30 Tips For Younger Looking Skin (Part 2)

Tips 1 to 15

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16. Avoid Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Smoking and drinking alcohol are bad for the skin. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxins, many of which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and are transported by the blood directly into the structure of your skin. Smoking cigarettes causes the constriction or narrowing of the blood vessels at the top layers of the skin which in turn reduces blood supply to the skin. This in turn reduces the skin regeneration efficiency. The reduction of blood supply reduces the availability of oxygen to all living cells as well as slowing down the removal of waste products, dead cell fragments. Hence, the environment for regeneration has been retarded. With the blood vessels constriction and oxygen reduction, the blood is thickened and this reduces the levels of collagen in the skin. As a result, what you get is early formation lines and wrinkles, as well as an atrophic, slightly pigmented grey appearance of the skin.

Smoking also destroys vitamin C in our bodies, age the skin prematurely and form deep wrinkles. Drinking alcohol expands our blood vessels and can cause red spots and itchiness. Cigarette smoke exposes one to free radicals which damage the microcapillaries in the skin and accelerate the aging process. So, if you want to slow down the aging process, refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol.

17. Exercise

Lack of exercise will speed up the aging process leading to premature aging. Inactivity leads to the loss of muscle tone and strength, resulting in low metabolism. Sedentary lifestyle will also lead to posture and muscles deterioration over time, causing the skin to sag which results in aged look. Lack of exercise can also lead to back pain and health problems over time. Thus, exercise is in fact more helpful for the body anti aging than any bottled product.

A study has shown that even the most aged persons can reverse some of the effects of aging by simply making a few changes in their everyday lifestyles. In the January28, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, doctors from Great Britain have discovered that the cells of those who enjoyed leisure time exercise showed slower cell changes related to aging. Their cells appeared the same size as sedentary people ten years younger.

For healthy lifestyle, Centers for Disease Control, CDC has advised people to do:

1) thirty minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week. Do something that will raise your heart rate to that of taking a brisk walk.

2) Or, do twenty minutes of vigorous physical activity three days a week. Participate in an activity that will raise your heart rate to the equivalent of jogging.

Make time to care for your body through a regular exercise schedule will prevent the effects of aging from a cellular level. Exercise more, age less!

18. Adequate sleep

Adequate sleep is important process for the body to do repair and maintenance. Skin nourishes during good quality sleep. During the day, the skin uses its resources to fight against sun damage and pollutions. At night the skin needs the body’s natural sleep cycle to repair and renew itself. Studies have shown that your body needs at least 8 hours of sleep for optimum recovery. If this time is shortened, incomplete repair can lead to premature aging signs like dryness, dullness, loss of firmness, fine lines and wrinkles.

A recent study conducted by University of Chicago has also shown that adequate sleep promotes a lean body. Subjects who slept 8.5 hours nightly burned more fat than those who slept just 5.5 hours. The latter group burns more lean muscle mass, experiencing hunger, and expending less energy as a result of sleep deprivation.

19. Keep your blood pressure normal low

Perform a regular blood pressure check and maintain it at normal acceptable low level. Arterial aging is one of the main factors influencing skin age and appearance. To achieve good artery health, change to a diet high in fruit and vegetables, fish, potassium, and calcium.

20. Take alkaline-forming food and avoid acid-forming food

Certain food produces acids when it is digested while others produce alkaline. Our bodies are constantly producing acidic waste products which are called toxins. Toxins cause tiredness, pain and aging. Thus, to be more energetic, feel less pain and anti-age, you need to eat less acid-forming food.

Examples of acid-forming foods are carbohydrates and proteins. More acidic and toxic than those are food such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, sugar, flavourings, artificial sweetener and preserved meats. Pollutants (such as heavy metals) and pesticides are the worst.

To neutralise an acid you need an alkali. The main foods that produce alkalis are fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetables, such as sprouts, parsley and cabbage. That is why people should eat plenty of fruit and especially vegetables, for anti-aging. Eat five to six servings of vegetables a day, and two to three pieces of whole fruit. Raw is best. Steamed is much better than boiled since it retains the vitamins and minerals.

21. Remove unnecessary stress from your life

Stress affects our skin and leaves us looking and feeling old before our time. To maintain younger looking skin, take time to relax and de-stress. Set aside some time each day to relax and get things into perspective. Whether your idea of pure relaxation is taking a long bubble bath, reading a good book, or playing sports, take the time to try to relax each and every day.

22. Enjoy monogamous sex frequently

Sex creates positive effect on every organ in your body including your brain. For the people with sexual partners, it can be the cheapest and most beneficial anti aging regiment you can get into. Quality sex correlates with a younger "real" age. Have sex or simply cuddle. During sex, three anti-aging hormones release from the brain: endorphins, prolactin, and oxytocin. These are natural anti-aging substances that you cannot buy at the makeup counter. Try this and pay attention to how your body improve in energy level, stress level, outlook on life the next day.

23. Sunshine Vitamin D

Sunshine produces vitamin D naturally. Expose your skin to sunshine 10 to 15 minutes of it every day minutes in noontime summer sun is enough and leads to the production of 10,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D, according to Dr. John Cannell, head of the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit U.S. organization. This Vitamin D will give you good looking skin and keep you looking young. Researchers have found out that UV-B rays from the sun on the skin convert cholesterol into the "sunshine vitamin," which is a potent anticancer agent. The Vitamin D Council suggests wearing a hat to protect your face against sun damage, while exposing other parts of your body to modest amounts of noontime sunlight, stopping before there's even the slightest trace of redness.

24. Eat fish

Fish goes hand-in-hand with anti-aging. Body cells degenerate due to free radical assaults causing the skin begins to lose its luster and inflammation begins to take a toll on the body causing health complications.

Fish is rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, beneficial dietary fatty acids. Whereas other fatty acids can increase cholesterol and encourage fat built-up inside the body, fish oils are a marvellous exception. They contain anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties that can help you live younger, healthier and shining for longer.

Fish may be the ultimate anti-aging superfood, but eating the wrong kinds of fish frequently can raise the level of mercury in your body. Therefore, it would wise to find out the best fish to eat and in what amounts.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has released a list of fish and their mercury levels so that people can be informed on what they are consuming. If you want to get more detailed information about mercury levels and how much you personally are consuming, you can also use the mercury thermometer to calculate your totals.

Highest Mercury

AVOID Eating

Grouper
Marlin
Orange roughy
Tilefish
Swordfish
Shark
Mackerel (king)

High Mercury

Eat no more than three 6-oz servings per month

Bass saltwater
Croaker
Halibut
Tuna (canned, white albacore) See tuna chart below
Tuna (fresh bluefin, ahi)
Sea trout
Bluefish
Lobster (American/Maine)

LOWER MERCURY

Eat no more than six 6-oz servings per month

Carp
Mahi Mahi
Crab (dungeness)
Snapper
Crab (blue)
Herring
Crab (snow)
Monkfish
Perch (freshwater)
Skate
Cod
Tuna (canned, chunk light)
Tuna (fresh Pacific albacore)

LOWEST MERCURY

Enjoy two 6-oz servings per week

Anchovies
Butterfish
Calamari (squid)
Caviar (farmed)
Crab (king)
Pollock
Whitefish
Perch (ocean)
Scallops
Flounder
Haddock
Hake
Herring
Lobster (spiny/rock)
Shad
Sole
Crawfish/crayfish
Salmon
Shrimp
Clams
Tilapia
Oysters
Sardines
Sturgeon (farmed)
Trout (freshwater)

Chart obtained from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC); data obtained by the FDA and the EPA.

25. Five minute facial massage

A five minute facial massage each day is helpful to keep your skin looking younger and wrinkle-free for longer time. Remove all make-up, wash your face, and remove any excess oils by using a suitable cleanser. Starting from your neck up, gently and firmly massage in an upward motion right up to your hairline. Once you have done this, rinse your face and apply a suitable moisturizing lotion. When you apply your cream or lotion, apply it in using the same upward motion so that it is massaged into the skin.

26. Avoid Fatty Foods

Diet can have a significant effect on the condition of your skin. Most people associate rich, fatty foods with weight gain and sluggishness, but these foods can also result in poor skin condition. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and vitamin-E rich foods can help to keep your skin in good condition and help keep signs of aging at bay.

27. Avoid Foods that Cause Degeneration and Aging and Take Foods that Cause Regeneration and Anti-aging

Degeneration happens when a cell replace itself with a weaker cell. This will happen when a cell does not have right nutritional foods available to generate a healthier cell. For a cell to replace itself with a stronger and better cell, the cell requires abundance of energy and the right raw materials. This process is called regeneration and it is anti-aging.

Therefore, avoid foods which usually cause degeneration and aging such as :

• High amount of carbohydrate
• Sugar
• Milk
• Caffeine (Tea, Coffee and soft drinks)
• Chocolate
• Cigarettes
• White Flour
• Microwave food
• Artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame / nutrasweet)
• Alcohol
• Processed foods
• Artificial Colourings
• Additives
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Preserved meat
• Moderate to high levels of red meat
• Margarine
• Vegetable oil
• Canola oil
• Cotton seed oil
• Olestra
• Hydrogenated oils
• Oil that is not cold pressed / expeller pressed
• Deep fried foods
• Chips / French fries
• Puffed grains
• Soy products (e.g. soy milk, soil oil) other than soy sauce, miso and tofu
• Inorganic meat and eggs that contain toxins and hormones.
• Seafood which are garbage eaters (e.g. oysters, catfish)
• Foods with high levels of mercury, such as tuna, shark, and marlin.
• Aluminium. Avoid aluminium cookware.
• Genetically Modified Food (GMOs). At present this is about 50% of all soy and corn. Even organic soy and corn can have GMOs in it unless otherwise stated.

Foods that help regeneration and anti-aging include :

• Chaga. From Siberia. A great replacement for coffee.
• RAW seeds, soaked and sprouted grains. Also raw nuts, but not as much.
• RAW Fruit and vegetables especially sprouts
• Green leafy vegetables
• Lentils
• Beans that have been soaked for 8 hours. (i.e. 'sprouted' which makes them alkaline)
• Brown rice that has been soaked for 22 hours. This makes it alkaline
• Organic Cottage cheese and yogurt (alkaline). The bacteria has changed the original milk structure.
• Goji Juice & Berries
• Seeds
• Bee Pollen (allergic to some people)
• Kambucha
• Celtic sea salt
• Spirulina
• Seaweed
• Wheatgrass juice
• Barley greens
• Aloe vera
• Antioxidants (eg vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenols, coenzyme Q10)
• Olive oil
• Evening primrose oil
• MSM (organic sulphur)
• Foods with omega 3 fatty acids (eg flaxseed oil) and
• Foods with omega 4 & 5 fatty acids (eg evening primrose and fish oil).
• Cold pressed oils like sesame, sunflower, safflower.

Source : http://www.relfe.com/anti-aging.html

28. Avoid Crash and Yo-Yo Dieting

Study has shown the dangers of crash and yo-yo dieting. Extreme weight loss without the right diet and nutrition can result in facial aging. Yo-Yo dieting causes the skin to stretch and become less elastic. According to the main professional body for plastic surgeons in the UK, most women show a loss of plumpness in the cheeks when they reach the age around 38 and onwards. The main cause of facial aging is extreme dieting. It causes sudden loss of volume and changes the shape of the face.

29. Use a mask

Using a mask helps to tone and tighten your skin. Though tightening effect is cosmetic and temporary, it is great for a night out to see someone important. A mask also has other benefits such as cleaning out your pores, and conditioning your skin.

30. Be happy

Last but most importantly, have a balanced life and be happy. If you do, it shows. If you have a happy and joyful heart, your inner beauty will shine through and you glow. Nothing can make you more attractive than this !

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