In January I will reach that benchmark age of Fifty years old. I don't feel 50. But chronologically thats where I'll be.

I love getting older. I love the wisdom I've attained and am able to share.

I love going to the gym with a much younger friend who couldn't believe that I am 49. I've said it before and I'll say it again, exercise is the fountain of youth.

As we age our bodies go through subtle and not so subtle changes. For women in particular, our metabolism slows and we begin to lose muscle mass. This muscle is what keeps us looking lean and mean. Let the muscle slack up and you have sagging appearance. Sagging=Old looking.I have made it my business to get to the gym and workout 4-5 times a week. I find that even on days I don't feel like going, if I go, I always feel great afterward. See, exercise also improves your mood and your perceptions. After I work out whether or not it's true, I FEEL like I look good. I walk taller, I have a little more swagger, and a lot more confidence. I know I'm taking care of myself and can feel good about it.

Just the other day, after leaving the gym, I stopped at the store on the way home. I was smelly, funky, and hot. But a young man probably young enough to be my son, called me "Sunshine" and hit on me. Thank God for small blessings! At least I know I'm doing something right.

My inspiration came long ago when as a young teen I saw the former top model, Oleda Baker in the back classifieds section of Vogue, Glamour, and other fashion magazines. The message would be, "This is an actual unretouched photo of Oleda Baker at age 50." And there she was this beautiful looking, youthful appearing blonde with billowy hair and perfect bone structure. Every couple of years, the message would change, Oleda would get older, but still look the same! She was the queen and forerunner of today's anti-aging guru's.Well, I followed Ms. Baker in the backs of those magazines for many years. Last time I checked, she was 104 looking 60! Okay, maybe the photos were retouched. But she set a standard worthy of my aspirations.

So here I am at 49 and counting. My goal is to be at 150 lbs. of lean mean muscle for my 50th birthday. I started this quest last January and have steadily improved each month.What are my beauty secrets?

1. I eat mostly vegetables and fruit. Some known beauty foods are

sweet potatos, pecans, spinach, and carrots. No meat for me.

2. I drink lots of water throughout the day. This flushes out fat and keeps my skin glowing.

3. Exercise 4-5 times a week using weights along with cardio. My favorite cardio workout is spinning. This is a hard workout but so worth the immediate results.I use the formula of low weight, lots of reps, to sculpt and tone my body.

4. I wash my face twice a day with Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash for combination/oily skin. I use Olay Complete moisturizer for sensitive skin. I use an Olay serum product around my eyes at night.

I use an ice cube to tone and close my pores after washing.

I use  Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock- SPF 100, liberally especially during the hot summer months.I perform exfoliation with Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser 2-3 times a week and enjoy a full facial with Queen Helene Mint Julip mask. While I'm enjoying the mask, I lie down and listen to my favorite classical music. I do this once a week on Sunday afternoon.

5. I use a prescription 2.5 % Benzoyl Peroxide that keeps any and all breakouts away. If a pimple dares to try it, I zap it with this stuff and its gone within two days.

6. I exfoliate my entire body with a great freesia scented salt scrub I got at the Dollar Store. I do this at least once every two weeks. Keeps my entire body smooth and pimple free.

The other thing I think is important to maintaining a youthful appearance and attitude, is to learn something new every day. Look for something to learn every day, seek and ye shall find! Always work on improving your knowledge base.

So with all of this said, I believe any woman who desires and works on that desire, can age with grace and great beauty. I really don't know how 50 is supposed to feel? But at 49, I feel damn good! I can't wait to turn fifty! You see my profile picture? That is actual unretouched photo of Christallin Twiline-Tabb at age 48...