Ageless Beauty

Sunday

2009-11-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Positive Social Network

2009-11-28T05:00:00.002-06:00

How to maintain a Positive Social Network in your Age Warrior years began yesterday .

If you had strong religious community ties in your younger years, they will be a godsend now (pun intended).

Some of the other components of this battle for our quality of life easily lead to positive social connections, especially Age Appropriate Exercise (think yoga or qi-gong classes), Healthy Food Choices (think culinary art club, cooking classes or luncheon groups) and Mental Exercise (think bridge, photography or garden club).

Volunteer activities can create very rewarding social connections and the need for volunteers is unlimited. Decide what suits you. That may be something totally unrelated to the career(s) you had. What do you want to do now? Is there something you had always wanted to do. Now’s the time.

Community theater, fundraising for a worthy cause, working in a hospital, teaching English as a second language, working at an animal shelter, reading to children in a library …

One of the best aspects about the social connections we make in our Age Warrior years is that they are totally by choice. You must learn how to say no however. Volunteers are in short supply and are very often put upon to do more and more ... to the point that it is exhausting rather than fulfilling.

Fill your day with meaningful activities and your day will fulfill you!

For any newcomers, this series came about in response to a research study predicting that a greater percentage of us are heading toward Early Onset Disability.

I say let’s not let that happen! To maintain the best possible quality of life as we age, here’s our program to prove them wrong. In this battle for our quality of life we need:

1. Supplements
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Mental Exercise
6. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
7. Positive Social Network

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Positive Social Network

2009-11-27T05:00:00.002-06:00

I’ve really enjoyed writing this series of anti-aging articles. It speaks so directly to what this website is all about. What my dream for it was when we launched in January 2005. The series inspired me to pull together some oldies but goodies I’ve written and to write more on some critical anti-aging topics I had relatively neglected.

Maintaining a Positive Social Network
One of my previously neglected topics is the importance of maintaining a Positive Social Network. In your earlier years, your social network is very much defined by your life stage. As a child, your network consists of family, school and activities.

As a young adult, your network is primarily defined by family, perhaps church and children’s activities and their friends (if you have kids), your job and any special interests of your own.

But the retirement years – what happens now? Your career is over. Your children may be gone and live far away. If you have grandkids, you may not get to see them as often as you’d like. No more business conferences in fun places, exciting and active family holidays, no more school concerts, shows or sports event.

Where does your Positive Social Network come from now? To a large extent, you get to choose it. It’s no longer thrust upon you by your stage of life. However that does mean you must be proactive and diligent to create and maintain the sort of Positive Social Network that suits you, supports you and keeps you feeling young and vibrant.

Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of the series Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Optimism and Gratitude

2009-11-26T05:00:00.004-06:00

What better day of the year to talk about finding a sense of Optimism and Gratitude to enrich our lives than today – when the United States celebrates Thanksgiving.

If we can find a way to be optimistic and grateful in times that “try men’s souls”, others may call us naïve; but we will certainly be enjoying our lives more than they. We’ve all read the stories of how an upbeat attitude improves immune function and extends lifespan – even in the face of serious illness like cancer.

When the battle against illness and disability end and we have “shuffled off this mortal coil” as ultimately we must, we will have been the better for enjoying our final days to the fullest and setting a positive example for those who follow us.

So enjoy today. Think of one thing you are truly grateful for, then another, then another. You may want to write them down to help lift you up when spirits flag. We’re only human, after all, and we will backslide from time to time. If you can’t think of one single thing to be grateful for, please seek help.

You can read about one of my trips Back from the Depths of Depression here. We’ve all been there and many of us have come back. Believe me, it’s better up here – with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart.

For any newcomers, this series of anti-aging articles came about in response to a research study predicting that a greater percentage of us are heading toward Early Onset Disability.

I say let’s not let that happen! To maintain the best possible quality of life as we age, here’s our program to prove them wrong. In this battle for our quality of life we need:

1. Supplements
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Mental Exercise
6. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
7. Positive Social Network

Happy Thanksgiving to all our dear readers.
Today, we are especially thankful for you!

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Stress Minimization and Mental Exercise

2009-11-25T05:00:00.002-06:00

After reading that a research study predicts a greater percentage of us are heading toward Early Onset Disability, I put together this program to help us prove them wrong. In this battle for our quality of life we need:

1. Supplements
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Mental Exercise
6. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
7. Positive Social Network

Today we’re covering Steps 4 and 5. If you’re reading this today – the day before one of the biggest U.S. holidays of the year you either:

• Don’t celebrate American Thanksgiving;
• Have everything so totally under control for the big day that you have time to surf the web; or
• Are so totally stressed, you don’t know which way to turn, so are taking a break for yourself. Good for you!

Whatever the reason, I’m delighted that you’re here. In fact, let me suggest we all declare today Be Kind to You Day.

If there are still things that need to get done for the dozens of guests who will descend tomorrow, delegate what you can. Why should you be the one who takes care of everything? Aaah, because you always have? Because people expect it?

Newsflash: there’s a younger generation coming up that needs to learn to do the things you have “always done”. Teach them. Tell them how and what you want done. They need to learn these things, these traditions, as much as you need a little break. And guess what – they’ll even appreciate being included in the holiday preparations.

As for Step 5: Mental Exercise, I just did mine for the day ;-)

You might enjoy reading something I wrote on the subject some time ago. I like to think of it as an oldie but goody (like me): Mental Exercise: the Mind is a Wonderful Thing to Use.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices

2009-11-24T05:00:00.002-06:00

After reading that some research study predicts more of us are heading toward Early Onset Disability, I put together this program to help us prove them wrong. In this battle for our quality of life we need:

1. Supplements
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Mental Exercise
6. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
7. Positive Social Network

We’ve covered numbers Steps 1 and 2, as well as addressed the “elephant in the room” that may be holding some of us back from a healthy life free of disability.

Today I want to refer you to a few of the many articles I’ve written about healthy eating plans for life: That’s right, no “D” word here. I support eating plans that you can really live with and enjoy – for the rest of your life.

I’ll also share some scrumptious recipes and tips to help get you started or pull you out of a slump.

Diet Tips to Help You Eat Healthy for Life

Why the Sonoma “Diet” is a Lifestyle Change

Eat as the French Do – Savor Your Food and Save Calories

Eat the Recipes You Love – Just Make Them Healthier with Tips from Jean and Hungry Girl

Fat Fighting Recipes Based on the Latest Resaerch

Dealing with Holiday Overeating – just in time!

And finally, an index of all the nutrition articles, recipes and diet tips you can find on Ageless Beauty

Mangia Bene …. Bon Appetit … Buen Provecho ... Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: The Link Between Exercise and Weight Control

2009-11-23T05:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we launched our attack against Early Onset Disability by addressing how to determine what supplements our bodies need as we age and how to find appropriate exercise programs to maintain as much physical strength, balance and flexibility as possible.

Today we forge ahead toward the subject of Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices. I hope you are beginning to see how each step builds upon the previous one. Supplements (Step #1) are an easy healthy lifestyle habit to adopt. As well, they help provide nutrients our bodies require but can no longer absorb or convert from food and they help keep bones strong so that we can safely exercise.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Exercise (Step #2) in the prevention of early onset disability. Today, as we start discussing Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices (Step #3), exercise again comes into play as part of the irrefutable Equations of Weight Control.

• Calories In = Calories Burned = Weight Maintenance
If calories eaten equal calories burned, current weight is maintained.

• Calories In > Calories Burned = Weight Gain
If calories eaten exceed calories burned, weight is gained.

• Calories In < Calories Burned = Weight Loss
If calories eaten are less than calories burned, weight is lost.

One pound of fat contains 3500 calories. If you cut a measly 250 calories from your daily diet and burn another 250 calories with exercise, you can lose one pound in a week! Hold that thought until tomorrow when we’ll talk about some healthy and enjoyable eating plans.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: Charge!

2009-11-22T05:00:00.002-06:00

Okay, I think we’re ready to go into battle. Just to remind you, we are in a battle for (the quality of) our lives. We don’t want to impose “heavy burdens on families and society” or to suffer early onset disability as predicted by the recently published Seeman UCLA study.

We don’t want to join the dramatically increasing percentage of 60-somethings who need assistance with basic activities of daily life. We don’t want to live to the expected 84 years of age in a diminished state of independence.

If you have an “elephant in your room”, please read yesterday’s post. Then come back and let the charge begin!

This is our plan of attack to avoid early disability:
1. Supplements as Needed
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Mental Exercise
6. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
7. Positive Social Network

#1: Supplements
Read how to Get the Supplements Your Body requires as you age without taking “a hundred pills every day.”

#2: Age Appropriate Exercise
As a life-long dancer, ex-aerobics instructor and personal trainer, I’ve had lots to say on this subject in Ageless Beauty. Here are a few reader faves.

• Anti-Aging Benefits of Exercise;
• Get the Anti-Aging Benefits of Exercise without Injuring Yourself;
• Selecting the Best Form of Exercise for Your Body; and
• Exercise: The Greatest Free Deal of the Century.

And now the disclaimer: please check with your doctor before adopting any new supplement or exercise plan.

Tomorrow we’ll charge ahead with information on Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices to keep us fit and feisty into our 60s, 70s and beyond!

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: The Elephant in the Room

2009-11-21T05:00:00.005-06:00

Before we can go into battle for a healthier lifestyle and start the basic training I laid out yesterday, each one of us needs to decide if we are battle ready because ...

… There’s one more area we need to address. It’s the most difficult of all and I hate to even bring it up. It’s something we have to do before even thinking about our battle plan. It’s that elephant in the room that no one wants to notice. I feel awkward even speaking about it.

If we can do this one thing, the rest will become much easier. I stuck it on the bottom of my brainstormed list Tuesday because I didn’t know what else to do with it – as I tried to pretend the elephant wasn’t there. What am I talking about? Addiction.

Any kind of addiction, by definition, interferes with one’s quality of life. Most bring negative social and economic consequences. Many bring horrible health consequences and costs. At the very least, addictions steal time away from healthier things your body and mind need to be doing for you.

In my brainstormed list, I listed only smoking and excess alcohol; but there are others.

The Seeman study data tell that it’s not just obesity or what the researchers termed “health behavior” that have caused the apparent dramatic increase in early onset disabilities we associate with old age. But obesity, excess alcohol consumption, drug overuse and smoking certainly don’t help.

I wish there were more I could say about this subject but it is so difficult to address. I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist or substance abuse counselor; just a well-meaning friend. If you have an unhealthy addiction, you probably know it deep inside, though you may not admit it to yourself yet.

Why not try keeping a secret diary? Write down everything you can about “the elephant in your room”. When do you indulge? What do you feel before and after? Were you stressed and then calmed; or angry and then mellow; just relaxed but later guilty or hung over? Write it down. Write how much the “elephant” costs you. How is your “elephant” affecting your loved ones, your social attachments, your job?

Now here’s a really big dare: ask two or three loved ones to write down how they feel about “the elephant”. Even if you have an “elephant” to banish from the room and from your life, join us as we begin basic training tomorrow.

That act alone will help you start focusing on your health more and spending less time with that so-seductive “elephant”.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Battle for Quality of Life: The Plan of Attack

2009-11-20T05:00:00.003-06:00

[The report, “Boomers Doomed to Disability?”, started Sunday.]

I first brainstormed a list of steps we can take to avoid “imposing heavy burdens on families and society” due to earlier onset disability predicted in the Seeman UCLA research report. When I did so, I listed the components of a healthy lifestyle in no particular order.

Later I decided there is a logical order to the best battle plan for Age Warrior quality of life. Start with Step1 and add in Step 2 when you can. Then add Step 3. Make the steps small so you can manage them. Just put one foot in front of the other. Come on, you know the drill. You’ve been doing that for how many years now?

If you’re already doing some of these things, good for you! Just cross them off the list and tackle the others in numerical order. Each one sets the stage for the next and facilitates one or more of those that follow.

1. Supplements as Needed
2. Age Appropriate Exercise
3. Weight Control and Healthy Food Choices
4. Stress Minimization
5. Attitude of Optimism and Gratitude
6. Positive Social Networks

That’s the overall plan. But as in any war, the battle plan must be taken down to the individual troops. In this war for quality of life, we need to do that with a long hard look at our current lifestyle. I’ll be right there in the trenches with you.

Please come back tomorrow when we will get started with basic training ;-)

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Free Natural Painkiller, Sleep Aid and Anti-Depressant

2009-11-19T05:00:00.002-06:00

In our battle to avoid becoming burdens, please consider the following, which I wrote in 2007. It's every bit as true today and perhaps even more relevant since self-reported disability rates appear to be rising.

Are you missing out on the greatest free deal of the century? You are if you’re not exercising moderately for thirty minutes five or more days a week. Everyone knows that exercise burns calories and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

You probably also know the “Use it or lose it” motto as applied to exercise. If you don’t keep all the parts moving, they gradually lose their ability to do so. And it’s never too late to start. Read about this fascinating research study that got some wheelchair bound 80- and 90-year olds walking again.

Maybe you even know that exercise causes the release of brain chemicals called endorphins, such as dopamine and serotonin. But did you know that a recent review of back pain studies concluded that being active reduces back pain. The same was found in a review of migraine research studies. Migraine sufferers who were more active reported significantly fewer and less painful migraine attacks than more sedentary migraine sufferers.

Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers, sleep aids and anti-depressants. So get moving and get your endorphins. They’re free!

Tags: nature’s painkillers, endorphins, exercise for pain relief, avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Call to Battle: Let’s Not Become Burdens!

2009-11-18T05:00:00.003-06:00

[This report, “Boomers Doomed to Disability?”, started Sunday.]

Okay, let’s get down to business. If you’re with me on this and don’t want to become one of the growing number of “heavy burdens on families and society” predicted by the Seeman UCLA study, here’s what we have to do.

The first and best advice to avoid disability is to keep your abilities. Duh. I know; it’s easier said than done. As the twinges of arthritis or pain from prior injuries or a bad back, knee, hip … whatever … interfere, it’s all too easy to throw in the towel and think “my days of exercising are over”.

Give in to that thought and you are on the sliding slope to early disability. On the other hand, hang in there and adapt your exercise plan for whatever ails you and I promise, you will:
• Be better able to keep your weight under control;
• Maintain your sense of balance and avoid debilitating falls;
• Maintain the flexibility and range of motion to continue doing for yourself – reaching, bending, kneeling, getting out of bed or a chair or the bathtub;
• Maintain the strength to continue doing for yourself – opening your own jars, carrying your own groceries, opening your own doors;
• Exercise your brain as well as your body;
• Exercise your heart;
• Have a lower stress level and perhaps more upbeat outlook;
• Sleep better; and
• If you exercise with others, maintain social connections.

These are all proven benefits of regular exercise. Not everyone gets them all; but everyone gets most of them if they stick with it long enough. Don’t let the “E” word scare you away. There is some type of movement for everyone.

Browse through our index of articles on exercise for Boomers and Beyond. Then if you still need something to motivate you, read this inspiring story of how dramatically even a little bit of movement can improve your quality of life.

Start where you are and take it slow. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

If you're in this battle with me for the long haul, subscribe to the RSS feed (on the right) to be alerted to updates. If you have a Blogger account, you can select the Ageless Beauty Blog as one you would like to follow.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Call to Battle: Let’s Not Become Burdens!

2009-11-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

[This report, “Boomers Doomed to Disability?”, started Sunday.]

Despite what the Seeman UCLA study tells us, the most important question remains: what are we doing wrong? What accounts for this trend?

The researchers said that the statistics can’t tell us yet. The data does tell that it’s not just obesity or degenerative diseases or what the researchers termed “health behavior”.

While the statistics don’t tell us precisely what caused the dramatic increase in disability among those in their 60s between 1988 and 2005, we can take the common sense approach of following all we know about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.

For me that means:

• Weight control

• Age appropriate exercise
• Supplements as needed
• Stress minimization
• Optimism
• A network of positive social attachments with family and/or friends
• Mental exercise
• No smoking
• Alcohol only in moderation

The research study closed with this ominous statement.

“Current economic conditions only serve to underscore the imperative for the United States to undertake efforts to better delineate and understand not only disability trends and their sources but also the broader societal costs of such disability.”

That’s why I’m issuing this Age Warrior Call to Battle. Those of us born right after the end of WWII or earlier were raised to take care of ourselves, to be responsible for ourselves and our families. We were taught not to expect handouts; not to expect “free” healthcare, “free” higher education, “free” housing, “free” hover chairs … or even “free” lunches.

Wake up! There is no “free” lunch!! We, as a society, will all be better off when every individual can stand on his or her own two feet … literally or figuratively or both!

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Age Warrior Call to Battle: Let’s Not Become Burdens!

2009-11-16T05:00:00.004-06:00

Read yesterday’s tirade for background on today’s discussion. LOL.

The study I mentioned yesterday will be printed in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The research team, lead by Dr. Teresa E. Seeman, PhD and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at UCLA, analyzed data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1988-1994 and 1994-2004) to assess trends in basic activities of daily living for adults in their 60s. They found significant increases in reported disability in the more recent surveys.

Not wanting to become one of the predicted “heavy burdens on families and society”, my first reaction was to rationalize the conclusion away. Since the data come from surveys, perhaps people are simply more open about how badly they feel these days.

However, the facts are that people in the more recent survey data were 70% more likely to report having difficulty with basic activities of daily life such as getting out of bed, eating, dressing, walking from room to room, preparing meals and/or managing money.

Couple that ominous trend with the fact that U.S. life expectancies continue to climb and you have more and more people living longer while unable to perform basic tasks of daily life. Twenty years ago 13% of those in their 60s reported themselves to be so-disabled. Ten years ago, that number was 20%.

A 65-year old in 1980 could expect to live to age 81 while a 65-year old in 2005 could expect to live three additional years to age 84 (United States Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, 2009).

Tomorrow, how can we reverse this trend?

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Baby “Boomers Doomed to Disability?” – Let’s Prove ‘em Wrong!

2009-11-15T05:00:00.003-06:00

"Boomers Doomed to Disability?"

I saw that headline in WebMD yesterday. Of course, it got my attention. How about you?

So I clicked on the link and read the report. To quote, “One in five 60-somethings need help with basic daily activities -- up from 13% just a decade ago. Various disabilities are up 40% to 70% in 60- to 69-year-olds, UCLA researcher Teresa E. Seeman, PhD, and colleagues find.”

Perhaps the author wanted to send a wake-up call. I prefer to view it as a throwing of the gauntlet. And I want us – myself and my readers – to take up the challenge and demonstrate that we are not “doomed to disability”.

While part of how we age is totally beyond our control, much of it is not. The part that is within our control is a matter of the lifestyle choices we make. Please read that sentence again.

Do you want to become part of what the study’s authors suggest could be “harbingers of likely disability trends for the massive baby-boomer generation” with the result that, “ the health care and assistance needs of disabled older Americans could, in the not so distant future, impose heavy burdens on families and society”?

P.S. Can you tell that this report got my Irish up?! Please join me in the battle to not become burdens. You’d better believe I will have more to say about this. Please come back tomorrow.

Tags: avoid disability, boomer wake-up call, age-appropriate exercise, anti-aging supplements, drink in moderation, stop smoking, healthy lifestyle choices, quality of life

Review of Olay Total Effects Eye Cream and Concealer

2009-11-14T05:00:00.003-06:00

Wake up your eyes with Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Booster Eye Cream + Concealer.

This is another multi-purpose product from Olay. I like that approach. Such products can be both time and money savers for consumers but are very tricky to develop.

As is usual with Olay, this product sports a stellar ingredient list: Niacinimide to enhance tone, lighten dark circles and minimize fine lines; botanicals to soothe and reduce puffiness (Cucumber, Aloe and Green Tea); a very good antioxidant cocktail; and concealer to even out skin tone temporarily while the other ingredients do their anti-aging work.

I found the product a bit difficult to blend on my very dry skin. Plus I don’t have dark under eye circles. So this is not one of my personal Olay faves.

However I definitely recommend it for slightly dry to oily skin, as well as for anyone who wages battle with those raccoon eyes which make you look perennially tired. As I said, “Wake up your eyes with Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Booster Eye Cream + Concealer” :- D

My Other Olay Reviews:

• Olay Pro-X
• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
• Olay and Cover Girl’s Simply Ageless Foundation with Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum
• Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Wet Cloths
• Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Transforming Eye Cream
• Olay Regenerist Targeted Tone Enhancer

Tags: under eye concealer review, anti-aging eye concealer, age-reversing skin care, review of under eye concealer, anti-aging skin care, wrinkle reduction, improved skin tone, best anti-aging eye creams

Review of another Drugstore Find: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

2009-11-13T05:00:00.002-06:00

How often do you give yourself a great manicure and then mess it up because you have things to do? I mean – how many of us can sit patiently for ten or fifteen minutes waving our hands in the air?

I’ve tried just about every type of nail polish speed drying product ever made. I’ve tried the oils, the sprays and the brush-ons. I’ve even tried one that you had to brush on and then hold your nails close to an incandescent bulb for three minutes to polymerize the top coat and polish beneath. Not an easy feat. ;-)

That was Sally Hansen 10-Day Shine and it really worked. Then suddenly it disappeared from the market. I was sooo disappointed. In hindsight, I’m glad it did because it forced me to go searching for something else.

I’m delighted to tell you that Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat is even better.

It is the best nail polish speed-dry product I have ever used! It truly does set in 30 seconds, so you can go on about your business. I give it another minute or two before doing anything like scrubbing pots and pans, just to be safe.

How does it work? The company says they’ve developed a new and Exclusive Acrylic Polymer Complex. Yup, it’s another polymer – like the light bulb-activated 10-Day Shine, but improved a couple of generations.

I don’t think there will ever be a product that dries your manicure faster or to a harder finish. That’s quite a statement, I know.

I figure, the only way you could ever get a faster manicure would be to actually put the polish on already dry. The experts are a long way off from perfecting those peel and stick nail polishes. Did you ever try to use those things? Disaster.

In the meantime, my recommendation is to buy Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat.

Tags: manicure tips, nail polish speed driers, chip-proof manicure, nail polish top coat, polymer top coat for nails, nail polish review, 30-second manicure, quick dry topcoat

Review of Dr. Jeffrey Dover’s Instant Deep Wrinkle Eraser

2009-11-12T05:00:00.003-06:00

I’ve found some good anti-aging skin care products at discount prices in the drugstore. You can too if you know how to read the labels (or if you follow Ageless Beauty).

You can read about some of my bargain-priced finds in this article: Drugstore Anti-Aging Skin Care Brands.

I thought I would try another of Dr. Jeffrey Dover’s products because I was quite impressed by his Skin Effects Renewing Effects Intensive Overnight Repair Cream.

I selected the Instant Deep Wrinkle Eraser. I guess what lured me was the pen-style applicator. I thought it might be handy to use. The formula is very simple. It is a silicone-based serum containing skin identical ingredients and antioxidants. Period.

It does sooth and moisturizer instantly, so you do get an immediate effect. If you’re just starting to see the signs of your first wrinkle, this would be good for you. For a certified Age Warrior past age 50, it’s simply not enough.

I would rather spot treat during the day with a peptide-loaded cream or serum and pass on the convenience of a pen applicator. Plus by buying a typical one ounce jar of cream, I get eight times the amount of product compared to what is contained in this pen.

Sometimes what appears to be a bargain really isn’t.

One curious thing: the package states, “contains Hyaluronic Acid, the same ingredient used in dermatologist office treatments, to fill …” but there is nothing remotely related to HA in the ingredient list. See what I mean about the importance of reading the full label?

Tags: anti-aging bargains, affordabale anti-aging products, anti-aging skincare, Ageless Beauty, anti-aging ingredients, wrinkle erasers, wrinkle creams, anti-aging peptides

20% Smoother More Refined Skin in Just 12 Weeks

2009-11-11T05:00:00.003-06:00

[Continued from yesterday .]

Before the study, skin smoothness was directly measured with a computerized UV-light video camera scan (Visioscan). As well, the skin’s topography replicated on a silicone gel mold (picture a peel-off skin mask that comes off in one piece) was indirectly measured using a computerized light meter (Visiometer). The two groups had equivalent skin smoothness on average to start.

After 12 weeks, skin smoothness was measured again using the two objective and mathematically precise measures. The placebo group scored a 1.7% increase in smoothness while the treatment group scored a 21.2% improvement.

In addition, the treatment group perceived a significant reduction in fine wrinkles, skin roughness and pore size while the placebo group did not perceive such improvement in skin health.

The Ingredients to Look for to Keep Skin Healthy and Younger-Looking
If you live in Australia or thereabouts, you can buy Blackmores Radiance daily skin supplement which contains all of the ingredients cited in the study. A Blackmores product was used in the study.

Antioxidants
• Coenzyme Q10
• Beta-Carotene
• Grape Seed Extract
• Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract)
• Green Tea Extract
• Vitamin E (D-Alpha-Tocopheryl)

Minerals
• Zinc
• Selenium

Glycosaminoglycans
• Fish Proteoglycan Extract*
* Composition is approximately 50% protein and 50% Glycosaminoglycans (Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate and Keratan Sulfate)

If you don’t live Down Under and want to replicate the regime used in the study, check the daily supplement(s) you currently take. You may already be taking many of the ingredients.

Overall you want a cocktail of the best antioxidants, a healthy dose of Glycosaminoglycans (Radiance contains 105 mg) and small amounts of the trace minerals Zinc and Selenium.

This report does not purport to offer medical advice. Check with your doctor before beginning any new supplement program.

Tags: daily vitamins, skin vitamins, antioxidants for skin health, minerals for skin health, glycosaminoglycans for skin health , National Healthy Skin Month, anti-aging skincare, reduce wrinkles

Have You Had Your Vitamins Today?

2009-11-10T05:00:00.003-06:00

Is the condition of your skin a major concern for you as far as the signs of aging go? Do you want to stop the wrinkles, keep your skin smooth and your pores refined?

If you said yes to these questions, pay attention to what you put into your body as well as to what you put on your skin.

Why?

1. Your skin is the body’s largest organ. As such, it needs sustenance from within as well as topical care.

2. November is National Healthy Skin Month. Read some medical experts’ tips for promoting and maintaining healthy skin.

3. Take a daily supplement containing antioxidants, minerals and glycosaminoglycans and your skin can be 20 % smoother and less wrinkled in just 12 weeks.

Yes, you read that right. Your skin can be 20 % smoother and less wrinkled in just in 12 weeks according to a study to be published in the December 2009 issue of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.

Researchers at the Skin Center, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand assembled 60 women and assigned them to two groups. Each took one daily supplement pill a day.

One group was given a placebo, while the other took a skin supplement manufactured by Australian nutritional supplement manufacturer Blackmores. The Blackmores pill contained several antioxidants, glycosaminoglycans and trace amounts of minerals.

Come back tomorrow for the study results.

Tags: daily vitamins, skin vitamins, antioxidants for skin health, minerals for skin health, glycosaminoglycans for skin health , National Healthy Skin Month, anti-aging skincare, reduce wrinkles

Living Comfortably with Chronic Dry Eye

2009-11-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

As I told you yesterday, I’ve been living with chronic dry eye for the last 15 years.

It took me several years and many visits to ophthalmologists before I learned to live comfortably with it. It seems much easier to manage these days because of new longer-lasting eye drop formulas, as well as more knowledge of the condition.

I now know which drops work best (and longest) for me. I also know that my dry eye condition is exacerbated by allergies. Some days I don’t know which to treat first – the allergies or the dry eye! LOL.

I discovered that a rich hypoallergenic skin cream or serum applied around the eyes in the morning and before bed helps keep my eyes moist and comfortable far longer. In dry weather or when my eyes are tired, it helps to moisturize once or twice during the day as well.

Yet even after all these years, I’m still learning about living with dry eye. I subscribed to an e-mail series on dry eye published by RealAge.com in which the authors identified specific foods and nutrients that may help prevent and alleviate dry eye specifically:

• Omega-3s – found in salmon (make sure it’s wild-caught) and supplement pills; and
• Vitamin A – found in golden and dark green fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mango, papaya, green peppers and spinach.

Lucky me. I love all of these foods; so I’m pretty sure I’ve been getting sufficient Omega-3s and Vitamin A.

RealAge also offered a list of Five Ways to Fight Dry, Irritated Eyes which you might find helpful.

[This entry is not meant to provide medical advice. It comes from my heart – from my heart to your eyes ;-)]

Tags: dry eye, eye health, eye pain, eye care, take care of your eyes , chronic eye pain, corneal abrasions, lubricating eye drops

Do You Have Chronic Dry Eye – Like Me?

2009-11-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

I guess dry eye is just another one of those things that comes with age. Oh well …

If I were given a menu of the afflictions of aging I could choose from, I would probably pick dry eye for one. This is not to minimize the condition. Unmanaged, dry eye can result in extremely painful corneal abrasions and even scarring of the cornea. I had several corneal injuries before I was diagnosed and before I learned to deal with the symptoms of dry eye.

My point is that dry eye is very manageable in most cases. If you awake in the morning and find it difficult to open your eyes – almost as if your lids are stuck to your eyeballs (duh, they were); if you have a lot of eye pain or find yourself blinking excessively (trying to produce tears – duh again); sensitivity to light, itching, redness or blurred vision, see your eye doctor. You may have dry eye.

Today, dry eye seems to have “come into its own” so to speak. With the release of drugs for chronic dry eye, everyone has now heard of this condition and – better yet – knows that there are ways to manage it.

This blog entry was sparked by a terrific four-part series I signed up for with RealAge.com. The series addresses living quite comfortably with dry eye and includes much more than drug solutions.

Lubricating eye drops are improving all the time. As I mentioned, there’s now a drug option for certain types of dry eye. But there are many other steps one can take for eye health and comfort.

One certainly can’t feel like an Ageless Beauty with red, painful, itchy eyes.

Come back tomorrow. I’ll share more of what I’ve learned about living with dry eye over the last 15 years.

[This entry is not meant to provide medical advice. It comes from my heart – from my heart to your eyes ;-)]

Tags: dry eye, eye health, eye pain, eye care, take care of your eyes , chronic eye pain, corneal abrasions, lubricating eye drops

Mediterranean Lifestyle Correlates with Low Risk of Depression

2009-11-07T05:00:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I told you about a recent study which found those who followed the Mediterranean diet were more than 30% less likely to develop depression than those who did not.

The researchers suggested that individual components of the diet may improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, and repair oxygen-related cell damage, all of which may affect the risk of developing depression.

The researchers further noted that, "It is plausible that the synergistic combination of a sufficient provision of omega-three fatty acids together with other natural unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants from olive oil and nuts, flavonoids and other phytochemicals from fruit and other plant foods and large amounts of natural folates and other B vitamins in the overall Mediterranean dietary pattern may exert a fair degree of protection against depression."

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and find some of Jean’s favorite Mediterranean-style recipes, read these related articles:

• From Roma to Sonoma – the Mediterranean diet is accessible even if you don’t live on the Mediterranean;
• The Mediterranean Way – it’s a lifestyle, not a diet;
• Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Populations; and
• Are You on Board with the Mediterranean/Sonoma Lifestyle Yet?

Tags: Mediterranean lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, health-giving diet, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma diet , reduced risk of depression, depression research

Mediterranean Lifestyle Correlates with Low Risk of Depression

2009-11-06T05:00:00.003-06:00

Do you need yet another reason to adopt the Mediterranean lifestyle? Listen to this: the traditional Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of depression. Just considering the components of the healthy Mediterranean diet lifts my spirits! It also makes my mouth water – lol.

The Mediterranean way of eating (and its derivativem, the Sonoma Diet, for those who don’t live on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean) is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains accompanied by small amounts of monounsaturated fats like olive oil (rather than the saturated fats found in dairy products and meats) as well as fish rather than meat (to meet the body's need for protein).

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Pamplona Spain, followed the dietary habits of 10,000+ healthy adults for almost four and a half years. The results were published in the October 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Those subjects who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet were more than 30% less likely to develop depression than those who didn't. Read that again: a 30% lower risk of depression!

Come back tomorrow to learn more.

Tags: Mediterranean lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, health-giving diet, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma diet , reduced risk of depression, depression research

One Educated Consumer DIYs Her Skin Care

2009-11-05T05:00:00.001-06:00

Jean admires the effort but wouldn’t broadly recommend making your own skin creams.

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I appreciate your work; and thanks for comparing the products but I can not help but feel sorry for women who are not wise enough to read between the lines on all this products and realize they could make their own creams and render much better results.

I have educated myself and created my own creams for the last 25 years. I am almost 50 and not a wrinkle, saggy skin or uneven tone on my face.

Thanks again and if one day I had to buy a cream I will take your advice.

Olivia

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Hi Olivia,

Wow, I’m impressed! I wouldn’t attempt to mix my own face creams, etc. I’m not a chemist and I don’t have a lab-clean kitchen (Shh, don’t tell anyone!). I’m sure you know that some of the most successful skin care companies started just like you – in someone’s home kitchen.

However, like you I really do make an effort to educate myself, to read ingredient labels from top to bottom and to stay on top of new developments in the field of skin care. As well, I watch for and read carefully any news and research on ingredients that may be cause for concern.

It gives me joy to pass the information on to my readers. Even though you’ll not likely be buying any “ready-to-wear”creams recommended by me in the near future, thank you for the vote of confidence.

It means a lot coming from someone who really knows of what she speaks.

Regards,
Jean

Related article: O: The Oprah Magazine Reviews Mix-Your-Own Moisturizer

Tags: DIY skin care, cosmetic quality control, contaminated cosmetics, parabens, educated consumers, certified lab conditions, recommended skin products, effective ingredients