Anti Aging Solutions to Firm Sagging Skin

What is the secret to a younger looking skin? What does a woman, who has reached the big 4-0, need to do to have firm skin? How do you really get rid of wrinkles? These are but some of the questions we often talk about. And what makes this worse is that whenever I go around the cosmetics counter, I am actually overwhelmed by the number of products, which was changed almost every week. I’ve seen a number of anti aging creams that have been lucky enough to be given a prominent position on the shelf for a year or so, but believe me tons of new products just keep on coming every single week. So what is in store for us, women over 40? Here is our list of what the counter lady (and even your doctor) may offer you for younger looking skin.

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Your mom, during her time, that is, has only one option then: Go under the knife. Well, actually there is a second option, which is really a not-so pretty sight. Think heavy peeling and hyperpigmentation. Today, it is our turn and fortunately we have everything that we need for a firmer skin right at the cosmetics counter. But how can we be so sure that these anti aging solutions really do work? Here is our list of expert-recommended and proven anti aging solutions for a smoother, younger looking you.

Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye

Smoothening creams were formulated to target glycation, a biological process wherein glucose (also known as sugar) sticks to and breaks collagen down, which essentially leads to sagging. To prevent and even halt the effect of glycation, experts recommend is Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream ($55.95 at Amazon.com). A firming, anti-wrinkle, and lifting day cream, Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream is essentially formulated with NiacylTM, MMPi-20TM, and BVOSC to restore youthful-looking contours and support natural skin structure.

Why do we recommend Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream? Featured in 2005 Time Style and Design, Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream is one of the few products that are based on recent scientific developments that specifically target a group of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Similar to the effect of LED in inhibiting MMPs, Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream utilizes MMPi technology in order to exhibit the very same result when applied topically to the skin. The result: A plump, visibly smoother skin. But the benefits simply do not stop there: Clinical studies show that regular application of the Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream prevents further wrinkling, improves skin tone, and revitalizes elastin and collagen growth. Shop for Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream at Amazon.com using this link.

Another technology-based formulation to the Wexler product line is Niacyl, a clinically proven ingredient of the Patricia Wexler Intensive 3 in 1 Eye Cream that essentially enhances and boosts the effects of the other ingredients. A potent ingredient to many of Weler’s anti aging solutions, the function of Niacyl is to trigger the skin to produce more collagen and deliver moisture-boosting niacin to the skin cells.

Radiesse

Another option that you may want to look into is Radiesse. Popularly referred to as the wrinkle filler, Radiesse is a comfortable, quick, and simple dermal filler treatment that encourages your body’s own production of collagen to smoothen out wrinkles and other signs of aging. The ideal choice for those who opt for total facial contouring, Radiesse is a minimally invasive procedure with zero downtime, immediately taking effect as soon as the formula is introduced to the skin. Unlike topical anti aging solutions, you need to visit an esthetician or cosmetic surgeon who can perform and has been accredited to provide Radiesse.

Thermage

Other anti aging solutions that are gaining momentum: Thermage. A non-invasive, skin tightening procedure, Thermage is an FDA-approved procedure that utilizes radiofrequency (RF) energy to tighten and evenly tone sagging skin, loose jowls, and even provides a contouring effect in the jaw and lips.

Each procedure usually costs between $1,000 and $5,000. Though Thermage is a onetime treatment, some patients may need more and even require additional treatments to maintain results. It is difficult to know how long the results can last since it has been approved by the FDA only last 2002, but experts predict that it can range for as little as two years to ten full years.

Demystifying the Best Anti Aging Plan: Seven Pillars of Looking Young, Feeling Young

The best anti aging plan should do wonders for your body, and not only your skin. Here are the seven pillars of the best anti aging plan women over 40 should know.

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Our generation, the women over 40, is just determined to look young and feel young. Instead of feeling guilty about it, I even encourage my friends to do whatever anti aging plan that comes into their mind. Why? Simply because we can’t afford to be timid and shun away from anti aging solutions offering ways to brighten our day just by looking at the mirror. Our generation of women over 40 deserves nothing but the truth and the best.

Aside from anti aging creams, it is important that you employ other anti aging solutions so you can truly achieve what you want. Your concept of what anti aging should go beyond a jar; we have seen a big change, if not a paradigm shift, in the idea of what anti aging is. It is time that you change yours.

Natural Anti Aging Plan

You really don’t have to go to an anti aging center so you can reclaim what time stole from you. The best anti aging plan shouldn’t be difficult, yet it should challenge you. No matter how cliched it may be, I still stand by my belief that the best anti aging plan should encourage you to ditch old ways and misconceptions about looking young and feeling young.

Our thoughts count, and it also affect the quality of our life and well-being. What more if you translate these thoughts into action. Making a small difference in how you live your life, like switching to green tea or doing strength training at least twice a week, will not only improve the quality of your life but may also increase lifespan as well. We all know that eating an apple may, well, keep the doctor away. But do you know that adding apple to your diet can also add at least two years to your life? These small, simple things, when done regularly, translate to wonders.

Forget about deprivation. The best anti aging plan, something that you can really create on your own, will teach you how you can enjoy a healthy, long, and fun life. It shouldn’t require you to do daunting things; instead, a natural anti aging plan, when “planned” right, should come to you, well, naturally. Eastern medicine, particularly traditional Chinese medicine, treats our body as one of the wisest elements there is. Listen to it, and it will tell you how you can look and feel your best.

The Best Anti Aging Plan: Seven Pillars

Your anti aging plan should have the seven anti aging secrets as its pillars: Right diet, soy, anti aging supplements, proper hydration, maintaining a healthy weight, cardio exercise, and strength training. So where does the anti-aging cream come in? Experts do agree that the power of putting on anti-aging cream doesn’t even come close to what any of these anti aging secrets can do for you and your body.

Anti aging foods

I remember reading what Pablo Picasso said on looking young and feeling young, “It takes a long time to become young.” And I certainly couldn’t agree more. And one of the most important anti aging secrets all women over 40 should realize is that there is a lot of eating that needs to be done when one wants to look young. Forget about specially formulated diet plans; when it comes to true anti aging foods nothing can even come close to what Mother Nature has blessed us with.

Eating anti aging foods is really all about eating foods closest to its natural state. Think freshness in all its glory. The goal of anti aging foods is to give you the freshest, tastiest dishes while showering your body with all the nutrients that it needs -- everything from protective plant substances to youth-preserving antioxidants.

Soy

If there is one thing I love about Asian food it is soy. Ever wonder why the Japanese look so young with their ever smooth and luminescent skin? Or how the Chinese manage to maintain their lean physique? Think about the vitality, longevity, and the robust health of people in Asian countries? After years of research, more and more experts are starting to believe that maybe soy is the wonder and even youth food women over 40 are looking for.

An excellent source of protein and dietary fiber, soy is said to ward off age-related conditions, including, but not limited to, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and, of course, menopausal symptoms. But the magic of soy essentially lies in isoflavones, or a group of plant substances linked to a number of health benefits like lowering LDL or “bad” cholesterol, slowing down the growth of cancer cells, and even repairing and building stronger bones.

Soy is a great alternative for meat; containing virtually saturated fat and cholesterol, soy is an excellent source of high-quality and low-calorie protein. It is also rich in essential nutrients like calcium, B vitamins, and iron.

Anti aging supplements

With a healthy diet and an overall nourishing lifestyle, many women over 40 ask, “Do I really need to take supplements?” When we say natural anti aging plan, we don’t mean anything superficial; we advocate natural eating, but we certainly are not after ditching anything that has been produced by machines. A natural anti aging plan should include taking supplements for one reason: Because your body is not as efficient as it used to be. While our body produces youth-preserving antioxidants like alphalipoic acid and coenzyme Q10, experts do agree that once women hit the big 4-0, the body starts to slow down its production levels, thereby, leaving us with insufficient amount of these antioxidants.

Anti aging supplements essentially contain larger doses of plant compounds and nutrients than what your diet -- no matter how healthy it is -- can actually deliver. Aside from taking multis, women over 40 need their regular doses of anti aging supplements to aid the body in warding off age-related conditions and free radical damage. When shopping for anti aging supplements, your list needs to have coenzyme Q10, alphalipoic acid, bioflavonoids, flaxseed oil, gingko, vitamin E, vitamin C, pycnogenol, and phosphatidyl serine.

Hydration

Considered by many as Mother Nature’s anti aging tonic, water is needed by our body every second, making us alive, allowing us to breathe. Hydration is essentially the key to almost everything, good things, that happens to our body -- from fending off headaches to keeping our skin smooth and supple. Water also boosts our body’s energy level, helps us focus, and clears our system from harmful toxins that block our body’s energy (or qi to traditional Chinese medicine) channel.

Your healthy weight

We are all different. Our body is carefully created, shaped to become unique, setting us apart from others. No matter how difficult it can be, I always make sure that I look at the scale and not at the TV when checking on my body. I gained a lot of weight when I reached the big 4-0. Well, the truth is, I have accumulated fat over the years and it started when I gave birth to my eldest. I really had difficulty losing my baby pouch, one, because I have to raise my kids and work at least ten hours a day, and, two, because I thought that my body will just naturally take care of it. I guess it didn’t.

Whether it’s a rude joke or simply an evolution blunder, a woman’s weight will always grow parallel her age. Our weight gain is not only an issue of us being too tired to hit the gym or a too good chocolate cake you can’t resist eating but of myriad of things that seem to naturally happen to and within our body. Our metabolism slows down, our muscle mass decreases as we age, and we become, or chose to be, less active.

One of the very first things that you should check is your BMI. A BMI of 25 to 30 is essentially considered as overweight while any reading that goes beyond 30 is categorized as obese. But you shouldn’t stop with BMI. Make sure that you check where the fat has accumulated. Weight circumference, alongside BMI, is used by many health experts in gauging how healthy a woman is. The larger your waist, the higher risk for weight-related disorders like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

Find what works for you. We all know that we wouldn’t find this when we look at magazines and TV. Back in my 20s, I have a waist line of 18. Today, I shop for ensembles that will fit my waist of 29 inches. While managing a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, writing online, and running a life insurance agency, I walk everyday and attend yoga classes. I know it wouldn’t be long before I can whittle the extras in my tummy and the number in the scale.

Cardio exercise 

I am guilty of not doing enough cardio exercise to work my lungs and heart. Though I do eight reps of sun salutation (with variations) and do power walk, I know I need to do more to make sure both my lungs and heart are working at its best. But it’s not only the heart and lungs that get happy when I move; aerobics is essentially a low-risk investment that provides tremendous benefits.

The puffing and the huffing can do more good than the sudden shot of pain we loathe when we stretch our body. It boosts metabolism, reduces stress, eases perimenopause symptoms, rewinds your sex drive, gives you energy, and really makes the seemingly difficult task of falling asleep easy. And it only gets better. Cardio exercises have been linked to a number of health benefits, including lowering the probability of weight- and age-related diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis, among others.

Our body is made and created for moving -- even though our lifestyle has creatively engineered beneficial activities out of it. I know I am guilty of this, but when I think of cardio I immediately picture aero classes and treadmills. But it is important for us (and I really mean also me) to realize that we don’t really have to hit the gym to get some heart-pumping action done. I am proposing incorporating cardio exercise to our routine; and by this I mean increasing our level of physical activity. Think about what you do the next day, and simply make those mundane tasks more physical. I enjoy gardening, and every morning I start on a new plot, garden plot, that is, and start to cultivate and prepare the soil for new seeds. I get at least 20 minutes of hoeing (not what you’re thinking, silly) before eight in the morning, and that, for me, is already a good start.

Strength training

I love yoga simply because it engages the whole body and everything I have in me. I consider a power Vinsaya practice (lots of sun salutations with variations) because it’s like doing cardio cycling. I also love yoga for the simple reason that it stretches every inch of me, and since we do a lot of incredibly challenging poses, I thought yoga can substitute for strength training sessions. And I thought wrong.

Yoga maybe an excellent toning tool, but building muscle cannot be accomplished with doing asanas (lesson learned). Strength training is really one thing we, women over 40, can’t afford to miss. The benefits of resistance training really go beyond whittling excess fats. If you’re planning to shape up and finally achieve that leaner physique you’ve always wanted, building muscle is a routine you can’t skip. In fact, it is the key that holds the door for a leaner you.

Aside from trimming excess fats, strength training revs up your metabolism by increasing the amount of muscle in your body. Resistance training also increases your muscle strength, delivers more energy, improves your balance, and even kicks depression.

A natural anti aging plan should have all of these. It should allow you to be and feel your best by doing what the body is naturally created to do. I believe the best anti aging plan should inspire you to listen to your body and learn about its ways. Women over 40 should believe that they have all they need to really look young and feel young. We just need to trust ourselves, get up, and keep moving.

Three Vital Anti Aging Secrets for Women Over 40

Many women over 40 are excited about the latest in anti aging creams and technology. The search for the fountain of youth, which dates as far back as 3500 B.C., and essentially the journey to combat signs of aging appeals to women of all ages. All women who think that a wrinkle there and even laugh lines here look, at the very least, unpleasant to the eye. This desire to look young and even feel young has prompted a rather disturbingly large numbers of capitalists to charge a premium for some sort-of technology that can stop, reverse, and even prevent signs of aging, or as we love to call it “signs of the times.”

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Effective anti aging programs, and everything else that makes sense, will tell you that your journey for an age-defying beauty is an exciting expedition. It isn’t fast, isn’t instant. Knowing what works for us takes time, determination, and, yes even boldness.

Anti aging secrets are not and shouldn’t be secrets at all. They should be readily available to anyone who wants to look good and feel better about themselves. Here are three effective yet simple -- as things should always be -- anti aging secrets for women over 40:

Love your body

Eastern medicine considers our body as a sacred temple, a sacred place where our mind and soul dwells. To reverse and prevent signs of aging, you must first learn to love what you have. Women over 40 are so good at becoming flexible, from their work to what their kids can actually do, but are so uncompromising in terms of what their body can do. They often get sick not because their body is weak but because they don’t listen to their weakness.

Treat your body well and you will experience vitality and the health you have long longed for.

Let all bygones be bygones

Ancient Chinese doctors believe that unreleased emotions brought about by traumatic events were locked up inside the body, manifesting themselves later as symptoms and illnesses. Emotions, though can and are easily dismissed by the highly impersonal relationship we maintained at work, can affect our body and our health. Negativities, often believed to be unwanted emotions, block the body’s energy channels, creating imbalance and often chaos inside.

Live in the present, though it may be difficult. Let go and be free.

Be ready to listen

One of the most difficult things to do is to stop and listen. Many women over 40 consider their body as robot, something that can be programmed to run for as long as the mind wants it to. But like any machine, it requires maintenance and needs to be preserved. But often times, we ignore these signs because we need to keep going: We have projects to attend to, friends to talk to, and family to attend to. How many times in a day do we pause and listen to our body? Chances are good that you even use the hour before bedtime to write your tomorrow’s to-do list. Stop. You don’t really have to do this.

Live your life. But take care of your body by listening to it. How many times in your life do you get to realize that you can actually accomplish more by listening? Many. Listen to your body. You can learn so much from it if only you listen.

Reversing signs of aging can be really challenging for women over 40. In this case, women over 40 can’t afford not to be bold about their choices, the solutions to this issue. You can prevent signs of aging to show on your face, skin, and body.

Stepping on an anti aging program means having sick- and worry-free days. An effective anti aging program goes beyond skin issues and how to erase fine lines. It should tell you how to listen to and trust your body. We have only been given one life, one body. It has been taking good care of you for years, it is time that you recognize that it also needs to be taken care of.

Bioflavonoids: More Than Just Vitamin C Supplement

We know vitamin C very well. And like many supporting actors and roles, bioflavonoids go unnoticed, continuously supporting vitamin C for making women over 40 stronger. Now we’re giving bioflavonoids the attention it deserves.

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You have read about alphalipoic acid and phosphatidylserine in the first part of our special report on supplements for women over 40 (and we hope you find it useful). As what we have promised, we are providing you the latest news on anti aging supplements, its benefits, and why you need it in your battle against signs of aging. Today, we are dedicating MissVanderbilt.com in exploring bioflavoinoids and supplements containing this antioxidant, how it can help you achieve your anti aging goals, and most importantly how it can make you feel young and look young.

Found in black currants, rose hips, and in the rind of green citrus fruits, bioflavonoids are essentially a group of pigments that give plants, fruits, and flowers their unique colors. Used and known for centuries in alternative medicines, bioflavonoids are famous today for being a sort of enhancer for most vitamin C supplements for women over 40. Better known as an accessory nutrient to vitamin C complex, bioflavonoids are formulated to enhance the effects of vitamin C in the body. However, a growing number of health experts believe that bioflavonoids can play more than just supporting roles. In fact, exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Shari Lieberman believes that some bioflavonoids are more potent than acknowledged antioxidants like vitamin C and E.

Anti aging Effects

Bioflavonoids have shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. According to the Linus Pauling Institute of the Oregon State University, higher bioflavonoid intake is linked to significant reductions in coronary heart disease. In fact, in the 1996 Finish study on the effects of bioflavonoids on heart health the results strongly support what experts have known all these years: Women who ate the most flavonoids have lowered their risk for heart disease by at least 46 percent than those who ate least.

Two clinical trials exploring the effect of flavonoid-rich foods and beverages on cardiovascular health have found that the daily consumption at least 4 cups of black tea, a beverage greatly favored because of its high theaflavin and thearubigin content, can significantly improve the relaxation or opening of the blood vessels and, thereby, prevent the formation of blood clots that can block the arteries. Bioflavonoids also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), preventing it from further oxidizing and sticking to the artery wall.

But one thing that truly intrigued us about bioflavonoids is its antioxidant activities. Daily consumption of bioflavonoids has shown to help cells against the damaging effects of free radicals and reactive oxygen species linked to premature aging, cancer, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. According to one test-tube test conducted at The Linus Pauling Institute-Oregon State University, certain flavonoids boast of higher antioxidant activity, even exceeding red wine, soy, or tea. And the potential health benefits of these antioxidants do not end there -- biolflavonoids have been reported to have anti-allergic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, and antitumor properties.

Dosing

It is important that you strive to achieve balance between your dietary source of bioflavonoids and your chosen supplement. Some common food sources of bioflavonoids include berries, red wine, tea (especially the green and black varieties), soybeans, yellow onions, thyme, parsley, legumes, and soy foods. In its supplement form, which are available in 500 to 1,000 milligrams per capsule, you will find brands that sell single bioflavonoids or in combination with other flavonols like aglycone, rutin, and quercetin.

Bioflavonoids are safe for most people. Though there has been no recommended dietary allowance (or daily value) for bioflavonoids, it is important that you limit your intake of these antioxidants to 1,000 milligrams every day. Is your diet predominantly composed of the common food sources of bioflavonoids? If so, you may want to ask your doctor if you really need supplements to help you achieve the maximum health benefits of this potent antioxidant.

Recent studies show that bioflavonoids, and particularly when taken as a supplement, inhibit the absorption of nonheme iron by the body.

To maximize the effects of flavonoids and the rest of your multis, you may want to program your intake of supplements in your day. Ask your doctor on how you can schedule your multis and other supplements so you can be sure that you will be truly drinking to your health.

Bioflavonoid Supplements

Commercially available bioflavonoids are usually packed with one thing: Potent vitamin C. In fact, it can be quite difficult to find bioflavonoid supplements that feature bioflavonoids as its sole ingredient.

With leading brands like SourceNaturals and Vitamin Shoppe, manufacturing bioflavonoids and vitamin C supplements in one, it is safe to assume that most brands are following this trend. But why is it no pharmaceutical company has dared to separate vitamin C from bioflavonoids to make, well, real and pure bioflavonoid supplements? That’s because, bioflavonoids will always complement vitamin C beautifully. Like gravy to turkey, bioflavonoids simply make vitamin C better. And since they work well together, most experts think separating vitamin C and vitamin-like flavonoid (yes, that’s the proper term) and consuming it individually seemed rubbish.

So does this mean that you should forget about bioflavonoids entirely? Experts recommend you do otherwise. In fact, if you are shopping for vitamin C supplements (see the recommended vitamin C dosage in our multivitamin guide), it is best that you narrow your list to brands that feature vitamin C and bioflavonoids in their label. This is where the Vitamin C Complex comes in. Yes, they may sound like another marketing fad, but experts think that this is simply the best way to get your daily dose of vitamin C.

Source Naturals Activated Quercetin™

Price: $28. 63

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

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Supplement Facts	Amount per serving	% Daily Value
Vitamin C	646mg	1,076%
Quercetin	1g	+
Magnesium	50mg	13%
Bromelain	300mg	+

Other ingredients: Sorbitol, stearic acid, modified cellulose gum, colloidal silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate.

5 Amazon.com shoppers bought this product. See what these shoppers have to say about Source Naturals Activated Quercetin

Source Naturals Mega C-B-R™

Suitable for vegetarians

Price: $23.04 (Only $0.14/tablet)

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Buy at Amazon.com 

Supplement Facts	Amount per serving	% Daily Value
Vitamin C	1g	1,667%
Citrus bioflavonoid complex	500mg	+
Rutin	52mg	+
Hesperidin	50mg	+
Acerola	10mg	+

Other ingredients: Sorbitol, stearic acid, modified cellulose gum, magnesium stearate, and colloidal silicon dioxide.

Vitamin Shoppe Active-C 1000 w/Bioflavonoids

 

Price: $10.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Supplement Facts	Amount per serving	% Daily Value
Vitamin C	1000mg	1,667%
Citrus bioflavonoid	200mg	+
Rutin	25mg	+
Calcium	120mg	12%
Magnesium	20mg	5%
Zinc	2mg	13%
Rose hips	20mg	+
Acerola	20mg	+
Bioperine	5mg	+

Other ingredients: Calcium carbonate, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, silica and pharmaceutical glaze.

+ no recommended dietary allowance

Our 2010 Guide To Healthy Eating

It is certainly NOT easy to be young, or to put it appropriately, stay young. After all the facial creams you have tried, the potions you drank, and all the machines you have purchased, here’s the good news: Staying young is really all about eating healthy. There is really no doubt that going for healthy eating choices and developing healthy eating habits are two interrelated paths towards wellness. And here this: Studies show that eating healthy can do reverse and delay aging process. But how exactly can healthy food items help you achieve not only younger looking skin (that you have always dreamed of, by the way) and the body of a strong and healthy 30-year old? Given right foods, your body will release “youth hormones” that can manage the hormonal roller coaster and aging activities going on inside you, notes Dr. Vincent C. Giampapa of the Longevity Institute International. Healthy foods and eating habits do push your body towards your dream: Stronger immunity, sustained energy, and improved senses like vision and hearing.

Planning For Anti-Aging Diet

So how does an anti-aging diet look like? Gone are the days when you have to be satisfied with celery and carrot sticks as your sort-of dinner meal. But first things first: Determining the goal of anti-aging diet. In planning your very own (read: personalized) anti-aging diet, only remember this: Reversing the effect of time with your body. Remember, weight gain should remain secondary to restoring your body back to its efficiency.

Fight off free radicals. Our body is actually good at fending off free radicals – when we were young. But after all the eating, the wrong food options, and putting your exercise plan at the backseat (for, what, twenty years), our body becomes weak and unable to win its fight against free radicals.

Now is the time that your body needs all the help it can get: From the antioxidants present in our body down to the vitamin C and E supplements that you can buy in your fave healthcare store.

Go for youth hormones. As we age, our body becomes unable to produce three important hormones that can be credited for the vivacity of youth: Insulin growth factor (IGF-1), human growth hormone (hGH), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA). So what happens when your body starts to produce lower amount of all these so-called youth hormones? It becomes inefficient in delivering chemical messages from one point to another and it becomes unable to repair cells after being ravaged by free radicals. All these result to lower immunity, loss of muscle, and you essentially facing more illnesses now more than ever.

Seemed like you don’t stand a chance against aging? Dr. Giampapa doesn’t think so. The answer you’ve been looking for actually lies in the simple equation of simply increasing the body’s production of these youth hormones. How? With a simple anti-aging diet.

Measure Your Anti-aging Diet

So how do you plan your very own anti-aging diet? Start with this simple rule of thumb: The lower the glycemic index, the better for your body. Research shows that foods with low glycemic index encourage the production of IGF-1 and hGH. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains essentially help to stabilize the body’s insulin level, which makes our body less inclined to produce cortisol or the so-called stress hormone.

Committing to healthy eating choices and forgetting about what we are used to eating, such as cornflakes and white rice, can help our body greater than what you actually think. Commit to dedicating yourself to healthy eating habits, and stick to it.

Heavyweight bread. Go for the high in fiber, heavier loaf bread you see in the market. Whole grain bread has essentially lower glycemic index than you low-cal wheat bread. But there are so many options, so what to choose? Here’s a good rule of thumb: The heavier, the better. The better news is that these breads are more filling than your lightweight ones, leaving you that feeling of satiety without piling your plate.

Go for the beans, and specifically dried beans. These items have unbelievably low glycemic index and are really good source of proteins. But aside from dried beans, experts also recommend chickpeas, black eyed peas, lima beans, and black beans because they are excellent source of fibers, containing at least 6g of the much needed fiber in a half-cup serving.

Love yam. One of the reasons we love sweet potatoes, aside from being so filling, is because it has lower glycemic index than the more popular white potato. But what if you love fries? We simply recommend cooking yam the way you do the white potato: Simply cut in thin strips, use your fave olive oil brand to coat them all, sprinkle it with a healthy dash of paprika, and slide it to the oven for 40-minute baking.

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To guide you in your journey, Miss Vanderbilt recommends

Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food

Eating healthy doesn't end with making the right choices when it comes to what you eat. It involves, most importantly, understanding the role that food plays in our lives. In over 200 pages, Dr. Jan Chozen Bays dares women over 40 to re-examine their thoughts about foods and how it, in return, affects their eating habits. Through a series of guided meditations and exercises, Bays encourages women to just let go of what other people and even experts tell them about food and just listen to what their body really needs. Bays objective in this book, and a super helpful CD, is to help women achieve and re-gain their best health and life ever by changing what you see and think about food.  

Meal by Meal: 365 Daily Meditations for Finding Balance Through Mindful Meating

Like The Daily Bread, Meal by Meal is a wonderful read that will introduce you to bite-size pieces of wisdom about food and how it affects your health and wellness. Written by Buddhist devotee Donald Altman, Meal by Meal is essentially a compilation of intimate stories of rituals and practices of people around the world, from the Native Americans to the Christians, and, thereby, only showing how food unites each one of us in spirit. In spite of his experience, Altman lovingly writes bits and pieces of advices that you can always reflect on whenever you feel like it. Whatever relationship you have with food, Meal by Meal is written to guide and help you renew and rediscover what food is and how it can help you find fulfillment in your everyday life.  

Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time

We, at Miss Vanderbilt, consider Eating the Moment as one of the most must-haves for women over 40 who want to take control of their eating habits, desires, and, most importanly, their lives. Full of challenging yet fun exercises, Eating the Moment is really a thought provoking text that dares women over 40 to reflect on their eating habits so they can better manage their appetites. In each lesson, Dr. Pavel G. Somov takes you to a journey of knowing your taste palates, your desire, needs, and, most importantly, your self.

Look Young, Feel Young

All women over 40 have only one wish: To feel young and look young. And for me, there is really nothing wrong with that. After years of slaving at work, taking care of our children, and trying to b the best person for everyone – and I mean everyone – I am declaring 2010 as the “Year of Looking Young and Feeling Young”. And with the advancement in the field of skin care and nutrition, there are definitely tons of reasons why you can.

Anti-aging The New Age Style

Maybe you don’t have the zest of Jennifer Aniston or the skin of Maura Tierney, but all women over 40 agree on one thing: growing old doesn’t mean you should look old. Our generation is all about believing in this mantra: Faking it. And why should you just say it too? Because there are at least 39 million women out there who believe and live by it. Today, any woman over 40 doesn’t need to say surgery so she can look young; today is all about meaning, positivity, and redefining youthfulness. Feeling and looking young again shouldn’t be expensive: The meaning of being young again is all about defying limits, your physical boundary, and the extent of what you think not only about your age but who you are as a person.

Definitely More Good News

Today, women over 40 live way past menopause than their ancestors, notes Vivian Pinn of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. It’s really not only about the supplements, surgery, and other invasive products why women today live longer and better; we have better chances of enjoying our lives because of the unprecedented opportunities in improving our health given our way, according to Pinn.

Science and your health

There are unprecedented number of facilities and experts that focus on improving women lives – and this is definitely one of the reasons why we should strive to live happy and better. From cures to breast cancer to prevention, women stand in the receiving end of all the hustle and bustle in labs and halls of science.

Free information, better health

Thank the internet for all the mind-boggling information thrown your way, notes Florence Haseltime, founder of Society for Women’s Health Research. From supplements to the really practical ways to look young again, the internet is one golden box of helpful information so women over 40 can just be the best they can be.

I encourage women who are in the perimenopause period to the baby boomers to just take advantage of all the information offered by the internet. When you are informed, you can make better decisions, informed decisions about your health and life. So google your way to better health.

There is 'alternative'

And, by that, we mean we want you to see the alternative. Today’s generation of women over 40 are more aware of the benefits of alternative medicine. In fact, at least 7 out 10 Americans who subscribe to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) every year. From natural supplements to breathing exercises, people of all backgrounds use and rely on CAM not only for faster recuperation but also healing, according to the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine in the December 2008 survey.

Studies show that women over 40 feel that they are freer, happier, more blessed, and just better now more than ever. Yes, they don’t have the same level of energy back in their 20s or the same drive to experiment on new bed moves just to please their partners, but hitting the big 4-0 has its own set of perks too. In fact all those years I have spent in research, I have only find that women over 40 are living happier, more fulfilling lives, notes Dr. Mary Guidon of Lawrenceville in New Jersey.

So discover what you want to do today. Find something that truly excites you, or better yet, rediscover that hobby to have wanted to do for so long. Because believe it or not, we, women over 40, are really going to be here for long.