Good Fats
Although low-fat diets generally lead to better health, our skin actually does need some fat. Eating fat is like ‘oiling’ your body: the right balance of fats will help maintain the skin’s surface barrier and protect against loss of moisture, keeping skin smooth, soft and supple. Fats also transport the fatsoluble vitamins A, D, Eand K around the body. But in order to achieve these functions, it’s important to eat the right fats. ‘Bad’ fats are the trans fatty acids found in convenience foods such as highly processed polyunsaturated corn, safflower and sunflower oils, and margarine. They promote heart disease, disrupt the hormonal balance and cause the cell walls to lose their capacity to maintain the moisture balance. The ‘good’ fats are the essential fatty acids -omega 3, 6 and 9. Omega 3 fats are found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines), walnuts, flax seeds and flaxseed oil. The omega 6 group is found in avocados, nuts and seeds. The omega 3 oils are vitally important to the skin and have great antiinflammatory properties. (Remember, inflammation is a major cause of skin ageing.) Omega 9 fats are found in extra virgin olive oil. The easiest wayto test if you’re getting enough EFAs is a simple skin test. Because the skin is the last organ the oil reaches, dry skin tells you that you’re not getting enough in. After a hot bath, towel yourself dry and don’t apply mouisturizer. If your skin feels dry, you need more Has. Ideally, you shouldn’t need a body lotion because your skin is being lubricated from the inside. EFAs are available in capsule form.
The Power of Protein
Protein is vital for good skin: it contains 25 amino acids -the building blocks of the body -and is essential to build good, strong cell walls. The best proteins come from animal sources -eggs, fish and game meat, and a little from dairy. It is a little more difficult for vegetarians to build beautiful skin, but it is possible. Proteins are also found in dried grains and pulses, like millet, wheat, soy, beans, peas and lentils.
Bright Colors
The brighter the colours of your fruits and vegetables, the greater their immune-boosting and antioxidant content. Phytochemicals –natural antioxidants that protect the body against degeneration -are found in bright fruits and vegetables. They support immunity, stabilize vitamins in skin tissues, protect from illness and premature ageing, act as free radical scavengers and help to smooth and firm the skin. The wider the variety of fresh phytonutrient plants you eat, the better.
Low Sugar
Eating high GI food like bananas, bread, sugar, crisps and cereal, on a regular basis can lead to skin degeneration. You’ll see it as loss of radiance, sagging, wrinkles, blotchiness, spots and thin skin. Lower GI foods will help protect your body from blood sugar disorders and insulin resistance syndrome.
By avoiding junk foods and sticking to a diet that is rich in power foods such as fresh salmon, raw fruit and vegetables, you will soon notice a difference in the appearance and feel of your skin. Apples contain minerals such as iron copper, calcium and magnesium, as well as natural sugars and vitamin C -very good for oily, blemished skin.
Raw Foods
Many nutrients, vitamins and amino acids are destroyed when vegetables are cooked and, in some, the biochemical structure of the nutrients can be altered by heat. The water content is also decreased through cooking. The water found in raw foods is of the highest quality and contains important trace elements, so it’s advisable to eat as many vegetables raw as possible.
Water
Water plays a crucial role in digesting your food and absorbing nutrients. If you don’t drink enough water, your skin will start to look dry and papery and feel tight. Each time you exhale, you are releasing metabolic waste -about two large glasses a day. Your kidneys and intestines eliminate another six or so glasses every 24 hours and about another two glasses are released through the pores in your skin. On a hot day, this can triple. You need three to four litres of water a day for optimal health. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink: thirst is a sign that you’re already dehydrated.
Your skin is 70% water. If you don’t get in your eight glasses a day, your skin can become dry and flaky.
CAUSES OF PREMATURE AGING
Free Radicals
Get in enough antioxidants, don’t smoke and avoid other forms of pollution as far as possible.
Unstable Blood Sugar Levels
Reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and get enough protein and good fats. Maintain a healthy weight and stop eating when you are 80% full. Eat small, regular meals.
Poor Detoxification; Sluggish Circulation:
Symptoms include a hung-over feeling (even withoutthe alcohol), chronic fatigue, bad breath, migraines, itching skin, skin allergies, premature photo ageing and pigmentation, joint pains and stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome and chemical sensitivity. Find time to detox, and generally include more healthy food and water in your diet. It’s a good idea to visit a health spa to kickstart your detox under supervision.
Chronic Inflammation
This is caused by deficiencies of vitamins 86, B12 and folate; a diet high in animal fats; deficiencies of qualbioflavonoids and antioxidants; food additives, as well as MSG and aspartamine. Increase or reduce these elements as appropriate for your diet. Impaired immune system function: symptoms include frequent colds, sinusitis, thrush, slow wound healing, recurring bacterial or viral infections.Correct nutrition is essential. Antioxidants, garlic and zinc can help strengthen the immune system.
Prolonged and Severe Stress
This results in excessive cortisol production, which depresses the immune system and can thus negatively affect other hormones. Find activities that relax your mind and body, and engage in these regularly.
Eat your way to great skin
If you want to look and feel good, supply your body with a few fresh energy foods and it will reward you with glowing good skin:
-freshly squeezed vegetable juice, especially celery, carrot, beetroot and wheat grass
-sprouts and seeds
-red grapes
-yogurt, fermented foods
-tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables
-garlic, turmeric and ginger
-sardines, salmon and fatty fish
-soy products, tofu
-kelp and seaweed
-olive oil
-blueberries, cherries
-barley grass
Supplements for a healthy skin
• Vitamins A, C and E, selenium and co-enzyme Q 10
• The B group of vitamins
Omega 3 essential fatty acids
Sulphur (MSMj methyl sulfonyl methane), a component of cystine that aids in healing and tissue repair. It’s necessary to produce collagen and keratin and is useful in treating acne, eczema and psoriasis. It’s found in fish, eggs, meat and some fruits and vegetables Alpha lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant found in small amounts in animal livers and kidneys, red meat, spinach and potatoes
Relaxation
Taking time to relax is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Less stress not only means fewer frown lines, but deeper health benefits as well, such as improved breathing and circulation and reduced muscle stress.
Meditation
If you battle to switch off and relax, you may want to try meditation. Research shows that regular meditation can help with complaints like headaches, asthma, PMS and hypertension. The idea behind meditation is to empty the mind of all thoughts by focusing on one particular thought. It may be difficult initially, but with practice, you’ll find that it becomes easier to slip into a state of calm. Start with five to 10 minutes and increase the time as you feel fit.
• Choose a quiet spot where you won’t be interrupted.
• Avoid meditating just before or immediately after a meal. A full or growling stomach is a sure form of distraction.
• Sit comfortably with your hands resting in your lap or lie down. Close your eyes.
Focus on relaxing one part of your body at a time, starting with your scalp and moving slowly all the way down to your toes. Feel the tension dissolve from each muscle and each limb, including your face, stomach and back.
• To prevent thoughts of your ‘To Do’ list or what happened that day at work, focus on one neutral or calming thought. It could be a scene (Le. the sky), a colour (Le. blue) or a phrase (i.e. ‘I am calm.’).
• Let your breathing fall into a natural rhythm. Allow the air to fill your lungs and breathe from the abdomen, not the chest. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
• When you are finished, slowly open your eyes and stay quiet for a few more minutes.
Allow yourself regular ‘me’ time to relax and reflect.
The benefits of meditation
Cultivates a state of serenity
Regulates blood pressure
Activates parasympathetic nervous system, allows muscles to relax and helps regulate breathing
An effective tool for coping with stress and pressure
Improves concentration
Breathing
Breathing is linked to our emotions. When we’re tense, our breathing is shallow and hurried; when upset, it’s irregular; when we’re bored, it’s long and drawn out. By consciously bringing our breathing under control, we can reduce the effects of emotional turbulence. By refocusing your attention on your breathing, you’re effectively pushing the worries out of your mind, and controlled, deep breathing has been shown to aid digestion, oxygenate the brain, alleviate asthma and bronchitis, improve blood circulation and improve the functioning of the immune system.
For total relaxation avoid all other mental stimuli. Within even a couple of minutes you will feel much more clear-headed and rested.
If a distracting tought enters your mind whlie you are trying to meditate, acknowledge it and let it go. Think of is as a balloon floathing away into the distance.
Your body needs to be treated to a regular detox, but there’s no need to starve yourself. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables can be tossed into a salad for a tasty, but healthy lunch.