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.

About blood pressure numbers

Are you concerned about your blood pressure? If so, you can easily start monitoring it in your own time in your own home. You still want to have it checked regularly by your doctor. The best way to monitor your blood pressure is by understanding the numbers first.

There is a top and bottom number for your blood pressure reading. The top number is your systolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the force of blood in your arteries as your heart is beating.

The bottom number is your diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure is the force of blood in your arteries as your heart relaxes between each beat.

There are four different categories your blood pressure reading can fall under.

1. The first is a normal blood pressure reading. Normal blood pressure is when your systolic pressure is below 120 and your diastolic pressure is below 80. This would read 120/80. You can keep this blood pressure number by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
2. The second category is ‘prehypertension.’ This is where your systolic pressure reads 120-139. Your diastolic pressure would be between 80 and 89. This would read as 121/81 or 139/89. If you have prehypertension just maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep your blood pressure from increasing.
3. The third category is called Stage 1 hypertension. This is where your systolic pressure is between 140 and 159 and your diastolic pressure is between 90 and 99. If you have a reading like this try to adopt a healthier lifestyle. If you cannot lower your blood pressure on your own talk with your doctor about medication.
4. The fourth category is called Stage 2 hypertension. This is where your systolic pressure is 160 or higher and your diastolic pressure is 100 or higher. If you have this high of blood pressure consider adapting a healthier lifestyle and talk with your doctor about taking medication to help lower it.

While you can easily watch your diet and weight and get plenty of exercise to help maintain or lower your blood pressure, that may not be enough. Blood pressure medication might be prescribed by your doctor and you might even have to take two.

If this happens be sure you tell your doctor of any other medication you might be taking. Some medications including antidepressants, cold medicines, nasal decongestants and even oral contraceptives can raise your blood pressure.

Like usual, talk with your doctor about any concerns you might have and if you have any questions about your blood pressure. There are many available ways to treat high blood pressure and you want to be sure to find the right option best suited for you.

By taking control of your blood pressure you can take control of your health and have a longer healthier life. If you smoke, try to quit, try to limit your alcohol consumption and eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

To learn more about ways you can lower your blood pressure, read here.

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A Little Side Note:

The Sacred Glo story started with the creator having healthy issues. Her goal is to help others not have to suffer as she did. She knows that with the right care and a little “me time”, that many conditions can be controlled and sometimes even cured. The Sacred Glo product line is not just about the money. It is about the health and well being of all.

Sacred Glo Celebrates Mom

Mothers are special! For nine months she nurtured you in her womb; then gave birth to you, so that you can enjoy life on earth. She guided you through infancy; supporting you every step of the way. She has been in your corner with pride as you grew from a helpless child into the person you are today.

She has always had a word of wisdom to offer, even if you did not feel you needed it. Some of her most popular sayings may have been…

• Make sure to change your underwear; you’ll never know what can happen.
• Don’t make that face or it’ll be frozen permanently in that position.
• If everyone jumped off the bridge, would you do it, too?
• Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
• If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
• Don’t put that thing in your mouth; you don’t know where it’s been!

These famous quotes, along with the love, care, and so much more are why you need to celebrate mom on Mother’s Day!

You need to make the day extra special for the woman who has been there from day one!

Sacred Glo products can help you celebrate your mom and show her how proud you are to be her child. We have products for every budget with scents that are perfect for the elegant mom to the laid back mom who loves to ride a Harley! Whoever your mom is and whatever her personality is, there is a Sacred Glo product just for her.

We suggest that you get her one of our popular Spa Bags. With the Sacred Glo Spa Bag you get more bang for your buck. Each bag comes with one of our popular lotion/massage oil candles, a body scrub, and a pair of white exfoliating gloves. The larger bag also comes with the Sacred Glo body wash and a scrub shower sponge. Both bags come beautifully packaged in an elegant reusable clear vinyl and shimmering organza fabric bag

If you order one of the Spa Bags you will receive a 20% discount on either bag with the following codes:

Large Bag code = mother’s day
Small Bag code = mother’s day 2

This offer ends May 3, 2010!

No matter which of the Sacred Glo products you choose, you can’t go wrong with a luxurious feel good item from our line of products.

Mother’s Day is the day to remember the woman in your life who has helped you get to where you are today! Sacred Glo can give you the opportunity to show all your heartfelt love.

With the products Sacred Glo offers, you can prove that all her efforts in helping your get to there have been worthwhile.

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.

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!

Dry Brushing Technique For Your Skin

As discussed in the previous post, dry brushing is very beneficial for your skin. It is way to detoxify and cleanse your body to remove all the junk that clogs up your skin; keeping it fresh and glowing. I felt it was also necessary to share the dry brushing technique.

When you start dry brushing you want to be sure that you have the proper brush. Therefore, to dry brush, start with a soft natural fiber brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. One with a removable head with a strap for your hand is a good choice. Here’s a picture of  a brush similar to what you need to look for:

You also have the option of using a loofah sponge or a rough towel.  However, using a nylon and synthetic fiber brushes can cause harm because they are usually too sharp and may damage skin. As you learn to properly brush with a  softer brush and your skin becomes “seasoned,” you can switch to a coarser brush if you choose.

Here are a few tips to help you get started with dry brushing:

• Brush your body before you shower or bathe. By doing this you are able to wash off the impurities from the skin that occur as a result of the brushing.

• Using light pressure in areas where the skin is thin and harder pressure on places like the soles of the feet, brush your entire body.  You want to brush in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction help drain the lymph back to your heart. The reason why you stroke towards your heart is because if you stroke away from your heart it puts extra pressure on the valves within the veins and lymph vessel. This can cause ruptured vessels and varicose veins.

• Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken such as areas of skin rash, wounds, cuts, and infections. Also, never brush an area affected by poison oak or poison

• Finish up with your regular shower and ending with three hot and cold cycles.  After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oils such as olive, avocado, apricot, almond, sesame, coconut or cocoa butter. You can also use the Sacred Glo line of candles on your body as they are made with these same oils and other skin conditioning ingredients.

To maintain your brush, clean it using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.

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