by Lisa H Warren

Created on: May 25, 2007

One of the most important, if not the most important, factors in looking beautiful at 50 is taking good care of oneself and one's skin long before reaching the 50th birthday. Another important factor is knowing how to make the most of one's natural assets. Staying fit and slim helps because even a few extra pounds can add an aged appearance not just to the waistline and upper arms but to the face as well.

Shielding skin from the sun and, particularly, not allowing sunburn or tanning will help keep neck-down skin looking as good as it has always looked (or very close to it). Since the face gets the most sun exposure, and since it isn't possible to completely cover the face (for most people), a sunblock (particularly around the eye area) can help preduce premature wrinkles and fine lines.

A wholesome lifestyle can pay off in a number of ways. Getting enough sleep may actually prevent premature wrinkling because the pineal gland, which works in harmony with the hypothalmus and which is associated with the biological clock, as well as other functions, alters its secretion of melatonin depending on the eyes' exposure to light. It is believed that inappropriate sleep patterns could result in the pineal gland's playing a role in aging.

According to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, an excess of estrogen can occur in peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women can develop thickening bodies and resistance to fat-burning when progesterone, which balances off estrogen levels, drop. Contributing to this imbalance of estrogen can be exposure to chemicals and foods that contain xenoestrogens, which can mimick estrogen activity in the body. Estrogen replacement therapy and birth controls can also contribute to an excess of estrogen. The weight gain so common in middle-aged women is the kind of weight gain that is one of the consequences of excess estrogen, and since an increase in fat around the waist (belly fat) then results in the enlarged cells' producing yet more estrogen the cycle can continue. Learning which plants have estrogen inhibitors (flavonoids and indoles) can help. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, chamomile, citrus products, bee products, onion and garlic are on Hofmekler's list of beneficial foods. Also listed among estrogen modulators are Omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish.

Pesticides and herbicides used on fruits and vegetables are estrogen promoters, so learning how to reduce exposure to these can help the woman who is trying to

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