Which is the best product for you aging skin?

Don’t you get tired of all the “newest” and “latest” and “newly discovered” products for your skin; for anti-aging; for wrinkles; to remove age spots; etc etc... I sure do. I have to laugh at products like Nerium. What they claimed was the active ingredient, wasn’t allowed into Canada so they replaced it with aloe vera - and guess what they sell it as if it were the original product. Various companies claim that they have clean products, ie., no parabens, alcohol, or toxic compounds that cause hormone dys-regulation or cancer or or or and yet many of them do. Are their representatives aware of this? No. When I explain it to them... do they care? No. I work with the rule of thumb: if you are not willing to ingest it, then why would you put it on your skin? Your skin is very vascularized and virtually anything that goes on the skin ends up in your blood! So you want to be careful what you put on your skin just like you want to be careful about what you ingest. Now here is a novel thought...your body requires nutrient to make the collagen that strengthens the skin; your body requires nutrients for healthy effective skin; why not eat the foods and herbs that support a healthy glowing skin? We have 29 different types of collagen in the body, it is the connective tissue that holds things together. Type I is made of amino collagen C and Hyaluronic acid which are the products you often find in skin products. These compounds increase the strength and plasticity of skin and consequently reduce signs of aging. But rather than buying expensive products can we include whole or- ganic healthy foods in our diet that will achieve the same thing? Yes we can. Let’s take a look.

Avocado: Avocado is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which increase collagen production, and Vitamin E • Minerals: copper, potassium • Phytonutrients: fiber • Vitamins: B5, B6, B9, C,E, K Beans: like cabbage, beans have hyaluronic acid which helps keep the skin hydrated so that the skin does do not sag. Beans also contain a wide variety of nutrients: • Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, • Proteins: Alanine, Aspartic acid, Arginine, Cystine, Glutatmic acid,Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine,, Phenylalaine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine, Valine, • Vitamins: A, B9, C Cabbage: there are a wide variety of cabbages that contain collagen producing agents and other nutrients for the skin and body: • Anti-oxidants: lutenin, zeaxanthin • Minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium • Photonutrients: fiber, isothiocynantes, thiocyanates, sulforaphane • Vitamins: B6 & B9, K It is not difficult to include a variety of foods from the cabbage family into your diet. How about: cannonball cabbage, bok choy, choy sum, early jersey wakefield cabbage, January king cabbage, napa cabbage, Portugal cabbage, red drumhead cabbage, savoy cabbage, walkingstick cabbage and winningstadt cabbage Carrots: contain Vitamin A which is necessary to produce collagen and helps maintain the elastin in the skin cells. Vitamin A also contributes to increasing the “integrity” of the dermis not only in the skin but also in the blood vessels and products against UV rays (synthetic Vitamin A can actually make you more susceptible to sun damage) and helps protect the skin against cancers • Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, • Phytonutrients: Omega 3s & 6 • Vitamins: A, K, Choline

Citrus fruits (lemons): unfortunately our oranges have little Vitamin C anymore, but in general citrus fruits contain anti-oxidants like Vitamin C which is also used to create collagen. Other fruits include: strawberries, pineapple, oranges, and papaya. The follow is for Lemons with the peel: • Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium • Phytonutrients: Omega 3s & 6 • Vitamins: A, C

Flaxseed: a great source of a vareity of omega 3s (essential fatty acids or EFAs) which is utilized to make important compounds like ALA which keep the skin healthy and protects against cancer • Minerals: Caclium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Selenium • Phytonutrients: Fiber, Omegae 3s • Proteins: Alanine, Aspartic acid, Arginine, Cystine, Glutatmic acid,Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine,, Phenylalaine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine, Valine, • Vitamins: B9, Betain, Choline, K,

Red Fruits and Vegetables: the red provides an anti-oxidant called lycopene which also prevents damage to the DNA in the cells. It can actually help to reverse aging in the skin AND reduces risk of issues like cancer, heart disease and macular degenerationOlives (black or green): they contain great nutrients for the skin. Again they contain sulphur compounds like cabbage; omega 3s like flaxseed; both of which are utilized in a variety of compounds like enzymes that are needed for healthy skin As you can see, you can eat a healthy diet and it will provide a wealth of nutreints for your skin.

Here’s to your health!

For more information, contact: Dr Holly at holly@ choicesunlimited.ca Disclaimer: This site is provided for general information only, and is not a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or other health care professional. This site is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this website. This site is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of such sites. Always consult your own health care practitioner.