babyassface

how to mitigate aging due to stress

Guess how old the woman in this Depression Era, Dorothea Lang photo is?  Nope. She’s 32. Holy crap, right?

If that’s not proof that stress takes a toll on our skin, I don’t know what is.

Not having worked for close to 4 months, I should be completely freaked out right now. The one thing that’s really helping me de-stress is yoga. Ommmmmmmmm. 

Don’t find the health benefits of increased flexibility, strength, detoxification, stress reduction, etc. enticing?  How about this - all of my yoga teachers, without exception, look 10 years younger than their chronological ages. 

If that got your attention, here are some ways to find yoga classes on the cheap:

• OM Pass - For an annual membership of $19.95, you get a coupon for a free class from all the participating studios (there’s a lot) within 50 miles of you. Plus, you get up to 30% off at participating studios, when you’re traveling.   It’s a great way to, not only save money, but also discover different studios and styles of yoga.

• Most yoga centers have discount deals if you are new to their studio. Just use the Yoga Journal directory to find a studio near you and give them a call to find out more.

• All classes at Yoga to the People are by donation, so you only pay what you can afford.  So far they're only in NYC and Berkeley, CA, but they have free downloadable MP3s of classes on their website. 

• Yogichocolate.com has downloadable MP3s of yoga classes. It’s by donation (you choose how much) and once you download it, it’s yours to keep. (Bryan Kest is tough, but great.)

So, if you’re like me, and your New Year’s resolution is to avoid looking like that Dorothea Lang photo, do yourself a favor and check out a yoga class.

Anyone else have any other suggestions on how/where to find yoga classes on the cheap?

Dharma Mittra has a studio here in NYC.  I swear he's not cheating by sticking his head to a piece of gum on the sidewalk. 

time for a post-holiday detox flush?

To keep all your organs functioning at their best, (skin is the body’s largest organ), it’s beneficial to occasionally (like say after you’ve just eaten two candy canes, 27 Hersey’s kisses, eight cookies, some pie and oh, why not, another cookie) to give your whole internal system a good cleansing and flush out all the, for lack of a better word, crap.

Unlike an enema, which cleans only a small part of the intestines, the following detoxifying salt water flush, cleans out the entire digestive system.  It’s the salt water flush from the Master Cleanse.

I attempted to try the Master Cleanse for a week once.  It’s a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water.  It’s the only thing you’re allowed to ingest. Nothing else.  I didn’t mind the taste and it actually gave me energy.  But after two days, I got so bored with drinking the same thing, that I broke my fast with a large pizza. 

Anyway, this salt water flush will rock your internal world.

I won’t lie. It tastes disgusting.  After you get it down, you’ll think it didn’t do anything. Until you turn into Usain Bolt on the way to the bathroom.  Once there, you’ll experience what can best be described as the explosion of Hoover Damn.

 

Perhaps Usain trained  by doing salt water flushes and running to the bathroom?

But on the upside, boy, does it ever clean you out. 

Sound enticing?  Here’s the recipe.

Before eating any food in the morning, mix one quart of lukewarm water with two teaspoons of sea salt (don’t use regular table salt or it won’t work properly). Drink the entire concoction and within an hour you should be all cleaned out.  It’s supposedly safe to use as often as needed.

Now that you have this recipe, couldn't you just kick yourself for not eating just one more cookie?

My Master Cleanse attempt didn’t last long enough.  But I heard, if you go for 3 days or more, your skin will look totally radiant and detoxified.

Have you ever tried a cleanse or fast?  If so, what’d you think? 

justification for eating lots of chocolate this holiday

I love chocolate. In fact, my craving has gotten so bad, that I ate a packet of Swiss Miss hot coco mix the other day. (I wish I were kidding.) 

Since there will probably be chocolate everywhere you look this holiday season, I thought I would give you (and I) a reason to indulge. 

One caveat: it has to be dark chocolate (milk and white don’t have the health benefits). 

Chocolate is made from plants, so it has some of the benefits of dark vegetables. Note to self: replace salad consumption with dark chocolate.  

Like, for instance, chocolate contains antioxidants. Antioxidants protect against free radicals, which destroy our cells and perhaps most importantly our collagen. In fact, dark chocolate is nearly 8 times higher in antioxidants than strawberries. Note to self: replace fruit with dark chocolate.  

A small piece of dark chocolate a day ("small piece" that’s the part I have difficulty with) is said to reduce blood pressure. It's also been shown to reduce bad cholesterol by up to 10 percent.

Finally, a good reason to install that chocolate fountain in my living room.  

But wait there’s more. Chocolate also contains serotonin, an anti-depressant. It increases endorphin production, which makes us happy. Plus it contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. 

Did you hear that, Amy Winehouse?  Why are you messing around with that other stuff? Chocolate does it all and unlike those other drugs, it won’t make you look like you applied your makeup with your feet.
   
The catch, there’s always a catch, chocolate is high in calories and fat (although only 1/3 of the fat in chocolate is of the unhealthy variety). So, if you eat 200 calories worth of chocolate a day, you’ll have to lose those calories somewhere else in your diet. (I’ll probably cut out vegetables.) 

One last thing, don’t drink milk with your chocolate. It negates the health benefits.

So, when your family looks at you funny, this holiday, for shoving handfuls of chocolate into your mouth, tell them you’re only doing it for the health benefits.

I hope everyone has a very happy, healthy, fun holiday!

your skin loves green tea & now so can your taste buds.

I’m a huge fan of green tea.  And I know this next sentence is going to sound very bipolar, but I've tried tons of green teas over the years and never really found one that’s taste I loved.  Until now, that is.

So why have I been so rah rah sis boom bah about green tea all these years?

Unlike coffee, green tea doesn’t stain my teeth brown (or green). 

Green tea doesn’t turn me into a hyperactive lunatic, like coffee does.  Seriously, coffee pretty much turns me into Kristin Wiig’s character, Sue, from SNL.

Stress breaks down collagen (via Cortisol).  Tea actually helps our bodies produce an amino acid, called Theanine, which reduces stress.  Plus it also increases alertness. Alert and relaxed? (I don’t even think chugging an espresso and chasing it was a Xanax could achieve that.)

Green tea is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help destroy free radicals, which break down collagen.

Recent research has found that green tea actually hydrates as well as water, and has the extra added bonus of protecting against heart disease and maybe even some cancers.

And oh yeah, some small studies have shown that 5-6 cups of green tea daily increases metabolism enough to burn 80-100 calories/day.

Is it any wonder I love this stuff even though it tastes like lawn clippings?

Well, finally, there’s a green tea that both my left brain and taste buds can agree on. That tea is Ito En Select Organic Green Tea. It’s organic and the tea bags are unbleached, so you’re not brewing chemicals along with your tea.

And no matter how long I brew it (AKA: forget to take out the tea bag) it never tastes bitter. It always has a lovely, slightly sweet, light, refreshing flavor. I once went to the Ito En flagship store here in NYC and bought a $25/oz of green tea. (You’d think I could’ve also smoked it for that kind of money). Well, guess what? This $3 box of 25 tea bags is right up there with that one.

At long last, “it tastes delicious” can be added to the long list of benefits of green tea.

I think this stuff is so new that I can’t even find it online yet.  (Hence the really crappy camera phone photo.) But you can email comments@itoen.com and I’m sure they can tell you where it’s available near you.

Are you a green tea fan?  Have you found one that you love the taste of?

scents that help induce beauty sleep

I think everyone agrees that a good night sleep is great for the skin.

Well, German researchers have found that when we’re exposed to unpleasant smells while sleeping, we have negative dreams (not good for our beauty sleep). And conversely, pleasant scents bring about positive dreams. 

They found that roses in particular, where great for inducing sweet dreams.

I recommend spraying Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist on your face at bedtime, because your nose is right there on your face, and it’s bound to smell this facial mist. (It also leaves skin feeling petal soft.)

So that’s one way to get your beauty sleep. If you’d like to induce sleep through sex, here are the scents Dr. Alan Hirsch, the founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, found the most stimulating: 

For men, Lavender and Pumpkin Pie, were #1, increasing blood flow to the penis by 40%.

I think I'll just let this scene from American Pie speak for itself.

Donuts and black licorice came in 2nd with a 31.5% increase. (No wonder we Americans are so obese.)

As for women, a combination of Good & Plenty and cucumbers (I swear I’m not making this up) came in first with a 13% increase in vaginal blood flow. And Lavender and Pumpkin Pie came in 2nd with an 11% increase.

Since there are no Pumpkin Pie sheet sprays, that leaves us with the universally, stimulating scent of Lavender. (To make your own sheet spray add 30 drops of Lavender oil to a 4 oz spray bottle filled with water.) And also the scents of black licorice and Good &Plenty, both of which can be replicated with the essential oil Anise. (Why do I hear Beavis and Butt-head in my head, saying “she said Anise”?) You can just replace Lavender with Anise in the sheet spray recipe above.

FYI: all these methods for getting your beauty sleep are better than, say buying sketchy, over-the-counter, generic Ambien in Argentina only to find out it’s “off”. (Don’t ask.)

Here are some products that contain the aforementioned "sleep inducing" ingredients.

the only antioxidant skincare product proven to work

So, I was reading a new, favorite blog of mine called, The Derm Blog.

The dermatologist, who writes it, said the antioxidants in skin care products, don’t actually work.  (I apologize to all the charities that I could have given my money to instead.)

He said topical antioxidants degrade too quickly to be of any benefit.  And they don’t penetrate beyond the dead outer layers, to the living skin below. 

But, wait. Put that fist full of antidepressants down.

According to a post on The Derm Blog, a group of physicians at Duke University have found a solution.

While C and E (popular antioxidants) alone didn’t work, when combined with ferulic acid, an antioxidant derived from ferns, the antioxidants stabilized each other and really did work.  

The physicians zapped skin with damaging UV light.  Skin treated with the ferulic antioxidant combo had much less redness, many fewer damaged skin cells, and less DNA damage, than skin treated with a placebo.  

Serendipitously, I was reading another favorite blog,  Productfiend, and Erin was talking about a product she loved called, SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.  (Yes, those are the same ingredients in the scientists’ study.)

Hey Duke researchers, too bad you didn’t examine the store shelves this closely.  You’d have known this product already existed.

Based on SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic’s price tag, you’d think diamonds and caviar were also ingredients. It smells like pork grinds. Made my skin feel sticky and waxy, and gave my face a somewhat sallow glow.  

But since this combination of antioxidants is the only one proven to protect against the sun’s destructive damage to DNA and collagen and protect against skin cancer (I’ve had some scares), I will continue to use it.    Does that even qualify as a back-handed compliment?  

I know lots of people, including dermatologists, love this product.  Have you tried it?  If so, what do you think? 

If this stuff turns out to just be liquid pork grinds, I’m going to be really pissed.

Feel free to use the “search the web” box to the right to find the best price.  The price seems to vary a lot (all expensive) depending on the site.     

cold showers- a skin care miracle?

I was just reading about how cold showers are great for the skin (and the rest of the body).  At first, I thought, “good for those nut jobs”.  Then I thought, “You know what? I’m going to put my inner strength, endurance and faith in a higher power to the test, and try this cold shower thing for a week”. (Just in case I don’t get around to climbing Everest).

(OK. The shower isn’t cold the whole time.  Just the last 60 seconds, but I guarantee it will be the longest 60 seconds of your life.)  

Cold showers make your blood rush inward to your organs (perhaps to protect them from freezing). Then after the cold water is turned off, the blood rushes back out to the skin.  This greatly improves circulation, leaving skin flush with blood- healthy and radiant. (Unlike hot water, which dehydrates.)

And there are even findings that suggest cold showers help to alleviate depression. Due to the mild electroshock delivered to the brain, by the sudden blast of cold water.   (Hey, if we can now do home laser hair removal, why not home electroshock treatments?)

You’re supposed to take your usual temperature shower, then gradually turn off the hot water, until only the cold is left running.  

When I stood under the cold downpour for the first time, I quickly counted to 60. (There were no Mississippis involved).  I began hyperventilating, marching in place and twirling in a circle. I must have looked like a disorientated marching band member.  

But I have to say, it really woke me up.

My reaction to the cold water, made Janet Leigh look calm by comparison.

Usually this time of year, my skin is so dry and rough, that I could exfoliate my legs with my arms.  But after my cold water shower, (yes, even the very first one) my skin was extremely soft and smooth.  In fact, I haven’t had to use a single drop of moisturizer, since I started my cold showers.  (I’m not kidding.  It’s that amazing.)

Turns out, I’m now addicted to them.  And if that makes me a nut, so be it.  At least I’m an alert nut, with really soft skin.

FYI:  If you have any heart problems, you're supposed to consult with your doctor before taking cold showers.

Have you ever tried the cold water shower thing?  Would you ever? 

how to avoid a red nose, as well as the plague.

Apparently fall has been canceled here in NYC.  It’s gone from ice cream weather to “March of the Penguin” virtually overnight. 

There are so many sneezes in the air, I feel like I’m at Niagara Falls. 

It’s just a matter of time before I'm sick and sporting a big red, Christmas tree bulb for a nose. 

So, what’s the best way to protect oneself from the germ infested petri dish that is the office, or the mobile petri dish, known as public transportation?

I say, pull out the big guns and get the blend of oils used to protect people against the plague in the Middle Ages.

Once upon a time, a band of thieves were captured in Marseilles, France and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims of the bubonic plague.  Although it was extremely contagious, not a single one of the thieves ever got sick.

The king, eager to protect himself and his family, demanded to know the thieves’ secret and in exchange he would spare their lives. (This probably isn’t a good tale to read to the kids at bedtime.)  They revealed they’d rubbed a mixture that included clove, rosemary, and cinnamon on their hands, ears and temples.

Now this same, life-saving blend, known as “Thieves” oil, can be purchased by modern day people for $41. (Gold fillings not accepted.)  Sounds like a lot, but keep in mind each bottle contains 450 drops and should last for several years. 

“Thieves” oil is all natural and can be used lots of difference ways:  Place a drop on your tongue, rub some on your hands, put some on cotton balls and place them in heating/cooling vents.  (They also sell a hand purifying gel.)

And since you won’t be digging around in peoples' mouths, trying to steal their fillings, or pulling off their shoes looking for shillings, “Thieves” should be more than strong enough for your germ fighting needs. 

What's your secret weapon for staying healthy during cold season?

“Thieves” has also been proven to safeguard against the airborne bacteria  “Anthrax” and other biological warfare agents.  Purell, you're looking more lame by the minute. 


Feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right, to find out where you can purchase Thieves oil.

introducing the most powerful antioxidant beverage ever (until next week)

As some of you may have figured out by now, I’m a bit obsessed with trying to get better skin via beverages (Cell-nique and Embodi). I admit it.  I’m a bit lazy and just don’t have the patience for things like healthy cooking (or chewing, for that matter).

So imagine my excitement at seeing a new, even more potent antioxidant beverage.

Basically:  Antioxidants are necessary because they combat free radicals.  Free radicals weaken the skin’s cellular structure (including collagen).

Some factors that cause free radicals: air pollution, sunlight, alcohol, cigarette smoke and stress.  (So whatever you do, don’t sun yourself by a hotel pool in Mexico City, while smoking, sipping a margarita and talking on the phone with work.) 

Remember when pomegranates were touted as the most potent form of antioxidants?  Then acai berries (so 2007)? Well now there’s… purple corn. 

Turns out the source of “purple” in purple corn is “one of the most potent antioxidants in existence” (until next week when they find a new one.)

Purple corn is found mostly in Peru, where it’s been cultivated for over 2.500 years.  Peruvians use it to make a chilled, non-alcoholic beverage (although I’m sure teenage Peruvians spiked it at parties).

Now you can find this traditional, Peruvian concoction of purple corn, cinnamon, pineapple, quince, clove and cane sugar in the refrigerated beverage section of most East coast Whole Foods stores.  The brand is called “Simply Originals” and the drink, “Purple Corn”.  (I didn’t see that coming.)

It tastes a little like prune juice, if prune juice actually tasted really good and had a bit of spice to it. 

So stop paling around with free radicals.  Pick up the mother of all antioxidant beverages (as of Nov 20th at 8:30 AM) ... Purple Corn. 

Little known fact:  In Peru, the movie “Children of the Corn” was actually called “Children of the Purple Corn”.  They color corrected every kernal to be purple and all the children had beautiful skin.  (I just made that up. I’m not sure why.)   

communing with nature - good for your collagen?

So this dermatologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Amy Wechsler, was on the Today Show plugging her book,  “The Mind-Body Connection- 9 Days to Reverse Stress Aging and Reveal More Youthful Beautiful Skin”.

A lot of the stuff she talked about was kind of expected- simplify, exercise, etc.  But one thing she said, that I loved, was “go green”.  Meaning take time every day to get out into nature.  She said it helps prevent the release of Cortisol- a stress hormone, that breaks down collagen and causes wrinkles.

It actually reminded me of something I heard about Audrey Hepburn (who had flawless skin).  One of her biographies said, “She had no religion except a belief in nature. A belief that if you walk outside on a clear cool day among the flowers and let nature's beauty reach your heart, that you could put everything into perspective.”  Isn’t that so beautiful? 

Because it’s hard to fit a trip to nature in during a lunch break in NYC, I make nature come to me.  I sit on an empty park bench and throw lunch remnants on the ground next to me.    Thankfully, the wildlife in NYC will eat just about anything.  I’ve seen pigeons fight over half-eaten BBQ chicken wings.  (At which point Ethan Hawke usually flashes through my head, because he was in that movie where the soccer team’s plane crashed in the Andes and they ate each other.) 

But I digress.

When I toss down crumbs, all types of sparrows, chickadees (and pigeons with BBQ sauce on their faces) swoop down and squirrels come hopping over.  It kind of makes me feel like Snow White.

 

Here I am now.  Surrounded by a squirrel, birds and a giant rat wearing a burglar’s mask. (Oh, wait that’s a raccoon.)

Sitting with my nature posse always helps me forget my worries. So why not take a few quality minutes with nature today (or at the very least listen to John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High”).  It’s good for the spirit and the collagen. 

What do you think?  Does your skin look better when you spend time in/with nature?