Anti-Aging Diet: How to Eat to Stay Young

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

foods that keep you young lookingYou can definitely improve your health with a good diet, but you can help to combat the signs and effects of aging too. There is a way to eat to help keep your body young inside and out for as long as possible. You can make these changes right now and you will start to reap the benefits right away. While consistency is key, even a few of these a day will help to make a difference.

Fruits and Vegetables

When it comes to your fruits and veggies you want intense color. Think bright orange carrots, deep green spinach, bright blue blueberries and deep red raspberries. There are others, but you get the point about the color.

After looking at color you want to look for specific antioxidants and these include zinc, vitamin C and beta-carotene. These antioxidants can protect you from a variety of things, such as blindness, premature aging, macular degeneration, heart disease and cancer.

Red wine should be added here as well. Now, this means a single serving each day and not more. Red wines contain resveratrol and this is a compound associated with lowering your risk of a variety of age-related issues, such as cancer, premature aging and heart disease.

Whole Grains

Take all of your white flour items, such as white bread and white rice, and toss them. You want food that is brown and made from whole wheat and grains. Eating a variety of whole grains at least three times a day is known to help in keeping your blood vessels youthful and in great shape. You want to go for things like oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa and wheat. Since these are all also rich in fiber it will help to keep your digestive track humming along well too.

Fish

Fish are jam-packed with Omega-4 fatty acids and these are very important in keeping you young. They can help with preventing stroke, heart disease and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease. You only need to get two servings every week to reap the benefits. Some of the best fish include salmon, tuna and lake trout. If fish is not your thing then talk to your doctor about taking a supplement instead.

Dairy

Yes, you can and should have some dairy. Dairy tends to have high amounts of both vitamin D and calcium and these are critical for healthy bones. If your bones are not strong then you risk injury which could prevent you from being active and not being active can age you. Stick with low-fat dairy to keep your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol low.

Beans and Lentils

These are protein powerhouses and protein is a critical nutrient. You can eat these types of things as is, or add them to soups, salads and other dishes. You can help to prevent diabetes and heart disease when you eat these in place of fatty meats. Talk to your doctor about how much protein you need to strive for each day. This will help to ensure that you get what you need to maintain peak health.

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Makeup Mistakes that Age You

February 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

top makeup mistakes women makeAging is something that no woman wants to do. Everyone wants to look youthful for as long as possible. You know that things like smoking and a poor diet can cause aging, but certain makeup mistakes can age you too. It is important to know what these are so that you can easily avoid them and maintain your youthful glow for as long as possible.

You do not Wear Foundation

While you should choose no foundation over one that is bad, but a good foundation can truly work miracles. Foundation can brighten a dull complexion, cover issues like breakouts and discoloration and give you an even, youthful tone. There are foundations out there that also pull double duty and fight things like acne and dryness. You want to choose one that matches your skin tone perfectly and, of course, you will not cake it on, but applying a good foundation the right way can make a world of difference in promoting youthfulness and actually benefiting your skin in the long run.

You Apply Blush Wrong

Your grandmother probably taught you that blush only belongs on the apples of your cheeks, but this old adage is no longer true. You want to run it along your cheekbones to accentuate them and give your face a tighter, younger look. Concentrating it in one area gives off that clown-like look. Blush is not something you wear so that it is noticed. It is something you wear to enhance your natural facial structure. It is critical to choose the right color for your skin tone too. If blush is too dark, it can make your face appear bruised and it drowns out the rest of your look.

Your Lip Liner is Obvious

This was cool back in 1990, but nowadays, less is more. You want your lip liner to actually match your natural lips. It should also be within the lines of your natural lips. This is not a way to make your lips appear plumper or larger. There are other, more subtle, ways to do this. When you find a color that matches your lip color, you do not have to worry about it being obvious between lip gloss or lipstick applications. Look for a creamy pencil for the best results.

Eyeliner on the Lower Lids Only

Eyeliner can work wonders when used correctly, but applying it only to the lower lid is a big rookie mistake. This will drag your face down and make you look older than you are. It also narrows your eyes and takes away from that awake, fresh look that all women want. You want to use a liner on both the top and bottom lids. You also want to keep this close to the lash line and then smudged. This will give you a more natural look and will open up your eyes. You can also choose to only line the top lid to help reduce the risk of that raccoon eye that often occurs whether or not your liner is waterproof.

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Losing Weight After Menopause: Quick Tips for Women

February 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

weight management after menopauseLosing weight is no easy task and this is especially true after menopause. The body goes through changes and your weight is one of these. However, you can lose weight after menopause once you know why you are gaining. It will not be as easy as it was in your 20s, but it is possible. In fact, many women achieve their highest level of fitness after going through the change.

Why You Gain Weight

Gaining weight after menopause is actually mostly related to your lifestyle and certain genetic factors. Now, if you do gain weight this is going to show most around your midsection due to hormonal changes. Your thighs and hips will not be nearly as affected as they were in your younger years.

Once a woman goes through menopause, she tends to reduce her exercise and activity level. Then, since you are getting older your muscles will start to diminish naturally. We know that muscle burns more calories than fat and it also gives you that nice toned look. If you are not working to replace the diminishing muscle, your body will begin to be taken over by the fat and you will not burn nearly as many calories. This, of course, can lead to weight gain.

In terms of genetics, look at the women in your family. If your grandmother, mother and older sister all seemed to gain weight after menopause, then your chances of gaining weight are increased.

Why Should I Work to Lose Weight After Menopause?

There are a number of reasons why you do not want to carry around extra weight after going through the change. Having extra weight, especially around your abdomen, increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Things like high cholesterol and high blood pressure can also occur, increasing your risk of stroke and heart attack. Other risks include breast and colon-rectal cancer. These are already more prevalent after menopause, but extra weight increases your risk even more.

How Do I Lose Weight After Menopause?

Contrary to the media, there are no magic pills or methods to help you get into shape. You will have to put the work in. Your first priority should be to get a full health physical from your doctor. You want to know what your overall health status is and make sure that exercise is safe for you. Once you get the go-ahead from your doctor, it is time to start moving more. Just walking 30 minutes a day, most days of the week can have a major impact on your health and weight. You also need to strength train. Remember that your muscles are diminishing naturally so you need to get them back and strength training is the only way to do this. Ideally, you will strength train every other day because your muscles do need a rest day in between workouts.

Next, is your diet. You want to eat as healthy as possible. This does not mean that you can never have a piece of birthday cake again, it just means that you cannot have cake every night. You want the majority of your diet to be lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, do not forget about water because dehydration is more common as you get older.

You may want to get together with some of your same-age friends and get a walking group together. This will help you to stay on track. You can also strength train together and exchange healthy recipes. Those that work out with a buddy tend to stick to their plan more than those who go it alone.

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