10 years younger in 10 days Roe Gallo outlines a health plan that will leave you feeling revivified and rejuvenated in just over a week.

Do you look in the mirror and see a body you don’t recognize? Do you wake up with aches in muscles and bones you didn’t know you had? Are you just too tired by the end of the day to do anything but plop down on the couch? And are you beginning to believe that there isn’t anything you can do about it?

What makes you look and feel old?

I asked this question to many people in different age groups ranging from late 20’s to late 80’s and the answers were, surprisingly, very similar:

• People were concerned about their weight making them look older.
• They felt the stress in their lives showed through.
• They complained about poor skin tone, sagging muscles and aches and pains that they had never had before.
• They felt a lack of energy and a lack of enthusiasm. They felt dull all over.

I have great news. You can change all that, and in only 10 days see a different you. Yes, it’s true! You will look and feel younger. Your skin will look firmer, your body thinner, your jawline will sharpen, your eyes will brighten and you’ll begin to get rid of drooping eyelids, puffiness and dark circles. Your muscles will start to firm and strengthen and your energy will soar. The key to looking and feeling younger is taking great care of yourself from the inside out. You may not have complete control of things that happen in your life, but you do have control of how you are going to deal with them and how you take care of yourself.

Try this brief, focused program. What have you got to lose?

Fat, flab and lack of energy is what. Ten days is nothing. You can do this! I’ll show you how your body can transform in a short period of time if you give it what it needs, and stop giving it the things that are keeping you looking and feeling old.

Let’s get started
For the next 10 days you will make simple changes that take off years. You will exercise, eat only enhancing foods, (fresh, raw fruits and green salads), and really pay attention to what you are thinking. I’ll give you tips that will help make this programme as easy as possible. Are you ready to go for it? Isn’t it worth 10 years?

DAILY PROGRAMME

Preparing for your day
Wake up early! Make your morning relaxed and make time to prepare for a great day. By the third day of the programme you will have more energy and wake up more easily, but for the first few days, get to bed early. When you wake up, think about your day and how great it is to be alive. I usually think about one of my core beliefs when I wake up: “Every day day above ground is a great day!” Wake up happy!

If you are with a partner, a smile, a kiss, a “good morning” and an “I love you” (and anything else you have time for) is a great way to start another day of being together. Let him/her know how happy you are that you are together. If you have children, a smile, a kiss a “good morning,” an “I love you” and possibly a tickle is a wonderful way to get their day off to a great start.

As you get out of bed, stretch your entire body for about five minutes. Shower and get ready for your day. While showering, think of the things and people you are grateful for and how fabulous your day will be. Visualize the end of the day and how happy you’ll feel. Pick out something wonderful to wear; something that makes you feel happy and look great. Pay attention to the fashion and grooming tips on the right. Dress to impress yourself.

Eat simply
It is best to eat as simply as possible: preferably one type of fruit at a time or a salad of leafy greens with one or two other ingredients. Eating a mish-mash of food combinations, even if they are raw, will give you indigestion and will hinder the assimilation of necessary nutrients from your food.

Breakfast

• 16oz. of freshly-squeezed orange juice (squeeze it and drink it immediately)
• 1-3 pieces of fresh fruit, depending on how hungry you are.
• Yes, this is it. Now get out of the house – this is enough food! You are getting plenty of nutrients. Fresh fruit is high-water, high-energy food and will get you going.

Breaks and snack
1-2 pieces of fresh fruit. There are different ways to take a break, but make sure that you take at least two every day. A break should be pleasurable and relaxing. Maybe a quick email or call to someone you love just to tell them you love them. Or listen to music, read a chapter of a great book or just take a few minutes to centre yourself and quiet your mind. Or perhaps you would prefer something active like taking a walk.

Lunch and dinner
Choose either an all fruit meal or a salad. If you choose fruit, have two to three pieces and if you are still hungry after that wait an hour and have more. For a salad choose organic greens with one or two of the following: raw and organic avocado, tomato, carrots, zucchini, or some other raw fruit or veggie. Example: avocado and mango over a bed of rocket (arugula) is a delicious salad. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and/or a drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil.

Preparing for work

• If you drive or walk to work, listen to a fun or uplifting book or music and if you don’t have a radio or an ipod, sing. If you work at home take at least 15 minutes preparing for your day in the same way.
• Think about what you love about your work and why you are doing what you do. If you don’t love your work, think about what you have learned from what you do (come on, I know you learned something!) that you can apply to the job you would love to do.

• Positive thoughts only! Plan your day. List your goals for the day and prioritize them. See yourself at the end of your work day with your list complete and feeling great.

• Work with passion. If you don’t have passion for your work have passion for how you do your work and start planning to transition into work you have passion for!

Some time during the day
Read something current and interesting and talk about it with a friend, family member or colleague.

Several times during the day
Exercise your eyes. Here’s a simple, but powerful, one: Look at something close, focus, then immediately look at something at least 10 feet away, focus. Do this 10 times. Work your eyes and they will keep working for you.

Exercise
Make sure that you allow at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Walk (briskly), dance, run, bike, take a spin class, or work out with Billy Blanks (I love his “Boot Camp” workout). No matter how busy you are, you have time for this. Have walking meetings and take the stairs. Lunch could be a few pieces of fruit and a brisk walk or a spin class. Don’t forget your weight-bearing exercises. If you can’t or don’t want to go to a gym, use your body as a gym. Do pushups, pull-ups, crunches and yoga. You can also do isometrics (isolating muscle contraction without the use of weights) in your car, at your desk, waiting in line – basically anywhere. There’s always time to work your muscles. No excuses!

Play time
Remember to allow for play. Hang out with people that you love and enjoy. Do things that are fun. Laugh. Down time from work, even work you enjoy, gives you more energy to do an even better job. During this 10-day program make sure to get out at least twice for play time.

You time
This is time just for you. Give yourself (or treat yourself to) a facial, a manicure and/ or a pedicure. Get a massage. Meditate. Take a long, hot bath with candlelight. Read a romance novel. Whatever makes you feel happy. You don’t need a lot of money to make yourself feel special, but doing it makes you feel like a million dollars. On the 10-day program, I recommend a good exfoliating and hydrating facial. You’ll feel rejuvenated and you’ll love how good your skin will look. I also suggest you make an appointment with either a personal shopper or make-up consultant. Tell them you want a new, fresh and younger looking you, and ask them to make a couple of recommendations.

Rest and sleep
It is so important to get adequate rest. A good night’s sleep can definitely make you look and feel years younger. Before you go to sleep, take time to rest from the day. Think or talk about all the good things that happened throughout your day and what you are grateful for. If you have a partner, kiss, make love, cuddle and talk about positive and loving things. Go to sleep happy.

A word about detoxing
When you stop eating non-nutritious substances, your body starts to detox; to “clean house” on a cellular level. When you stop ingesting stimulants, such as coffee, tea, or chocolate, your body takes the stored caffeine and theobromine out of the cells, throwing them back into the bloodstream for elimination. This chemical imbalance usually results in a headache. So when you begin a new, healthier dietary regimen, it is common to feel worse before you start feeling better. This may happen to you on this 10-day programme. This is not a fast, so the symptoms will not be too bad. It is quite common to feel headachey and tired by the second or third day, but to feel great by the fourth day!