Antioxidants! Oh Yeah!

So, for a while there, my skin was looking amazing. Dewy & fresh! At 34, I find it harder and harder to naturally accomplish this look as time goes on. But, here I was, with a bright face that looked years younger than it did when I was in my late 20s. Then, in the past couple of weeks, poof! It was gone. Suddenly and without warning.

What happened?

Being a little on the shallow side at times, I mourned the loss of my fresh, dewy skin while desperately analyzing what I was doing different to so quickly lose it. I'm still doing my HIIT cardio which I am a firm believer in, not just for the metabolic effects but for how it increase cell turnover which improves skin quality among less vapid health benefits. I was taking time to thoroughly rub in my moisturizer which also helps with the dewy look. Drinking enough water? check. Getting enough sleep. check. Taking my vitamins and omega-3 supplement? check, check.

I had pretty much decided that nature had caught up with me and this was my new face. And I had come to terms with it because my skin still looked good, just no longer great.

While planning my menus for the rest of the week, lightening struck! A couple weeks ago I decided to really buckle down and see what I could do with this body before bikini season. I upped my protein count and, without thinking, reduced my fruit and veggie intake. I had traded my oranges and organic apples for protein shakes. My spinach and broccoli for...well, protein shakes. Shame on me! I knew better!

To say that I knew better is actually an understatement. I have long preached the importance of antioxidants to anyone who would listen. I knew that they were, in essence, life itself. Now, here is the proof, clear as the dull looking nose on my face.

Ironically, I made myself less attractive in an effort to make myself more attractive. More importantly, I lost sight of what is important opposed to just what looks good. So, I still hope to don a bikini in a hard, doughless body by summer but my new goal is to do it in a way that is true to what I know to be the most important goal of all, being as healthy as I can possibly be.

I choose to feel good for the rest of my life, opposed to looking good in a bikini this summer. But, with a little luck, some tweaking and a lot of dedication, hopefully I can have both!

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