Anti-Aging and Eating Foods High in Anti-Oxidants

Healthy, anti-oxidant rich, anti-aging foods can enhance your health, energy, mental fitness and slow many of the signs and changes of aging.

Many consumers have been taught that low-fats foods, such as lean meat, dairy products, yogurt and vegetables are the best foods to keep you healthy and prevent aging and skin wrinkles. But scientist now tell us that simply eating some salad or vegetables every now and then won’t do much. To understand which foods are the best and why, you need to understand how free radicals affect your skin health and increase the aging process.

Most longevity experts say that free radicals are the main cause of aging. Free radicals are oxygen molecules that have an ‘extra’ or free electron. This free electron makes the molecule unstable. It seeks another molecule so they can become stable. When the free radical bonds to another molecule it causes proteins and other essential molecules to not function as they should.  This reactive process sets up a chain reaction of which damages the body’s cells.

Recently, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the USDA created a new food classification system that rates the antioxidant content of various food. This list is called ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

A quote from the ORAC report reads, “The development of various chronic and degenerative diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and neuronal degeneration such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease may be attributed, in part, to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has also been implicated in the process of aging. Although the human body has developed a number of systems to eliminate free radicals such as reactive oxygen species from the body, it is not 100% efficient.”

It is believed that the anti-oxidants found in certain foods can protect the body from the damage caused by these free radicals. High ORAC ratings means the food has high anti-oxidant potential and thus rates as a good Anti-aging food.

Here are some highlights from the USDA ORAC list:

Release 1 – November 2007. Values were reported for 277 food items.  Release 2 – May 2010. Values were added for 49 food items, including maple syrup, acai, and goji berries, for a total of 326 food items.

Cinnamon: 100 grams of ground cinnamon has a rating of 267,536, making it extremely high on the anti-aging and free-radical-blocking scale. This is why many longevity experts suggest sprinkling some cinnamon on your food or hot drinks.

BEANS: A half cup (dried beans) of small Red Beans has a score of 13727 , Red kidney beans 13259 , Pinto beans11864 and Black beans 4181.

FRUITS: Each ORAC number is for 1 cup. Wild blueberry1 13427; Cultivated blueberry 9019; Cranberry 8983,Blackberry 7701, Prunes (½ cup )7291 ; Raspberry 6058; Strawberry 5938; Red Delicious apple I whole) 5900 ; Granny Smith apple 5381 ; Sweet cherries (1 cup) 4873; Black plum 1 plum 4844 ; other plums have 4118 each and a Gala apple has a rating of 3903.

Artichoke hearts 1 cup, cooked ranked in at 7904. An ounce of Pecans scored 5095 and a single Russet potato cooked came in at 4649.

This list presupposes that the fruits and vegetables are fresh and that they pesticide free. Naturally organic foods and skincare choices  like anti-aging masks are best since organic foods and natural skin treatments have no toxic chemicals.

So, if you are concerned with aging skin and are interested in longevity, ensure that the food you put in your body does not have toxic chemicals and are high on the anti-oxidant list.

You can obtain the FDA complete ORAC listing at The FDA ORAC scale here:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15866

Arrest Aging By Using An Anti Aging Facial Mask

Aging is a constant and a natural process and it cannot be stopped it can only be slowed down.  Fine lines on and around the eyes and the corners of the mouth is the manifestation aging. As soon as these lines are visible people start to panic and look for solutions. There are many answers to the issue. One of them is anti aging facial mask which gives wondrous results. The stores are flooded with product related to anti aging amongst which anti aging facial mask is the most popular. Call by any name clay mask, exfoliating mask or by any other name, the basic work that they do is to tighten the skin.

Some are born with genes which keep them looking young for a longer period of time where as there are people who look very old early in their life. They can blame it all on the genes however; there are various other reasons which can be held responsible for aging. Some of the culprits are the sun, pollution, heat and dust, lifestyle and some habits. Most of these can be controlled to arrest further deterioration of the skin. Skin care has to be there right from the beginning. Before applying any anti aging facial mask cleansing of the face and neck has to be done. It would be good if one could sit in a steam bath. There are tones of organic anti aging facial masks that can be made at home. Once a mask is applied it is good to sit back and relax for a while. Remove the mask and follow the daily regime of toning and moisturizing.

Before any beauty product is bought it is good to recognize the skin type, tone and texture so that the correct mask is bought to achieve the desired results.

The Myriad Benefits of using Anti Aging Facial Masks

Here is something that you all have wanted to hear- The unwanted process of skin aging can be reversed and there are more than 100 ways to do it! The beauty marts are sprawling with products that promise counter aging. Of all these anti aging products, anti aging facial masks enjoy phenomenal popularity. Anti aging facial masks are known by many other names like rejuvenating facial masks, exfoliating masks, counter aging masks, clay masks etc. All perform the same task- skin tightening.

It is very interesting that many oldies look young while there are many not-so-old people who look overly aged. It is the skin that makes a person look young or old. When the exterior skin layers begin to thin down, the facial skin starts to sag down. This loss of elasticity makes the skin look older. At times, a person exposes himself to excessive heat, dust, chemicals and pollution. This makes the facial skin droop down. This is the reason why it is always stressed that a person must start to take steps against aging since the very beginning.

Before you begin with your mask application, clean your facial skin and adjoining neck area with water. You may as well use a good quality cleanser to clean off all the dust and makeup. Steam bath is also recommended by skincare experts but it is not mandatory. If however you choose to indulge in facial steam, what better? While the mask is on, you may also place cucumber slices or cooled chamomile bags on your eyes. That helps a great deal.

It is rather easy to prevent skin aging than to find ways to battle it. There is an array of herbal beauty skin products. These products do not allow the signs of aging to settle in, in the first place.

All Time Anti Aging Masks For You

The skin starts withering away post 30. It is important that people start paying due attention to their skin this time around. Usually women are more concerned or rather horrified about skin aging. Anti-aging facial masks have come to help this lot of worried women. These masks effectively counter all major and minor signs of aging.

Considering the extensive demand for anti aging facial masks, the beauty stores are full with them. The realization of the benefits of anti aging facial masks has dawned upon the majority of masses.

Readymade anti aging facial masks are equipped with peculiar anti aging agents. The cosmetic companies are in the race to formulate the most effective of all anti aging formula. There is no dearth of crooked and unscrupulous manufacturers out there. You must keep away from falling prey to their crafted tricks.

There are many kitchen-made anti aging masks as well. Of all the fruits, peach is known to be the richest source of anti aging properties. Banana comes second. Both these fruits are especially apt in making loose skin taut. The pulp of these fruits can be applied as a mask to shoo away furrows and age lines as well. Avocados and cherries are also very beneficial in reverse aging. Papaya can also be mashed and worn as a mask.

Oil massage is also recommended by dermatologists. Canola oil, virgin olive oil, jojoba oil and wheat germ oil are most frequently used to gently massage the area around the eyes. This helps to do away with facial wrinkles.

Chocolate masks are also used by many to reverse the aging process. Honey masks are also used as anti aging facial masks. Honey helps to nourish the facial skin and lend it a youthful look. Clay masks tighten the facial skin. These are very soothing and refreshing.

Facial Masks To Defy Aging!

The anti aging industry is booming! The credit for this flourishing industry goes to all those people out there who want to defy aging. Almost every elderly seems to have been bitten by the anti aging bug. Everybody seems to have taken the challenge to fight aging.

There is not one formula for anti aging. There are countless such formulas that are floating around in the market. Application of anti aging facial masks is a promising way to delay aging. Anti aging facial masks may work on two principles. Either they work on drooping skin to make it look taut or they focus primarily on age lines.

Anti aging facial masks are readily available in the stores. Before buying you must take the pains to go through the constituents of the mask. Keep away from masks or for that matter any anti aging formula that contains alcohol, parabens, propylene glycol and mineral oil. All of them are supposed to cause skin cancers. Omega 3 fatty acids, on the contrary are effective in battling aging.

Anti aging facial masks can be made at home with ease. Peach especially is known to defy aging. There are various other items available in every home that can be used to fight the signs of aging.

For those who do not want the ugly signs of aging to show up soon, there are a couple of points to be borne in mind. Sunlight is essential for the body. Excessive exposure to sun however, may cause pigmentation. It is also held that excessive exposure to sunlight causes wrinkles around the eyes. So it is important that you wear sun-shades whenever you go out in the sun. Also, you must always wear a sunscreen to protect your sun exposed skin. Sleeping upside down may also cause wrinkles. So, check on your sleeping posture.

Are Homemade Aging Masks As Effective?

The worst part associated with aging is drooping skin. Facial masks are a great way to tighten the sagging skin as a result of old age. There is a wide variety of anti aging masks available in the market. Some of these are extremely beneficial while others are not worth a try. Now, how to distinguish worthy for worthless anti aging masks is indeed a tough job. You never know if the mask contains an element your skin is sensitive to. Obviously, you can’t always make that out by going through the list of ingredients. As such, it is essential that either you seek help from a well known dermatologist or you yourself conduct a good research on what should form a part of your aging mask and what not. You will form a basic idea after you finish reading this write-up.

You may even try your own hand at making out an anti-aging mask. Papaya, honey and primrose oil may be applied as a facial mask to fight the nasty signs of aging. You may as well treat your face to the luxury of rich chocolate. Chocolate, you all know is a great stress buster. It can work wonders with your body when you allow it do so. Almond oil, oatmeal powder, cucumber and Aloe Vera mask is followed since times immemorial and this bears a testimony to the fact that this homemade facial mask is actually effective. Avocadoes, honey, chamomile and glycerin facial mask is equally worth it. Mud and clay facial masks are supposed to be pretty successful in fighting aging as well.

The best part about anti-aging masks is that these may be used by either gender to produce equally effective and apparent results. Why? What’s wrong? Even men dread aging and if they do well what’s the big deal?

Skin Care to Prevent Premature Aging

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Aging is a normal process of life and the evidence of aging shows on our skin. As we age skin begins to thin, dry and dull due to slow cell turn over. New skin cells do not grow as quickly, resulting in thinning skin. As a result, dead skin cells shed less quickly making the appearance of the skin dull and dry. Collagen and elastin-the system of fibers that make skin firm and elastic-begin to break down, resulting in sagging and wrinkles. Pigmentation is more prominent as we age when melanocytes, (which produce skin pigment) begin to produce irregularly. Research has shown there are two different factors in aging; intrinsic or internal and extrinsic or external.

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Intrinsic aging, the natural course of aging, has to do with genes and inheritance. Natural aging begins at birth; however, signs of aging begin to appear on the skin in our mid 20’s. Intrinsic aging includes slower cell turn over, and less collagen production. Elastin begins to break down which acts like a rubber band enabling our skin to stretch and snap back. Visible signs of intrinsic skin aging include fine lines, loss of suppleness, dry and thin skin.
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Extrinsic aging are the external factors that age the skin. These include sun exposure, health and diet, gravity, sleeping positions, smoking, drinking and even facial expressions. External factors cause premature aging to the skin and can become visible rather quickly.
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While intrinsic factors are mostly uncontrollable, fortunately, extrinsic aging is controllable. Skin aging is a normal process however, premature aging of the skin can be prevented. A healthy lifestyle, yearly physical exams and topical care of the skin can prevent premature aging. A healthy, active life style will create healthy, strong skin from the outside in, preventing premature aging. Physical exams may catch early signs of skin damage that then can be treated. Topical skin care allows the skin to absorb ingredients through topical products that aid in building the epidermis and dermal layers of skin, the skin that is and will become visible. Topical care includes skin care products such as face masks, anti-aging masks, cleansers, moisturizers, serums and sunscreens.

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To prevent premature aging is to treat your skin as one of a kind. There are many different skin types, meaning what one person is doing to take care of their skin is not necessarily what you need to be doing to treat your skin. However, the most important products to aid in preventing premature aging are cleansers, exfoliates, moisturizers with hydrators and sunscreens. Cleansers will cleanse the skin clearing excess oil, dirt and debris. Exfoliates will slough off dead skin, deep clean pores and result in smoother more even skin tone. Moisturizers with hydrators will keep the skin supple and moist, while sunscreen will help to protect the skin from sun damage. It is also important to consider skin care products that include essential oils and antioxidants to help fight off free radicals that can further damage skin cells. Always consult a dermatologist before starting any skin care routine.

By Tiffany Oney

Tiffany Oney is a licensed esthetician, professional makeup artist and natural skincare authority. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies California State University, Long Beach and interning with Vivoderm Natural Skincare in Los Angeles, California.

 

Five Top Ways to Age Gracefully

The biological make-up of our skin begins to show signs of aging as early as our 20s. Age shows not only on our face, neck and chest but all over. There are many ways to care for your skin and prevent premature aging. Following are five ways that you can age gracefully. These are things you can do in your daily life that will dramatically reduce signs of aging.

• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit. We all know that smoking is bad for us and affects our body negatively. Smoking
  

  smoking causes wrinkles

  contributes to premature aging and many other health problems. The many chemicals in cigarettes influence the skin’s structure and dehydrate the cells, resulting in increased aging.

• Get some sleep. Research has shown that people who sleep regularly seven to eight hours a night are healthier than those who lack sleep or over sleep. Sleeping allows the body to repair cellular damage and recharge. To prevent signs of aging on the face, try sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your stomach or side can damage skin by slowing down circulation and weakening the skin’s elasticity, resulting in wrinkles.

• Sunscreen, use it, wear it, and love it. Wear sunscreen everyday-even on cloudy or rainy days, and even if you are just going to be outside a short time. We all know that the sun has harmful affects to the skin. Sun tanning and burning damage the skin, leading to premature aging. Sun exposure over time leads to wrinkles and ugly pigmentation spots. There is no excuse to not wear sunscreen, it comes in all forms and is formulated now to be lightweight and beneficial to the skin as well as giving sun protection.

• Hydrate and Moisturize the skin from the inside and outside. Hydrated skin is healthy and plump, looks moist and shows few wrinkles and lines. As we age our skin loses elasticity; using moisturizers with ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that help repair the skin is the best way to restore elasticity and prevent its break down. Drink lots of water to hydrate the skin internally and use a good moisturizer. Try intense facial moisturizer or zinc repair by Vivoderm.
• A healthy lifestyle and healthy diet can dramatically strengthen the skin and prevent premature aging. Fruits, vegetables,
  

  healthy diet and skin

  nuts and other nutrient- rich produce give the body strength to fight and repair damage. If you are good to your body from the inside out, you will have less external maintenance. Part of a healthy life style is getting exercise, so get up and get moving. Fit people also tend have less heath problems. Health problems can lead to premature aging of the skin by showing wrinkles and damage earlier than those people who choose to be healthy.

There is no way to prevent aging - it is inevitable, however there are ways to slow it down. Today there is plastic surgery and amazing skin care products to improve the look and feel of skin. But it’s never too late to prevent further damage so you don’t have to take the drastic measures of plastic surgery or spend tons of money on skin care later in life.

By Tiffany Oney

Tiffany Oney is a licensed esthetician, professional makeup artist and natural skincare authority.  She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies California State University, Long Beach and interning with Vivoderm Natural Skincare in Los Angeles, California.

Anti Aging Skin Care Tips For Dry Skin

A contributing factor to dry, flaky, skin in winter is a drop in temperature. Although winter sometimes feels damp, there is usually less water in the air than on your skin and that creates a moisture vapour loss from the skin. As skin becomes drier, its surface layer stops producing the natural lipids which prevent moisture loss, and water cannot be retained so easily. Dry skin will also show wrinkles more easlit and contribute to an aging appearance.

As a result of all these factors, sometimes skin on the face and body tends to be in worse condition in the winter months than at other times of the year. In extreme cases, a constant drying effect can even lead to cracking, flaking and redness.

These four tips for helping to keep dry skin at bay during the colder months come from Dr. Kucy Pon, Olay dermatologist.

1. A moisturizer is essential - A moisturizer performs several important functions, including replacing lost water. Water-binding ingredients, such as glycerin, help keep it in the skin.

2. Create an oasis - Put some moisture back into the air by using a humidifier in your home or office. It will counteract the drying effects of indoor heat.

3. Drink lots of water - Increase your body’s natural moisture level by staying hydrated throughout the day.

4. Keep wrapped up - Dress for the season and try to limit your skin’s exposure to harsh temperatures and damaging winds.

If you have dry skin, then you probably already know it can be really difficult to care for. When you don’t look after it properly, it can become flaky, and if it gets really bad, may even become irritated and red. Although it’s possible to find plenty of products that claim to be able to solve dry skin problems, unfortunately most of their claims are sales hype.

Although most over the counter products don’t do much to combat dry skin, there are a number of things you can do to improve the condition of your skin. It’s mostly a question of making some basic changes to your daily skincare routine. It won’t take long for your skin to appear more healthy and vibrant.

With dry skin, you have completely the opposite problem to someone with oily skin. Basically, your skin is suffering from a lack of sebum, the oil that helps to keep the skin moist and supple. People with oily skin produce far too much sebum. Sebum is actually made from skin cells, and is an essential ingredient in healthy, supple skin. Because dry skin has insufficient oil, you need to replace it from both inside and outside.

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to use a good quality moisturizer. Choose a cream that is rich, but not heavy. Consider choosing a natural cream with aloe vera and chamomile. Both these ingredients are very soothing, as well as helping to reduce dryness and improve the skin’s healing abilities.

You also need to look at the type of foods you eat. It’s important to choose healthy foods, because the healthier your body, the healthier your skin will be. You may not realize this, but your skin is actually the largest organ of your body. So it needs to be nourished just like all the other organs in your body. Depending on the types of food you already eat, you might need to consider taking a supplement, such as Vitamin E, Omega-3 oils and B-Complex vitamins. Making sure you get enough of these important nutrients is a great way to improve the condition of your skin.

By nourishing your skin in both these ways, you should soon a marked reduction in the level of dryness. Helping your skin to be more supple and moist also helps to slow down the process of aging, so you’re the winner in two ways.

By Tom Turner

Regular Exercize Key Factor in Anti-Aging

According to Natural News Sources, Telomeres, regions of DNA which protect the ends of chromosomes from destruction, have made big news in 2009.

In fact, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded this year to researchers who investigated the nature of telomeres. Why all the interest? It appears telomeres hold the key to why we age because when a cell becomes old and dies, it’s due to the shortening of chromosomal telomeres. So, if you could keep the length of telomeres from changing, that might literally halt aging. And now comes research showing there is a natural way to impact telomeres and produce an anti-aging effect — long-term physical activity.

According to research just reported in the journal Circulation, intensive exercise can prevent a shortening of telomeres. That, the scientists found, results in a protective effect against aging on a cellular level and could be especially important in keeping the cardiovascular system healthy. So, while you can slather on expensive creams and opt for plastic surgery, if you want to actually slow down aging, your best bet is to get moving and exercise regularly.

A research team from Saarland University in Homburg, Germany, measured the length of telomeres in blood samples from a group of 32 professional runners with an average age of 20 who were on the German National Team of Track and Field. The young men regularly trained by running about 73 kilometers (km) — a little over 45 miles — each week. The scientists also measured the length of telomeres from the blood of middle-aged athletes (average age 51) who had participated in continuous endurance exercise since their youth and who ran about 80 km, or almost 50 miles, per week. These findings were then compared to the telomere lengths found in a group of healthy non-smokers, matched for age with the athletes, who didn’t exercise regularly.

The results? The scientists discovered that long-term exercise training activated an enzyme known as telomerase which reduces telomere shortening in human leukocytes (white blood cells). Telomere loss was found to be far lower in the older, master athletes who had been exercising for decades. Bottom line: the rate of telomere loss that is assumed to be normal as we grow older and that leads to the physical signs of aging can, in fact, be dramatically slowed through long term, vigorous exercise.

“This is direct evidence of an anti-aging effect of physical exercise. Physical exercise could prevent the aging of the cardiovascular system, reflecting this molecular principle,” Ulrich Laufs, M.D., the study’s lead author and professor of clinical and experimental medicine in the department of internal medicine at Saarland University, said in a statement to the media. “The most significant finding of this study is that physical exercise of the professional athletes leads to activation of the important enzyme telomerase and stabilizes the telomere.”

What’s more, previous animal studies by Dr. Laufs and colleagues have shown that exercise exerts effects on proteins that not only stabilize telomeres but also protect cells from deterioration and programmed cell death. “Our data improves the molecular understanding of the protective effects of exercise on the vessel wall and underlines the potency of physical training in reducing the impact of age-related disease,” Dr. Laufs concluded.

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