As the number of days you have left gets shorter, it seems to be, at least for me, that my daily regimen gets longer. I used to get up shower, brush my teeth, wash my face, apply minimal make up, comb my hair and be out the door. Oh, I put on clothes too. Forgot about that.
My counter was not covered with supplements ointments and so-called anti-aging magic potions. There are drawers and baskets dedicated to these jars, bottles, containers, etc.
Nope. Until recently, I took a multi vitamin, when I remembered, and a shot of apple cider vinegar most mornings. I had been doing this off and on since completing my culinary studies years before at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health where one of the things we learned about were the benefits of fermented foods.
After attempting to accept the fact that I was aging inside and out, and it seemed all the sudden to be happening so rapidly, I started researching the process. I began reading books on how to at least slow down the signs and reduce the symptoms of aging and age related issues.
What should I be eating? What should I be drinking? What should I be avoiding? I always worked out although sometimes not as consistently as other times. But for the most part, I moved my ass! How much more should I do? What supplements should I be taking? How can I balance my hormones without consuming horse urine?
I will explain, but read #Dr. Bob’s book, #Drugless Guide to Balancing Female Hormones, if you need to know now. Yes, I said HORSE PEE!
Based on all of these books, I started adding some of the suggested treatments, supplements and nutrients to my diet and daily regimen. Not only is it not cheap, it’s time-consuming as hell!
Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash
I will share with you my list of supplements and practices I now have in my daily regimen. Now, this is what I do. I am in no way suggesting it is what YOU should do. The point I’m making is as I get older, I find that my to-do list is getting longer instead of shorter in an effort to slow the signs and effects of aging, both inside and out. Some of these things I find, for me are just good habits that seem to be working. Some things are just a no brainer and things we should all be doing like eating a nutritious and balanced diet, exercising and getting enough sleep!
Vitamin C: I’ve taken 1000 mg of vitamin C daily for the past seven years and I swear by it. I’m no doctor, nutritionist, herbalist or health professional of any kind, but I know that I have had one cold in as many years. I am pretty conscientious about hand washing, hand shaking and careful to keep my hands away from my nose, mouth, eyes etc. (AND glad I had those habits Pre-Rona!)
Again, I am not suggesting anyone do what I do. I am suggesting that everyone, including me, should find out about their deficiencies and address them and should do so with the help of a professional.
Vitamin D: I noticed when the time and weather changed I had less energy. My typical daily morning included a walk in the sun. I usually woke up early and energized. Suddenly it was dark when I woke up and I was tired, lethargic and borderline depressed. I diagnosed myself (which I don’t suggest anyone do) with a slight case of seasonal depression and added a vitamin D supplement. I must say I noticed improvement, but again, speak to your healthcare provider before adding supplements etc. to your diet as some may interact poorly with medications.
According to Dr. Axe, Vitamin D acts almost like a hormone in your body. The best way to optimize vitamin D is to expose your skin to direct sunlight. Don’t lay there and fry. Just get some sun daily and take the necessary precautions. I’m no fan of chemicals on my skin, but there are some natural sunscreen concoctions you can use to protect your skin. His website has a wealth of information and I highly recommend a visit.
Ginseng panax is an adaptogen. Multiple books and research I have done contain conflicting information about its affect on blood pressure, so again, talk to a professional and find out what your body needs and what works for you. Make sure anything you take doesn’t interfere with any medications you take or conditions you have. Adaptogens, found in herbs and roots, work to counteract the effects of stress in the body. I started taking ginseng and my blood pressure remained consistent over the last few visits. Not great. But not worse!
For the past few years after receiving a really cool infusion pitcher, I have been enjoying ginger water, which I make a big batch of once each week and keep in my fridge. Studies have shown ginger can help reduce inflammation as well as help relieve bloating an gas! And as I age, that has become a real issue. Gas is just not sexy. There are other benefits, but those are the ones that sold me! If I run out and don’t have time to make it, I always have some of the #Trader Joe’s gingers shots in the fridge along with their Turmeric shots.
Total Omega (#Barleans is the manufacturer) was recommended to me by naturopathic doctor I met after he watched me limp around Traders Joes one day suffering from a gout flare up. Omega 3 Fatty acid, essential for health, is not made in the body and must be consumed by the way of what we eat. Barleans is a tasty option, but it’s also found in nuts and flax seeds.
As a result of reading #Bio Young” by #Roxy Dillon, I have since added aloe vera juice to my routine. I also added bee pollen and royal jelly, although I haven’t been too consistent with those two. Supposedly aloe vera juice is good for your hair, but that’s a whole other post because I am definitely missing some!
Years back I replaced sugar with cinnamon in my coffee and added green tea to my arsenal. I was all ready to phase out coffee and replace it completely with Green, Hawthorn and dandelion teas until I read it was an antioxidant. I did switch to decaf when available. And finally in terms of supplements, for years, I have taken a b-complex supplement.
With regard to skincare, I had also already eliminated all of those lotions and potions and typically use coconut oil everywhere. (Face, hair, body!) I have been using coconut oil exclusively for probably about eight years. Another suggestion from Bio Young I have included was the addition of vitamin E oil and I sometimes change it up and use Avocado oil instead of the coconut oil.
Confused like most by conflicting and overwhelming information online, I also decided to revisit the nutrition studies from my culinary program.
I just started reading New York Times best selling book #Whole; Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by #T. Colin Campbell. The book is a comprehensive study on nutrition. I do believe that if you eat a whole foods plant-based diet your body gets all of the nutrients that it needs without supplementation, but I haven’t gotten that far in so get the book or just tuned as I share my newfound knowledge from what seems to be an actual expert. Or why wait on me? Buy the book! I also enrolled in some Nutrition classes as a refresher to my earlier studies.
With regard to the book, I’m interested in the part about the deficiencies and since it has been almost 20 years since I completed my program, it feels as though I’m starting from scratch. Once again “use it or lose it!” I swear this just applies to so many things. But there are plenty of tests your doc can offer to identify your deficiencies so that you can address your own through diet or supplementation if needed. I’m big on getting things the natural way whenever possible, but some times you need a little help.
Your body may very well be a brilliant machine, but it has to be possible that it can be defective or malfunction due to a number of circumstances in which case, you might need supplementation! Bottom line, consult with your healthcare provider. Whatever you do, don’t take medical advice from Trump! Or me. But definitely not Trump.
Suzanne Somers has a great new book out called “A New Way to Age.” In the book, she interviews experts that make some great recommendations about testing for deficiencies.
People used to ask “What’s eating you?” (Not sure anyone still says that!) They would ask that when you appeared to have a problem, but maybe it’s time to ask ourselves, “What are we eating” instead! I think what we eat is at the root of most of our problems!
Some rules I have followed for a few years now pretty consistently:
If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin, which is basically an organ. (I’m excluding make up for the time being while I research products I feel good about suggesting because I have researched and/or tried them myself!) Your skin is your body’s largest organ. What you put on your skin will eventually end up in your bloodstream. Your pores are absorbing the so-called toxic magical potions.
Dr. Axe he explains that to balance our hormones, which is extremely important to your health and well being, we need to eliminate these toxins found in our body care products as many contain harmful chemicals. Look for products with few ingredients such as essential oils, coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil, or making your own can be a fun and relaxing hobby!
We should not only be reading the food labels, we should be reading the labels of everything we put in an on our bodies. If it has ingredients you cannot pronounce, that are unfamiliar and unnatural, put it back and keep it moving! (or google that mess, right in the store!)
I know. It’s a lot to think about. You don’t need to try to change your routine overnight. Just start with something small, like reading labels. Opting for natural products with few ingredients and that applies to what you ingest through your food and what you apply to your skin. It all ends up in the same place! Choose wisely!
What’s your routine? What brands or skin care and make up are you using that you like? Suggestions for “Mature skin?” Feel free to share!