Trvalý odkaz Pridané používateľom Anonymný (bez overenia) dňa So, 11/30/2024 - 06:55
Bright and early, my old friend, the beauty and wellness entrepreneur Liz Earle, is standing at my door clutching a Kilner jar with <br>
<br>
what looks like a small sponge floating in murky water.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'I made kombucha for you,' she says with an enthusiasm I don't entirely share.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
(The sponge, it turns out, is the Scoby, or 'symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast',<br>
<br>
which is what's used to ferment sweetened tea to make kombucha.<br>
<br>
I don't realise at the time, but this hideous thing takes weeks to develop and <br>
<br>
is in fact a very generous gift.)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The truth is, I'd drink (almost) anything if it gave me Liz's zip.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At 61, a mother of five and a new grandmother, she honestly looks 20 years younger.<br>
<br>
Fans of her YouTube channel and her 170,000 Instagram followers will know how <br>
<br>
bright and smooth her skin is, but in person she is fizzing <br>
<br>
with energy, too.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz and I have been friends for 25 years - over which time she <br>
<br>
has somehow seemed to gain in vitality as I, nine years her <br>
<br>
junior, have... well, deflated.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Beauty and wellness entrepreneur Liz Earle, right, and Beatrice <br>
<br>
Aidin met back in the 1990s when they were both beauty journalists<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
So here's my plan. I am going to Live Like Liz for a full <br>
<br>
eight weeks, morning to night, to see just how much I, too, <br>
<br>
can turn back the clock.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I am going to eat, drink and exercise like Liz, <br>
<br>
'ground myself' in a flower bed in my pyjamas like her, and even tape up my mouth à la Liz.<br>
<br>
From my gut to my hormones, my brain to the very cells of my skin, I will follow the 'bio-hacks' set out in her new book A Better Second Half:<br>
<br>
Dial Back Your Age To Live A Longer, Healthier, Happier Life, which swiftly became a <br>
<br>
bestseller on its release this year.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz says it can't fail, so long as I commit to it.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'Who's to say we can't or shouldn't change the way we age?' <br>
<br>
she asks.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'I was stronger, fitter and more capable in my 50s than I was in my 40s, so why <br>
<br>
can't I be even more so in my 60s, 70s and beyond?'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Perhaps more significantly, after the 'car crash of emotional wreckage' caused by the breakdown of her <br>
<br>
second marriage, and the divorce she went through in 2020, she now says: 'I'm happier at 61 <br>
<br>
than I was at 40.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Career-wise, it shows. When we met back in the 1990s we were both <br>
<br>
beauty journalists. At launches for new products, I'd merrily down the free Krug while Liz sipped sparkling water.<br>
<br>
'Ah Bea, you were the yin to my yang,' she says.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Now, her wellness empire has mushroomed... and I'm suffering major work anxiety, a not-unrelated financial crisis and severe sciatica.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Frankly, I look and feel knackered. My skin is <br>
<br>
dull and I have dark circles under my eyes. Physical pain interferes with my sleep, <br>
<br>
and I've been turning rather too readily to the sauvignon blanc to help me nod off.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Food is not a priority: I'm either not interested or <br>
<br>
craving sugar, which means I'm a good 10lb heavier than I should be.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
So, can living like my rather fabulous friend make me feel as young as she looks?<br>
<br>
More to the point - can I really stick to it, kombucha and all?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'Come on Bea, get off your backside!' Liz demands...<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz (left) puts Beatrice through her paces in the gym.<br>
<br>
Beatrice needs extra help with exercise because of her sciatica<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week one: I face up to my middle-age spread<br>
<br>
Liz's top-line diet philosophy is high-protein, low carb, meaning she's a fan of lots of foods I love but didn't think I should eat: butter, unprocessed <br>
<br>
meat, avocados, good quality cheese, taramasalata <br>
<br>
and thick Greek yoghurt.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
High protein helps us 'shift to a leaner, more toned shape, <br>
<br>
and lose that middle-aged spread,' she says.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Timing matters. Liz eats two meals a day - brunch around 11am and dinner at 7pm.<br>
<br>
The order matters too: clear your plate of chicken before rice, because eating protein before carbs <br>
<br>
keeps blood sugar levels stable.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In recent years she has increased her coffee intake (before 2pm) because studies show four to five cups <br>
<br>
is 'strongly associated with living longer' thanks to the bioactives in coffee beans such <br>
<br>
as chlorogenic acid.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
She eats wheatgerm, soya beans and nuts to up her intake of <br>
<br>
spermidine - a dietary molecule that interacts with our <br>
<br>
DNA and mimics an anti-ageing process called autophagy, which <br>
<br>
de-ages us at a cellular level.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Alcohol is basically a no-no. Liz has the 'occasional glass' <br>
<br>
of wine or tequila, but never more than two and never alone.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I chuck out the ready meals and plonk, roll up my sleeves and <br>
<br>
start cooking from scratch. I grill venison, roast a chicken and make <br>
<br>
soups with the leftovers.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Eating at specific times works for me - I'm never very hungry first thing - <br>
<br>
and enjoying the protein part of each meal first means I'm fuller and find it easy to cut back on my carb portions.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Gut health is a big focus, which means more fermented foods.<br>
<br>
Much to my surprise, I love the kombucha and soon start to brew my own using Liz's Scoby.<br>
<br>
But homemade kimchi - fermented veg - is a harder sell.<br>
<br>
When a lunch guest asks me why I'm forcing myself to eat something I dislike so much, I <br>
<br>
reply solemnly: 'Liz told me to.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week two: I discover I can do only 3 press-ups<br>
<br>
I really need help with exercise because sciatica means my normal routine has gone to pot.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thankfully, Liz reckons just ten minutes a day of exercises such as squats, lunges and press-ups is more valuable in the long term than a <br>
<br>
high-intensity gym session once a week or a <br>
<br>
long park run.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
She introduces me to her personal trainer, Michael Garry,<br>
<br>
who delivers the (bombshell, but welcome) news that running any distance over 5k can 'start to have negative effects' on our immune system and bone <br>
<br>
strength. If you're a runner, make it harder by speeding up your time, not increasing your distance.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At Michael's insistence, I consult a physio about my <br>
<br>
sciatica, and then he devises a daily regime for me.<br>
<br>
I try press-ups and make it to three. Mortifying.<br>
<br>
Perseverance is clearly key. As are weights, especially in your 50s.<br>
<br>
'The more muscle you have, the more your bones are protected from osteoporosis, especially during midlife,' says Michael.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
For cardio, says Beatrice, I keep swimming twice a week. But instead <br>
<br>
of plodding up and down the pool, I start to compete with <br>
<br>
myself, speeding up the laps<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
For my slack and flabby upper arms, he advises shoulder presses <br>
<br>
and hammer curls, with 3kg weights in both hands.<br>
<br>
I try tricep dips off a chair, and quickly find I can increase my reps - until by week four I'm doing two sets of 15.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I work out three times a week at home. At first the routine takes <br>
<br>
40 minutes but the more I do, the faster I do it, until the whole thing - stretching, press-ups,<br>
<br>
weights - takes just 20 minutes.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
For cardio, I keep swimming twice a week. But instead of plodding up and down the pool, I start to compete with myself, speeding up <br>
<br>
the laps.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week three: I slow the hormonal roller coaster<br>
<br>
I'm menopausal and already on HRT, but I know I could improve how I feel,<br>
<br>
which is sluggish and foggy.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz introduces me to something called the 'estrobolome' - <br>
<br>
the specific collection of bacteria in the gut <br>
<br>
that influences how our body uses oestrogen. Put simply, some microbes improve the efficiency with which oestrogen reaches tissues around the body, meaning we use our dwindling supplies more effectively.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The best way to support your estrobolome is by eating fibre from veg, seeds <br>
<br>
and nuts, plus some of the low-sugar fruits such as apples, berries and plums.<br>
<br>
Back to the supermarket I go.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
To boost the happy hormone serotonin, my saintly mentor insists I finish <br>
<br>
my morning shower with a minimum 60-second blast of icy cold water,<br>
<br>
resulting - she claims - in a 'post-shock high' and 'genuine glow'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Hmmm. I find it hard to relinquish the comfort of <br>
<br>
a hot shower and feel not happy but mutinous as I step out of the bathroom shivering.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week four: I stand in the flower bed<br>
<br>
Living Like Liz means getting outside first thing in the morning <br>
<br>
and standing barefoot on the grass. 'Grounding' apparently <br>
<br>
enables electrons from the surface of the Earth to transmit deep into the body, 'where they have an anti-inflammatory effect'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz tells me she does this in the tranquil <br>
<br>
grounds of her glorious pile in the West Country.<br>
<br>
I do it in a flower bed in my shared patio, still in my <br>
<br>
pyjamas, and feel, well, very self-conscious.<br>
<br>
Later I graduate to the park, and - look away now - tread in dog mess, <br>
<br>
which does not improve my emotional wellbeing.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
She also encourages us to keep a Five Minute Gratitude Journal twice a day.<br>
<br>
'Gratitude is... a superpower that improves longevity and supports the immune system,' she says.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I can't help but think my better-off mate has rather a lot more to smile about than me but, following instructions, I write down three things I am <br>
<br>
grateful for every morning, and every night a short list of 'good <br>
<br>
things' that happened that day, plus another (longer) <br>
<br>
list of 'things that are concerning me'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My scepticism around gratitude slowly lifts as <br>
<br>
I find it does make me realise what's important and what's not.<br>
<br>
It helps me see that things are a lot brighter than I thought.<br>
<br>
Packing in a rush for a weekend away, I can't find my journal and am surprised by how bereft I <br>
<br>
feel without it.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week five: I start to sleep well<br>
<br>
I'm a night owl - I stay up too late watching TV and end up <br>
<br>
hitting my snooze button past 8.30am... and occasionally edging towards 10am.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz reckons anyone can improve their sleep if <br>
<br>
they follow her routine, which means setting an evening <br>
<br>
alarm for 9pm - to remind yourself to start 'winding down for bed'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Emails, social media and TV are switched off, replaced by a printed book or a podcast.<br>
<br>
She takes 120g of magnesium glycinate in a milky drink half <br>
<br>
an hour before bed (and stops eating two hours before).<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Living Like Liz means getting outside first thing in the morning <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz wears a bamboo fibre nightie or pyjamas to keep warm because she sleeps <br>
<br>
with an open window, which she covers with blackout blinds and curtains, and sprinkles her pillow with a few drops of <br>
<br>
neat lavender essential oil.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I'm an e-book reader, so already failing at this routine.<br>
<br>
Still, I leave my phone charging in the kitchen and buy a regular alarm clock.<br>
<br>
The lavender oil makes me sneeze, so I spray my pillows with C.<br>
<br>
Atherley Geranium Spray instead. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Oh, and I tape my lips up - Liz shows me how when she delivers the kombucha.<br>
<br>
Forcing yourself to breathe through your nose is said to promote more restful sleep.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
All of this is time-consuming and takes practise, but I find the ritual soothing.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Five weeks in, I'm getting to sleep earlier than I have for years - at 10.30pm after 20 minutes drop-off time -and waking at 7.30am.<br>
<br>
How virtuous!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week six: I crash off the wagon<br>
<br>
I'm doing my best, but then I go for lunch with a friend <br>
<br>
who chirpily suggests a glass of wine, which turns into a bottle.<br>
<br>
And then a second. Later, with a daytime hangover, I head to M&S and find reduced <br>
<br>
dauphinoise potatoes, which become dinner. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz has got me on a blood sugar tracker called Lingo (£289 for two months - <br>
<br>
you jab a biosensor the size and shape of a plastic bottle top into your upper arm, and then link it to an app on your phone),<br>
<br>
which shows a massive post-potato spike and then a huge slump, which makes me tired and <br>
<br>
irritable. Who knew that such deliciousness had such a high glycaemic load?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I call Liz to 'fess up. 'I have the odd day when I lie <br>
<br>
in, eat too much cake and drink too much tequila,' she says.<br>
<br>
'But that's fine because you then know what to do to put it right.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
It's not about being perfect.' Phew!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week seven: I tackle my financial mess<br>
<br>
Re-reading my journal really helps here. By documenting what I was so worried about day <br>
<br>
by day, my perspective on it changes.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Here, in black and white, is a record of how I felt at <br>
<br>
the start of this project and how I've evolved.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I've come unstuck - in a good way. I'm not going to pretend it's been easy because change <br>
<br>
is uncomfortable, but I realise there's simply nothing to be gained from the worry spiral.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
If freelance life is tough, and my income erratic, I'm going to do something about it.<br>
<br>
Buoyed with the confidence that comes with action, I apply for part-time admin jobs.<br>
<br>
As personal trainer Michael observes as we work out on Zoom, I wouldn't have done this before.<br>
<br>
He's right. Finally I've started to take control.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Week eight: And the winner is...<br>
<br>
So how have eight weeks of Living Like Liz changed me?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Physically, I'm in much better shape. I've lost 7 lb <br>
<br>
and taken an extraordinary 5 in off my waist and 11 in off my body as a whole.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Those three pathetic press-ups have become a whopping 40 <br>
<br>
per workout, and the measly 3kg weights are now 6kg, meaning I <br>
<br>
have proper bicep definition. The sleeveless tops will be coming out again this party season.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Read More<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Our essential guide to beating back pain: What's causing your aches<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My skin is clearer, eyes brighter and face more defined because I've reduced the carb-inducing bloat.<br>
<br>
I'm sleeping better and feeling infinitely less anxious.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Most remarkably - and this is really life-changing - my sciatica is almost gone and I can come off strong painkillers.<br>
<br>
I know sciatica can disappear of its own accord, but the timing is surely no coincidence.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
All those exercises have strengthened the muscles around my spine and <br>
<br>
buttocks and I'm convinced it's done the trick.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I meet Liz for lunch, nervous about whether she'll see a difference.<br>
<br>
'Oh wow,' she says, taking a good look at her pupil.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'Those arms! You definitely look younger.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
We chat for a while and she adds: 'You also seem more content and optimistic.<br>
<br>
You have an inner glow and a halo of positivity.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Well, yes, she would say that, wouldn't she? (Probably.<br>
<br>
Though Liz is known for her candour, so it's not a given.) 'I wasn't sure you were going to prioritise yourself enough <br>
<br>
and commit,' she admits 'You weren't an easy nut to crack so I'm thrilled.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I'm delighted with my gold star. And I'm grateful to her, which is one <br>
<br>
of the key lessons I've learned. Gratitude makes everything feel better.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
That - along with the kombucha, ice-cold showers (which I have learned to love) and the odd tequila - are the habits I'll hold on to.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
But not (shudder!) the kimchi or flower beds.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
As Liz says, everyone deserves to have a better second half - and if <br>
<br>
I can do it, anyone can.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age To Live A Longer, Healthier, Happier <br>
<br>
Life, by Liz Earle (Hodder & Stoughton, £22).<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Instagram<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Here is my web blog ... พวงหรีด วัดหลักสี่ <br>
<br>
- http://maismile.CO.Kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=notice&wr_id=287558
Bright and early, my old