quality serum.

Try to find a serum that contains Vitamins A, C, and E . Since this is an antioxidant you’ll be able to also protect your skin from sun damage and free radicals.

Step 4: Moisturizer

You’ll want to purchase a moisturizer that contains probiotics as well as antioxidants. Moisturizing everyday will help to prevent dryness or oiliness.

Both conditions are not good for your skin as it’s an imbalance that needs correcting in order to maintain healthy skin tissue. If your skin tends to be oily, look for a lotion. If your skin in on the dry side, use a cream.

Step 5: SPF

It’s important to protect your skin from the sun. In fact, sun damage is one of the biggest culprits of premature aging because it depletes your skin of collagen. If you can find a great quality moisturizer that also contains an SPF then all the better.

Otherwise, look for a foundation that contains a sunscreen. Many do these days.

Step 6: Face Mask

While you don’t want to use a face mask every day, try to incorporate it into your routine once a week. Masks work to hydrate your skin and will support the production of collagen.

Step 7: Exfoliate 2-3 Time Per Week

This is a great way to keep your whole body skin in great condition…not just your face. A really good shower scrub will leave your skin polished, clear of all the dead skin cells, and leave you feeling invigorated and fabulous.

Don’t forget to moisturize your body as well as your face. You body’s skin needs just as much care and attention…particularly as we age.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it.

A routine for feeding yourself well with anti-aging nutritious food, things to avoid that will NOT help with aging gracefully, and ways to really take care of your skin inside and out.

I really hope you enjoyed this post and that you found it interesting and beneficial.

As always, please leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you.