Sip Away Your Wrinkles

(December 2015: This is a revised and republished edition. Some typographical corrections were made, and a small amount of new material was added.)

Disclaimer: This book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The publisher and author are not responsible for any specific health needs that may require medical supervision, and are not liable for any negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book.

Introduction

My Story

How to Make the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink

Facial Booster

Alternatives to the Basic Drink

Other Benefits of Gelatin and Coconut Oil

Reinforcements!

45 More Wrinkle Erasers

Final Word – and A Request

Introduction

I know you picked up this book in order to find out how to make wrinkles go away, and that's exactly what I'm going to reveal. But in my experience, my simple drink recipe has other benefits besides softening those lines caused by age or too much sun. The two “active” ingredients in the recipe are documented – between them – to improve hair, help prevent gum disease and tooth decay, protect against heart disease, boost energy, aid weight loss, and even control dandruff and cure brittle fingernails. And that's just for starters.

Even if some of this information is not new to you, I urge you to withhold any skepticism. People who put these suggestions and exact instructions into practice can notice a huge improvement in their appearance within a few short weeks, of that I am confident. Give it a couple of months or more, and you may be amazed when you look in the mirror!

You will not find any fluff here – just straightforward information based on my years of reading and study on the subject of wrinkles and what causes them, and most of all my personal experience in putting that information to the test in the real world. Again, welcome! The adventure starts now.

My Story

When it comes to a youthful appearance, it seems I was born with good genes, which served me well for many years – but eventually let me down.

I noticed it first when I entered my 30s. A few people said I didn't really look 33, or 35, or 38 – whatever my age at the time happened to be. When I got into my 40s, people began to be amazed when they found out how old I was. I usually didn't tell my age to co-workers, but my bosses had access to my personnel records and they knew. One of them told me, “You don't look at all your age.” Another said, “I was shocked when I found out how old you are.”

This amazement over my young appearance continued into my early 50s – then stopped. I noticed that people no longer acted surprised when I revealed to them my age. Then, two ego-sapping incidents finally drove home to me the sad truth that I was not the youthful appearing person I once was.

One day I went to a local meditation center, just to give it a try. It was a place I had never been to before. I noticed that most of the other folks there were a good deal younger than I was, but I didn't feel out of place. After all, I had been meditating, off and on, for years. And although not a regular practitioner, I am quite comfortable sitting on a cushion and can even assume the full lotus position without difficulty.

I noticed that the meditation leader for some reason kept coming around to me and adjusting my cushion. At one point she even placed an extra, and unrequested, cushion under my butt – something she didn't do for anyone else. And after the session, she told me that I was welcome in the future to sit in a chair to meditate (even while everyone else sat on cushions!).

Now, I had not felt any undue discomfort while sitting on the cushion and meditating with the other people. Nor did I think I showed any discomfort. All I could conclude was that when this meditation leader looked at me, she simply saw an old man who probably needed and would appreciate some consideration and special assistance.

The other incident that made me feel old – or at least old looking – was one day when I stopped at a McDonald's and went in and ordered a coffee. The cashier said, “You want a senior coffee, right?” (A “senior coffee” is one that comes with a discount.) She might has well have thrown the coffee in my face, it was such a shock. Clearly, there was no more guessing or wondering about my age – I looked like a senior citizen, no ifs, ands or buts.

Now, there's nothing wrong or shameful about getting older. It happens to everyone. Nor is there anything wrong with looking one's age. But let's be honest. After age 40 or 50, there are few if any people who wouldn't prefer to look and feel more youthful, if it were possible. And there's nothing wrong with that, either.

I have long been interested in the aging process and whether or not it's really possible to slow or turn back the markers of getting older. After what I call the meditation and the coffee incidents, I plunged even deeper into the subject.

Aging is a complicated process, with many aspects, most of which are beyond the scope of this book. But for average individuals, without serious health complications, the most obvious signs of time's effect on us are 1) graying hair, 2) sagging skin, and 3) facial wrinkles.

We'll leave aside the subject of gray hair – as you know, there are all kinds of coloring products available, for both men and women, if you choose to use them.

Sagging skin and wrinkles are a different issue. While there's no instant fix for them, there's a way (as you'll see) to address them that can create noticeable and often startling improvement over a few short weeks and months.

As I admitted to myself that time was no longer being as kind to me as it once had been, I stepped up my search for ways to slow or (I hoped) reverse wrinkles, trying all kinds of things, from Retinol creams to vitamin E and vitamin A ointments to stuff made to help women get rid of stretch marks on their tummies. I even tried one of those roller devices bristling with little needles that you run all over your face, the idea being that you deliberately injure your skin, forcing it to grow back stronger and smoother.

None of these made much, if any, difference, on my wrinkles. I think some of them may help slow the development of wrinkles in younger people, but they don't attack the main cause of age-related wrinkling in older folks: The loss of skin collagen .

Collagen is a protein found in humans and animals. It is found throughout the body, but it is especially prominent in connective tissues such as found in tendons and ligaments … and skin . It is the substance that is most responsible for keeping our skin firm and supple. As with most cells in the body, collagen must be continually replenished. Unfortunately, our bodies' production of collagen falls off as we get older. This is the major reason our skin develops wrinkles. It is also a culprit in sagging skin, especially on the face.

If you have the money and can stand the discomfort, you can find cosmetic surgeons who will inject tiny beads of collagen filler into your facial wrinkles. This definitely can improve a person's appearance – for a time. But inevitably, the collagen breaks down and the wrinkles return.

There also various creams and potions available commercially that contain collagen. Again unfortunately – according to research I've read – the collagen molecule is too large to pass through the skin barrier from outside. So, smearing these products on your face probably won't help much, if at all.

It seems that we need for our bodies to continue supplying collagen to our skin, on a steady basis, to maintain that skin in optimal condition.

Once I understood about collagen, why it's crucial for keeping our skin smooth and youthful, and how our bodies' production of it falls off with time, I began looking for a way to “pump” more of it to my cells on a steady, continuous basis. I figured if I could somehow make up my “missing” collagen – missing in the sense that I no longer naturally produce as much of it as I did when I was 20 – I might be able at least to achieve some smoothing of my wrinkles.

My research turned up two nature-based substances that seemed like the answer to my quest. Not to leave you in suspense, they are:

It turns out that these two simple products can each help to increase the body's collagen supply when taken internally – that is, ingested or eaten. Furthermore, one of them – coconut oil – can be applied topically to help speed the collagen repair/wrinkle softening process.

Gelatin (also spelled gelatine ), which is made from certain animal byproducts, is basically collagen in highly concentrated form. Therefore, it works by delivering collagen to any part of your body that may be deficient in it, including your skin.

Coconut oil, on the other hand, apparently works to boost your own natural collagen-production capability.

At least that's my understanding of how these two substances operate to increase the collagen in your system. Since they work in different ways, they compliment one another. Together they pack a two-pronged punch that is, in my opinion, more powerful than either alone. I like to think of them as being synergistic with one another.

With this understanding of how gelatin and coconut oil might help me fight my wrinkles, I began an experiment. I say “might” because at this point I had no idea if it would actually work.

After thinking about it, I came up with a “recipe” for super-charging my daily coffee with these two substances, and thus was born what I am immodestly calling the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink . The recipe is the simplest thing you can imagine, as you'll see. And by the way, if you're not a coffee drinker – no worries! Besides the recipe, I'll give you several alternative ways to get your daily dose of gelatin and coconut oil.

I committed to drinking my special coffee twice a day, every day. And daily, of course, I would look in the mirror to see if I could detect any difference, any change, in the lines and wrinkles on my face.

After about three weeks, I thought I discerned a difference. After six weeks, I was certain there had been a change for the better. Many of my finer lines and wrinkles were gone, and the deeper ones didn't seem quite so prominent. In addition, previously sagging areas – such as the jowls I had developed over the years – seemed to be firming up.

The real test involved my friends and acquaintances. I deliberately had not told anyone of my little experiment or of my special drink. Finally, after two months, it happened! I went to a social gathering of people I see only once in a while, and one of them – a woman around my same age – said, “Tim, you must be eating better or working out or something. You're just looking so good.” A friend of hers agreed. “Yeah, you look younger or something.”

Can you imagine my joy? Especially since the only thing different I had been doing was drinking my special drink every day?

That was all the confirmation I needed. I continued drinking the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink , and things have only gotten better. I'm 62 now, and although no one will ever mistake my for a 30-year-old, I definitely look younger than I did a year ago, just before I started my experiment.

My fine wrinkles have basically disappeared. My deeper wrinkles and creases are much less severe, and I'm confident even they will go away completely if I just keep feeding my skin with extra collagen. With more firmness and less sagging, my face is structurally more youthful looking. And other people continue to notice and comment. My main regret is that I didn't start earlier!

Every person is unique. Undoubtedly, some people will have even quicker and more startlingly delightful results when they start “sipping away their wrinkles.” A few may find the changes slower going, or less dramatic. But I am convinced that everyone can experience improvement in their appearance.

By the way, I've told a few friends my little secret, and some of them have tried it, too. The ones who've stayed with it, which simply means having the special drink every day without exception, have also reported positive results.

How to Make the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink

I'm about to give you my incredibly simply recipe for the super-charged coffee that I drink twice a day (and sometimes more), and that has proven so effective in giving me a more youthful appearance. I ask two things of you at this point:

There are three, and only three, ingredients in the basic version of the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink: Coffee . Gelatin . Coconut Oil .

Although coffee is not one of the “active” ingredients in this recipe – that is, it plays no part, as far as I know, in increasing the collagen in your skin – I consider it something of a health drink in its own right. Although scientists keep trying to find something bad about it, every year, it seems, a new study comes out that proclaims some new benefit to drinking coffee.

In recent years, studies have found coffee to be potentially effective in helping to prevent bladder cancer, diabetes and dementia, possibly even Alzheimer's, just to name a few of the serious health threats that are major concerns of many people today.

Because coffee is usually drunk hot, it is particularly well suited as the “base” ingredient in our special drink. Its heat makes it easy to dissolve both the gelatin and the coconut oil used in our recipe.

A note on caffeine: The caffeine in coffee doesn't bother me much, personally. I can have a cup of my Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing drink late in the evening and go straight to bed, and right off to sleep, if it pleases me to do so. I realize this is not the case for everybody. Some people cannot have coffee in the evening without being kept awake all night. If coffee gives you the jitters or keeps you from sleeping, be sure to drink your last cup in the afternoon rather than at night. Or, simply substitute decaf.

If coffee causes other problems for you, such as diarrhea or gas, or you simply don't like the taste, use hot tea instead. And I'll have some other ideas later on.

Gelatin is made from collagen-rich animal byproducts that, admittedly, might not sound very appetizing: skin, horns, hooves, bones, connective tissues, and organs. Happily, thanks to the way these are processed, the end result is not at all yucky. Gelatin as used in cooking and other applications is translucent, colorless, and flavorless. If you've ever eaten a bowl of Jell-o®, you've had gelatin, albeit flavored and sweetened.

Chemically, gelatin is practically the same as the collagen it's made from. However, it's in a form that is easily digested and transported to anywhere our bodies need it – including to our skin.

You can save some money by buying gelatin in bulk. I have seen 5-pound bags for sale through Amazon.com, for instance. Often, the packaging is quite plain, but you're not buying a pretty box, after all. You might want to look into this option if you decide to stick with the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink for the long term. Even in the small packages most often found in the local supermarket, gelatin is not especially expensive. But most of us do need to watch our pennies, so scouting around for cheaper gelatin, in bulk, is a smart undertaking.

For purposes of getting you started with the recipe, I strongly recommend just going to the supermarket and purchasing a few boxes of Knox® Gelatine . These cost between $1.50 and $1.95 US (as of this writing in early 2013). Each Knox box contains four packets of powdered gelatin. This is quite convenient, as the recipe calls for exactly one packet's worth of gelatin for each cup you make.

Note: Knox does make larger boxes, containing more packets of its gelatin (like 32 and 48), which may be cheaper on a per-ounce basis. But the four-packet boxes are the ones most commonly found in supermarkets. Check Amazon and eBay to find the larger size boxes and do the math to compare on an ounce-for-ounce basis.

Depending on where you live, you may have other brands of gelatin available to you, and other forms than powdered. For instance, some gelatin is sold as sheets, which just needs to be cut up and melted to use in our drink. Nevertheless, powdered gelatin is going to be the easiest form to work with for our purposes.

In the almost three years since the original edition of this book, I have heard many good things about the Great Lakes® brand of gelatin and related products. Not only is it organic, but one of the products is a powdered collagen that does not gel. This would be useful for dissolving into cold drinks or other uses where heating is not desired. It would even be good in coffee or tea if you're the type who lets your hot drinks cool before finishing them.

My point is not to promote any particular brand or form of gelatin but to give my readers an idea of the many choices available out there. Visit your supermarket, discount store, or health food store, or spend some time with a search engine or in browsing Amazon, and I'm sure you'll find the right one for your tastes and pocketbook.

(Although I wrote this book based on my experiences in the U.S., I've been gratified by the number of U.K. readers and fans it has garnered. It occurs to me that it would be a good idea, for some future edition, to research brands and prices available to that market and to include my findings here.)

Coconut oil is a saturated fat. Don't let that put you off. Nutrition-wise, it is by far one of the best fats in the world, as health experts are increasingly coming to understand. It can be used in a myriad of ways in cooking, eaten as is, or even applied to the skin as a beauty cream. The list of its known and suspected health benefits is quite long and impressive.

In some tropical cultures, people rub coconut oil over their whole bodies, often first thing in the morning. Coconut oil protects against the harsh sun of tropical climes, speeds wound healing, and generally makes the skin smooth and gives it a certain glow. I certainly recommend using it externally as often as possible.

We put coconut oil in our special coffee drink to provide a myriad of internal benefits. These include delivering powerful antioxidants (it is rich in lauric acid) and vitamins that support our bodies' own collagen-producing activity.

Thanks to all of the positive attention given to it in recent years, coconut oil is widely available nowadays. I get mine from my local Trader Joe's® store. A 16-ounce jar of their organic virgin coconut oil sells for $5.99 (as of 2013). This seems to be a pretty good price. Recently, though, my wife came home from Costco with a big 54-ounce jar of coconut oil (Carrington Farms® brand) that she said cost about $12, which is a super bargain. If you belong to Costco or one of the big discount club stores, you might want to check to see if you can find similar savings on coconut oil.

Most supermarkets these days will carry some brand of coconut oil. Also, you can buy an amazing number of different brands and quantities of coconut oil through Amazon.com (I just now checked!). With online shopping you may be able to save some on the cost.

For the purposes of supporting collagen growth and also applying directly to the face, I'm of the opinion that just about any kind of coconut oil will do. But you should know that people are really into this miracle substance for its full spectrum of benefits insist on buying only organic virgin coconut oil. In any case, most of the coconut oil you will find on the shelves these days are indeed organic and virgin.

I have become a big fan of the Carrington Farms® brand of coconut oil, mentioned above, primarily because of its excellent price when purchased from Costco. I'm looking at the label now, and I see that besides the economy it offers, it boats of being pure, unrefined, cold pressed, 100% organic, and extra virgin. I'm not sure I even know what some of those things mean, exactly, or how important they are for our purposes, but they sound pretty good! My point, again, is not to promote a particular brand, but to assure you that you can find coconut oil almost everywhere these days, with many brand and price options. (Brand availability may be different in the U.K. and in other markets outside the U.S. one with which I am most familiar. That is something else I should research for a future edition, I'm thinking.)

That's it! That's all you do to make the basic Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink. But please read the following notes. They are important.

The instructions above will make a coffee drink that (in my opinion) tastes pretty good!

Gelatin is flavorless. The coconut oil obviously will impart a coconut flavor to the coffee. I liken the result to one of those flavored coffees. The main difference will be in the texture of the coffee. I would describe it as “slippery,” due to the coconut oil – but not at all unpleasant (the surface of the coffee will also have a sparkly sheen to it).

If a whole tablespoon of coconut oil seems like too much, especially until you get used to it, it's perfectly fine to divide your “dosages.” That is, you could have four cups of coffee during the day – two with gelatin and a half tablespoon of coconut oil each, and two with just a half tablespoon of coconut oil each (no gelatin).

Similarly, if you don't like having both gelatin and coconut oil in the same cup of coffee, you can have a gelatin-only cup, a coconut oil-only cup, etc.

The only rule, if you want to call it one, is to consume at least two packets' worth of gelatin and two tablespoons of coconut over the course of a day.

In my research, I discovered the story of a couple who said they each consumed two packets of gelatin a day, and both noticed a steady decrease in wrinkles. At one point, though, the woman cut back to one packet of gelatin. She soon noticed that the fine lines she had gotten rid of were starting to return. So, she returned to two packets a day and hasn't had a “relapse” since.

The thing about collagen is that if you're deficient in it, your body will send it first to where it's most needed. Some people have a deficiency of collagen in their stomach linings. Naturally, when they begin supplementing their diet with collagen – in the form of gelatin, for instance – that's where most of it goes, leaving little or none for the outer skin.

Two packets of gelatin a day seems to be a good amount for most people. It is certainly possible to consume more. On some days, I consume three or four packets. I haven't decided if this speeds results or not in terms of curing wrinkles. It doesn't seem to hurt!

Tip on dissolving gelatin: If you find that the gelatin does not completely dissolve when you make the recipe, just zap the cup of coffee in the microwave for 20 or 30 seconds. Do the same if you tend to let your coffee sit and cool for a while, leading to the mixture starting to gel. One time I left a half cup of Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink sitting on the counter for an hour. When I returned, the coffee had fully gelled: You could turn the cup upside-down and none of it would pour out! Again, 30 seconds in the microwave and it was completely liquid once more.

Facial Booster

Having two cups of the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink every day can perform wonders by working from the inside out to deliver collagen to the skin, where it can begin reducing wrinkles and preventing new ones. To speed things up a bit you can also attack those wrinkles from the outside in, using our good friend coconut oil.

Just take the coconut oil and apply it liberally to your face, being sure to rub it in to the skin. Use an extra amount on deep wrinkles and creases.

If you're a woman who uses makeup you already know how to do this, but I want to make sure my fellow males get it. The best technique is to use two fingertips to make small circles all over your face as you gently rub in the coconut oil (or any cosmetic or cream that you want to penetrate as deeply as possible).

I do this at least twice a week. Doing it three times or more a week, or even daily, presumably would be even better. The only limit is your time and your budget, as obviously, you will go through your supply of coconut oil faster this way.

Even if you applied coconut oil to your face every day, though, it would still work out to be less expensive than almost any other wrinkle-erasing procedure you could name. And many of those expensive wrinkle “cures” don't even work!

Alternatives to the Basic Drink

I based the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink on coffee because I drink a lot of coffee anyway, and so do millions of people around the world. It also about the easiest thing to add gelatin and coconut oil to because of its heat factor.

If you're not a coffee fan, or just want a different way to get your daily dose of gelatin and coconut oil, you can try some of the following. Or just experiment on your own. You might come up with even better alternatives!

Remember, the basic idea is to consume two packets' of gelatin (or the equivalent amount, if you're buying gelatin in bulk) and two tablespoons of coconut oil a day. As long as you observe that “rule,” you're OK. Also, you don't have to consume the gelatin and coconut oil together; use them in separate recipes if you like.

Make the drink using instant hot chocolate. (My only concern would be the amount of sugar or artificial sweetener you would be consuming if you always made it this way.)

Make a smoothie in your blender and blend in the gelatin powder and coconut oil with other ingredients such as fruit and yogurt or milk (in this instance I think the coconut oil and dairy product will work fine together).

Stir gelatin powder into a cup of flavored yogurt. Since yogurt is already somewhat thick and gooey, you shouldn't really notice the extra thickening provided by the gelatin.

Stir coconut oil into a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt. Voila! Coconut flavored yogurt!

Make a homemade gelatin dessert, using your favorite 100% fruit juice. The Knox® Gelatine boxes usually have a recipe for this on them.

I personally don't tend to eat grain-based food, but if you do, try spreading some coconut oil on your toast or a bagel. How about on pancakes or waffles?

Stir a tablespoonful of coconut oil into a bowl of oatmeal or other hot cereal. Although it might offend some of my southern kinfolks, I even suggest trying it in grits!

Next time you fry or scramble some eggs, use coconut oil instead of regular cooking oil.

Make a delicious salad dressing using 1 part coconut oil and 1 part olive oil.

Just scoop a spoonful of coconut oil out of the jar and eat it straight! Some folks eat four or five spoonfuls a day this way, and claim (among its other benefits) that it keeps away cold and flu bugs.

Add gelatin to stews and soups. As long as you eat it hot or simply warm, you won't even notice it. Refrigerating leftover stew or soup will cause the liquid to become jelly. No problem – just reheat, and the jelly will become liquid again.

Mix gelatin into ground meat dishes, such as chili, meat loaf, and hamburgers. If you sometimes have problems with meat loaves and burger patties holding together, the gelatin should help by acting as a binder.

Using powdered or otherwise commercially packaged gelatin in recipes is a great convenience. It is why we use it in the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink.

But if you would like to supplement your gelatin intake – and give your body's collagen a real boost – you can do it the “natural” way, by making a hearty bone broth.

Until recently, people got much of their protein supply by eating more of the collagen-rich parts of animals than they did the pure muscle meat that is commonly consumed today. Making nutirent-dense bone broth is a way to get back to eating the way our ancestors did while stretching food dollars.

When you make bone broth, or make a homemade soup using bone broth as the base, you will find that it tends to gel in the refrigerator. This is the sign that it is rich in gelatin!

Save up your chicken and beef bones, storing them in separate plastic bags in your freezer. Whether they're picked completely clean or still have some bits of meat on them doesn't matter.

Once you have a good amount of bones (at least 2 pounds) saved, put them in a slow cooker and cover them with water. Add a couple of pinches of salt and ¼ cup of vinegar. Optionally, chop up some celery, carrots and onions and stir in to the water.

Set the slow cooker to its low setting, and let it cook – for a long time! You need to let the broth simmer for one to two days. Check it from time to time, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface of the liquid.

After it has simmered the necessary amount of time, strain the broth to remove any bits of bone and vegetables. Now you are ready to make soup from the brothright away, or you can put it in snap-top containers to store in the freezer for future use.

Use homemade bone broth as the liquid in making soups or stews. You can also use it to saute or roast vegetables. Some folks like to drink a cup of hot broth from time to time, especially in the winter. This is especially recommended when you have a cold or other illness.

Homemade bone broth is wonderful for so many reasons. For our purposes, it's a great natural way to get gelatin into your body and pump up your collagen supply for reducing wrinkles. Extra benefit: Some people claim it will even help to reduce cellulite!

Other Benefits of Gelatin and Coconut Oil

Even though you bought this report to learn specifically how to “sip away your wrinkles” using the special drink recipe, you might like to know about the many other health benefits of the two main ingredients – gelatin and coconut oil. Think of these benefits as a nice bonus for taking the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink twice a day, as recommended.

Good source of protein, with amino acids (especially lysine) that help build muscle

May help in weight loss as it contains an amino acid (arginine) that aids in metabolism

Reduces abdominal fat (this has been shown in a carefully controlled study that was conducted with a group of women who consumed 2 tablespoons of coconut oil every day for 12 weeks)

Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, urinary tract infections and throat infections

Applied topically, it reduces symptoms associated with eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis

Reinforcements!

I'm convinced that the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink will do wonders for anyone who gives it an honest try, regardless of his or her other dietary and general health practices. On the other hand, I feel there are things you can do that can support and even speed your progress in preventing and eradicating lines and wrinkles.

A healthy, life-promoting diet as as much about what a person doesn't eat as what he or she does eat.

At the top of the list of “don't eats” is sugar, especially refined sugar. The overabundance of sugar in our modern diets accelerates aging, according to many experts. Worst of the sugar substances is high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. Check labels, and don't buy or consumer anything with HFCS in it, is the strong recommendation from a growing army of nutritionists.

I have personally eliminated most grains, including wheat, corn, and rice, from my diet. This means: No bread, no pasta, no cereal. No cookies, no waffles, no muffins, no cake. (I do cheat and have the occasional bowl of popcorn. No one is perfect!) This might sound severe, but I myself have never felt better since kicking grains from my kitchen.

According to anthropologists, grains have been in the human diet for a very short period, evolutionarily speaking. Our systems have never really adapted to them, and with their prevalence today, many experts blame them for our modern epidemics of diabetes, food allergies, and obesity.

If I don't eat grains, what do I eat? Meat – beef, pork, chicken, seafood. Eggs. Vegetables. Fruit. Nuts. Some dairy. You might recognize this as essentially a primal- or paleo-type diet. Such diets have gotten a lot of attention in recent years, and there are lots of different authors promoting their own versions, with the details varying from one to the other.

Since this is not a guide to how to eat “paleo,” I urge you if you are interested to do a web search for more information. Or, get hold of one of the many good books that are available instructing on how to follow such a diet, which is actually a complete lifestyle. There are also wonderful recipe books for those wanting to try eating like a caveman!

I am not a workout fanatic, but I do recognize the need for regular exercise in staying youthful and fit. To my thinking, it would do little good to get rid of my wrinkles if I'm shuffling around like an old man!

The regularity of exercising is more important than the type of exercise one does, in my opinion. If you're currently hitting the gym two or three times a week or running marathons, you need no advice from me! But if you are completely sedentary, you need to get up and get out the door (assuming you have no serious medical problems and it's OK with your doctor)!

Walking around the block is a good start. Walking a mile is even better. Walking briskly for a mile or more, at least three times a week, may be best of all.

Besides walking (or running), doing a few sets of very specific exercises three times a week appears to help slow down and even reverse the signs of aging. I personally follow something called the F4X Bodyshaping System, which keeps me in shape without having to spend a lot of time exercising. The system uses weights such as ones you can buy inexpensively at a sporting goods store or even at Walmart or Target. You can read more about the F4X system here if you're interested.

There's little doubt that stress, worry, and depression will age a person. They can even kill you if you let them. If these are recurring problems for you, I can't urge you strongly enough to find a way to overcome them or to lessen their impact.

I realize it's not helpful simply to say, “Stop being unhappy” (if this indeed a problem for you). Some things that have worked for others to snap them out of a temporary funk are meditation, prayer, Yoga or taichi, joining a new social group, volunteering to help with people who are less well off, and so on. Persistent or lifelong depression may call for professional counseling.

While general mental health is beyond the scope of a book on getting rid of wrinkles, I do have some advice in regard to how you think about your age and appearance.

I believe in the power of affirmations to affect how we look to ourselves and others. Say to yourself (silently or out loud), “I look and feel young. I am looking younger every day.” Repeat these or similar affirmations throughout the day, whenever you think about it.

One affirmation I use is, “I look 35.” I am well past that age, of course, and no one is likely to mistake me for a 35-year-old – yet. But I'm working toward it!

Regardless of whether or not you think all this is silly, or doubt its effectiveness, you have to admit it's better than constantly telling yourself how old you're getting!

It's especially important to maintain positive self-talk when looking in the mirror. See – really see – that young self looking back at you!

As you use the Sevets Wrinkle-Erasing Drink recipe every day, you will be find yourself checking to see if it's working. The hardest time may be the first 3 to 5 weeks, when you might notice little or no change. This is when you need to reinforce your commitment to sticking with the program, not skipping a single day of getting the minimum suggested amount of gelatin and coconut oil into your system. It will pay off!

Stay positive, keep drinking the drink (or using one of the alternatives), and I'm confident you'll soon find yourself sipping away those wrinkles, too!

45 More Wrinkle Erasers

In the course of researching the book, I came across an astonishing number of ideas and suggestions for preventing or getting rid of wrinkles. I honestly think that the simple drink recipe I settled on for my own use – and that I hope others will try -- is one of the easiest and most effective wrinkle erasers yet. But I have not tried everything that is touted for dealing with wrinkles and lines – I don't think any one person could!

The following ideas are offered for informational purposes only. But if you find that some of these work as well as, or better than, my wrinkle-erasing drink, please let me know! Some of these could even be done as part of a total program that includes taking the drink every day, as instructed.

Keep in mind that some of these are for getting rid of wrinkles long-term, some are quick fixes aimed at improving appearance for a few hours or a day (for when you're going out to an important event, say), and some are more along the line of preventing new wrinkles than for getting rid of existing ones. As well, a few of the suggestions are simply “good health” practices that support your efforts at wrinkle fighting.

1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, selecting for rich, bright colors, a sign that they contain good amounts of antioxidants. These anitoxidants are nutritious for skin and will help fight wrinkles and other problems.

2. Eat blueberries, cherries, and raspberries especially. They are particularly rich in polyphenol anitoxidants.

3. Drink pomegranate and acai juices, again, for their high concentrations of beneficial antioxidants.

4. Eat salmon. Salmon is high in omega fatty acids, which help moisturize the skin and also protects from cell-damaging free radicals.

5. Massage virgin olive oil into the face once or twice a day, preferably after showering. This is how women in the Meditarranean countries keep their skin soft and youthful.

6. Avoid foods that are high on the glycemic index. These foods stimulate production of insulin in the body, which causes inflammation, which in turn can harm the skin (and is not good for other organs or systems, either). Examples of foods best avoided under this guideline include potatoes and corn.

7. Avoid consumption of sugar (this was touched on in the main part of the book). Through a process termed glycosylation, sugar interacts with skin collagen in such a way that the skin loses flexibility and becomes more prone to wrinkles.

8. Take vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C ester is considered the best form for fighting wrinkles, because it is fat-soluble, meaning it will be able to reach the skin cells easier.

9. Take alpha-lipoic acid supplements. Alpha-lipoic acid helps heal damaged skin, and also helps promote the body's absorption of key antioxidants.

10. Take CoQ10 supplements. The body makes CoQ10 (an enzyme) naturally, but production drops off rapidly as we age. It's necessary for cellular energy, and it also supports healthy skin.

12. Diminish the appearance of wrinkles by massaging the acupressure points on the face. Use your fingertips for this, using tiny, circular motions. Those points are found at the temples (about 1 inch back from the outside corners of the eyes), the sides of the nose (the area between your nostrils and the corners of your eyes), the spot directly between your eyebrows, and the point of the chin.

13. Get a healthy amount of sunlight to boost your vitamin D levels, but avoid overexposure at all costs. Rubbing coconut oil into your skin will help prevent burning.

14. Take a tablespoon of fresh flax seed oil two to four times a day. Many who have tried this swear that this will cause even deeply etched lines to diminish.

15. Limit alcohol intake. A glass of red wine in the evening is fine, because of the resveratrol in it, which is an anti-aging substance.

16. If you smoke, quit! Among its many other harmful effects, smoking causes skin wrinkling. You have probably seen those heavy smokers with the dry, leathery skin – not good!

17. Coat wrinkled areas of the skin in aloe vera gel, then apply vitamin E liquid over the gel. The gel will act as the “vehicle” to get the vitamin E into the skin. One 87-year-old main claims he is often taken for 20 years younger thanks to this procedure.

18. Fill a small spray bottle with water, add ½ teaspoon of laundry borax, and shake it up. Lightly spray your face with it, taking care to avoid the eyes. This will tighten wrinkles and will make you feel as if you've had a face lift.

19. Drink lots and lots of water. Some people claim that many wrinkles come about because our bodies are thirsting for water and just need rehydrating.

20. Dab generous amounts of castor oil on your wrinkles, one or two times a day. This will get rid of crows feet and reduce other types of wrinkles, it's said.

21. Dab 3% hydrogen peroxide on your skin. It is claimed that this will oxygenate and revive the skin, in turn helping to reduce wrinkles.

22. Massage emu oil mixed with aloe vera gel into your face to cure not only wrinkles, but also dry or flaking skin and acne. It will also give your skin a nice glow.

24. Apply the juice of green pineapples and apples on the face for about 10 to 15 minutes. Do this every day.

25. Make a paste from turmeric (a spice) and water, and apply to the face. Leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes, then rinse.

26. Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar. Squeeze out the excess liquid. Apply to the skin,. Works especially well on wrinkles around the eyes.

27. Breathe deeply, several times, in rapid succession. Do it every day. Learn yogic deep breathing and make it a regular practice. Devotees swear it makes their skin smoother over time and gives them a healthy glow.

28. Empty the contents of 3 vitamin E capsules into a coffee cup or small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt and half a teaspoon each of honey and lemon juice. Apply this mixture to the face, using a a cotton ball. Rinse off after 10 minutes.

29. Put two metal spoons in your freezer overnight. Next day, hold the backs of the spoons on your eyes. This will cure eye wrinkles and also lessen dark circles.

30. Rub a pineapple core on your face. Leave the residue on for 10 minutes, then rinse.

31. Cut a green seedless grape in half. Rub one of the halves on your wrinkles. Rinse your skin after 10 minutes.

32. Place half a cup of rosemary leaves and two cups of water in a saucepan. Simmer on the stove for half an hour. Add half a cup of brandy and simmer 15 minutes longer. Remove from heat. After mixture has cooled, strain out the leaves and store the liquid in the refrigerator. Use cotton balls to dab this liquid on your face, twice daily.

33. Combine one tablespoon of honey and half a tablespoon of whole milk. Massage into your skin. After leaving it on for 10 minutes, rinse off with warm water.

34. For exfoliating your skin (scrubbing away dead cells and dirt), mix a teaspoon of sugar into two tablespoons of lemon juice. Massage the solution into your skin using your fingertips. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse.

35. Steep a handful of lemon balm in 2 cups of boiling water. Let it cool, and then use it on your face once a day.

36. Make sure you are getting enough B-complex vitamins, which have powerful antioxidant properties. Natural dietary sources include meat, eggs, and whole wheat.

37. Find an over-the-counter cream that contains some Retinol (full-strength Retinol is available only by prescription). Apply to your face in the morning. Besides reducing wrinkles by itself, this will prepare your skin for other wrinkle-reducing solutions you use later.

38. Get more sleep! If you're not getting enough each night, your body may be making too much of a hormone called cortisone, which breaks down cells. More sleep will trigger your body to make more of the human growth hormone that keeps your skin elastic.

39. Lie down with cucumber slices over your eyes. This will reduce dark circles as well as wrinkles.

40. Take an activated silicone supplement every day to stimulate collagen production. This will strengthen hair and nails as well as erasing fine lines and crows feet. One brand often mentioned is JarroSil®.

41. Drink a glass of green juice, such as you will find at a health food store, every day for a week. By the end of the week your skin will feel softer and look more youthful.

42. Snack on almonds, which provide the kinds of fats that plump up skin, along with vitamin E, a potent antioxidant

43. Chocolate! The dark kind! Chocolate containing at least 72% cacao will deliver damage-fighting antioxidants to your whole body, including your skin.

45. Wrinkles on the jaw? Try pinching the skin there between your thumb and fingers. Doing this regularly can actually eliminate those wrinkles.

Final Word – and A Request

I hope you have enjoyed this book, Sip Away Your Wrinkles .. If you try the simple method outlined here, I think you will be pleasantly surprised and even delighted at the results.

I would love to hear from you about your experiences with the wrinkle-fighting drink and with the program in general. If you have any ideas for improvements or tips of your own to share, I would also like to hear from you. I may use them (with your permission, of course) in a future edition of this book.