Super Foods...and Anti-Aging

Free Radicals...you may have heard this term when people discuss Anti-Aging.

So what are they exactly?

Free radicals are what damage cells, cause inflammation, and age our bodies.

Antioxidants may be another term you have heard used around Anti-Aging.

So what are antioxidants?
We all know they are supposed to be good for us and supposed to rage war again aging but how?

Antioxidants are the super heroes in the fight against aging and readily available in most of the foods we eat. Antioxidants reverse the damage that free radicals do to our cells and decrease inflammation. These are found in what you may have heard called "Super Foods".

Super foods are packed with wonderful health saving antioxidants!

Now you are probably asking..."What foods?"

You may know some if you just take a few minutes to think about it.

What did you come up with?

Apples, oranges, broccoli, spinach, maybe grapes...

Okay, just a few that you may have come up with.

The key is to better understand where you are getting the proverbial "bang for your buck". Which foods give you the most antioxidants and help fight aging. Let's start with what is called the ACE in the fight against aging...Vitamins A, C, and E.

Vitamin A... Vitamin A is used in the fight against acne and found in topical products like Retin-A. Beware with this one because it is fat soluble and stored in your liver. Too much vitamin A can cause toxicity. As a person ages the daily recommended intake increases so check with your doctor and do not over do when eating foods that are known to have vitamin A.

Sources of Vitamin A:

Fish oil, eggs, liver are commonly known places to get vitamin A. But did you know that pumpkin, mozzarella cheese, carrots, and spinach are sources as well?

Vitamin C...

Probably the first thing that comes to mind are oranges but did you know that broccoli can give you 80% of your daily vitamin C? NEWBEAUTY magazine Summer-Fall issue states that a 1/2 cup of cooks broccoli gives you this. Can you imagine if you have a 1/2 cup of raw broccoli how much vitamin C you are getting. Remember RAW is better! Other places NEWBEAUTY magazine says you can get vitamin C are: red sweet peppers and potatoes.

What is Vitamin C good for?

It is one of the major building blocks for our bodies connective tissue, supports collagen production, and helps build the immune system.

Vitamin E...

Is great to help protect cells again free radial damage and is even thought to help slow the onset of certain diseases.

Where is Vitamin E found:

Nuts, avocados, soybean-based mayonnaise, asparagus and even ground ginger. A great place to use ginger is in cooked vegetables dishes. It adds a wonderful flavor!

Other Super Foods:

Nut - helps with hydration and moisture to your skin cells

Cucumbers and Celery - reduces inflammation, plumps skin cells, and reduces fine lines

Kiwi fruit - repairs damaged skin cells

Tomatoes & Dark purple grapes - helps to prevent sun damage to the skin

Grape Seed oil - use it when cooking instead of olive or other oil. It does not turn into artery clogging fat when heated like other oils and is quickly becoming known for its anti-aging benefits.

Once again, and it can not be stressed enough, raw foods with a variety of colors are the key to healthy beautiful skin and the fountain of youth that everyone seems to think is in some mystical miracle surgical procedure.

"When you are eating garbage, your skin reflects that." Dermatologist Jeannette Graf

So eat a rainbow of foods everyday (raw is best), stay away from the processed junk, drink plenty of water, walk a mile everyday, get good rest, laugh lots, and love with your whole heart.

"Beautiful skin is a way of life and easy to have!"

XO's

LG

*Resources used for writing this blog: NEWBEAUTY (summer-fall 2009 issue) and Office of Dietary Supplements

Psoriasis, Eczema, Rosacea or just sensitive...

A lot of people suffer from different type of skin conditions. And when working to keep your skin looking and feeling its best you must understand some common skin types and conditions.

The first being sensitive skin that is due to nerve ending being closer to the surface of the skin and the three common skin diseases people deal with:

• Psoriasis (a chronic, non-contagious skin disease typically appearing red, silver scaly patches and accompanied by itching. Believed to be brought on by stress, excessive alcohol or smoking, and possibly spice food)
• Eczema (a form of dermatitis that includes itchy, dry, red, rash like, crusting or flaking, and possible cracking of the skin and brought on by medications, food, allergies, chemicals, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, smoking, viral infection, or change in seasons)
• Rosacea (a chronic condition characterized by facial redness and inflammation, usually begins across the cheeks and nose, or forehead, and can progress down the neck or up through the scalp. Believed to be brought on by extreme temperates, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, or foods high in histamine - aged cheese, yogurt, beef, bacon - and medications or allergies)

All four of these conditions must be dealt with a little TLC. (Tender Loving Care)

When cleansing your face certain products and methods (ie. manual scrubs or anti aging products) can only activate your skin problems and make them worse. So here are a few tips to help.

1. Contact a professional to help diagnose and manage your condition. An Esthetician can create a skin care regiment to help minimize the effects of irritated skin but they can not diagnose medical conditions, they are however educated to know when you should be referred to a Dermatologist or Doctor.
2. Stay away from the things that are believed to trigger the condition. If you just have sensitive skin take care by using lukewarm water and lighten your touch...too hard of pressure when cleaning can cause skin to become irritated.
3. Do not use manual scrubs (wash cloths, loofahs, any product that has cleansing beads, sugar or sea salt scrubs). These items can be too abrasive, irritating, and can inflame conditions.
4. Do not use anti aging products. These products typically are formulated to help cells turn over faster. This can do the same as in #2...irritate and inflame the conditions.

So you may be asking yourself, "How do I exfoliate then? There is so much focus on exfoliation to help keep skin young, soft, and healthy." It is call Enzymes. Previously I have posted a blog about exfoliation and the 2 types, manual and chemical. In this case enzymes fall under chemical and are recommended for sensitive skin including people who suffer from Psoriasis, Eczema, or Rosacea. Enzyme masks work only on the dead skin cells. Once the enzymes have metabolized the dead cells the process stops leaving the living cells intact and your skin looking young, soft and healthy.

**Note: There are different types of enzyme masks. Some can be more active on the skin then others. It is important to contact a professional to help you choose the correct one for your skin type.

XO's

LG

Change in Season...Change in Skin

Now that we are moving into winter you are probably experiencing that dry, itchy skin feeling!

Tis the season! Everything is drying out during the season of Fall and Winter...including your skin.

There are a couple of things that contribute to making it even worse but the good news is you can do something to help relieve it...beside just scratching.

As the seasons change from summer to fall and then to winter skin slows down. Healing takes longer due to colder temperatures and the dead cells that makes up dry skin doesn't sluff off as quickly.

So the couple quick tips for you are:

Exfoliate more often - Get a good sea salt or sugar scrub to use in the shower

(I recommend Arbonne's scrub because it won't clog your drains, is vegan, and I use it!)

For your face, make sure the exfoliator you use is gentle enough. Most scrubs for the body are too harsh. For people who have sensitive skin an enzyme mask is what you should use. Scrubs will be too harsh and only irritate your skin.

(Saian's Enzyme Mask is what I recommend)

PLEASE don't use St. Ives Apricot Scrub on your face! The crushed walnuts can leave microscopic scratches and can scare. If you own this product...use it on FEET only!

Waxing is always a good exfoliator...as is shaving. So just because you are wearing long pants ladies...don't stop shaving those legs! Guys...same goes for you...getting lazy and growing out facial hair will keep your face warm but your skin may become dry. If you continue to shave that will help keep your face exfoliated and less dry during this time of year.

Get a humidifier - even in areas of the country where there is more rain and snow the air is still drier then normal. Having a humidifier in your bedroom will help keep the moisture level up and also help with preventing colds.

Don't take long steamy hot showers - As nice as that sounds the hot water will dehydrate your skin and only add to the dryness. Take warm showers. If you must only turn the heat up no more then 5 minutes and always turn the water back down to warm right before you step out. This will help close your pores and keep the moisture in your skin instead of allowing it to evaporate.

Drink lots of water! - Keeping yourself hydrated from the inside is also key. With weather getting cold hot beverages and alcoholic drinks become even more popular and water not so much. I encourage you to keep drinking water.

Use your sunscreen - During the day make sure you are using your sunscreen. The sun's rays may be less harsh during winter but you still need the SPF protection. SPF helps with keeping your skin hydrated. BONUS!

Lastly, lotion up before bed. - By doing this you will help keep your skin's moisture in. Sheets can rob your skin of moisture during the night as well the drier air. So put that protective layer of lotion on yourself before bed and wake up to happy skin!

XO's ~ LG

Daily meals lead to great skin!

I preach it because I do it too.

You may have heard me say, "Good nutrition is the key to great skin." Well, I decided to show you what my daily eating habits are like to prove I do not only preach good nutrition but I follow good nutrition as well. Do not think for one second that I deprive myself of a good steak and potato meal or that craving for potato chips, I just know eating that way all the time is not balanced and will eventually lead to poor skin and health.

Moderation and Balance are the keys.

Saturday, October 4th, 2009

Breakfast - Small cup of coffee (french pressed style) w/1 serving non-fat flavored creamer. A bowl of Honey nut Cheerios w/1 medium sized banana and 2% organic milk

Drink till lunch time - water with fresh strawberries cut up in it to add some great flavor and nutrition. With going into fall this strawberry water takes my mind back to the first time strawberries are in season at the beginning of spring! YUM!

Lunch - Salad (pictured above) 1/2 dark green lettuce, 1/2 iceberg lettuce, cucumber with the skin left on, 1 medium vine ripe tomato, small handful of Feta cheese crumbs, pepperoncini, broccoli, and 2 table spoons light ranch dressing on the side. And still drinking my strawberry water. Very refreshing.

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I choose to eat my lunch on the patio today to work on my vitamin D...the sunshine vitamin. Most people don't get enough vitamin D. It helps with mood, healthy cell production, and calcium absorption. For fair skinned people 15-20 minutes in the sun...For darker skinned people up to 30 minutes will help you get your daily "sunshine" vitamin. Sun exposure through glass does not count and this will be the only time you will ever hear me say it is okay to go without sunscreen. . Glass and sunscreen filters out the UV ray responsible for helping our bodies create vitamin D. You can also get added vitamin D by taking a daily supplement (1000 to 2000 IU/day). Which I take daily. Sitting in the sun for me is just that little extra feel good time and a way to enjoy being outside.

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Drink till dinner - the rest of my strawberry water I made earlier in the day and munched on the strawberries when I finished the water. FABULOUS!

Dinner - 1 cup of stir fried veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, snow peas, and rice noddles) seasoned with light salt soy sauce, ginger, and rice wine vinegar.

Evening time - Glass of red wine and oh surprise...water before bed.

The idea is as much raw food as you can get. There is just way too much processed stuff in our diets. If it comes in a box or can guess what...it is processed! Get back to simple food choices and get healthy skin, a healthy body, and a healthy mind. Help teach your children food is full of color, nutrition, and does not come in a box or can!

Men's Daily Skin Care

Okay men...I know most you don't want to think about it but

YES YOU HAVE DAILY SKIN CARE NEEDS.

Especially with; oil control, men have larger pores and oil glands...meaning oilier skin that can become clogged. Then there are the razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and the occasional mishap with shaving...you know the toilet paper on the cut trick that you soon forget about, walk out of the house into the office or business meeting and whoops someone reminders you about the cute white and red TP you have stuck to your chin. Lastly one that most men over look completely...protecting your skin from the sun!

FACT - Men have thicker tougher skin than women,

they have larger pores, larger oil glands, and courser facial hair.

FACT - Men having larger pores and oilier skin means they

need to exfoliate more often than women.

FACT - Men think less about caring for their skin than women.

FICTION - A man who takes care of his skin is a sissy!

So men...here is the best way to have healthy, clean, clear skin that women will love;

Keep in mind that the goal to skin care is to keep your skin at its natural hydration level and to not strip away the acid mantel that helps to protect the skin and us from disease.

There are just a few items you need for daily skin care:

1. wash cloth
2. facial soap (not the soap you use on your body)
3. antiseptic (either an after shave lotion or toner)
4. facial moisturizer with SPF for sun protection

Contrary to popular belief, shaving in the shower is not saving you time or water. I recommend taking a warm shower...men can take a little warmer shower than women because of their thicker skin. But I don't recommend super hot showers because too much heat and steam can dehydrate the skin. Oily skin can become dehydrated and only makes drier skin types worse. Taking a shower before shaving will help to open pores and soften facial hair.

Buy a cleanser made specially for a man's face. The soap used for the body is too harsh for even a man's face. Use the wash cloth with your face cleanser either in the shower or at the skin just prior to shaving. The wash cloth will help with daily exfoliation. This accomplishes a few things; helping to raise the beard hair so you get a closer shave, helps to decrease razor irritation and ingrown hairs, lastly the exfoliation helps with cell turnover to help with minimizing clogged pores.

Buy either an after shave lotion or toner. Both are antiseptic, they help to keep cuts you may have after shaving clean from bacteria, and also close pores that were more open from the warm water. Watch for ingredient labels that list alcohol, this will only cause further dehydration to the skin and could burn when applying to freshly shaved skin.

Lastly, the moisturizer with SPF. Men should find a moisturizer that works for their skin type. Like I stated previously, men tend to have oilier skin but there are the drier skin types as well. So find one you like. Most men don't care for a heavy lotion the key is to find one that works for your skin type but most importantly has a sunscreen (SPF) of at least 15. Even men don't want those dark brown age spots all over their face as they age. The key to stopping those spots...SUNSCREEN! I recommend a sunscreen by Saian, the skincare line I use in my facial treatments. It is oil-free with a SPF of 29 and comes in a great easy to use spray. Perfect size for men to take with them anywhere.

So men...now you know. Trust me when I say women do pay attention to men who have good skincare hygiene. Send any questions you may have my way...I will be happy to help!

XO's ~ LG

lghealthnbeauty@aol.com

Proper face hygiene & washing for healthy skin...

Everyone remembers their mom telling them to wash their face.

But not many of us understood the importance.

Except that it was annoying to hear.

Well I am here to tell you the very same thing..."Wash your face"!

The difference is I am going to explain why it is important.

And I promise not to be annoying.

~~~

Washing your face is a refreshing way to start your day

and a great way to calm down at the end of your day.

It has great health benefits over and above the emotional ones I just stated.

By washing your face morning and night you are removing...dirt, oils, pollution, makeup, and sweat.

Cleanser just 1 time per day is not enough.

The 1st cleanse will take off, makeup, some of the other items

but the 2nd cleanse will go deeper into pores to help lift out dirt, oils, sweat,

and makeup that the 1st cleanse could not reach.

~~~

Remember...this is a morning & night ritual.

~~~

Most people don't realize that their oil glands are most active at night.

People who suffer from especially oil skin should

make sure they are cleansing 2x morning and night as well as

change their pillow cased more often.

~~~

So...always use warm to slightly cooler water.

There is a time and place to use hot water...this isn't it.

Most people stand over their sinks letting the water run down the drain.

I am always looking for ways to help the environment and have great skin care.

So going forward learn to be best friends with a wash cloth.

~~~

Wet your cloth with the water and leave on the side of the sink.

Take your face cleaner...remember in my past blog about having

a cleanser especially for your face, not just regular old hand soap....

Wet your hands and cleaner, then make sure the water is turned off.

Work the cleanser all over your face,

taking special care to be gentle around the eyes.

Use the wash cloth to remove the cleanser, rinse the cloth and repeat a 2nd time.

~~~

Using the wash cloth not only saves on water but it is a manual exfoliant

that skin needs to help sluff off dead skin cells and helps promote new cell growth.

~~~

Don't scrub too hard...a light touch is all you really need.

~~~

The other benefit to using a wash cloth is they are small,

can be easily stored near your sink,

and you are more likely to launder the wash cloth instead of...

reusing like I am sure most people do...using a hand towel 15 times before laundering.

~~~

Guys...using the wash cloth has an added bonus for you when it comes time to shave.

Wash your face as I describe above and then shave.

The wash cloth helps to lift the hair from just below the skin and

will create a closer better shave for you.

~~~

After cleansing...tone (optional) and moisturize.

Cleansers no matter how gentle can still leave your skin dry.

So if you tend to have a drier skin type you may opt to use a toner.

Toners are made to help bring skin back to it's correct PH and moisture balance.

After toning, use your eye cream and face moisturizer.

Your face moisturizer should be correct for your skin type.

Dry ~ Normal ~ Oily

And for day time be sure your moisturizer has SPF 15 or higher.

~~~

There you go...Oh one side note...

try to avoid washing your face in the shower.

Most people think if they do as much as they can in the

shower they are saving water. Actually you are wasting.

Wash your face and brush your teeth...guys, shave, at the sink.

By washing your face 2x/morning and 2x/night you will see

healthier skin in days. Really...it is that simple.

~~~~

Contact me for help to you pick the correct face cleanser, toner, and moisturizer for your skin type.

lghealthnbeauty@aol.com

XO's ~ LG

Understanding Skin Care...

I get a lot of different types of feedback when talking with people about skin care.
Some things I hear are:

• I love taking care of my skin and don't go a day without washing my face...it is a must
• I just use regular old soap if that
• I want to take better care of my skin but products are too expensive
• I am a man and I do not need to do anything extra for my skin it is fine the way it is
• There are just too many products out there for me to understand it all...way too over whelming!

Well...I am here to help with all these mind sets and more.

Understanding Skin Care is very simple.

1. Your skin is the largest organ of your body.
2. It protects you from the environment, disease, and helps keep you together.
3. Your skin is the first thing people see when they look at you.

So...know this:

• You should wash with a face cleanser made for your face
• Wash with a body cleanser made for your body
• Your skin may seem like it is all the same but your face, neck and chest are more delicate then the rest of your skin.
• By washing with the incorrect cleanser for said skin areas you are stripping away the protective layer that helps keep your skin moist and beautiful.

My tips to start you off right are:

1. buy a cleaner for your face (use AM and PM) and a cleanser for your body
2. buy a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or more that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and wear it daily **if you want buy a sunscreen made for face and another for body. i will explain more on this later**
3. drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water everyday

These 3 little steps will keep your skin looking beautiful and help you to age gracefully!

XO's

LG