There are many anti-aging vitamins on the market, claiming to make you look younger or stop the aging process.  They are also classified as antioxidants.  But I always believe in claims based on scientific evidence like clinical case studies done by reputable institutions.  There is a conflict among experts; they have different opinions which makes me more confused and skeptical. Say for vitamin E alone, everyone knows that this vitamin is a good antioxidant but latest clinical studies show that it can cause more harm than good, so what's the deal?  I just go by my gut feel.But before we look at these antioxidants, what do antioxidants really do? They are substances that help neutralize free radicals in our body. Free radicals are like bowling bowls thrown inside the house, causing damage on every items they hit. That is a simple explanation. Antioxidants sort of catch these bowling balls before they wreak havoc. According to Dr. Lester Packer, Ph D who is a renowned antioxidant research scientist, scientists believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer and cataracts.  In fact, free radicals are culprit in the aging process itself.  So they are good then, but how do we get them?

 1. Vitamin C - it belongs to the water soluble group of vitamins.  It is needed by the body for collagen formation,collagen is an essential skin protein without it the skin will sag and appear dull. The issue with vitamin C supplementation is that vitamin C pills easily oxidizes when exposed to air rendering it useless or ineffective and may increase the formation of free radicals.  You might want to consider using skin care products that has vitamin C. But be cautious though  some creams with vitamin  C can be irritating because its an acid.

2.Vitamin e - I did believe for the longest time now that I needed vitamin E supplements.  But latest clinical studies show that 400 iu vitamin E may actually cause more harm than good.  The American Heart Association encouraged getting this vitamin from a healthy diet. Sources of vitamin E are broccoli, spinach, peanut butter, peanuts, corn oil, kiwi, tomato, almonds, hazelnuts and wheat germ oil. The recommended dietary allowance for female on our age group is 15mg or 22.4 iu.

3. beta carotene- I believe that if i get this supplement, I will not get cancer. Lets investigate. based on a clinical trial, oral supplements may cause more harm than good. One study shows evidence high levels of beta carotene has no benefit and substantial proof of possible harm.(1)

4. glutathione - the best antioxidant in the planet; it is an antioxidant, immune booster and detoxifier.  But taken orally it is ineffective because it is destroyed in the gut. Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B, Lauterburg BH. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. It has to be injected ( needles?, ewww). Some suggest taking glutathione precursors instead like n acetyl cysteine but I never took this supplement because there are no clinical studies for long term use. Dietary source that boost levels of glutathione are asparagus, broccoli,  avocado and fresh unprocessed meat.  Just to add, broccoli is known to help in weight reduction particularly in the abdominal area.


So based on hard evidence, we really do not need vitamin supplements.  I can stop feeling guilty when I miss one pill or two.  As the doctors say, it is best to get those vitamins from natural sources.


1. Omenn GS, Goodman GE, Thornquist MD, et al. Risk factors for lung cancer and for intervention effects in CARET, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88(21):1550-1559. [abstract]

I believe that there are two types of hunger: physical and emotional hunger. I eat not just because I am hungry;  I eat when I am bored, stressed or lonely.  I have always battled with my weight since I was a teenager, trying the latest fad. On my journey to weight loss, I have tried the following program.

1. Yoyo diet -  everybody must have tried this diet one time or another. This is probably the easiest because it does not entail too much physical effort and it's not a permanent deal.  Starve yourself for a few days until you lose those pounds then resume your usual eating habits. It does not work in the long haul.  You will gain back those pounds sooner that you can say "So soon!?"  I have researched about this diet and they say one thing, yoyo diet further slows down your slow metabolism.  I will spare you the medical jargon that bores me to death it make me want to eat.  A sub category would be the cabbage soup diet.  It works until you start eating real food, enough said.
2. Diet pills - I do not want to brand any pills that I have taken so far but in my experience the potential dangers from side effects outweighs the benefits.  I took one particular metabolic enhancer and it gave me palpitations that scared me to death, so much for die trying.
3. H.I.I.T. - this is not actually a diet but an exercise to speed up metabolism. I tried it about three years ago but my poor old heart can only take so much.  As a disclaimer, you need to check with your physician before engaging in any exercise program.  You need to need to check with your doctor if you are physically fit to try this.  I had a thorough physical check up before getting into this program.  Yes I did lose weight;  I had a tone body but the physical demand was too much that I break down in tears after each routine.  I just gave up.
4. South Beach diet - this program is great but it took me three attempts to follow the program by heart.  There are a lot of good resources on the Internet about South Beach diet.  It really help curve down your physical hunger.  It is more of a lifestyle though than just a diet.  But the thing is there is the "emotional" hunger.
5. "Emotional therapy" diet - hey, do not nail me to the cross yet.  Quiet a few experts ( Dr Phil, Mayo Clinic) tackled this issue but they did not gave any specific name for the program.  After South Beach diet, I was not physically hungry most of the time but I was still an emotional eater.  I am now trying to address the emotional hunger.  I tried to reconnect with old friend;  I email them or chat with them when I am lonely.  I picked up a new hobby which is gardening to relieve stress.  I blog or research on the Internet when I am bored, anything to keep my mind off those tempting chocolate fudge or potato chips.

     I am five feet and four inches tall;  my heaviest weight was around 160 pounds.  Now I am down to 130 pounds  for six months now.  It is going to be a long journey but I am sticking with the program, keeping my emotions in check and my fingers crossed.




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MAKE UP TO LOOK YOUNGER I once read an interesting article that women have the tendency to keep using make up that was hip during their era. I realized that that part was true, I wear same color palette during the 80's or early 90's. So I did a research on the latest make up trend basing it on matured celebrities. Of course a good skin is desirable. Matured women should stay away from too thick or unnatural looking foundation, keep experimenting on the latest foundation and do not just stick to what you are used to. A good foundation should also have SF and it should be non-comedogenic because even at our age we can still get skin break outs. Learn to apply a concealer particularly under the eyes. Good mascara is also essential because it opens up the eyes. As much as possible stay away from using too much eye shadow during day time or under bright lights. It’s best to apply liquid eyeliner preferably brown liquid eyeliner. Choose light colored lipstick and apply lip gloss to make lips look youthful.

In my frequent socialization with women of this age group ( late 30s to 40s), I noticed that when it comes to skin care regimen there are two beauty regimens: extensive and then none! Some women fight back with all the resources they have to defy ageing and some just give up. Due to our age, skin renewal slows down and there are a lot of skin build up making our skin look dull and tired. I have used St Ives facial scrub for over a decade now during my 20s because it’s the only product that has helped control my pimples. I used to use the facial scrub for blemish control. Now I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin because it’s gentle yet tough enough to remove dull skin. I use it twice a day because I have oily skin. A friend who has a dry skin type attests that she uses it everyday.

A sure give away of neglect is our feet. For some women, it is the least of their concern. Having soft nice feet boost my confidence and it lifts my spirit, talk about foot fetish! Here are some tested ways of having fabulous nice feet.
• Use a pumice stone while taking a bath but make sure that your feet has enough lather as not to rub off too much skin. You can do it twice a week and only for a few minutes because over doing it can do more harm than good.
• When you are about to sleep wash you feet then rub your favorite lotion, wait for five minutes for your skin to be moisturized then rub some petroleum jelly all over. As you sleep wear some socks to lock the moisture all night. This may take a few days to notice any effects but it will also help minimize calluses.
• Your nails should also be well maintained. If you do not have enough time for a pedicure at a saloon you can give yourself a pedicure.
• Give yourself a foot spa. You can use a pail or any container large enough to soak your feet in. It is best to use warm water and splash some bubble bath lotion to make it a pleasant experience. You can do this while watching TV or doing your budget.

If you are a woman in your mid 30s or early 40s welcome to the club. We live a hectic hassled life, particularly if you are a mother. We usually do not have time for ourselves because it seems everybody and his mother needs use. I created this blog when I finally had time for myself to surf the internet on the latest make up trend to make me look younger on the Internet and on YouTube. Behold, limited resources are open to our age group. There is hardly a website dedicated to cater to us. We are just a part of the article and not the main topic. There is also no cultural diversity; articles do not address women of different skin tones, body type or style preference. Yes we want to look younger but in a sophisticated way and not a trying hard middle aged woman whose make up look so outdated. Hopefully we can help each other and share information or products that you have tested and proven to be effective. We are not movie stars who can hire an entourage to maintain and improve our looks but we have each other. Cheers!