Sure different sicknesses might run in your family, but you can put a stop to them now! I don't think that people realize that living a healthy life and feeling awesome is so much better than having a piece of dessert. Don't agree with me? Well, let me give you some reasons to say that I am right.
You say that you want to live a long life, but how do you plan on doing that? Do you think that sitting around all day will help? Do you think that cooking up your tasty trans fat, sugary meal will help that? I don't think so, actually I know that it won't help it at all. The key to living a happy, healthy life is by enjoying it and by living it to the fullest. Its okay to have a small treat every once in a while, but when you realize how much better you feel without it, you won't even have a desire for it.
Lets talk about how to live the life you have always wanted.
1. Reduce Stress
You ask, "How in the world do I do that, did you see my To Do list today!?!?" Well, you can choose to freak out and have a panic attack or you can choose to take a deep breath, focus on what you need to get done, and get it done without ruining your day and the day of everyone around you.
2. Exercise
Exercise makes you feel good, reduces stress and disease, and makes you look awesome. Being active in your everyday life, even by just walking somewhere instead of driving can make a big difference.
3. Eat Healthy.
I am talking about eating to fuel your body. You wouldn't put the wrong kind of fuel in your car, so why put the wrong fuel in your body? Your body needs nutrients. To reduce and fight off disease, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Whole grains, lean meat, low fat dairy, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and olive oil all help to fuel your body. Don't want cancer? Avoid sugar, there is actually a large volume of scientific evidence available which shows the link between sugar and increased cancer risk. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School found that people who ate the most foods with high glycemic load – the glycemic index, or GI, of a food gives an idea of how quickly sugar (more specifically, glucose) levels in the blood rise after eating it – had almost three times the risk of getting cancer in the future, compared with those who ate lesser amounts of such foods.
The most important tip in living a healthy life is by enjoying it. Don't live your life in fear of disease but give your body what it needs to fight it off.
P.S. Remember...
Reducing Stress + Exercise + Healthy Eating = a long happy life
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
10 Reasons to Move
Yea!!! Be proud of yourself, you are taking those steps to being healthier and happier. Everyone knows that exercise is great for our bodies, but a lot of people really don't realize just "how great" it really is for us. Here our 10 reasons why exercise and just moving more in your everyday life can benefit your body, your outlook on life, and the length of your life.
Exercise makes you sharper, happier, and healthier. Get ready to transform your life!
Info from prevention magazine
1. Improve Language Skills A single treadmill session can make you brainier. Exercisers who ran just two 3-minute sprints, with a 2-minute break in between, learned new words 20% faster than those who rested, in a University of Muenster in Germany study. Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your noggin. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning, and memory.
Do this Add a bout of exercise, like running up and down the stairs, before trying to memorize anything--say, Spanish phrases for your trip to Mexico.
2. Get All-Natural Pain Relief It may seem counterintuitive, but rest isn't necessarily best for reducing pain and stiffness in the knees, shoulders, back, or neck. Healthy adults who did aerobic activity consistently had 25% less musculoskeletal pain than their couch-bound peers, says Stanford senior research scientist Bonnie Bruce, DrPH, MPH, RD. Exercise releases endorphins, the body's natural pain reliever, and may make you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muscles and tendons. Staying active can also provide relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis: In a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, arthritis sufferers experienced 25% less pain and 16% less stiffness after 6 months of low-impact exercise like balance and strengthening moves. Most people start to feel improvement within a few weeks, says study author Leigh Callahan, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at UNC.
3. Be Happier at Work An active lifestyle may help you check off extra items on your to-do list, says a study from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. On days staffers participated in on-site fitness activities, they reported thinking more clearly, getting more done, and interacting more effectively with colleagues. You'll be less likely to miss work due to illness, too. Research shows that people who participate in vigorous leisure-time physical activity (such as jogging or bicycling) just once or twice a week take about half the sick time of those who are more sedentary.
4. Feel Great at Any Size
A good workout practically ensures a better body image. A Pennsylvania State University study found that women ages 42 to 58 felt more attractive after 4 months of walking or yoga even if they didn't lose weight.
5. Lower Dental Bills Flossing and brushing, it turns out, are not the only keys to a healthy smile, says Mohammad Al-Zahrani, DDS, PhD, a former associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. Exercise plays an important role, too. In his recent study, Al-Zahrani discovered that adults who did 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 or more times a week were 42% less likely to suffer from periodontitis, a gum disease that's more common as you get older. Working out may thwart periodontitis the same way it does heart disease--by lowering levels of inflammation-causing C-reactive protein in the blood.
Do this In addition to staying active, get a twice-yearly dental cleaning (or more often if your dentist says you are at high risk for gum disease).
6. Slash Cold Risk 33% Moderate exercise doesn't just rev your metabolism--it boosts your immune system, too, helping your body fight off cold bugs and other germs. Women ages 50 to 75 who did 45 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, had a third as many colds as those who did once-weekly stretching sessions, a University of Washington study found.
Do this Stay active, but don't overdo it. Doing more than 90 minutes of "too" intense exercise may actually reduce immunity.
7. Reach the Deep-Sleep Zone Say good night to poor sleep. Women age 60 and older who walked or danced for at least an hour, four times a week, woke up half as often and slept an average 48 minutes more a night than sedentary women, according to a study in the journal Sleep Medicine. That is good news for the many women who toss and turn more as they get older. As you age, sleep patterns start shifting, so you spend more of the night in lighter sleep phases, says Shawn Youngstedt, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
Do this Aim to exercise for at least half an hour, even if it's after a long day. Evidence suggests that for most people, light to moderate activity in the evening won't disturb sleep, though trial and error will tell you what works for you.
8. Beat Bloating The next time you feel puffy around the middle, resist the urge to stay put. A study from Spain's Autonomous University of Barcelona suggests that mild physical activity clears gas and alleviates bloating. That's because increasing your heart rate and breathing stimulates the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles, helping to prevent constipation and gas buildup by expediting digestion.
Do this Walk or pedal lightly on a bike until you feel better.
9. See Clearly What's good for your heart is good for your eyes. An active lifestyle can cut your risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70%, according to a British Journal of Ophthalmology study of 4,000 adults. This incurable disease makes reading, driving, and seeing fine details difficult, and it's the most common cause of blindness after age 60.
Do this Keep active by walking at least 12 blocks (about a mile) a day, and wear UVA/UVB-blocking sunglasses during outdoor activities all year long.
10. Enjoy Instant Energy If you're among the 50% of adults who report feeling tired at least 1 day a week, skip the java and go for a walk. University of Georgia researchers who analyzed 70 different studies concluded that moving your body increases energy and reduces fatigue. Regular exercise boosts certain fatigue-fighting brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine, which pep you up, and serotonin, a mood enhancer.
Do this Take a 20-minute stroll for a quick pick-me-up, or aim for 40 minutes of activity daily for a sustained lift.
Exercise makes you sharper, happier, and healthier. Get ready to transform your life!
Info from prevention magazine
1. Improve Language Skills A single treadmill session can make you brainier. Exercisers who ran just two 3-minute sprints, with a 2-minute break in between, learned new words 20% faster than those who rested, in a University of Muenster in Germany study. Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your noggin. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning, and memory.
Do this Add a bout of exercise, like running up and down the stairs, before trying to memorize anything--say, Spanish phrases for your trip to Mexico.
2. Get All-Natural Pain Relief It may seem counterintuitive, but rest isn't necessarily best for reducing pain and stiffness in the knees, shoulders, back, or neck. Healthy adults who did aerobic activity consistently had 25% less musculoskeletal pain than their couch-bound peers, says Stanford senior research scientist Bonnie Bruce, DrPH, MPH, RD. Exercise releases endorphins, the body's natural pain reliever, and may make you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muscles and tendons. Staying active can also provide relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis: In a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, arthritis sufferers experienced 25% less pain and 16% less stiffness after 6 months of low-impact exercise like balance and strengthening moves. Most people start to feel improvement within a few weeks, says study author Leigh Callahan, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at UNC.
3. Be Happier at Work An active lifestyle may help you check off extra items on your to-do list, says a study from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. On days staffers participated in on-site fitness activities, they reported thinking more clearly, getting more done, and interacting more effectively with colleagues. You'll be less likely to miss work due to illness, too. Research shows that people who participate in vigorous leisure-time physical activity (such as jogging or bicycling) just once or twice a week take about half the sick time of those who are more sedentary.
4. Feel Great at Any Size
A good workout practically ensures a better body image. A Pennsylvania State University study found that women ages 42 to 58 felt more attractive after 4 months of walking or yoga even if they didn't lose weight.
5. Lower Dental Bills Flossing and brushing, it turns out, are not the only keys to a healthy smile, says Mohammad Al-Zahrani, DDS, PhD, a former associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. Exercise plays an important role, too. In his recent study, Al-Zahrani discovered that adults who did 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 or more times a week were 42% less likely to suffer from periodontitis, a gum disease that's more common as you get older. Working out may thwart periodontitis the same way it does heart disease--by lowering levels of inflammation-causing C-reactive protein in the blood.
Do this In addition to staying active, get a twice-yearly dental cleaning (or more often if your dentist says you are at high risk for gum disease).
6. Slash Cold Risk 33% Moderate exercise doesn't just rev your metabolism--it boosts your immune system, too, helping your body fight off cold bugs and other germs. Women ages 50 to 75 who did 45 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, had a third as many colds as those who did once-weekly stretching sessions, a University of Washington study found.
Do this Stay active, but don't overdo it. Doing more than 90 minutes of "too" intense exercise may actually reduce immunity.
7. Reach the Deep-Sleep Zone Say good night to poor sleep. Women age 60 and older who walked or danced for at least an hour, four times a week, woke up half as often and slept an average 48 minutes more a night than sedentary women, according to a study in the journal Sleep Medicine. That is good news for the many women who toss and turn more as they get older. As you age, sleep patterns start shifting, so you spend more of the night in lighter sleep phases, says Shawn Youngstedt, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
Do this Aim to exercise for at least half an hour, even if it's after a long day. Evidence suggests that for most people, light to moderate activity in the evening won't disturb sleep, though trial and error will tell you what works for you.
8. Beat Bloating The next time you feel puffy around the middle, resist the urge to stay put. A study from Spain's Autonomous University of Barcelona suggests that mild physical activity clears gas and alleviates bloating. That's because increasing your heart rate and breathing stimulates the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles, helping to prevent constipation and gas buildup by expediting digestion.
Do this Walk or pedal lightly on a bike until you feel better.
9. See Clearly What's good for your heart is good for your eyes. An active lifestyle can cut your risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70%, according to a British Journal of Ophthalmology study of 4,000 adults. This incurable disease makes reading, driving, and seeing fine details difficult, and it's the most common cause of blindness after age 60.
Do this Keep active by walking at least 12 blocks (about a mile) a day, and wear UVA/UVB-blocking sunglasses during outdoor activities all year long.
10. Enjoy Instant Energy If you're among the 50% of adults who report feeling tired at least 1 day a week, skip the java and go for a walk. University of Georgia researchers who analyzed 70 different studies concluded that moving your body increases energy and reduces fatigue. Regular exercise boosts certain fatigue-fighting brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine, which pep you up, and serotonin, a mood enhancer.
Do this Take a 20-minute stroll for a quick pick-me-up, or aim for 40 minutes of activity daily for a sustained lift.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Learn to LOVE yourself
We are all striving to look our best "and that is a good thing" but we also need to realize we are human and so is everyone else. If you are trying to loose weight or just be healthier, one key is to learn to be happy right where you are ,so you can get to the place you really want to be. A lot of people say "oh, I will be happy when I am 2 or 3 sizes smaller, but we need to realize that we will still be the same person we are today when we loose those extra pounds. Yes, we will be thinner, yes we will have learned a lot, but deep inside you are you. If you don't learn to be happy now, then you won't be happy when you loose the weight either. You would never tell another person to their face that they are ugly, so you shouldn't do it to yourself either. Learn to love yourself now. "I am not saying love those extra pounds" but learn to love the inner you. Be confident, stand tall, and be proud of who you are. If you have nothing to be proud of, you can at least be proud of reading this blog and taking those steps to being a healthier, happier you.
Journal - Am I really hungry or just bored?
A lot of times we underestimate how much we are really eating. A great way to keep an eye on what you eat is to write it down in a journal. Simply jotting down when and what you ate will keep you accountable. Write down what you ate, if you were hungry or not, and what time it was. You don't have to journal forever but doing it for a week or two will help you pay attention and notice your "real" hunger signals, so you don't eat just when you are bored. I found a great website to do this on. You just log in and put in everything you ate. It counts up the calories for you and it is all stored right on your very own food log.
The website is....
http://www.fitday.com/
The website is....
http://www.fitday.com/
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Snacking is a good thing?!?!
Yes, you heard it right. Its good to eat in between meals. A lot of people think that they are "being good" or "saving up" but what they are really doing is just shutting down their metabolism. When you eat in between meals it keeps your body burning off those calories. I am not saying that snacking on a candy bar will do you any good either. You need to choose something that will fuel and energize your body. Try to eat small meals every three hours. Think, small portions throughout the day, rather than eating huge meals all at once. This will help speed up your metabolism; but remember, when you really want to get your metabolism up and running you have to get in exercise. Aim for "atleast" 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Great Snack Ideas
1 fruit with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
lowfat cottage cheese
1 Hard Boiled Egg
Low fat plain yogurt with fruit and a drizzle of honey.
1 fruit with 1 serving of nuts "almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc.
Great Snack Ideas
1 fruit with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
lowfat cottage cheese
1 Hard Boiled Egg
Low fat plain yogurt with fruit and a drizzle of honey.
1 fruit with 1 serving of nuts "almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc.
Too Clean
Yeah, sure you need to keep your home clean, but making it too clean can put you and your family at risk.
Info from "The Doctors" www.thedoctorstv.com
Chemicals like ammonia, formaldehyde and bleach can do more harm than good. A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds, and more than 50 percent of all poisonings occur at homes with children under 5 years of age. The chemicals can cause eye, skin and respiratory irritations, kidney and liver damage and even cancer and death.
“If you use bleach to clean something, yeah, you’ll rinse it off afterwards, but there’s a lot of residue, chlorine residue, that will stay on the floor, in the bathtub or even on your dishes,” Dr. Jim from "The Doctors" says. “If your baby goes crawling on the floor, they’re going to be getting exposed to that chlorine, and I’d be really careful with that.”
Ridding your home of all germs may even hurt your immune system. “Pediatric literature has studied this,” Dr. Ordon says. “You need a certain [number] of germs and natural things in the environment to stimulate your immune system. And if you don’t get it, you’re going to start getting sick.”
You can still keep your house clean without using harmful chemicals. A vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol mixture makes a useful window cleaner, while combining olive oil and lemon makes a substitute for furniture cleaner!
“A little bit of cleaning, being sanitary, is important,” Dr. Jim says. “But cleaning all day long, you don’t want to be doing that.”
So next time you clean your house, reach for some more natural cleaners that won't harm your health. Me personally, I really like "greenworks" cleaners from Clorox. They clean well and leave a fresh scent without the harmful chemicals. For more info on natural cleaners feel free to e-mail me.
Info from "The Doctors" www.thedoctorstv.com
Chemicals like ammonia, formaldehyde and bleach can do more harm than good. A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds, and more than 50 percent of all poisonings occur at homes with children under 5 years of age. The chemicals can cause eye, skin and respiratory irritations, kidney and liver damage and even cancer and death.
“If you use bleach to clean something, yeah, you’ll rinse it off afterwards, but there’s a lot of residue, chlorine residue, that will stay on the floor, in the bathtub or even on your dishes,” Dr. Jim from "The Doctors" says. “If your baby goes crawling on the floor, they’re going to be getting exposed to that chlorine, and I’d be really careful with that.”
Ridding your home of all germs may even hurt your immune system. “Pediatric literature has studied this,” Dr. Ordon says. “You need a certain [number] of germs and natural things in the environment to stimulate your immune system. And if you don’t get it, you’re going to start getting sick.”
You can still keep your house clean without using harmful chemicals. A vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol mixture makes a useful window cleaner, while combining olive oil and lemon makes a substitute for furniture cleaner!
“A little bit of cleaning, being sanitary, is important,” Dr. Jim says. “But cleaning all day long, you don’t want to be doing that.”
So next time you clean your house, reach for some more natural cleaners that won't harm your health. Me personally, I really like "greenworks" cleaners from Clorox. They clean well and leave a fresh scent without the harmful chemicals. For more info on natural cleaners feel free to e-mail me.
Sugar - Not So Sweet
Sugar
Sure, it tastes good, but is it really worth the end results?? We all know that sugar adds to your waistline but a lot of us didn't know that it also harms your skin. Lately I have noticed that the only time my skin breakouts is when I eat sugar. Sugar can be fun, but breakouts and wrinkles aren't!
Here is an article from prevention magazine.
At blame is a natural process that's known as glycation, in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," explains Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City and author of 10 Minutes 10 Years. Most vulnerable to damage: collagen and elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. In fact, collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, leading to wrinkles and sagging. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Besides damaging collagen, a high-sugar diet also affects what type of collagen you have--another factor in how resistant skin is to wrinkling, says Brandt. The most abundant collagens in the skin are types I, II, and III, with type III being the most stable and longest lasting. Glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is more fragile. "When that happens, the skin looks and feels less supple," says Brandt. The final blow: AGEs deactivate your body's natural antioxidant enzymes, leaving you more vulnerable to sun damage--still the main cause of skin aging.
One group that knows all too well sugar's ravaging effects: people with diabetes, who--because they can suffer from years of undetected high blood sugar--often show early signs of skin aging. "Depending on how well their disease is controlled, diabetics can have up to 50 times the number of AGEs in their skin as those who don't have diabetes," says Karyn Grossman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and Santa Monica, CA, and chief of the division of dermatology at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.
The good news about sugar-damaged skin: It's never too late to turn back the clock. One way is to build new collagen with products that contain retinoids--look for retinol in OTC serums and lotions or prescription creams such as Renova, Avage, and Differin. To keep this new collagen supple, prevent AGEs from forming by taking steps to minimize the damage sugar causes to your skin. Here, five steps to eat right and keep your skin looking its youngest:
1. Cut back on the sweet stuff in your diet.It's not easy to eliminate sugar completely. Even whole grains, fruits, and vegetables turn to glucose--the type of sugar that fuels glycation--when digested. But limiting added sugar can help. Some guidelines: Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories. If you're a 45-year-old woman of average height (5-foot-4), that's 160 calories (or 10 teaspoons) from added sugar--about the number in one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola or six Hershey's Kisses. By comparison, the average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, or the equivalent of 465 calories. (To find out how many calories total you should eat every day, log on to prevention.com/caloriecalculator.) Watch for hidden sugar in food. Many prepared foods contain hefty amounts of sugar--but it's hidden under aliases--including barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, and turbinado--on ingredient panels. The key is determining how many teaspoons of sugar each serving contains. Doing this is easy: Check the nutrition label for sugars, which are listed in grams under total carbohydrates, and then divide that number by 4 (each teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 g) to convert it to teaspoons. For example, if sugars are listed as 12 g, you're getting 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Avoid high fructose corn syrup. This type of sweetener, which is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose (another form of sugar), is believed to produce more AGEs than other types. Because HFCS extends the shelf life of foods and is sweeter and cheaper than other sugars, it's a popular ingredient in soda, fruit-flavored drinks, and packaged foods such as breads, crackers, and other snacks. You can spot it in ingredient lists on nutrition labels.
2. Supplement your diet with at least 1 mg of vitamins B1 and B6 a day.These vitamins proved to be potent AGE inhibitors in a number of published studies, says David J. Goldberg, MD, a New York Citybased dermatologist and a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. B1 and B6 are plentiful in food, but taking a multivitamin--most of which deliver at least 1 mg of both Bs--ensures you're getting the daily value of 1.1 mg for B1 and 1.3 mg for B6 (1.5 mg after age 50).
3. Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every day.Significantly more AGEs occur in sun-exposed skin than in protected skin, according to the British Journal of Dermatology study.
4. Employ an inside-outside approach to antioxidants.These free-radical fighters help keep sugar from attaching to proteins, so replenishing their supply--both by eating more antioxidant-rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables, such as cranberries, walnuts, and red bell peppers, and by applying topical antioxidants such as green tea and vitamins C and E--is a real skin saver. "It seems to be the best way to ensure that they reach the dermal layer of skin, where collagen and elastin are located," says Goldberg.
5. Use new ingredients that protect skin from sugar.A growing number of products contain compounds like aminoguanidine and alistin, which have been shown to block the formation of AGEs (see at left). "Aminoguanidine attaches to molecules that start the glycation process and prevents them from binding to collagen and elastin," explains Grossman. "Alistin acts as a decoy, so it gets damaged instead of the proteins in your skin." In a study on Prescriptives Anti-AGE Advanced Protection Lotion SPF 25, which contains both ingredients, skin treated with the product had 21% fewer AGEs after 8 weeks than untreated skin. Sweet!
Sure, it tastes good, but is it really worth the end results?? We all know that sugar adds to your waistline but a lot of us didn't know that it also harms your skin. Lately I have noticed that the only time my skin breakouts is when I eat sugar. Sugar can be fun, but breakouts and wrinkles aren't!
Here is an article from prevention magazine.
At blame is a natural process that's known as glycation, in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," explains Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City and author of 10 Minutes 10 Years. Most vulnerable to damage: collagen and elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. In fact, collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, leading to wrinkles and sagging. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Besides damaging collagen, a high-sugar diet also affects what type of collagen you have--another factor in how resistant skin is to wrinkling, says Brandt. The most abundant collagens in the skin are types I, II, and III, with type III being the most stable and longest lasting. Glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is more fragile. "When that happens, the skin looks and feels less supple," says Brandt. The final blow: AGEs deactivate your body's natural antioxidant enzymes, leaving you more vulnerable to sun damage--still the main cause of skin aging.
One group that knows all too well sugar's ravaging effects: people with diabetes, who--because they can suffer from years of undetected high blood sugar--often show early signs of skin aging. "Depending on how well their disease is controlled, diabetics can have up to 50 times the number of AGEs in their skin as those who don't have diabetes," says Karyn Grossman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and Santa Monica, CA, and chief of the division of dermatology at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.
The good news about sugar-damaged skin: It's never too late to turn back the clock. One way is to build new collagen with products that contain retinoids--look for retinol in OTC serums and lotions or prescription creams such as Renova, Avage, and Differin. To keep this new collagen supple, prevent AGEs from forming by taking steps to minimize the damage sugar causes to your skin. Here, five steps to eat right and keep your skin looking its youngest:
1. Cut back on the sweet stuff in your diet.It's not easy to eliminate sugar completely. Even whole grains, fruits, and vegetables turn to glucose--the type of sugar that fuels glycation--when digested. But limiting added sugar can help. Some guidelines: Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories. If you're a 45-year-old woman of average height (5-foot-4), that's 160 calories (or 10 teaspoons) from added sugar--about the number in one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola or six Hershey's Kisses. By comparison, the average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, or the equivalent of 465 calories. (To find out how many calories total you should eat every day, log on to prevention.com/caloriecalculator.) Watch for hidden sugar in food. Many prepared foods contain hefty amounts of sugar--but it's hidden under aliases--including barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, and turbinado--on ingredient panels. The key is determining how many teaspoons of sugar each serving contains. Doing this is easy: Check the nutrition label for sugars, which are listed in grams under total carbohydrates, and then divide that number by 4 (each teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 g) to convert it to teaspoons. For example, if sugars are listed as 12 g, you're getting 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Avoid high fructose corn syrup. This type of sweetener, which is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose (another form of sugar), is believed to produce more AGEs than other types. Because HFCS extends the shelf life of foods and is sweeter and cheaper than other sugars, it's a popular ingredient in soda, fruit-flavored drinks, and packaged foods such as breads, crackers, and other snacks. You can spot it in ingredient lists on nutrition labels.
2. Supplement your diet with at least 1 mg of vitamins B1 and B6 a day.These vitamins proved to be potent AGE inhibitors in a number of published studies, says David J. Goldberg, MD, a New York Citybased dermatologist and a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. B1 and B6 are plentiful in food, but taking a multivitamin--most of which deliver at least 1 mg of both Bs--ensures you're getting the daily value of 1.1 mg for B1 and 1.3 mg for B6 (1.5 mg after age 50).
3. Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every day.Significantly more AGEs occur in sun-exposed skin than in protected skin, according to the British Journal of Dermatology study.
4. Employ an inside-outside approach to antioxidants.These free-radical fighters help keep sugar from attaching to proteins, so replenishing their supply--both by eating more antioxidant-rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables, such as cranberries, walnuts, and red bell peppers, and by applying topical antioxidants such as green tea and vitamins C and E--is a real skin saver. "It seems to be the best way to ensure that they reach the dermal layer of skin, where collagen and elastin are located," says Goldberg.
5. Use new ingredients that protect skin from sugar.A growing number of products contain compounds like aminoguanidine and alistin, which have been shown to block the formation of AGEs (see at left). "Aminoguanidine attaches to molecules that start the glycation process and prevents them from binding to collagen and elastin," explains Grossman. "Alistin acts as a decoy, so it gets damaged instead of the proteins in your skin." In a study on Prescriptives Anti-AGE Advanced Protection Lotion SPF 25, which contains both ingredients, skin treated with the product had 21% fewer AGEs after 8 weeks than untreated skin. Sweet!
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