How To Defy Ageing
In these modern times, we abuse our body with unprecedented levels of toxins, nutritional incompatibilities and stress, all of which contribute to faster ageing. The GOOD news is that there are some cells in our body that are “immortal” (yes, they do not die!), and by fuelling our body in the right way, these cells will regenerate our body and slow down the ageing process.
As a skincare brand, we are an advocate of applying the right ingredients onto your skin. However, that is not enough. If we do not take care of our body in other ways, our skin will still age prematurely or look “sick”.
The appearance of our skin reflects the state of the overall health of our organs, tissues and alimentary canal. Our skin and the lining of our intestinal tract are composed of epithelial cells, a barrier between the inside and outside of our body that protects our body from viruses.
You may recall from our earlier blog “Our Second Brain – Why It Matters” which establishes the direct relationship between gut health, immune system and skin health.
Healthy Gut = Healthy Skin!
You may have heard of leaky gut syndrome, which is when the intestinal layer is compromised and contents of the intestines “leak out”, confusing the immune system’s ability to differentiate between “self” and “others”. The skin equivalent will be leaky skin syndrome, or dermatitis psoriasis.
There are 2 facets to defying age. One is to remove what does not serve, and the other is to increase what is good. Stress accelerates ageing. When our body is stressed, cortisol is produced with speeds up ageing and thins the skin. It also increases our blood sugar which leads to an increase of glycation (caramelizing the blood).
Hormones: women in their 30s and thereon will start to see a decrease in progesterone, which in turn will lead to lower levels of estrogen. As women reach menopause, some are prescribed synthetic HRT (hormone replacement therapy) which artificially stimulates their production of estrogen to slow the ageing process. These drugs come with side effects of increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, blood clots and stroke. Even more natural forms of HRT may still promote a physiological state of deficiency by telling the body that the poorly performing endocrine glands do not have to make more hormones.
A better way to regulate hormones is:
- Cut out sugar (“Perils of Sugar”), processed carbohydrates and any foods with added hormones
- Increase intake of these foods:
- Fruits and vegetables (for phytoestrogens)
- Flax seeds (slow growth of breast cancer)
- Blueberries (inhibits development of aging cells)
- Ginger (reduce loss of spatial memory)
- Soy (improve bone health, decrease cardiovascular risk, and reduce hot flushes)
- Evening primrose oil (decrease severity of hot flushes)
- Pomegranate (naturally incurring steroid hormones similar to human ovary; it kind of looks like one right?)
What about Fats?
A large Japanese study of more than 700 women showed that ones that eat more total fat, including saturated and mono-unsaturated fat had better skin elasticity. Here, we would recommend the following:
- Olive oil (cold pressed, organic, or extra virgin)
- Coconut oil (cold pressed and organic)
- Avocado
- Grass fed meats
- Wild caught fish
- Green and yellow vegetables (anti-oxidants and beta-carotene)
So if you are thinking about a Botox treatment for your laughing lines, perhaps you can
divert the investment to good foods to achieve a harmless, more lasting result.