Your Skin Needs Love Too!

Hi everyone! This last weekend I must have spent over 10 hours outside doing some heavy gardening. I have to admit, that I carelessly went out there to pull weeds and plant flowers without slathering my skin with sunscreen. I periodically wore a big hat, but was not as diligent about keeping it on as I should have been. By the time I made it back into my house to rest and shower it became apparent I had made a major mistake . When I looked into the mirror before my bath all I saw was a splotchy, beet-red face staring back at me! I had such regrets, because I am fully aware of the damage I probably caused. My face already has a smattering of freckles because of fair complexion. At my age, I am starting to see the beginning of sunspots here and there, which does not make me happy, so I should have know better than to be so careless.  Our skin changes as we age. It becomes drier, thinner and more wrinkled. Many common skin conditions include age spots, shingles, purpuras, seborrheic keratoses, and skin cancer. Purpuras are common, spontaneous reddish-brown or purplish bruises, usually appearing on the arms and legs and are caused by bleeding under the skin. As our skin thins it becomes more prone to injury. Seborrheic Keratoses are harmless skin growths that are common among older folks. They are raised, light brown spots that thicken over time. Shingles is a painful, blistery skin rash that usually strikes one side of the face or body. You suffer a burning or itching sensation when shingles strike. It is a very common illness in people over 50 and can be very debilitating. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America and fortunately is very curable if caught early. There are 3 types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common. There is also squamous cell which are slow growing but can spread and be fatal if not treated early. Then there is melanoma, which is the most dangerous of all skin cancers. This type of skin cancer can spread beyond the skin to other organs. Fortunately, most cases of melanoma can be cured if treatment starts early enough. The main cause of skin cancer is excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.  This is exactly why I should have been more careful this last weekend and why you should always take caution when working in your garden, especially if you are fair skinned.  I will be much more careful going forward. With this beautiful weather we have been having here in Texas lately I plan much more "outside" time! Take care everyone, and remember to make your health a priority!

Miracle Pill to Stop Aging? - Try L-Carnosine!

Hi everyone! You know ever since I became more proactive in looking better and being healthy I have also started investigating ways to look younger! Naturally, as an almost 55 year old woman I start noticing how my body is aging. Starting this blog has made me become more aware of things that I can do to improve not only the way I feel, but also the way I look....and who doesn't want to look good? Recently, in another blog post I mentioned to you the advantages of taking GTF Chromium supplements to stop wrinkles and help the elasticity of the skin and Black Currant Oil for thinning hair. Well, yesterday I heard about a magic little pill called L-Carnosine on the Dr. Oz show. I just love that man! I definitely want to buy this! From what I read,  L-Carnosine was first discovered in 1900 in Russia, but it's just recently been seriously recognized in research around the world for its incredible properties. What is L-Carnosine? Well from what I can gather it is  a combination of 2 important amino acids called beta-alanine and L-histidine. It occurs naturally in the muscles of the body. Carnosine is easily broken down into these 2 amino acids, but they work miracles when they are combined to form L-Carnosine. When put together, they are have the fantastic ability to rejuvenate cells, and we all know that the erosion of cells is what ages us. According to the Oz show you will feel so much better and younger in many ways! From my review of this I understand that clinical research has now confirmed that Carnosine (and its derivatives) show marked improvements in the following conditions:

• Arthritis and bone health.
• High blood pressure AND low blood pressure!
• Regulates blood clotting and eases resultant conditions.
• Ulcers.
• Wounds and skin health.
• Cancer.
• Increased lifespan and anti-aging.
• Cataracts and other eye disorders.
• Muscular conditions.
• Improve learning and special awareness (ADHD and autism).
• Conditions linked to poor memory and confusion.
• Increases the body's own stem cell production. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body and serve as a natural repair system.

 This is very interesting! I am posting the link below to the show from the website so you can hear for yourself how this pill works. I'm curious, have you ever tried it? If so, have you noticed any improvement in your appearance, memory, etc? Please let me know your thoughts!
Check it out here:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/miracle-pill-stop-aging

The Need for Vitamins -- all hype or half truth?

A subject that comes up real often among my girlfriends is regarding the necessity of taking vitamins. I'm talking about the kind you have to remember to take daily, not the kind that come naturally in your food. Many people, myself included, find that at times they are confused because of the vast amount of suggestions out there. For example, at first we heard that calcium was mandatory to bone health, then we heard that too much calcium in pill form could lead to health issues. Something about calcifications could break off and enter the bloodstream which could lead to possible strokes. I might have the story wrong, which proves my point! Obviously, we all need to be better educated regarding this issue. Most schools of thought are that if you eat a healthy diet and maintain an exercise routine, your body will function just fine without the additional pills. Unless you know you are deficient in something, then you are probably safe not swallowing any additional vitamins. Most of the friends I talk to though feel they are lacking in some areas and could use a boost. It could be their hair is thinning, their energy is low, their bones are brittle, their skin is losing elasticity, etc. The list is endless when you're over fifty! I have started a daily regimin of vitamins that include B12, D, Biotin, Chromium, Fish Oil, Black Currant Oil and a Probiotic for colon health. I usually get plenty of calcium from my diet. I started the Chromium and Black Currant Oil after seeing a segment on Dr. Oz. He stated that 500 mcg of GTF chromium per day would help your skin's elasticity (keeps wrinkles at bay) and that 500 mg 2x per day reduces thinning hair! I certainly need help in both those areas. According to Oz I should see improvement in 6-8 weeks...wish me luck! I would love to hear from you. Do you take vitamins? If so which ones and are you happy with the results? Do you know of anything else that we all could benefit from? Feel free to make comments...it's great to share ideas.