9 Wrinkle Fighting Foods

It is not secret that a proper diet can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes the care of your skin. As we age wrinkles become a foe to be reckoned with. However, a good diet helps to fight wrinkles and give you soft supple skin as you age.

If you don’t want to have creases on your face or your skin, you should know what wrinkle fighting foods are good to eat. Here are nine foods that are good for the fight against wrinkles.

1. Spinach and other green leafy vegetables are good because they contains lutein that helps give the skin its essential antioxidant mechanism by maintaining skin hydration and elasticity. Ideally, you should eat about 10mg of this daily which is about 4oz of this vegetable.

2. Beans are good because they are rich in antioxidants. Among the different kinds, red beans are the best because they contains the highest number of antioxidants. Antioxidants help to replace deteriorated collagen of the skin.

3. Tomatoes are another good source because just like beans they have antioxidants and also lycopene. Lycopene is a substance that reduces the risk of developing cancer and happens to be more powerful than Vitamin E supplements which are also used to help the skin stay healthy. The best part about eating tomatoes is that it is a versatile vegetable (actually it is a fruit) that you can eat this together with pasta, salad or a sandwich.

4. Another good option for fighting wrinkles is turkey because it is rich in Vitamin B. It also has protein that slows the process in the skin known as cross-linking. So don’t wait until Thanksgiving to add this to your diet.

5. Goji berries which are rich in Vitamin C, help fight free radicals that damage the skin. Believe it or not, they contain 500 times more Vitamin C per ounce than what you get from oranges. They also have antioxidants such as vitamin B1, B2, B6 and E and linoleic acid; an essential fat that plumps up the skin making it look smoother and younger.

6. Flaxseed is rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. You can mix this with other dishes like cookies and bread. The more you eat, the plumper your skin cells will be thus hiding away those wrinkles.

7. Beetroot is another vegetable that can help prevent wrinkles as it is low in calories and high in fiber. It also contains antioxidants and a pigment called anthocyanins that is known to support collagen production in the skin.

8. Most people see chocolate as a delightful snack or dessert. But few of us know that this tasty treat contains polyphenol, a substance that rids the body of the active oxygen that causes aging. Not only that, it can also protect against UV damage which is also one of the causes of skin aging. A warning here is that you want to stick with the dark chocolate for the best results.

9. Salmon just like flaxseed contains Omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and helps lubricate the skin.

There are other things we can eat aside from the 9 examples mentioned to prevent wrinkles from happening. Aside from eating, you shouldn’t forget to exercise regularly and drink lots of water so your skin remains flexible and hydrated at all times. You also shouldn’t drink or smoke as this also helps the skin stay young and wrinkle free.

There are wrinkle fighting foods around. Know what they are and then get these items from the grocery store.

Anti-aging Effects of Blueberries

Blueberry season is here. This sweet, flare-crowned, indigo colored superfruit is more than just a mouth-watering delight. Would you believe that this favourite has a wide range of micronutrients that do not only protect the body from diseases, but also aging?

High Antioxidant Value Blueberries, along with blackberries, strawberries, and plums, have the highest total antioxidant capacity of any food. It is regarded as one of the ’superfuits” having the promising combination of nutrient value, emerging research evidence for health benefits, versatility for manufacturing popular consumer products, and antioxidant strength.

Antioxidants are thought to aid in guarding the body against the detrimental effects of free radicals to cells and the chronic diseases associated with the course of aging. The antioxidants present in this fruit can protect the cell, so there is less chance for aging. Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. Blueberries also contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. With this, the effects of blueberries to the skin are copious.

Neuron Protection The compound anthocyanin, found in blueberries, is thought to slow down age-related loss in the mental capacity of humans. Those who eat more blueberries are thought to have better functioning in motor behavioral learning and memory. Anthocyanin also gives blueberries their colour and might be the key factor of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While it is thought that aging can decrease cognitive and motor functions, blueberries can be of huge help to improve mental functioning.

Better balance and coordination Blueberries also have positive effects to balance and coordination. In a study by Dr. James Joseph of Tufts University, it was found that a diet loaded with blueberries counteracted poor balance and coordination associated with aging.

Prevention of diseases A serving of blueberries provides a relatively low glycemic load while providing a diverse range of nutrients, which also means there are fewer calories (good news for calorie-watchers) in a serving full of phytochemicals and nutrients such as iron, vitamins C and E. Because of the phytochemicals present, the risk of acquiring some deadly diseases may also be prevented. Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, and tannins found in this wonderful fruit may help prevent cancer by inhibiting some cancer mechanisms. These components protect the DNA from damage and disintegration caused by free radicals.

At a symposium on berry health benefits, it was shared that eating blueberries and other similar fruits like cranberries may improve the cognitive deterioration occurring in Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions of aging. Blueberries may help lower the damages of stroke.

Researches have also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections (UTI), hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia that can also lead to potentially fatal heart disease. With blueberries, your tongue, and more importantly your health would get the best out of it.

Even without all these benefits in mind, who wouldn’t die for a serving of blueberries? Mmmmm… Anyone?

Natural Beauty Recipes

You do not have to pay for commercial cosmetic products to look your best. There are a number of natural beauty recipes you can make at home. In fact, many times the natural solution is healthier and more effective than the chemical-laden makeups you will find at the store.

Here is a great papaya enzyme facial mask that is one of the more popular natural beauty recipes. You will need the following ingredients: 1/2 cup mashed papaya, 1 whipped egg white, and 1 teaspoon of honey. For additional cooling or if you have sensitive skin, add a tablespoon of plain yogurt to your mixture.

Mix all of your ingredients together in a large bowl. Wash your skin before applying the facial mask mixture. Leave the mask on your face for approximately five to eight minutes, giving the papaya enzymes time to exfoliate your skin. Rinse off with warm water first, then with cooler water, patting dry when done.

For hair, this herbal vinegar rinse will restore your hair’s natural pH balance, clean off built up dirt and hair products, and reduce oily hair. Place 2 sprigs of rosemary and 2 sprigs of lavender in 2 cups of water in a clear glass jar. Let the jar sit out in the sun to steep for between two and four hours, then remove the herbs. Add one or two tablespoons of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to your water solution, then use the same way you would use shampoo.

Here is another great recipe to create a refreshing flower-based foot soak. For this one, you need sea salt, along with fresh sliced citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, oranges, etc.) and a handful of flower petals picked fresh from your garden. Fill a small basin with lukewarm water and add the salt, flower petals, and fruit slices. Soak your feet in the mixture for ten minutes, then rinse and pat to dry.

Finish off this treatment with the Sacred Glo lotion candle of your choice. The ingredients in our Sacred Glo Candles moisturize your feet and make them soft to the touch. All you do is burn the candle and use the lotion as a message oil once your feet are dry. It is by far one of the most luxuiriating experiences for you and your feet.

This strawberry manicure mask is a great way to pamper your hands naturally. Mash 3-5 ripe strawberries, drain off the juice, and combine with one tablespoon of sugar and a little bit of the light oil of your choice. Apply the resulting mixture to your hands by using a circular motion. This will condition and exfoliate the skin, leaving it soft and smooth.

Again you can use the Sacred Glo candle to moisturize and complete the care of your hands. You can also use the Sacred Glo body wash as a soak for your hands. It make s agreat addition to your manicure treatment.

There are many ways you can take care fo yourself at home and have fun doing it.

Look Your Best with Natural Beauty

Have you ever wondered if natural beauty is beneficial? It is possible to achieve a healthy, vibrant appearance using only natural ingredients. You’ll look bet and feel better because you will have the absence of heavy cosmetic products on your skin.

Natural beauty refers to a vital and healthy look for your body, hair, and skin. Living an overall healthier lifestyle is the first step to refreshing your appearance. Take care of your body from the inside out before attempting to fix skin problems with surface treatments like moisturizer or makeup. Many times, a simple lifestyle change is all it takes to completely revitalize your look.

Here are a few healthy steps to help you become and stay naturally beautiful, inside and out.

Make sure you are eating right and are getting enough vitamins and minerals each day. Add a multivitamin to your morning routine to ensure that you are receiving all the nutrients your body needs. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and try to avoid excess fats, sugars, and processed foods. Healthy food for your body will show through in your appearance as your skin clears and becomes more moist and supple.

Exercise is probably the most powerful of any of the natural beauty tips. Regular physical activity improves blood flow to the skin, giving it a fuller, more colorful look naturally. Of course, exercise will also help you stay trim and looking good all-around. On top of the benefits to your appearance, working out on a regular basis will keep your internal organs and heart healthy, along with preventing some cancers and extending your life.

Another important tips is to always keep yourself hydrated. Skin that becomes dehydrated dries out, becomes inflexible and susceptible to wrinkles. Instead of applying heavy moisturizing cream externally, try drinking more water to provide moisture from the inside. This is a healthier natural solution to the common problem of dry skin.

Even if you still want to wear some cosmetics, there are natural beauty tips that can help you. Start off with either a sheer foundation or a slightly tinted moisturizing cream. Use a damp sponge to apply the cream so you get coverage all over your face without too much cosmetic buildup. This shows off your healthy-looking skin, but will also cover up any blemishes or marks without being too heavy or obvious.

As you can see it does not require chemical-filled cosmetics and makeup to look great. There are many ways to enhance your appearance without resorting to artificial products. Following these natural beauty tips will get you on your way to a healthier, more radiant appearance.

Benefits of Rose Hip Oil

The rose has always been appreciated for its beauty and fragrance. Cultivated for thousands of years, roses are an ancient symbol of love and beauty. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus. Today, pink and red roses are commonly given as expressions of love and admiration.

Rose hips are the seed pod left after the rose petals fall off. Also called rosa mosqueta, rose hip oil is a popular essential oil. It is rich in active chemical compounds that offer a number of potent medicinal, cosmetic and nutritional benefits. Rose hip tea is often recommended because it is so rich in Vitamin C. Rose hip oil is also renowned for its benefits for the skin.

Here are some of the healing benefits accredited to rose hip oil for the skin:

Emollient
Rose hip oil has strong emollient properties, making it beneficial for hydrating and moisturizing ashy dry skin.

Skin Blemishes
The restorative properties of rose hip oil are beneficial in helping to diminish and clear scars, pits and other blemishes of the skin.

Wrinkles
Rose hip oil is highly valued as an ingredient in both commercial and home-made products for reducing wrinkles.

Burns
Alternative healers often include rose hip oil in their herbal remedies for burns as well as sunburn, to help regenerate the damaged skin cells in the damaged area.

Antioxidative
This essential oil is also high in antioxidants that help to neutralize the destructive effects of free radicals in the body, which accelerate the aging process and contribute to disease.

Sacred Glo products contain rose hip oil for these very reasons. We want to see you healed: mind, body,and soul. Your skin is such an important part of your overall health. Using the right products can only benefit your efforts for healthy living.

Ph Balance Your Way To Clear Skin

When we were born our bodies were in perfect balance.  Everything on the inside and the outside of our bodies worked in conjunction with each other.  Over the course of time, however, impurities and imbalance enter into our lives in many ways.  One of the most notable ways that we receive these is through the way that we eat and drink.

Most of us are aware of the pH scale but maybe some of use are not aware that it also serves as a  balancing system for our body.  If things are acidic, they are lacking in living necessities; but if they are alkaline, they support life.  If we are leaning towards acidic because of the things that we eat and drink, our body will not support life well.  This can show up through a number of different conditions and  disease; and this includes skin conditions, such as acne.  In order to get rid of this acne, the body must be brought back into balance.

The way that we would do this is by eating foods and drinking drinks that are alkaline in nature and that will help to pull the high acidic level out of the body.  There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can download list of different alkaline foods, some of which will probably surprise you.  For example, lemons are extremely acidic but whenever we ingest them, they become alkaline. As a matter of fact watermelons and lemons are the top two food to aid in alkaline balance.

Of course, you can not expect to make these changes overnight but if you are consistent in your efforts, you will notice differences in your body, including your complexion.  The real key is making sure that you stick with it long enough to recognize these differences; because once you do, you will be sure to stick with it for a lifetime.  Make eating alkaline foods and drinking the proper drinks a part of your life and you would be surprised with how quickly your skin and your life will change.

3 Herbs To Take For Acne Relief

People use many methods to get rid of acne.  Some of these are pharmaceutical but they tend to carry some side effects that most of us do not want to have to deal with.  It is always a better idea to try and cure something naturally so that you don’t mess anything else up in the process.

There are several different herbs that can be taken which will help to clear up your skin, if not get rid of your acne altogether.

These herbs have been used for many years for a variety of different reasons. If you are having a problem with acne or with problem skin, here are three different herbs that you can take which will help to get your body back into balance and to clear up your skin naturally.

• Basil – The Herb has been used for a variety of different reasons but most importantly, it kills bacteria which may be at the root of your acne problems.  Not only that, it helps to clean the blood that may carry this bacteria and keep it within your body.  Basil tea has been taken for many years in order to solve problems like this.  Even the soil where the basil grows become so pure that it is renowned for its healing mud baths.

• Sandalwood – This herb comes from the bark of the Sandalwood tree and many people consider it to be great aromatherapy.  By spreading this substance onto your skin, you are going to help to heal it and to give it a healthy glow that will last for quite some time.

• Lavender - As mentioned in a previous post on acne, along with being a great smelling herb, it also helps to reduce inflammation; and has some antiseptic properties which can go a long way in helping you with your acne.  If you love the smell of lavender, you should try using this on your problem skin as well.

• Tea Tree Oil – This is probably one of the better-known herbs that works for acne and it does an excellent job because of its antibacterial properties along with the fact that it is antiseptic in nature.  Make sure you dilute this oil before applying it directly to your skin.

If you have acne and it is worrisome, try these natural herbs first before buying over the counter remedies. They are safer alternatives to removing unsightly acne and skin issues.

Aromatherapy Oils for Acne Relief

Acne is certainly a problem that many of us have to deal with; and unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to get rid of.

The main thing that can be done is to drink plenty of water and try to maintain a healthy diet. Doing these things go a long way in helping us to treat our acne from the inside out.  Sometimes, however, it is necessary to seek other natural means in order to really clear up our problem skin.

Believe it or not, one of the best things that you can do for yourself comes in the form of aromatherapy.

Whenever most of us think about aromatherapy, we consider the treatment that is either commonly given at home or in a therapeutic environment.  It is said to help us relax and release toxins to a certain extent.  This can certainly go a long way in helping us to get rid of our problem skin, particularly because stress and toxins play a large role in the acne that we have.  If we are able to get our stress under control, we will be able to get our skin under control to a certain extent.  Detoxing our body is also an excellent way to clear up our skin.  There are other ways, however, that aromatherapy may help your problem skin that might surprise you.

Many of the oils that are used in aromatherapy can also be applied directly to the skin in order to help clear it.  A good example of this is lavender, one of the most commonly used aromatherapy oils on the market.  Even though it is renowned for its wonderful smell, it also has some antiseptic properties that are excellent for use on problem skin.  Many people add a little bit of lavender into their daily skin cleaning regimen in order to help clear their acne problem.

Several other aromatherapy oils can also be used on the skin but you need to use a little bit of caution so that you are not overdoing it.  Oils such as Jasmine, myrrh and sandalwood are excellent for skin problems. They have antibacterial and/or antiseptic properties that can go a long way in helping you to clear up your acne, once and for all.  Just make sure that you are diluting the stronger oils so that they don’t dry your skin out too much.

Your skin is important. It is almost like a calling card and one of the first impressions people get about you. Take care of yourself and don’t neglect your skin.

Help For Dry Skin

Dry skin is basically a skin disorder known as keratinized dehydrated disorder. This is the worst condition of dry skin. Dry skin is easily visible and itchy. The good thing is that as with most skin conditions, it is curable by following a few simple examples.

•    Water is your skin’s best friend.  Plenty of water intakes will help in curing dry skin as it will provide hydration thus aiding in moisturizing the skin.  The reason why water is a good stimulant for all skin conditions is because it helps in flushing out toxins and cleaning infections associated with skin problems. The result is more vibrant glowing skin.

•    Exfoliate your skin. Exfoliate your skin with a mild scrub followed by a creamy, clearing lotion or a non alkaline cleansing gel. Leave it on your skin for some time and then wipe it off with a cotton wool. This will help to clean away dirt from your skin. Refresh the skin by washing with cold water.

•    Moisturize your skin.  This is a very important step to remember. You should moisturize your skin every single time you get out of the shower or bath. It is never OK to skip! When you skin has been dried off, it’s important to seal in the moisture from the shower, and the quicker you do this after your shower, the better your skin will look and feel. If your moisturizer of choice is a body oil, it’s actually best to apply it to damp skin.

Your skin deserves the very best. Take the time to give it just that. To help you with your dry skin issues nurture your skin daily with plenty of water, nice lukewarm baths or showers, exfoliation, and moisture.
Moisturizers like shea butter and coconut oil are great for dry skin. All Sacred Glo products include these ingredients. Our products help to moisturize dry skin.

Shea Butter Remedy for Eczema

Eczema is a chronic skin disorder characterized by itching rashes, which may be red, scaly, dry, or leathery that appears as a result of the skin’s inflammatory response to physical or environmental irritants. . There may be skin blisters with oozing and crusting. It is a condition that 10 to 20% of the world’s population. There is currently no cure for this condition, although there are treatments that may help to alleviate the itchy symptoms.

If you suffer from eczema one way to help it is with shea butter. While there is some controversy about shea butter because some people say that it has actually burned the skin that is actually often a result from nut allergies. So if you are allergic to nuts then shea butter may not be for you.

However for those who can use this wonderful natural cream, there is a process you can use to help you with your eczema issues.

First you want to be sure to choose a quality shea butter. Not all shea butters are created equal. Take some time to read up on shea butter and make sure that when you buy you get 100% pure, unrefined shea butter with no additives or perfumes.

To be sure that you are not allergic to shea butter perform a test by simply applying a small portion of shea butter to a part of the outbreak.

Once you know that you are not allergic, mix a spoonful of Shea butter and one cup of dead sea salts to lukewarm bath water.  This will soothe the outbreak and add moisture to the skin

After you pat your body dry, apply the shea butter directly to your skin while your skin is still damp. Make sure to massage the shea butter into the affected areas. Throughout the day apply more shea butter to the affected areas for extra moisture and protection.

All Sacred Glo candles are made with moisturizing shea butter and other healing ingredients to help your skin stay healthy. Take the time to care for your skin!

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