Well here I am.

After talking about it for years, months, weeks, days…. I’m finally here.  And yes, for those who have heard my daily rant counting down to this momentous event, this may be the last time I publicly acknowledge it.  I however am not making any promises, haha! 😉

Anywho, in a haze of fabulous shoes, career changes, bridesmaids dresses, blessed godchildren, familial bonding and getting hitched…I managed to somehow get here.  As of yesterday, Dec. 27th, 2016 I reached the point of true adulthood.

A crowned thirty-year-old.

That’s three decades.  360 months. 1565 weeks. 10,957 days.

Oh, and thank you to my wonderful friends and family who greeted and celebrated with me on this fabulous day! Hugs & Kisses!

Amazing how time goes by faster than you know it.  The goal is to age gracefully, yes? Soon enough I’ll be in my sixties, older, wiser, grumpier, wrinklier.  Although at that point of my life, I would love to still feel (and look) like I’m in my thirties, (it doesn’t feel that bad at this moment, kind of glamorous almost) hence this blog post.

To look and feel healthy and young for as long as the hands of time allows can indeed, be possible.

Let’s unveil some secrets to fight off the not-so-glamorous signs of aging.

WATER
Water is essential to all living things, making up 2/3 of the human body.  It’s not only important to life itself but also for the quality of life so make it your best friend.  Water is needed in our bodies to transport nutrients to our organs and oxygen to our cells. Water lubricate  joints and eyes and keeps skin healthy by eliminating toxins.  Did you know that when you are dehydrated your body pulls liquid from  your tissues and skin to maintain the balance in your blood?  When that happens, your eyes look sunken and your skin feels dryer, there is no elasticity, hence you look older. Make a conscious effort to drink water to keep hydrated. There is no denying water is the elixir of youth.

MEDITATION
Meditation is important to keep a stress-free life.  Without stress, life is happier!  Stress affects our bodies in more ways than you can imagine.  Our immune system, quality of sleep, our hearts and mind…. our relationship with others can be affected by stress.  Meditation can help relieve stress by focusing on being in the moment and appreciating the present. Studies show that there is an increase of melatonin in our bodies after meditating.  Melatonin energizes the immune system and slows the aging process as it has the ability to repair damaged cells.

ANTI-AGING SERUM
Serums are more lightweight than creams so they are able to penetrate deeper into the skin delivering active ingredients.  Industry fave Estée Lauder “Advanced Night Repair” serum is a must-have. The serum contains the exclusive ChronoluxCB™ Technology improving dryness and dehydration, reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles and restoring radiance.

EYE CREAM
Keep an eye on your peepers! One biggest sign of age is that thin-skinned area under and around your eyes. Crows feet dig in during this decade so commit to purchasing a high quality eye cream such as La Mer “The Illuminating Eye” Gel. Great eye creams protect against the aging effects of the environment, fatigue and stress while making eyes look youthful, energized, and awakened.

SLEEP
There is a reason why we call it beauty sleep. Our cells grow and repair while we sleep and our immune system is strengthened by sleep. The more sleep we get, the less time aging catches up to us. Be sure to get about about 8-9 hours of sleep to keep your mind and body healthy.  If you are a light sleeper grab a cute sleep mask to help you sleep faster and stay asleep.  Besides that, sleeping is absolutely free.  

TEETH CARE
Your smile is one of the first things people notice. Protect it. And keep them guessing about your age by showing those pearly whites!  Brush and floss at least twice a day or after every meal.  Basic habits can go along way.  In advanced technology, now available at your Dentist’ office is a toothbrush designed to build better oral care routines, the  Phillips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected toothbrush.  You can download its coordinating app that offers in-depth tracking of your brushing habits. The toothbrush includes location, pressure, and scrubbing sensors, which allow the app to map out the areas in your mouth that need some work.  What a way to throw off a youthful look with missing, black or rotten teeth!

EXERCISE
Exercising regularly can fight aging by protecting cells and lowering the body’s level of inflammation.  Yoga, due to the extent of stretches and core exercises involved, is believed to help reverse signs of aging such as sagging skin and loss of muscle strength. Endurance activities such as running may also be able to slow down aging.  Benefits of running include a stronger heart, more efficient blood flow and a powerful immune system.  Exercise fights aging by protecting your cells from the ticking clock but make sure that you also protect your body by investing in proper attire and gear.  On a personal note, this is the best time for me to include running as part of my physical activity and to do so properly, I will need to purchase running shoes, like the  NIKE Air Max 2017.  I am in love!
They are the perfect running shoes, but can also be street casual.

HEALTHY EATING
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that combat free radicals, oxygen fragments that attack cell membranes. Nutrients in fruits and vegetables can also help do everything from preventing wrinkles to killing off cancerous cells. Luckily I have had a pescatarian diet for half my life now (since age 15) so I just have to continue the greenery and fish intake.

SUNSCREEN
SPF not only prevent skin cancer, but it also prevent wrinkles.  A study conducted has proven this to be a fact.  So be motivated to SPF your skin every day. AVEENO Sunscreen with SPF 50 For Face contains sun protection while hydrating skin to keep it soft, smooth and feeling healthier than before you went in the sun.

GREEN TEA
Green tea contain powerful anti-aging and antioxidants that help slow down the skin aging process such as sagging skin, sun damage, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles. The polyphenols in green tea help neutralize harmful free radicals, which can cause significant damage to the skin.  Antioxidant properties of tea help fight off cell damage, can help revive dying skin cells, and even prevents high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Besides green tea, white tea has been shown to slow down the breakdown of elastin and collagen, which is essential in keeping skin look young and supple.

Purposefully, not mentioned in this list is HAIR CARE, which is as important as  those above. If you have time, read a couple of my favorite health and beauty posts “Locks of Youth- Secrets to Luscious Hair” and “Superfoods for Superhair”, both which goes into detail about how to keep your hair healthy and lustrous as it indicates well-being and youth.

The other unsaid secret of youth is laughter.  Lots and lots of it.  I’ll elaborate but I’ll save it for another day 😉

Love,
Honey