HEALTHY LIVING

by

Eva Warren

Skin Deep

The largest organ of our body is our skin. We tend to take it for granted until it lets us know something is not in balance either within our bodies or outside our bodies. Everyone wants smooth nice skin. The reality is that our skin may reflect aging before any other part of our bodies. Our skin protects us to a large degree from environmental toxins. However, we must determine what we may want to expose our skin to. It is really imperative that we protect our skin from many chemicals present in our daily environments. Let us look at the many ways we can protect our skin and keep it from being damaged.

How clean is your diet? Diet can certainly affect our skin. The ideal would be lots of colors in the food we eat, primarily from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and omega rich fish. I have also found supplementing with a good vitamin/mineral and the B-complex vitamins daily are very good for the skin. If you do not have access to omega rich fish then take flax oil or fish oil daily. It is very important to get the junk out of the daily eating.

Green tea is a very good beverage. Regular black tea has many benefits as well. Even a couple cups of coffee may be tolerated. The best thing you can do as far as beverages go is to drink lots of water. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Pinch the back of your hand. If it is slow to recover to its former shape you need to drink more water.

There are many other factors pertaining to aging skin. Cigarette smoke is very aging to the skin, whether it is direct or second hand. Are you exposed to auto emissions? What kind of beauty products do you put on your skin? How much sun are you exposed to daily? It is important to look at how we take care of our skin to prevent disease from developing during the aging process.

Nicholas Perricone, M.D. is the author of The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Prescription. Dr. Perricone states ” it is the free radical which cause aging. These very busy little molecules are public enemy number one.” Free radicals are result as a byproduct of energy production in the body. Dr. Perricone goes on to say that a fifteen to twenty year difference can be seen in the appearances of skin of a smoker compared to a nonsmoker. Free radicals may also result from being exposed to excessive sunlight, pesticides and air pollution.

To prevent free radicals it is important to not only take in antioxidants like vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene but use cosmetics which have these antioxidants in them. DMAE, (dimethyllaminoethanol) , an antioxidant membrane stabilizer is available in lotions as well as tablets or capsules. Many lotions come with all of the above vitamins in combination in them along with the DMAE.

Some antioxidants occur naturally in the body. CoQ10, alpha lipoid acid plus the enzymes catalase, glutathione and superoxidedismutase (SOD) are manufactured within the body. As we age this may slow down and you may need to supplement these enzymes and antioxidants.

Americans are becoming more savvy according to Eileen Sheets, managing director of Bioforce USA, Ghent, New York. People are starting to realize the insides and outsides should match. She states in Vitamin Retailer magazine, ” making the outside look better without paying attention to what’s going on inside doesn’t make sense.” Peter Mc Mullin, vice president of sales and marketing for Sibu, The Seabuckthonn Company, Midvale, Utah states, “Americans are becoming more aware that our external appearance is greatly influenced by what we eat, what we drink and even the air we breathe.” It seems people are making an effort to eat healthier, closer to nature, and whole food supplements. Dr. Oz on his daily show promotes a healthy natural lifestyle of whole foods, vitamins and herbs. With Dr. Oz he suggests trying the less invasive approach. He frequently suggests herbal teas and extracts to try for various ailments.

There is a plant in almost every household which not only protects the skin but also nourishes it as well. Aloe vera. Of course, you may also buy it in a bottle in health stores. Anyone who has experienced a sunburn knows aloe vera can take the burn right out of it. Over two hundred nutrients are in this plant, including eighteen amino acids and many vitamins and minerals. Aloe vera is a multi-purpose plant which may be used internally and externally for skin, digestive and dental health.

Aloe helps promote collagen formation when it is applied directly to the skin. Since your skin depends on collagen for structure and strength, a healthier look may be obtained by using aloe vera products on your skin. Whether it is aging skin or sunburn, aloe has a healing, soothing, softening and cell repair effect on the skin. Anti-inflammatory properties in aloe vera stimulate skin repair and growth. Aloe may be used to treat rashes, injuries, wounds and minor cuts.

Aloe may help nutrient absorption internally in our bodies. Two independent studies were done in 2008 by an aloe supplement manufacturer. Proper uptake of nutrients is very important when it comes to our bodies. 100% certified aloe was used in the studies. The studies revealed the aloe juice increased the vitamin C absorption by twenty times in the first hour over taking vitamins with water alone. Could it be the high concentrations of polysaccharides?

Our skin protects our internal body systems. We need to take good care of it. Perhaps some of the above information will help those who may apply it. This information is not meant to diagnose, treat or prescribe in any way.

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Eva is a graduate of the American Institute of Holistic Theology and practices as a Doctor of Naturology. You may reach her at littleherbshoppe@hotmail.com

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