As daylight diminishes and winter sets in I find myself focusing on rebirth (renewal). Autumn, not spring, seems the better season to nurture a healthy complexion. Fewer hours of daylight encourages more sleep. The return of schedules and routines allow for compartmentalizing exercise blocks. Oven roasting and home cooking cuts way back on the BBQ sauce, glaze, marinade… carbohydrate overload of summertime. But, is that enough? I found myself needing more.

On November 1, 2007, Oprah aired the Dr. Oz on Aging episode, which got me thinking. I watched, I read, I self-tested. Yup, I’m in good shape. Then why, at 50, did I look so dull? Here goes. Vitamins for one thing. The test results — take your own test here — found me lacking in MANY essential vitamins. At this point I must interrupt myself; as a nutrition/exercise/diet freak, I found this shocking. The days of One-A-Day vitamins are over. The body can use many key nutrients for regrowth and anti-oxidant protection that we just did not know about 5 or 10 years ago. Take them! I ran to CVS, clipped coupons, bought 2-for-1, shopped sales until I had all that I needed and more.

Lastly, it was time to get rid of the old, weather beaten, faded suntan. Exfoliating had begun on a daily basis about 2 weeks before I walked into my local SpaVure for a waxing. While chatting with Erin, my aesthetician, I learned about a new, non-invasive peel from Skin Medica. The Illuminize Peel might be just what the doctor ordered. Never having had one before I was only a little tentative, considering the slow results my “Grow a New Face” project, as I came to call it, was getting. Five minutes later I was being prepped for my treatment. I walked out a newer woman. The peel worked great, I have kept up the stepped up diet, exercise and vitamins, and started going back to bed at 5:00am for another hour or more of sleep! We’ll see the results soon and report back!