Why Take Care Of Your Face? Because You Are Beautiful!

Use Plant Based Nutrient Rich Anti-Aging Skin Care

Why Cleanse?
To remove dirt without stripping precious natural oils

Why use Cleansing Masks?
Occasional deep cleansing – goes beyond the surface layers

Why Refine or Polish?
To remove surface dead skin cells

Why Tone?
To pick up traces of cleanser left behind, to prepare for treatment or moisture, turn off iron in the tap water

Why Treat your skin?
To encourages cell turnover, to brighten dark circles and spots, to minimize lines and wrinkles, to recaptures firmness and softness , to protect the skin from photoaging.

Why Moisturize?
To quench your skins thirst for moisture, minimize fine lines and wrinkles

Look for these healthy features in your product purchases:

•Water free
•Products specifically designed for the eye area
•Plant based products
•Oil free
•Soap free
•Dermatology tested
•Won’t clog pores
•Not tested on animals
•No animal derived ingredients

Avoid these ingredients in your product purchases:

•Animal derived ingredients/testing
•Avobenzone – preservative found in sunscreens that decomposes when exposed to UV light
•Oils – mineral and vegetable – moisture sealants – block skins natural oils
•No soap – high alkaline – often animal derived
•No isopropyl palmitate – guaranteed to induce black heads
•No propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate – these ingredients are questionable –   carcinogenic
•No dyes – not necessary in any product – can irritate skin
•No DEA – common foaming agent – currently under investigation by the NTP (National Toxicology Program)
•Fragrances other than those that are hypoallergenic

Finally, This was me, I developed systemic candida and severe allergies to fragrances - I believe the preservatives listed below were part of what contributed to my ill health

•No imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, quartnium 15 – common preservatives that “out gas” releasing formaldehyde – sensitivity to formaldehyde is on the rise – may provoke auto immune response

whimsical floral image flickr sourced

ACNE

Acne can have a genetic component

All adolescents experience some form of acne in their teenage years

50% of all adults suffer from this persistent condition

Acne is a complex cycle of events…

( I found the description below, sourced from a field plant based anti-aging skin care document,  absolutely faascinating.  After reading this cycle it makes one want to wash your face,  doesn’t it? )

1. Begins with the sebaceous gland ( found at the bottom of the hair follicle) this gland produces an excess of sebum

2. This natural skin oil travels up the hair follicle and spreads on the skin’s surface – the result sometimes is merely oily skin

3. The sebum becomes degraded from the ever present microorganisms – as the sebum continues to degrade the chemical byproduct this causes skin cells lining the hair follicle to fall off – The sebum and shedded skin cells create a plug at the opening of the hair follicle or pore

4. If the plug does not completely block the pore it becomes darkened – known as a blackhead

5. If the plug is completely blocked and no air can get in or the sebum can’t get out then a whitehead is formed

6. In this lovely low oxygen environment another type of microorganism thrives propionibacterium acnes (p.acnes) and begins to flourish.

7. This microorganism further degrades the trapped sebum creating skin irritating chemicals that cause redness often associated w/ acne

8. Free radical reactions also occur in the sebum resulting in more damage to the cells lining the follicle. The body sends white blood cells to repair the damage – this causes a battle inside the follicle causing pimples on the surface of the skin

9. As sebum, skin cells, white blood cells and bacteria continue to accumulate in the blocked pore the lining of the follicle can rupture.

10. The contents then spill out into surrounding skin tissue and potentially lead to more blocked pores

11. The reason we produce excess sebum is not completely understood but one significant trigger is an enzyme that is produced during hormonal changes.

Look for products that encourage the healing of blemishes and control the factors that contribute to the cycle of Acne.

Manucka and Tea Tree Oil are often found usefel
Nutrient or Herb Based – A, E, Zinc, B’s, Licorice, Burdock, Watercress,
Avoid high dosages of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide

This particular nutrient and herb rich acne product stops the cycle of acne
Keeping your face clean helps too!

Treatment for acne when I was a teen was a long dose of tetracycline, followed by a nasty yeast infection that nooone ever talked about. I certainly didn’t know about friendly bacteria way back then

The antibiotics got rid of the zits but created health problems for me later.

I was so allergic to the preservatives in mainstream products that my skin got horrifically dry

It wasn’t until I was 33 years old that I discovered a skin care system that worked for me.

flickr image credit

Many woman struggle with their weight.

This fall I will celebrate three years on this quality weight loss program

To update you, I am down another size from when this picture was taken in 2008

me – a size 16, the overalls size 24.
Thanks John of Digital Studio Inc for taking this picture

I feel weight loss is like a chemistry project. A big ( no pun intended ) very complicated, individual, unique equation that requires all the variables to be working together.

Some of the variables include:

Foods – do you eat for taste or for nutrition?
Fiber – are you getting enough?
Fluids - many of us have replaced water with soda or coffee – what do you drink ?
Function – are we stressed, do all our body systems work well ?
Fitness – we movin it ? daily ?
Finesse – do we have the gumption to have healthy eating be a life long lifestyle ?
Fight – willpower is part of the plan – what are you willing to let go of ?

I believe each of us have intent to lose weight but don’t combine ALL the variables.

When all the pieces aren’t in place, that intention as well as any results get deflated pretty darn fast.

I was completely apathetic to my weight. I had given up. I was fat.  I had decided to accept fatness as my fate and call it a day.

I needed more than help, I needed hope.

Two weeks on these safe and natural weight loss products gave me the tools I needed to lose weight and the hope.

Simply – on this program I felt good, I began to see results and I felt I could move forward.

I believed.

Here it is years later and not only am I maintaining my weight loss, I still feel really wonderful.

Below are a few weight loss posts that I hope will help you understand my journey as well as the products that helped me with my big complicated weight loss chemistry project:

Change the World: One Pound at a Time

Weight Loss and Detoxification

Twas the Diet After New Years

Inch Loss Weight Loss Program

Green,Red and White Energy Tea

By the way you can lose weight too! Please let me know if I can be of assistance

 
Ask ANY woman you know if they adore their personal skin care regime and you will find that most are rather devoted to their particular brand.

Chronological Aging is defined as accumulated physical changes normally associated with the passing of time.

·Epidermis thins

·Cell turnover slows down

·Moisture retention decreases

·Loss of pigmentation creates age spots

Accelerated Aging is defined as accumulated damage caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and UV radiation.

·Iron in the tap water creates surface damage

·Free radicals impair cell integrity

·Enzymes triggered by free radicals breakdown collagen

·Sun damaged cells initiate pre cancerous changes in cells

The Decades of your Skin Aging:

Age 20 – 30

Consider your 20’s “the age of prevention” – where lack of good skin care can cause future skin care issues:

·Clogged pores

·Whiteheads/ blackheads

·Squinting and not using moisturizer can contribute to the beginnings of fine lines around the eyes

·Smoking, alcohol, and little sleep can dull the skin

·Serious sunburn sets the stage for skin cancer

Age 30 – 40

This is the decade of laugh lines, crow’s feet and double chins.

·Skin begins to loose it’s firm, supple texture – caused by the breakdown of collagen –

·The sebaceous glands become less active and produces less sebum -

·Poorly lubricated skin may not retain moisture as well – dry skin

·Cell turnover begins to slow down – dulling the complexion

·Brown spots and uneven color blotches appear

Age 40 – 50

·By 50 cell turnover takes twice as long

·Old skin stays on the surface masking natural skin color and radiance – accentuating the bags, sags, and wrinkles created by continued loss of collagen

·Epidermis continues to thin contributing to droopy eyelids and neck wattles.

·Pigment becomes uneven, creating shadows, blotches , dark circles under the eyes and age spots on the face and back of hands.

Age 50 – 60

Your face is mature now

·Your face shows more of it’s angles and hollows, bags form, facial bones shrink, menopause contributes to reduce oil production

·Significant dryness occurs

·Skin becomes thinner and more prone to wrinkling and drooping, more patchiness and uneven skintone

Age 60+

·Poor circulation robs your skin of it’s healthy glow

·Continued thinning and drying skin makes it more prone to irritation.


glow flickr image credit

Karen Hanrahan ~ Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant/Blog Author
708.482.0678 ~ Websites: Nutrition Weight Loss, and Green Clean

A post titled what the heck is Menopause, about the topic so many woman face at this lovely biological phase in their life probably would have made sense to write first.

Being that it’s this week’s theme and all.

Instead I wrote first about the Natural Approaches to Menopause and then about Menopause and Calcium.

What do they call that? Putting the cart before the horse? The carrot behind the rabbit?  Dessert as a first course ?

Duh.

They say mental acuity is sometimes challenged during Menopause.

When I first started my nutritional consulting practice I was 33. What did I know about Menopause?

I knew my mom didn’t talk about it and her butt got really big. I knew that my older girlfriends had it and they cried alot. I knew that there was this physical phenomenon that had one’s skin temperature fluctuate

As clients approached me about this very natural end to the bearing children phase of life. I  managed it rather clinically. What symptoms were they experiencing and what nutrients and herbs benefit those symptoms?  That’s my job. I didn’t have a relatedness to the concern, as I don’t really have a relatedness to high blood pressure either, I just knew that if I listened, and if they did as I recommended and really understood that science does support natural methods- my clients could feel better without taking drugs.

To this day I marvel at the wisdom of the human body.

A woman’s ovaries shift into low gear during Menopause, when that happens the hormonal system produces less progesterone and estrogen. This fluctuation of hormones starts a wonderful  chain reaction in the many other systems of the body.

When happens it causes a bit of havoc

Common symptoms include:

Hot flashes
Insomnia
Mood Fluctuations
Anxiety
Forgetfulness
Bone, Heart, Colon and Breast health risk increases
Vaginal health can also be of concern

During this time, 65 percent of the requests for treatment are due to night sweats, and 45 percent are due to psychological syndromes.

More specifically 5 areas of the body are affected:

Vasomotor: Hot flashes, palpitations, spontaneous sweating, panic attacks and the inability to sleep.

Psychological: Anxiety, mood swings, depression, poor memory and lack of concentration.

Urogenital: Sexual organ atrophy, dyspareunia (pain during sex), trigonitis and frequent and urgent urination.

Skeletal: Osteoporosis, vertebral crush fractures and femoral neck fractures. Symptoms usually begin well into menopause.

Cardiovascular: Ischemic heart disease and/or cerebrovascular disease. Symptoms usually begin well into menopause.

The average age for those seeking treatment for menopause is 44.

It used to be that the most prescribed hormone replacement therapy was Premarin, a form of estrogen ( sourced from the urine of a horse- no thank you very much )  and this drug  alleviated some of the symptoms of menopause .. . and increased, at the same time, the risk of hormone-dependent cancers.

In 2002 a huge study was halted when the risks of this drug far outweighed the benefits.

Some versions of this medical approach are still being prescribed today.

What solutions are you seeking? Does the medical approach confuse you, or even horrify you, like it does me?

What about all the zillions of natural solutions offered on the Internet?

I read somewhere that standing on your head was good for menopause – sure wish I had bookmarked that one!

I am skilled at helping woman sort the trend and the hype.

I can provide a sensible personalized high quality nutritional supplement approach that will give you the results you are striving for.

Additionally I am utilizing a natural approach myself as I am entering in this wonderful lovely phase of my life.

Can I now relate? You bet I can.

If you or anyone you know would like assistance with regards to supplementation and Menopause, I’d be absolutely delighted to help.

May the Menopause be with you.

arty hot flash relief flickr image credit

Karen Hanrahan ~ Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant/Blog Publisher
708.482.0678 ~ Websites: Nutrition Weight Loss, and Green Clean