insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 57

FASHION+BEAUTY

Physically
Drink red wine

Of course drink water, that’s a given; it
promotes circulation and keeps skin supple
and plumped. But, mercifully, drinking red wine
is good for you too. It contains a powerful
heart-healthy antioxidant called resveratrol,
which also helps keep wrinkles at bay and
is known for its anti-cancer properties.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes have the highest
concentration of antioxidants, just don’t go
overboard – try and stick to one (albeit large)
glass and drink it with food to counterbalance
the inflammatory effects of alcohol.

Keep it real

Any nutrition expert worth their weight in quinoa
will tell you to keep your intake of processed
foods to the absolute minimum, which is golden
advice. A menu of fruit, vegetables, healthy lean
proteins and water is perhaps the ultimate in
youth-preserving diets, but it’s pretty boring too,
so try to eat less fried food; flavour your food
with garlic, ginger and herbs instead of salty,
sugary sauces; and keep fast food at bay. A
natural fix for age-defying skin is a daily spoonful
of the honey bee secretion, royal jelly, which - if
you can get past the fact that it comes from bee
glands – is known for its health benefits.

Make time to work out

Pumping iron keeps your body strong and
your skin firm. There’s lots of online workouts
out there that incorporate some tough moves,
but that you can get done in under 10 minutes
daily. Search for a workout that incorporates
burpees - a full-body exercise that targets the
back, chest, arms, and legs – and different
variations of squats and lunges too. For a
gentler option, try yoga or Pilates.

Mentally
Try something new

Bogged down by reality, more times than
not when plans are asked of us, many of us
instantly say no, or think of excuses as to how
we can get out of it – ‘I’m tired’; ‘there’s no
parking’; ‘I’ve got a hot date with The Great
British Bake Off’. But, spontaneity is good
for the soul: try the new bar, take the spare
ticket to the theatre, go out for dinner on a
Wednesday – the excitement of saying yes to
more adventures will open your mind and shine
through in the way you look too.

Keep your brain active

It was the ancient Roman poet, Horace, who
suggested we all ‘carpe diem’ way back in 23
BC, and it was unlikely he was bored, plonked
on the sofa when he did. Seizing the day
doesn’t have to be about hurling yourself out
of an aeroplane, or being busy all the time, but
if you’ve ever wanted to learn French, brush
up on your photography skills, or finally set
about writing your memoirs, now is the time;
learning something new will inspire a youthful
exuberance.

Remember: you look way better
than you think you do

A generalisation perhaps, but a lot of us
spend our 20s scrutinising ourselves and not
appreciating how gorgeous we actually are; our
30s in the swollen, sleep-deprived throes of
pregnancy and looking after mini maniacs that
we’ve created ourselves; and our 40s

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worrying about the wrinkles that the past 20
years have given us. It’s shallow and foolish to
consider that youth is what makes us inherently
beautiful; age brings greater confidence and
wisdom, so give yourself a break and accept
that this is you and you look great.