Become 87% Hotter This Fall By Making These 7 Changes
Simple steps with magical effects.
by The Candidly Team
Enough with hot girl summer.
Fall is the season for crisp air and cashmere layers and sunset-colored leaves, all things that make us want to feel our “glowiest.”
And there are certain things that really, really help. Some of them are about health. Because the wisest among us know that all outer hotness comes from inner not-feeling-like-hot-garbage-ness.
And some of them are about beauty. We’re not ashamed to say it - fruitful skincare is one of life’s simplest pleasures.
When added together, there are 7 tangible actions we’re taking that we know will make us our most vibrant, luminous autumnal selves. Fine, we’ll just say “hot."
Care to join us?
Ok, here’s what you gotta do:
1. Walk.
Do not ever underestimate the life-lengthening powers of brisk walking. We went deep into its wild number of heath benefits HERE. But if not dying younger isn’t enough to convince you, here are a few fun rewards of making walking part of our routine that particularly pertain to chilly season:
We get sick less, and when we do get sick, it doesn’t last as long. Nothing hot about a hacking cough after all.
We crave less sugar. Pumpkin spice who?
It can help us maintain a healthy weight. One study showed a “statistically significant decrease in body fat percentage due to moderate intensity walking exercises” in post-menopausal women.
It helps us sleep. Beauty rest is all too real. Just ask the mirror above our sink.
2. Eat a ton of fiber.
We’ll cut to the chase. When you eat more fiber, you poop more which helps you not retain water and fit into your clothes better. You’ll also be less likely to die of heart disease and enjoy way better health in myriad ways. All good things.
So, how much fiber should you shoot for daily as an adult woman?
Up until age 50: 25 grams a day.
After 50: 21 grams a day
Another guideline is to try to eat 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you consume.
Many fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes are rich in fiber, but if you want a nice little cheatsheet of specifics go HERE.
3. Add more healthy fats to your plate.
Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids could have some significant anti-aging effects. There’s also some evidence that it might help the skin stay healthy and supple, fight the inflammation that contributes to irritation and acne, and even possibly reduce your chances of getting skin cancer. One study showed that people whose diet included a good dose of extra virgin olive oil didn’t experience as much skin aging.
We started to pay WAY more attention to our own omega 3 fatty acids intake in particular back when we interviewed Dr. Mary Claire Haver who shined light on how “they play an important role in the construction of every cell wall you have. They also serve as an energy source and aid in the proper functioning of your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and immune system,” said Dr. Haver. In addition, they “may help protect against Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as well as having a beneficial effect on aging-related memory decline, according to some studies.”
Some superstar foods to consider to get more healthy fats are:
Fatty fish (salmon included)
Seeds: Chia, flax, and sunflower
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts
Avocados
Olives and olive oil
4. Get really into weight training.
Before you accuse us of being obvious, let’s make one thing clear. Many of us grew up in the golden age of aerobics where we thought cardio was for staying slim and weights were for bulking up. Turns out we were not only wrong but missing an enormous piece of the equation.
“The most effective way that women over 40 can boost their metabolism is by building muscle through weight-lifting and resistance training,” said Dr. Kerie Peterson in an interview for Women’s Health. As we get older, women can start to lose muscle mass, which can slow down metabolism and lead to weight gain. Thus, keeping our muscles strong doesn’t just leave us toned (which we all want anyway) but it preserves our ability to burn calories.
This is huge for those of us who wonder why we started gaining weight the minute we hit 41 without ever changing our diet. And beyond maintaining a healthy weight, strength/ resistance training is critical for bone and heart health and helps with our balance, our posture, and our blood sugar levels. So there are wins all around.
Plus, strength is the hottest thing going. Is it not?
5. Be serious about exfoliation.
Pretty much anything we say about aging and appearance gets someone screaming at us. But here it goes. Wrinkles aren’t what’s making us look old. It’s texture. Having smooth, plump, bouncy skin is the true stuff of youth. And no amount of skincare is going to do diddly if we’re dealing with a dry husk of a skin barrier, clogged pores, and a dull, scaly surface.
Nothing says “hot’ like glowing skin. And to get it, we use THESE incredible and convenient peel pads on our face to leave us with completely resurfaced skin that then absorbs our gloriously hydrating skincare.
We also use this magical duo on our lips. The first is a polishing exfoliant, and the second is a deliciously replenishing balm. The combination sort of Benjamin Buttons our lips before our eyes.
And plump skin and lips = hotness personified.
6. Sip this instead of (or in addition to) those pumpkin spice lattes.
Ok, before we even address how it impacts our appearance, green tea is thought to support important things like heart and brain health. There are also studies showing that drinking (or even just gargling) green tea can help stave off the flu. And since it’s flu season, we’re pretty much willing to try anything.
Ok, now for the surface stuff. It’s been speculated that the antioxidants in green tea can help give us healthy skin. But there are also nonhuman studies that suggest the polyphenols in green tea might boost collagen and improve skin elasticity. So naturally, we decided to be the human subjects, testing this out for ourselves. Because why not?
On a separate but related note, a matcha latte with fresh strawberry puree is actual heaven. You heard us. Heaven.
7. Minimize your makeup routine.
We all want our makeup to make us look like a glowier, healthier, more naturally lovely version of ourselves and NOT like we’re wearing 18 layers of pigmented product. The reality is that the older we get, the more likely our makeup is to look cakey and powdery on our skin, which in turn, makes us look older.
And as the weather cools and our skin gets even drier, now is the time to minimize our makeup routine. We spell out exactly how to achieve a perfect “no makeup makeup” look for mature skin HERE. But the fact of the matter is it ALL starts with skincare.
Nothing is hotter than gorgeous skin, and if we were forced to hand over one secret, miracle product for dewiness and glowiness and wrinkle reduction that you’ve probably never even heard of, it’s THIS. Liquid magic.
And if you’re the most minimalist makeup person alive and have zero time in the morning, we created a 5-product routine that is so paired down, yo’ll never believe the results it gets.
8. Consider a hair growth serum.
So experts have been observing a little something they call seasonal hair loss, and they’ve noted it being most common in fall and winter. Perhaps, you’ve observed this trend on your own scalp? Or perhaps, you’ve noticed more hair loss in general since around the time you turned 40. There can be many reasons for this (many of which we dive into HERE) and that, of course, you should try to hone in on with your doctor.
But one thing we’ve come to rely on is a hair growth serum, specifically THIS serum. It’s plant-based and full of antioxidants, and it takes all of 11 seconds to apply each day. Since we started using it, the difference in how many hairs we watch slither their way into our shower drain has dramatically reduced. We also see new growth, which is incredibly exciting.
Between our bigger, bouncier hair, our radiant skin, and our amped up energy (must be all that fiber) we must say we’re feeling a wee bit on top of the world.
Now off to take a walk.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used in place of professional advice, medical treatment, or professional care in any way. This article is not intended to be and should not be a substitute for professional care, advice or treatment. Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before changing any health regimen. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease of any kind. Read our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
