Aging backwards with the elixir of life
🥒 Practical tips to honour the mind, body, and soul
“Wait, woah! You look the same! Are you aging backwards?” My friend held both of my hands as she inspected me.
“Hahah, everyone says that! I guess I have good genes,” I replied.
For awhile, I left my immaculate skin, glowing aura, and general health to my ancestry alone—Jamaican (and generally mixed) on my mother’s side, and Nigerian on my father’s side.
People usually guess I am in my early 20s (which comes with cons in terms of the respect people dish out, but that’s another story) . . .but, in fact, in my early 20s, I was already fascinated with longevity and beauty secrets.
Seeing myself in print feels like a time capsule; a snapshot not lost in the cloud or on a feed.
It makes me think about health and beauty: true beauty, which shines from the inside out, like Pedro Pascal’s, who is the cover story of the issue I am in!
Pedro is widely regarded as kind, funny, down-to-earth, and supportive of his co-stars and fans. He’s open-minded, socially aware, and vocally supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and mental health.
At 50 years old, he too has a timeless look and energy. I am sure the issue shares more about his mindset and life, but for now, here are the top 10 things I consistently practice to stay healthy and young at heart.
Top 10 elixirs of life, in no particular order:
Avoid drugs & nicotine at all costs. Drink water. Add Collagen.
Take collagen supplements daily. Avoid tap water and flavoured water at all costs, opting for 2 liters of mineral water a day (it does not need bubbles, just needs to say mineral water). If you can get the mineral water in glass bottles (think Pellegrino) and not in plastic, even better. If you do not have access to mineral water, opt for a reverse osmosis system for thorough purification. Yes, mineral water has minerals which makes it superior. I learned this beauty secret (daily collagen + mineral water only) from a Japanese colleague who looked 30 at a shockingly older age.Supplements and a bit of hunger are indeed your best friend.
Go to your doctor or do some research, but outside of collagen, definitely take a cocktail of supplements to further support your health. Try intermittent fasting too. I find starting to eat after noon helps to form an intentional ritual around food and also boosts the metabolism.Be careful what you put into your body because the gut is the second brain.
For over five years I was vegetarian. And then I was vegan. And then I was an omnivore again, and now I am more a vegetarian, but I allow myself to eat what I feel my body needs. Food today is filled with so much crap and covered in so many pesticides, making informed choices about the fuel we give our body is increasingly important for our longevity and health.The way you start and end your day really, really matters.
I do not look at my phone in the first hour after waking or in the last hour before sleeping. I also wake up and do a writing exercise and go to bed doing a writing exercise. This works for me and I believe these anchors are potent, powerful, and transformational. For example, some people like ending their day with a gratitude journal and starting with a dream journal. Have you explored what works for you?Passion and purpose are the elixirs of life ;) without them, the soul sleeps.
I truly believe that if you ask the universe to show you your purpose, it can and it will answer you, if you listen. A purpose does not have to be some incredibly groundbreaking thing: right now, for me, it is writing and sharing my truth. For some women, it is being the creator and caretaker for their offspring, the next generation. For some, it is connecting people and watching those connections flourish. Purpose gives us passion and lights our soul on fire. It is a container for creation where manifestation flourishes and magnetism becomes life.
I hope you’ve found yours. I hope you find yours.Stress will kill you so fast. Avoid it AT ALL COSTS.
Need I say more? lolSee the world and do not compare places.
So many people travel saying strange things like, “Oh, I love this ancient, intricate structure, but the one in that other country which is not related to this one at all was much better.” Holy guacamole! Can we appreciate the uniqueness of things and life? This is gratitude and reverence. This alone can alter the mind and solidify how we appreciate our own uniqueness.Stop caring what other people think, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Wear that dress! Wear those shoes! Buy that colour! Do that thing you’ve been dreaming about. THIS IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL. THIS IS IT. THIS IS YOUR LIFE. That person on the train you will never see again? Does their opinion really matter? That colleague who is “successful” but LE MIZZ? Does their opinion really matter? Just go for it. I am cheering for you with a big smile and zero judgement.Get a hobby that encourages you to move.
Staying sedentary is such a cancer to the body, yet it has become commonplace in our society. If you cannot walk a lot in the city you live (and even if you can), getting a hobby that encourages you to move is necessary. I am a generally fit person, who loves to be in the gym, and to walk places. For the past year, I’ve been dancing again, a hobby I had as a girl. It brings me joy, fitness, and increased flexibility! Isn’t that beautiful?!
Trust yourself. Trust the process.
If you cannot trust yourself, I’d say you cannot trust anything or anyone. If every decision, from what colour you wear to what socks to put on needs a second opinion, then we have a serious problem, my friend. Try to stop asking everyone for input, and see how your world changes!
Cheers.