SKIN CARE

Today, I’d like to address common issues people have regarding their skin:

Bumpy skin
Cellulite
Loose Skin / Saggy Skin

Many people ask me about skin. I hope this helps you, and answers some of your questions.

When it comes to one’s skin and issues in regards to the skin, it boils down to these seven things:

Internal nutrition and hydration
External nutrition and hydration
Lifestyle
Environment
Stress
Proper care and maintenance
Hormones

INTERNAL NUTRITION AND HYDRATION

NUTRITION:

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of good nutrition, and the role it plays in the health, and vitality of your skin. To keep things simple, just think ‘color’ your plates each meal. Incorporate the colors of the rainbow, as each colored vegetable and fruit provides a health enhancement for both you, and your skin. Add in a lean protein, and healthy fat, and you’re set! Yes, it’s that easy!

For example:

Chicken breast (skinless)
Broccoli, yellow pepper, carrots, diced tomato
Cold pressed Virgin Olive Oil over the top
Dried prunes or blueberries as a ‘dessert’

It’s been found that people generally eat the same 12 foods every day, year after year. If these foods are lacking crucial vitamins/minerals/trace minerals, they are heading for trouble. Evaluate your eating habits.

I’ve been working with people, their health, and nutrition for a long time. One might refuse to eat greens… period. Another, no meat, another no dairy, another …….. you name it. This leads to biochemical malfunction.

I suggest adding in smoothies to get those ‘hard to get down’, veggies, and superfoods to boost the immune system.

HYDRATION:

The body needs at least half the body’s weight in ounces, taken in, each day, throughout the day. Our bodies need water to perform many crucial, unseen bio-factors with other elements. Water is necessary for bones, teeth, muscle, brain function, the removal of metabolic waste, and an amazing amount of other things many people take for granted. Hydrate yourself consistently throughout the day with good, clean, pure water. Beware of bottled water as many are found to be in the acidic range.

When exercising, you will need to drink more. Keep in mind, the more you sweat, the more sodium chloride you lose, and potassium, to a lesser degree. Electrolytes must be replenished after a sweaty training session. I tell my students/athletes to weigh-in before training, and weigh-in again, after. Even if they’ve been drinking water throughout their session, they still find a degree of depletion. For instance, after 1 hour of teaching Zumba, kickboxing, or an Elite Performance class, I weigh in and easily weigh 2-4 pounds lighter than before the class. As I recommend to my students/athletes, for each pound of water lost, replenish with 16 oz. of water. So, if I dropped 4 lbs. during a class, I drink 2 quarts (1/2 gallon), to replenish. Do I guzzle it down? I want to, but my body will only allow my to drink so much at a time. I generally spread the 2 quarts over a 2 hour period, and add in an electrolyte package to each quart.

Keep this in mind as you’re hiking in the summer, biking, swimming, and so forth. Keep tabs on your family and team mates, too, as people begin to become disorientated when they become dehydrated.

EXTERNAL NUTRITION AND HYDRATION:

NUTRITION AND HYDRATION:

The skin needs to stay hydrated. Hydration begins from the inside, however, it is also helpful to moisturize from the outside, as well, and in so doing one can use a moisturizer that nourishes (hence, adds nutrients), to the skin at the same time.

coconut oil
olive oil

Are great oils for the skin.

These foods are a great addition for healthy skin:

Dark green vegetables are excellent examples of foods containing collagen producing agents. Rich in Vitamin C, regular consumption of kale, spinach, collards, and asparagus helps to strengthen the body’s ability to manufacture collagen and to utilize the protein effectively.

Red fruits and vegetables also are excellent sources to up the collagen content of foods in the diet. The presence of lycopenes in these types of foods helps to act as antioxidants, which in turn increases collagen production. Try adding red peppers, beets, and fresh or stewed tomatoes to the diet. In like manner, darker berries, such as blueberries and blackberries also help to boost the antioxidant level in the body and stimulate the production of collagen.

LIFESTYLE:

Drinking alcohol, smoking cigarette’s, living a high risk type of lifestyle will certainly age you, and FAST! Eliminate these life absorber’s immediately. Working night shifts, or split shifts also affects the health and vitality of both the body, and skin.

ENVIRONMENT:

If you live or work in or near a manufacturing plant, steel plant, or working with chemicals, hazardous materials, or breathing in polluted air, and so forth, this will age the skin. Over time, free radical damage overwhelms the body systems, unless one is vigilante about their health. It’s worth looking into a job change or relocating when it comes to an unhealthy environment.

STRESS:

Stress in small amounts, is actually beneficial to life and health. The issue with most people these days is far too much stress. Taking on more than feasible. Constant rushing from wake to sleep. Over scheduling, over-training, over-eating, the list goes on and on, even over-thinking causes unnecessary stress. Where doubt and fear are the killer of one’s aspirations, stress is a killer to life, skin included. Stress wears on the face especially. Those who hold the stress in negative expression soon find they have deep wrinkles setting in. Constant sleep deprivation is another culprit. Manage stress at all costs, for your health’s sake. Your skin will thank you, too.

PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE:

Daily cleansing, exfoliating (removing the dead skin cells), toning, and moisturizing the skin is a must, if you’d like youthful, blemish free skin, throughout your life.

HORMONES:

Ask any teenager what causes acne and they’ll shake their head. I’ve consulted and treated many teenagers throughout the years, and their skin has cleaned up nicely, EXCEPT, where hormones come into play. Hormone balance is tricky these days with so many chemical, pesticides, and herbicides on, and in, our food supply. These ‘ides’ disrupt both male and female endocrine (glandular/hormonal), systems. They interfere with proper hormone balance, making skincare rather tricky. Not only that, but junk pharma-foods, processed pharma-foods (I seriously can’t call these foods), and other devitalized foodstuffs throw off estrogen in both male and female alike, hence, the ‘man-boob’ syndrome.

I suggest staying as close to nature, as possible. Cleanse your produce properly, grow your own produce, if you’re in a position to. Take in the highest quality food and water at all times.

NOW, ON TO THE FIXES:

Now that you have the basics of good skin care under your belt, let’s solve these other issues:

BUMPY SKIN:

When you’re sure the bumps aren’t due to an allergy, I suggest doing a good exfoliating, daily scrub. Pay particular attention to problem spots and allow the skin to air out completely when through, before moisturizing. You can even get bit of sun on it while you’re waiting. A general ‘sugar’ scrub works nicely to eliminate dead skin cells. I like to add a drop or two of an essential oil, as well. Gently, massage the skin entirely. Always ‘prep’ the skin first, by using a hot damp wash cloth, then thoroughly cleanse the area before applying sugar mixture. Rinse with a hot wash cloth until the skin is clear of sugar. Air dry, and moisturize.

2. CELLULITE:

In addition to eating healthy:

Begin weight training. Build the muscle up under the skin. It will make the skin appear tighter, and give more shape.
Gently massage in coconut oil, and keep the skin moisturized
Stay away from soaps that dry out the skin
Moisturize more when swimming and/or sunning
Be sure you’re taking in enough oils:

Fish oil
Olive oil
Coconut oil
EPA/DHA

Massage the area a couple times a day, and/or use a foam roller
Lymphatic massage: Drink water before, during, and after, as it will flush toxins
Lastly, eliminate all junk, processed, fast and devitalized ‘foods’

LOOSE / SAGGY SKIN:

Large Pores / Loose Skin:

Face: 2 egg whites and 1/2 lemon. Mix, apply, let dry, rinse. Make bigger batch for bigger areas.
Face: Cut a wedge of lemon, roll in sugar, exfoliate the face for 30 seconds to minute, rinse, moisturize.
Apply a solution of 1/2 Bragg’s apple cider vinegar with half water, apply, and sleep in overnight.
Baking Soda paste: Mix baking soda and water to form a paste. Apply and let dry. Rinse and moisturize.
Belly, glutes, thighs:

Mix Together:

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. witch hazel

1 tsp. black coffee

1 tsp. black tea

1 c. bentonite clay

Add more coffee or tea if the clay absorbs a lot, until the mixture is like peanut butter, then apply, let sit until dry, and rinse. Do this a couple times a day.

If your skin has been troubling you, begin implementing what you’ve learned and it will clear up nicely.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Health!!!