Beauty that goes the distance doesn’t reside in a cream or potion or pill. Having beautiful skin as you age is a result of what you eat, drink, what you think and how much sleep and rest you get. Lack of sleep, processed foods, medications and congested bowels will produce inflamed cells and tissues, reflected in the health of your skin.

Lack of sleep and digestive problems are widespread and increasing. Not only am I consulting with more people suffering from these problems, it is evident by the most asked for non- prescription products in health food stores and pharmacies.

They are:

• a)something to help me get to sleep/stay asleep and
• b) products to ‘fix’ bloating, sluggish/ irritable bowel, “acid stomach”, sugar cravings or to “clean me out”.

Sleep

Lack of sleep and rest, have become the accompaniments for our fast-paced, time-poor technology-driven lives. Insufficient sleep and rest is widespread affecting 1 in 4 people, damaging their health and ability to function well, on a day to day basis. Lack of sleep accelerates the ageing process in several ways.

Firstly, it increases the production of wastes in the blood. Acids build up and accumulate in the tissues, resulting in sore, achy joints and muscles and a lower tolerance to day to day challenges People will often notice that they feel less flexible and sometimes comment about being ”bone tired” if they have had late nights or disturbed sleep over a period of time. You are more likely to have ‘an acid tongue’ or an irritated perspective to your interactions with others.

Secondly, going to bed after 11.00pm or midnight on a regular basis disrupts the body’s repair and growth mechanisms and cortisol levels become higher in sleep deprived people. Elevated cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels and makes people more sensitive to irritations and noise. Your heart works harder under this stress. Your cognitive processes are impaired along with your reaction time and memory recall.

Thirdly, lack of sleep suppresses your immune system and your body will have difficulty fighting viruses and infections. Colds can linger and wounds take longer to heal.

Long-term lack of sleep contributes to the onset of candida and digestive problems.

With more and more people going to bed later, sleeping badly, and waking feeling as if they haven’t slept at all, stimulants become a powerful lure to keep people going. Double shots of lattes,or a heavily-sugared, caffeinated energy drink to kick start their bodies and minds, then topping up with more caffeine and sugar to get them through the day becomes the daily norm. Meanwhile, bacteria, fungus and parasites take up residence and thrive in the perpetual acid intestinal environment, wreaking havoc on all sorts of body functions including mental performance and emotional stability.

As you can see, poor sleep and poor food choices will break a person physically and mentally if continued year after year.

Make it a priority to get restful sleep. Go to bed early! Be disciplined. If you are going to bed after 10.30 each night, go to bed 5 minutes earlier than the previous night over a 7 day period. Aim to be in bed between 9.30 and 10.00pm. Preferably between 9.00pm and 9.30pm. It will make a difference to the amount of time your body has for growth and repair and you will feel and look better.

Don’t watch TV night after night – There are better ways to relax than to plop in front of a TV, each night. And beware of getting trapped on computers into the late hours. TV and computer entrapment takes away the time for what is important in life - time for yourself – to fulfill your creative desires (without sitting in front of a screen) and to be fully present with the people that matter in your life. Without this, you will feel more stressed.

Happy Thoughts Produce Happy Cells which Produce Happy Faces

Serenity, contentment and confidence are the feelings that uplift a face. Feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, resentful or angry, with judgemental thoughts towards yourself and others, drags the facial muscles downwards. Yes, it is true, what you repeatedly think does eventually get ‘written’ all over your face!

As you age it is important to have a ‘live and let live’ attitude. Being in harmony with those around you plays a crucial role in ageing beautifully. You will be happier and healthier. Make a commitment to heal any damaged relationships. Use visualization to see the desired changes and recognize that you must take the initiative to change first. You have to be open to the other person’s feelings and perspective and practice being present, listening and remaining compassionately detached to any old emotional issues.

Hang out with people you love and enjoy and practice speaking about positive things. Conscious repetition makes for progress.

Beautiful Skin

Daily must-haves: Papaya, berries, oranges (preferably freshly squeezed juice) cucumbers, celery, coriander and dark leafy greens. Get familiar with common wild dandelion. Its leaves are a valuable, free inclusion in salads. (See -upcoming video on beautifying common weeds)
Make sure you get Vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day.

Papaya Facial
Use a slightly unripe papaya or paw paw as the enzymes are more potent. Cut the fruit in half, scoop out ½ cup of the flesh. Mash roughly with a fork and apply to your face.
Rub the fruit gently around your face and then leave on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, pat dry. Then lightly tap your face all over with your fingertips for a minute. Apply a thin covering of organic coconut/rosehip oil. Your skin will be glowing!

Facial Exercises

Neck Tightener
This is a good exercise to do when you are stuck in traffic or sending emails.
Tilt your head back and then jut your jaw forwards and upward. You will feel your neck muscles pull. Put your tongue on your upper palate as far back towards your throat, as you can. Feel the pull tighten further. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat 8 times.

Eye and Temple Lift
Place your fingers against your temples and gently pull the skin towards your scalp. At the same time close your eyes and resist the pull by focusing on drawing the muscle downwards, towards the outer eyes as you pull upwards. Feel the resistance. Hold for a count of 6 and repeat 10 times. Work the muscle harder by pulling the skin higher towards the temple.