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To: Test
DaBones
Healthy
Skin From Within
 Throughout
your lifetime, numerous environmental insults work to damage and alter your
"sheath," otherwise known as your skin. Indeed, more than 80 percent
of the visible changes that age the skin are caused by outside factors like
the sun, detergents and pollutants.
Besides minimizing such exposure, we may actually be able to prevent and
reverse some of the visible signs by fighting chronic inflammation and
maintaining skin barrier function. To do this, we can rely on an easily
accessible, all-natural source: good nutrition.
Nutrition for Healthy Skin
Researchers recognize that many natural foods have anti-inflammatory
properties, mostly provided by healthy fats and antioxidants. Foods
containing these skin-healthy fats include avocado, fish oil, flax seed,
and olive oil. Olive oil and avocado provide barrier-supporting nutrients,
called sterols, and anti-inflammatory monounsaturated ("good")
fats. Vitamins E and C, selenium, green and white teas, apples, cocoa and
berries are also skin friendly; they supply protective antioxidants. Even
probiotics, which are the friendly bacteria in our diets, aid in protecting
the skin. Experts suggest we get more of the aforementioned foods and less
red meat, fried foods, salt, sugar and white flour.
The other major defense against environmental damage is the antioxidant
capacity of the skin. Bolstering the antioxidant defense system of the skin
is an important strategy for reducing environmentally induced skin damage.
Recent clinical trials in which green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, and
marigold flower extracts (all rich in lutein and zeaxanthin) were
administered orally, topically, or both indicated that combined oral and
topical administration provides the highest degree of antioxidant
protection.
A Healthy Skin Strategy: Five Take-Home Points
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Stay
well hydrated throughout the day and particularly during exercise and
when the weather is dry.
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Avoid
excess drying of the skin, which can be caused by detergent cleansers,
sun and wind.
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Minimize
ultraviolet (UV) exposure.
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Consume
a variety of antioxidants and omega-3 fats with food and/or
supplementation.
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Topically
apply all-natural moisturizers containing antioxidants, sterols and
healing peptides.
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Ask your doctor about natural ways to maintain healthy skin during the
winter season and all year round.
Read More
Exercise:
Good for You, Good for Baby
 It's
common knowledge that regular exercise is all the more important during
pregnancy. Why? Well, for one thing, because the combination of developing
child, hormonal fluctuations, and other factors means you will likely gain
a moderate amount of weight as part of the natural process.
Moreover, as any mother will tell you, delivering a baby can be a physically
traumatic - albeit joyous - experience; exercise in the months leading up
to that day helps strengthen your muscles and heart, which can be placed
under severe stress during delivery.
Less well-known is that exercising during pregnancy may make for a
healthier child. Consider a recent study involving pregnant women (ages
30-35) who were divided into two groups - one group that performed
moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 30 minutes per day at least three
times per week, and a second group that did not perform regular exercise
over the same time period. The study revealed the following:
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Fetal
heart rate was significantly lower (a good thing, within reason) in the
exercise group during fetal breathing and non-breathing movement periods.
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Fetal
short-term and overall heart rate variability (indicative of a mature
neurologic system) were higher in the exercise group during breathing
movements.
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The
exercise-exposed fetuses had higher measures of vagal (cardiovascular)
control during breathing movements.
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Talk to your doctor about the benefits of exercise and which specific
exercises are most appropriate to perform (and which are best to avoid
altogether) during pregnancy.
Read More
Three
Ways to Sleep Soundly
Sleep, or lack thereof, can have a dramatic effect on your overall
health in the short and long term. What can you do to ensure a good night?s
sleep? Here are three simple suggestions to get you started:
 Stick
to a Routine: When it comes to getting a good night's sleep,
conditioning your body to sleep at a certain time (and for a certain length
of time) increases your chances of falling asleep quickly and waking up
refreshed. Developing an evening ritual is also important in this regard:
Set the stage for quality sleep with a warm bath, a good book or soft
music.
 Light
and Darkness: Sunlight helps regulate your circadian clock, the body's
24-hour cycle, and also stimulates the production of melatonin, a hormone
that regulates your sleep cycle. On the other hand, when you're preparing
for sleep, it's vital to limit sources of light that can make it harder to
doze off. That means pulling the shades, turning off all the lights and
shutting doors.
 Don't
Drink, Don't Smoke: There are countless reasons not to do either of
these things, but in terms of sleep, drinking alcohol and smoking can have
profound negative consequences. You may think alcohol will help you fall
asleep, but it won't keep you asleep, not after it's metabolized. And
nicotine is a stimulant - perfect for keeping you awake all night long.
Read More
This issue features a number of articles you will want to
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