So, I went down to the islands recently for less than 48 hours. I know this sounds crazy, but what’s really considered normal these days anyway? So while in St. Martin (or if you’re on the Dutch side, St. “Maartin,”) I had some time to myself and heard the resort had a beautiful spa. Today I wanted to write, not about the gorgeous spa or how amazing my massage was, but about the masseuse that gave it to me.
Her name was Nicole and she was Swiss. Since a masseuse sees me mostly naked for the next 60 minutes, I like to have a little small talk to get comfortable. I found out she used to massage the Swiss National Gymnastics team for twenty-five years and that she has two children, ages 26 and 24. Ok… how? She looked not a day over 35! Of course I then had to drill her about what she does in her life to stay so young. Mind you there is nothing better than getting health tips from beautiful Europeans on how to age gracefully. Here were her tips:
Drink Red Wine, but NEVER beer and NEVER hard alcohol
She says she knows the liver can’t process hard liquor, therefore everything else it has to process has to wait in line for the alcohol. This creates a backup in the body, which leads to weight gain. And she doesn’t indulge in red wine everyday.
Exercise every day
Nicole said she lifts light weights because she’s over 40 and realizes that around this time women start to experience significant muscle loss. When you lose muscle, you gain fat in the places the muscle once was. She also runs on the beach with her dogs.
Drink White Tea
Everyone says drink green tea, but she prefers white because it’s more delicate. It’s good for the skin and flushes your system. She never uses sweetener, only lemon, and drinks about six cups a day. As an aside, I told her about Count Me Healthy and she thought that glasses of her white leaf tea would be a great thing to count.
Stretch
Women forget to stretch and this ages them because the muscles become compacted and tight. Stretching also sends oxygen throughout the body, which gives you more energy.
Never Stop Learning
At an age when many women would be retiring, she said she’s a year and-a-half away from opening up a massage school in Cannes, France. She’s already leased the property and is moving soon.
If you come across someone that looks phenomenal for their age, let them know! Then ask them how they do it. If they feel like your inquiry is genuine than they will be more than happy to share their anti-aging secrets. Have a beautiful week and as always, keep counting.
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