The Trend to be Healthy and Natural
I remember the first time I heard the word Botox. I remember thinking that sounds scary. While the rest of my thirty something year old friends ran out for their shots, I stayed on the sidelines thinking, “Is this something my Grandmother would embrace?” I would have asked her of course. But my dearest grandma had passed away a couple years before. I guess you could say I am an old fashion kind of gal. A minimalist when it comes to messing with my face. I use basic products that don’t cost tons of money and follow simple things like drinking lots of water and avoid drinking too much alcohol.
I work out some and then walk quite a bit with my dog and wear sunblock. I eat quite a few green vegetables and fruits with lots of vitamin C. I don’t eat too much red meat. I take my melatonin. I take vitamin B and I don’t live my life in fear of a wrinkle. I let that go. I allow age to happen naturally. I do make a concerted effort to stay vibrant and youthful.
There isn’t a fountain of youth out there. You can’t find it in a book. You can buy it in a jar. It’s a more simplistic equation. You need to take care of yourself, exercise and eat better. These are all facts that I am sure you have already read on-line. I could try to spin it the other way to make being middle-aged a much easier challenge. But just like anything you want to do or invest time in to see a goal achieved, you may have to work for it.
What does this look like, you might ask?
Well, you might want to cut back on happy hour cocktails. You know, those Sex and the City type-moments 
that may make your life feel glamorous and exciting. Trust me, you can feel just as glamorous and sophisticated by ordering a Pellegrino in a flute glass with a wedge of lime. So start counting your glasses of alcohol for the week if you like to drink. You might be surprised by the number. I am guilty of all of this, too. As a 43 year old pushing 44, I don’t indulge as much in drinking as maybe I did in my younger years. It’s so wonderful to never feel bloated because I tied one-too-many one with my girlfriends.
And in the beginning of the Botox craze, how could you know any different? There wasn’t the negative stance on it yet. It was all the rage. The ads, the magazines, the needle parties and those that bragged openly about their weekly treatments. Even Plastic Surgeon offices reassured us this was a wrinkle ‘preventative.’
How could they have known in the beginning? A frozen face equaled no wrinkle. However the person that had been doing injections for twenty years plus or so just didn’t exist yet.
Now the world is catching on. We see examples of extreme use of face fillers and mini facelifts constantly from celebrities that bought this idea they were sold, too. And, why would they not, especially if they were a woman living in Hollywood and their livelihood depended on it? You find fault with them. We are not walking in their shoes.
Now there has been a shift. Even in my circle of friends, they brag about NOT using it as much.
When my book, MIDDLE AGE BEAUTY came out last holiday season, a big story in the NY Post about featured top celebrities against Botox and the rest of the foreign substances that have been pushed on us. Maybe they, too, were just tired of being told, “Hey you are old and you need to do something about it!”
With the word “Organic” trending and “juicing” and “gluten free” being the newest fad, one must ask themselves what about these face fillers? What am I putting in my body inside these needles?
So the next time you think about adding a foreign substance to your face, do yourself a favor and do some simple research. Here is just one fact you may not know. Did you know that Botox can actually affect your ability to empathize with others? Yes, that’s right. On June 17, 2011, The New York Times published a story, “Looking good and Feeling less,” by Pamela Paul. Besides just paralyzing a muscle to freeze a wrinkle, you could be numbing yourself emotionally, too.
You might be under the assumption that one more injection is preventing the aging process when in actuality is doing other things, too. Educate yourself first before taking a chance with your one and only-God face. Just make an effort to take better care of yourself. You can do it! Set a schedule and make time you.
The bottom line – there is no fountain of youth, and there is only one of you! Live life, Love and take care of yourself, and the rest will fall into place. If you haven’t heard, the new trend is to stay natural.
