Читать книгу Spiritual Facelift - Victoria Holt - Страница 50

Now you have the inner tools to help you remove your facial wrinkles, but there are also practical steps you can take to support your internal process to ensure you have a youthful face.

The next step to creating a wrinkle-free face, alongside of your deep soul work, the learning of God’s laws, proper breathing, meditation, and a gentle exercise program, is to remove makeup, oil, and environmental contaminants from your skin.

The cleansing of your skin should not be just a morning ritual. At night, make sure you remove your makeup and cleanse properly before you go to bed. It is very damaging for your skin to get into bed leaving makeup and environmental grime on your face while you sleep. Use a natural cleanser or a natural, oil-free makeup remover. Once your face is clean, moisturize with a natural face cream that is oil free. Ideally, your face cream should contain alpha lipoeic acids, alpha hydroxy acids, amino acids, Vitamin A, C, and E, peptides, and peptide complexes. Try also to find a natural cream containing beeswax or zinc oxide, which stimulates the renewal of collagen, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, and increases firmness as well as elasticity. Zinc helps boost elastin (the skin’s protein) production. Do not rub or pull your face while applying your face cream. Rubbing stretches your skin and can promote sagging and wrinkles. You should also apply a natural sunscreen over your moisturizer. Another great tip is to sleep on your back instead of your front so you minimize creasing your face. If you press your face to your pillow, you will experience increased puffiness in the morning.

Exfoliation is important for removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. There are many homemade exfoliants you can make that slough off dead skin cells and create smoother, more radiant skin. Baking soda is a very effective and popular exfoliant. Its natural abrasive texture combined with its ability to neutralize acidity makes it an excellent choice for an exfoliating process. Three effective face masks may also be made from just oatmeal, avocado and sesame oil, or ground almond and yogurt.

Many natural beauty experts offer a natural facelift whereby they work away your wrinkles with a deep facial tissue massage or employ advanced technology using light and sound waves. I recommend that you treat yourself to a professional facial. It is important to pamper yourself. It is an act of self-love. But ensure that you go to only a highly regarded, certified practitioner who uses nontoxic organic products. If you cannot put it in your mouth, do not put it on your face. If you cannot spell or understand the ingredients, do not allow anyone to put them on your skin. Do not get addicted to these professional procedures and merely start to focus on the outside of your face again. Remember to put your main focus on the emotional cause of the “who,” “what,” or “why” that is getting in your face.

This commitment to using natural products should extend to your makeup line. Most makeup products are made of synthetic materials that can severely damage your skin and the health of the cells in your body. There are many new mineral eye shadows and foundations available in the marketplace that nurture the skin and infuse it with nondrying, beneficial minerals.

Facial toning acupuncture can also be very effective and leave you with a radiant complexion. It stimulates the blood flow and facial muscles, improves your skin texture, and increases the collagen in the face. Facial toning acupuncture began in China over eight hundred years ago and was used to maintain the beauty of the favorite concubines. With hundreds of years of history behind it, facial toning acupuncture is a tried and tested holistic treatment. Microdermabrasion and facial peels are also effective treatments for blemishes, wrinkles, and uneven skin pigmentation.

If you cannot afford to pay for a professional treatment, do not worry; you can still treat yourself to a daily pampering. At the end of your busy day, I highly recommend that you give yourself a facial massage every night as you sit and watch television. Work your fingers through the skin of your forehead to smooth away the deep crevices and wrinkles. Remember that you are unblocking stagnant energy and creating a flow with your hand movements. Use your index fingers or knuckles to mold the skin deeply, upwards and out with circular motions. Move the deep energetic imprints up and away; let the old stale energy unclog from your facial tissue. Do not forget your neck. So often we concentrate on only the face, but your neck should also be part of your morning and nighttime moisturizing regime. Massage moisturizer into your neck with upward strokes so you do not pull the skin. Make this nurturing, deep tissue facial and neck massage the perfect ending to your stressful day. Use organic oil when you massage your face and neck so that you do not “burn” the skin. Vitamin E oil is very healing for the skin. Coconut oil is also effective. It contains rich antioxidants and nutrients, helps fight bacteria, and naturally diminishes wrinkles. Coconut soap is a powerful facial cleanser, and coconut water can cure acne scars. This is due to coconut water’s cleansing and toning effects on the skin. These natural products are relatively cheap in comparison to the many expensive antiwrinkle creams in the market place that are full of harmful chemicals.

Proper nourishment and supplementation are also the keys to healthy skin, healthy brain function, and a peaceful state of mind. The food in your kitchen is the perfect solution to skin and mood problems. If you are to protect your skin and keep yourself emotionally and mentally healthy, it is important that you eat a diet high in antioxidants and rich in nutrients. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are highly nutritious and keep the body as well as the brain functioning properly.

These following types of foods should be the main ingredients in your diet. Avocados contain niacin (Vitamin B3) which is especially important for healthier skin. Niacin is anti-inflammatory so it soothes irritated blotchy skin. You can both eat avocado regularly and prepare it as a weekly facial mask. Eating fruits such as mangoes, which contain Vitamin A, helps to maintain and repair skin cells. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that fights free radical damage that can prematurely age the skin. (You can read more information about free radical damage in Chapter 5.)

A handful of almonds every day can provide 100 percent of your daily need for Vitamin E, which, as you read, contains powerful healing properties for your complexion. Cottage cheese, Brazil nuts, salmon, or cod contain selenium, which is an essential antioxidant mineral for the skin. Citrus fruits such as grapefruits or oranges supply 100 percent of your daily allowance for Vitamin C, which fights skin damage, prevents wrinkles, and produces collagen, the structural protein in your skin. Even oysters fight acne because they are rich in zinc.

Mushrooms are rich in riboflavin (Vitamin B2.) Riboflavin is involved in tissue maintenance and repair. It also improves blemishes caused by skin disorders such as rosacea. Wheat germ is a good source of biotin, which is crucial to skin health. Finally, cucumbers, especially cucumber skin, can greatly improve your complexion. Cucumbers have an abundance of antioxidants and silica, which can leave skin soft and smooth. They can be used in a face mask or as a toner to tighten pores.

Hyaluronic acid is a popular antiwrinkle remedy. In 2003, the FDA approved hyaluronan injections for filling soft tissue defects such as facial wrinkles. Restylane is a common trade name for the product. Hyaluronan injections temporarily smooth wrinkles by adding volume under the skin with the effects typically lasting for six months. Nowadays you can find facial serums with hyaluronic acid and many body lotions that contain it.

Hyaluronic acid can also be accessed through safer natural food sources. Soy is a great vegetable option because of its tendency to increase levels of estrogen in the body which, in turn, increases levels of hyaluronic acid. Tofu or soy bean curd and edamame, soy beans in their original baby form, are the most versatile soy food. Soy milk, soy ice cream, or soy yogurt are other options. Hyaluronic acid can also be sourced from sweet potatoes and other starchy roots. Low levels of hyaluronic acid have been found in individuals with low zinc and magnesium levels. You can source magnesium from a variety of magnesium rich fruits such as apples, bananas, strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, pineapples, oranges, papayas, melons, peaches, and pears. Legumes such as kidney beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils are also rich in magnesium.

Glutathione is an important nutrient needed to give skin a radiant glow and to defy the aging process. It makes pores finer so your skin becomes smoother and clearer. It also controls acne and prevents acne marks. Glutathione is an amino acid found in every cell of a living organism. It is the ultimate antioxidant because it protects the body from a multitude of diseases and conditions. But as we age, our glutathione levels are depleted due to exposure to air pollutants, stress, drugs, smoking, or food chemicals that damage our cellular systems. Glutathione can be taken as a supplement, or it can be found in foods, such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Various herbs such as cinnamon and cardamom have compounds that can restore healthy levels of glutathione. The high amount of selenium in Brazil nuts can also increase glutathione levels.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also a beneficial supplement. CoQ10 is an antioxidant compound made naturally by the body that protects cells from free radicals and promotes healthy cell growth. As we age, our levels of CoQ10 begin to deplete. It is one of the few antioxidants to have shown effectiveness as an external topical product. Many face creams, foundations, cleansers, masks, overnight skin care nourishments, and daytime moisturizers containing pure forms of CoQ10 are becoming popular. They have shown almost immediate results with skin tone, elasticity, and age spots. Foods that contain CoQ10 include soybeans, sesame seeds, corn oils, sardine, mackerel, tuna, herring, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, adzuki beans, and hazelnuts.

Other necessary supplements are selenium, which reduces the risk of sunburn and promotes an even skin tone, and Vitamin C, which keeps the skin firm and maintains the collagen in our skin.

Taking a high grade B complex vitamin and liquid trace minerals will also give your body extra support. They will not only keep your skin healthy but your brain alert and functioning properly so that you do not get so stressed. Folic acid, also called folate, is a B vitamin that is often deficient in people who are depressed. The mineral chromium is also important for brain health. It is becoming very popular as a natural remedy for depression. Unfortunately our soil has become severely depleted of this vital trace mineral, and therefore, it is also lacking in our food source. We should take extra chromium everyday in supplemental form.

Not only is chromium needed for healthy brain function and curing depression, it is also the main mineral responsible for the conversion of sugar into energy. Many people are diabetic, not just because they are overeating and consuming an unhealthy diet but also due to the fact that chromium is no longer present in the food source. The inability to convert sugar in our body causes not only insulin disorders and glucose intolerance but also depression and other psychotic behaviors. The sugar literally shocks the brain, severely impacting its ability to function properly and creating emotional disturbances.

Hypoglycemia is also a hidden epidemic causing low blood sugar issues, mood swings, and sugar cravings. The brain becomes starved of glucose and goes into shock; sometimes comas occur because the body is unable to regulate sugar levels. Most alcoholics are hypoglycemic; they crave sugar. Many people with mental health problems are also hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemic women exhibit symptoms of depression when their sugar is low and men are known to become violent and angry. I believe that millions of people are being unnecessarily locked up in mental hospitals and given mind-numbing drugs because of a simple lack of proper nutrition for the brain and because of blood sugar issues. Many prisoners are also being locked up for violent or angry behaviors due to low blood sugar disorders. All alcoholics, mental health patients, and those under arrest should have tests for hypoglycemia and diabetes before they are either committed to a mental institution or incarcerated in jail. Organic foods and natural supplementation for the brain should play a mandatory role in the justice and mental health systems.

Stress drains the body of magnesium. Magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. Epsom salts, which is hydrated magnesium sulfate, is considered to be a natural stress reliever. When dissolved in warm water, magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin and replenishes the level of magnesium in the body. The salt draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, and relaxes muscles. The experts believe that bathing with Epsom salts at least three times a week helps a person look better, feel better, and gain more energy. Magnesium ions also relax and reduce irritability by lowering the affects of adrenaline.

Studies have also linked depression with insufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Fats make up 60 percent of the brain and the nerves that run every system in the body. So it stands to reason that the better the fat in the diet, the better the brain. The average American brain is getting enough fat, but it is not getting the right kind of fat. In countries such as Japan and Taiwan who have higher fish consumption, which is a good source of the omega fatty acids, the depression rate is ten times lower than in North American. Postpartum depression is also less common.

The body needs two kinds of fat to manufacture healthy brain cells which act as the message senders and prostaglandins which are the messengers. These are omega-6 fatty acids found in many oils, such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and sesame oils, and omega-3 fatty acids found in flax, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and coldwater fish, such as salmon and tuna. Most important to brain function are the two essential fatty acids: linoleic (or omega-6) and alpha linolenic (or omega-3). These are the prime structural components of brain cell membranes and are also an important part of the enzymes within cell membranes that allow the membranes to transport valuable nutrients in and out of the cells. Our bodies cannot make omega-3s on their own, so we must obtain them through our diet.

Flaxseed is an especially powerful natural antiwrinkle agent. Our bodies use the essential fatty acids (EFA) contained in flaxseed oil to metabolize vitamins, produce hormones, and protect us at a cellular level. Our skin has a fatty layer made up of these acids and additional fats. The more omega-3 fatty acids you have in your body, the stronger the layer of fat will be around the skin cells, meaning that your cells (and your skin) will be plumper. When you plump up the skin, the appearance of wrinkles diminishes. Fatty acids also dilute sebum and unclog pores that otherwise lead to acne. Sebum is an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands in mammalian skin. Its main purpose is to make the skin and hair waterproof and to protect them from drying out. An excess of sebum, however, can make the skin or hair oily. When you use omega-3s as part of your regular diet, you will notice that your skin complexion will begin to look cleaner, fuller, and smoother.