My Intentions on ageing well

Being in 30s (psstt, real age I cannot reveal because that would be telling), I think it is important to think ahead and take better care of yourselves now from inside and out if we have any hope of ageing well. The process of ageing goes far deeper than just wrinkles on your skin, I’m talking about living a happy, healthy and positive life. That to me is ageing well along with watch what we eat and ensuring we are drinking enough water and eat the right foods to ensure good skin health which goes without saying. My motto is: ‘healthy gut, healthy skin’. I am about to give you the down low on my secrets to ageing well.

To me, ageing means a lot and it goes beyond the physical appearance. I often look back at last year, two years ago, five years ago and see how far I’ve come and proud of what I have achieved. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t reached your goals yet, or you’ve had failures in life, I’ve sure had a fair few of those but that’s the “ageing process”.

In becoming the woman I am today, I know what I want in my life, who I want in my life and what I want to work towards to achieve it.

Here are my 5 intentions/ ways on ageing well:

We must love our bodies to live a healthy and positive life. Or bodies is what we present to the world, be it your friends, or to colleagues so we must give it some daily TLC. Pick one thing and make it a daily ritual. A few examples for you: to eat five fruits and veg a day, or wake up a little earlier to meditate for 5 minutes or apply a night mask every coupe of days. One of my rituals that bring me joy is my Vitamin C serum which I apply at night. It has been life changing for my skin. I can definitely see a difference in the mornings. My face looks brighter and more rejuvenated and my skin just looks fresher. Vitamin C helps promote the production of collagen, which is vital for plumpness and elasticity hence keeping you looking young. I call it the “natural” Botox. It comes in a handy bottle that you can pop in your handbag if you have forgotten to apply it.

Vitamin C also fights free radicals which helps slow down the ageing process. Studies have shown that diet rich in Vitamin C is related to skin smoothness and less dryness. My best secret on ageing well is revealed, I hope you noted this first point down.

Fact: Fruits like kiwi, pineapple, guava (my favourite when I’m in Egypt), papaya , mangos and lychee are more rich in Vitamin C than oranges.

Starting with my son who is my teacher. He’s taught me how to love unconditionally, showed me joy and happiness to another level, taught me the importance of resilience, being patient and above all to be a fighter. Friends who are on the same page and wavelength help me strive for the best and to be the best.  Surround yourself with positive and joyful people that lift you up, push you to do better and help you achieve your goals.

The only way you learn in life is by experience. Go out there and collect as many stamps as you can in your passport and don’t be too scared to venture out somewhere far. Throw yourself into a new city and take in the different culture and just enjoy yourself. That to me is ageing well. Travel to me is getting rich, it is not by how much money you have in your account. People that are aware of the different the cultures, speak various languages and know their history are “mind wealthy”.

A good old laugh is pretty much the cure for everything. Make sure you laugh everyday whether you are having a bad day or not. We all get good and bad days, it is what makes the day interesting. Make and create laughs by having “sexy in the city” nights with your besties, read a comic, listen to funny podcasts or simply laugh at someone that has made inappropriate or upsetting comments to you instead of allowing it to make you sad. One wise friend said this to me which stuck in my head, ‘when God comes knocking on your door, you cannot say I am not ready yet, when he comes, he comes and your time is up, so whatever your choices are in life, make sure it makes you happy.

If you meditate then great, you are already doing deep breathing. If not, give yourself 5-10 minutes in a day to concentrate on your breathing. There are evidences to show that deep and complete breathing allow more oxygen to reach your cells hence healthier cells and in turn wards off cancers and other diseases. There are numerous other benefits to deep breathing; de-stresses you, promotes better sleep as it helps relax your mind, acts as a natural painkiller as it allows your body to release endorphins which is a natural painkiller,  improves digestion by increasing oxygen to your digestive system hence making it work more efficiently and the list goes on.

There you have it, my five ways of ageing well all summed up for you. How many are you doing already?