3 Changes in Routine to Help You Stay Young

"You look like sisters" was a comment I heard many times last week from fellow guests at the fabulous vacation spot that I visited with my daughter. After a beautiful week of me- and us-time, I returned recharged, more toned, and ready for the summer season. I am also glowing from all those compliments on my appearance. (I'll never tire of those, for sure.) After a week of being asked what I do to look so young, it's clear this is a topic of high interest! So today I'm sharing a few of the wellness discoveries that so benefited me during my week away. They made me look and feel so young and energized, my goal is to incorporate them for the long term. 1) Let food be your fountain of youth. Really. On my vacation, I cut out all potentially inflammatory foods, including sugar and processed items. Instead, we feasted on vegetables freshly grown on site and bursting with vitamins and phytonutrients, in addition to fish, fruits, and other super-healthful options. In the process, I weaned myself off Starbucks coffee and chocolate. Stay tuned to see whether this routine sticks now that I'm back in New York City. 2) Take more media breaks. Limiting cell phone, Internet, and other electronic communication took a little adjustment from this super-connected woman. But after the first day, I was hooked on the results: Less media meant less stress and less crisis management but more reading time, calm, and--this is big--sleep. Connecting to my pillow earlier at night proved to be very energizing. While it's not always realistic during non-vacation days, the low-media principle is well worth adopting at night and on the weekends. Less stress plus a shorter must-do list adds up to big gains in balance for me. 3) Discover the skin and hair routines that work for you. Going away to "adult camp" helped me streamline the morning getting-ready process I normally use during my work with the Wellness Center and coaching. Instead, during vacatio I embraced the "less is more" rule with makeup and upped the moisturizers and sunscreen. (The sun is a sure wrinkle-maker.) The result: I looked healthier and more youthful, especially when I added the new hats I purchased to further shield my face and hair from too much sun and wind. (A totally necessary expense, right?) I also ditched my bad habit of hair abuse. Hair changes as we age, that I know for sure, so I am being more careful to protect my naturally fine and thinning (sigh) hair. This "hair slave" really took a break during vacation, which meant heated appliances took a rest, too. I must say that change had a dramatic impact. My hair looked surprisingly healthy, shiny, and less parched than usual. I hope to continue doing more FOR my hair by doing less TO it--but check back on the status of this strategy, too. Youth doesn't last forever; that's a fact we must accept. But why expect to feel, look, act, or BE worn out just because we're getting older? There is so much we can do to preserve our best physical health, fitness, and appearance even as the years advance. These three changes are the start of a renewed wellness challenge for me. Won't you join me? Take a moment now to give your usual routine a good once-over. You just might discover a small change that can have a big impact on how you look and feel--no matter what your age.