7 Steps to the Perfect Skin

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#808080" TEXT="#080000" background="044b8573.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>MEDI-MAIL</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MEDIMAIL"><B>home</B></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#808080" TEXT="#080000" background="045d2083.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="0925e370.png" border=0 width="94" height="55" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04605053.jpg"> <div> <I>7 Steps to the Perfect Skin</I></div> <bR> <div> From eating greens</div> <div> to getting a good</div> <div> night's sleep and</div> <div> learning how to</div> <div> relax, here a leading</div> <div> nutritionist gives her</div> <div> guide to keeping the</div> <div> body's largest organ</div> <div> in peak condition</div> <div> <IMG SRC="13dd4770.jpg" border=0 width="468" height="631" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Beautiful skin is created by a body that is functioning properly - that is eliminating waste efficiently, digesting food and transporting nutrients around the body. It is not something exclusively reserved for the genetically blessed.</div> <div> By ensuring that our skin is in the best pos¬sible condition, we can not only improve our overall health - after all, what's good for our skin is good for our body as a whole - but also our confidence and happiness.</div> <div> Whether you are suffering from a condition such as acne or psoriasis, or you just want beautiful skin, I have devised a natural dietary and lifestyle approach that will help you get the healthy skin you've always wanted.</div> <div> The skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects us from invading bacteria, helps regulate body temperature and keeps our insides from falling out. It is made up of three layers - the outside layer, the epidermis; the middle layer, the dermis; and below that, the subcutaneous layer.</div> <div> New skin cells form at the bottom of the epidermis and move gradually outwards, and the top layer of dead cells then sheds. This trip takes about four weeks, which means that with the right materials you can create better skin in a month.</div> <div> The Healthy Skin Diet is based on an anti-inflammatory eating programme originally designed for those with</div> <div> skin conditions such as eczema. </div> <div> It is also effective in elimin-ating psoriasis and dandruff, as well as improving mood swings, energy levels and rosacea. However, you don't have to have bad skin to follow this routine as it is fantastic for overall health and wellbeing.</div> <div> To get you started, here are seven basic guidelines</div> <bR> <div> THINK GREEN AND FRIENDLY</div> <div> An essential step for beautiful skin involves 'friendly' gut flora, 'green' foods and drinks that have an alka-lising effect on the body, and avoid¬ing acid-forming foods.</div> <div> Some parts of your body should be acidic, such as your stomach when it produces digestive acids. How¬ever, in general, your body's tissues and blood should be slightly alkaline.</div> <div> There are two ways you can find </div> <div> out how acidic you are. Your GP can test your blood pH, or you can test your saliva or urine with pH strips from your local pharmacy. These are made of litmus paper which changes colour when acidic or alkaline substances come into contact with it. When your body's </div> <div> pH is in balance, this reading should be between 7.0 and 7.5.</div> <div> There are many types of acid-producing foods and when your body is continually trying to counteract an acidic state, acid can become a poison. The worst offenders are vinegar (except for apple cider vinegar), alcoholic drinks, margarine, pork and beef, salmon and mackerel.</div> <div> Also acid-forming are coffee and black tea, yellow cheeses, pickles and mustard, chick¬peas, most nuts, white rice and high-sugar and white-flour products.</div> <div> However, you do not have to avoid these foods completely to be healthy. They can be enjoyed in moderation, but limit them to no more than three servings a day. The equivalent of two servings</div> <div> is two glasses of alcohol, or one coffee, and salmon and chickpeas for dinner.</div> <div> Green drinks - those con-taining chlorophyll and wheatgrass - are the best</div> <div> way to create good acid-alkaline balance. A liquid chlorophyll supplement, available from chemists, can give you an extra dose of vegetables daily. It can help to neutra¬lise acids in the body so your blood is less likely to become sluggish and inefficient.</div> <div> Alkalising foods include spinach, peppers, courgette, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, cab¬bage and sweet potatoes - and surprisingly lemons and limes (although the fruit is acidic, it is actually alkalising in the blood). Avocado, asparagus (below), garlic, onions, radishes and uncooked tomatoes are also mildly alkalising. Other points to good acid-alkaline balance include limiting your caffeine intake, having four alcohol-free days a week, avoiding</div> <div> smoking, and drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day. Encourage friendly gut flora by taking a probi-otic supplement.</div> <bR> <div> EAT MOISTURISING FOODS</div> <div> Certain fats are moisturising to your skin - they moisturise you from the inside out. The good fats include GLA (found in Evening Primrose Oil), EPA, DHA and omega-3 (all found in oily fish and flaxseed).Omega-3 is particularly good for your skin. It is abundant in cold-water fish such as sardines, trout and herring and although they are acid-forming, salmon and mackerel are good sources, too. Omega-3 is also found in flaxseeds, walnuts and green vegetables.</div> <div> Omega-6, also found in flaxseeds, walnuts and leafy greens as well as eggs and fish, converts eicosapen-taenoic acid (EPA) which decreases inflammation and improves skin moisture. It also helps normalise blood pressure, helps with cardio¬vascular health and can reduce your risk of certain cancers.</div> <div> If you have dry skin, psoriasis, </div> <div> rosacea, dandruff or premature ageing, take an omega-3 fish oil supplement (or flaxseed oil if you are vegetarian) in addition to eating oily fish two or three times a week.</div> <div> Saturated fats in dairy, meat and fried foods can cause inflammation, dry skin and prema¬ture ageing. They can also increase your risk of heart disease, asthma, eczema and acne. Limit your intake, and increase the amount of foods that help protect from the damaging effects of these fats, including onions, ginger, turmeric, red wine (which contains flavo-noids), Vitamin E and selenium.</div> <bR> <div> EAT LESS</div> <div> Melatonin is a hormone released</div> <div> during sleep. It has an anti </div> <div> oxidant effect that helps </div> <div> protect against DNA dam </div> <div> age. As you age, the body's</div> <div> ability to produce mela </div> <div> tonin plummets. When</div> <div> your body doesn't produce</div> <div> enough, you will experi </div> <div> ence difficulty falling</div> <div> asleep and wake up after</div> <div> eight hours still feeling</div> <div> drowsy. However, a study</div> <div> published in the Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology And Metabolism showed how melatonin levels can be manipulated by diet. Scientists car¬ried out a 12-year study on monkeys and found sensible calorie restriction not only improves melatonin produc¬tion but reduces body fat, lowersblood glucose levels and delays and greatly reduces age-related prob-lems and the risk of certain cancers. You don't need to calorie-count. For meals, fill half your plate with salad or vegetables, the other half with carbohydrates and protein. Eat carbs that release energy slowly, such as grainy breads, brown rice and whole-meal pasta. Avoid 'hit and run carbs' that have a high glycemic index, such as white bread, chips, mashed potato and white rice.</div> <div> Snack less and stick to healthy snacks such as almonds or an apple. Make sure you include protein in two of your main daily meals. When eating animal protein, have a portion the size and thickness of the palm of your hand. Have a maximum of two servings of red meat a week, includ¬ing lean lamb, beef and organic liver, and a maximum of two servings of white meal per week, such as skin¬less chicken. And eat up to three servings of seafood a week.</div> <div> And don't starve yourself. Exces¬sive dieting is bad for the skin so be sensible and never skip a meal.</div> <bR> <div> HAVE A GOOD SKIN CARE ROUTINE</div> <div> You might be surprised to learn that many skin products contain ingred-ients that scientific studies have deemed 'harmful to our skin' or 'not beneficial'.</div> <div> Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) pene-trates the skin and damages its protective barrier function. Formal-dehyde can irritate the skin and trigger allergic reactions such as rashes and heart palpitations. It can also aggravate asthma. Parabens DEA and MEA can cause skin and mouth irritations.</div> <div> Sunscreen should play a starring role in your quest for younger-look¬ing skin. Apply to the parts of your body that age the fastest - face, neck, decolletage and hands. Look for one that is formulated for chil-dren or toddlers as these are likely to be fragrance-free and lower in synthetic chemicals.</div> <div> If you have dry or flaky skin, or wrinkles and premature ageing, exfoliating with a granulated cream or scrub will leave your skin looking and feeling smoother. Don't exfoliate your skin if you have acne or broken skin such as wounds, bites or rashes.</div> <bR> <div> BE A SLEEPING BEAUTY</div> <div> During sleep your body releases a</div> <div> series of hormones that control sig </div> <div> nificant functions in your body. One</div> <div> of the most vital is melatonin (see above). Light suppresses the release of melatonin and darkness stimu¬lates it, so a night in a darkened room increases your chances of optimal melatonin production.</div> <div> It's not just about night-time sleep - you have to start your day right. Get a dose of sunshine in the morn¬ing. Choose a wake-up time and stick to it (even after a late night out) and make sure you get ten minutes of sunlight before 10am. This will help you reset your body clock and boost your Vitamin D levels so you are more likely to wake up feeling refreshed.</div> <div> Foods that promote a more ,restful night's sleep are those which contain tryptophan, an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin and melatonin, sleep-inducing hormones. Tryptophan-rich foods include milk, cottage cheese and plain yog¬urt. However, since the Healthy Skin Diet is dairy-free, eat other trypto-phan-rich foods such as seafood, turkey, wholegrains, brown rice, beans, houmous, lentils, eggs, hazel-nuts and sunflower seeds.</div> <bR> <div> BECOME A HAT PERSON</div> <div> Sunlight is essential to health. You need to have small exposure on a regular basis so your skin can pro-duce a form of Vitamin D.</div> <div> Minimum UV exposure is the key -about ten minutes a day of unfiltered sunshine directly on the skin will keep Vitamin D deficiency away. But too much sun can be damaging. UVB rays are more likely to cause some forms of skin cancer and UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin and promote free radicals that age your skin prematurely. UV radiation is increased by reflective surfaces such as sand, water and snow. UV rays can also penetrate through win¬dows, windshields and thin clothing. When out in the sun, wear protective clothing and a hat.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>