" All the art of living lies in the fine mingling of letting go and holding on." - Henry Ellis
Two concepts I have elarnbed through the years. There are many people, places and things that I had to let go of when I first entered a twelve step program. There were also many things I wanted to hold on to for a very long time. This was just upon entering a twelve step program. In these eighteen years I have had to let go again. Many of these were individuals and concepts or ideas. I wanted to hold on to some of those individuals or at least what I learned from them. I have learned a lot from the experience I have had and yet to have. It has shaped the 'new' me. This is truly the finest line of letting go and holding on. It is often difficult especially when it comes to love partners, family and friends. I have to realize in all cases that I am a human being that also has feelings., I didn't want to be a door mat for some any longer. I have a voice. I have a soul and most importantly I have a heart.
What is the largest organ in the human body? If you answered the colon or the liver , you are wrong. The largest organ in terms of surface area and weight is THE SKIN, which is the most overlooked. Our skin is a fluid barrier, a major source of sensory input, a temperature controller, ands a contributor in the immune system.
Do you take care of your skin? First of all hydration is the first key point. You must drink water every day - about 8 glasses of 8 oz of water/day. There are many stressors to the human skin. These ar environmental . By this I mean the weather, the sun and the pollution. We live in a toxic world. Many illnesses first manifest their problem on the skin. This is especially true of some internal cancers. This is also apparaent when we discuss candida overgrowth.
It is said but 1 in 5 Americans wil develop skin cancer. Is this due to lack of vitamin because of skin sun screeners or not enough and you are spending too much time in the sun. We do knwo that melanoma is on the rise in the last decade by 20-30%.
The fastest growing industry is the cosmetoic industry. This is not only for the women, but equally for the men. More cosmetic products for men are now on the shelves. Did you know that by age 50, the average female will spend at least 250,000 on hair and facial products. Look what some individuals pay for their hair color and hair cuts. It can be a bit outrageous, but we are a country of ' how we look on the outside.' If we ingest supplements/herbs and vitamins for the inner self, we should start helping the outer beauty with vitamins. So this is what the cosmetic industry is doing. Cosmeceuticals are products that have some medicinal benefits depending on what you put into the product. Organic and natural are different labels. The word natural follows no standard ands has no regualtory agency, as the word , organic does.
Manyh skin products use the word anti oxidants, or anti aging. Be wary of these labels. What actually is in the product. One of the first doctors who made a skin care line was Dr. Perricone. I believe he was the first to add Vitamion C or absorbic acid to his products. It has been shown that skin products with absorbic acid revealed an incerase in skin density, this having a protective effect. There are many cosmetic companies now using soy in their products as soy contains phytosterols which are potent anti - oxidants.
The one herb that has been recently added to skin products is Feverfew. This is most commonly asssociated with migraine prevention and arthritis. Feverfew does have anti-inflammatory and anti oxidant potential. It is effective in reducing the redness of the skin. Feverfew is part of the daisy family. One plant I always utilize in skin conditions is the pot marigold also known as Calendula.
One of the most studied and researched plants is Camella sinensis, also known as Green tea. tea is consumed only second to water in most countries. Today I am delighted that more Americans are consuming herbal teas, espeically Green, Oolong, White and Black tea. The polyphenoal in green tea, especially, EGCG inhibits colagenase activity and increases collagen formation.
Studies have shown that topical green tea applied to the face inhibits ultraviolet-induced erythema and decreased DNA sun damage to the skin. You probably have seen green tea or EGCG added to the most expensive cosmetic products.
You also may start to see the following herbs added to some skin products. These include
Punica granatum, commonly known as Pomegranate, Coffea arabica, known as the Coffeeberry and Euterpe oleracea, known as the Acai berry.
Until tomorrow...
No comments:
Post a Comment