HOW STRESS AGES YOU

Stress can help you operate at your best, but you need to listen to your body and learn your limits.








If you want to stay looking younger, you also need to stay calm. New research says psychological stress may be enough to age a woman's chromosomes by 10 years, as stress creates ageing free radicals in your body. Our 'fight or flight' response may have saved lives back when our ancestors needed to defend their territories, but nowadays it can kill.

If stress hormones have nowhere to go, they cause conditions such as high blood pressure, allergies, muscle tension, migraine and headaches. And stress also worsen skin complaints like acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, all of which can increase skin ageing. Stressful events can also cause hair thinning, although you may not relate the two, as hair fall normally starts around 10 weeks later. Stress can also turn you onto habits that accelerate ageing, such as smoking, comfort eating and excess alcohol.

The first signs of stress show up as tiredness, anger or feeling unable to cope. Keep up the pace and physical symptoms won't be far behind, including digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia and headaches. Stress hormones are also highly toxic and can trigger inflammatory conditions, including many of today's big killers; heart attacks, strokes, stomach ulcers and cancer.

Stress can also be beneficial, helping you operate at your best, but you need to listen to your body and learn your limits. The moment you start to suffer, it is time to pull back and start some serious self-care.

Dealing with stress

• Do not underestimate how food can either help or hinder your ability to deal with stress. Stimulants will overwork your adrenal glands, making you even more jittery, so cut down your intake of caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Anything that puts pressure on your digestion is also bad news, so steer clear of rich, heavy meals refined and processed foods, and eating on the run.
• Stress uses up the body's store of nutrients more quickly, so your first defence against it is a healthy diet. Add calming foods to your shopping list, such as wholewheat pasta, porridge (the perfect breakfast before a stressful day), avocado, bananas, yoghurt, turkey and potatoes. Eat smaller meals regularly to balance your blood-sugar levels, and opt for easy-to-digest meals including smoothies, soups and other sloppy foods.
• Laughter releases stress, as do getting eight hours sleep a night and regular exercise sessions. Learning how to slow down and meditate will also work like first aid on frazzled nerves.
• Complementary therapies such as aromatherapy massage, reflexology, acupuncture. flotation and hypnotherapy can all work wonders on a mind under threat. And they will help smooth frown lines, too.
• Being conscious of exactly what causes you stress can go a long way to helping you cope with it. Keep a diary and write down when you are feeling most stressed. The aim is to respond rather than react, which may mean creating a space between what is stressing you and your reaction time. Take a walk, talk to someone you trust, or speak to a professional counsellor or coach. An unbiased, outside perspective will help you see your situation more objectively, and when emotions are absent an intelligent solution is so much easier to find.

Often best ideas come when you are doing something mindless and unrelated (on the train, in the bath), which is when your unconscious mind can nudge its way forward.



Slow Down (and be More Efficient)
The faster you go through life, the sooner the game is over. Just because everyone else is rushing does not mean you have to. Slow down and you might find you achieve more, too.

Listen for longer
In today's high-speed society it is tempting to interrupt and make snap decisions to save time. Neither of these will make the other person feel heard. Letting them have their say will give you more information so you can then make a better decision, plus the other person is more likely to be more positive towards your suggestions in the future. Learn to listen three times better than you do now and you will be amazed how well others respond.

Listen to your truth
Feeling the need to come up with an answer immediately is a massive pressure, so get comfortable with not always knowing right now. After all, why should you? Being confident enough to say 'I do not know' is very attractive. Then you can go away and research the right answer rather than having to stick with the first thing that springs to mind. And the same thing applies the next time someone asks for a favour - pause and think what feels right for you before you say yes.

Listen to your (and others') mistakes
At the end of each day, take a little time to reflect on what you have learnt. Making mistakes simply means you can do it better next time, with more skill and in less time. And do not just learn from your own. The most successful people have learnt lessons by watching others - at a fraction of the cost.

Listen to your unconscious
If you tend to react fast, invent a buffer such as 'That is interesting, let me think it over', and then allow yourself time to do just that. Often your best idea come when you are doing something completely mindless and unrelated (on the train, in the bath), which is when your conscious mind can nudge its way forward. Or get in touch with your intuition by softening your gaze into peripheral vision mode. Deferring judgement often leads to a better, faster solution in the end.

Listen to your thoughts
It is important to allow yourself a break and simply watch your mind do its thing without trying to control the pace. This helps you detach yourself from the millions of thoughts you have each day, so you can see what is valid and what is not. Give yourself at least 15 minutes a day to sit and do absolutely nothing but watch your thoughts go by. It is not only deeply relaxing, but can be very productive too (see above). If your internal dialogue threatens to overwhelm, simply close your eyes and make a 'ssshhh' sound as though you are trying to lull a baby back to sleep. It will have the same quieting effect on your chattering brain.

Give yourself More Time (in Every Sense)
We all have the same hours in a day we have always had, so why are we so busy? New technology saves us time, but we simply use what time we gain to cram more work in. The consequences of constantly racing against the clock include everything from skin and digestive problems to an early grave. If your time is flying, here is how to be the pilot.

Get up early
The simplest way to gain more time! Set the alarm half an hour earlier and see how much less frantic mornings can be.

Start as you mean to go on
Ditch the headless chicken act and think before you start the day. It is so easy to get caught up doing the wrong things, but if you are clear about your priorities before you begin, then you may end up doing less - but you will do the right things. The most important choice we can make in our lives is what we choose to make important. What are your biggest priorities? Write them down and refuse to get sidetracked until they are successfully completed. Scared you will forget the rest? They can go on your 'some other day' list.

Make new technology work for you
Take the time to learn how to use new technology and exploit what it can do. Internet shopping and banking save you from time-wasting queues, paying bills and managing accounts online save you from call-centre hell, and text messages save you from getting tied up in a long conversation when you have got other things to do.

Be ready for a time windfall
If you do get stuck in a queue, think of is as 'found time'. Practise what you are going to say in tomorrow's meeting, or to a difficult relative. Make the most of travel time by writing letters on the train or catching up on (hands-free) phone calls in a traffic jam. Carry a notebook with you so when you are hanging around with nothing to do you can plan your next dinner party or simply ponder your life. Nothing takes the busy-ness out of your brain faster than writing down your thoughts. Why? Everything looks so much more manageable on paper. Or just daydream - it is good for your health.








Relaxing is not the same as collapsing - it is simply time to switch off and regain your sanity. If you cannot see another way, ask a friend who may see things differently.



Know what works best for you
Are you a morning person who can accomplish a full day's work by lunchtime? Then get your head down first thing and ask colleagues not to disturb you. Do you come to life in the evening? If so, do not stress about your natural slow start and know that you can catch up later when the early birds are falling asleep on the sofa.

Do not be a slave to your schedule
You control your time, not the other way round, How many hours this week have you spent on 'empty' activities - TV? Complaining? What could you cut back on? Only watch programmes you are really interested in? Focus on the good stuff in your life rather than moaning about the rest? And what about how other people misuse your time - listening to friends' problems, running errands for family members? What can you delegate or outsource? When do you need to say no? This little word is the greatest time-saver ever invented, and is totally justified when what you are being asked to do is less important to you than what you had already planned.

Change your perspective
Are you really overwhelmed, or do you secretly enjoying playing the martyr? Today is 'more is better' culture tells us that doing nothing is lazy, so we cram our lives full of activity. But relaxing is not the same as collapsing - it is simply time to switch off and regain your sanity. If you cannot see another way, ask a friend or professional who may be able to see things differently.

LAST WORD: THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT GETTING OLDER
There is never been a better time to get old. For centuries being old meant poverty and worse (menopausal women in the 17th century were said to cause grass to dry up and trees to die!). If it is the best time in history to be old, why are we all so worried about it?

How happy we feel about each birthday depends very much on the beliefs we have about getting older. Do you see it as all downhill from here on? Do you believe your best years have already happened? If so, you had better develop a more positive attitude towards ageing, because it is going to happen to you - if you are lucky.

Are you frightened of getting older?
Take the fear of ageing away with some preventive work. What are you doing now (a healthy diet, exercise, savings) to ensure yourself a great future?

How are you using your age as an excuse?
What are you not doing for fear of looking foolish or failing (going back to college, learning to snowboard, taking a long-overdue 'gap' year off)? What would you do if you decided to admit your fear, but do it anyway?

Do you cling to memories of your 'glory years'?
If so, list all the ways in which your life is better now than it was 10 years ago.

Does the exciting part of your life seem over?
Then take time to list all the things you had like to do in the next 10 years and start to get at least three projects up and running as soon as possible.

Chances are it is not time you are afraid of, but change. Accept that nothing lasts forever and you will find it far easier to enjoy what is going on at any age. You may have had firmer thighs 10 years ago, but you were probably too busy obsessing about something else you did not like to appreciate them. So stop focusing on getting older, and concentrate on getting wiser. Time was when we believed the brain decayed with age, but research now says that staying mentally active causes the brain to sprout new connections between nerve cells. This means you create your brain from the input you get - plus 'growing' your brain by learning new things all your life is the best way to avoid diseases such as Alzheimer's and strokes.

The truth is, most of us feel more at home with ourselves as we get older. You have made yourself who you are and, if life is good , that is better than being any angst-ridden youth. And if it is not, now is the time to get smarter. It is easy to gain wisdom as you age if you consider your part in why events happened in your life and learn from those experiences. Age also gives you the confidence to see your priorities more clearly and do exactly what you want. If not, what are you saving your best self for? The older you get, the healthier you have been, which in itself is a cause to celebrate. Perhaps it is time to grow young at 40 (or 50). Your lips may be slightly thinner, but your smile can be twice as wide.

Fear less, hope more

Whine less, breathe more

Talk less, say more

Hate less, love more

And all good things are yours

SWEDISH PROVERB

ANTI-AGEING MIND GAMES

Change your beliefs
Is what you are saying to yourself useful? Remember that something is only the truth until new information comes along to contradict it. To change a belief, you must first identify exactly what it is that is working against you. 'I am too old to join a running', 'It is all downhill from here', etc. Then come up with a positive contradiction that will give you energy rather than drain you: 'I am 20 years younger than many marathon runners', 'I feel better than I did five years ago'. Write it down, repeat it at least five times a day, and start collecting evidence to support it. Even if your new belief is not completely true right now, keep thinking and acting as if it is. And whenever you catch yourself focusing on what you no longer want to think, switch your focus by asking: What could be a more helpful way of looking at this?

Become an optimist
Think of an area of your life that you tend to be optimistic about (work, relationships, friends). What results do you usually get in this area? Now think of an area where you tend to be pessimistic. What results do you usually get in this area? The simple fact is this: if you tell yourself something is easy to do, it probably will be. Now you can see how you create your own results, choose something about yourself you would like to feel better about - your health, your fitness, your weight - and switch your attitude towards it. For the next month, whenever you think about this area, expect good things (I'm never ill', I'm getting fitter every day', 'I look better in my clothes already'). When negative thoughts reappear, simply accept them and then quickly go back to your positive expectations. When you trust things will turn out well, they very often do.

Act the age you want to be
so, here is the challenge. Pick the age you want to be (it is most realistic to reduce your chronological age by anything up to 10 years), and then begin thinking that age, Say 'I only feel......' five times a day. Dress more like you did then (unless your recent past includes PCV trousers!), update your make-up, and ask your hairdresser to take 10 years off you. Rediscover your childhood self and do things you have not done (or allowed yourself to do) for years. What did you love doing 10 years ago? Clubbing? Going to festivals? Bowling? Camping? Running? Live your new age for at least a month, and see how you feel at the end.

Value yourself
A youthful body needs high-quality fuel, so eat as many anti-ageing foods a day as possible, and avoid the ones that accelerate ageing. If you find it difficult to treat your body with this level of respect, you need to take another look at your unconscious beliefs. Why do you believe you do not deserve the very best? Who are you still rebelling against? You now know how much your thoughts matter, so go back to 'Change your beliefs' (above) and come up with a positive switch. 'I value myself enough to only eat food that keeps me young and healthy' is a good start. Acting as if everything you do in your life matters really does make a lasting difference to what you are prepared to do (or are no longer prepared to do) to yourself.

Recapture your Youth
Remember how carefree you were as a child, with loads of fun and no responsibilities? You may be grown-up now, but that does not mean you cannot stay young at heart.

Be spontaneous
As a child you did whatever came into your head that made you feel good. Now you have to plan three days ahead just to phone your best friend. Your week may feel like a never-ending to-do list, but that does not mean you cannot find time to escape your diary. Unfortunately, the minute you plan something it stops being spontaneous, so instead plan for nothing. Leave a day at the weekend completely free, and then when you wake up in the morning ask yourself what exciting things you will do today. The only rule is that they must make you feel good, just like when you were a child.

Play more
A playful adulthood (even more than a playful childhood) will boost your happiness levels, and more play in your life is now known to help you live longer, too. Play helps you test out situations, skills and emotions without the consequences being too serious, which helps you in the real world as well. Play is not passive (like sitting in front of the TV); it is energetic and creative. So do not just sit and watch your (or a friend's) children play. Get in there and join in. Or play with your dog. Engage your friends in a game of charades. Or indulge in the ultimate adult play - brainstorming - at work or with friends and family. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and friendly, and encourage everyone to say whatever comes into their heads.

Be fearless
Remember when you dangled from that tree in the garden by one leg? Nowadays just putting the rubbish out in the dark scares you. Children are born fearless, and they learn fear along the way. Some of this is good (those branches probably were not that strong), but fear can stop you doing so many things that would improve your happiness. If you are making excuses not to do something look at what is behind your reaction. Chances are it is a fear of looking stupid, or failing, or being rejected, or just being out of your comfort zone. But this is the only way you achieve things in life. Ask yourself: What would I do if I was not afraid? Then work out the worst possible scenario. What if you did not get that job you applied for? What if your date does not ask for another? If you can handle that, then you really have nothing to fear.

Laugh more
Children laugh around 300 times a day, compared to adults, who manage a measly 17. But laughter is seriously good for you. It reduces stress hormones in your body, enhances immunity, releases toxins, relaxes muscle tension and significantly improves your mood. Plus an hour spent laughing could burn off as many as 300 calories. As children we cry with laughter, but if you cannot remember the last time you had a big belly laugh, you need to set it up to happen. When life's all too serious you need something to switch your mood. So listen to a DJ who makes you laugh in the mornings, phone your funniest friend at lunchtime, visit a comedy club in the evening or curl up on the sofa and watch a DVD of your favourite comedy show or stand-up comedian. A smile is the most inexpensive way to improve your looks, after all......

Living in the Moment
Spend your time in the past and nothing will ever seem as good as it was, not to mention making yourself feel ancient ('I remember back in 1982...'). Spend your time in the future and you will just miss your life as it is happening. Children live in the moment and regret nothing. Not so adults, but you cannot change the past and you certainly cannot see into the future, so the best option is to take control of what is going on right under your nose.

Life is almost always fine in the present moment. Unless you are reading this standing in the path of an oncoming car, chances are everything is OK right where you are. So stop wasting energy on what you cannot control, and instead concentrate on creating your life one day at a time to get the very best out of every single moment. Now is always the only time you can take action.

Decide to have a great day
This may sound simple, but you really do choose how you are going to feel every day. So if your intention is to have a good day, then that is probably what will happen. Do what it takes to start positive: play an upbeat CD while you are in the shower, eat your favourite breakfast, wear your best underwear, say 'I love you' to your self in the mirror (watch your feelings when you do this - it says a lot about how you feel about yourself!). And remember you can change your perspective at any moment, so if you find yourself assuming the worst about a situation, ask yourself: What else is possible? You may not be able to change the situation but you can change your attitude towards it, and that is often all that is needed.

Give yourself something good to look forward to
Before getting out of bed, inspire yourself by deciding on your treats for the day. A walk in the park at lunchtime, lunch at your favourite cafe, a new magazine to read on the bus, a glass of wine in the bath before bed. Chances are the rest of your day will be taken up with tasks and chores for other people, so slipping in some stuff for yourself goes without saying. Making sure you do at least one thing that either feels great or produces great results (and preferably both) every day.

Fill your time with people and things you enjoy
Make a list of the most wonderful people you know and see or speak to at least one of them every day. Only eat food you really enjoy, and stop eating the minute you stop enjoying it. Read books and magazines you love (if you are bored by page 10, ditch it), and compile playlists of your favourite tunes. Life's too short to spend on things you do not enjoy (which might mean saying 'no' a lot more often, too).

Expect good things to happen
We may not be able to create everything that happens in our lives, but we can certainly create how we view it. Our reality is really only our perception. The same day can happen to two people and they will view it in a completely different way. One will see the problems, the other the fun and opportunities, and no prize for guessing who enjoys life more. Do your see the world as an unfriendly place? If so, take a day off from upsetting yourself and decide to see the best for a change. You never know, it might even happen.

Long-life habits

1. Get a morning kiss. Studies have found that people who enjoy a goodbye kiss are likely to live five years longer than those who leave the house without one.
2. Eat potassium-rich food every day. High-potassium foods such as bananas, raisin and potatoes lower blood pressure, which significantly increases life expectancy.
3. Garden or spring-clean for five hours a week. Both activities burn on average five calories a minute, and studies have shown that people who burn 1,500 calories a week on gentle activities live 1.6 years longer than average.
4. Drink tea daily. Studies of heart-attack sufferers found their risk of another in the next three years was cut by 44% if they drank tow cups of antioxidant-rich tea a day.
5. Become a vegetarian. Whether it is due to less fat or more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains in their diet, vegetarians live seven years longer than meat-eaters.
6. Eat a low-cholesterol diet. Studies say that people who live to 100 tend to have the lowest cholesterol, so cut down on your fat intake and eat carrots, apples and avocados, which have all been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
7. Have at least six close friends or family members. People who do not have friends for support die up to 10 years earlier than more sociable souls.
8. Get a pet. Owing a pet helps you live longer, even when you have suffered a major illness. A study found that heart-attack sufferers increased their chances of being alive one year later by nearly five times if they owned a pet.
9. Drink alcohol in moderate amounts, but not in excess. Research has estimated that one or two alcoholic drinks a day (wine or beer) cut your risk of heart disease by 60%, but women who regularly drink more than their recommended 14 units a week die to 10 years sooner than more moderate drinkers.
10. Learn to breathe more deeply. Studies have found that people who breathe deepest live longest, as deep breathing slows your heart rate and a slow heartbeat is associated with a longer life.
11. Eat a breakfast that includes wholegrain cereal or toast. Eating wholegrains cuts your risk of heart disease and cancer by 30%, adding an average of three years to your life.
12. Floss your teeth daily. According to anti-ageing expert, flossing your teeth reduces your risk of heart disease as the bacteria that cause gum disease also contribute to inflammation of the arteries.
13. Eat chocolate in moderation. Studies have found that people who eat chocolate three times a week live five years longer than those who either do not eat or eat more. This is probably due to chocolate's high antioxidant count, which is even higher than in fruit!
14. Stop smoking. It is estimated that every cigarette you smoke knocks 11 minutes off your life. And, according to pressure group ASH, women tend to smoke low-tar cigarettes, which makes them more prone to a particularly dangerous form of lung-cancer.
15. Stay away from smokers. It has been estimated that a night spent in a smoky room is the equivalent of smoking four cigarettes yourself.
16. Go for regular health checks. This significantly increases your chance of surviving a major illness. Around 50% fewer women die of cervical cancer now that screening is widely available, and a mammogram can detect breast lumps two years before self-examination.
17. Stay a healthy weight. It has been calculated that every pound you are overweight knocks 36 days off your life. Studies have also found that eating significantly fewer calories (1,000-1,100 a day) can extend your life by up to 15 years.

Studies have found that people who eat chocolate three times a week live five years longer than those who either do not eat any or eat more.

AGELESS MIND - KEEPING YOURSELF POWERFULLY POSITIVE

The Proven Power of your Mind
The single most important thing you can do to look and feel younger is to think positively about yourself. People who are more positive about life not only have a much happier one, but also have been found to live an average eight years longer than their more pessimistic friends and family.

This comes as no surprise when you consider how important our thoughts are. Your body responds to what you tell it, which means that if you think you are youthful, desirable or healthy, then your brain will look for evidence to support this. After all, it does not want to make a liar of you. The opposite is also true. If you constantly tell yourself that you are not as young as you used to be, your brain will prove it by finding examples of ageing aches, pains and wrinkles. But if you tell yourself you look and feel 10 years younger, your brain will show that to be true, too. Spoken affirmations may sound very 'self-help', but you are doing them anyway, it is just that you are saying negative ones ('Look at the state of my bottom in this dress!'). So you may as well hijack them and switch to something far more supportive.

Retrain your brain
Your brain is like a computer, storing your interpretation of events on its hard drive. And that is the point. What you think becomes your reality, which means you can always reprogramme your computer to start thinking younger. In one experiment, a group of people in their 70s and 80s were asked to think, behave and dress as they had 20 years ago, and within five days their biomarkers showed signs of age reversal.

Beliefs are extremely powerful. They are our explanations of how life is, and we collect them to help us get a sense of certainty in an unpredictable world. But we do not check whether they are still valid, and this means many are now no longer true (as a teenager, 40 probably really did seem ancient!). If you are not sure what you believe about your age, just notice how you look and feel every day. Are you stiff and sore first thing in the morning? Do you feel too old to exercise like you used to? Are your wrinkles the only thing you see in the mirror? Whatever you focus on, you will experience more of, whether that is joint pain or sagging skin.

Changing a belief can happen gradually (experts estimate it takes 21 days for a new habit to take hold), or as a flash of new insight (turn the page to find out how). Either way, be prepared to practise every day, as weakening old habits and building new ones is a little like muscle-strengthening exercises in the gym. It takes time and commitment, but the results are well worth it.

THE CHEAPEST AND EASIEST ANTI-AGEING TREATMENT

From the number of hours spent in slumber to the way you lie on your pillow, how you sleep affects the way you age. Sleep is the cheapest and easiest anti-ageing treatment available, and if you can fall asleep by 10pm all the better, as the two hours before midnight are when your system (especially your stress glands)recharges and recovers.

Deep sleep is what you are aiming for; as this is when cells are repaired and the human growth hormone (which slows ageing) is released. Lack of sleep not only ages you, but is linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, a low immune system and depression, not to mention making you irritable and unable to cope with what life throws at you (just ask any new mum).

Good-sleep strategies

• The darker your bedroom, the more melatonin you produce (a natural hormone which helps you fall asleep), so if your wooden blinds let in too much light wear an eye mask (ear plugs are a godsend for noisy bedrooms, too). If you get up during the night, keep the lights off, as a sudden flood of light switches off melatonin production.
• The main cause of poor sleep is stress. If you have had a hard day, go for an evening walk to use up excess adrenaline.
• Avoid caffeine (in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate) and nicotine after 6pm, as they stimulate brain activity and raise blood pressure. The food additive MSG (commonly found in takeaway Chinese and convenience foods) will have the same effect, as will very spicy food. And avoid eating a heavy, rich meal late at night - it may make you feel drowsy temporarily, but can seriously disrupt sleep by taking longer to digest, which wakes up your brain.
• Eat early, filling up on serotonin-rich foods (which also help increase melatonin production) like wholewheat pasta, brown rice and baked potatoes.
• Stop smoking as nicotine is a stimulant and has been linked to problems falling asleep and waking in the night.
• Keep your feet warm with bed socks or a hot-water bottle, as it is almost impossible to fall asleep with cold feet.
• If an uninterrupted night is but a distant memory due to young children, try taking 10-minute naps (but no longer) during the day, which will help do the job those eight hours did before.

Good skin strategies
Lack of sleep can accelerate the ageing process. Why? People deprived of good-quality sleep have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which slows down the skin's natural repair functions.

• Dermatologists can usually tell which side you lie on by the 'sleep wrinkles' on your face caused by pressing into the pillow. If you can sleep on your back, so much the better, but if not slip a silk pillowcase over your cotton one to help reduce friction and pressure on your face.
• Traditional night creams are richer in texture than the average day cream, but you may prefer a more lightweight serum, which does the same job of hydrating the skin, without leaving it feeling greasy. Do you need a separate night product? Not really, although wearing a cream containing an SPF at night might overload sensitive skin with chemicals. Many skin experts advise leaving your face naked at night so it can 'rebalance', which is worth a try if your skin has been misbehaving lately.
• Skin likes a well-ventilated, slightly humid room, so keep central heating on low and air circulating through. Natural bedding such as linen, cotton or silk will also allow skin to breathe - and feels much nicer, too.
• Establishing a mini bedtime wind-down ritual is the best way to allow your body and brain to leave the day behind. Brush your teeth and then apply your night-time moisturizer, gently moving your hands from the centre of your face upwards and outwards while taking deep, abdominal breaths to release any tension in your body.

Solutions for Sleep Problems








Keep a pad by your bedside so you can write down anything that's on your mind during the night and deal with it in the morning.




Around 770,000 people in the UK, seek help every year for insomnia and sleep deprivation. If you are one of them, try these expert tips on how to nod off.

• If you typically toss and turn in bed for at least an hour before falling asleep, you need to break the patter your body clock has established. Do this by restricting the time you spend in bed and going to bed at least an hour later than normal. If you normally go to bed at 11pm but don't fall asleep until 12.30, then put off going to bed until 12.30 and see what happens. It might just be a case of reconditioning yourself to sleep better simply by not going to bed until you feel like falling asleep.
• Waking up a couple of hours after nodding off is often a sign of anxiety, so you need to look at what you are worrying about while you are conscious (rather than wait for your unconscious mind to nudge you awake in the night). Writing down what is on your mind literally works like a brain dump, getting the worry out of your head and onto paper, where you can devise a practical course of action. Make this a regular habit and niggling anxieties won't have time to grow and fester. Keep a pad by your bedside so you can write down anything that's on your mind during the night and deal with it in the morning.
• If you do wake up in the night, never lie in bed for longer than 30 minutes. Go into another room and do something repetitive like unstacking the dishwasher, ironing or knitting. You could also try eating tryptophan-rich food (like a small bowl of cereal with chopped banana), as this amino acid aids sleep. And put your alarm clock out of sight (under your bed or in your bedside cabinet), so you won't be tempted to lie in bed practising your mental arithmetic ('If I do not nod off until 4am I will only have another three hours until the alarm goes off at 7', and so on).
• The time you wake up is as important for setting your body clock as the time you fall asleep, which means getting up at your regular time even if you were awake for a couple of hours in the night. Do not use the weekend to catch up on missed weekday sleep, or you will out of sync by Monday.
• White noise (like the background sound of an air conditioner) can help induce sleep. Far more melodic is a relaxation CD of nature-based sounds such as rushing water, birdsong or crashing waves. Play it low at night as you drift off, or have it ready to play should you wake up in the night.
• You are more likely to feel sleepy when your body temperature drops after being warmed up, which is why a bath before bedtime can help you sleep (just do not make it too hot). Or try a hot foot bath, which helps calm the mind by diverting excess energy away from the brain. Soak your feet for 10 minutes or until the water cools.
• Try not to worry about the sleep you have. When tested in laboratories, people who said they hardly slept at all actually got far more sleep than they thought, so if you are concerned about how many hours you are clocking up each night, keep a sleep diary of the times you drop off and wake up. You may be pleasantly surprised.

The Many Joys of Sex
Sex is one of life's feel-good activities, and research says that women who have regular sex not only live longer but look at least 10 years younger too. Pleasurable sex also releases hormones that help boost your immune system, reducing pain and stress levels. So why does sex sometimes seem like too much hard work? Just like exercise, rather than depleting your energy levels, regular sex improves your energy, and no one can fail to notice how radiant they look after an orgasm.

In fact, orgasm do not just make you look and feel younger; they also relieve tension and produce phenetylamine, which helps reduce your appetite (the reason eating goes out of the window when you are in the first stages of lust). Sex is also an invaluable part of bonding in a relationship, creating all those cosy feelings of love, security and togetherness. An 80-year old woman has the same potential for orgasm as a 20-year-old, so there is really no reason why sex should slip down your priority list as you get older.

Think yourself sexy

• Smell is a powerful stimulant, so never underestimate it. Wear a perfume you find sexy, or enhance your natural pheromones with essential oils like ylang ylang , musk or vanilla. Sprinkle six drops in your bath or a few drops on your pillow or (sexy) nightdress.
• No one feels sexy in baggy sweatpants, so dress the part. Wear your best underwear, and clothes that make you feel good about yourself. And wear heels on a night out, for a sexy wiggle that is impossible in trainers.
• Look after your body. So you many not look like those airbrushed models in the media, but nor do they in real life. Never fall into the trap of comparing yourself to these idealized images. Men do not, so why are you giving yourself such a hard time? Instead, make the most of what nature gave you with regular pampering sessions so your body always feels soft and smooth - a more attractive proposition to a man than any picture in a magazine.

Think him sexy

• Remember what you love and find attractive about your partner and, just as importantly, tell him. Men can have negative feelings about their bodies too, so need the same encouragement as you do.
• It is easy to get caught up in wanting your own way in a relationship, but life is much easier if you stop needing your partner to think the same as you in order to feel secure. And never is this more important than with sex. Do not automatically feel rejected if he is not in the mood. More beneficial is to recognize you both have different needs, and use your imagination to find a happy compromise.

Boost both your libidos

• Sex and stress do not mix (stress lowers your level of testosterone, which controls your sex drive), so save sex for when there is time to enjoy it. Set the scene and the performance is bound to be more pleasurable. This might mean soft lighting, flowers and a bubble bath, or romantic music and a candlelit dinner. Keep sex special and it won't lose it appeal.
• A poor diet will reduce the most important sex drive, so eat energy-boosting raw foods and cut down on stimulants such as sugar, coffee, cigarettes and alcohol, which will exhaust you by the end of the day. High-fat and fast food is never going to make you feel sexy. Foods rich in zinc, the lean meat, nuts, eggs and wholegrain, will, as zinc is very important for sexual function (oysters have a very high zinc content). Also important for the manufacture of sex hormones is vitamin E, so include plenty of wheatgerm, dark green vegetables, avocados, almonds and hazelnuts in your diet.
• If in doubt, start anyway. An active sex life triggers testosterone production, so the more you do it, the more you want to do it. Research says that many people with a low sex drive enjoy sex once they get started.....

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

We all know what regular exercise does for the waistline, but prepare to be amazed at just how much it benefits the rest of you, including significantly slowing down the ageing process. You may not want to be running marathons at 70 (although plenty of people do), but increasing your activity will help you enjoy your life more - for a whole lot longer.

1. Regular exercise increases your body's production of SOD, anti-ageing enzyme that fights the free radicals which cause cell breakdown and skin damage.
2. Exercise also raises levels of the anti-ageing hormone DHEA, which has been found to help prevent everything from brain ageing to heart disease, while at the same time, improving your mood and energy levels.
3. The reason you feel god after exercise is because it raises levels of endorphins, the chemical we make naturally when we're happy. These not only act as natural painkillers but also reduce tension, anxiety and even appetite.
4. Exercise raises levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which helps you feel more positive. Serotonin is so effective at fighting depression that both Prozac and St. John's wort work by preventing its breakdown.
5. Even moderate exercise will strengthen your immune system, making you far less likely to catch a cold. And fitter people also recover from illnesses more quickly, whether it be a niggling sore throat or major surgery.
6. Sleep is nature's best beauty treatment. Exercisers sleep more soundly (spending extra time in the most restorative phases), and wake less often through the night, then sedentary people.
7. Active women are less likely to experience hot flushes during menopause, and the mood-boost exercise provides helps ease other menopausal symptoms too.
8. Flexibility is the first thing to go with age, but gentle stretching such as yoga and Pilates will keep you supple for life. As little as five minutes stretching a day will help keep your muscle loose and limber for longer.
9. Exercise boosts your lymphatic system, which is responsible for removing toxins, and also moves important anti-ageing vitamins around your body.
10. Women start losing bone mass between the ages of 30and 40, but weight-bearing exercise such as walking keeps your bones stronger by thickening joint cartilage. Exercise also drastically reduces your risk of osteoporosis.
11. Exercise strengthens your ligaments and tendons, making couch potatoes far more likely to suffer from back and joint problems than active people who work their muscles regularly.
12. Forget not having enough energy to exercise. Up your activity rate and you will have more energy , not less. Anything that raises your heartbeat and gets you breathing a little faster will improve your stamina for everything else in life.
13. After 30, your metabolic rate drops by almost 5% a decade, but exercise increases it, making you burn stored fat faster even when you are relaxing.
14. Regular exercise makes your body look younger by improving your posture. When your stomach and back muscles are strong, you will walk tall and proud instead of hunching over like an old person.
15. Exercise makes your body feel years younger. Women who exercise regularly have the strength, bone density, metabolism, flexibility, muscle bulk and blood pressure of women 15 to 20 years younger.

How Much Exercise Is Enough?
Losing muscle mass and strength is the cause of most physical signs of ageing, so it is easy to see why exercise that rebuilds and strengthens muscle will instantly make you look younger. In fact, just one year of light weight training can fast-track your muscle bulk and strength, metabolism, flexibility and certain hormone levels back by an amazing 15 to 20 years.

So how much is enough? Any exercise is better than none, so never use lack for time as an excuse not to reap the benefits. Even walking to the station every morning will increase bone density and metabolism (the reason many people put on weight the minute they buy a car). Start with five minutes' brisk walking a day and you look and feel better almost immediately. For optimum results, exercise for 30 minutes three to four times a week (you can drop this to twice a week once you have achieved your desired result).

Maintaining your fitness
Do not let 48 hours pass without some kind of activity, as you want to keep your metabolic rate buzzing to burn fat effectively. Exercising in the afternoon is the best time for weight loss, as your hormone levels are high, and activity at this time will help you sleep at the end of the day, too. Fitness experts also advise interval training, which simply means working harder for a few minutes, then slowing down a little before speeding up again, as this burns more calories.










Start with five minutes' brisk walking a day and you'll look and feel better almost immediately.

What exercise does to your hormones
Certain hormone levels decline with age, but by increasing and rebalancing them with exercise you can literally help reverse the ageing process.

• Endorphins are the most well-known hormones released as our bodies' biochemistry changes during a bout of exercise. They not only give you that feel-good factor (they are natural opiates), but also reduce anxiety and appetite. Endorphins are increased by a whopping 500% after 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise.
• Growth hormones decline with age and can be the cause of weight gain, low energy, dry and sagging skin, disrupted sleep and poor concentration. Both aerobic exercise and weight training will increase your growth hormone levels after 30 minutes.
• The male hormone testosterone is important for maintaining muscle tone and strength, plus it increases your metabolic rate, helping to reduce body fat. Testosterone increases in your blood after 20 minutes of exercise and peaks after 30, staying high for up to three hours afterwards.
• The female hormone oestrogen declines at the menopause and is responsible for boosting metabolism and fat breakdown. It also increases after exercise and stays high for up to four hours afterwards.
• Thyroxin speeds skin-cell renewal and boosts energy levels, helping you burn calories faster. It increases in the blood during exercise and stays high for up to three hours afterwards.

Enjoyable, Easy Exercise
Gym-based exercise can not only be incredibly boring but also very inconvenient. Not so the following, which are free, easy, simple to fit into your life - and maybe even enjoyable.?

The wonder of walking
It is estimated that every minute of walking extends your life by up to two minutes. Not a bad return. In fact, walking at a brisk pace is nature's greatest fitness booster. It does not jar your joints like jogging, but still manages to raise your heart rate to 50-70% of its maximum, which not only strengthens your heart but also burns serious calories. At a moderate walking pace you will burn about five calories a minutes, which means walking 20 minutes a day burns 100 calories a day (that's 3.5kg (8 lb) of weight lost a year). And, by speeding up your metabolism, walking will carry on burning calories faster even when you are stationary.

And that's not all. Walking can significantly improve your mood (those endorphins again), with some scientists saying that a fast-paced walk can be even more effective than tranquilizers. Regular walking also helps stabilize your blood-sugar levels, helping to avoid mood and energy crashes, and boost your immunity. Stride out and you'll be strengthening the muscles in your hips, thighs, stomach and bottom, while keeping osteoporosis at bay.

If you start walking to work meetings and evening socials (carry your high heels in your bag), you will not only save money on transport, but you will also be able to fit the recommended 20-30 minutes or more five times a week quota into your life. And practice a good walking technique. Walk tall with your stomach pulled in to support your back, and your shoulders relaxed and down so you can breathe more deeply. Wear cross-trainers or well-fitting flat shoes, and either swap your handbag from side to side or invest in a leather rucksack for even weight distribution.

How fast is enough? You should be able to talk, but if you can carry on an easy, effortless conversation then you need to pick up the pace. And do not forget to warm up and cool down (as you would with any exercise) by starting and finishing at a slower ace, plus be kind to your muscles with a few shoulder shrugs, arm swings, gentle froward bends and hamstring stretches before and after your walk.

Find your rhythm
Anything that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing a little faster is good for your health (and stamina), which means dancing counts as exercise. It is the most sociable way to work out ever, or just turn up the music at home and discover your inner dancing queen. Do not underestimate the effect music has on your soul. The combination of music and movement has been proven to create high levels of energy, balance your heart rate and release stress. Never felt confident on the dance floor? Then take a class in flamenco, ceroc, salsa or belly dancing. Who said exercise was boring?

Child's Play: How To Have More Fun
When you are a child, exercise is all about fun - running, skipping and jumping until the school bell rings or bedtime beckons. But fast forward 20 or more years and suddenly exercise has become a chore you know you should do, but somehow never quite feel like you want to.

The answer is to go back to child's play (with grown-up benefits). You cannot do better than rebounding. Do not make the mistake of dismissing bouncing on a mini-trampoline as less serious than pounding the pavement or getting heavy down at the gym. NASA has now incorporated rebounding into their astronaut training programme, as they have found it to be 68% more efficient at increasing aerobic fitness than using a treadmill, plus it builds bone and muscle mass - and helps combat osteoporosis.

Just 10 minutes' bounces is said to be the equivalent of half an hours' jogging, which also makes jumping up and down a very quick and efficient way to lose weight. And that is not all. Studies also show that bouncing on a mini-trampoline not only gives good cardio (without putting stress on your joints, making it perfect for anyone who is overweight or recovering from injury), but also helps boost your lymphatic system by squeezing waste out of your cells. And by getting rid of toxins you will be benefiting your skin and significantly reducing the appearance of cellulite. Do it daily for at least 5-10 minutes, to your favourite upbeat CD for best effects.

For more playful inspiration, think back to a time in your life when you were more physically active and loving it. You may have to go as far back as the school playground, or your teenage years. What did you enjoy most about it? The music, the fresh air, the people, the scenery? What are your memories of fun activities? A team sport like volleyball or netball? Outdoor fun like rowing, horse-riding, rollerblading or cycling? Or learning an exhilarating new sport like skiing, diving or surfing? Think how you could do this again now. Some activities may be available nearby, or book an action-packed holiday to get you back in the mood.

If finding the time (or babysitter) to leave your house is a problem, you can now take classes with some of the world's finest fitness teachers in your own sitting room. There is fitness DVD or video for everyone, from kickboxing to dissolve your anger (exercise has been proven to clear excess adrenaline), to aerobic dance so you can lose yourself in the music with no one looking.

The trick is to make it fun by not pushing your body too far, too fast. The more you do, the more your body will want to do, and the less you will need to motivate yourself. If you need more inspiration, make a note of how you feel after you chosen activity and refer back to it should the sofa beckon. By making movement something you enjoy, it can easily become the highlight of your day rather than just another chore on your to-do list.

AGELESS ENERGY - KEEPING YOURSELF FABULOUSLY FIT

High-energy Habits
One in ten of us complains of constant tiredness, but feeling exhausted is not just convenient - it is your body's way of telling you to do something about it before you get sick. Persistent tiredness can cause everything from depression and anaemia to chronic fatigue syndrome, plus if you feel drained all the time you are going to look it, too! It is easy to blame lack of energy on age, but your energy levels actually do not need to drop as you get older. How lively you feel is more in your control than you think.

Eat for energy
We need a constant top-up of quality nutrients so our bodies can convert them to fuel, and making changes to your diet can have a massive effect on your energy levels. The simplest way to increase your stamina is to eat a healthy breakfast. Protein helps wake up your brain, making eggs the perfect way to start the day. Dehydration is a major cause of fatigue, so make sure you drink the recommended two litres of water a day.

For sustained energy, you cannot beat protein-rich foods like lean meat, cheese oily fish and tofu (vegetarians can choose brown rice, oats, lentils, nuts and seeds). And eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, or whizz them up in a blender to make energy-packed juices. For a sustained midday energy boost, go for dried fruit like dates, apricots and raisins, or pumpkin and sunflower seeds. And snack on potassium-packed foods such oranges, bananas and peanut butter.

Eat for endurance
Any food that gives you a quick-fix energy boost will soon send you crashing. Sugar, caffeine, fizzy drinks (including so-called energy drinks) and white foods like bread, pasta and cakes will drain your energy. Save wheat-based meals for evenings, as they may make you sleepy. Smaller meals eaten throughout the day will keep your energy levels constant, unlike a large meal, which will wear you out digesting it.

Allow yourself one day to do as little as humanly possible. Relax in your pyjamas. Go for a walk. Read in bed. Having a long bath. Indulge yourself.

Keep fit
Never underestimate the power of exercising, which will up your energy levels for at least two hours afterwards. Just a 30-minute walk in the fresh air will produce enough oxygen to boost your energy levels. Sufficient sleep is also vital for energy.

Detox your diet
Reduce the number of toxins in your body, because they produce energy-sapping free radicals.

Recharge your batteries
Low energy can also be a sign of what is going on inside your head. The red blood cells of depressed and stressed people carry less oxygen, and the less oxygen in your blood, the less energy in your body. Stop asking too much of yourself and take regular time off. You only have a certain amount of energy, so if you keep giving out then you are going to need to recharge. Allow yourself one day to do as little as humanly possible. Relax in your pyjamas. Go for a walk. Read in bed. Have a long bath. Indulge yourself and be rather than do for one day.

Nurture feel-good friendships
We connect with each other through energy, so do not hang around with negative people who drain you, and save time for friends who make you feel good. If you have to spend time with someone who saps your energy, imagine putting up an invisible barrier to keep their negativity away.

Expend energy wisely
Managing your energy is far more important than managing your time, so use it consciously. Every day, decide how you are going to use your reserve. Ask yourself: Is what I'm doing important to me right now? Look at your life and see what you really value in it, then prioritize those people and activities








It takes only seconds to link up energetically to what you're focusing on, which makes our thoughts incredibly powerful. Every time you make your thoughts feel better, you raise your energy level.

Turn up your Frequency
When you meet someone for the first time, it is their energy you are attracted to - or not. If you are introduced to a new person who does nothing but moan, chances are you will be desperate to get away. The energy that flows out of you comes form our emotions, and like attracts like. If we spend our time feeling 'up', our emotions send out high-frequency vibrations that draw anything (or anyone) with the same frequency right back to us. But if we spend our time thinking about what is wrong, those low-frequency feelings are going to attract more of the same. Just as tuning forks in the same room set off with a matching vibration, so you attract more of your own.

It takes only seconds to link up energetically to whatever you are focusing on, which makes our thoughts incredibly powerful. Luckily you can manipulate them when they are not feeling so good, and every time you make your thoughts feel better, you are raising your energy level. Be aware of how a thought is making you feel: good or bad? Then ask yourself: If it was up to me, how would I choose to feel about this situation? Choose something better and you become the creator of your thoughts rather than the victim.

So, how do you stop a negative thought? Simply by thinking about something that gives you pleasure. Our bodies contain endorphins, which manufacture positive emotions, and the spontaneous release you get when you are happy can be manipulated just by thinking a happy thought. The moment you catch yourself focusing on what is wrong, make yourself find something good to think about (this can be anything that gives you good feeling) and stay there until you feel your mood begin to change. Then make this thought more vivid in your mind until you begin to feel exactly what you experienced at the time.

The only power problems have over us is the power we give them. If you want something, it is no good staying stuck in what you have not got. You have got to feel the excitement of what you want. So, if you are desperate for a new job, do not obsess about how much you hate your current one, but get excited at the prospect of a better one. And if your partner is distant, do not focus on what he does not do for you, but on what he does - and what you have like him to do in the future.

Both of these are far more likely to get you what you want. Prospective employers will respond to you more positively (not to mention your current employer). And your partner will want to spend time with the positive you, rather than the moaning version. The only way to stop the not-so-good stuff in your life getting worse is to stop focusing on it. After all, do you want to be that party guest everyone tries to escape, or the person everyone wants to know?

Take a Deep Breath
Anti-ageing breathing
Every time you breathe you inhale oxygen into your bloodstream and exhale toxic waste from your cells. Oxygen has a healthy, alkaline effect, which energizes your whole body, improves skin tone and fights disease, while carbon dioxide is acid-forming. This sounds perfect, but daily stress causes most of us to take in only a third of our lung capacity, which means a lot of waste is never expelled.

Shallow breathing can cause your lungs to lose their elasticity, leading to problems such as bronchitis and asthma. But begin breathing properly and you will instantly look and feel better. Abdominal breathing works as a free anti-ager, by not only energizing your whole body but also expanding your left-out lower lungs. It also encourages better digestion and helps fight the bacterial and fungal infections that thrive when there is not much oxygen around. Wherever you are, try this belly breath now.

1. Put your hand just below your tummy button, breathe in through your nose and feel your stomach inflate.
2. Breathe lightly and gently so your shoulders stay relaxed, then exhale through your mouth, feeling your hand fall.

Do this any time you are stressed and you will notice how much more relaxed you feel. It is also the perfect way to end the day, especially when you are lying in bed at night, as it calms your heart rate, helping you drift off to sleep. Long term, improve your breathing with yoga. Pilates or a gentle martial art; they are all based on movement with slow, steady breathing. Or sing along to a CD, which will increase your lung capacity and make you breathe more deeply.

Stay-young meditation
Regular meditation reduces the amount of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormones that speed up ageing, in your body. It also increases the level of DHEA, a hormone that declines with age (low levels are linked to a risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and breast cancer). In studies, a group of 50-year-old meditators even experienced 12-year decrease in their biological age. Meditation also calms your mind and eases muscle tension, making it the perfect slow-down in a speedy world.

The basis of all meditation is switching your brainwaves from their normal busy beta state to a more relaxed alpha state. Just like abdominal breathing meditation is free, but how do you find the time? Simple. Rather than waiting or that uninterrupted, quiet moment in life (which never comes), use meditation to switch off from an otherwise mad world. It is the perfect way to spend your commute or any other 'dead time'. Just sit comfortably with arms and legs uncrossed and eyes closed. Start to breathe gently and imagine your body relaxing.

Transcendental meditation gives you a mantra to repeat silently over an over to help quieten your internal chatter (any two-syllable, soothing word will do). As you repeat it, focus on your breathing which will slow and settle in time with your words. When thoughts (or external noises) break through, simply acknowledge them and go back to your mantra. Aim for 15-20 minutes, and come out of it slowly, as your mind will want a few minutes to readjust. This is also a great technique to try when you are lying in bed with a racing brain that won't let you sleep.

Here's the shift. Instead of aiming for perfection, just aim to do your best. Rather than use them to procrastinate, decide to learn from your mistakes so don't repeat them next time.

Energy Sappers
If you are one of the types below, your behaviour will be seriously sapping your energy, so do yourself a favour and stop sabotaging yourself. It may take time to change your (lifelong?) habit, but the results will change your life forever.

Perfectionist
You are making your life far harder than it has to be by constantly aiming for the impossible. You know you cannot really be perfect, and by fearing anything less you probably never start (or finish) half of what you would like to. Think of someone you admire. Are they perfect? Probably not, but you still respect them, so why shouldn't others feel the same about you? You need to think about how much your perfectionism affects your life and whether it makes you happy. Again, probably not. So here's the shift. Instead of aiming for perfection, just aim to do your best. So there may be minor imperfections, but are the consequences really that terrible? Rather than use them to procrastinate ('I will just do it one more time'), decide to learn from your mistakes so you do not repeat them next time.

Control freak
Control freaks are very hard to live with. Your message to others is that you cannot trust them to do anything as well as you can. A need for control often hides a fear of feeling out of control, and the anxiety that causes can be exhausting. How much more energy do you have to utilize, compared with others? Your first step is to understand why you seek to control your environment. All of us want to feel some measure of control over our lives, but when everything (and everyone) has to go your way, you are heading for trouble. Ask yourself. When did you feel helpless? Are you the same person now? Why do you still need to control everything to feel safe? What is the worst that can happen if you let go? Practise consciously handing over the responsibility occasionally and see what happens. Does the sky fall in, or do you just get to relax once in a while?

Adrenaline junkie
Running on adrenaline makes you speak fast and act stupid. You have no patience with others and often leave everything until the last minute. You are nearly always late and have at lease four irate incidents by the time you get there.

Adrenaline addicts can get to miss the stress when there is no pressure to perform, but long term you are heading for disaster (if not an early grave). There are never enough hours in the day, but how much time this week have you spent on activities that have no meaning to you? Aren't you more important? Often a chaotic mind is also a way to distract yourself from doing what you really want to, or facing up to a long-forgotten truth. Ask yourself: What would you regret not doing if you carry on living the way you do now? Then clear some space to get started. Convincing yourself that every second of your life has to be filled is also a way to feel successful or popular: But who taught you to feel guilty for doing nothing? A much healthier plain is to decide what activities are most important to you and drop the rest, so you have time to recharge your batteries.

HOW TO KEEP HOLD OF YOUR TEETH

Age is not kind to your teeth, which is why good oral hygiene is even more important now. The older you get, the duller your teeth become, due to years of red wine, coffee and herbal tea drinking (if you notice your cups are stained after certain drinks, the same is happening to your teeth). Your gums also shrink, giving you that long-in-the-tooth look, and teeth can get worn after years of night-time grinding. In addition to this list of woes, your gums are also more prone to disease as you age, which can lead to bad breath and worse. With one in seven people losing all their teeth before they are 50, you need to know how to stop the rot.

Everyday dental essentials

• Brush your teeth twice a day to prevent the build-up of plaque on the surface. It is much better to spend longer brushing gently with a soft-bristled brush than brushing hard and fast, which can cause erosion. For best results, use an electric toothbrush (any electric action is better than your manual technique), and replace bristles once they are splayed.
• Floss every night to remove food from the places your toothbrush cannot reach. And do not go easy if your gums bleed, as this is the first stage of gum disease. If you continue to floss, you will remove the plaque and stop the rot. Regular flossing can also help you live longer, as gum disease is now linked to heart disease (bacteria from the mouth can be absorbed into the bloodstream, ending up in the heart valves).
• You probably think brushing after a meal is the best option, but it is actually better to brush before eating, as food acids soften enamel, making it easy for you to remove a layer. And the less enamel there is, the yellower your teeth become, as the underlying dentine shows through. If you want to freshen your mouth straight after eating, rinse with water, which will also help neutralize the acids.
• Ironically, most 'whitening' toothpastes contain abrasives that work by scratching the surface of the teeth, causing eventual erosion (and therefore yellowing).
• Fluoride is actually a by-product of the fertilizer industry and known to be carcinogenic. Far better are natural toothpastes, which are not only less abrasive but also free of fluoride, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colouring and other synthetic additives. Unsurprisingly, they taste nicer, too.
• Beware sugary food and drinks. They weaken enamel, allowing bacteria to enter the teeth and cause decay. And cut down on fizzy drinks (including sparkling water), which can also erode enamel.

Brightening your smile

• For a quick fix, visit the hygienist at your dentist for a 30-minute scale and polish. While not exactly pleasurable, you really do leave with a brighter smile, thanks to a good brush with an abrasive paste that removes stains and restores whiteness.
• DIY teeth-bleaching kits are now available on the high street, but do not expect dramatic results as the strength of bleaching solution is not as strong as the one your dentist can sell you (dentists use hydrogen peroxide, while most DIY kits use softer-acting sodium chloride). The solution is squeezed into a tray that fits over your teeth, but this is a standard size rather than being custom-made, as it would be at your dentist.
• You can make your teeth look whiter by wearing lipstick shades that contrast with yellow. That means avoiding anything with a yellow or orange undertone, such as coral and some browns, and going for colours with a cool tone, such as shades of berry and burgundy, plus blue-based reds and pinks.

Natural toothpastes are free of fluoride, artificial sweeteners and colourings. They taste nicer, too.

How a Dentist Can Make you Look Younger
If you put your hand over your mouth when you smile or clamp your lips together in photos, then you are the perfect candidate for cosmetic dentistry. The following treatments can work like a mini-facelift, with people saying how good you look but not quite knowing why. Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry comes at a high price, and it is important to find a good dentist to ensure the work does not cause problems later. It is not taught at dental school, which means dentists must train further after graduation, making it extra important to do your research.

Always visit your chosen dentist for a consultation first. Many offer computer imagery so you can see a picture of yourself with your new smile before going ahead.

Teeth whitening
The most popular method uses a tray. Your dentist takes an impression of your teeth and a custom-built try is made. At home, you squeeze in a tiny drop of hydrogen peroxide gel for each tooth and wear it for up to an hour or overnight for one to two weeks (depending on instructions).

The second technique is light or laser-power whitening. Your gums and lips are coated with silicone fro protection and then a concentrated solution is applied to your teeth. A high-intensity light is shone on them for an hour, which penetrates the enamel and draws out stains. It is not exactly painful, but if you have a high level of sensitivity you could take a painkiller beforehand. Both these methods can improve the brightness of your teeth by up to 70%, with results lasting up to three years. Six monthly hygienist appointments will prolong the results by removing stains and giving teeth a polish.

Veneers and crowns
A godsend for crooked or badly discoloured teeth, they also bulk out teeth to provide a plumping, anti-ageing effect on your face. Veneers are tailor-made porcelain covers that are fitted over teeth and last up to 15 years. The front of the tooth is first filed down and the veneer is glued over the top. Do not overestimate how different these can make you look, but the price is high.

Crowns are the traditional way of repairing problem teeth, and are needed if teeth are more seriously misshapen. The tooth is ground down to a peg and a replica fitted over the top. More modern methods mean crowns no longer have that telltale shadow around the gum and will last longer too (up to 20 years).

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FEET FIT AND FABULOUS

The average person walks approximately 115,000 miles in a lifetime (that is more than four times the circumference of the globe), and your poor feet live in shoes for 16 hours a day (which is two-thirds of a lifetime). No surprises, then, that millions of us seek medical advice for our feet each year and, thanks to a love of forbidding footwear; women's feet age quicker than men's and suffer far more problems.

Fit foot advice

• The skin on your feet is already the least lubricated on your body, and it only gets drier with age. For a deep moisture treat, place a pair of cotton socks on the radiator. Before going to bed, massage a teaspoon of olive oil into your skin and slip the warm socks on so the oil penetrates deeply as you sleep.
• High heels put added pressure on the balls of your feet, toes and joints. Some catwalk models resort to Restylane injections in the balls of their feet to give them extra padding and prevent that burning sensation. A far more sensible option is to use padded inserts (available from chemists), which cushion the ball of your foot and prevent it slipping forward in your shoe.
• Minimize the risk of heel-induced injuries by doing squats and calf raises to strengthen your leg muscles. Exercising your feet will also increase joint mobility and strength. Sit with feet outstretched and circle your ankles in either direction 10 times. Then curl up and stretch out your toes 10 times on each foot, or have fun trying to pick up a pencil off the floor.
• Drain away the excess fluid that causes swollen ankles and feet by propping your legs against the wall at a 45-degree angle for 10 minutes.

Smart shoe shopping

• Wearing the right size shoes improves your posture and helps prevent back problems later in life. Your toes should be able to wiggle in the shoe. Also vary heel height daily to keep the muscles in your feet and calves flexible.
• Walking in new shoes causes the majority of blisters, so always break shoes in by wearing them around the house for a short time. Avoid mass-produced shoes made of cheap materials, as they have trouble adapting to the shape of your feet, making them more likely to rub, causing blisters and pain.
• Feet can suffer the equivalent of middle-aged spread, flattening down to become up to a whole size bigger. They can also change size due to weight gain or loss, hard work and pregnancy, so it is worth getting your feet measured once a year after the age of 40.
• Around 90% of us have feet of different sizes (which is another reason for a regular measure). Always buy shoes to fit the larger foot and use a padded inner sole to make the other one fit snugly.

Around 90% of us have feet of different sizes. Always buy shoes to fit the larger foot.

Pamper your feet with this simple pedicure

1. Soak your feet in warm water for five minutes.
2. Cut toenails straight across and then file down any sharp edges (clipping the corners to give a round shape can lead to ingrown toenails)
3. Push back cuticles while they are soft with an orange stick.
4. Remove hard skin from around the heels and balls of your feet with a foot file. Do this when your feet are dry or you could remove too much skin.
5. Massage in a moisturizer and blot away any excess.
6. 'Squeak' the nails with a face flannel dunked in cold water in preparation for painting. Twist a strip of kitchen paper and weave it through your toes to separate them.
7. Apply a base coat and then two coats of colour (the more strokes you use to apply your polish, the longer-lasting the result). Reapply your top coat every two days for a pedicure that should last for up to two months.
   

ADVICE FOR BEAUTIFUL HANDS

It is no wonder hands and nails age fast when you add up how many times they are dunked in water, drenched with chemical cleaning products and baked in the sun with no protection. The skin on your hands is also thinner than than on your face, so there is less fat to disguise wrinkles and veins, and less moisture to keep your skin hydrated: a recipe for accelerated ageing.

Nail problems
Nails are a great barometer of health and can show up many nutritional deficiencies. Cereals, brown rice, eggs lentils, peas, nuts and leafy green vegetables are all important for nail health, as they are rich in B vitamins. And don't forget essential fatty acids, which nourish nails from the inside.

What your nails are telling you

• White spots show a lack of zinc, not calcium as is often thought. Foods high in zinc include walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, oily fish, linseed and sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. White spots can also mean your intake of sugar, alcohol and/or junk food is too high.
• Brittle, splitting nails are a sigh of silica deficiency (silica is found in all high-fibre foods, vegetables and wholegrain).
• Soft, peeling nails signal calcium deficiency. Up your calcium intake by eating cheese, milk, yoghurt, broccoli and spinach.
• Longitudinal ridges can be a sign of low stomach acid. try drinking a glass of warm water with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of lemon every morning.
• Horizontal ridges are down to a lack of calcium (see above) and/or magnesium (find it in milk, yoghurt, artichokes and wholemeal bread). They can also denote a too-high stress level.

How to stop your hands giving your age away
These advice for beautiful hands and nails after a certain age.

• Shorter, well-groomed nails are far more flattering on older hands than long talons. The best shape is a round oval, which follows the shape of your half-moon.
• Nails get thicker and harder as you age, so it is unlikely you will need a strengthening product. Instead, aim to replace lost moisture by soaking your nails in oil (try jojoba, olive or almond oil) once or twice a week. Warm the oil in a saucer placed over a pan of boiling water, and then pour into a cup before soaking for 10 minutes.
• To double the effect, soak your nails last thing at night, then massage the oil into your hands, put on a pair of cotton gloves and go to bed. You will be amazed how soft your skin feels in the morning.
• A quick and easy way to give your hands the heat experience is to keep your hand cream by a radiator.
• Use a hand cream with an SPF 15 to protect your hands from age spots caused by UV exposure. You may even find existing sun spots begin to fade, as some sun damage can be reversed once skin is no longer exposed.
• To remove yellow stains from your nails (these are caused by wearing coloured polish with no base coat, and smoking), soak them in a cup of warm water and the juice of one lemon for 15 minutes.
• Wear rubber gloves when doing the washing up or housecleaning, gardening gloves once the temperature drops, to protect hands from the dehydrating cold and wind.
• Rather than buffing, which removes layers of nail, massage a cuticle oil or cream into your nails and cuticles daily. This will do the same job of increasing circulation and growth.
• Multi-task by applying cream, putting on a pair of disposable gloves and then popping your rubber gloves over the top. The hear generated while your wash up will encourage the moisture to sink in and leave your hands super-soft.
• If protruding veins are a problem, hold up your hands and shake, bring them own and repeat three times. This will release the veins - it is a favourite with celebrities before they step out onto the red carpet.
• As we get older, women often choose nude or brown-based shades of polish, but these are not good on older skins. far more flattering are strong sheers or a full-on bright shade.