#Anti-Aging Advice

Getting older is a drag! But it doesn't have to be. The best anti-aging advice:

Don't act your age!

Attitude is everything. It takes you farther, lifts or dampens your mood, and affects those around you. If you act youthful, you will feel more youthful. Teaching, I feel younger all day! Until I glimpse myself in the mirror. Ugh. SKIN is where aging shows the most.

So for the physical helpful hints, I turn to medical professionals, online and in magazines... While I was in the airport waiting forever this January, I picked up one of my favorite magazines for healthy advice: PREVENTION. It was packed with great tips.

Here's what Dermatologists said in it about Anti-Aging (Jan 2019, by Michelle Crouch):

• Sunscreen is #1, a given
• Retinol, in creams, should be applied nightly. They said it "brightens skin tone, improves brown spots, and makes skin feel smoother."
• A Gentle Touch - I try to remind myself to do this when I clean my face at night--skin around the eye is the most sensitive. If you rub too hard, "it can stretch out your eyelid skin, causing wrinkles..."
• Simple Washcloths - handy tools for "light exfoliation"
• Soap-Free Body Wash - soap can be drying. It removes natural oils, like "detergent gets rid of the oil in a frying pan"
• Apply while Wet - after shower or cleansing, apply moisturizers "to seal in the water."
• Neck & Chest - don't forget about that skin! Include it in your skin care regimen.
• Take a Break - You should create good skin care habits, but also take a break for a few days, especially if your skin seems irritated.
• Eye Gels & Patches - try them in the morning after a late or sleepless night before putting on makeup to soften lines and diminish puffiness.
• Avoid: bright lights, loofahs, drinking out of a straw (huh!), a dirty pillowcase
• Glove Treatment - I do this in the winter when my hands get extremely dry: after soaking my hands, I apply vaseline (they said a rich hand cream works too) and wear vinyl gloves overnight--for feet, use socks.

In the same issue, I read that Cocoa can help slow down the signs of aging. I went out to buy some to try... I'll let you know how it works out!

There were more tips, but I will save them for another post.

So 2 best Anti-Aging Tips: Think Young and Take Care of Your Skin!
Good luck to us!

What Not to Do for Your Health

Yikes! Who Knew? When I was thinking about what to post on Wellness Wednesday I did a little research. I thought I'd find a healthy exercise routine to share. Instead, I found some things Not To Do if you're concerned with your health, and who isn't? So I'm sharing two things I learned from my little excursion into the Internet world of health. We're into the winter months and most of us have closed our windows and turned on the heat. If you're like me, you miss that fresh air of summer. Do you reach for the aerosol? Light one of those delicious smelling sandalwood candles or find the incense?   Don't.  John Naish of the British Daily Mail has written that some of these products are making us sick. He even says that incense, such as agarwood and sandalwood, are more toxic than tobacco smoke.   But wait! There's more. In a recent study, 79 percent of mascara tubes were plagued with staph bacteria and 86 percent of women in the study admitted to using mascara past its prime. One very helpful hint I gleaned from the article is this: set up a calendar alert for dumping your mascara 3 months from purchase even if it's still moist.  Now here's something healthy to DO.  I tested it and it's actually pretty good.  I'm not glowing yet, but I'll let you know if that happens. Glowing Skin Smoothie

It's packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that infuse new life into your skin. (I can use some new life infused into my skin.)

Here's how to make it...

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 2/3 c. of almond milk
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup of your favorite berries (blueberries are best!)
• 1/2 of an avocado
• Handful of spinach or kale
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Generous drizzle of organic honey

1 small banana

A few ice cubes (more for a frostier smoothie, fewer for a creamier one)

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until no lumps are visible. Serve immediately. Drink as often as you like... of course, every day is best!

If you're not a berry-lover, pineapple is a GREAT choice to get an extra dose of collagen-boosting Vitamin C... and it tastes like a tropical vacation in a glass!

C. Lee McKenzie

In Lee's writing, she takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014.

When she really wants to have fun, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead was her first published book for readers age 8-12, and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster, is now out.

Lee's website