Feel Young & Look Beautiful
Try these simple steps to regain your radiance!
DE-AGE YOUR SMILE
One study found that having a whiter smile can make you look five years younger. A separate report in the journal Psychology and Aging found that when people looked at images of happy faces, they guessed the age of the person in the photo as younger than those with other expressions. So smile – and consider a professional whitening treatment. Dr Uchenna Okoye, cosmetic dentist at WWW.LONDONSMILING.COM, recommends snacking on strawberries to whiten teeth, as they contain an enzyme that gently removes stains, and eating cheese and celery directly after highly coloured foods as they contain compounds that can stop discoloration.
DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Think of immersing a dried sponge in water, says dermatologist Dr Colbert ( WWW.COLBERTMD.COM). It instantly softens and comes to life. All our tissues – including the skin – need water to maintain cellular functions. Dehydrated skin loses its resilience and makes us appear older and tired. With adequate water intake we look and feel better, so get into the habit of drinking frequently. Your skin and eyes will look brighter, and your muscles and joints feel better.
Move more! Exercise may not only keep skin younger but even reverse skin ageing in people who become more active late in life. Researchers from McCaster University in Ontario found that, after age 40, the men and women who exercised three times a week had visibly younger looking skin – in areas not usually exposed to the sun – than those who exercised only once a week.
OVERHAUL YOUR DIET
“Don’t bother buying expensive skin creams if your diet is high in sugar and high-glycaemic carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, potatoes, baked goods, pasta, desserts and soft drinks, which can cause ‘glycation’ in the skin,” says Dr Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist and leading authority on diet and ageing. “This is where sugar
molecules attach to collagen fibres and cause them to
lose their strength and flexibility so the skin becomes less elastic and more vulnerable to sun damage, lines and sagging.” And try to eat a rainbow of fruit and veg. The brighter and more varied the colours – yellows, greens, purples and reds – the more loaded they are with wrinkle busting antioxidants. A study by the University of St Andrews found women who ate lots of yellow and orange veg had healthier-looking skin and were rated more attractive!