How do I stay looking younger, is the question I get asked most frequently by women. It still surprises me because although I do take care of myself I am 64 and have never had cosmetic surgery, botox or fillers. It's not my face they see it's my positive energy.
If you are forever looking outward for the instant fix, the miracle creams, the magic lotions, powerful potions or plastic surgeon you're on completely the wrong track when in reality we are what we eat. Beauty found in Elysian Fields comes from within. If you spend your life obsessed with how you look, you will never be happy. You can tell if you are suffering with status anxiety if you are so dissatisfied with your physical appearance or personal possessions you compare yourself to others you admire and then feel even worse. Simply put the more you fret about what is wrong with you and right with everyone else, the less time you have to nurture what is truly amazing about you instead.
When I had it all, the millions in the bank, I could buy myself anything I desired in order to get noticed because in reality that's why we do it. Instead of focusing on myself, I was always caring too much about what others thought. I was still miserable regardless of how many Chanel suits I owned and yes I did get a lot of attention but it was always the wrong kind of attention.
These days I still love to look younger but I prefer to feel younger and that comes from designing the perfect healthy lifestyle not a walk in designer closet, something anyone can afford to do and easily stick to.
You don't need to be a millionaire to pamper yourself. You just need to understand what you need to eat in order to get amazing results on the outside and the great thing about this lifestyle plan, it comes cheap because what is from the earth, as I have said before, is the greatest of worth. What we put in our bodies as our fuel is what we become on the outside. So if you truly desire fabulous skin, shiny hair and a slim, firm figure, all you have to do is eat the right food. Just because you are living a budget lifestyle does not mean you are poor or have to eat poorly.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts, avocado, fish, soya, the colourful food groups, all can be purchased from the local market in abundance for cheap, so there are NO excuses. Anything you put in your body that is white; like bread, rice, potatoes will not give you the fresh faced and fabulous firm slim body you desire so cutting them out is essential if you long to look healthy, fresh and younger.
Dry skin is never going to make you look younger because you will appear dull and lifeless, so you must use a moisturizer everyday on your face. This does not need to be expensive or a brand, on a budget try a few drops of olive oil, the stuff you use to cook with, this works just as well. Keeping your eyebrows plucked and tidy can also take years off the way you look, so have a go yourself and see how you get on. The good thing about doing them yourself practice makes perfect and you avoid any disastrous mishaps with a professional, they do happen.
Walking everyday is the perfect way to keep fit, young and healthy and no excuses, it's affordable for anyone. If you can slot in a yoga session twice a week, yoga is something you can do at home and is free, you will not only look 10 years younger but you will feel it too because when we work on ourselves, we get results. I do mine first thing, 10 minutes every day before the kettle boils and the toast pops. Drinking lots of tap water and little, if no alcohol, is also another very good way to clear out any unwanted toxins you have, keeping your kidneys functioning properly and helping your body work in the way it should in order to be the best you can be.
Learning to truly love yourself is the key to staying young, so get rid of the past and begin to recognize you are fabulous, fun and passionate. Unless you believe it, how can anyone else! I spent almost 10 years living without any money, 5 in Los Angeles and 5 in the UK and in this time I was forced to find really cheap ways to keep on top of my personal grooming and maintenance, which in reality is quite easy when you are broke. Immediately you cannot afford to do all the bad things like smoking, drinking, take aways and eating out so you end up by default, losing weight. The upside of being unable to afford the hairdresser for an extended period of time your hair grows, something I would recommend. Really short hair looks fantastic on the few, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Sharon Stone. Growing your hair out is free and with longer hair you'll be on your way to looking and feeling fantastic on a shoestring budget.
Photo by: Valerie Elash Unsplash