Being Me

I thoroughly enjoyed this month's theme more than I thought I would. I didn't do much different, except try a few samples of various skin care products. For now I'm sticking to my Burt's Bees in the day time and Retin A at night and absolutely SPF 30 every day. I really appreciated hearing everyone's opinions on aging. I just assumed that everyone was as concerned about it as me, but apparently not all thirty-somethings worry about wrinkle prevention like I do. I do know that as I age, I will continue to look for better and more quality skin care and I will have to hydrate my skin more. I ironically wear less makeup now that I have a child and will leave the house without it most of the time and still feel confident, so I must be doing something right. Being 36 does has it's advantages. I think aging, not just physically, but spiritually allows me to know myself more and feel more confident and that it refreshing for me. I am not as concerned about judgement as I used to be even just a few years ago. If this path continues for me then I think by my 40's I may be doing alright and aging then will probably mean something different to me than beauty anyway. It will probably be more about physical health and longevity than crow's feet or smile lines. My goal is to grow old gracefully and naturally. If I ever forget, I'll just pick up a cover of US and see what Heidi Montag is up to.

Coming Clean-VOGUE

I read this article on the airplane the other day & thought I'd share it with all of you. I put *** around the section regarding aging but, I found the whole article to be very informative & well written.

http://www.vogue.com/feature/2010/03/coming-clean/

With juice fasts and detox diets more popular than ever, Bronwyn Garrity examines their claims in search of the pure truth.

Until recently, shunning food while lunching with friends would have been considered odd, if not blatantly eating-disordered. Now, thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow, Donna Karan, and a cultural fixation on environmental toxins, the green-juice power lunch has become fashionable—as long as it’s in the name of “detoxification.”

The urge to cleanse stems from the theory that the body hasn’t adapted to modern life—with its refined sugars and flours, its cocktails and Starbucks lattes, not to mention pesticides, heavy metals, and other gunk we unknowingly imbibe. Juice fasting (with little or no additional food) is believed to rest the digestive system, recharge the organs, and accelerate (sometimes with the help of laxatives) elimination. The goal: a purified body, one free of the toxic buildup blamed for inflammation and chronic conditions such as eczema, asthma, depression, irritable-bowel syndrome, arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. (Weight loss is just a delightful side effect—further evidence of toxicity shed.)

Though the health claims are unproved, booming sales of detox products suggest people aren’t waiting for clinical studies. With Paltrow’s help, Clean, by Alejandro Junger, M.D., hit the New York Times best-seller list last summer, and his $350 kits (a bevy of all-natural products designed to restore balance and get the bowels moving) sell by the thousands each month. For those short on time, delivery companies like Blueprint Cleanse in New York City and the Red Carpet Cleanses in Los Angeles make juice cleansing and detoxing easier than ever.

Though satisfied cleansers say that they’ve never been so pure (or so thin), doctors’ reactions to news of the growing market range from skepticism to alarm. “What frightens me is that because [the products] don’t go through the FDA, they not only have never bothered to demonstrate efficacy but they really don’t test for safety,” says Michael Gershon, M.D., a Columbia University professor who has spent his career researching all things related to the digestive system.

Gershon warns that overuse of laxatives, even all-natural movers like senna, can over time damage crucial nerve cells and in extreme cases result in a bowel that stops functioning and requires surgery. An equal risk may come from attempting to purify your system by pushing too much fluid through your gut and disrupting the balance of electrolyte salts, which can cause diarrhea and dehydration.

Here is where the science stands on a few other common cleansing claims:

You’ll rid your body of a lifetime of toxic chemicals. . . .
It turns out your body is amazingly adept at dealing with foreign substances. “If you eat something the body interprets as toxic,” Gershon says, “the liver gets rid of it. If it’s water-soluble, the kidney pumps it out.” Furthermore, toxins the body can’t quickly eject on its own (like heavy metals and PCBs) reside not in the colon but in fatty tissues like the brain—meaning all the juice and laxatives in every health-food store on the planet won’t flush them out.

You’ll drop two dress sizes. . . .
Detox cleansers boast spectacular weight loss in just a few days or weeks. Yet quickly shedding pounds may actually be a sign your body is burning muscle, not fat. Without enough protein, the body turns to muscle for fuel after about three days, which can make weight loss appear more dramatic because of muscle’s bulk. Making matters worse for cleansers who are really dieters, losing muscle mass will slow your metabolism; a return to solid food is a return to your original weight . . . and then some.

***You’ll look ten years younger***
The upside of pumping gallons of water and vitamin-rich juice into your system—and eliminating stressors like sugar, caffeine, and alcohol—is that it will plump skin, resulting in the celebrated cleansing glow, says Joseph Greco, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA. The downside is that the boost may be short-lived. And over time, a low-calorie cleanse (coupled with laxative use) can rob your body of hydration and nutrition, resulting in volume loss in the skin and the very thing cleansers are trying to avoid: wrinkles.

You’ll experience euphoria. . . .
Some detoxers describe feelings of intense joy on the more spartan diets, such as the Master Cleanse. But according to Emeran Mayer, M.D., director of the UCLA Center for Neurovisceral Sciences & Women’s Health, all animals have endorphin systems to ease trauma. That euphoria may actually be a sign the body thinks it’s starving and is trying to prevent suffering. “Animals that have stopped eating are ready to die,” he says.

Your brain fog will lift without coffee. . . .
Oxygenated blood pushes into the brain through capillaries so narrow they admit only one red blood cell at a time. Eating too much fat and sugar clogs capillaries, resulting in lethargy and forgetfulness. Vitamin-rich juices may increase blood flow to the brain, helping to explain why people report feeling more alert. But you don’t need to starve to feel quick-witted: Recent studies have found that just eating more whole fruits and veggies and eliminating junk foods may trigger brain cell growth in a few months.

You’ll cure chronic diseases. . . .
Perhaps the most outlandish claim—that you can reverse diseases—is the one that has the most science behind it. Studies suggests that heart-disease patients who eat more vegetables and fruit may begin to lower high cholesterol and blood glucose levels in a little more than a month. The catch: You can’t go back to your old ways after three weeks of clean living or the benefits will be lost.

Image & Article from VOGUE

I'm _____ years old

"I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel." Elizabeth Arden. Eat healthy. Feel young!4:47 AM Mar 25th via web

Jillian, you salty siren…

So this is kind of off topic, but it does make my bones ache so I thought I would write about it. I have started Jill’s 30 Day Shred. For those who haven’t heard of it, Jillian Michaels is a trainer on the Biggest Loser and her workout DVD is popular on the bridal and spring break circuit. I am convinced that she is trying to kill me in 5 minute intervals.

I started it this week with my “break” days being yoga class. Her workout consists of at 3-2-1 plan, 3 minutes Strength, 2 minutes Cardio and 1 minute abs. You repeat this for 20 minutes and do a cool down, easy peasy right? I can do anything for 20 minutes. WRONG!! I can barely walk or sit down, my thighs are screaming in pain and it hurts to raise my arms. The worst part is the actual work out. After about 8 minutes I am huffing and puffing and after 12 I am yelling out loud like a body builder. I have had to banish Jason from the house during these workouts because he can’t stop giggling at my poor performance. The good news is, it is working! I am feeling stronger in just 1 week and a smidgen trimmer too. I plan on following this through at least until the wedding and maybe if I am motivated until the honeymoon in late April.

Does anyone else have experience with this workout plan? Or thoughts on dropping a few pound in a few weeks without drastic diet changes?

Not So Sunny Spots

This is not my topic. It should be but it isn’t – I just don’t care that much about aging…yet. The truth is that now that I don’t have to face my biggest critic anymore – Granny – I don’t have my flaws pointed out that much. Thanks to her I have always been good at moisturizing and we did go through a big challenge of getting my sun spots on my forehead cleared before my wedding but other than that I do nothing.

So I don't feel like I add much to the blog this month but Ash asked me the other day what I did to get rid of the spots so I can give the run down from that experience because it seemed to work. Here is what we did, and it was pricey. We started with the dermatologist – he prescribed Tri-Luma and I started to notice a very slight difference with a couple of weeks. Next I had a combined laser/microderm “Skin Rejuvenation” treatment from American Laser Centers – I was already going there for hair laser (which DOES NOT WORK, at least on me) and they offered a deal on the facial. I think I noticed the most after that. I went back to the derm and he did his own laser treatment that I didn’t see much from and then I had 3 microderms. All of this happened within about 6 months. The final result was very good and I do still have damage there but it is not so Gorbachev looking and I’ve been v. v. v. good about sunscreen on my face ever since – the body not so much.

So that is the only time I’ve ever visited a dermatologist or cared very much about my skin – that was 4 years ago. Now I have this red spot under my right eye that looks like a broken capillary and when I don’t have make-up on my son says “oh boo boo mommy I kiss it” so I know another visit to the derm is in order…maybe I’ll go.

Miss Congeniality

So, I haven’t posted this month because I couldn’t decide what to write or how I felt about aging. It has really been something I think about every night and when I read all of our posts.

Aging is something that I’ve never grasped. I had to “grow up” at a very young age because of life circumstances and unfortunately, I looked like a grown up at a very young age. I am now dealing with a daughter who looks 18 at age 12. Thankfully, I kept her mental age at 12 as well but I am now responsible for impressing my ideology about aging upon her.

Though I do secretly adore when she tells me how young I am and how pretty I am compared to the other parents of her friends and when strangers remark that we could be sisters, it also starts up my reflections on the long road it took to get where we are now and the fact that I have a very little one to raise in her very big (and admirable) footsteps. You can see in my photo just how incredible she is.

I wash my face, I brush my teeth, I eat pretty well. I have no health problems and I am not overweight. I drink too much caffeine and wine, I have 13 year old stretch marks and I unsuccessfully tried to dye my hair red and it’s now a lovely shade of white zinfandel. I try to exercise, but I suck at it. I stay up too late and I get up too early.

But, I have two children who I can’t wait to wake up every morning just to hear them say “Hi, Momma” and I love spending time with my baby boy and hearing all of the wonderful details about my daughter's day at Middle School. And, finally, after all these years I have a husband who adores me and tells me so. So, I’ll keep washing my face, and doing what I do because the only part of aging that matters to me is keeping the smile on my face.

My Routine

Jessica asked last week what our skincare routines included. 
Here it is:

I have been using Retinol .5 for a year or so now and love the effects it has had on my dark spots.  They have lightened considerably but not as quickly as I would like!  When I went to the derm consult she recommended to stay on the current course I am on. I also use Kinerase but use different products than Shelly.

For eyes: Under Eye Rescue.  I have noticed a pretty big difference in my puffiness and dark circles.  Even though I always feel tired, I don't seem to always look it. 
Also side note: I read recently that when applying eye cream, place directly under the eye but when applying above the eye just put it on your bone directy above your eyelid and it will seep down naturally. The skin there is so sensitive, putting it on directly is too much for it.

For face: Brightening Serum and also the Cream. Along with the face wash as well. They have the Cream with an SPF which I will buy next as soon as this container is finished.

All the products contain N6-furfuryladenine which is a powerful natural antioxidant that helps protect DNA and proteins from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. It is still pretty new to products so the jury is still out on whether it works topically but I am definitely noticing a difference in my skin since I started using it a little over a month ago.

Two random applications that I don't consistently perform are:  In the winter, if my skin is feeling particularly dry or it is cold, I slather on Aquaphor before bed.  In the summer, if I feel like I have been in the sun too much, I slather on pure Vitamin E oil before going to bed.  Both applications leave my skin ridiculously soft when I wake up, but they are so heavy that I don't do this regularly. 

Next up...
My Vitalize Peel.  I am kind of nervous but every review I have read has been very positive.  I am just really nervous about layers of my face peeling off.  I am going to go ahead and hopefully book my appt for next week.  I want to have plenty of recovery time before Cassie's wedding!!  And my own...
(If I am brave enough, I will post Before-During-After pictures!)