Norwich experts advise on how you can look and feel good as you get older

The quest for looking eternally youthful is flawed with empty promises from manufacturers of lotions and potions that have been made to 'turn back the ageing process'. If you are anything like us here at Life Matters HQ you will be tired of trying out the latest miracle cream only to find that it delivers a temporary solution and you will be sceptical about opting for solutions such as covering yourself in fake tan and then if all else fails going under the knife as favoured by the guys and girls in television phenomenon The Only Way is Essex.

So what if there was a solution that has been tried and tested to make you look and feel younger?

Well there is and it means giving your eating habits and your skin care routine a bit of a makeover.

Healthy eating, a good skin care routine and exercise are the key to boosting the look and feel of your skin and preventing disease and illness that can make you look and feel old. It's the same old adage you have heard time and time again – but it works and is probably a better solution than spending hundreds of pounds on products, Botox or operations.

Pushing the message out about how to look after your skin, your health and your looks are Norwich based nutritional therapist Glen Matten and U and your skin therapist Louise Thomas-Minns who are outspoken when it comes to the 'misleading advice cosmetic and food companies give you when it comes to your health and the health of your skin'. The duo launched their Healthy Ageing seminars at the Sportspark on Earlham Road earlier this year and on Saturday they held their second workshop.

'The idea behind the Healthy Ageing seminar is to dispel the myths surrounding anti-ageing remedies,' says Louise whose Signature Facial treatment is the toast of both Norwich and London. 'Ageing is not just about how you look on the outside but also how you feel on the inside.

'The only way to stay looking and feeling young is to makeover your lifestyle for good.'

Louise and Glen's approach is to offer no-nonsense advice about how certain foods, a good skin care routine and exercise can decelerate the ageing process.

Says Louise: 'The seminar is interactive so you can try products, ask questions about what foods can make you look and feel great and we show you how to do facial exercises to keep the muscles in your face toned. During our last seminar it was amazing to hear people's thoughts about anti-ageing and how most of them were governed by myth.'

Louise is keen to point out that many of the promises made by the manufacturers of some skin products are all part of marketing strategies and should not be trusted. She takes a scientific approach to skincare with her Signature Facial which is tailored for each individual and the products she uses have been tried and tested by Louise.

If you are a regular Life Matters reader you may remember that we saw the results of Louise's treatments when reader Jill Watkinson from Norwich had six U and Your Skin treatments back in 2009. Jill wanted to wake up her tired looking skin and smooth out some of her wrinkles.

After just six treatments with Louise she said: 'My skin feels and looks light, bright and glowing! All of my treatments were very relaxing. Throughout the whole experience Louise always explains what she is doing and how this will benefit my skin.

'Louise asked me questions about my lifestyle, diet and what concerned me most about my skin. She gave me advice on how to achieve healthy skin such as drinking more water or green tea, not using sun beds, not smoking and limiting the amount of alcohol. She then examined my skin before giving me a facial. Louise explained what products were being used on my skin and why each product was being used. Nothing was left unexplained.

'After my first treatment I felt as if I had an instant facelift! I noticed the difference immediately and my skin looked a lot fresher.'

Looking after your skin is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Louise and Glen's mission to fight the ageing process. What you eat is just as important in their quest to make us grow old healthily.

Nutritional therapist Glen Matten cut through some of the myths surrounding food in his book The 100 Foods You Should Be Eating and he is currently working on his second book which is expected to be launched earlier next year. Glen believes that there are certain foods that can help in your quest to stay forever young such as Vitamin D and fish oils.

Says Glen: 'There are many myths surrounding 'super foods' that are said to delay the ageing process and many supplements also make high claims in how they can promote good health. Most of this information is conjecture and so is very misleading. The aim of the Healthy Ageing seminar is to give you the right information so that you can include the foods that really can help you maintain good health into old age.

'For example there is a lot of hype about antioxidants and how they can dispel toxins from your body, there are even supplements you can take that are said to provide you with the antioxidants you need to stay healthy – the majority of these don't do anything to make your body healthy.

'Fish oil is a fat that is anti-inflammatory which is good for preventing inflammation in the body that can lead to eczema and skin conditions that can make you look and feel older. Vitamin D is also great for preventing heart disease and Selenium is seriously lacking in our British diet but can help prevent cancer.'

To adhere to the holistic healthy ageing approach adopted by Glen and Louise you only need to change a few things in your skin care and diet to make a real difference to the way you look and feel.

Says Louise: 'Why should you resort to pumping your face full of chemicals, taking the risk of going under the knife or popping vitamin pills everyday when a few simple changes now can help you look and feel great well into old age.'