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