Written by Susie Elelman
We’d all love to be in Tip Top Condition but it’s so easy for life to get in the way and shift our focus.
A great technique to get motivated and help us stick with it is to set ourselves a target.
An objective, without a plan is a dream
– Douglas McGregor
What’s your goal?
Do you want to look beach-worthy?
Do you have a hot date coming up?
Maybe there’s a wedding or special occasion on soon with photos that will be viewed for decades to come?
Or perhaps you’ve been advised by your doctor you’re pre-diabetic and that it can easily be reversed without insulin injections by simply changing your diet and lifestyle.
Whatever the reason, getting that shift in paradigm will help set you on the right course.
Make a Check List
Having the motivation is one thing but channelling it in the right direction is another.
If you don’t know where you’re going, every road will get you nowhere – Henry Kissinger
The best way to start is to make a list from head to toe and work out what you think needs your attention to get you in Tip Top Condition.
You don’t need to show your check list to anyone else unless you want to so be sure you’re honest with yourself.
Having this blueprint gives you a plan to work from and a way of measuring your success.
Hair
If you’re starting from the head down then your hair is your first stop. It’s amazing how much a ‘bad-hair day’ can alter state of mind.
Does your hair need a trim or re-styling, is it dry or too oily?
Getting the right shampoo & conditioner for your hair type is a great first step.
If your hair is dry or you swim or colour it a lot, then an intense conditioning treatment will make the world of difference.
Your hairdresser can do a treatment in the salon or have them for you to take home, but you can easily DIY with items that are already in your cupboard.
When you have some time to spare, after washing your hair, apply conditioner but leave it in for at least 20 minutes, the longer the better. To infuse the conditioner even more into your hair follicles, wrap your hair in cling film or pop on a shower cap, then rinse off.
You can also rub Olive, Coconut, Vitamin E or Jojoba oil into the tips of your hair and leave that in for as long as you can.
A great conditioning rinse is mixing one tablespoon of raw Apple Cider to every cup of Water and put it in a spray bottle.
Spray liberally over your hair and massage in, then rinse off well.
Face
How is your skin looking? Is it glowing or perhaps a bit on the dull side?
I stopped using soap over 40 years ago as it’s too alkaline for our skin and can be very drying.
I use a cleanser on my face and a body wash with no sulphates or parabens from the neck down instead.
Regardless of your skin type it’s vital to use a suitable moisturiser daily and whatever you apply to your face be sure to do the same to your neck, décolletage and the backs of your hands.
One of my favourite beauty tips is to exfoliate your skin regularly with a facial scrub.
After sloughing off the dead cells on your face, neck and décolletage you’ll notice your skin feels and looks finer and it will enable your moisturiser to penetrate further into your skin, keeping it in Tip Top Condition. You can exfoliate your entire body too.
Body
Your body check list should cover both inside and outside.
If you want to change your size and shape or get healthier there’s some great advice and terrific tips in previous AMC Newsletters you might want to revisit…here is a link to my weight management article; click here
Or you might wish to read all my weight management tips in my new book Still Half My Size. Here’s a link, exclusive to AMC Newsletter subscribers to receive $5 off the recommended retail price; http://newhollandpublishers.com/amc/
To be in Tip Top Condition on the inside be sure your check list includes the important medical examinations that can easily detect any health issues and hopefully well before they develop into something more serious.
Your regular check-ups with your health professional should include monitoring your blood pressure, checking your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Regular mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies and self-breast examinations should also be on the list as well as an annual dental check-up and teeth cleaning.
As you work down your body making your check list, don’t forget your feet.
I’ve punished mine by teetering on stilettos day and night over the decades causing me to develop bunions and hammer toe and be in enormous pain. A few years ago I had them operated on to correct it all and now I have pins and rods and screws in most of my toes and am finally pain free.
I now take much better care of my feet by wearing flat shoes for the majority of the time and going to a podiatrist frequently to have my toe nails and feet attended to professionally.
Mind
He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature – Socrates
Stress can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to us getting into Tip Top Condition.
Cortisol is known as the ‘stress hormone’ and is released in response to fear or stress by the adrenal glands as part of our fight-or-flight mechanism.
There were two separate studies published in 2013 in Science Magazine linking elevated cortisol levels as a potential trigger for mental illness and decreased resilience — especially in adolescence.
High levels of cortisol can temporarily impair memory, according to research published in 1999 in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study suggests parts of the brain involved in memory may be demoted to a temporary ‘nonessential’ status in times of severe stress.
I always get a chuckle when I read this fun definition of stress;
Stress – The confusion created when the mind must override the body’s basic desire to choke the living daylights out of someone who desperately deserves it.
You might pick up some great tips on how to manage your stress and how to be happy from my articles in these AMC Newsletters; Susie’s Tips on Happiness – click here, Manage Stress with Susie – click here
Smile
Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone – Ella Wheeler Wilcox US author & Poet.
Putting on a happy face always helps.
Smiling not only relieves stress, it makes you more attractive, changes your mood and helps you stay young and positive.
Hope these tips help you get into Tip Top Condition.
Take care and keep smiling…cheers x susie
Susie Elelman
Author, TV & Radio Broadcaster
AMC Ambassador
About The Author - Susie Elelman
Susie Elelman is an Australian television presenter, radio broadcaster, and author, most famous for her appearances on daytime television in Australia. She has been an ambassador of the Australian Menopause Centre since 2016 and it is a pleasure to have such an influential figure support our work.