Posts Tagged anti aging

For the last 2 weeks, I’ve been starting my Sundays with 108 sun salutations. The first time I did it, I nearly left the yoga studio halfway and felt wobbly and weak after (could also be due to a particularly tough yoga class the day before). Surprisingly, I sailed through the poses the second time, feeling strong and enjoying every minute of it. My yoga teacher informs (or tried to motivate) us that 70-year-old yogis in India do 108 sun salutations every day. In India, it is a method of self-improvement used to harness the full potential of the mind, body and breath for a variety of benefits, including reversing the effects of aging.

Over your lifespan, the physiology of your body begins to change. One effect of aging is decreased elasticity of the lungs, which diminishes your body’s ability to use oxygen, resulting in fatigue and poor immunity. Also, you will lose muscle tone and experience an increase in fatty tissues. Your bones will begin to lose their density, making them more fragile. The activity of your thyroid will decrease, your metabolism will slow down, and the strength of your digestive system will weaken.

Surya namaskara, or sun salutations, is a sequence of yoga poses that are said to be almost universally beneficial, with benefits that counter many of the effects of aging. Use sun salutations to maintain muscle tissue and flexibility throughout your life, to boost your metabolism by stimulating the thyroid, pancreas and pituitary glands, to alleviate indigestion and ailments of the liver and the pancreas, and to strengthen the spinal cord and cells of the nervous system. Practicing sun salutations regularly will give you more energy and more focus throughout the day.

The late Swami Vivekananda, a prominent yogi in India, had once said: “The result of this branch of Yoga is to make men live long; health is the chief idea, the one goal of the Hatha-Yogi. He is determined not to fall sick, and he never does. He lives long; a hundred years is nothing to him.”

The phrase, “age is but a number”, really applies to these women, who although over 50-years-old, are still looking as beautiful as ever:

1. Kelly Lynch

2. Jerry Hall

3. Cheryl Tiegs

4.  Julianne Moore

5. Jane Seymour

6.  Bo Derek

7.  Jaclyn Smith

8. Christie Brinkley

9. Michelle Pfeiffer

10.  Sharon Stone

I’ll have whatever they’re having!

For the full list of 50 most beautiful celebrities over 50, go here: http://www.stylebistro.com/The+50+Most+Beautiful+Women+Over+50/articles

Apparently so, says Lily Kew, founder of GLOW Aesthetics. And, if you look at this 40-year-old’s taut and glowing skin, it must work! She shares more skin secrets here:

The clichéd answer would be to eat more fruits and veggies, drink more water and consume less salt in foods. However, I am going to share a secret my grandmother has passed down to me. 

Believe it or not, you need to eat pigs’ skin and make sure you shave off the layer of excess fat; just eat the skin itself. You can find this commonly as a key ingredient in kway chap at your local hawker centre. You can also find pigs’ skin at some yong tau foo shops.

Apart from this, another food that contributes to good skin is chicken feet, which you will normally find served as one of many dim sum dishes. Alternatively, if you were to cook chicken feet with red dates, wolfberries and peanuts, I promise this will give you skin that everyone will be envious of.

Another food that will give you good skin is white fungus. I suggest these foods because they are high in collagen and fats. Once consumed; they provide your skin with natural moisture which prevents the formation of wrinkles, and creates a barrier prohibiting UV rays from damaging your skin and thus prevents pigmentation. The collagen gives your skin added firmness.

To read her full article, get a copy of Aesthetics & Beauty Guide December issue, in newstands and petrol kiosks now!

If you suffer from hyperpigmentation (melasma), here are the recommended prescription and over-the-counter treatments:

Treatment:

Hydroquinone (a benzene derivative that fades dark spots)

How it helps:

Bleaches darkened areas by preventing formation of pigment.

How to use it:

Apply twice a day and only to hyperpigmented areas. May be combined with products with AHA or salicylic acids.

Inside scoop:

- Be patient: improvements may take 4 to 8 weeks to become apparent.

- Stop immediately if area becomes darkened.

- Diligent sun prevention is a must to prevent reversal of benefit.

- Give non-prescription forms 2 months to work, if they’re not effective, switch to prescription strength.

Products recommended:

- Over the counter: La-Roche Posay Biomedic Conditioning Gel (2%)

- By prescription: Generic hydroquinone (4%), Tri-Luma, EpiQuin Micro, Lustra or Lustra Ultra

For more information, check out Dr Amy Wechsler’s book, The Mind-Body Connection.

Gold – this glittering metal has been used since ancient times to heal the sick and save lives.  The use of gold in modern medicine began around 1890, when the German bacteriologist Robert Koch discovered that compounds made with gold inhibited growth of the bacillus that caused tuberculosis. Since then, medical uses of gold have expanded greatly. It is used in surgery to patch damaged blood vessels, nerves, bones and membranes. And it is used in the treatment of several forms of cancer. Injection of microscopic gold pellets helps to retard prostate cancer in men. Women with ovarian cancer are treated with colloidal gold. And gold vapor lasers seek out and destroy cancerous cells without harming their healthy neighbors.

The anti-aging benefits of gold can be traced back 5,000 years to Cleopatra, who was said to sleep in a gold face mask every night to enhance the suppleness of her complexion and preserve its natural luminosity. In addition to antioxidant and antimicrobial powers, gold is praised for its purported ability to ward off UV damage, tighten lax skin and reduce the appearance of discoloration. Some believe it can slow the breakdown of elastin, keeping skin firm and taut; other proponents believe gold increases circulation, eliminating toxins from the body and speeding up tissue repair.

Which brings me to the reason why I was up early on a Saturday morning, popping gold-leafed canapes in my mouth…I was invited by La Prairie for the launch of their new Cellular Radiance Emulsion. At the workshop, group training manager of Starasia, Michelle, educated us on the benefits of gold and how their new product, containing this magic ingredient, will help bring radiance and suppleness to dull skin.

Any tai-tai worth her salt will know that La Prairie is known for their anti-aging skincare range made up of luxurious and top of the range ingredients like caviar, platinum and gold. One of their bestsellers is a serum called Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold under their Radiance Collection, which contains colloidal gold, flecks of gold and liquid crystals to rejuvenate skin. This Cellular Radiance Emulsion SPF30 is the latest add-on to the collection, and a complement to their bestseller.

Testing the products, the gold flecks in the serum were obvious and my hand was instantly “blinged” up when I applied it. Topping it off with the emulsion, there was indeed a radiance to my hand as promised by the products. The texture was a little too rich for my liking upon application but after a while, the slight stickiness went away when the product was fully absorbed.

Besides gold, the emulsion also contains other skin-loving ingredients like a Unique Brightening Complex that contains a patented molecule that brightens the skin and helps prevent age spots from forming, Extract of Silver Vine which blocks almost 100% of carbonylation which is responsible for decreasing light transmission of the skin and Boswellia Extract, a topical anti-irritant to reduce cellular stress, a cause of redness and irritation.

I don’t think that I am going to use the La Prairie products daily as I am quite happy with my current regime. Instead, I am going to save these goodies for special occasions when I need to glow. Or after a particularly rough week. Or perhaps when I am feeling like Cleopatra and soaking in my milk bath…

The Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold is retailing at $1050, while the Cellular Radiance Emulsion SPF30 is $750. Available at La Prairie counters at Tangs, Metro Paragon, Takashimaya and Robinsons.

Burning our skin, peeling it off, even pricking it with micro-needles – these are just some of the crazy things we do to achieve radiant, youthful skin.

Does Your Skin Need Resurfacing?

Think of your skin as an increasingly well-worn slipcover. Even if you’ve taken really good care of it, life happens – skin texture has gotten rougher here, the color uneven there, and it all looks a little dull and drab. Honestly, it needs replacing.

That’s what resurfacing techniques do. They remove the old, worn, upper layer of skin, and the healing process replaces it with a new layer of fresh, smooth skin. How? With strong lasers, chemicals or needles.

It’s a delicate process, so find an expert  in whatever method suits your needs. Your recovery time from the procedure will depend on the size and depth of the treated area, but the effect can be remarkable. Resurfacing your entire face is not always necessary, and spot treatments can also be very effective. Or you may only need a laser that mainly evens out color irregularities or subtly tightens and refreshes the upper surface.

Look out for my review of my new beauty must-have which involves running needles all over my face (ouch!) but the results are so worth the discomfort! Coming soon on ReviewAntiAging.com

Are you accidentally making yourself older? Check out what these choices are doing to your body:

Choosing organic

We don’t have a problem with choosing organic when it comes to fruit and vegetables. The trouble is when you think “organic” is synonymous with “healthy.” Sorry – organic potato chips are still potato chips and contain aging fat and extra calories.

Just dealing with it

If you tend to treat pain with a stiff upper lip rather than a pill or a doctor visit, it’s like playing catcher without a mitt: It feels lousy. About 75% of pain sufferers do not receive adequate treatment, and if you’re one of them, you’re at risk for depression, irritability, fatigue, and an overall diminished quality of life. Treating pain early – we like to start with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation of injuries) coupled with an NSAID in pill or patch form – is an important step in regaining your quality of life. Call your doctor right away if it doesn’t get better quickly.

Eating in front of your TV

 If you’re doing TV dinners, chances are high that you’re having fast food or an equally unhealthy hawker equivalent - that’s the most common TV food. And that means you’re getting aging saturated fats in your bloodstream.

Extracted from RealAge.com

As the Chief Guinea Pig of a popular anti aging website – ReviewAntiAging.com, I get several offers from companies overseas to review their products.  From detox supplements to skincare products, I’ve sifted through them all, only testing what I’m comfortable with and what intrigues me.

The latest product that caught my attention is Triactol™, voted the number one breast enlargement serum online by reviewers.  Made from proprietary natural extract of Pueraria mirifica – I’ve seen this ingredient in other breast enhancing serums before, but the one in this product seems to be reconstituted to a unique compound called MiroFirm™, which is only available in Triactol™, it boosts (pun intended!) impressive results that showed significant change in breast enlargement (82.35%) and breast firmness (88.23%). More recently an open label study conducted using Triactol™ Bust Serum also showed significant improvements in terms of lifting, firming and enlargement of the breasts.

Stay tuned for my hopefully uplifting review

Ever since I hit my 30s, I’ve been kinda obsessed with my skin. Which is why I started Reviewantiaging.com so that I can review all the anti-aging treatments out there for other skin-obsessed people.

When it comes to determining your complexion’s age, your ID  tells only part of the story. Lifestyle habits — diet, sleep schedule and sun exposure — complicate the results. And if that’s not confusing enough, choosing the best way to turn back the clock on your skin’s appearance can be so baffling, that you’ll probably end up confused not glowing.

Many factors can affect your skin health. Factors such as:

1. Lifestyle habits – if you smoke and think sunscreen is only for triathletes, you’re in skin trouble!  

2.  Whether you do outdoor sports  or exercise in general – the heart-thumping, sweaty sort; walking around the office does not count as exercise

3. Diet – eating lots of leafy greens, citrus fruit, red tomatoes and salmon will put you in good stead

4. Family genes – if your mum constantly gets mistaken as your sister, you’re in good hands

5. Mental health – if stress is your best friend, you’ll probably look like your grandma in no time

6. Skincare – finding the right skincare is like finding your soulmate

Here’s how to look even younger and keep that glow going strong!

20s
Your skin is plump and regenerates regularly, bringing healthy cells to the surface,. Whether you’ve always avoided the sun (smart move) or past sun sins haven’t reared their wrinkly head yet, make “I heart SPF” your mantra. Gentle anti-agers like a good moisturiser at night, will keep skin so healthy that you will continue to be asked for your ID at clubs.

30s
OK, you don’t get carded anymore, but no one’s calling you “aunty” either. Smile lines are shallow, freckles may be getting darker or your skin simply isn’t as smooth or dewy as it once was. Coax your complexion into looking and behaving more like it did a decade ago with potent over-the-counter products. There’s still time to prevent deeper wrinkles and sun spots.  

40s
Here,  Mom and Dad genes play a crucial role in how skin ages.  Here’s the bad first: your skin has definitely aged. The good news: Woes such as dullness, fine lines and brown splotches are reversible. Tried-and-true topicals and glow-restoring peels can minimise wrinkles and discoloration in several weeks. If you smoke, extinguish your habit for faster results.

50s
Skin never forgets, and it’s reminding you of every freakin’ ray of sun that found your SPF-less cheeks over the years, but here’s the silver lining: Breakthrough treatments such as lasers refresh rough skin, erase sun spots and iron out wrinkles in a flash, shaving off years and making those sun-drenched memories even more distant.

Yoga has become my new boyfriend. I’m constantly thinking and talking about it, I buy nice outfits to wear for it and downward dog is my favourite position. If I had a choice, I’d do yoga everyday as it has so many facets that I’d never tire of it – there’s yin yoga if I want a relaxing stretch, pranamed for some solace and vinyasa if I want to get my heart racing. My favourite is hatha and I always get butterflies in my tummy when I go on my Saturday date with hatha 3.

Very few people retain their strength and vitality till the middle age. More people are looking much older than they actually are, thanks to the highly-stressed, sedentary and polluted lifestyles we lead.  However, you would be happy to know that our body has the unique ability to renew or regenerate at the cellular level. One way to do that is to practise yoga. Here’s how yoga can help you reclaim your vitality:

Yoga Keeps the Spine Young: According to Indian philosophy and Indian sages, age is measured not by the number of candles on your birthday cake, but by the flexibility of your spine.  Yoga works to improve the elasticity of the spine through its thousands of postures or asanas. These myriad postures, done in conjunction with deep and rhythmic breathing, work the spine and muscles of the body through a dual action of push and pull.

Yoga Makes Skin More Youthful: A German study of a group of women showed that yoga can reduce stress, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles and smoothing over the lines in the forehead. Yoga may work its magic by reducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is linked to a host of aging conditions and illnesses from wrinkles to heart disease to Alzheimer’s. Apparently, by practicing inverted yoga postures, you can turn back gray hair to its natural color (upside down class here I come!).

Yoga Eases Aches and Pains: As we get older, our joints and muscles lose their elasticity. Yoga helps to restore the dryness and tightness that is associated with debilitating conditions like arthritis and back pain by its ability to stretch and improve the circulation and mobility of these restricted regions.  Any cardiovascular exercise promotes optimal levels of oxygen, but this dual action that yoga demands forces oxygen into tight areas of the body thereby improving oxygenation throughout the entire body.

Yoga Keeps You Happy: Chronic pain, constant stress or loneliness is strongly correlated with depression and decreased energy. As people with a chronic ailment adopt a consistent yoga practice, not only do their physical symptoms start to improve, but their mood does as well. The better we feel, the better we look as our outer appearance starts to reflect the vitality we feel inside.

Yoga Keeps Your Mind Agile: Research is revealing that keeping your mind active is just as important to reducing the effects of aging as eating a healthy diet.  Since many of the asanas in yoga require concentration as we not only focus on the movements themselves, but also how the breath corresponds to each movement, our minds are continually being challenged (try doing a standing mermaid and you’ll know what I’m talking about!). These subtle but powerful brain exercises are like feeding our minds heaping bowls of Superfoods, keeping them young, alert, healthy and alive.

Ommmmm…