WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR SKIN?

The Skinny on Skincare

When looking for a good skin care, that not only is free of skin junk food such as parabens, alcohol, mineral oil, perfume etc., there are a few proven key ingredients to look for, in order to get an actual effect from those often expensive beauty products out there. Most of those marketed ingredients do not penetrate the outer layers of the skin, making those great-sounding nutrients on the label completely worthless, unfortunately.

I'm going to give you the breakdown here of what to look for that actually has an anti-aging and naturally better-than-Botox effect when used more than 3 months (I don't ever recommend Botox btw. - it's a neurotoxin and makes your skin more saggy in the long run - so you literally will get addicted to Botox. And you're going to look like you came out of a plastic factory - not a good look).

First off, you must wash with a soap, that does not rid your skin of natural oils, so that your washing procedure is not damaging your skin daily. I recommend Dr. Broenner's soap for body and face as this match your skin pH perfectly, and it does not contain any obsolete garbage. And it's cheap. So we can spend more money on awesome stuff instead.

Anyway - here's my skinny on skincare list:

Vitamin A: One of the few anti-aging pharmaceuticals with a scientifically proven efficacy. When applied topically, it is transformed into retinoic acid by human keratinocytes. Retinol stimulates collagen production in the skin, and its application can result in a reduction of wrinkles and skin pigmentation.

Vitamin C: It stimulates collagen production and has a photoprotective effect (it minimizes damage from the sun). Its wrinkle-improving effect has been proven in clinical studies. One problem is its instability in various topically applied products, as vitamin C is prone to oxidation and may lose its efficacy this way. Furthermore, some topical products do not penetrate through the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin), and thus are not able to render the desired effects.

Vitamin E: More studies needed, but there is some indication of a reduction in wrinkle depth and decrease in skin roughness. Vitamin E is found in various cosmetic products, but in most at a way too low concentration to make any difference. I recommend opening a vitamin E capsule and applying it directly to skin beneath your daily moisturizer.

Flavonoids: Group of substances found in many foods e.g. green tea phenols. They have a photoprotective effect.

Copper: Copper peptides seem to have a positive effect on skin aging. Clinical studies have shown wrinkle reduction and improvement in elasticity.

CoenzymeQ10: A lipophilic antioxidant, which is reduced in the aging process. Little scientific data supports its clinical anti-aging effect at this point - additional double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are needed to establish its efficacy. However, oral supplementation is well-documented as part of a successful anti-aging regime for anyone over 30.

Emblica: This antioxidant is extracted from the plant Phyllantus emblica and is said to reduce free radicals and help with pigmentation.

Polypeptides: Studies have shown that topically applied polypeptides may induce an acceleration of collagen synthesis. A clinical study demonstrates a positive effect on skin thickness and skin density after the application of  product containing palmitoyl pentapeptide for three months.

DIY Bright 'n Balanced pH Skin Toner

So in response to last week's post on the importance of following the pH balance rules and adhering to a slightly acidic skin care regime in order to minimize the appearance of fine lines and prevent bacterial proliferation, here is a do-it-yourself skin toner recipe that The Nutrition Doctor uses to brighten and balance complexion.

It's cheap, super efficient and void of unnecessary fillers.

And it only takes 30 secs or less, so we can head off to more important stuff than spending hours in front of the mirror, while still looking great.

Matcha powder green tea that you whisk in a bowl
has the highest ORAC

That's how we like it.

This diy skin toner recipe keeps a week in the fridge.

When can you expect results? In a month if you use it consistently AM & PM - for best results follow with The Nutrition Doctor's moisturizer series.

Santini Skin Solutions™: Bright & Balanced Toner

So, what's in it?

• 1/2 c. green tea
• 1/2 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed 
• 2 slices of ginger
• 1 tsp. raw Manuka honey

Green tea is high in antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress and prevent DNA damage to your skin.

Lemon is acidic and helps maintain an optimal skin pH balance as well as it enhances the efficacy of the antioxidant value of the green tea! Lemon also contributes with vitamin C which naturally brightens and evens out skin tone.

Ginger increases circulation and stimulates cell renewal.

Manuka honey add moisture and is reknown for its anti-bacterial and anti-anflammtory porperties - topically as well as internal!

So, what to do?

Steep the green tea and ginger slices for approx. 4 minutes in hot, but not boiling water.

Let it cool completely before adding lemon juice and honey.

Pour in a clean bottle (preferably with a spritzer attached, available in cosmetic stores) and store in the fridge.

Whenever you need it swipe over your face with a cotten ball or simply spritz.

Anti-aging in a bottle for less than $2. What's not to love!

The Nutrition Doctor's Secrets of Anti-Aging No 1: pH Balance

Santini Skin Solutions™ Feed your skin because your skin eats too!

When it comes to looking and feeling young it is a balancing act; the most important being ph balance. PH stands for "potential of hydrogen" - that is, the measure of hydrogen ion concentration in a substance.

The scale devised by a Danish chemist in the early 1900s, ranges from 0, which is highly acidic, to 14, which is the most alkaline. Seven, the pH of water, is neutral. The human body maintains such a specific balance between acidity and alkalinity that an off-kilter pH might be connected to a host of unhealthy woes, ranging from dry, rapidly aging skin to acne, inflammation, and even fatigue, weight gain, and susceptibility to disease.

Most of us have heard about the importance of an alkaline diet - however, what you apply to your skin needs to be slightly acidic to prevent DNA damage and combat fine lines! Understanding the triggers diet wise and skin care wise as well as the different requirements is the first and most important step to gain a youthful appearance naturally.

Externally pH plays a fundamental role in the skin's barrier, called the acid mantle, which is formed by secretions from sweat and sebaceous glands as well as the breakdown of fatty acids by beneficial microflora. This barrier keeps lipids and moisture in and pollutants and bacteria out. The acid mantle is as its strongest when the skin is slightly acidic with an optimum pH of 5.5. An acid environment inhibits bacterial growth - those that suffer from acne typically have too alkaline skin pH, which is why it is an absolute disaster to use regular soap as this further makes for an imbalanced pH.  Soap bars typically have a pH of 9; leaving an alkaline residue of film on your skin. In order to combat acne you must use a skincare line that supports an acid skin pH.

When it comes to fighting wrinkles alkalinity is also a key player - a study published in British Journal of Dermatology by Greg Hillebrand, pHD, of P&G Beauty Science, showed that women with an alkaline stratum corneum developed more fine lines than those with acidic skin over an eight-year period; an alkaline epidermis tends to be more brittle and drier than an acidic one. In addition, alkaline skin is more susceptible to sun damage as its protective barrier has been weakened!

This simple principle is what makes The Nutrition Doctor's all-natural so-clean-you-could-eat-it skin care line so efficient for both acne prone skin and in preventing fine lines (DNA damage) by high ORAC value and its pH balancing properties.

Right now The Nutrition Doctor in the Kitchen is making Bright & Balanced Skin Toner - stay tuned for the DIY recipe next week!

All of Santini Skin Solutions™ are hand-churned, made in small batches and based on the pH principle and that, if you can't eat it, don't feed it to your skin!

In combination with a session with The Nutrition Doctor we also offer to customize and develop your own personal skin care line so that it meets exactly your needs and match your biochemistry type!

Contact us for more information.

Reference:

http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/assets/files/posters/AAAS09/Hillebrand%20P101%203MB.pdf

The legal psychostimulant drug that could make you smarter, leaner or spike your insulin, frazzle your nerves and add inches to your waistline...

Inhaling my morning Cappuccino.
Some alley cafe in La Gomera

What did Balzac, Kant, Rosseau and Voltaire all have in common? They loved coffee! The rich aroma... the sensual lingering aftertaste... smooth yet strong.... I have always been fascinated by contrasts in life: textures, tastes, places, people, paces, ideas.... and then there is coffee.

Today coffee beans are the most widely traded commodity after oil, and caffeine is the world's most commonly used psychostimulant drug. And I am hopelessly addicted.

Caffeine raises blood pressure slightly, ups your metabolism, dilates the bronchi of the lungs, and allows the body quicker access to fuels in the blood (explains the popular choice of red bull and vodka...). It increases the flow of urine in your kidneys and acts as a laxative in your colon.

How you react to coffee reveals how your brain is wired!
People who are low in GABA will be very sensitive to anything containing caffeine and will not benefit from it - physically nor mentally. Also, the severity of depletion is of utmost importance to consider: if you are diabetic type-2 you will have a severe dopamine depletion, as this chemical has been found to be a key indicator in this condition. That means, coffee is completely off-limits, as it tends to spike your cortisol levels which again causes insulin to spike 'n crash - a recipe for disaster. For someone with a more balanced brain chemistry, coffee can be a great mood and metabolism booster.
The secret ingredient to anti-aging
Apart from that, studies have found it to be one of the most efficient ways of reducing visible signs of aging such as cellulite and wrinkles when the green coffee bean extract is used topically.


The science in your coffee cup
The secret to coffee's stimulating effect is this: it binds to the body's receptors for adenosine, a natural chemical important in sleep and wakefulness. As the cells in your body use up energy, they make adenosine as a byproduct; the harder they work, the more of the chemical they make. The adenosine attaches to receptors on cells everywhere in the body and quiets their activity. In this way it calms heartbeat, lowers blood pressure, decreases the release of stimulating neurotransmitters, and induces sleepiness. Caffeine enhances alertness by binding to adenosine receptors and inactivating them - thus preventing the chemical from exerting its quieting effects. So ultimately caffeine works by foiling the process by which the nerves are calmed, rather than actually exciting them!

Coffee could make you smarter... or simply just an anxious nutcase.
FMRI scans have been used to measure coffee's action on the brain, and the studies showed greater activity in the parts of the brain involved in attention and concentration.
That said, whether you will benefit from adding in coffee depends on how your brain is wired - if you are already severely depleted in GABA, the calming neurotransmitter in your brain, then you will react negatively towards caffeine, as it lowers your ability to handle stress even more.

I know that I had to cut my coffee intake drastically since moving to New York, since the pace of life here is quite different than from the West coast, and I really didn't need anything that lowered my stress threshold, since I have high dopamine already. And while high dopamine is great, as it is your body's natural battery, so to speak, and controls everything from your energy levels in the bedroom to the boardroom, your body needs a balance between calming and excitatory neurotransmitters in order for you to be focused and driven yet calm and collected.

There is no point in joining the club of neurotic overanxious nutcases due to excessive caffeine consumption - apart from you most likely will end up contributing to your shrink's growing wallet.

Want to know how YOUR brain is wired?
Again, eating right for your brain chemistry type and understanding which supplements, herbs and amino acids to take as well as - as a last resort - prescription medications and psychotrophic drugs, should always be matched to your genotype as well as tailored to which neurotransmitters in your brain that are out of whack. And this is where conventional doctors and nutritionists go wrong - they are not treating the cause, nor do they match the treatment protocol with the patient's genetic profile, rather it is simply geared at suppressing the symptoms.

However, if you fail to connect the myriad of symptoms with the actual cause and the underlying key imbalance in your brain and biochemistry, then you will not be able to ever get off any prescribed drugs nor benefit fully from whatever supplements you are taking for overall health. THAT is why people get addicted to medication or don't experience any progress on supplements - and THAT is a waste of your money and time!

Get your tailormade treatment program to reach your peak performance today based on your specific brain wiring and biochemistry type!

Make an appointment with The Nutrition Doctor today!

Reference: 
Hiroshi S. et al. Inhibitory effect of green coffee bean extract on fat accumulation and body weight gain in mice. Altern Med. 2006; 6: 9