LAURA WARREN: ‘Years may wrinkle the skin, but we can nourish the body and soul’

IT’S not too long to go before another dreaded birthday makes its mark on my calander.

I’ll certainly be older (can’t argue with the cold passing of time!), but hopefully I’ll be a bit wiser too.

As we approach these milestones, it’s natural for us to reflect on where we are in life:

*Have things worked out the way we’d planned them to? (Hell no …)
*Are we happy with where we are in life? (Mostly, but always room for improvement …)
*Do we have a good idea how things will pan out from here on in? (Yep, but as I said, things rarely do end up as we planned …)

Some of wish we could do a Benjamin Button and reverse the whole ageing process, but its nonsensical to wish what’s left of your life away, and anyway I for one am pretty glad to be where I am right now – warts, wounds and all!

Oscar Wilde once said experience is the name we give our mistakes, so it’s fair to say I’ve plenty of experience clocked up at this stage.

But even if I could I wouldn’t reverse the mistakes I’ve made because I wouldn’t have learned a bloody thing from them if I didn’t make them in the first place. I wear my mistakes as a sort of badge of (dis)honour: they’ve made me the strong and confident woman I am today.

The one thing every single one of us has is common (even you Elle MacPherson!) is that we’re all getting older. So there’s no point in trying to reverse the ages, just embrace it as best we can. This can mean indulging in your culinary passions, joining your local book club or bringing out the diva inside and painting the town red – do whatever makes you feel happy and feck the begrudgers!

The most important thing in life is to take care of ourselves and our loved ones in the time we’ve got together. And to love yourself and remember that no one will take care of you better than you will yourself. Be strong, be independent and reach for the stars – even if you do need a bit of help getting onto the ladder!

Many women are choosing to iron out the wrinkles with a bit of botox, and fair play if that makes you feel a bit better about yourself. Just be careful not to let it mask your true beauty or character. After all, you’ve bloody well earned those wrinkles!

Beauty comes from within, and what you feed your body and soul with will ooze from the inside out. You don’t need any ‘magic’ creams – to be honest the majority of them are just rich cream in a jar nicely packaged with a hefty price tag.

While it’s important to moisturise, it’s more important to feed your body with nutrient dense nutrition. Load up on fresh fruit and berries keep yourself hydrated, this will keep your skin supple and fresh – and your inner organs functioning properly. Feed your body with real food and enjoy it. If you want a glass of wine, have it. If you want a piece of cake, have it – just practice a healthy balance.

For me, the healthiest way to approach the onset of age is simple: eat good, healthy food and get at least seven hours sleep a night. Personally I think you’re nuts if you’re still smoking in this day and age, but it’s ok to enjoy a few drinks from time to time, as long as you don’t let it dull your senses out of sync with your true nature.

Stay fit and healthy, and this doesn’t mean you have to join a gym – just get out and about fairly regularly. Take in your surroundings and let the fresh air full your lungs: when you’re at one with yourself and nature the passing of time will seem something to celebrate instead of dread.

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