How to Protect Your Skin as You Age

Did you know that the average American woman spends about $300,000 on skin and beauty products in her lifetime?

We all want to look and feel younger, with healthier looking skin because let’s face it. Your outside appearance is one of your most noticeable attributes.

However, the problem is most anti-aging serums and products do not address the root of the problem. The real issue, and what should be a great concern for both women and men alike, is accelerated aging.

Most accelerated aging is primarily a result of chronic inflammation in the body, which is driven by oxidative stress.

The good news is that that the major contributing factors to accelerated-aging and aging disorders are somewhat controllable and can be mitigated by lifestyle, food choices, and the way we handle stress.

All of which can help minimize body inflammation caused by free radicals.

You may have heard the term free radicals, and that we should avoid them.

Technically speaking, here’s what free radicals are any atom or molecule that is missing an electron in its outer shell that attacks and destroys other healthy atoms to get the electron it’s missing.

These free radicals start to accumulate as we age and leave cells damaged through a process called oxidative stress. When left unchecked, this is what causes accelerated aging.

Accelerated aging from oxidative stress damages the collagen in our skin, especially in the face.

It is caused by a number of things, including:

✦ Excessive Sun Exposure

✦ Environmental Elements
✦ Smog
✦ Bad Diets
✦ Sugary foods
✦ Poor Sleep
✦ Alcohol✦ Cigarette Smoke

All of these factors are a skin-aging recipe. No wonder we are spending so much on skin and beauty products!

Skin damage caused by oxidative stress can include:

☛ Brown Spots
☛ Broken Blood Vessels
☛ Weakened Skin
☛ Loss of Skin Elasticity
☛ Wrinkles
☛ Uneven Blotches
☛ Blemishes

While the effects above are concerning, there are things you can do to minimize accelerated aging and oxidative stress on your skin, face, and body.

Squashing Free Radicals

One way to help squash free radicals and oxidative stress that give way to accelerated aging is getting more antioxidants!

Antioxidants are compounds that give an electron to a free radical so that the free radical doesn’t have to take the electron from the skin’s atoms.

Antioxidants assist in protecting and promoting the building blocks of collagen, but since antioxidants are destroyed and oxidized in the process, you have to keep feeding the body and skin fresh antioxidants to keep up with the free-radical damage.

Sound simple enough?

Well, in theory, reaching for antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, artichokes, herbs, spices and green teas that also include vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E and can be a great idea, but it is just too difficult to get all the antioxidants you need to prevent free radical damage from food alone.

Luckily, there is a much better way!

The number one free radical fighting supplement you can take is curcumin. If you haven’t heard about curcumin, it’s the amazing healing compound found in the turmeric root.

Antioxidant-rich, it’s a fantastic daily supplement for fighting inflammation that helps improve cellular health and helps reverse oxidative stress to prevent accelerated aging. It’s also great for managing your joint, digestive, brain, immune, and heart health, too.

If you’re spending money on anti-aging products and still seeing the signs of accelerated aging creeping in, then try adding a high-quality curcumin supplement to your daily routine today!

Is Inflammation Making You Fat?

**This Could Be the Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight**

Do your pants immediately feel tighter after dinner?

Do you find yourself noticing extra fat around your midsection?

If this sounds familiar, you know how frustrating bloating and stubborn belly fat can be. While self-pity is unproductive, there are things you can do each day to improve these issues by addressing the real cause.

The Real Reason You Feel Fat

Inflammation could be one of the reasons you can’t shed those pounds or get rid of inconvenient bloating. This is great news if you haven’t seen the results you’ve wanted from diet and exercise alone.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a component of the body’s defense mechanism. For short periods of time, it’s a good thing.

For example, your body will induce a temporary fever to help ward off foreign pathogens when you’re sick.

This causes an intentional inflammatory response aimed at making you better.

However, long-term inflammation is different. Long-term inflammation is caused by food intolerances, stress, and poor digestion. When left unchecked, this can cause fat-storing hormones to be released excessively.

How to Lose the Fat Caused by Inflammation

Here are some of the top inflammation-fighting practices you can get started on right now:

1. Remove Inflammatory Foods

These inflammatory foods tax your body and immune system and can lead to increased body fat. Try to remove the following foods and ingredients from your diet and household:

✦ Gluten
✦ Dairy
✦ Corn
✦ Eggs
✦ Soy
✦ Nuts
✦ Nightshades

tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, eggplants

✦ Citrus
✦ Yeast

baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, and fermented products like alcohol

2. Remove Added Sugar

Sugar has an immediate effect on the body and causes widespread inflammation.

A little natural sugar found in fruits is okay, but added sugar or sweeteners should be avoided.

Added sugar can even be found in food that doesn’t taste sweet, such as soup, bread and salad dressing. Get in the habit of checking nutrition labels and steer clear of foods with added sugar.

3. Reduce Your Salt Intake

Sodium blocks normal hormone signals that make you feel full.

This is why salty foods tend to make you overeat even when you’re not hungry.

Check the sodium content of foods and sauces in your home and keep track of how much you consume each day. When possible, prepare your foods at home and use spices instead of salt.

4. Take Curcumin (Active component inside Turmeric root)

Curcumin is the powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient inside turmeric that has incredible healing properties known to fight inflammation and oxidative stress.

Lowering oxidative stress can help regulate the release of fat-storing hormones, which makes it easier to lose weight.

This is a must-have in your daily routine if you want to combat stubborn fat caused by inflammation.

5. Try Icelandic Sea Kelp

Icelandic Sea Kelp contains fucoidan, an anti-inflammatory complex carbohydrate that fights oxidative stress.

The fiber in sea kelp also helps you feel full, which can help promote weight loss.

6. Add a Little Ginger To Your Drinks & Meals

Ginger is an amazing anti-inflammatory agent that helps support healthy digestion. It’s great for upset stomachs and can easily be added to water if your tummy needs a pick-me-up!

7. Astragalus

Astragalus is an incredible plant that supports the immune system, also known as an adaptogen.

Adaptogens are activated by stress and help lower cortisol levels in the body. Maintaining low, healthy cortisol levels is essential for weight loss.

8. Eat More Pineapple

Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which helps break down protein and reduce bloating.

Pineapples are one of the only fruits that leave alkaline residuals in the gastrointestinal tract to help decrease inflammation.

With a little patience and these tips, you can fight bloating and stubborn belly fat caused by inflammation. It's never too early to start, and this might be the push you needed to finally fit into those skinny jeans!

14 Power Foods for Fat Burning and Lean Muscle Gaining

Eat these foods every week to boost up the fat burning potential of the body (increase immunity power and digestive wellness, too).

Try to limit or cut out processed foods and high "bad" and trans fat foods that are deep-fried and processed with damaging oils.

Examples of both include white pasta, packaged snacks, crackers (raw and sprouted are fine), cereals, high sugar or artificial sugar ANYTHING that does not come from mother nature (like fruit) and foods that spike and drop insulin without any other added benefits.

There is a very very long and involved list of food additives and common foods that do the opposite of burning fat, but I want this article to highlight all the foods we should be focusing on.

Please read on for some of my favorite metabolism pumping and fat burning power foods!

1. Fish Oil

Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lower body fat and increases testosterone levels. Aim for 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Good quality fish oil supplements are great, too.

2. Probiotics

Get both capsules for lower GI and fermented yogurt/live cultures for upper GI. Probiotics are the good bacteria that helps gastrointestinal health, immunity and fat burn.

Be cautious about sugar-laden yogurts.

Aim for 50-100 billion live cultures per serving! My favorites are http://www.inner-eco.com and http://www.biokplus.com/en-us/home.

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Use this powerful food drizzled on foods, and do not cook with it because it will damage its beneficial properties. Instead, use extra virgin coconut oil for cooking/baking.

Extra virgin olive oil has 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer.

4. Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

Flax, chia, hemp, basil, pumpkin, and all sprouted! Seeds provid

e a vegetarian source of fiber, protein, healthy fats omega-3.

Freshly ground is the way to go and sprinkle them generously on salads, breakfast porridge, smoothies or eat them straight.

5. Dark Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables and Juices

This is the main staple in my diet and should be for everyone. These special greens are high in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and have immune boosting, free radical zapping power as well as anti-estrogenic indoles.

High in fiber, low in calories, dense in nutrients and helps with intestinal, colon, liver and gallbladder cleansing. Other examples include BokChoy, cauliflower, kale, Brussels Sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, mustard greens, and chard.

Go green EVERYDAY. You will notice a huge difference in how the lean muscle begins to start becoming visible!!

6. Sprouted Quinoa

Sprouting means that you soak them in a glass mason jar overnight and then cook with them/prepare them after. It allows the foods to be more bio-available and yield more absorbable protein and nutrients.

Sprouting grains and nuts is easier for digestion, as well. Quinoa is gluten-free, high in fiber and protein (than rice or oats) and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner (sweet or salty).

7. Filtered, Alkaline Water

The body needs good, clean and alkaline water to rehydrate the muscles and organs after daily movement and exercise. Drinking according to your activity level and region/environment helps muscle recovery, prevents dehydration and keeps the brain sharp and appetite from spiking drastically.

8. Organic Matcha Green Tea

Grown in the shade and pumped full of chlorophyll, organic matcha green tea, from Japan has 10 times the antioxidant as typical Asian green tea. It will not leave you crashing after a caffeine high, for it slowly releases the caffeine for hours and is much gentler on the body and GI system.

Studies report that matcha green tea boosts fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar and circulation.

9. Avocados

"Avocados contain glutathione, one of the most potent antioxidants and disease-fighting agents available.

Studies show that people sustain their nutrition program longer and have greater weight loss when on a diet that contains about 30 percent healthy monounsaturated fat, like those in avocados, rather than a low-fat diet.

This is because fats, when eaten in the proper balance with carbohydrates, can help to slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream, thereby triggering less insulin release. Insulin is basically the hormone that instructs the body to store energy as fat while preventing the use of stored energy, making it a dieter's nemesis if levels are too high." ^{(Source: livestyle.ca.msn.com)}

10. Lecithin

Not just for hair and skin health, lecithin helps the body break down and dispose of bad LDL cholesterol and fats through the bloodstream to help prevent clogged arteries.

Because lecithin plays a role in moving fats and cholesterol out of the body, it may support liver health by preventing the accumulation of fat in the liver and fat from the body. Use as a supplement in smoothies and drinks.

11. Grapefruit

Picked ripe off the tree, grapefruit lowers insulin, regulates blood sugar and metabolism. Eat the fleshy white membranes, too! It has most of the nutrients packed in them!

12. Sprouted Almonds

High in good fats, sprouted almonds are alkaline, good for almost all types of people, has fiber, protein, helps to build muscle and reduce cravings.

13. Whey Protein or Rice Bran Amino Acids

Both reduce insulin, blood pressure, helps to repair tissues, develop and build muscle and reduces short-term food intake.

According to research done at the University of Toronto and published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition, whey protein has potential as a functional food component to contribute to the regulation of body weight by providing satiety signals that affect both short-term and long-term food intake regulation.

14. Tarragon

When people use tarragon in their daily food routine, they tend to use less salt. Sodium, though is needed in small amounts, causes people to retain water. By consuming less sodium people are making a healthier choice that will also help you avoid weight and size differences with excess fluids.

Additionally, tarragon adds more flavor without adding calories or worse, fat. When people choose to eat the healthier options, they are less likely to crave and grab unhealthy, high fat and high salt foods.

Sources: naturalhealthsherpa.com, stronglifts.com, bodybuilding.com, chatalaine.com, self.com, health.com

Healthy Eating Basics: Where Should I Start?

One of the most popular questions I get from inquisitive minds often touches on the basics of eating a healthy diet. I always encourage people to take steps and little shifts to mindful and awareness food consumption that will lead to optimal health.

There are just so many "myths" and "truths" out there that have a direct impact on our lives (mental, emotional and physical wellbeing), that if we try to comprehend them all in one big chunk, we could be overwhelmed and throw in the towel before even committing to making a change for the positive.

Below are general guidelines I like to follow and suggest for people that need a gentle nudge toward the right way of doing things better when it comes to food decisions.

1. Be mindful of the refined, processed and manufactured foods that make it into your shopping cart and into your home and mouth.

Chronic inflammation, how we feel and perhaps how we act, is almost always directly linked to the quality of foods we eat—and packaged and processed foods do us no good.

Instead, aim for fresh, whole, live and organic (when possible) foods.

2. Refrain from quick digesting carbs (flour and sugar).

These food-like products increase inflammation as well because of the rapid increases in blood sugar that create abnormal reactions between proteins and sugars.

3. Eat healthy fats.

Choose coconut oil, extra virgin olive oils and other monounsaturated fats which counteract inflammation.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and fortified eggs are also great choices.

Stay away from trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils, margarine, soybean oil, corn, sunflower or canola and other GMO oils, vegetable shortenings, and omega-6 fatty acids.

4. Try to eat as close to a rabbit (limit animal by-products and meats) for protein.

Red meat, poultry, and dairy products are not only very acidic to the body (diseases cultivate in acidic internal environments), they are filled with unhealthy saturated fats and linked to a number of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation.

Try non-GMO whole soybeans, legumes, nuts, and dark leafy greens like chard, and kale which all have high levels of protein.

5. Use Essential Oils, Herbs, and Spices.

Not only to add a deeper level of flavor to your meals (and infuse into your water), these beneficial, natural anti-inflammatory agents are a kitchen staple that you should be adopting into your everyday routine.

I love to use lemon or grapefruit essential oil in my waters, ginger, turmeric, basil, dill, and black pepper in my main and side dishes and peppermint, lavender and lime in my desserts.

6. Hydrate and Drink your liquids!

My go to is clean, spring water (add lemon or lemon essential oils to luke warm water in the am to reset the body and flush out toxins), raw coconut water (pumped with electrolytes, magnesium, and potassium) and watermelon water with fresh lavender, matcha green tea for a treat.

7. Eat your rainbow.

Choose a rainbow variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

These are packed with live and protective phytonutrients and antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and reactive byproducts that contribute to a host of chronic diseases and ailments.

Carbs Are Making Us Fat

Carbs Are Making Us Fat.

❯ Simple science has shown that carbohydrates spike insulin.
❯ Insulin creates sugar.
❯ Sugar turns into fat.
❯ Fat packs on the pounds.

With so many years of our government’s famous food pyramid base promoting the consumption of simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes), it is no wonder obesity rates are skyrocketing in numbers.

Most people actually do not know how to prepare meals without such carbohydrates. Think about a breakfast without starches, for example.

We've been programmed to incorporate carbs (especially processed carbs) into our three meals and many snacks so that we can have balanced nutrition. Or so we’re told.

First thing’s first.

There are many types of carbohydrates which are all a part of the family of carbohydrate compounds:

❧ starch sugar
❧ milk sugar
❧ vegetable sugar
❧ fruit sugar

Not all carbohydrates are created equally. Carbohydrates consumed into the body from an apple is vastly different from the same amount of carbohydrates taken from a chocolate bar.

Sometimes labeled the “good” carb, complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and legumes, contain longer chains of sugar molecules; these usually take more time for the body to break down and use.

There are many sides doctors, nutritionists, athletes and even people with diabetes take when it comes to whether or not carbs should be a part of a person’s nutrition.

Scientifically speaking, carbs in the diet supply our brain with glucose when we study or do any mental work. Also, carbs give the body quick energy during exercise and dietary fiber is also a carb in a very complex form that is indigestible in the human body.

It forms the bulk in our stool and is essential for normal bowel function and evacuate of waste from our bodies.

From the side of “Carbs are making people fat,” one of the most offending of the carb family is grains (which many people think are healthier than they really are).

Why?

These grains fall into a category called “refined carbohydrates.” Once harvested and shelled, all the protein, nutrients (vitamins and minerals) are taken away (or refined), leaving just a complex carb that has an immediate effect on the body, and raises insulin levels.

When insulin levels rise, it drives calories into fat tissue. Even when you are utilizing your body for active movement—work or exercise, your body can only process so much of the carb at a given time.

What is not used up is stored as fat. What people do not necessarily know is that this constant act of raising insulin is also making people accumulate fat.

Another point to understand between carbs and the rise in weight is the modern processed carb and what they are made with.

Today’s carbs are processed with incredible amounts of refined sugar and reached new heights in the glycemic index—(meaning it has a lot of sugar in it and causes a faster and higher spike of insulin in the body to be released to balance blood sugars).

Remember:

more insulin=more fat.

There are many studies that report the secretion of insulin beginning with the first thought of foods with carbohydrates!

Below is a link to a great info flow chart on how exactly carbs are making us fat: https://foodtechconnect.com/2012/01/26/infographic-of-the-week-carbs-are-killing-you/

Our bodies are very smart and will give us the urge to crave carbohydrates (if we listen and obey our cravings, we will be more functional, balanced and free from chronic ailments).

The problem is the quality of modern processed foods and the frequency in which we may consume them. These fast and processed foods create an addiction (not different from drug addiction) that tells our brains we need more and more so we may be craving the “bad carbs”fats).

Especially with the high amount of added sugar to the high carb and fatty food—ice cream, cake, doughnuts—and you have a double whammy. High-sugar foods increase your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and increases cravings.

In fact, high sugary carbs enhance the memory storage in our brains and release feel-good hormones and endorphins when consumed.

Studies conducted by scientists at the University of Washington found out that junk foods high in carbohydrates and fat destroy the brain cells that control weight, leading to a vicious circle of obesity, scientists have revealed.

The study also showed the part of the brain containing neurons that control body weight, was inflamed. Surprisingly, after test subjects were taken off the high carb and fat diets, the inflammation stopped a few days later but then recurred after four weeks.

What are the dangers of eliminating or not consuming enough carbs in our nutrition?

Many Registered Dietitians argue that most people should always try to have at least 150 to 200 grams of carbs a day because our bodies can only process and utilize about 200 grams of carbs a day.

Not enough carbohydrates will force most bodies to:

♦ Borrow protein from our muscles and immune system to make more carbs to keep us going.

♦ Makes us binge-eat carbs until our system is reloaded. It takes 24 hours to re-load all our carbs after exercise greater than 30 minutes. Athletes will binge-eat every 3 days if they do not have enough carbs in their diet.

♦ We can eat some carbs at least every 4 hours every day to continuously replace the carbs we are using for daily routines and for exercise.

Take away:

Listen to your body and nourish it and give it energy by choosing fresh, made by Mother Earth carbs in the forms of vegetables, fruits and beans, legumes and sprouted whole grains* (barley, corn, oats, quinoa, rice and any other grain that contains the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain).

Limit or eliminate processed and refined carbohydrates that cause inflammation in the body.

*Whole grains contain all of the parts of the original grain without being processed. They are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and contain some antioxidants that are not found in fruits and vegetables.

Resources: NutritionAssessment.com, FoodandConnect.com, DiabetesMine.com, NPR, CalorieLab.com, MayoClinic, Livestrong, LivingWell.com