DECADES OF HEALTH

IN YOUR 20S

Angela Emmerton, clinical nutritionist and founder of Nutritional Matters, says your 20s are when you establish eating habits. “Reducing refined sugars found in cakes and biscuits, confectionery and sweetened drinks, can help improve the appearance of the skin and can help you manage your weight,” she says. “Bone mass continues to increase until our late 20s, and one method to prevent osteoporosis later on in life, is to ensure adequate calcium during years of early adulthood.”

When it comes to hitting the gym, Adala Bolto, founder of ZADI Training, encourages the inclusion of full-body-weight training and working out consistently in your 20s.

Your skin will also benefit from some TLC. “Hormonal and environmental changes affect your skin drastically and can cause skin pigmentation,” warns Gina Cook, Training Manager at Ella Baché. “Using brightening and anti-pollution products are great to counter this.”

IN YOUR 30S

Your 30s are a go-getting time for many. You start thinking about parenting, careers are advancing and social lives are often busy. As well as maintaining a steady exercise regime it’s a good time to reassess your diet. “Stress and alcohol deplete B vitamins, so it’s important to include lean meats, legumes, poultry, nuts and dairy, fruits, wholegrains,” says Emmerton.

As for your skin, Cook says: “Women can start to experience more pronounced fine lines and dryness, and this is when we’d start to recommend specialised eye creams.” Serums are a great addition at this time because “they have the ability to target very specific skincare needs due to their specialised ingredients and smaller molecules, which allow the ingredients to absorb deeply into the skin”, says Cook. Busy times call for extra care both inside and out.

IN YOUR 40S

Hello, hormones! Just when you thought your period was in its routine, along comes perimenopause, which can begin any time from your mid-forties onwards (earlier for some). This means your liver is already busy processing those hormones and, frankly, doesn’t need any extra stress. “Reducing as many chemicals and toxins in your daily life will help reduce liver load,” says Emmerton. Look around your home and office to see what you might be able to swap. “Think water bottles [made with BPA], cosmetics and household cleaning products.”

Emmerton advises eating more cruciferous vegetables, which are “excellent for clearing the liver”. She suggests including a serve of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green leafy vegetables or rocket with each meal. “They [also] contain indole-3-carbinol, a substance that helps metabolise and eliminate oestrogen.”

A slight adaptation to your workout will help you stay in shape. “While we don’t have to fully adapt our movement routines as we age, there is a benefit in increasing stretching and focusing on posture and stability the older we get,” says Bolto. High-intensity workouts are still OK. “Many women in their 40s outperform the younger crowd at the gym. It comes down to who has been more consistent with their training.”