Tag: positive attitude

Posted in About Aging, Everyday Beauty, Healthy Weight Management

Remember Your Own Body Type And Skin Type

Posted on by Nancy

So, what’s my secret?  

I laugh at that one.  I am so transparent it’s ridiculous and women and sometimes men still ask me about what I’m secretly doing.  My answer to that is “there is no secret!”

Body Type 

You, every single one of you, has  unique beauty that no other woman can have or match.  And I am not just saying something to be nice. It’s the truth.  

Your body can be long, short, slim, athletic, voluptuous, and come in any of the classic shapes of pear, apple or rectangle (I have called that cucumber to keep with the produce theme), but, regardless of where you personally fall in those categories, you have a brightness about you that is totally yours and that is what I focus on in all of my work.  

Working with your body type can make you happier, healthier, and for many, get you to finally appreciate how terrific you look.  How nice is that, I ask?  

The Big How To Staying Fit

First you need to be honest.  What is your healthy weight and dress size?  The answers to both of those questions give you your goals. 

Make sure you’re healthy, as in getting a professional medical practitioner to tell you that you are, before you begin to make changes to your diet and exercise habits.  That’s often said by fitness and wellness pros, such as me, but it can’t be stressed enough as far as I am concerned.  

From there, you need to be very realistic about what you can do as far as a new eating and improved lifestyle change goes.  And, if there’s any “secret” on this Earth to staying fit, it’s making good, healthy changes that you keep for life.  That, in a nutshell, is the Big How. 

Skin Type

As with your medical health, your skin health should also be evaluated by a professional – either an aesthetician or a dermatologist.  Once you know your skin type (dry, oily, normal or combination), and are aware of any concerns such as acne or other skin problems, you can move forward in some very big and noticeable ways.  

Follow the advice of the professional you see as far as what types of skin products to use, and please don’t forget to ask about what you should avoid.  Both are equally important.  

Give your skin a good cleansing every day, rinsing with lots of pure water.  Use a toner, a serum and a moisturizer that are appropriate for your skin type.  Use a facial mask weekly or more often, depending on the product and your skin’s needs.  

Tips for great skin:  

  • See an aesthetician for a facial monthly or as often as you can manage.  
  • Begin with retinol, and then once your skin is tolerant of it, step up to retin-A (Tretinoin).  The results take time, up to a year or more, but are worth the effort.  
  • Take vitamins.  I recommend using prenatal multi vitamins because they are made to a very high standard, and that’s what I take.  
  • Drink lots of water.  Eight to twelve glasses per day.  Add a lemon or orange wedge  if you like.  
  • Exercise daily.  Walk, run, swim, play a sport or whatever you prefer.  Just make it a habit for 20 minutes or more each day.  This obviously is not only good for your skin.  

Overall Body Type And Skin Type Advice 

Give yourself two gifts:  1)  Be positive about yourself and 2) Allow time to reach your goals and never give up.  

Practicing good, healthy habits is something you will come to love once you get into it.  And you may surprise yourself at how much you enjoy taking excellent care of yourself!  

Stay beautiful!

 

 

Posted in About Aging, Acting, Looking Good, Modeling

Not Everyone Peaks At 20

Posted on by Nancy

Let’s all be thankful for that! 

During our lifetime we tend to go through phases based on age.  Why?  I’m not completely sure of that answer, but, I believe it has a lot to do with what the media represents as the “age of perfection”.  Usually, that age is around 20 or so.  Once we pass that age, we are considered to be past our prime, along with other nonsense, and we are in fact operating with a bit of a handicap.  This is totally wrong for so many reasons!  I want to go into a few of them in this post……

  • We are not “ugly”  as we get older.  In fact, many of us come into a higher sense of style and taste, and oftentimes this leads to finding our natural good looks and working with them instead of against them.  That alone leads to a much more polished and attractive appearance.
  • We can stay in shape for life.  I have a diploma in fitness and nutrition, along with six certifications, and have published four books in the women’s wellness category.  Therefore, I can say as professional, that it is entirely to keep our figures for life with the proper diet/exercise program in place on a day-to-day basis.  I am living proof of that if I do say so myself.
  • We can keep good skin for life.  Of course if we spend too much time in the sun without protection and don’t eat properly or exercise, and if we smoke a pack a day, our skin will really take a beating by the time we are 30 or 35.  However, it also works in reverse that if we are smart about sun exposure, don’t smoke or keep it to the occasion cigarette with a cocktail, eat right and exercise daily that our skin will be healthy and smooth for most of our lives.  Additionally, there are daily skin treatments, easy stuff mind you, that any woman or man can do that helps keep the skin on our faces and bodies firm and plump in the good sense of that term.
  • We can and do continue to learn and grow as the years pass.  One of the best things about getting older is all the knowledge you gain.  My advice to a younger person is to read every day, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, and stay up to date with what’s happening in the world without being addicted to the news programs.
  • We can keep a positive attitude.  This is not always easy, as I well know, and life has a way of throwing so much do-do at us that it’s easy to fall into an attitude rut and become pessimistic.  Of anything at all, wrinkles and being out of shape included, this is the one single thing that will make a person seem old, even beyond their actual age.  I say adopt a positive attitude about something in your life.  Find a way to become interested in something cool like a sport or foreign languages or trendy cooking techniques.  Not only will those kind of hobbies make for great conversation, but they send out a message to the world that you are full of life and youthfulness.  That’s the ticket!
  • We can make changes.  Even big ones.  Here is another category that is tricky for most people over the age of 35 or 40.  Stepping outside our comfort zone is hard, no doubt about it, but there is usually something buried deep down inside that stays there because of fear and that’s just not healthy.  It’s one of the most gratifying things in the world to take that leap of faith and just go for it.  Be it a new career, a move to a new home or maybe taking up something awesome like snow skiing or horseback riding for the first time ever. Starting with something recreational can lead to other things such as going back to school, or earning that degree you never finished, or putting a deposit on that store space you have been longing to lease.
  • We have a voice.  Remember that.  It’s not just the opinions of the younger set that matter.  The over-40 and over-any number you name crowd counts as well.  Speak up.  Use that wisdom you’ve acquired.  Don’t preach or try to be the control-freak.  That will get you nowhere.  Instead just talk.  Nicely.  With  a smile. Put in your two cents and let everyone know that you have a brain that works and that there’s a helluva lot of knowledge in it that you’re proud to say you have.
  • Most of all, believe in yourself.  Do you believe in others?  Your kids?  Your spouse?  Your friends?  You probably answered “yes” to all of those.  Then add one more to the list.  Y-O-U.

nancy face hat closeup

My personal motto is “If you’re healthy enough – you’re young enough”.  And that’s the size of things in life.  A healthy mind and body can accomplish so many wonderful things – be they great or small.  So don’t count yourself out because you’ve reached X age and don’t allow anyone else to do that to you, either.

This week I have a video audition to film for an exciting project.  Next week I have another.  I have no idea if either will work out.  Maybe one or maybe both.  I can’t say just yet.  But I know I’m going to give it my all.  I’m going to learn from the experience and I’m going to come back here and write about them.  That you can bet on!

Nancy