Q: How much exercise do I need each week? 
Winter is knocking on our doors. This change of seasons brings low humidity and a chilling cold leaving you with chapped and dry skin. Your skin is already stressed from those long, hot summer days with exposure to the sun, air conditioning and chlorinated water. Now add to that indoor heating, which can also dry out the skin – what do we do to keep our skin healthy? What you put into your body has a great deal to do with how the quality of your skin is. Your skin will only absorb what it needs. Oil based moisturizers, aloe vera, & creams are much healthier for the skin than water based products. Your skin will absorb and use oil based creams and lotions. Water based products just sit on top of your skin making you think your skin is soft. During real cold temps, if you put on water based moisturizers and if they aren’t completely evaporated when you go outside, it could cause your skin to freeze….alarming isn’t it? Read on for some special tips in keeping your skin hydrated and healthy during the winter. 1. Bathe or shower in warm – not hot – water. Hot water removes natural oils from the skin, making it dry or itchy.
2. Limit showers or baths to 15 minutes.
3. Add bath oil to your bath water.
4. Use mild soaps. Avoid antibacterial, deodorant & perfumed soaps.
5. Pat skin dry, do not rub.
6. Apply moisturizer to skin immediately after a shower or bath while skin is still damp. This helps trap the water in the upper layers of the skin and decreases dryness and itching.
7. Shave using lotion instead of commercial shaving creams and gels.
8. Apply shea butter, essential oils, cocoa butter and other natural oils to problem areas to seal in moisture and heal very dry skin.
9. Use hand cream immediately after hand washing.
10. Apply moisturizer to your nails and cuticles; they can become dry and brittle.
11. Consider purchasing a humidifier to keep humidity higher during the winter months.
12. Wash your face with mild facial soap and warm, not hot, water.
13. Use SPF 15 sunscreen during the winter months; snow reflects UV light so you are still at risk for sun damage.
14. Apply moisturizing lip balms or glosses to lips to prevent and heal dry, chapped lips.
15. Drink lots of water (from a SteriPEN Adventurer Water Purifier).
16. Exfoliate skin – boosts circulation and gets rid of dead skin cells enabling your skin to absorb moisture more efficiently.
17. Cover skin when out in the winter wind – wear fabrics made of natural fibers such as wool, silk or thick cotton.
Some of the risk factors correlated to breast cancer have been well defined and are within our control to minimize. The basis for protecting yourself from breast cancer is to keep estrogen at a normal level in the body. One way to do this is to maintain a normal weight, or lose weight if you are overweight. Fatty tissue produces estrogen even after menopause. Decrease dietary fats, sugars and processed food. Decrease or eliminate alcohol from your diet. Try to eat a high fiber diet, consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetable and bean or organic soy protein. Again, these are to keep the estrogen level low.
Exercise also decreases estrogen. Women who have a regular workout routine (such as using a Needak soft-bounce rebounder) not only feel better, but lower their risk factor for malignant breast tumors.
Avoid chemicals that are potential carcinogens. Most petroleum-based chemicals used today are estrogen analogs, which are suspected to cause breast cancer. Do not use pesticides, herbicides, and bug sprays or flea bombs. If possible buy organic produce because it is more nutritious, and organic foods will not have pesticides on them. The pesticides do not wash off with water from a SteriPEN Journey water purifier, and again are suspected to play a role in raising the estrogen level.
Awareness can be raised by wearing cancer bands.
In a fast-paced world, it is not that hard to become unfocused with what we are doing. Jobs, family, bills, illness, and life’s everyday stressful situations have a habit of pulling us in different directions. A calming affect after stress can be beneficial to one’s brain. Researchers have found that the results from moderate meditation may not only produce a calming effect, but new research suggests that the practice of meditation may produce lasting changes in the brain. Researchers have done many studies on various meditation rituals and found that monks who spent many years in Buddhist meditation training show significantly greater brain activity in areas associated with learning and happiness than those who have never practiced meditation. The results suggest that long-term mental training, such as Buddhist meditation, may prompt both short and long-term changes in brain activity and function. With these kind of statistics an average person can boost their mental awareness much quicker then by taking drugs and its healthier for you. A person also becomes much more in tune with themselves as well as their surroundings.
A happier person is less likely to suffer from anxiety and stress attacks. As our minds become more positive we learn to react constructively to situations in our daily lives, from dealing with traffic to facing difficult problems in our relationships. Our actions become positive and effective, and our overall experience of life becomes more satisfying and beneficial to ourselves and others.
Meditation and an occasional massage with a G5 Massager or a G5 Pro Power Massager can go a long way to eliminating stress in your life.
Having a strong, healthy mind is key to functioning in our daily lives, and stress can affect a persons state of mind. Taking a daily multi-vitamin is extremely important as life is busy and we don’t always have the time to eat balanced meals. Folate helps to keep stress under wraps, and promotes mental awareness. Folate is a B-complex vitamin found in fruits such as oranges, strawberries, and avocados and in vegetables, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, broccoli, and spinach. The synthetic form of folate is folic acid and it is found in certain fortified grain foods, such as fortified breads and cereals. Several studies have documented a link between increased folate or folic acid intake and decreased rates of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Adequate folate intake also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and certain kinds of cancers. Being physically and mentally active and eating a healthy diet that includes omega-3 fats from nuts, olive oil, and fish are other ways to help preserve cognitive function. A daily helping of folate appears to help ward off one of the causes of age related cognitive decline which is known as high homocysteine levels. Folate lowers blood levels of homocysteine, a protein that can damage blood vessels and cells of the brain.
Foods that stop oxidation and preserve brain function are Anti aging Foods that one needs. Heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, fatigue, cataracts, vision, can be prevented or lessened with certain foods.
The antioxidant anthocyanin which is thought to be important for preserving brain function is found in blueberries, pomegranates ,and cranberries.
Consumption of vitamin E makes one less likely to develop Alzheimer’s . Wheat germ can be used as a topping and is loaded with vitamin E.
A diet rich in assorted fruits and vegetables also helps prevent the development of Alzheimer’s.
Fatigue and headaches may be attributed to iron deficiency. Meat, fish, and poultry contain the form of iron that’s the most easily absorbed in the body.
One can ward off stress and increase the amount of iron absorbed in a meal by eating kiwis, strawberries, oranges, and tangerines, Tangerines and other citrus fruits are also an important protector against cataracts.
Heart disease risk can be cut almost in half with folate and B6 which is currently found in fortified cereals.
Several large studies have shown a 30 to 50% lower risk of sudden cardiac death and cardiovascular disease associated with eating nuts several times a week.
Erratic heart rhythms and prevention of blood clots can be accomplished by eating salmon.
A high intake of monosaturated fats such as found in avocados lowers heart disease risk.
It’s true that carrots to protect ones night vision with its high amount of vitamin A
Macular degeneration may be delayed in those that consume a glass of red wine every day.
In conclusion vegetables, fruits and nuts have properties that stop oxidation and preserve brain function.
Throw in a good massage with a Thumper Massager or a Thumper Mini Pro Massager every once in a while and you can slow that aging process.
