CynthiaRowland's Blog

By Jackie Silver, http://www.agingbackwards.com/

Remember a few short months ago when we were shivering in winter’s chill and paying for heat? Well, Mother Nature gives us free heat in thesummer months, and we can use that to our advantage.

Exposing yourself to heat makes you sweat and that has many well-known health benefits. Sweating is said to increase circulation, cleanse pores, make muscles more supple and provide pain relief.

But did you know you can use summer’s heat to help you look and feel more youthful, too?

Here are some Aging Backwards tips to help you take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer:

1. Deep condition your hair. When your hair cuticles become dry and damaged, it can result in a dull, frizzy look. Deep conditioning your hair allows the cuticles to lie flat, restoring shine and youth with longer-lasting results than you get by simply using conditioner in the shower for a few minutes.

On a particularly hot day, clip newly washed, towel-dried hair into sections. Release one section at a time, applying the conditioner of your choice to each section to ensure uniform coverage. It doesn’t have to be exact; you just want to be sure you’re not leaving out some very dry areas. Next, pile your hair on top of your head and apply plastic wrap or a plastic shower cap. (Note: Keep plastic away from your nose and mouth!) Then sit outside in the shade for about 15-20 minutes with a good book or magazine. Rinse out the conditioner and style as usual.

2. Enjoy a facial mask. Regular cleansing removes surface dirt and makeup, but a facial mask will draw out impurities from beneath the top layer of your skin. Using a mask helps to unclog pores and exfoliate the dead skin cells from your face. It also helps to stimulate circulation and, depending on the product, helps hydrate and protect your skin.

Using the product of your choice, apply the facial mask and sit outside in the shade on a hot day. If you’re planning to deep condition your hair, you can save time by doing your hair and facial mask at the same time because many masks direct you to wash off after 15-20 minutes.

Here’s an extra tip: Use some of the mask on the tops of your hands. They can show your age, too! Rinse mask according to the product directions and pat dry.

3. Get your Vitamin D. Our bodies need Vitamin D for optimal calcium absorption. It’s also been shown help to lower blood pressure, decrease the incidence of some cancers, boost the immune system and has other healthful benefits.

The best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun. Experts say 10 to 20 minutes a day in direct sunlight is all you need to keep your levels optimal.

Here’s a tip: Nowhere in the medical books does it say I must expose my face, neck, chest and hands, which are the areas that can show age the most. So I keep those covered.

4. Exercise in the great outdoors. Winter’s harsh conditions can force us to get our exercise in the gym or at home for months on end. With summer comes the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and warmth while exercising.

I like to take a walk, do some yoga, or, if I’m feeling really energetic, take my jump rope outside for a quick workout.

Be careful when exercising outdoors if it’s super hot. Do your workout in the morning or evening and avoid the hottest part of the day. Also, be sure to keep your water handy to stay hydrated.

5. Take a kids’ exploration walk. With the everyday hustle and bustle of work, family, friends, and taking care of the house, we rarely go walking just to “mosey” and see what there is to see. Stress relief is conducive to Aging Backwards, so take a half hour or an hour to just go outside on a beautiful summer day and explore at ground level.

I did that recently and here’s what I saw: some gorgeous flowers; big, scaly lizards; a couple of cats and dogs; kids laughing and splashing in a pool; a shiny, red convertible, and a kids’ swing set, which I took the liberty of trying out.

So, take time out this summer to enjoy the warmth and slower pace of the season.

Cynthia Rowland - Facial Fitness Expert

By Al Sears, MD

Your brain tells you that you want to eat when your body needs nourishment. But it also tells you to eat when you’re feeling stressed, depressed, anxious or lonely.

That’s because hunger doesn’t only originate in your stomach. It’s also triggered by your mind.

But you can overcome temptation and curb emotional eating habits by manipulating the same trigger mechanism that prompts them – your brain. Here’s how:

Reduce your hunger cravings. You can do this by filling up on protein. High-protein foods give your body what it needs to stay energized throughout the day. If there’s no mid-afternoon “crash,” you’ll be less tempted to eat your trigger food.
You can start with a high-protein breakfast like cage-free eggs and grass-fed steak, or a grass-fed whey protein shake. That will help you feel full throughout the day. And if you combine it with a high-protein lunch like a wild salmon salad, you’ll find it easier to curb your cravings all day long.

Replace junk-food snacks and beverages with natural alternatives. For example, instead of eating potato chips while watching television, have some walnuts or almonds. Nuts are the perfect snack because they’re natural, they fill you up, and they have good fats that your body needs to function properly.
Another good option is sipping a glass of water instead of drinking soda. Water can help curb your craving by making you feel full.

It’s also a good idea to replace junk food with tasty natural alternatives like locally grown organic fruit and vegetables. That will help you break the cycle of binge eating and drop pounds of fat.

Overcome emotional eating with “mind therapy.” With a doctor’s help, this medical technique lets you tap into a part of your brain that makes it easier to attain your goals, like weight reduction, in a more effective manner.
A study performed by the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that when used with proper eating habits and exercise, “mind therapy” can boost overall weight reduction by 146 percent.1

In another study, people who wanted to drop weight were put into two separate groups. One group used “mind therapy” and the other did not. As a result, the “mind therapy” group dropped an average of 17 pounds while the other group dropped an average of only half a pound.2

1 Cochrane G., Friesen J., “Hypnotherapy in weight reduction treatment,” Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology 1986; 54(4): 489-92.
2 Allison, D.B., and Faith, M.S., “Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: A meta-analytic reappraisal,” Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology 1996; 64:513-516.

http://www.alsearsmd.com/

Cynthia Rowland - Facial Fitness Expert