107—
Collagen supplements
100—This is something
that we can all do...
that we can all do...
100
To be & to look ‘youth-full’
Disclaimer: I've got a very defeatist attitude when it comes to ageing...
In this life, you’re ‘older’ for a lot longer than you are considered young. (We’re roughly talking about a 30:70 split here.)
So, if you think that this is going to be one of those ‘anti-aging’ blog-posts that encourages you to try and look younger than your actual years, then I suggest you stop reading now.
Clearly, ‘anti-aging’ goes against nature. And if you buy into all this fear-mongering bullshit — with all its highly specific creams, lotions, and supplements — you will be engaging in a life-long battle that you will never (ever) win!
Instead, why not embrace a beauty approach that is both realistic & achievable?
Reverse ageing effects naturally by aiming to look — and to be — ‘youth-full’!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Being or looking ‘young’ is generally age-dependent. However, being or looking ‘youth-full’ is possible at any age!
‘Youth-full-ness’ presents in the following ways:
Enthusiasm
Intense and eager enjoyment & interest.
Freshness
Brightness or healthiness of complexion or appearance.
Sprightly
Lively; full of energy.
Vigour
Physical strength and good health.
When we feel this way, we cannot help but radiate out our ‘youth-full-ness’. Beauty, as cliche as it might sound, really does come from within.
Lively eyes are a dead giveaway
Getting older — it happens to the best of us.
And while we can’t halt this process, we can certainly ensure that we are a good representative for the age we’re at. Because while it’s rare to look younger than our actual years, it’s entirely possible to feel healthy for all of our years – and this makes us appear eternally ‘youth-full’.
To this end, I’d like to draw your attention to something you may not have consciously considered — your Limbal Rings.
Limbal rings outline the iris of our eye1. Both the thickness and the darkness of these rings are a good indication of our health status — our youthfulness. The Limbal Rings are also considered to contribute to facial attractiveness.2,3,4,5
Note: Obviously having clear, bright irises, and having clear, white sclera (the white part of your eyes) also helps.
In this blog-post, rather than focus on superficial wrinkles and boring ole sagging bits, I want us to refocus on influencing the aesthetics of our eyes, and by our eyes I mean our EYEBALLS — via influencing our stress levels, our sleep quantity & quality, and our good, good, good, good vibrations (our intentions).
There is nothing that you can do externally speaking (anti-aging-wise) to enhance or to mask the health of your ‘peepers’. There is no way to smear on beauty creams, to apply ‘make-up’, to botox or to have plastic surgery on your eyeballs. We’re stuck with our eyeballs, or rather, they are stuck to us…
The eyes really do have it. Not only do they reflect our level of health, but they also reflect our soul — and our character. Our eyes indicate our intent, as well as communicate our feelings and our level of interest. And, while you can misconstrue words and body language, there is no mistaking a ‘look’.
Talk to Mr Ed...
I knew you would think this…
Yes, you can get contact lens to better represent healthy Limbal Rings, but they won’t make your eyes more kindly, twinkly, or expressive.
Besides, people fall in love with eyes — so you don’t want to fake anything there!
“Granny Sheeran told me when I’m looking for a partner, to fall in love with their eyes, cause eyes are the only things that don’t age” — Ed Sheeran
And, while Granny Sheeran isn’t technically correct, we all know what she means xox
At the department store...
Is it the make-up section?
Or the made-up section?
The first thing I studied when I finished High School was Advertising. (A three year diploma at AIT.)
I remember my ‘Consumer Buyer Behaviour’ lecturer referring to beauty products as “hope in a jar”.
She taught us that Advertisers seek to create a demand for their products by exploiting, or rather creating, supposed flaws.
They accentuate the negative.
I had to leave this industry as I just couldn’t take it seriously — nor did I want to! I mean, who would trust me to work on their ‘beauty’ account, when this is the type of thing that springs to my mind for an anti-aging campaign…
I'm no Iridologist, but...none-the-less.
I can tell a lot from looking at someone’s eyes. It’s as if you’re looking into two crystal balls.
When I’m sitting opposite a client — eyeballing them, if you will — I can tell a lot from looking at their eyes:
Certain mood dispositions
Happy, sad, worried, nervous, or frightened
Pain
Headache/migraine and sinus.
General health
Liverish, allergies, and lack of sleep.
Health conditions that can impact eye health
There are a number of health conditions that can alter the appearance of your eyes:
Diabetes, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Measles, Sickle Cell/Liver/Lyme Disease, Shingles, Rosacea, autoimmunity, and general malnutrition.
My top 3 tips for creating an inherent, beautiful, 'soft focus'
Beginning in 2019, more than anything else, I would like us to ‘souly’ focus on creating beautiful, healthy eyes — our ultimate signature.
It is our eyes that animate us.
It is our eyes that connect us to others.
With our eyes we communicate — honestly.
Here, we’re all essentially on a level playing field. (Regardless of our height, weight, ethnicity, or skin-colour.) And yet, the pigment of our iris, and the twinkle in our eye, not only sets us apart, but also set hearts on fire.
Manage your stress
We all know that chronic stress can take years off our life. (This is because it promotes inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, cellular damage, and eventual chronic disease.)
And, as it insidiously erodes us from the inside, stress makes us look ‘hard’ on the outside – which makes us be hard on ourselves and on others.
Here are some ways to manage your stress:
Modify your perception of stress (more on this in a subsequent blog-post), get out in the sunshine, move your booty, get into nature, focus on your breathing, meditate, work less/play more, rest, drink less caffeine, get many good nights sleep, cull toxic people from your life (if possible) and take frequent holidays.For more on chronic stress, please check out this previous blog-post: Chronic Stress
Get adequate shut-eye
This is a no-brainer, really.
Sleep is important for regenerating your mind & body – and reducing stress. It is also important for managing our mood. When we’re feeling tired, irritable or ‘low’ then we’re more likely to be harsh on ourselves and on others.
Here are some ways to increase your quality & quantity of sleep:
Move about – ideally in nature, focus on your breathing, meditate, de-stress, and avoid blue light at night-time.For more information on how to sleep effectively, please check out my previous blog-post: Where dreams are made
"Smize"
This is a term coined by former top-model, Tyra Bank — it’s the art of smiling with your eyes.
Not only does this practice make you look more beautiful to others but it also makes you feel more beautiful. And, when you feel beautiful, it’s actually physically impossible for you to look at others and judge them negatively.
Go on! Give it a try — don’t just take my word for it: SMIZE! It makes you and everyone else become more naturally beautiful xo
Here is a way to stop perpetuating a society obsessed with unrealistic (never-ending and expensive!) beauty ideals: Simply stop judging people negatively. Don’t look for (and definitely don’t point out), the flaws in others.
Instead, make an effort to compliment them on what you do like about them — their hair, their smile, their ‘top’, their personality, their talent, their laugh… their beautiful eyes 😉
If you’re kind to others, you’re less likely to be unkind to yourself. And vice versa.
Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative.
(Listen with your heart.)
Speak with your eyes.
What do your eyes say about you? XO
But wait, there's more — I've always got more!
In up-coming blog-posts I’ll talk more about how we can improve our health holistically — with diet and correct supplementation & medicinal herbs — so that our eyes may truly reflect our general health.
In the meantime, would you like to hear more from me about natural beauty?
I’ve written about a number of different natural beauty products & brands – that I believe are fabulous for many reasons.
To select from these, please click this link.
Make an appointment with Lisa
Lisa Fitzgibbon is a degree qualified (2006), experienced and registered Naturopath & Medical Herbalist. She runs her own private practice – OOMPH in Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.
Lisa has been involved in the Natural Health industry for 16 years. She draws on her professional training and experience, as well as her own personal experience to bring you realistic, holistic health advice.
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