Bright and early, my old friend, the beauty and wellness entrepreneur Liz <br>
<br>
Earle, is standing at my door clutching a Kilner jar with what looks like a small sponge <br>
<br>
floating in murky water.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<u><strong>'I made kombucha for you,' she says with an enthusiasm I don't entirely share.</strong></u><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
(The sponge, it turns out, is the Scoby, or 'symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast', which is <br>
<br>
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 is in fact a very generous <br>
<br>
gift.)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The truth is, I'd drink (almost) anything if it gave me Liz's zip.<br>
<br>
At 61, a mother of five and a new grandmother, she honestly looks 20 years <br>
<br>
younger. Fans of her YouTube channel and her 170,000 Instagram followers will know <br>
<br>
how bright and smooth her skin is, but in person she is fizzing with energy, <br>
<br>
too.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz and I have been friends for 25 years - over which time she has somehow seemed to gain in vitality as I, nine years her <br>
<br>
junior, have... well, deflated.<br>
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Beauty and wellness entrepreneur Liz Earle, right, <br>
<br>
and Beatrice Aidin met back in the 1990s when they <br>
<br>
were both beauty journalists<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
So here's my plan. I am going to Live Like Liz for a full eight weeks, morning to <br>
<br>
night, to see just how much I, too, can turn back the clock.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I am going to eat, drink and exercise like Liz, 'ground myself' in a <br>
<br>
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 <br>
<br>
the 'bio-hacks' set out in her new book <br>
<br>
A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age To Live A Longer,<br>
<br>
Healthier, Happier Life, which swiftly became a bestseller on its release <br>
<br>
this year.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Liz says it can't fail, so long as I commit to it.</b><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<strong>'Who's to say we can't or shouldn't change the way <br>
<br>
we age?' she asks.</strong><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'I was stronger, fitter and more capable <br>
<br>
in my 50s than I was in my 40s, so why 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 <br>
<br>
by the breakdown of her second marriage, and the divorce she went through in 2020, she <br>
<br>
now says: 'I'm happier at 61 than I was at 40.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Career-wise, it shows. When we met back in the 1990s we were both beauty journalists.<br>
<br>
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 <br>
<br>
work anxiety, a not-unrelated financial crisis and <br>
<br>
severe sciatica.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Frankly, I look and feel knackered. My skin is dull and I have <br>
<br>
dark circles under my eyes. Physical pain interferes <br>
<br>
with my sleep, 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 craving sugar, which means I'm a good 10lb heavier than I should be.<br>
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<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 <br>
<br>
all?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<i><u>'Come on Bea, get off your backside!' Liz demands...</u></i><br>
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Liz (left) puts Beatrice through her paces in the gym.<br>
<br>
Beatrice needs extra help with exercise because of <br>
<br>
her sciatica<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Week one: I face up to my middle-age spread</b><br>
<br>
Liz's top-line diet philosophy is high-protein, low carb, meaning she's a fan of lots of foods I love <br>
<br>
but didn't think I should eat: butter, unprocessed meat, avocados, good quality cheese, taramasalata and thick <br>
<br>
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 <br>
<br>
dinner at 7pm. The order matters too: clear your plate <br>
<br>
of chicken before rice, because eating protein before carbs keeps blood sugar levels stable.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In recent years she has increased her coffee intake (before 2pm) because studies show four <br>
<br>
to five cups is 'strongly associated with living longer' thanks to the bioactives in coffee beans such as chlorogenic acid.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
She eats wheatgerm, soya beans and nuts to up her <br>
<br>
intake of spermidine - a dietary molecule that interacts <br>
<br>
with our 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 <br>
<br>
glass' of wine or tequila, but never more than two and never <br>
<br>
alone.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I chuck out the ready meals and plonk, roll up my sleeves and start cooking from scratch.<br>
<br>
I grill venison, roast a chicken and make soups with the leftovers.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Eating at specific times works for me - I'm never very hungry first thing - and enjoying the protein part of <br>
<br>
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 <br>
<br>
to brew my own using Liz's Scoby. But homemade kimchi - fermented veg - is <br>
<br>
a harder sell. When a lunch guest asks me why I'm <br>
<br>
forcing myself to eat something I dislike so much, I reply solemnly: 'Liz told me <br>
<br>
to.'<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Week two: I discover I can do only 3 press-ups</b><br>
<br>
I really need help with exercise because sciatica means <br>
<br>
my normal routine has gone to pot.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thankfully, Liz reckons just ten minutes a day of exercises <br>
<br>
such as squats, lunges and press-ups is more valuable in the long term than a high-intensity gym session once a week or a long park run.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
She introduces me to her personal trainer,<br>
<br>
Michael Garry, who delivers the (bombshell, but welcome) <br>
<br>
news that running any distance over 5k can 'start to have negative effects' on our immune system and bone strength.<br>
<br>
If you're a runner, make it harder by speeding up your time,<br>
<br>
not increasing your distance.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At Michael's insistence, I consult a physio about my sciatica, and <br>
<br>
then he devises a daily regime for me. I try press-ups <br>
<br>
and make it to three. Mortifying. Perseverance is clearly key.<br>
<br>
As are weights, especially in your 50s. 'The more muscle you <br>
<br>
have, the more your bones are protected from osteoporosis, especially during midlife,' says Michael.<br>
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For cardio, says Beatrice, I keep swimming twice a week. But <br>
<br>
instead of plodding up and down the pool, I start to compete with myself,<br>
<br>
speeding up the laps<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
For my slack and flabby upper arms, he advises <br>
<br>
shoulder presses and hammer curls, with 3kg weights in both hands.<br>
<br>
I try tricep dips off a chair, and quickly find I can increase <br>
<br>
my reps - until by week four I'm doing two sets of 15.<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 - <br>
<br>
stretching, press-ups, 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 <br>
<br>
start to compete with myself, speeding up the laps.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<u><i>Week three: I slow the hormonal roller coaster</i></u><br>
<br>
I'm menopausal and already on HRT, but I know I could improve how I feel, which is sluggish and <br>
<br>
foggy.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz introduces me to something called the 'estrobolome' <br>
<br>
- the specific collection of bacteria in the gut that influences how our body uses oestrogen. Put simply,<br>
<br>
some microbes improve the efficiency with which oestrogen reaches tissues around the body, meaning <br>
<br>
we use our dwindling supplies more effectively.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The best way to support your estrobolome is by eating fibre from veg,<br>
<br>
seeds and nuts, plus some of the low-sugar fruits such as apples, <br>
<br>
berries and plums. Back to the supermarket I go.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
To boost the happy hormone serotonin, my saintly mentor insists I finish 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 a hot shower and feel not happy but mutinous as <br>
<br>
I step out of the bathroom shivering.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Week four: I stand in the flower bed</b><br>
<br>
Living Like Liz means getting outside first thing in the <br>
<br>
morning and standing barefoot on the grass. 'Grounding' apparently enables electrons <br>
<br>
from the surface of the Earth to transmit deep into the body, 'where they <br>
<br>
have an anti-inflammatory effect'.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz tells me she does this in the tranquil 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 pyjamas, and <br>
<br>
feel, well, very self-conscious. Later I graduate to <br>
<br>
the park, and - look away now - tread in dog mess, which <br>
<br>
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,<br>
<br>
' she says.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I can't help but think my better-off mate has rather a lot <br>
<br>
more to smile about than me but, following instructions, I <br>
<br>
write down three things I am grateful for every morning, and every night <br>
<br>
a short list of 'good things' that happened that day, plus another (longer) list of 'things that are concerning me'.<br>
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<br>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
My scepticism around gratitude slowly lifts as I find it does make me <br>
<br>
realise what's important and what's not. It helps me <br>
<br>
see that things are a lot brighter than I thought. Packing in a <br>
<br>
rush for a weekend away, I can't find my journal and <br>
<br>
am surprised by how bereft I feel without it.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<u><i>Week five: I start to sleep well</i></u><br>
<br>
I'm a night owl - I stay up too late watching TV and end <br>
<br>
up hitting my snooze button past 8.30am... and occasionally edging towards <br>
<br>
10am.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz reckons anyone can improve their sleep if they follow her routine, which means setting <br>
<br>
an evening alarm for 9pm - to remind yourself to start 'winding down for bed'.<br>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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Emails, social media and TV are switched off, replaced by a printed book <br>
<br>
or a podcast. She takes 120g of magnesium glycinate in a milky drink half an hour before bed <br>
<br>
(and stops eating two hours before).<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<strong>Living Like Liz means getting outside first <br>
<br>
thing in the morning </strong><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz wears a bamboo fibre nightie or pyjamas to keep warm because she sleeps with an open window, which she covers with blackout blinds and curtains, <br>
<br>
and sprinkles her pillow with a few drops of neat lavender essential oil.<br>
<br>
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<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 <br>
<br>
alarm clock. The lavender oil makes me sneeze, so I <br>
<br>
spray my pillows with C. 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 <br>
<br>
ritual soothing. Five weeks in, I'm getting to sleep earlier than I have for years - at 10.30pm after 20 <br>
<br>
minutes drop-off time -and waking at 7.30am. How virtuous!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<i><u>Week six: I crash off the wagon</u></i><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 <br>
<br>
head to M&S and find reduced dauphinoise potatoes, which become dinner. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Liz has got me on a blood sugar tracker called Lingo (£289 <br>
<br>
for two months - you jab a biosensor the size and shape of a plastic bottle top into your <br>
<br>
upper arm, and then link it to an app on your phone), which shows a massive <br>
<br>
post-potato spike and then a huge slump, which makes me tired and irritable.<br>
<br>
Who knew that such deliciousness had such a <br>
<br>
high glycaemic load?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I call Liz to 'fess up. 'I have the odd day when I lie in, eat too much <br>
<br>
cake and drink too much tequila,' she says.<br>
<br>
'But that's fine because you then know what to do to put it <br>
<br>
right. It's not about being perfect.' Phew!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Week seven: I tackle my financial mess</b><br>
<br>
Re-reading my journal really helps here. By documenting what I was so worried <br>
<br>
about day 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>
I've come unstuck - in a good way. I'm not going to pretend it's been easy because change is uncomfortable, but I realise there's simply nothing to be gained <br>
<br>
from the worry spiral.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
If freelance life is tough, and my income erratic, I'm <br>
<br>
going to do something about it. Buoyed with the confidence that comes with <br>
<br>
action, I apply for part-time admin jobs. As personal trainer Michael <br>
<br>
observes as we work out on Zoom, I wouldn't have done this before.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
He's right. Finally I've started to take control.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b><u>Week eight: And the winner is...</u></b><br>
<br>
So how have eight weeks of Living Like Liz changed me?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Physically, I'm in much better shape. I've lost 7 lb and taken an extraordinary 5 in off my waist and 11 in off my body <br>
<br>
as a whole.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Those three pathetic press-ups have become a whopping 40 per workout,<br>
<br>
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>
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<br>
Read More<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<u><i>Our essential guide to beating back pain: What's causing your aches</i></u><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My skin is clearer, eyes brighter and face more defined because I've reduced the <br>
<br>
carb-inducing bloat. I'm sleeping better and feeling <br>
<br>
infinitely less anxious.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Most remarkably - and this is really life-changing - my sciatica is almost <br>
<br>
gone and I can come off strong painkillers. I know sciatica can disappear of its own accord, <br>
<br>
but the timing is surely no coincidence. All those <br>
<br>
exercises have strengthened the muscles <br>
<br>
around my spine and buttocks and I'm convinced it's done the <br>
<br>
trick.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I meet Liz for lunch, nervous about whether she'll see <br>
<br>
a difference. 'Oh wow,' she says, taking a good look at her pupil.<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?<br>
<br>
(Probably. Though Liz is known for her candour, so it's not a <br>
<br>
given.) 'I wasn't sure you were going to prioritise yourself enough and <br>
<br>
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,<br>
<br>
which is one 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 <br>
<br>
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>
<b>As Liz says, everyone deserves to have a better second half - and if I can do it, anyone can.</b><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age To Live A Longer, Healthier, Happier Life, by Liz Earle (Hodder & Stoughton, £22).<br>
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Instagram<br>
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Feel free to surf to my web-site - <a href="http://rlu.ru/4fOWW">ร้านดอกไม้ จตุจักร</a>
Bright and early, my old