Drink your minerals
You know you need to drink eight glasses of water a day, but this is still one of the most basic mantras to healthy living that is often ignored. Water contains minerals and nutrients that are essential to the proper functioning of the body. "It is important to keep your skin and body properly hydrated. Water maintains the elasticity of the skin and prevents wrinkling. Hydration helps maintain the tensile (elastic) strength of the skin," says Dr Shatish Bhatia, MD (dermatology), skin and skin surgery, Lady Ratan Tata Research Centre.
Work it
Aesthetic and plastic surgeon Dr Meenakshi Agarwal recommends yoga. "If you have the patience to do it regularly, yoga keeps the whole body young both inside and outside," she says. Yoga trainer Yogesh Chavan agrees and recommends the Kapalbhati Pranayam, a breathing exercise, which cleans the lungs by encouraging the body to consume more oxygen. "It helps increase body temperature and burn fat," he says. Even while breathing regularly, it helps to remember that your stomach should expand when inhaling and become flat when exhaling.
Say no to cigarettes
Says Dr Bhatia, "Smoking reduces the elastic fibres, causing wrinkles around your eyes and lips." Scientific studies have shown that smoking releases trillions of free radicals, which are harmful to skin. Free radicals kill cells at any stage of their development. They also constrict capillaries in the face, causing skin to look pale.
Go, detox
Colon cleansing is a good way to detox the body of accumulated toxins and waste, the by-products of living in the city and of stressful living. If you'd rather not make the trip to the doctor, drinking a glass of warm (not hot) water with a squeeze of lime and a little honey, first thing in the morning, is a good way to clean the system.
Watch what you eat
According to Dr Manish Motwani, Laproscopic & General Surgeon, Aastha Health Care, obesity is the root of all problems. "Because of obesity, our bone age and metabolic age is always higher than our real age. This means, our body becomes more aged than what we actually are," he says.
Makeover time
For women, side-swept bangs and hair no longer than the shoulders can take off years. Steer clear of brown lipstick shades. Avoid matte lipstick, as they tend to settle into your lip lines. Opt for creamier lipsticks or gloss. Gloss especially, makes lips appear 'bee-stung' or fuller and therefore more youthful.
3 curvaceous beauties (over 35) that we can't get enough of
Eva Mendes, 37
Known more for her raunchy campaigns than her movie roles, there's no escaping from the charms of the sexier (did we hear anyone say Longoria!) and rumouredly nicer Eva.
Kate Winslet, 35
She first captured our imagination with her portrayal of the fragile Rose in the box office hit Titanic. The demure Winslet continues to win our hearts with stellar performances in films like The Reader. She is also the youngest person to have six Academy Award nominations to her credit.
Salma Hayek, 44
The curvy Mexican actress first shot to worldwide fame with her role as the talented and conflicted painter Frida Kahlo in Frida.
