Archive for the 'Health & Wellness' Category

Every time you walk into a grocery store, you face a daunting task: picking the healthiest, most nutrient-packed foods to fuel your running from thousands of choices. Supermarkets today carry an average of 38,718 items, according to the Food Marketing Institute. Colorful packaging, deceptive claims, and hidden ingredients confuse even the savviest shopper. These expert tips will help you shop smarter, so you can get in, get out, and get back to running—fast.

GOOD FOR YOU: LOTS OF COLOR

“Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants runners need to support training,” says Tara Gidus, M.S., R.D., an Orlando-based sports dietitian and marathoner. “In general, the more color in your shopping cart, the more antioxidants and nutrients you’re going to get.”

RED
Beets Nitrates found in beets can make your muscles work more efficiently during exercise by reducing the amount of oxygen they need.
Raspberries Eight grams of fiber in a single cup. “Higher fiber foods help runners maintain a healthy body weight and digestive system,” says Gidus.

GREEN

Kale Jam-packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and vision-protecting beta-carotene. Add it to soups, saute it for a side, or add to salads and sandwiches.
Avocado Nearly 70 percent of its fat is monounsaturated, “the same kind that makes olive oil heart-healthy,” Gidus says. Half an avocado also delivers seven grams of fiber.

YELLOW AND ORANGE

Sweet potato One potato provides more than three times your daily need for immune-boosting vitamin A. ‘’It’s full of complex carbohydrates,'’ Gidus says, ‘’which helps keep your energy stores topped up.”
Mango High vitamin C intake may reduce upper-respiratory-tract infections, as well as help lower your heart rate during exercise. One cup of mango delivers 75 percent of your daily need for C.

BLUE AND PURPLE

Eggplant Eggplant, which has just 20 calories per cup, contains antioxidants with heart-protective qualities.
Plums A study from Texas AgriLife Research found that plums contain as much antioxidant power as blueberries. “Consuming plenty of antioxidants,” says Gidus, “may reduce postworkout muscle-tissue damage, speed recovery, and boost immune function.”

WHITE

Banana It brims with potassium and quick-digesting carbs. “Potassium plays a key role in muscle contraction, with low levels linked to muscle cramping,” Gidus says.
Tofu Usually located in the produce department, tofu is an inexpensive and low-fat protein source. Add it to stir-frys, chili, or even pasta sauce.

SHOP SMART!

Not sure when to buy organic? If you’re peeling or removing the rind (avocado, bananas, or onions), conventionally grown produce is fine. If you’re going to eat the exterior (apples, peaches, bell peppers), buying organic will limit your pesticide exposure.

HEALTH-FOOD IMPOSTORS

Presliced packaged fruit Slicing ahead of time exposes more surface area, raising the risk for nutrient loss from oxygen exposure. And the packages are more expensive than whole fruit.

Iceberg lettuce One of the most popular vegetables is also one of the least nutrient-dense. In general, the darker the leafy green, the bigger the nutritional bang.

Bottled smoothies Many are sweetened with sugar or nutritionally poor juices like apple or pear. Plus, they almost always cost much more than making your own.

Article Source: Runners World Magazine

Vitamin C
Daily Requirement

Men – 90mg per day
Women – 75mg per day

Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C cannot be manufactured by the body so it must be acquired from the diet. It is the least stable of the vitamins and is easily destroyed during cooking and food processing. If consumed in high quantities, excess vitamin C is excreted in the urine. Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, an important structural protein that strengthens bones and blood vessels and anchors teeth into the enabling white blood cells to break down bacteria, is involved in the production of red blood cells and their oxygen-carrying pigment hemoglobin, and helps the body absorb iron from the intestine.

Vitamin C Deficiency

People who do not get enough fresh citrus fruits and juices may have insufficient vitamin C intake, as may those who are following a restricted diet. Regular drinkers and smokers are at risk of vitamin C deficiency since alcohol prevents the absorption of the vitamin and cigarette smoking depletes levels. People with wound and burns, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and rheumatic fever, as well as those recovering from surgery, may need more vitamin C to help with the healing process.

Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, which is a condition that leads to muscle weakness, joint pain, problems with wound healing, loose teeth, bleeding and swollen gums, easily bruised skin or little red spots on the skin, fatigue, and sometimes depression.

Vitamin C and the common cold

The role of vitamin C in fighting infection has been controversial for decades. At present, research shows that vitamin C reduces histamine levels in the body, and it can be helpful in reducing the symptoms as well as the duration of a cold. However, there is no evidence to suggest that vitamin C can prevent or cure the common cold. It is advisable to try to get all your vitamin C from your diet. If you do take supplements, limit them to less than 500mg per day because higher doses may cause problems such as diarrhea and kidney stones.

Good sources

Vitamin C This is found in these foods, which contain at least 10mg of the vitamin per 1 ¾ - 7oz (50-200g):

v Plantain
v Asparagus
v Broccoli
v Brussels sprouts
v Cabbage
v Bell peppers
v Tomatoes
v Blackberries
v Grapefruit
v Guava
v Kiwifruit
v Mango
v Melon
v Oranges
v Pineapples
v Strawberries

Oily, Sensitive, Non-Pigmented and Wrinkled: OSNW

When the late English playwright Coward wrote his famed and devastatingly witty song “Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Go Out in the Midday Sun)”, he undoubtedly had OSNWs I mind. The intrepid English with their insistence on sunning at noon, are indeed a nation of OSNWs, as are many people from Scottish, Irish, German, and Scandinavian backgrounds. Fair skinned, with little pigment to handle sun exposure, what they lack in melanin, they make up for in dogged determination – they will produce a suntan where none is possible. The Skin Type also suffers from flushing and rosacea, but wrinkling most commonly results form sun damage.

Don’t Tan, Don’t Burn

Hen they wrote the Coppertone ad jingle “Tan, Don’t Burn”, they weren’t talking about your type. You always burn in response to moderate to maximum sun exposure. The many OSNWs are with wrinkles, redness, and rosacea resulting from a bad mix of generic predisposition and harmful behavior. For you, sun avoidance is an absolute must.

Why? As Coward mentions in the lyrics of his song, centuries of genetic adaptation did not prepare even pigmented types (like the Asians, Indians, and Hispanics to whom Coward refers in his lyrics) for the tropical sun. That’s why they wisely stay indoors during the heat of the day. Meanwhile, the foolhardy Brits (and other melanin-deprived OSNWs) are determined to brace it, to their detriment.

With less pigmentation to protect you, the results are disastrous. Although we don’t recommend tanning for anyone, when pigmented types an, at least they have a chance to work with the sun, by starting with short sun exposure at times of the day when the rays are less harmful (such as before ten AM and after four PM). Then, as their pigment is activated, it provides some protection as they gradually increase exposure.

But most OSNWs lack both the genes to tan and the common sense as to how to go about it. After spending a year at a deskbound job, OSNWs will rush out to the beach, like lemmings to the sea, thinking to make up for the time spent indoors in one big blast. Instead, the pale, unprotected, unpigmented skin of the OSNW burns to a bright red. One or more burns over a lifetime will predispose skin to both non-melanoma skin cancers and the wrinkles that plague this type.

Some tan believing that sun is “good for the skin” or improves acne. Not true. UV radiation was shown to cause changes in the skin’s natural oils that led to an increased number of blackheads. And studies also report a higher incidence of acne in the summer months.

The R-Word, Rosacea

Another prime reason to make sunscreen use a daily habit is that sun exposure causes breakage in blood vessels that can result in rosacea symptoms, such as flushing and facial redness. This occurs because sun exposure accelerates collagen loss, weakening the supportive structures around the blood vessels. In fact, a growing body of medical evidence indicates that in many instances rosacea is caused by sun damage.

OSNW skin is one of the types most prone to rosacea. If you’ve consulted a dermatologist, you may have received that diagnosis. Research shows that although fourteen million Americans suffer from rosacea, 78 percent of Americans are not aware of the disease – and many who have it do not realize that they do.

What is Rosacea?

The four common symptoms of rosacea are:

1. Facial redness and flushing
2. Acne with pimples and papules
3. Visible facial blood vessels
4. Enlarged oil glands that cause the nose to redden and thicken

You can have one or more of these symptoms simultaneously, and each symptom requires a different treatment. But having one symptom does not necessarily mean that you will develop the others. If you experience any of these rosacea symptoms, seek help sooner rather than later because receiving treatment can prevent rosacea from developing to its later stages.

The later stages of the disease can and should be avoided. One of the most well-known rosacea sufferers was the comedian W.C. Fields. The bulbous nose that contributed to his comic appearance is actually a telltale rosacea symptom, one that can be treated, if necessary, but is best prevented.

A close-up look at your skin

It’s stressful to have rosacea. Studies indicate that rosacea sufferers commonly experience low self-esteem. When rosacea acts up, people want to hide. But if you have it, it’s better to face facts and get treatment.

If you have OSNW skin and rosacea, you may experience any of the following:

 Facial redness and flushing
 Pink patches
 Difficulty tanning, frequent sunburns
 Pimples
 Facial oiliness
 Enlarged pores
 Facial rashes or pink scaling patches, especially around your nose
 Visible red to blue facial blood vessels
 Acne, burning, redness, or stinging in response to many skin care products
 Yellow or skin-colored bumps with a dent in the middle (These enlarged oil glands are called sebaceous hyperplasia)
 Enlarged nose
 Wrinkles, frown lines, and crow’s – feet
 Increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma)

Most OSNWs experience redness and flushing. “Most OSNWs experience redness and flushing. “My face looks red in photos” is a common complaint. You may also notice yellowish bumps on your face with central indentations. These are enlarged oil-producing glands that over time may cause your nose to appear enlarged. Sun exposure worsens rosacea and all the symptoms on the rosacea spectrum.

Oily types skins typically enjoy the clean and refreshing feeling that toners can provide. Also, anti-inflammatory, pigment, and oil-control substances in toners remain on the skin to deliver ingredients. However, if you have combination skin, avoid using toner on dry areas. If you experience redness or stinging when using skin care products such as moisturizers or sunscreens, omit toners and use a facial gel with anti-inflammatory ingredients. If your daily regimen gets too complicated, omit toner use.

Recommended Toners

• Iman Perfect Response Gentle Toner for Acne Prone Very Oily Skin
• Exuviance Soothing Toning Lotion
• Skin Medica Acne Toner with Tea Tree Oil and Salicylic Acid
• Dr. Brandt Lineless Tone
• Erno Laszlo Conditioning Preparation Toner for Oily to Extremely Oily Skin

Handling Breakouts

Oily, sensitive types are vulnerable to breakouts, which may leave scars, especially if you pick at them or squeeze them incorrectly. The products in your daily regimen should help prevent them, and you can treat breakouts with some of the products listed below, and then allow your body’s natural healing process to resolve them.

Above all, don’t steam your face, apply a hot washcloth, or place an ice cube on a pimple. All of these actions cause rapid changes in temperature, which is strictly a no-no for types prone to inflammation. Some believe that sun exposure will help clear up acne, but since acne typically worsens in summer, I don’t’ believe that it’s helpful.

The best thing to do is to leave a pimple alone and apply a pimple medication that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

Recommended Acne Treatment Kits

• L’Oreal Acne Response Daily Adult Acne Regimen
• Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Complete Acne Therapy System
• Rodan & Fields Unblemish Regimen
• BioMedic 21-Day Intensive Acne Treatment

Recommended Acne Control Products with Benzoyl Peroxide

• Oxy Balance Acne Treatment for Sensitive Skin
• Walgreens Maximum Strength Acne Medication
• ZAPZYT Acne Treatment Gel 10% Benzoyl Peroxide
• Jan Marini Benzoyl Peroxide 5%
• MD Formulations Benzoyl Peroxide 10%
• PanOxyl Aqua Gel Benzoyl Peroxide 10%
• Proactiv Repairing Lotion

Recommended Spot Treatments for Pimples

• Eucerin Redness Relief Tone Perfecting Crème
• L’Oreal Pure Zone Spot Check Blemish Treatment
• Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment, Vanishing Formula
• Pond’s Clear Solutions Clear Pore Strips
• Biotherm Acnopur Emergency Anti-Marks Concealer for Blemish Prone Skin
• Clinique Acne solutions Concealing Stick
• Exuviance Blemish Treatment Gel
• Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel
• Guerlain Issima Crème Camphrea

Treating Dark Spots

For dark spots, apply skin lightening products, making sure to use them after cleansing and toning but before other recommended products. Begin to use these products at the very first sign of darkening, and continue use until the spot has completely disappeared. You can also use them on dark spots you’ve had for some time.

Moisturizers

Unnecessary or disadvantageous for most Oily, Sensitive, Pigmented, and Tight (OSPT) skins, moisturizers can clog your pores and increase oiliness. In most cases, your own naturally occurring oil is all you need. However, if you have some dry areas, around the eyes, cheeks, or jaw, apply a light moisturizing product with ingredients that work against inflammation, acne, and dark spots to the dry areas only or, if needed, to the entire face.

Recommended Moisturizers

• Aveeno Positively Radiant Anti-Wrinkle Cream
• Black Opal Advanced Dual Phase Fade Crème with Sunscreen
• Eucerin Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion
• Olay Total Effects 7x Visible Anti-Aging Vitamin Complex (Fragrance-Free)
• St. Ives Swiss Formula Cucumber & Elastin Eye & Face Stress Gel
• Skyn Iceland Antidote quenching Daily Lotion

Choose a nonirritating cleanser to remove makeup without stripping your skin’s natural oils. This helps decrease or control skin sensitivity. If your cleanser is drying your skin, use it every other day, alternating with a cleanser designed for sensitive skin. Avoid cold creams and cream cleansers, which are too heavy for your oily skin.

Here are several different categories of cleansers: choose a cleanser from the category that matches your chosen Daily Skin Care Regimen.

Recommended Benzoyl Peroxide Containing Cleansers

• Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleansing Bar
• Black Opal Skin Perfecting Blemish Wash
• Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Cleanser
• Iman Perfect Response Oil-Free Cleanser for Acne Prone Very Oily Skin
• Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
• Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Cleanser
• Donell Super-Skin Beta Hydroxy Acne Cleanser

Recommended Cleansers with Soy or Niacinamide

• Aveeno Positively Radian Cleanser
• Olay Daily Facials Lathering Cloths for Sensitive Skin
• Niadyne NIA 24/7 Facial Cleanser

Recommended Anti-Inflammatory CleansersAveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

• Eucerin Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
• Quintessence Skin Science Purifying Cleanser
• Elizabeth Arden Sensitive Skin Calming Foamy Cleanser

USANA Sense Gentle Daily Cleanser

Key Ingredients:
Saponaria, Yucca, Echinacea & centella asiatica, Clary Sage
Ingredients

Exclusive technologies:
Self-preserving formula
Proflavanol-T
Proteo-C

AM
Step 1: Wash with cleanser
Step 2: Apply a skin lightener when you have dark spots (optional)Step 3: Apply a pimple spot treatment to pimples (optional)
Step 4: Apply sunscreen (non-optional)
Step 5: Apply SPF-containing makeup

PM
Step 1: Wash with cleanser
Step 2: If needed, apply pimple medication to pimples (optional)
Step 3: If needed, apply skin lightener to dark spots (optional))
Step 4: Apply a moisturizer to dry areas if you have combination skin (optional)

In the morning, use a salicylic acid cleanser or anti-inflammatory cleanser to clean your face. If dark spots are present, apply a skin-lightening gel to them. If you are having acne or active breakouts, apply a pimple-control product to pimples, and take it with you to use if needed during the day. Next, apply sunscreen and makeup if desired.
In the evening, follow the same regimen, omitting the sunscreen, and including a moisturizer if needed.