Natural tips to look younger are now, more than ever, making a comeback in our health-conscious world.
Just by making small changes to your daily routine, you’ll discover easy and surprisingly simple ways to look younger. From what you eat to how you breathe, it all makes a difference to how you look and feel.
Sugar-free is the way
“Sugar ages skin, attacking collagen and elastin, the proteins needed to help skin stay young naturally. High sugar intake leads to wrinkled skin sooner,” says fitness trainer Nicki Waterman.
“To break the sugar addiction, get rid of refined sugar (anything that isn’t fruit or veggies) for five days, and then allow yourself a cheat meal on Saturday and Sunday. You’ll have curbed the chemical addiction for sugar and your brain will crave it less.”
It’s all in the breath
Sarah Stacey, co-author of The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible (Kyle Books), advocates calming your mind, body and soul with breathing. “I inhale slowly for four counts, then exhale slowly. My shoulders go down, forehead unfurrows and I stop whizzing like a top.”
Take control of your hormones
Pilates guru Lynne Robinson balances her hormones with seeds. If your hormones are behaving themselves, a youthful look is on the cards.
“I mix and grind golden linseeds, chia- and sesame seeds, then sprinkle three dessert-spoons on my cereal every morning. I find this mix helps to balance my hormones and provides essential fats, proteins and fibre – all great for skin, hair, nails and bones!”
Posture perfect
Try this trick to straighten up and anti-age your posture naturally. Imagine a balloon attached to your head, pulling and lengthening you up, up, up. Keep your shoulders relaxed, let your collarbones widen. Do this a couple if times a day.
Anti-age with avocado and coconut oil
Nutritionist Vicki Edgson reveals why these two admittedly fat-heavy foods should actually be on your grocery list.
“I consider avocado the number-one age-reversing food,” says Vicki. “It has one of the highest protein contents of all fruits, and is bursting with vitamin E. It promotes the production of collagen, when teamed with lemon or lime juice (added vitamin C).”
“Coconut oil is richer in omega-3 fatty acids than olive oil, and combats oxidative damage related to ageing,” says Vicki. “It can be heated to fairly high temperatures, and maintains its youth-promoting essential fats even in baked dishes, stir-fries and light roasting. And it works as a super hydrator when smoothed on even the driest skin.”
ALSO SEE: Here are a few more uses for coconut oil
Make a liquid facial
“One of my favourite tips is the inside-out smoothie,” says detox expert Margo Marrone. “In a blender, blitz in a handful of berries, a cup of apple juice, some ginger, the juice of half a lemon and the contents of an antioxidant capsule. Whizz it all up, sip it slowly and apply the dregs to the face as a mask. Do this twice a week and see what it can do for you and your complexion.
