By Joanna Runciman
Fitness Goop
“Youth has no age” said Pablo Picasso but it appears media, and society to a certain extent, feels youth is the appearance of youthful skin and hair that is not grey. What a great sadness. As so many seek the ‘elixir of youth’ it is worth highlighting that often it is our daily practices, or lack thereof, that contribute to feeling old & skin that is not full of vitality.
It is not just the elderly that have aging skin, there are young with skin that is lacking in vitality and so these tips are useful no matter what your age.
What to do, to care for our skin and body, as we grow older?
Smell the flowers.Enjoy life. Happiness is a state of mind. Youth is not an age but a sensation and choice. Be grateful for yourself. Don’t hate yourself, you are precious, wonderfully made and unique. You ROCK!
Avoid sugar. The US seems to have a love affair with sugar and sweeteners, yet ironically Botox and face lifts are on the increase! Sugar disrupts the collagen in the skin and a study reported in 2007 that the spike in our blood sugar, when eating sugar creates havoc, and a process called glycation, which is when the sugar reacts with our skin’s collagen and can make the skin tough and inflexible.
Eat Fat. We need fat for cell communication, thus we need to eat healthy fats; coconut oil, butter, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lard and dripping. If we eat a ‘low fat diet’ often one will be deficient in fats that our body, so desperately, needs. According to Dr. Mary Enig in her book “Eat Fat, Lose Fat” and Bruce Fife in his book “The Coconut Oil Miracle”, coconut oil topically applied helps minimize wrinkles.
Avoid Trans fats. While saturated fats help prevent wrinkles, unsaturated actually contribute to wrinkles and trans fats are thought to be a cause of all manner of other detrimental health conditions. Unsaturated fats (vegetable oils) are, very often, rancid (deodorizing removes the rancid smell!) and contain free-radicals which can do a lot of damage in the body, including promoting wrinkles.
Sleep! My number one beauty tip is get some sleep!
Sleep is vital for rejuvenation of the skin and cell renewal of the whole body. Bed is not wasted time, it is vital to relax, renew and restore. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Avoid synthetic chemical skincare. Many conventional skin care ranges contain toxic ingredients which are thought to promote wrinkles. Using organic plants and oils, which feed and nourish the skin, has been a nurturing practice used for centuries. Rose essential oil, rosehip oil and olive oil are all great to nourish the skin, at night. Nettle is thought to darken the hair naturally, and apple cider vinegar is a natural hair tonic.
So here is to loving life, sleeping more and enjoying real butter!
Read the Full Article Here: http://www.fitnessgoop.com/2011/03/skin-vitality-and-aging/