Review of Anti-Aging Straight Talk by Michael Moshier

June 30, 2008 by Kristie Leong  
Filed under Features

I had the pleasure of reviewing a report by Michael Moshier entitled Anti-Aging Straight Talk. This is an appropriate title for this straightforward, candid report on maximizing health and slowing down the process of aging. Although Michael isn’t a health practitioner by profession and is, in fact, an engineer, he has developed a good understanding of the aging process and what can be done to promote good health and slow down age related decline.

Michael emphasizes in his report that before we can select the best anti-aging regimen, it’s important to have a clear picture of how our bodies are currently functioning. He emphasizes that the solution to anti-aging isn’t to go out and blindly take the trendiest anti-aging supplements. Before taking any supplements, it’s important to know which supplements are actually needed based on the results of a blood profile. This is a wonderfully simple idea that most anti-aging practitioners fail to address. Not everyone needs the same supplements or even the same diet for optimal health. It’s important to know first what deficiencies exist.

To this end the author recommends taking a simple blood test to assess levels of a variety of important metrics that can affect the process of aging. For example, for men he recommends checking a complete blood count, testosterone level, DHEA, homocysteine, estradiol, C reactive protein, and PSA levels. For women, he has a separate list of tests to be performed. Knowing these values will tell you where a deficiency or excess exists which will allow you to design a nutritional, exercise, and supplement program based on the results. This kind of approach makes a lot of sense. It gives a sort of roadmap to follow along the path to aging. He suggests constructing a chart so you can track the different metrics you’ll be following over time and alter your regimen accordingly. He also suggests getting the same blood tests done six weeks apart before designing your anti-aging plan.

One of the most important aspects of this book is that the author encourages each person to take responsibility for his or her health by designing an anti-aging program based on the results of their blood tests. There is no one right program that will address the needs of each and every person. The author goes into some detail on the anti-aging supplements he uses in his own regimen but emphasizes that this program works for him and may not be suited for other people with different blood metrics.

Another important point the author emphasizes is the concept of moderation and common sense. It’s not realistic to expect that you’ll never treat yourself again to foods that aren’t part of your program. After all, what fun is staying healthy if you can’t enjoy life? To this end he recommends treating yourself to your favorite foods in moderation.

He goes into brief discussions on factors that can influence the aging process in this ebook and tells you where you go to read in more depth about these processes. He also goes into some details discussing the supplements he takes on a daily basis. Although I don’t agree with all the supplements he takes, the majority of them are based on preliminary research data that suggests their effectiveness.

The author ends the book by giving twenty-five quick and easy anti-aging ideas. These are well thought out and if done on a daily basis might have a remarkable effect on overall health and the aging process.

All in all, I appreciate the author’s emphasis on taking control of your own health and designing an anti-aging program to meet your individual profile and needs. Although he wasn’t able to cover the anti-aging principles of diet, exercise, and supplementation in extensive detail, he does refer you to several excellent resources for educating yourself further. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to enhance health and slow down the aging process.

6 Anti-Aging Foods You Need in Your Diet

June 29, 2008 by Kristie Leong  
Filed under Features

The juice of the pomegranate fruit is thought to have anti-aging properties.

How often have you hard the much quoted phrase, “You are what you eat?” This trite, old phrase may be more accurate than you think. There’s no doubt that diet playsan important role in who you are, how you look, and how fast you age. Diet not only provides the fundamental components necessary to build a strong and healthy body, if chosen wisely, it can also provide you with protection against disease and premature aging. If you’re looking for ways to alter your diet to slow down the aging process and prevent disease, here are six anti-aging foods you should add to your diet.

Cocoa or dark chocolate

Cocoa is an anti-aging food that has been shown to have a high level of disease preventative biochemicals known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are strong antioxidants and actually beat out red wine and green tea in terms of their ability to eliminate free radicals. Not only does cocoa have strong antioxidant potential, it may also reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure through its ability to increase production of nitric oxide which helps to dilate blood vessels and prevent platelets from sticking to one another. Although cocoa is healthy, don’t over do it. Keep your consumption to around an ounce or two of dark chocolate a day to avoid adding excess calories which can cause weight gain.

Nuts

Eating one to two ounces of nuts per day has been shown to cut the risk of heart attack by more than half. Increased nut consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and stroke. One study even showed that regular nut consumption increased longevity by up to two years. Which nuts are best to snack on? The nuts with the most benefits in studies were almonds, walnuts, and peanuts. Just don’t overdo your nut intake since they’re high in calories.

Broccoli

Fruits and vegetables are known for being rich in antioxidants and other vitamins that help to reduce the risk of disease, but broccoli outshines them all in terms of health benefits. Broccoli is an abundant source for a group of compounds known as isothiocyanates which are powerful weapons against cancer. Even if you don’t like the taste of this vegetable, you can get health benefits from adding broccoli sprouts to your salad. The young sprouts have up to one hundred times more of an isothiocyanate called sulforaphane than does the mature plant. This is one anti-aging food that needs to be in your diet.

Pomegranate

Although the pomegranate has a long history, its remarkable health benefits have only recently begun to be discovered. The juice of the pomegranate may play a role in preventing heart disease and lowering LDL cholesterol levels and even slow down or stop the growth of prostate cancer cells. This remarkable fruit and its super healthy juice also have anti-inflammatory properties which may help to relieve the joint inflammation of arthritis. Eight ounces of juice per day should be enough to reap the benefits. If you take other medications, check with your doctor before drinking pomegranate juice since it can alter the breakdown of some prescription medications

Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to have multiple health benefits including reduction in the risk of heart disease as well as decreased joint inflammation and pain in those suffering from arthritis. This anti-aging food also appears to have positive benefits to those who suffer from depression. Eating two servings of fatty fish per week should provide you with the omega 3 fatty acids you need. If you don’t like the taste of fish, consider taking two to three grams of a fish oil supplement each day.

Green tea

Green tea is a rich source of catechins which are thought to have anti-cancer properties. In addition, green tea may help you to hang onto your trim figure as you age. In studies, people who drink five or more cups of green tea per day have been shown to burn between eighty and one hundred extra calories per day. Plus, topical green tea has been shown to reduce the effects of photoaging and can help you maintain younger looking skin.

Adding some of these anti-aging foods is a natural way to reduce your risk of chronic disease and promote better health as you age.

Sothys Lift Defense Age-Defying Silky Cream

June 29, 2008 by Sophia Mendelsohn  
Filed under Sothys

It was the Egyptians that were the first to begin applying creams that contained fine oils and emollients such as lanolin to their skin. Further down the road a bit it was the French who took the craft of preparing and marketing cosmetics and skin therapy products to another level entirely. While todays skin therapy products and cosmetics can come from many different places, it is still the French that are still recognized in the industry for their high standards and experience.

Sothys Lift Defense Age-Defying Silky Cream

Softens and Beautifies the Skins Surface Layer

What differentiates Sothys Lift Defense Age-Defying Silky Cream from so many other similar face cream products on the market is what it doesn’t do. This is because, while so many skin treatment products contain powerful chemical additives to penetrate the skin and promote cellular activity, Sothys does none of this. This is because, this product functions on a layer of skin that so many other skin care product developers have completely forgotten about. The surface layer!

Sothys Lift Defense Age-Defying Silky Cream

Silky Cream Makes for Super Soft Skin

Thats right. Sothys Lift Defense Age-Defying Silky Creams active ingredients consist of antiglyskin, proteasyl, photopreventine and vitamin C. These are all mild active substances that function on the skins surface by saturating and infusing it, resulting in skin that is flexible, moisture laden and super soft to the touch.

Excellent Age-Defying Results Immediatly

No harsh chemicals, means no redness or adverse reactions. Also, unlike so many other newer skin care products that instruct you to wait weeks or even months for results, Sothys Silky creams deliver excellent results immediately. Of course there are other products that function in the skins lower layers on a cellular level but in the mean time, don’t forget that your skin has a top layer too that can use a little help.

Bioelements Pumice Peel

June 27, 2008 by Sophia Mendelsohn  
Filed under Bioelements

Often times people with skin that is showing signs of distress have several issues to confront. Their skin can be damaged due to the combined effects of aging, sun exposure and even environmental contributors, such as smoking and stress. When they look in the mirror, the skin that they see can seem like it is in need of immediate treatment with something that will deliver results that day, not in a couple of months or more.

Bioelements Pumice Peel

A Dead Skin Cell Layer is Dry and Krinkly

The cosmetic market is loaded down with any number of peels and defoliants that promise to deal with the surface issues that may be effecting your skin. Dead skin cells do, in fact, cover the surface of everyones body but do they really make any difference? The truth of the matter, is that on the face of someone with sun or age effected skin, a layer of dead skin cells can and will make a huge difference in the way that that that person looks. This is because a dead skin cell layer is stiff and krinkly and will cause wrinkles.

Bioelements Pumice Peel

Results That Morning

Bioelements Pumice Peel is the only defoliant cream on the market that promises to not be gentle on your skins dry surface. Virtually all other defoliants promise to deal with your dead skin cell layer with kid gloves. However; this pumice crystal laden product is marketed as the “real deal” for people that want results that they can see and feel the moment they walk out of their bathroom.

Strips Away Dead Skin Cells / Treats the Fresh Skin Layer

Bioelements Pumice Peel immediately strips away dead skin cells and then its antioxidants, ginseng extract and hydrogenated polydecene skin emollient then go immediately to work treating and helping to rebuild the fresh new skin that has been exposed by the treatment. The results are soft glowing skin that is noticeably different from what is was just minutes before.

5 Important Factors That Cause Premature Skin Aging

June 25, 2008 by Kristie Leong  
Filed under Features

Although the skin naturally ages somewhat with the passage of time, much of the skin damage, wrinkling, and sagging experienced with aging is related to lifestyle factors that can be partially prevented by practicing a healthy lifestyle. In the absence of healthy skin care habits, you can’t expect to have the skin of a twenty-five year old when you’re over forty. The good news is some simple lifestyle changes can work wonders in preserving the integrity of your skin as you age. Here are five of the most important factors that cause premature aging of the skin:

Not wearing a sunscreen

It should come as no surprise that many of the signs of skin aging are directly related to exposure to the sun’s rays. The sun not only causes wrinkling and increased skin laxity, it also causes changes in pigment resulting in the appearance of pigmented brown spots. Skin cancer is also a potential side effect of long term sun exposure. The sun’s rays weaken the elastic structure of the skin which results in the increased wrinkling and sagging seen in aging skin. To prevent photoaging, invest in a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and wear it religiously. If you’ll be out in the sun for any extended period of time, add a straw hat and sunglasses.

Smoking

Smoking has a multitude of unhealthy effects on the skin. It decreases oxygenation of the skin and depletes levels of vitamin C, which play an important role in the synthesis of collagen, the basic support structure of your skin. In addition, smokers frequently develop wrinkles around their mouth from “puffing” on their cigarettes. If you observe long term smokers, they almost always appear older than their age.

Sleep Habits

There are two ways sleep habits can play a role in prematurely aging the skin. The first is lack of sleep. Although the role sleep deprivation plays in long term aging of the skin isn’t clear cut, skin certainly takes on a more aged appearance when you’re sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation can also increase levels of a stress hormone known as cortisol which may have an effect on skin health. The second way sleep habits can affect skin aging is through sleep positioning. If you sleep in the same position over many years, wrinkle formation is likely to occur where your face presses into the pillow. These are known as sleep lines. One solution to this problem is to train yourself to sleep on your back at night.

Overindulgence in Alcohol

Alcohol has negative effects on the skin in two ways. One way is that it tends to cause dehydration which alters the critical moisture balance needed for good skin health. Secondly, it causes facial veins to dilate which increases facial redness and increases the risk of broken facial veins. Reducing or eliminating alcohol from your diet can have positive effects on your skin as well as your general health.

Poor dietary choices

The importance of diet in preserving youthful skin is just starting to come to light. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in October of 2007 showed that higher intakes of linoleic acid and vitamin C along with lower intakes of carbohydrates and fats had a positive effect on the rate of skin aging. People who consume a diet high in fruits and vegetables also appear to have a slower rate of skin aging independent of other factors. This may be due to the ability of fruits and vegetables to offset free radical formation which contributes to aging.

Now that you know the five main factors that promote skin aging, is it time to make some changes?

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