Healthy skin diet

Prevent wrinkles with the antioxidant Lycopene found in tomato skin.

Your skin’s appearance can provide a clear reflection of your lifestyle choices.

From the helpful to the harmful, here is the lowdown on how a few common ingredients found in your everyday diet can impact the skin.

Healthy ingredients

Just add water

This crucial component of a healthy body not only keeps us alive, but also keeps skin looking good. “Skin needs water,” says Leslie Baumann, chief of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami. “However, it is not how much water you drink that is important but how well your skin holds onto water.”

Skin has a protective coating that’s constructed of lipids (fats) and helps prevent water evaporation. If that precious water gets away, it can leave the skin dehydrated, rough and dull looking. To help keep all of that moisture where it belongs, Baumann points out that taking flax seed supplements may help. “They are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help the skin barrier,” says Baumann.

Fruitopia

Vitamin C is a key component of a skin-friendly diet. "Vitamin C helps make collagen, which is the protein fiber that's responsible for giving skin its strength and vitality," says Dori Zerlin, RD. Fruits such as papaya, oranges and grapefruit are great sources of this mighty vitamin.

Vegetable medley

When it comes to vegetables – think antioxidants. Lycopene and lutein are both part of the antioxidant family, which is credited with preventing the formation of new wrinkles. Lycopene can be found in tomato skin, while leafy green vegetables are packed not only with lutein, but vitamin A, which, according to Baumann, can help clear up acne.

Not-So-Healthy Ingredients

Sugar Shock

The sweet stuff may taste great, but it's not great for the skin. High blood-sugar levels negatively impact collagen and elastin, two building blocks that give your skin a supple, youthful look.

Salt of the Earth

It can do wonders for the skin, but only in the form of an exfoliating scrub. Salt's internal effects aren't nearly as attractive. Too much salt in the diet can cause bloating, which stretches the skin and leads to wrinkles and dryness.

What about caffeine?

Caffeine is an antioxidant, so it can actually be good for the skin. However, Zerlin points out that "caffeine has a diuretic effect that can drain the body of its water supply." This leads to, you guessed it – more wrinkles and dryness so if you're drinking coffee – make sure you have plenty of water.

To summarise: When the body is functioning on a healthy level – skin looks great. Lots of water, low sugar, tons of veggies and some fruit will make you look and feel your best.

Do you have oily or dry skin? What have you found that works for you? Enter your comments below.

Trouble Sleeping? 10 Rules To Sleep Properly

The odds are that most of you reading this blog do not get proper sleep every night. Over 60% of the population gets less adequate sleep than required. Over 35% are affected in their daily activities due to feeling drowsy. More than 50% of us have suffered from insomnia at some point in our life. I was definitely one such person. I have battled insomnia for most of my life, so I wanted to share some of the methods that I have implemented in my own life and have given me really good results to finally overcome this issue. If you apply this list to your life, I am certain that you will witness great results…it worked for me, and trust me, I was a notorious insomniac! Here we go:

Rule #1: Your bedroom is to sleep only

Don’t do other activities in your room except sleep (ok, sex gets a pass!). But seriously, do not eat on your bed or surf the web or watch tv on your bed. You need to associate the particular area where you sleep with sleep. Associating it with anything else is just going to confuse you, and by that, I mean that you will be tempted to watch tv or surf the web instead of sleeping if you keep doing those activities in your bed. I’ve just realized that I still have a TV in my bedroom, but I haven’t used it in over a year. I forgot it was even there! That’s because I’ve associated sleep with my room and I just can’t watch TV in there anymore, it just doesn’t seem “right”.

Rule #2: No food 2-3 hrs before bedtime
Eating too close to your bedtime is just going to either give you indigestion, make you gain weight, or give you poor sleep with nightmares. I usually eat some fruits and drink a glass of milk a couple of hours before I fall asleep. If you have the habit of eating large meals late in the evening, try to eat a consistent supper and snack a few items every hour or so in the evening. Preferably, your snacks should be healthy like fruits and vegetables. There is no point in going to bed full, a snack is enough to calm your hunger. Plus, you will wake up with an appetite for a good solid breakfast, which is a good thing.

Rule #3: No stimulants
By that, I mean such things as coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, or energy drinks. Learn to avoid such things, especially in the evening, and ideally, altogether. Other stimulants would be things like television and the computer. Try to stay away from “screens” a few hours before you sleep. They tend to keep us alert and delay our desire to just sleep. I have to be on the computer a lot, mainly to run my company where it is crucial for me to stay connected online, but I still close everything and read a book before I go to bed.

Rule #4: Drink water
A trick I learned a long time ago, was that by drinking water before sleep, you remember your dreams more vividly. As well, you tend to experience happier dreams and less confusing ones or nightmares. When you wake up in the morning, you should drink some water rather quickly to hydrate your body, which helps waking up, so I always keep a glass of water near my bed, from which I drink a little before going to sleep. I find a little water helps into experiencing a better night of sleep overall.

Rule #5: Clean air in your room
Since you are spending many hours in that room breathing in and out throughout the night, it is important to make sure that the air you breathe in is clean. So you should always keep your room very tidy. Always get rid of dust on a consistent basis and even leaving the window a little open at night will help with the ventilation. This will definitely help in having a more enjoyable sleep.

Rule #6: Leave your problems at your bedroom door
By the time you are going to bed, your day is over. What happened, happened. There is no point in dwelling on whatever didn’t go as planned. Don’t keep torturing yourself and put that day in your past along with all other previous days. Being in charge of a company, I have had many reasons to go to bed with lots of questions and worry, but I have chosen to do the opposite. Even if I spend hours wrapped up in these thoughts, I can’t change what has already happened, so I have learned not to be too concerned about the past, even a few hours ago. Doing this has definitely helped me sleep better and more easily.

Rule #7: Prepare for tomorrow
With the past behind me and out of the way, it’s not a bad idea to prepare for the day ahead. I usually have a to-do list that I keep on my bedside table, that I glance at before I prepare for sleep. Moderation is key here as well. You don’t want to think too much about tomorrow. Just being aware of what to expect is enough. There is no point in spending your entire night thinking about what you will do the next day, only to find yourself too tired to do any of it (this happened to me quite often!). It’s important to at least know where you are heading so it’s a good idea to look at your goals, but no dwelling. Going to bed with a clear conscious is extremely crucial to having a good night of sleep.

Rule #8: Sleep only when you are actually tired
For a long time, as I was battling insomnia, I would try to go to bed at a specific time. It would never work! I would be in bed, not completely tired, left to my own thoughts, which would drive me crazy, as it would take me forever to sleep. I have learned that you do not need the same number of hours of sleep each and every night. For example, last night I was tired at 2am only, and I woke up at 6am. It’s mid afternoon now and I am fully awake, haven’t been drowsy so far. Tonight I may go to sleep earlier, depending on how much sleep my body needs. Listening to your body is key. It will tell you when you should go to bed. This is why I found that sleeping from let’s say 10pm to 6am every single day just does not work. I sleep when I want to now, which was a huge hurdle in overcoming insomnia. Plus, I hate routine, I couldn’t follow a schedule to be in bed at the same time every day! I don’t know when I will sleep, only thing I know is that I will sleep when I am tired, and trust me, that’s good enough!

Rule #9: Sleep in complete silence
It is really important that when you are sleeping, there should be no noise whatsoever. No buzzing of computer or appliances, no ticking of clocks, no cellphone etc. The quieter it is, the better quality of sleep you will experience. I should point out that it is ok to listen to a relaxation course for example. Just do not put it on repeat for the whole night. I like listening to ocean sounds and relaxing meditative courses as I go to sleep. I program it to turn itself off after 30 min. I’m usually fully asleep before it goes off. I think it’s very soothing and it gives you something to focus on and listen to instead of listening to your own thoughts in your head about what happened during your day!

Rule #10: Sleep in total darkness
I have definitely noticed a massive improvement in the quality of my sleep ever since I have slept in complete darkness. I do not have an alarm clock, there is no light from any electronics whatsoever. I shut off the curtains fully, and close the door and it’s great. You see, any light, even something as tiny as the green light on your alarm clock is still a stimulus, which will do the opposite than to make you sleepier. Night lights should not be used either. If you have a fear of the dark (it is quite common) and you absolutely feel like you need some sort of light to sleep, I would suggest seeking out some professional help to conquer it, especially if you suffer from insomnia. Darkness is a must if you want to sleep better.

So these are my tips that have really made a significant difference in my sleeping habits. I feel that if they made a difference in my life, it can definitely do anyone else as much good. I must also stress that I also think that exercise has helped me a lot, in that I do not go to bed with tons of built in energy inside anymore. However try to exercise during the day, and not too close to your bedtime if you do so in the evening.
I hope this list helps anyone reading it from overcoming any sleeping issues. You shouldn’t rely on pills, there is so much that you can do yourself as you can see from the list above, which is all perfectly doable and free. Good luck!

Be Calm

Every human being can name at least one person who has stood out to them as utterly, amazingly, wonderfully, almost inhumanly, calm at all times. It is the person who is never fazed by life's petty ordeals- the person who is able to deal with larger problems with maturity, grace, and venerable wisdom. What is it they know that everyone else seems to be missing?

• Find a peaceful zone. To gain this level of calmness and serenity, you must first be free of any distraction. This moment in time is set aside for deep inner reflection. Find somewhere quiet, preferably somewhere natural (e.g. Sit in the grass in a park on a nice day, take a slow walk in the forest in late fall, sit on the edge of a mountain after a hike and gaze over the scenery) If you have no time to travel, simply sit on a couch or on your bed, anywhere will do.

• Reflect on the fact that as a human being you are immersed in billions upon billions of chemical reactions at every second of your life. (e.g. the exchange of carbon and oxygen in your breathing, the unfelt rotation/revolution of the earth, the dying and renewing of cells in your skin, etc.)

• Reflect on the uncanny scale of the universe, and your size within it. (e.g. you are a towering monster to an ant, and a universe to a cell, yet you're but a spec to the earth, and the earth but one millionth of our sun, which is but a cell to the galaxy which is but a stain in the universe...)

• Take time to respect and appreciate the mystery of living and all that comes with it. (Why is it that you are here now in this moment in time? Why are you human and not a rock or a bird or a waterfall? Could you have even been anything else? Do things happen for a reason? What is time? Does it exist? Do mathematical equations build the universe? What is thought? Why are humans the only creatures with such advanced civilization? Will the universe ever end? Is infinity real? Is anything I believe real? What is reality?...) Ask yourself all the questions you have ever wondered but have never asked. Consider answers and debate yourself, chances are you will come up with theories no one has ever conceived before. Even if they are ludicrous, you have expanded your mind to possibility. Remember that other people in the world might feel just like you do now!

• Just be. After such explosion of thought, your mind will be restless but somewhat tired. Take a moment just to breathe and exist, feel yourself taking up space in the enormousness of the universe and consider the importance you have as a being. You are here, a human, a mind, with all the possibility in the world. Feel the amazing power of opportunity fill you. You can do anything. You can change the world. You can help those in need.

• Seize the moment. If you have felt this sensation captivate you, indeed you have achieved a revelation, for this moment in time you have been enlightened. Whenever petty problems seem to storm you, recall these amazing feelings and ideas and all insignificant ordeals will melt in such obscurity you may laugh at them with a sincere humor that others puzzle over and long to obtain. Most will change forever, always in state of wonder and respect for life and the world. This is the state of mind of the calm, the caring, the wise, and the respected.

Tips
• Keep an open mind. Closed, calculating minds are the root of ignorance and static. Nothing changes if all minds are certain.
• Pertaining to religion: Do not dismiss your beliefs, but always consider you are not correct. With thousands of religions in the world, at least a few are guaranteed to be untrue. Sometimes letting go welcomes a spectrum of new and exciting ideas.
• Never impose on other people. Though you may feel uplifted and enlightened by your new realizations, most others are stuck in the cycle of the mainstream working/family/business life and have not yet or will never have the chance to see above it.
• Leaving the mind to settle on its own is the best way...effortless effort
• If you are feeling angry or upset just count to ten and take deep breaths. Then make yourself some cooling camamile tea or chilled water and take yourself to another place by letting your imagination take over.

How to Avoid Multi Tasking

Multitasking; switching back and forth between activities of varying complexity, has become both a workplace and household catchphrase of the millennium. Unlike generations before, 24/7 is the lifestyle for us - like using the hand phone while driving and losing control of the car, increased anxiety, and a sense of feeling overwhelmed by various demands, physical-mental burnout and depression.

You’re working on two projects at once, while your boss has placed two new demands on your desk. You’re on the phone while three new emails come in. You are trying to get out the door on time so you can pick up a few groceries on the way home for dinner. Your Blackberry is going off and so is your cell phone. Your co-worker stops by with a request for info and your Google Reader is filled with 100+ messages to read. You are juggling tasks with a speed worthy of Ringling Bros. Congratulations, multi-tasker.

In this age of instant technology, we are bombarded with an overload of information and demands of our time. Even having a system designed for quick decisions and for keeping all the demands of your life in order can't prevent us from being so overwhelmed with things to do that our system begins to fall apart.

This article is how not to multi-task — a guide to working as simply as possible for the sake of preserving your mental health and keeping your bodily health intact.

·  Get clear on why it is a bad thing to multi-task.

• Multi-tasking is less efficient, due to the need to switch gears for each new task, and the switch back again.
• Multi-tasking is more complicated, and thus more prone to stress and errors.
• Multi-tasking can be crazy, and in this already chaotic world, we need to reign in the terror and find a little oasis of sanity and calm.

·  Start avoiding multi-tasking. The remaining steps demonstrate how to stop multi-tasking and start approaching your tasks in a zen like manner that will provide a much calmer work method.

·  Set up to-do lists for different contexts. This means having to-do lists related to such things as calls, computer, errands, home, waiting-for, etc., depending on your situation.

·  Use a capture tool. A capture tool, such as a notebook, can be used for instant notes on what needs to be done.

·  Have a physical and e-mail inbox. Make sure to have as few in-boxes as possible, so that all incoming stuff is gathered together in one place. Basically, have one in-box for paper stuff, and one for digital.

·  Plan your day in blocks. Have open blocks in between for urgent stuff that comes up. You might try one-hour blocks, or half-hour blocks, depending on what works for you. Or try this: 40 minute blocks, with 20 minutes in between them for miscellaneous tasks.

·  First thing in the morning, work on your Most Important Task. Don’t do anything else until this is done. Give yourself a short break, and then start on your next Most Important Task. If you can get 2-3 of these done in the morning, the rest of the day is gravy.

·  When you are working on a task in a time block, turn off all other distractions. Shut off e-mail, and the internet if possible. Shut off your cell phone. Try not to answer your phone if possible. Focus on that one task, and try to get it done without worrying about other stuff.

·  If you feel the urge to check your email or switch to another task, stop yourself. Breathe deeply. Re-focus yourself. Get back to the task at hand. If other things come in while you’re working, put them in the in-box, or take a note of them in your capture system. Get back to the task at hand.

·  Every now and then, when you’ve completed the task at hand, process your notes and in-box. Add the tasks to your to-do lists and re-figure your schedule if necessary. Process your e-mail and other in-boxes at regular and pre-determined intervals.

·  Take deep breaths, stretch, and take breaks now and then. Enjoy life. Go outside, and appreciate nature. Keep yourself sane.

Tip

There are times when an interruption is so urgent that you cannot put it off until you’re done with the task at hand. In that case, try to make a note of where you are (writing down notes if you have time) with the task at hand, and put all the documents or notes for that task together and aside (perhaps in an “action” folder or project folder). Then, when you come back to that task, you can pull out your folder and look at your notes to see where you left off.