Five ways to fight the signs of ageing

Forget surgery here are five inexpensive and natural ways to delay the signs of ageing.There are a number of inexpensive and natural ways you can help delay the signs of ageing.

1. Curb your sweet tooth
Mounting evidence suggests that too much sugar in the diet can speed up the ageing process of the skin.

According to dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D., an expert on facial rejuvenation and best-selling author of ‘The Wrinkle Cure’ sugar accelerates the ageing process by attaching to collagen - a process known as "glycation," making the skin stiff and inflexible resulting in a loss of elasticity, deep wrinkles and sagging.



Cut back on the amount of sugar you eat by reading food labels. Look for the 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)' figure in the nutrition information panel. More than 15g of sugars per 100g is high, 5g of sugars or less (per 100g) is low and anything in between is medium.

Swap soft drinks for fruit juices diluted with sparkling water, snack on fresh fruit, nuts and seeds instead of cakes and biscuits, avoid sugar coated cereals and spread your toast with peanut butter or low fat cream cheese instead of jam, honey or marmalades.

[See also: Top face friendly foods]

2. Drink up
The fastest way to banish fine lines and wrinkles is to ensure you are fully hydrated so make sure you drink at least eight glasses of water every day and go easy on alcohol and salty foods.

Try adding in a couple of cups of green tea to your day too. According to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia, green tea contains compounds called polyphenols that help eliminate the free radicals that speed up the ageing process.

The polyphenol most abundant in green tea called EGCG helps to re-activate dying skin cells, enhancing skin re-generation and producing a younger looking, fresher complexion.

3. Give yourself a natural facelift
Balance up combination skin with by combining half a cup of oatmeal with 2 tbsp of honey. Apply to your face and neck, wait 30-40 minutes then rinse well. Rehydrate dry skin by mashing half of an avocado in a cup with a fork, apply to your face and neck, leave for 20 minutes then gently wipe off and rinse with warm water.

4. Pay attention to your crowning glory
Dull, lifeless, brittle hair can add years on you so once a week treat it so an intense, natural, deep conditioning treatment. Simply shampoo well then massage a little olive oil right through from the scalp to the ends. Wrap in a warm towel, leave for 20 minutes then rinse out with warm water and finish with a blast of cool water to obtain a great shine.

5. Take a nap
Lack of sleep produces excess cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells resulting in premature ageing. However, get enough rest and you'll not only allow your body more time to properly regenerate you’ll produce more human growth hormone too which helps skin remain thick, more "elastic," and less likely to wrinkle.