THE PROBLEM
Our environment is making us sick. Physical and emotional stress cause premature aging.
Our environment is making us sick. Physical and emotional stress cause premature aging.
Every day we are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals. They are everywhere, all the time, and they’re a big part of why we get sick.
Every day we are bombarded with thousands of incoming messages — advertising, email, voice mail. It’s like drinking from a fire hose. Our fast-paced world often creates a sense of overwhelm and anxiety. That emotional stress accelerates aging.
Intense emotional stress can even trigger sudden death. As reported on CBS News, doctors at John Hopkins University have confirmed that the sudden death of a loved one really can cause a broken heart. They have dubbed the condition “broken-heart syndrome.” Tragic or shocking news can stun the heart and produce heart attack-like symptoms, which can result in death. Emotional stress is something to be treated seriously.
The American Cancer Society says that 90% of all cancer is environmental. Our drinking water can contain over 700 chemicals. Scientists estimate that we consume an average of 8 pounds of preservatives each year. When you wrap your food in plastic and then microwave it, you create carcinogens from the dioxin in the plastic. Dioxin is one of the most potent carcinogens known to man.
Although we can limit our exposure to them, chemicals in the air, water, and soil are largely out of our control.
We do have control over our diet and lifestyle, however. The choices we make affect our health, vitality, and longevity.
THE SOLUTION
The first step is to take the responsibility for your own health. The good news is that, by making changes, you can reverse aging by up to 17 years.
THE SOLUTION
The first step is to take the responsibility for your own health. The good news is that, by making changes, you can reverse aging by up to 17 years.
“The biggest obstacle to people’s health is stress,” says Dr. Michael Galitzer, an anti-aging endocrinologist based in Los Angeles. “Sure, you can detoxify, eat right, and exercise, but getting your emotional and mental state under control is the most important measure you can take.”
Toxic emotions such as anger, resentment, guilt, shame, and grief all need to be released. Choose a qualified therapist or certified coach to help you free yourself of these prematurely-aging emotions.
Grief, resentment, and anger steal your vitality. When I work with my clients, the years seem to melt away.
Grief, resentment, and anger steal your vitality. When I work with my clients, the years seem to melt away.
For example, one of my clients is a 59-year-old woman who thought her life was over after her husband died. She was miserable. People avoided her. After working with me for a few months, she released her grief. She became excited about her future. People were eager to be around her. She’s now got a twinkle in her eyes and a bounce in her step — and a much younger boyfriend.
In terms of taking care of your body, it comes down to the simple basics that your mother taught you. Eat wholesome, healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, drink water, exercise, and get your beauty sleep.
“Sleep is a huge component in anti-aging,” says Dr. Ron Rothenberg, an anti-aging specialist based in San Diego. We live in a culture that seems to think sleeping is a waste of time. What most people don’t realize is that by choosing to be chronically sleep-deprived, they are aging faster.
Give your body everything it needs, including vitamins and minerals. Get your hormones checked by your doctor. Be proactive and get informed about your health. I also recommend reading “Ageless” by Suzanne Somers.
Another key to leading a vibrant life is to surround yourself with positive, successful people. People who are living their life’s purpose have a youthful zest for life that’s contagious. Choose to be one of these people yourself.
Find your passion. Do not settle for a mere job when you could be living your calling. People who are living their passion are inspired. They know they are making a difference. They are happy.
Happy people are 35% less likely to get sick, and live seven years longer. Happy people earn a million dollars more over the course of their lifetime, according to “Happy for No Reason” author Marci Shimoff.
If you’re not bouncing out of bed excited to start each day, work with a certified coach who can help you get excited about life again.
For example, one of my clients is a young widower. He was working at a stressful, unsatisfying job that was killing him. His blood pressure skyrocketed, and his doctor warned him to reduce stress. When my client decided to pursue his passion, his life transformed.
Now, he has achieved his life-long dream of becoming a published author. He’s excited about life and eager to help others. Having personally experienced the life-changing impact of being coached, he’s taking the coach certification training at the Grief Coach Academy, so he can help others.
“Be the change you want to see in the world,” said Gandhi. While one person cannot transform the entire planet overnight, we can all contribute to a better environment by choices we make in our own lives.
What’s Aging The Skin?
Sweet Treats
If sugary foods are a staple of your diet, you may want to reconsider what you eat. “When sugar breaks down and enters the bloodstream, it bonds with protein molecules, including those found in collagen and elastin [the fibers that support skin], through a process called glycation,” says Leslie Baumann, a dermatologist in Miami Beach. “This degrades the collagen and elastin, which in turn leads to sagging and wrinkles.”
Preventive measures: Curb your consumption of simple carbohydrates, which include the obvious treats, like soft drinks and candy, but also seemingly innocuous choices, such as honey, white rice, and white bread. These foods are quickly converted into sugar in your body and put your skin on the fast track to glycation. If you need something sweet (and, really, who doesn’t?), Baumann suggests a small square of dark chocolate. The antioxidants in it can protect you from free radicals, those unstable atoms in the atmosphere that latch on to skin and lead to fine lines. Also, increase your intake of vitamin C. “It helps generate collagen,” says Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist in New York City and the author of Simple Skin Beauty($27, amazon.com). You’ll find vitamin C in papayas, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, and kiwis.
Preventive measures: Curb your consumption of simple carbohydrates, which include the obvious treats, like soft drinks and candy, but also seemingly innocuous choices, such as honey, white rice, and white bread. These foods are quickly converted into sugar in your body and put your skin on the fast track to glycation. If you need something sweet (and, really, who doesn’t?), Baumann suggests a small square of dark chocolate. The antioxidants in it can protect you from free radicals, those unstable atoms in the atmosphere that latch on to skin and lead to fine lines. Also, increase your intake of vitamin C. “It helps generate collagen,” says Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist in New York City and the author of Simple Skin Beauty($27, amazon.com). You’ll find vitamin C in papayas, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, and kiwis.
Frequent Flying
You’re much closer to the sun in a plane than on land, so it stands to reason that solar rays, which can penetrate windows, “are more intense at higher altitudes,” says Marmur. This may explain why pilots and flight attendants have been found to be at an increased risk for melanoma and other skin cancers. Plus, the air up there is notoriously dry—and without moisture, skin, like any living tissue, simply shrivels.
Preventive measures: Drink as much water as you can in flight; avoid alcohol and salty foods, which are dehydrating; and apply a rich moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before boarding, as sunscreen needs time to be absorbed before it’s effective. And if you’re sitting next to a window, pull down the shade.
Preventive measures: Drink as much water as you can in flight; avoid alcohol and salty foods, which are dehydrating; and apply a rich moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before boarding, as sunscreen needs time to be absorbed before it’s effective. And if you’re sitting next to a window, pull down the shade.
Untamed Tension
Yes, stress really does wear on you. When you’re under intense or chronic pressure, your body increases production of the hormone cortisol, which can damage collagen and elastin and decrease the skin’s ability to repair itself. What’s more, stress can make you tense up and grimace or frown, often without your even realizing it. After a while, these repeated muscle contractions can leave their mark in the form of permanent lines, says Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in Miami and New York City.
Preventive measures: Get stress and anxiety under control by exercising regularly. Yoga, Tai Chi, and brisk walking have been found to be effective tension tamers, possibly because of the meditative aspect of these activities. (The deep or rhythmic breathing of yoga and Tai Chi probably helps, too, by promoting healthy circulation.) If you don’t have time for hour-long exercise sessions, break up your workouts: Walk the 30 minutes to the office, and download a yoga app (such as Yoga RELAX) so you can do a few gentle poses before bed.
Weight Fluctuations
Packing on pounds can make your skin look plumper on the surface, but carrying excess weight can cause your body’s levels of insulin (a hormone made by the pancreas that controls the amount of sugar in your blood) and cortisol to rise, which can break down collagen. “You’ll see increased sagging from putting and keeping on as little as 10 to 15 extra pounds,” says Brandt. In addition, repeatedly gaining and losing weight can take its toll on the skin’s elasticity, leaving behind stretch marks and jowls.
Preventive measures: Aim to keep your weight in the normal range, with a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9. (Go to nhlbisupport.com to calculate yours.)
Preventive measures: Aim to keep your weight in the normal range, with a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9. (Go to nhlbisupport.com to calculate yours.)
Midlife Moisture Loss
“With menopause, your body begins to pump out less estrogen,” says Arielle Kauvar, a dermatologist and the director of New York Laser & Skin Care, in New York City. “Since estrogen stimulates oil and collagen production in the skin, your skin may become drier, more wrinkled, and saggy as its levels drop.”
Preventive measures: Your best inexpensive bet may be to “troubleshoot by moisturizing heavily,” says Marmur. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can offset some of these effects, but it can take time to find the exact combination of hormones that your body responds to. For more instant results, you might consider dermal fillers, which are injected into the skin to fill in wrinkles and plump up sagging areas. Consult your dermatologist for options.
Preventive measures: Your best inexpensive bet may be to “troubleshoot by moisturizing heavily,” says Marmur. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can offset some of these effects, but it can take time to find the exact combination of hormones that your body responds to. For more instant results, you might consider dermal fillers, which are injected into the skin to fill in wrinkles and plump up sagging areas. Consult your dermatologist for options.
Lack of Sleep
“Your skin has a chance to repair itself overnight,” says Mary P. Lupo, a clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University, in New Orleans. “Without enough deep sleep, the kind you can’t be roused from easily, the skin can’t properly undo daily damage.” Also, sleep deprivation puts your body into stress mode, causing it to release more stress hormones
Preventive measures: Shoot for seven to eight hours of sleep a night. It takes discipline, but start by shutting off all electronic devices a half hour before bed so the stimulation doesn’t keep you up. Another strategy: Try to sleep on your back. “If you usually sleep with your face smushed into your pillow,” says Lupo, “it will look creased faster.”
The Blues
Depression doesn’t show up only in your demeanor—it may also show up on your face. Over time, a frown (ironically, just like a smile or a squint) can become permanently etched into the skin. Depression is also associated with elevated cortisol levels, which can weaken supportive collagen fibers, as well as with “a decrease in growth-hormone synthesis, which inhibits the ability of the skin to repair itself at night,” says Brandt. What’s more, when people are depressed, they may not take care of themselves (or their complexions) the way they should.
Preventive measures: To combat depression, exercise regularly, enter counseling if necessary, and talk to your doctor about whether you would benefit from an antidepressant. Interestingly, reducing wrinkles with a cosmetic treatment like Botox might improve symptoms of depression. Sure, it could be that if you look better you feel better, but a study conducted at Cardiff University, in the United Kingdom, found a more likely explanation: When people had their frown lines treated with Botox, the paralysis of those facial muscles prevented them from transmitting negative-mood signals to the brain, which correlated with a lifting of the spirits.
Preventive measures: To combat depression, exercise regularly, enter counseling if necessary, and talk to your doctor about whether you would benefit from an antidepressant. Interestingly, reducing wrinkles with a cosmetic treatment like Botox might improve symptoms of depression. Sure, it could be that if you look better you feel better, but a study conducted at Cardiff University, in the United Kingdom, found a more likely explanation: When people had their frown lines treated with Botox, the paralysis of those facial muscles prevented them from transmitting negative-mood signals to the brain, which correlated with a lifting of the spirits.
Marathon Workouts
In the skin-aging equation, regular moderate exercise is a plus, since it reduces stress. But if you frequently run or bicycle long distances, you are not only exposing yourself to lots of UV light but also “jolting, and possibly damaging, the support structure of the skin,” says Brandt.
Preventive measures: Do not consider this a license to slack off! Brandt emphasizes that premature skin aging is generally an issue for extreme athletes only. That said, the use of lots of sunscreen and a great moisturizer can go a long way toward counteracting the relentless pull of gravity.
Preventive measures: Do not consider this a license to slack off! Brandt emphasizes that premature skin aging is generally an issue for extreme athletes only. That said, the use of lots of sunscreen and a great moisturizer can go a long way toward counteracting the relentless pull of gravity.
Medical sources:
http://www.awarenessmag.com/
http://www.realsimple.com/
