October 25, 2011
You’ve heard about how stress is taking it’s toll on your blood pressure, but did you know it affects your looks as well? Fortunately, you can counteract the effects of stress with some simple lifestyle changes.
When you get stressed out, your body starts producing more of the hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol can act like toxins and cause the sebaceous glands to go into overdrive, leading to inflammation, weight gain, free-radical formation and acne.vNews reporters have even begun to question if stress is turning President Barack Obama’s hair gray. Plus, there’s that cranky mood you just can seem to shake.
To combat stress internally and externally, try these steps:
• Get enough sleep. Aim for six to eight hours every night to help boost cell renewal.
• Just breath. A few calming breaths will help to put things into perspective and trigger relaxation cues that you vitally need.
• Fight off inflammation by eating a diet rich in antioxidants, especially brightly colored fruits and vegetables and heart-healthy fats like avocados, nuts and olive oil.
• Opt for products that target stress-induced beauty issues, like anti-stress oils.
September 26, 2011
Want to be a smarty pants? There’s a secret weapon to motivate your medulla: eating. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the food you eat can have benefits far beyond fueling your body. In addition to providing the energy you need, certain foods can amp up your brain power.
Explore the recesses of your refrigerator and you may find foods that science increasingly is crediting with being especially supportive for brain health. These edibles may improve memory, clarify thinking, delay cognitive decline and perhaps even ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
Recent research shows that you may want to include the following on your shopping list more often for brain-strengthening nourishment:
- Apple juice and pomegranate juice
- Red grapes, cherries, apples, blueberries and strawberries
- Tea and cocoa
- Salmon and light tuna
- Soy foods
- Sunflower seeds, walnuts
- Vegetables, especially leafy greens
- Canola oil, olive oil
- Dark chocolate
When buying processed or packaged foods containing these ingredients, be sure to read the nutrition labels carefully. Some of these “good” foods may be prepared with high amounts of sugar, fat or salt added to them, resulting in too many calories or too much sodium in your diet. For healthful eating, choose fresh versions of these foods most often and prepare them with low-fat ingredients. Eat processed types in moderation.
For example, you can still get the benefits of pomegranate juice (which has sugar added to offset its tart flavor) by mixing one or two ounces into sparkling water as a spritzer. Cocoa made with nonfat milk gives your brain a boost without adding extra fat. And letting a small piece of dark chocolate melt slowly in your mouth prolongs your enjoyment while keeping your daily intake healthful (one ounce or less).
For brain health as well as overall health, be sure to avoid foods containing saturated fats or trans fats (check those nutrition labels!). Diets that are high in such fats are specifically related to declining brain capabilities.
July 5, 2011
If you love the white stuff — we’re talking sugar, folks — your sweet tooth could be making your skin sag, crinkle, and wrinkle before its time. Blame glycation. That’s what happens when sugar hits your bloodstream, gloms on to proteins, and forms the aptly named AGEs, or advanced glycation end products. AGEs are bad news for your skin. They damage the collagen and elastin fibers that keep it strong and supple.
While scientists aren’t ready to say “sugar causes wrinkles,” docs know from observing people with poorly managed diabetes what out-of-control blood sugar does to skin — and it isn’t pretty. Bluntly put, it causes “premature” aging.
That should be extra inspiration to skip the cakes, cookies, and sugary drinks and fill your plate with wrinkle fighters. Here’s even more: There is plenty of scientific proof that certain nutrients help nourish the fibers that keep skin stretchy and healthy, says Manhattan dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD, RealAge expert and author of The Mind-Beauty Connection. Step right up to the beauty buffet and serve yourself this way:
- Cover half — yes, 50% — of your plate with fruits and veggies. The antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in plants act like a dietary highway patrol, pulling over speeding free radicals before they can damage your skin’s collagen and elastin. You’ll also get loads of vitamin C this way (brightly colored produce is full of it). That’s great because C is essential for making new collagen.
- Then add extra flavor or crunch by topping your fruits and veggies with nuts, seeds, or a drizzle of olive oil. Nuts and seeds are full of vitamin E, an off-the-charts antioxidant. Since sunlight depletes vitamin E in skin, you need to continually replenish your supply, and the more you get from food — not supplements — the better. While that’s true in general, if there’s any chance you could get pregnant, taking big doses of E is a don’t. It’s linked to heart defects in newborns.
As for olive oil, its healthy fats help skin cells resist wrinkle-causing sun damage.
- Fill 25% of your plate with lean protein. Think fish, skinless white-meat poultry, beans, chickpeas, lentils, and tofu. All give you the good proteins your body needs to make new skin cells and keep up with its own antiaging skin repairs.
- Fill 25% of your plate with 100% whole grains. As in whole-wheat pasta, brown or wild rice, barley, any breads made from 100% whole grains, and more. Unlike the simple carbs in sugar, the complex carbs in whole grains are the kind your body and skin crave. Instead of triggering blood sugar spikes and forming brigades of aging AGEs, whole-grain carbs are full of fiber, which steadies blood sugar. Plus, the selenium and zinc in whole grains help harness the collagen- and elastin-damaging free radicals.
March 25, 2011
Our bodies are constantly exposed to internal inflammation as a means of defense against infection. A key part in the formation of wrinkles is inflammation, which causes elastin and collagen to deteriorate and eventually collapse. Although inflammation is a part of how the body naturally heals itself, it may cause premature aging of the skin. Some foods, like processed sugars and unhealthy fats and oils, are natural pro-inflammatory agents. Others, listed below, are known to reduce the effects of inflammation and are a delicious way to get a youthful glow.
Spices: Certain spices such as ginger and tumeric are natural anti-inflammatory agents. They contain phytochemicals, which can repress the proteins that lead to gene mutations, decreasing the incidence of inflammation.
Good fats and oils: Foods like olive oil, nuts and avocado contain heart healthy fats that help regulate cell metabolism and suppress inflammation.
Salmon: A top anti-inflammatory, salmon as well as other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like flaxseed are necessary for cellular repair.
Brightly colored fruits and veggies: Fruits and vegetables not only act as a source of antioxidants but they also contain phytochemics that buffer and regulate gene expression.
Vitamins: Foods and supplements containing vitamins C and E and minerals can help the body combat the damage created by free radicals.
October 18, 2010
Some of the most common hair woes, like excessive oiliness or dryness, can be alleviated with a combination of the right foods and, of course, the right hair products. Since hair grows from a skin follicle, it’s inevitable that oil is produced. But just how much sebum ends up on your scalp and trickles down the strand is due to genetics, the condition of your scalp, and your intake of certain foods. While hormones play a part, hot and spicy foods can cause your body temperature to rise internally, which gets released through pores in the scalp. Another cause for oily hair is excess consumption of sugar and fat.Since oily hair is directly related to an oily scalp, it’s best to cut out any foods that encourage the overproduction of oil. You may want to try incorporating more raw foods and healthy oils into your diet to counteract the effects of saturated oils. Look to include foods like complex carbs, olive oil, sushi, fresh fruits and vegetables.Dry hair, on the other hand, can be due in part to a lack of vitamin A, which is essential to the induction of the genes that control the process called keratinization. If you’re not getting enough vitamin A or the right proportions of it, your hair can become dry.Load up on foods rich in essential fatty acids and healthy fats. Foods that are high in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, like linoleic acid, will ensure proper hydration to the hair. Fish like tuna, salmon and trout, as well as flaxseed and walnuts, are great choices. Stay away from processed foods, and make sure you drink one or two liters of water each day to keep hair supple.Keep in mind, any dietary changes will only affect new hair growth—chances are you won’t see a noticeable difference for at least three to six months.
September 29, 2010
BEAUTY WITHOUT BORDERSJAPAN* The Allure: that porcelain complexion *
Secret Ingredients: rice and seaweed
Rice Body Rub: In the old days, rice bran was a substitute for soap. You’d bring your little cotton pouch to the local bath house and fill it up with the bran. Then you’d soak and scrub your whole body, including the face. People still do this. Beyond sloughing off the dead skin layer, rice bran oil is known for its potent vitamin E and other antioxidants that brighten the skin. To see for yourself, fill a pouch with rice bran, and rub your body. If you’re bathing, leave the bag in the tub and let the nutrients seep into the water.
Kelp Face Pack: Seaweed has long been used in Japan as a beauty aid. The best recipe for a face mask requires about 7 ounces of raw seaweed (if you can’t find any, reconstitute the dried kind.) Thoroughly soak the kelp to rinse out the salt; then drain and place in a pan with 16 ounces of water, and cook at a low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes. Next, pour it into blender and make a creamy paste, mixing in a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice once it cools. Refrigerate for three days (freeze what you won’t be using) and apply for 20 minutes.
Sun Style: Ever considered opera gloves for the car? Japanese women are so picky about their skin aside from using the traditional umbrella in the summer, they wear long gloves—past the elbow—when they’re driving. They want to make sure the sun from the window doesn’t age their hands or arms.
AUSTRALIA
* The Allure: wild, luxurious hair *
Secret Ingredients: rainforest plums and desert limes
Kakadu Plum Paste: Aussie hairstylist Kevin Murphy became obsessed with natural beauty as a result of eczema. His favorite discovery is the kakadu plum. The Aborigines have been using it medicinally for 40,000 years. The dumpy little rainforest fruit has the highest known vitamin C content of any plant on the planet. Its antioxidant power saves hair from serious dye-job damage. Try it by mixing one part kakadu plum liquid extract—health food stores sell it (or you can squeeze the liquid from gel capsules)—and five parts virgin olive oil. Apply the paste ASAP post-coloring, and sleep in it before washing out.
Desert Lime Spray: Another Down Under treasure is the desert lime, a plant that flourishes in scorching temperatures. You may be able to find desert lime locally or online in an extract or tea. If so, boil it up and strain it a few times until you get a clear liquid. Once it cools, pour into an atomizer and use it to spray your hair before you work with a hot blow dryer or styling iron.
EASTERN EUROPE
* The Allure: fresh-faced model appeal *
Secret Ingredients: milk, olive oil, egg white, grapes
Milky Skin Wash: Eastern European women are extremely vain. These women have always taken every effort to look wonderful, even in Communist times when so little was available and they had to rely on home remedies. A tried-and-true remedy is milk. We know about Cleopatra taking milk baths. The reason is the lactic acid, which now, we chemically alter for peels. But you can just use a little milk to rinse your cleanser off and it’s great for the skin. If your complexion is dry, she advises, use whole milk; if oily, go for low fat.
Milky Skin Mask: For a more concentrated dose, boil a little milk until it gets a crusty surface. Once it cools, add a teaspoon of spoiled yogurt (leave it out until it gets that yucky look) and mix into a mask you can wear for 20 minutes.
Egg White Oily Skin Lift: A little egg on the face apparently makes an amazing mask for oily skin: Beat a few whites until they’re not tacky, stir in a bit of baking soda, and add some shredded lemon and grapefruit peel. Brush on the mixture and let it harden. You’ll feel a undeniably youthful, fresh lift.
Olive Buff: Women ‘schmear’ themselves from head to toe in olive oil, and stay in it for hours, and when they rinse it all off, the skin is like silk. You just have to be careful because your face can break out.
Grape Splash: The juice of grapes (packed with antioxidants) is also great for your skin. Rub it in, and if you crush the seeds, you’ve got a great scrub, too.
PAKISTAN
* The Allure: silky skin *
Secret Ingredients: almonds, orange peel, watermelon, extra virgin olive oil
Almond Scrub: Like rice bran and grape seeds, the almonds make a good exfoliator. The home remedies really haven’t been surpassed by high-tech microdermabrasion products. As for the coconut oil, it has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties and may be good for keratin, which the outer layer of skin is made of. You can whip up your own scrub with coconut oil and finely ground shells—if you can’t find the young almonds, use coconut shell (soak first & shred it.)
Scalp Balm: Patients with dry, itchy scalps, should rub on some extra virgin olive oil and wrap their head in a warm towel. The oil is great for the hair, too.
Crushed Orange Watermelon Mask: Another skin secret from her homeland: Take a dried-out orange peel and crush it into a fine powder. Add a little lemon juice, water, or in the summer, mashed watermelon, and apply the mixture on your face for 20 minutes before going out for the evening. It smells good, your makeup goes on easily, and your skin looks so nice and bright.
GLOBAL WATERS
Soak. Soaking is a universal beauty secret we often pass up in favor of the rush-hour shower.In Japan, they worship water. Toji is the word for bathing, and it’s been a traditional therapy ever since the Samurais started fighting. Aside from the minerals and healing qualities of certain waters, an obvious benefit is relaxation—and we know a zen mind can translate to beaming skin. Take a half hour, drawing a nice, warm tub, and throwing in a touch of sake. It’s fantastic for the skin, just don’t drink your bath!
August 17, 2010
According to Dave Zinczenko, there are 6 foods that will help you have healthier, glowing skin. Of course, genetics and caring for your skin have something to do with it, but the facts are – what you put into your body directly impacts how it looks on the outside. Mr. Zinczenko suggests the following foods to help make a better ‘you.’
1. Salmon: It’s among the world’s greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the essential fats that, along with bolstering the cognitive powers of your brain, concentrate in the walls of your epidermal cells to help lock in moisture.
2. Carrots: Carrots are teeming with tiny orange pigments called beta-carotene, and when you ingest those pigments, you’re inviting them to nestle into your skin, fill in blotches, and give you a healthy glow. And what’s more, research shows that this can actually help prevent premature aging from sun damage.
3. Avocado: People with higher intakes of olive oil had fewer wrinkles than people with higher intakes of butter. The reason: Butter is loaded with saturated fat, while olive oil is rich in monounsaturates, the same essential fats that make up more than 50% of the calories in an avocado.
4. Beans: Legumes, to be more precise. This is the class of plants that includes black beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and peanuts. And how do these puny pods protect your face? By smoothing out wrinkles. Researchers found that high intakes of legumes—alongside vegetables and healthy fats—resulted in 20% fewer wrinkles over time.
5. Grapes: Besides providing protection from heart attack and stroke, antioxidants called polyphenols found in grapes can also help keep middle-aged skin from sagging. That’s because polyphenols improve skin’s elasticity by strengthening collagen, the primary protein in skin’s innermost layer.
6. Water: It is the strongest weapon you have against lifeless skin. That’s why they call it “moisturizing”—because you’re trying to lock moisture, aka water, into your skin. To put it broadly, all the body’s processes rely on hydration, so if you’re not sipping throughout the day, you’re likely to have a slower metabolism, groggier head, and, yes, drier skin.
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