Healthy Diet, Healthy Skin

By: Van Le

The saying “you are what you eat” didn’t happen by accident.  More Americans are realizing that what we put in our bodies dictates how well we think, look and feel.  Eating is the body’s way of obtaining the nutrition and vitamins required in order for the body to function properly.  Consuming the right kind of food can increase our energy level, lead to healthier-looking skin, and boost our self-confidence.  Americans spend billions of dollars each year on beauty products that promise to hide blemishes, cover under-eye circles, and conceal wrinkles; however, these products only temporarily fix what’s on the outside.  In order to have truly healthy skin, we must monitor our food intake and eat food that allows our body to naturally generate that coveted healthy glow.

Water:  Everyone knows that we should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, but not everyone does.  Seventy percent of the body is comprised of water, which is vital to cellular replenishment..  Water also helps flush bodily toxins and regulate our body temperature.   Try to limit caffeine and alcohol intake, as they can lead to dehydration and cause dull, dry skin.  If you think water is too plain, try adding lemon slices or cucumber for a hint of taste.

Low-fat dairy products:  Milk, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese all contain vitamin A, a key ingredient in most anti-aging, anti-acne and anti-wrinkle products.  Vitamin A strengthens the skin, helps repair and restoration processes and prevents wrinkles.  The recent frozen yogurt craze has helped increase consumption of dairy products, however, it is important to remember that a cup of yogurt topped with candy, caramel, and other processed sugary treats can be counterproductive.  Instead, choose healthier fresh fruit toppings such as blueberries and strawberries.

Antioxidants: Fruits like berries and pomegranates are filled with antioxidants, which have been proven to protect the skin against UV damage such as wrinkles and dark spots.  They also protect the skin from free radicals, which are organic molecules responsible for tissue damage and aging.  According to antioxidantskincare.org, “when free radicals attack healthy skin cells, they cause the cell to decay,” which can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease and speed up aging.  Antioxidants neutralize the production of free radicals.

Omega 3:  Walnuts, flaxseeds and salmon contain essential fatty acids that prevent harmful substances from entering cells.  They help regulate cell functions and maintain skin elasticity, leading to soft and healthy skin.  A diet filled with omega 3 will result in radiant skin, stronger hair and overall good health.  Our bodies cannot produce omega 3, therefore, it is important to add omega 3 to our diet.

Whole grain:  Wheat products such as bread, pasta, and cereal contain plenty of vitamin B, which can even out skin tone and help the skin maintain moisture.  Whole grain products help replace dead skin by stimulating cell growth on the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer.  Increase your consumption of whole grains by replacing white bread, pasta and bagels with wheat products.  Most likely, you won’t even taste the difference.

Makeup can create the illusion of healthy skin, but true healthy skin starts and ends with a proper diet.  A healthy diet is an essential way to achieve not only radiant skin, but also a radiant lifestyle.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare, you can also link to http://bestskincareforme.com

Top Anti-Aging Tips for Overall Health

“Carpe Diem” The Roman poet Horace wrote. “Seize the day.. and place no trust in tomorrow.”  Well, that might have worked well in ancient times, when life expectancy was just a wee bit shorter - say age 40 - and wrinkles weren’t a high priority. But just because our modern days are adding up, doesn’t mean we have to show it!

Anti aging tips can teach us effective ways to slow down aging process. Aging cannot be stopped but it can be delayed by following healthy lifestyle. By following certain important steps regularly, we can hold off the affects of father time just a little while longer. There are both ancient proven therapies and modern treatments that effectively reduce the effects of aging. We first need to understand that:

* Aging is a natural process
* It is a continuous process
* It increases with time
* It cannot be stopped but can be slowed down
Intake of Anti Aging Herbs

Herbs like Ginseng, Rhodiola, Maca have active ingredients that directly/ indirectly suppress aging.

There main properties are:

* They boost our energy level and acts as anti stress.
* They strengthen our internal system and increase our resistance power
* They are natural and safe to use and do not have adverse side effects compared to chemical based medicines.

Yoga And Meditation

Practiced in ancient India and Asia for centuries, yoga has gained a huge following in the West. A few benefits of yoga and meditation are:

* Meditation is excellent for mind and practicing it releases stress.
* Meditation increases concentration. Yoga is a combination of breathing and body postures that increases blood circulation.
* Yoga strengthens muscles and regulates the flow of oxygen in our system.
* Yoga has long-term effect and should be practiced regularly.
* Yoga keeps your body fit and energy level high thus suppressing aging.
* Yoga helps in maintaining weight by burning fat and increases metabolic rate to certain extent. It involves no external application or intake of any medicine. It is the most simple and natural way to stay fit physically and mentally

Exercise

Exercising regularly keeps you slim and fit. Today doctors recommend regular daily exercise for maximum benefits as well as helping to keep those health insurance premiums low.

Benefits of exercises are:

*Increased your cardiovascular capability and hence you feel more active.
* Staying slim is one of the key factors to look young.
* Exercising tones your muscles and they do not sag early. It burns your extra flab and prevents bone loss.
* It helps to fight high blood pressure, cholesterol and gives you good sleep. Exercising hence will keep you slim, fit, stress free, and thus reducing your aging process.

Natural Skin Care
Regular cleansing is very important to keep our skin free from dirt and dead cells. Natural products are soft on skin and they do not harm our skin. A few benefits of natural skin care are:

* Cleaning our skin with natural scrubs remove dead cells and add a glow to your skin.
* Proper toning and moisturizing using natural toner and cream keeps the skin soft and clean.
* The cleaning regimen followed dedicatedly, is an anti aging process in itself. It is very important to keep your skin clean from pollution, harmful UV rays and other external impurities.

Restricted Diet
What we eat is what we gain on our body. Obesity is one of the most prevalent diseases the world is fighting. We need food to extract energy for our survival of course, but everything in moderation is the key.

Some benefits of proper diets are:

* Restricted diet provides you with what your body actually needs and keeps extra calories away.
* A low calorie diet with a balance of all nutrients is the ideal menu for all.

* Starving or over eating should be avoided. Going for crash diets and binges are fatal for life and may lead to other chemical imbalances, such as depression or hormone fluctuations. Hence eating what yourbody requires needs proper diet planning.
* Taking raw food rich in vitamins and minerals acts as rich source of anti aging agents.

Oral Supplements
No matter how efficiently and carefully we eat, at times we all have low levels of vitamins and minerals in our bodies.
The main reasons to take oral supplements are:

* As we age the food intake decreases and hence the sufficient proportion of vitamins and minerals do not reach in body.
* Certain food restrictions or diets also lower the intake of vitamins and minerals from their natural source.

This is the time when oral supplements come into picture. Multi Vitamin supplements are given during pregnancy, illness and in chronic diseases and for anti aging. Vitamins are responsible for maintenance of our body they are effective anti oxidant and anti aging agents.

Anti Oxidants
An anti oxidant is a substance that protects body from the ill effects of oxidation. Vitamin E, C and A have strong anti oxidant properties. Some benefits of Anti Oxidants are:

* Extra amounts of free radicals in anti oxidants control compounds such as Lipoic acid and help slow aging.
* Anti Oxidants reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Hormones (HRT)
Hormones are strong chemicals produced from cholesterol, amino acids and proteins from endocrine glands. They work as a messenger between our brains to body organs. Hormone Replacement Therapy adjusts the body to aging.

A few benefits of HRT are:

* Improved skin and body moisture.
* Increased sexual drive rejuvenates brain, hence, the person feels young and energetic.

HRT should be taken strictly under the supervision of specialized medical practitioner.

If beating father time is on your top priority list, then hopefully, some of the above tips will help you maintain that gorgeous youthful skin and body!

Your Face Reflects Your Diet

You may have heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.” Never does it ring more true when we consider the quality of our skin. It’s not a fallacy to say we feel better when we eat pure, healthy foods that support and nourish our bodies as compared to a diet of over-processed, chemical-laden foods. Without proper nutrients, the body just can’t function optimally. It will be sluggish, lack vitality, and lack muscle mass. On the surface, the skin may show wrinkles, sagging, acne, age spots and appear overall to be dull. Free radicals can take the blame for some of this skin degeneration, but if you want beautiful, healthy, glowing skin – you have to feed it right. Antioxidant-rich foods that contain vitamin C and E have been found to defend against free radicals by giving them their own electrons and forming a barrier that protects skin cells. You may already know certain behaviors and habits will either help or harm your skin, such as proper diet, exercise, smoking and sun exposure. One of the most significant sources of skin-damaging free radicals is cigarette smoke.

The modern Western diet is filled with carbohydrates, unnecessary sugars and salts, fats and caffeine. Most would be shocked to learn just how many of these detrimental elements they consume in a day. According to current research, it is the sugars and carbohydrates that have the worst effects on your complexion. They rob your skin of the oxygen it needs to stay youthful and can also cause inflammation.

In opposition to the processed foods, a diet that is pure and natural to its original essence as possible will provide your skin with vital nutrients and oxygen. Fruits and vegetables are on the top of this list of course, but other vital fats like walnuts, olive oil and fresh fish oils will also contribute greatly to beautiful, glowing skin. You cannot improve your skin without first improving your daily diet. Take the time to research various natural foods and their beneficial qualities. Try to incorporate these foods as much as possible into your lifestyle. Also beneficial is to replace those sugar-laden sodas with fresh water and teas. Proper hydration will help flush residual toxins from your system while you are optimizing your diet.

Once you consider what foods you are ingesting, you may also need to consider your smoking and drinking habits. We all know how harmful excessive smoking or drinking can be for our health, but our skin will be the first to show the signs of damage–long before our bodies give any indication of disease or imbalance. Smoking creates a toxic metabolism in your whole body. Many know the lungs are damaged by smoking–which is bad enough in itself–but the lack of oxygen will show on your face first. You will see more wrinkles around the eyes and mouth and smokers also have skin that is slower to heal. Blood is actually directed away from the skin by the destructive effects of nicotine, resulting in a sallow, grayish skin tone. On a scientific level, the nicotine blocks the oxygen supply to your skin, causing the subdermal capillaries to go into spasms, eventually increasing the rate at which your skin ages.

If you are hoping a cosmetic procedure will “erase” all the damage you have done – be aware that many doctors today will not perform any invasive procedures on a smoker due to the slower healing rate and lack of it results it can cause.

Once you have incorporated healthier foods into your life and reduced or eliminated smoking and excessive drinking, it is guaranteed you will see noticeable positive results in your skin’s appearance and in your overall health.

Three Step Routine for Beautiful Skin

Cleanse, Nourish, Moisturize.

If you suffer from any type of facial malady, most experts will agree, the first rule of skin care is: cleanse, nourish, and moisturize. No matter what type of skin you have, this three-step routine for the care of your skin is essential to counteract the daily effects of environment, stress, and the skin’s natural process of cell degeneration. It is the very minimum you must do to maintain a normal, healthy, youthful complexion. Even if you do nothing else for an existing skin problem, keeping this regimen every day can help to improve your condition, sometimes in a short amount of time.

The basic requirements for good skin include daily cleansing, nourishing, and moisturizing that is right for your complexion type. A total facial beauty program should feature daily skincare: cleansing, toning, moisturizing, weekly facial masks, healthy eating, rejuvenating body baths, exfoliation, and of course, exercise.

Following a seasonal skin care regimen is ideal for everyone, no matter what your skin condition, as our skin fluctuates with the seasons. In winter, cold temperatures and lack of humidity make moisturizing a must. In the heat of the summer months, the humidity is higher and you are more prone to exercise and sweat, so a moisturizer may not be necessary, but a sunscreen will - then you may notice more breakouts and need a detoxifying clay mask for example.

The most common skincare complaints include acne, eczema, psoriasis, premature wrinkles, sagging and age spots. Not all of these skin maladies will occur at the same time and not all skincare products will be necessary at all times. If you have combination skin, you may even need to ‘spot-treat’ – a moisturizer on your cheeks and a detoxifying mask on your forehead and nose, for example.

If you are a resourceful natural skincare advocate, you may already make some of your best skincare products at home. If you prefer to buy your skin care products rather than make them, it will benefit you greatly to be a knowledgeable consumer. Learn to distinguish the true natural products from the many pretenders on the market today.

Typically most skincare treatments are external. While they are vital to achieving a flawless complexion and an all-over healthy appearance, they alone are not sufficient to eliminate all skin problems completely. A topical product will alleviate only the surface issues of disease and aging, not the cause itself. For that you must also cleanse and nourish the body and mind internally - where all disorders begin. Internal skincare is equally if not more important that any external cream, especially when it comes to diet and key stress-reducing techniques like exercise, meditation and massage.

You can take years off your appearance by rejuvenating your skin if you are willing to follow a “whole-health” regimen. Make a routine of your daily skincare with proper cleansing, nourishing / toning and moisturizing as well as feeding your body nourishing, healthy foods and exercising. You will see the results for yourself through your improved complexion and an overall feeling of well-being.