Posted by Melanie Vasseur on Thu, Jul 30, 2009 @ 02:19 PM
How to Get a Healthy Glow
Summer is HERE, and so is the warm weather and continuous sunshine. It’s only natural, after months of isolation indoors and bundling up with layers and hoods, that your first instinct is to soak in as much of the sun’s warm rays as possible.
But before you do, consider this; although you can’t feel them, ultraviolet rays are silent killers and the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles, not to mention a leading cause of diminishing self-esteem through premature aging that so many of us try to correct through surgery and artificial means. However, there are several precautionary steps one can take to ensure skin stays healthy and young-looking for years to come.
Know the basics by now, most of us know the importance of wearing a hat, sunglasses and applying sunscreen. But did you know that when it comes to lotions and creams, not all products are created equally? The difference lies in the ingredients. Consumers should select a brand that contains both zinc oxide and titanium oxide because the fine mineral particles reflect and scatter potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Check the expiration date just like with the ingredients, any old bottle of sunscreen will not do. An unopened bottle of sunscreen will keep its effectiveness for up to three years, but when you open the bottle, its shelf life diminishes. You can’t necessarily count on last season’s lifesaver, and it is important to replace sunscreen every year. The reason is that as soon as a bottle of sunscreen has been exposed to heat, the active ingredients begin breaking down, which means you get less UV protection.
Repair and rejuvenate even with the proper precautions, there are times when we all may experience a little too much sun. After a day of exposure, your skin has some major recovering to do. Ensuring that your skin gets nourishing vitamins and nutrients can help curb aging, whether you eat them for a snack or apply them in your skin cream.
Vitamin A is found in dark-green vegetables and deep-yellow fruits. Vitamin A, or its active ingredients, retinoid, has been shown in multiple studies to help prevent sun-induced wrinkles. Veggies such as red peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach, and fruits like mango, honeydew and apricots, are right in this nutrient, which can help to heal wounds and encourage healthy skin. Besides being involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes, vitamin A helps us to see in the dim light, is necessary for proper bone growth, tooth development and reproduction all the more reasons to eat it.
Vitamin C is not just for colds; it protects against burns and it’s thought to even reverse sun damage. Unlike Vitamin A, Vitamin C is water soluble, meaning that excess is eliminated by the body instead of being stored in the liver. This means you can take in higher doses of vitamin of vitamin C without the fear of ingesting too much. In addition to the tablet form, vitamin C is abundant in strawberries, oranges, tomatoes and vitamin-rich broccoli.
Green Tea has numerous benefits. Besides being a mood-booster and believed to be beneficial in weight loss, green tea contains antioxidant polyphenols, which can prevent sun damage and possibly even reverse it.
Alpha Lipoic Acid can only be consumed from foods in small amounts, science, luckily, has found a way to replicate this powerful nutrient. ALA is found naturally in the body and is responsible for the conversion of food to energy. It can be taken in pill and cream form to provide powerful antioxidants several times beyond what many vitamins offer to help smooth and lift skin.
DMAE, or deanol bitartrate, is a natural-occurring substance in the body and can also be consumed in salmon. DMAE is increasingly appearing in beauty products due to its strong anti-inflammatory abilities to diminish the appearance of scars and improve muscle tone.
It’s a state of mind but above all, it’s important to remember that summer is a state of mind nothing personifies summer more than stepping outside your home or office walls and enjoying the fruits of this new season by taking a walk or going for a bicycle ride with a friend.
Along the way, make taking care of your skin a daily process. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and one of the most vital. Using the right products and taking preventative measures to eliminate sun exposure are the critical elements of a good skincare regime that will keep you looking and feeling fabulous for years to come.
Melanie Vasseur is a chemist, esthetician ad the founder of Vasseur Skincare.
Summary:
Although you can’t feel them, ultraviolet rays are silent killers and the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles, not to mention a leading cause of diminishing self-esteem through premature aging that so many of us try to correct through surgery and artificial means. However, there are several precautionary steps one can take to ensure skin stays healthy and young-looking for years to come.
Posted by Melanie Vasseur on Mon, Mar 30, 2009 @ 01:06 PM
Can't get rid of those dark circles under your eyes? Before you spend
money on expensive remedies or cosmetics, how about getting a little
more sleep at night? One of our most basic beauty essentials is sleep!!
(How often have you heard the phrase, " I need my beauty sleep"?)
Getting proper rest will not only make you feel better and help get rid
of those dark circles, , it can even help reduce stress, avoid weight
gain and improve your performance at work and play. And yet the
majority of Americans get at least one hour less sleep per night than
they need, especially during the work week. Even if you can't find a
way to get to bed earlier or sleep in later, you can certainly take
steps to improve the quality of your sleep.
Here are a few ways to fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly:
1. Develop a routine
for going to bed at night, and be consistent about it. You might enjoy
a cup of soothing herbal tea (no caffeine!) and a chapter from a
favorite book before turning the lights out.
2. Try to exercise daily,
but not within three to four hours of bedtime. Exercise has been shown
to increase the amount of deep sleep you get. It can also reduce
symptoms of PMS in women, which can be uncomfortable enough to disrupt
sleep.
3. Don't have a heavy meal right before going to bed and avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine close to bedtime. These can all disturb sleep.
4. Don't use your sleep space as a workspace,
and keep the TV out of the bedroom. You should associate your place for
sleeping with sleep, not with work or entertainment (other than
lovemaking, of course!).
5. Make the room as dark as possible.
The less light there is around you, the more melatonin your brain
produces. This hormone has been shown to help you feel sleepier, fall
asleep faster, and make you sleep longer. Room darkening shades can
help tremendously, but a sleep mask is also very effective and a lot
cheaper!
6. Control noise levels. You may get so used to
familiar sounds like street noise or the sound of someone's snoring
that you don't even notice it anymore, but it still affects the quality
of your sleep! Ear plugs are helpful for some. Other people find that
white noise or soothing music are helpful if it's impossible to block
out distracting sounds.
7. Don't keep checking the clock. Experts say that if
your sleep is interrupted, checking the time will only increase anxiety
about getting enough sleep, and make it harder to get back to sleep.
8. Make sure you're comfortable!
Are you sleeping on the right mattress? Are your pillows giving your
neck the right amount of support? Too much tossing and turning could be
a sign that one or both need replacing.
What are your sleep patterns?
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Do you fall asleep easily,
then wake up 5 hours later and can't fall back asleep? Do you wake up
several times during the night and have trouble staying asleep? If so,
you are one of over 100 million Americans who experience some form of
insomnia and your sleep may be improved through better sleep habits.
Tips for better daytime habits
Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at
night, try not to take naps during the day, it will not help because
the naps will throw off your body clock making it even more difficult
to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if
you absolutely must nap in order to function, take a nap that lasts no
longer than 30 minutes, and take it early in the day.
Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or
alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol
may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns
preventing your sleep from being completely restful.
Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult
to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and prescription
drugs also disrupt sleep. Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon
after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural
biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are
sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.
Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise
every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or
afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before
bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more
problems sleeping so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might
help your health and your ability to sleep.
Tips for a better sleep environment
Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are
disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size bed.
Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows
that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your
side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a
good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your
body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.
Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room
is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try to keep it
quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine to help block
outside noises.
Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you
to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your
clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.
Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual Keep a regular schedule. Try
to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the
weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep
at the same time each day. Don't oversleep to make up for a poor
night's sleep doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body
clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a
cup of herbal tea, etc. create cues your body that it's time to slow
down and begin to prepare for sleep. Relax for a while before going to
bed. Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may
include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a
warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery
programs.
Don't eat a large, heavy meal before bed. This can cause
indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too
much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat
your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found
in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a
chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eat a slice of
toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the
warmth may temporarily increase your body temperature and the
subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the
nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands,
making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions
before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of
the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you
put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh. Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed. Your body is signaling to you, don’t ignore it.
Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your
prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence
that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective.
In some cases, there are safety concerns as most sleep aids are
addictive. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long
duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to
your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!
Tips for getting back to sleep
Visualize. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize
walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or
mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Don't lie in bed awake. Go
into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.
Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake!
Don't do anything stimulating. Don't read anything job related
or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to
be alerting). Don't expose yourself to bright light. The light gives
cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major
building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends
messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note
that L-tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless you eat it on an
empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the
refrigerator for 3am.
Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing
sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later
so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only
getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to
get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at
6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at
first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help
train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are
spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep
more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.
Tips for keeping a sleep diary
Learn about your sleep patterns and habits by keeping a daily sleep
diary. See Helpguide's sample sleep diary or make up your own and
include:
Time you went to bed and woke up;
Total sleep hours;
Quality of sleep;
Times that you were awake during the night and what you did (e.g.
stayed in bed with eyes closed or got up, had a glass of milk and
meditated); Quantity and time of caffeine or alcohol consumption;
Quantity and time of drug or medication consumption. feelings
associated with the food and drinks: happiness, sadness, stress,
anxiety; Drugs or medications taken, amounts taken and times of
consumption
"And always sleep on your Beauty Pillow, I take it with me even when I travel" says Melanie Vasseur