Keeping Skin Healthy & Glowing
"I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?" – Jean Kerr
Beautiful outside, beautiful inside?
Who doesn't want beautiful skin – especially as we age? Our outside layer of skin often reflects the health of our internal organs, as we discussed in the Weekly Wellness Report on "Liver Spots."
For instance, skin hydration relies on glucosamine just as joint hydration relies on glucosamine. So, dry skin likely means dry joints. Skin that is easily torn and damaged indicates rapid aging, which likely indicates rapid aging of our circulatory system. Furthermore, skin that is easily burned by the sun may indicate that our essential fatty acid (EFA) and antioxidant reserves are low which means other tissues that rely on antioxidants and EFA for protection may also be at risk.
Therefore, beautiful skin is a good indicator of healthy reserves of critical nutrients.
Inside first...
As we age, we are likely to experience skin that wrinkles and becomes blotchy. It may start to get pigment spots and become easy to injure. There are many products and procedures you can use to help your skin from the outside and those are important. But more important is nourishing the skin from the inside.
Skin has a base of healthy fats. Most of the external emollients we use on our skin are some form of fat. However, humans are not designed to take in fats very efficiently through the skin. The best way to have a healthy base for your skin is to take OmegaPrime essential fatty acids. Two per day is good, but for skin health, more is better!
From the outside...
There is a huge industry that provides cleansers, peels and emollients for the outside of your skin. Use of skin treatments is important only after you have been nourished from the inside. Then your skin will have beauty long after the makeup has been removed. Dr. Libby's Vital C Powdered Crystals are perfect for your weekly beautiful skin routine. Try this natural deep moisturizer treatment and skin exfoliant:
Add 1/4 teaspoon of Vital C Crystals to your daily skin moisturizer and mix thoroughly.
Liberally apply the cream to your face and neck, massaging gently.
Leave on for 10 minutes.
Wash off completely with warm water; follow with a splash of cold water to close your pores.
Your skin should have a lovely glow!
Sunlight and Vitamin D
The skyrocketing incidence of diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers definitely say that we are not getting enough Vitamin D. The increase in insomnia and seasonal depression tells us that we are not getting enough early morning sun.
We need more sunlight. Now, how do we make it safe?
Recognize the need for sun and the need for caution. Plan your sun exposure so that you maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks. For instance, get your sunlight early in the day. Early morning sunlight does not have the high ultra-violet intensity that midday sun does. So, take a 20-minute walk in the early part of the day with your skin exposed to sunlight. This will give you the benefits without the risks of over-exposure.
Alternately, take a 20-minute walk in the evening with your skin exposed to sunlight. There are fewer UV rays in the evening than at midday, though more than in the morning. This will have a less dramatic effect than morning sun but will still provide you with many of the same benefits.
Never expose your skin to midday sun for long periods of time. Wear clothing that covers most of your skin and wear a hat that provides shade for your face and ears.
Certain nutrients work well to protect against sun damage:
Essential fatty acids interact with Vitamin D in your skin to create a bulwark of protection against harmful radiation.
Vitamin C quenches smoldering fires of oxidative stress once they have begun.
Antioxidants, such as green tea (Energy Now!) and those found in berries (Adaptogen 10 Plus) can help protect against DNA damage from radiation.
All these are excellent strategies for dealing with the stress of too much sun.
What about sunscreen?
The discussion about sunscreen is full of heated rhetoric. The first thing I will say about using sunscreen is that it is completely up to you: it's your choice! I would also point out that people have lived outdoors for thousands of years without serious risk from sun exposure. The increase in skin cancer risk came about as a "perfect storm" of severely polluted air, a low antioxidant/nutrient diet and the 40-year tanning craze that followed World War II.
The truth is that more people die of cancer related to Vitamin D deficiency than of skin cancer caused by sunburn. Again, get some morning and evening sunshine for good health, never get a sunburn and keep your skin covered when you are exposed to midday sun. Beyond these recommendations, do what seems reasonable to you!
Total health
The health of our skin can tell us much about the health of our entire body. We naturally desire that "healthy glow" and beautiful skin. And that makes sense, doesn't it? We have a tool to assess our internal health immediately at our disposal: our skin. All we have to do is learn to listen to the message of healthy skin!
Take Control of Your Health
For healthy skin:
Eat healthy fats and take OmegaPrime to help form the foundation
The obesity epidemic: Why girth rates continue to increase The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate all over the world, particularly in developed countries such as the U.S. In the October 9, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA), data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 31% of adults in the U.S. were obese in the year 2000 compared to 14.4% in 1980.
According to the CDC, about 15% of children and adolescents were overweight in 2000 – triple what the proportion was in 1980.
Defining overweight and obese
The common definition for being overweight or obese may not make much sense to most people. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30. Overweight is defined as having a BMI of 25–29.9. So, what is BMI exactly?
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. That's a lot of math! To make it easier, use our online BMI calculator:
Enter your height (in feet and inches) and your weight (in pounds). The program will automatically calculate your BMI and explain the results.
Health risks associated with obesity
In December 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General warned that obesity could soon kill more Americans than tobacco smoke. Imagine this: With all of the advances we have made in hygiene, nutrition and disease control, the generation living now is the first in U.S. recorded history with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. We are killing ourselves and our children with the habits that lead to obesity.
What's behind the epidemic?
Why such large and extensive increases in obesity? Data collected from around the world show that different environmental and cultural conditions contribute to obesity in urban and rural populations.
Experts believe that rising rates of obesity among children and adults may be attributed to a combination of the following:
• Increasingly sedentary activities such as:
o Watching TV
o Using a computer
o Driving long distances (for example, commuting)
o Working long hours at sedentary jobs
• Conveniences which reduce physical activity (think "drive-through" banking)
• Lack of safe playgrounds for children
• Increased consumption of soft drinks and other "market-driven" factors that encourage overeating, such as:
o Larger portion sizes in restaurants
o Increased sizes of individual food items (such as soft drinks, candy bars, bagels)
o Increased prevalence of vending machines
o Greater number of food choices
o Pervasive marketing of high-calorie foods
o Marketing strategies that encourage ordering larger serving sizes
• Emotional overeating, triggered by increased stress
• Repeated dieting
• Greater acceptance of obesity in certain cultural groups
Girth control in a complex world
Although a number of complex cultural and environmental factors contribute to the obesity epidemic, in the majority of cases, the equation is basic: too many calories consumed and too few calories expended (too little activity) leads to obesity.
The Leanology® Weight Loss System is designed to encourage people to achieve and maintain a healthful body weight by development of habits known to produce lifetime weight control.
Moreover, Leanology creates the best possible opportunity for true wellness by confirming the benefits of nutrients and nurturing for weight management and all of life's challenges.
Take Control of Your Health
• Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
• Eat the recommended servings of fruit and
vegetables daily:
o 5 for children
o 7 for women
o 9 for men
• Plan aerobic activity most days
• Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
• Supplement with Leanology to support the four stages of weight loss:
o Energy and Metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body's ability to burn more calories at rest.
o Cortisol and Stress Management: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body; cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
o Appetite Control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings.
o Blood Sugar Control: Leanology Nutritional Shakes help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.
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Start TriVita no matter where you live. Coming to Australia Feb 2011.
Over the past year, we have received a number of interesting questions about Nopalea. Below are some of the questions and my responses.
Q: How much Nopalea should I take?
A: That depends. How much inflammation do you have inside you? You can't put out a forest fire with a single pail of water. You can't break the cycle of inflammation with a single serving of Nopalea.
We need to meet the level of inflammation in our body with an equivalent force of anti-inflammatory Betalains from Nopalea. We must quench inflammation with a Nopalea Loading Phase (NLP).
When taking Nopalea for the first time, drink 3 to 6 ounces, twice daily for the first 30 days. Then, use your intuition to judge how much Nopalea you should continue to take. Do you feel like you need more? Then take more! Do you feel that the cycle of runaway inflammation has resolved? Reduce it to the amount you crave (usually 1 to 3 ounces daily). Let your body decide!
Q: Is it safe to take Nopalea with my medications?
A:There are no known conflicts between Nopalea and medications. Nopalea contains natural ingredients and its main ingredient is derived from the fruit of the Nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) from the Sonora Desert. It is low calorie and low carbohydrate, so it must be calculated as any other food in your total dietary intake of these macronutrients.
Some of the older blood thinners are more easily adjusted if a person is not eating vegetables or fruit or drinking juices during the "calibration" phase. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you specific instructions if this pertains to you.
Always ask your health care team if you are in doubt or have questions. However, TriVita's Medical Advisory Board has examined Nopalea closely. In general, there are no known conflicts between Nopalea and medications.
Q: Should I continue to take my other supplements while taking Nopalea?
A: Yes. There is a rule in wellness called "cause and effect." It means that for every "effect" – such as inflammation – there must be a "cause." Causes of inflammation include trauma or injury, deficiencies, toxins and stress. Deficiencies that cause inflammation include oxygen deficiency, sleep deprivation, insufficient water and imbalanced nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies (such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies) cause inflammation. We address the downstream effect of inflammation with Nopalea. We address the cause of inflammation with appropriate supplementation and by close adherence to the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.
Q: Does Nopalea contain any sugar, artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors?
A: No. The fruit of the Nopal cactus naturally tastes sweet. Agave has been added as well. Agave is a succulent cactus from the Sonora Desert that concentrates a syrup or nectar in its root. We juice the Nopal fruit and filter the Agave nectar as the chief ingredients in Nopalea. We have also added many other fruits and vegetables to enhance both the flavor and function of Nopalea.
Some of the vegetables we added to Nopalea have a slightly bitter taste to them. The sweet leaf Stevia cuts the bitterness completely! So, I use a microscopic amount of Stevia to neutralize the bitter notes.
There are natural colors in Nopalea. They are made from the skin of cherries because cherries have an intense red similar to Nopal fruit. There are also natural flavors in Nopalea. These are made by distilling the aromatic oils and phenolics (compounds that give plants their aroma and color) from the fruit. Seasonal harvests of Nopal fruit vary from year to year, but natural flavors and colors keep our product more consistent than many other natural products. With Nopalea, you always know what you are getting!
Thank you for all your questions. You can also submit questions to WellnessTalks@TriVita.com and I will answer them on our weekly conference call:
It runs every Tuesday at 7 a.m. PST/10 a.m. EST
is a live program, but there is no live chat or support provided
Program length varies from 11-15 minutes, based on the topic
To access the toll-free program, call: 1-866-739-2952, enter code 219192#
Take Control of Your Health
• Enjoy activity daily to reduce the effects of trauma
• Insulate yourself against toxins with Healthy Aging Nutrients
Have you heard of hypoglycemia? Hopefully, you have only read about it. However, if you have the unfortunate experience of a hypoglycemic event you will know firsthand the dizzying array of bizarre symptoms associated with this poorly-understood condition.
The term "hypoglycemia" means "low blood sugar." It is characterized by a period of time when your blood sugar drops too far, too fast and symptoms occur. That doesn't sound too scary, right? However, if the blood sugar drops too low you will die. Since this is a potentially life-threatening condition, we need to treat it with the respect it deserves!
Symptoms of hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar has been called "the great mimicker." That's because it can mimic almost any other condition within the human illness experience. For example, it can look like a heart attack, panic attack, migraine or MS. It can look like depression, Lupus, tinnitus/Meniere's disease or indigestion. Hypoglycemia can look like almost anything. It can affect almost any body system, but it seems to show up in symptoms related to the liver and brain.
Low blood sugar triggers the "fight-or-flight" emergency response. During fight-or-flight, your body shuts down non-emergency systems and pours stress hormones into your bloodstream. Any sugar remaining in your liver is mobilized as fuel (glucose) and this quickly brings your sugar levels back to normal. (If your liver is exhausted and cannot mobilize sugar, your body will rip it from your muscles and kill the muscle cells.) Once the sugar levels return to normal, the fight-or-flight stress response is turned off and normalcy eventually returns.
Causes of hypoglycemia
There are four causes to all illness: trauma (injury), toxins, deficiency and stress. Prolonged stress was proven to cause diabetes as long ago as 1865 by Claude Bernard, M.D. ("Today's hypoglycemic are tomorrow's diabetics"). Short-term changes in blood sugar can be brought on by simply holding your breath (oxygen deficiency) and longer-term deprivation of oxygen from pollution (toxins) can keep you on a hypoglycemic roller coaster!
Other deficiencies can cause hypoglycemia as well. For example, dehydration, a sleep deficit and nutrient deficiency can create an imbalance in blood sugar metabolism. Since people low in Vitamin D quickly become hypoglycemic, and since Vitamin D is associated with healthy sun exposure, a sunshine deficiency can cause hypoglycemia.
Other nutrient deficiencies can also foster hypoglycemia. Deficiencies of B vitamins such as pantothenic acid and minerals such as chromium and magnesium are implicated in low blood sugar. An essential fatty acid imbalance such as Omega-3 deficiency can cause recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia.
Toxins such as mercury and lead can trigger hypoglycemia. Allergies can trigger hypoglycemia. In fact, many times allergy will be confused with hypoglycemia and vice versa. For example, many people wake in the middle of the night with an "empty" feeling in the pit of their stomach. This is often a flash of histamines associated with allergy, not a direct symptom of hypoglycemia. (Low blood sugar can mimic these same symptoms during the daytime.) Super Sublingual B-12 can often turn off these distressing symptoms.
Even injuries can cause hypoglycemia as your body activates inflammation in the repair process. Low-intensity trauma caused by a sedentary lifestyle causes chronic blood sugar swings. Exercise – especially in morning or evening sunlight – can activate Vitamin D and reduce the blood sugar swings associated with hypoglycemia.
Can you fix it?
Hypoglycemia is not a disease in itself; it is more of a reaction to the four causes of all imbalances (trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress). Hypoglycemia is a major trigger for distressing symptoms. As mentioned, it can be fatal in rare instances if the blood sugar dips too low, such as in insulin shock. Find the cause and hypoglycemia can often be resolved.
Many supplements can help, especially those that focus on filling nutrient deficiencies, draining away toxins, allaying emotional distress and repairing tissue traumatized by injury. By using these recommendations as a blueprint, you may be able to get off the roller coaster and find balance from imbalanced blood sugar and hypoglycemia.
Take Control of Your Health
Practice deep breathing
10 minutes, three times daily
20 minutes at bedtime
Sleep peacefully
7 ½ to 9 hours per night
Focus on being asleep well before midnight
Eat several small meals daily
Focus on foods rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids
Enjoy activity
Aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week
Every year for more than 20 years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has coordinated data into a report called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This information is used to help us understand what nutrients are deficient in our diet and in our food, and how these nutrient deficiencies may eventually lead to preventable disease.
The NHANES survey uses questionnaires to sort out dietary deficiency from absorption deficiency. For example, a person may have adequate Vitamin B-12 in their diet yet, after age 50, they may absorb Vitamin B-12 so poorly that blood tests will show a serious deficiency. Also, the process of homeostasis may leech minerals such as calcium and magnesium from our bones. While a blood test may show adequate levels of these minerals, a diet survey would indicate that we are not eating enough magnesium and calcium to sustain good health.
The following are the top five deficiencies when viewed from the perspective of dietary intake, absorption and "end-point" metabolism. End-point metabolism looks at the results of complex biochemistry rather than simply how much of a particular nutrient we eat or how much is in the bloodstream. For example, we may eat enough Vitamin B-12 and we may have an acceptable level of B-12 in our blood. But, if our homocysteine level is too high, we still need more Vitamin B-12. Homocysteine is an end-point indicator of Vitamin B-12 metabolism.
Vitamin C
Among the greatest deficiencies in the diet of people over 50 is Vitamin C. This is thought to be because of choosing "convenience foods" over leafy green vegetables (not a favorite at any age!). Signs of Vitamin C deficiency include:
Weakness
Weariness
Unhealthy gums
Nosebleeds
Bruising
Slow healing
Our energy-engine (metabolism) declines rapidly after age 50. As the metabolism slows down, we need more Vitamin C because our ability to utilize it is reduced. Eat leafy green vegetables and other sources of Vitamin C. Take a teaspoon of Vital C Crystals in the morning and a Vital C Crystal Tablet at bedtime for optimum antioxidant protection.
Vitamin B-12
After age 30, our brains literally begin to shrink. After age 40, the "brain erosion" becomes measurable and serious. After age 50, we may find that we have lost up to 25% or more of our brain volume as compared to our youth. Yet, those with the highest levels of Vitamin B-12 in their bloodstream exhibit the lowest level of brain erosion.
Signs of low B-12 include:
Mood and memory problems
Mental fatigue and poor concentration
Irritability
Poor circulation
Non-refreshing sleep
Our ability to absorb Vitamin B-12 declines with age; our ability to convert Vitamin B-12 into homocysteine-fighting metabolites declines as well. Supplement your diet with Sublingual Vitamin B-12 daily. Remember, the more B-12 in your bloodstream, the less brain erosion you may experience.
Omega-3
Speaking of "brain erosion," our brains are primarily made of fat. The most common fat in our brain is DHA (docosohexanoic acid). Signs of Omega-3 deficiency include mood disorders, such as depression and Attention Deficit Disorder. Other signs that we may need more Omega-3 include hormone imbalance in women and men, immune system imbalance such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and chronic fatigue.
Increase dietary sources of Omega-3 such as cold-water fish, flax and walnuts. Add OmegaPrime® as a source of "fast-acting" Omega-3 from fish oil as well as "sustained released" Omega-3 from flaxseed oil and perilla seed oil.
Vitamin D and magnesium
Vitamin D comes from both dietary sources and healthy sunshine exposure. It is activated by exercise. Vitamin D is responsible for hardening your bones. Signs of Vitamin D deficiency include poor blood sugar balance, chronic pain, an unsteady gait and clumsiness, as well as numerous imbalances of the immune system and hormones.
Vitamin D is activated in your muscles and made useful in your kidneys. Both of these systems require healthy levels of magnesium. According to NHANES, many of us do not eat enough magnesium-rich leafy green vegetables. Signs of low magnesium include:
Muscle cramps
Indigestion
Tremors
Irritability
Irregularity
Magnesium is found abundantly in plant-based foods such as sea vegetables, nuts and seeds, avocados and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin D can be manufactured with as little as 20 minutes of safe sun exposure daily. Because Vitamin D and Magnesium usually cooperate in nature, we put them in cooperative supplements such as VitaCal-Mag D™ and VitaDaily AM/PM™. They are available in higher levels in Wellavoh™ (Men & Women) and Bone Growth Factor™.
Conclusion
We can learn much from continued research into health and human nutrition. Yet, the same basic rules apply to us all. We must learn and live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness to have complete health!
Take Control of Your Health
• Get 20 minutes of morning or evening sunshine daily
• Eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of vegetables and fruit daily
• Exercise 30 minutes daily, most days of the week
• Take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily
Skin is made of several layers, each requiring their own specific nutrition to remain healthy. For example, in past reports we have discussed how the essential fatty acids in OmegaPrime® work with sunshine receptors in the skin to create Vitamin D. And many people know the simple truth that we cannot have healthy collagen in our skin without adequate Vitamin C.
There is an emerging body of science that confirms the observation that our skin reflects our inner health and wellness.
Thin skin consistency is often equated with elevated levels of homocysteine and thinning bones.
Skin that bruises easily is related to fragile blood vessels in the eyes and inner ear.
Blotches of benign pigment on the skin, frequently called "liver spots", are often made of lipofuscin, a fatty-pigment that may also form in the brain.
Testing the health of your skin
There is an old way to determine the health of your skin and, therefore, the internal age it reflects. (Note: chronological age is determined by the calendar; biological age is determined by how well we care for ourselves, our nutritional status, our stress load and toxins, etc.) Simply pinch the skin on the back of your hand with the thumb and forefinger and hold it for five seconds. Let go and time how long it takes for the skin to flatten back out. The shorter the time, the younger the functional age of the skin.
Compare your results to the table below:
Time (seconds)....Functional Age (years)
1-2....................Under 30
3-4....................30-44
5-9....................45-50
10-15.................60
35-55.................70
56 or more...........Over 70
Slowing the skin's aging process
Interestingly, many of the things we should be taking as supplements to slow the aging process work internally and externally at the same time. The bilberry fruit in VisionGuard™ that is so useful for the eyes, ears and brain is also useful in protecting against bruising of the skin. Gingko, again useful for the eyes, ears and brain is equally beneficial in protecting against wrinkles.
Poisons that are bad for the brain are also bad for the skin. For example, toxic levels of glucose (sugar) caramelize in the bloodstream and damage the eyes, brain and kidneys, as well as rapidly age the skin.
A solution that won't go away!
Many years ago, scientists began to notice that certain cultures had low levels of heart disease even though they ate high levels of fatty foods. This was common in France. So, a careful search was made to explain this "French paradox." As it turns out, resveratrol (a nutrient found in red and purple grapes, red grape skins and seeds, and red wine) provides significant protection from toxic "oxidized" fat.
Resveratrol is also excellent for helping protect against rapidly aging skin. This may explain some of the skin-health benefits people report after taking Nopalea™: One of the supporting ingredients we included is an antioxidant complex based in the skins and seeds of red grapes. Likewise, Adaptogen 10 Plus® and Super Antioxidant Complex™ both contain concentrated antioxidants from the skins and seeds of grapes.
One more use for B-12...
The homocysteine-reducing effects of HCY Guard® are also good for your skin. Homocysteine shatters the collagen matrix in the blood vessels, lungs, brain and bones. It is also implicated in certain skin disorders associated with rapid skin aging. Using HCY Guard may reduce your blood levels of homocysteine by as much as 35% in six weeks.
Healthy skin reflects a healthy, balanced body. Beauty on the outside begins with wellness on the inside. Learn and live the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness, which includes adding the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and proteins to your diet. Take the time to correctly assess your nutrient needs and supplement your diet accordingly.
Take Control of Your Health
For healthy skin:
Eat healthy fats and take OmegaPrime to help form the foundation
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