As you know this blog is dedicated to looking and feeling your best emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, in other words Holistically, so to inspire you I have enclosed this article from the Daily Mail, to show you, being beautiful and staying young doesn't require Botox or facelifts. Being young and beautiful comes from the inside
The other day, I was chatting to a client when I found myself using the old phrase: ‘Oh, when you get to my age . . .’ She looked at me, aghast, and said: ‘What do you mean, your age?’ When I confessed I was 52, she seemed genuinely shocked. She thought I was still in my 30s!
Now, that incident was extremely flattering — and I’m the first to admit anything under 40 may have been pushing it — but I’m frequently mistaken for being ten years younger than I am. I’d say I stopped ageing around 42 — that’s how I look on the outside and how I feel on the inside, but it’s taken some effort.
My secret is a deliberate change I
made to my lifestyle and attitude as my mid-40s approached. As I started
to head towards 50, I started to feel I was stuck in a rut — a general
dissatisfaction at the way my life was heading. I knew it was time to
give myself a good talking to.
I made a conscious decision to change the things I wasn’t happy with, without the help of therapists or cosmetic surgery. Instead, the new positive me focused on what I have to be thankful for; great family, friends and lifestyle.
Yes, I was divorced, but I still had a fabulous relationship with my ex-husband and I started to relish my independence and the things I could still do with my life.
I moved to a detached cottage in the countryside, where I now wake up every morning to the sound of birdsong.
And I make a real effort to eat properly — a Mediterranean diet made up of three meals a day packed with lots of fresh salad and fish, and no processed foods. I also meditate and take my little Jack Russell for long walks every day.
I appreciate that a lot of looking young for your age is down to good genes — and luck — but there are certain things that help. I’m a great believer in the health properties of Chinese puerh tea. I drink it every day, and it’s said to be a great metabolism booster. Victoria Beckham is apparently a fan.
I’m a true believer in health and vitality coming from within — that I’ve ‘thought’ myself younger. And long may it continue.
In fact, it would be considered impressive for a woman 30 years younger than me — which is pretty good going when you consider I am close to being 60.
I am very proud of my figure, and my looks are very important to me, so it always gives me pleasure when clients at my pilates classes express surprise at my age.
I think like a young person, too. I
get on far better with my sons’ friends than I do with people my own
age. Too many women sink into middle age, dress in horrid clothes and
let their figures go.
I could never do that and on the whole I find older people boring.
I took up pilates 13 years ago after three pregnancies left me with a weak back and I think I stopped ageing around then, at 44.
The pain and restricted movement I suffered was very draining. I felt I moved like an old lady, which left me feeling like one, too.
The gentle pilates exercises I took up really helped — toning and strengthening deep abdominal muscles, which helped my back so much.
In fact, my experience with pilates was so positive I decided to train as an instructor and qualified in 2000. Now I teach eight classes a week, plus one-to-one sessions.
I think pilates keeps me looking young because it affects the way I move, which is always such a giveaway in older women.
And
although I have my fair share of wrinkles, I am convinced regular
exercise helps to keep my face looking younger as it flushes my skin
with oxygen. I never look better than after a workout, when my face is
pink, invigorated and alive. I see other women my age and their skin
looks dead and grey.
But I’m not a saint — I have had Botox about once a year since I turned 50, on the deep furrow between my eyes, and I’ve tried skin peels and other treatments.
I don’t think I’ll ever resort to plastic surgery, as there are enough beauty treatments out there to try. And anyway, I plan on keeping up my pilates for as long as I am able, so hopefully it won’t be necessary.
Two years ago, I wouldn’t recognise the woman who stood before me in the mirror.
This woman hobbled around on painful and swollen legs that were struggling under her size-18 frame. Her clothes were frumpy and shapeless. And worst of all, this woman was me. I felt about 70. I disguised my self-loathing with a cheery smile on the outside. But on the inside, I hated myself.
Fast-forward two years and the other day someone tried to guess my age. ‘49?’ she said. I could have kissed her. But it’s true. All too often these days, people assume I’m in my late 40s or early 50s — when actually I’m 66.
So how did I give myself such a huge
makeover — and, more importantly, not just freeze my age, but reverse it
by as much as 17 years? I was always so slim as a youngster. I was a
keen horsewoman and I even did a bit of modelling for a local boutique —
but lapsed into bad habits as I crept into middle age.
A bad fall from my horse left me with a lot of knee problems, and then good living and inactivity saw the weight pile on.
At my heaviest, I weighed more than 14 stone, which was way too much for my 5ft 4in frame.
My knees were a constant source of pain, and despite being told repeatedly that it would help enormously if I lost weight, I just couldn’t do it. I tried, and failed, just about every diet going.
Then in January last year came my turning point. I was recuperating from excruciating knee surgery which kept me indoors and unable to run around with my little grandson like I dearly wanted to.
That’s when I saw an advert for the Cambridge Weight Plan in the newspaper and decided to go for it.
The plan involves replacing meals with calorie-controlled soups and shakes, and weekly one-to-one sessions with a counsellor. I couldn’t just cut down on carbs, or cut out desserts — for me it had to be all or nothing, which is why I picked such a strict regime.
It
wasn’t easy, but it took me six months to get to my target weight of
nine-and-a-half stone. Finally, I could love my body — and the
reflection that stared back at me from the mirror.
Today, I’ve swapped the stretchy, voluminous granny trousers for trendy size-12 High Street designs and I feel ten years younger. Although the compliments are fantastic, what I love most is how I feel inside. I finally feel like me again.
Maggie Brown (Author)
We've frozen time! They've never been near a surgeon's knife. So how have these women defied ageing?
As women nationwide spend thousands in the ongoing quest for eternal youth, three over-fifties who have been surgery-free all their lives share the secret of how they defied the ageing process...
Suzan Clements (left) is 52; Jill Thornton (centre) is 57 and Teresa Fuller (right) is 66
SUZAN, 52, STOPPED AGEING AT 42
Suzan
Clements works as a land and country house estate agent, and also runs
an import business. She is divorced with a 19-year-old daughter and
lives in the village of Gedling, Nottinghamshire.
The other day, I was chatting to a client when I found myself using the old phrase: ‘Oh, when you get to my age . . .’ She looked at me, aghast, and said: ‘What do you mean, your age?’ When I confessed I was 52, she seemed genuinely shocked. She thought I was still in my 30s!
Now, that incident was extremely flattering — and I’m the first to admit anything under 40 may have been pushing it — but I’m frequently mistaken for being ten years younger than I am. I’d say I stopped ageing around 42 — that’s how I look on the outside and how I feel on the inside, but it’s taken some effort.
'I'm a true believer in health and vitality
coming from within,' said Suzan Cements who stopped ageing at 42 (left).
She is now 52 (right)
I made a conscious decision to change the things I wasn’t happy with, without the help of therapists or cosmetic surgery. Instead, the new positive me focused on what I have to be thankful for; great family, friends and lifestyle.
Yes, I was divorced, but I still had a fabulous relationship with my ex-husband and I started to relish my independence and the things I could still do with my life.
And I make a real effort to eat properly — a Mediterranean diet made up of three meals a day packed with lots of fresh salad and fish, and no processed foods. I also meditate and take my little Jack Russell for long walks every day.
I appreciate that a lot of looking young for your age is down to good genes — and luck — but there are certain things that help. I’m a great believer in the health properties of Chinese puerh tea. I drink it every day, and it’s said to be a great metabolism booster. Victoria Beckham is apparently a fan.
I’m a true believer in health and vitality coming from within — that I’ve ‘thought’ myself younger. And long may it continue.
JILL, 57, STOPPED AGEING AT 44
Jill
Thornton, 57, is a pilates instructor from Guildford. She is married to
consultant gastroenterologist John and has three sons, Alex, 28,
James, 26, and 20-year-old Miles.
Why should women feel ashamed to admit they look good for their age? I think my body is in pretty good nick. In fact, it would be considered impressive for a woman 30 years younger than me — which is pretty good going when you consider I am close to being 60.
I am very proud of my figure, and my looks are very important to me, so it always gives me pleasure when clients at my pilates classes express surprise at my age.
'I took up pilates 13 years ago after three
pregnancies left me with a weak back and I think I stopped ageing around
then, at 44 (left),' said Jill Thornton who is now 57 (right)
I could never do that and on the whole I find older people boring.
I took up pilates 13 years ago after three pregnancies left me with a weak back and I think I stopped ageing around then, at 44.
The pain and restricted movement I suffered was very draining. I felt I moved like an old lady, which left me feeling like one, too.
The gentle pilates exercises I took up really helped — toning and strengthening deep abdominal muscles, which helped my back so much.
In fact, my experience with pilates was so positive I decided to train as an instructor and qualified in 2000. Now I teach eight classes a week, plus one-to-one sessions.
I think pilates keeps me looking young because it affects the way I move, which is always such a giveaway in older women.
But I’m not a saint — I have had Botox about once a year since I turned 50, on the deep furrow between my eyes, and I’ve tried skin peels and other treatments.
I don’t think I’ll ever resort to plastic surgery, as there are enough beauty treatments out there to try. And anyway, I plan on keeping up my pilates for as long as I am able, so hopefully it won’t be necessary.
TERESA, 66, STOPPED AGEING AT 49
Teresa
Fuller, 66, is a support worker from Downham Market, Norfolk. She has
two grown-up sons, Marcus, 39, and James, 35, and a four-year-old
grandson, Matthew. She is also a diet consultant.
Two years ago, I wouldn’t recognise the woman who stood before me in the mirror.
This woman hobbled around on painful and swollen legs that were struggling under her size-18 frame. Her clothes were frumpy and shapeless. And worst of all, this woman was me. I felt about 70. I disguised my self-loathing with a cheery smile on the outside. But on the inside, I hated myself.
Fast-forward two years and the other day someone tried to guess my age. ‘49?’ she said. I could have kissed her. But it’s true. All too often these days, people assume I’m in my late 40s or early 50s — when actually I’m 66.
'It took me six months to get to my target
weight of nine-and-a-half stone. Finally, I could love my body,' said
Teresa Fuller who stopped ageing at 49 (left). She is 66 (right)
A bad fall from my horse left me with a lot of knee problems, and then good living and inactivity saw the weight pile on.
At my heaviest, I weighed more than 14 stone, which was way too much for my 5ft 4in frame.
My knees were a constant source of pain, and despite being told repeatedly that it would help enormously if I lost weight, I just couldn’t do it. I tried, and failed, just about every diet going.
Then in January last year came my turning point. I was recuperating from excruciating knee surgery which kept me indoors and unable to run around with my little grandson like I dearly wanted to.
That’s when I saw an advert for the Cambridge Weight Plan in the newspaper and decided to go for it.
The plan involves replacing meals with calorie-controlled soups and shakes, and weekly one-to-one sessions with a counsellor. I couldn’t just cut down on carbs, or cut out desserts — for me it had to be all or nothing, which is why I picked such a strict regime.
Today, I’ve swapped the stretchy, voluminous granny trousers for trendy size-12 High Street designs and I feel ten years younger. Although the compliments are fantastic, what I love most is how I feel inside. I finally feel like me again.
Maggie Brown (Author)
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