At some point in life, most people deal with acne. It is one of life’s most annoying realities that doesn’t seem to be a respector of persons. As a dermatologist, I am constantly meeting with teenagers, young adults and adults that are tired of struggling with acne and that are desperate for acne treatment that works. Effective and healthy acne treatment is my life’s work and my passion. I love researching about the causes of acne and about all of the possible methods for helping the skin clear from acne. If you’ve ever been to a store looking for an acne treatment, then you know first hand how many options there are and how easy it would be to make the wrong choices. Most teens and adults I know go looking for the easiest and cheapest form of acne treatment that they can find. Yes, acne bothers them, but not enough to seek professional treatment. I am convinced that one of the reasons that so many people are unhappy with their chosen method of acne treatment is that they haven’t taken the time to make changes to their lifestyle. I am a firm believer that the most effective acne treatment is one that requires a total change of lifestyle. When any client struggling with acne enters my office, my first assignemnt to them is to change some of their lifestyle habits for a month and then return to see me. I will not prescribe any topical or oral acne treatment until people have other daily habits under control. For example, I look carefully at the typical diet of my patients and I look for ways to help them cut out junk food. I ask them to drink more water and less beverages that are filled with sugar, and I encourage them to stay away from sugary and salty foods for the month. I monitor their fitness habits and suggest that they get moving. This might seem like a strange method of acne treatment, but you would be shocked to learn that every single client of mine returns to my office after a month of changing their lifestyle in awe of what a difference changing habits has made for them. Yes, I do offer topical and or oral acne treatments to supplement their other methods, but the point is that no topical or oral acne treatment will be as effective without partnering it with a healthy lifestyle.
Archive for ◊ November, 2009 ◊
The mind and the body, French philosopher Rene Descartes once said, are two fundamentally separate concepts. Descartes believed that the mind and the body were separate from one another, with no correlation or connection between the two. For many centuries, people accepted the theory that a person’s state of mind is distinct and separate from the condition of the body. The above idea has become one of the core doctrines of Western medical science, prompting doctors to focus more on physical symptoms and refer patients to separate experts for psychological issues. This stands in contrast with other medical systems, which put as much focus on a patient’s feelings and state of mind as they do on physical signs and symptoms. However, recent studies have shown that there may be more of a connection between physical and mental health than initially thought. A person’s mental health does have an impact on their physical well-being, contrary to what Descartes believed. The main proof of the connection between mental health and physical factors comes in the form of psychopharmacology. Since the brain functions through the use of neural receptors and biochemical signals, anything that affects the regular influx of that “mix” can have an effect on a person’s mental health. The obvious example of this would be endorphins, which the body generates in large amounts during exercise and have the effect of “lifting” the mood. There are other chemicals that play a role in the delicate balance of the mind, such as serotonin and dopamine. Altered levels of these can have a variety of effects, including anxiety disorders, depression, and in some cases, insomnia. However, these are not the only factors that indicate a closer connection between mental health and physical health, albeit these are the most prominent. The performance of athletes in a variety of sports are also taken as a sign that the mind and body are more connected than initially believed. This is exemplified by how much mental discipline is needed to keep the body at peak performance, particularly in the middle of a tight game. The existence of performance anxiety, which can effectively cripple an athlete psychologically at inopportune times, has also been taken as evidence of the connection between mental health and physical well-being. It is often noted that a person’s state of mind can have an effect on how effectively they perform physical activities, with an athlete’s perception of his own abilities often imposing limits on ability that aren’t physically present. In correlation with this, there are also studies being conducted that show how a positive physical self-image helps promote a better state of mental health. How physical performance aids in promoting mental health, however, is not clear. While a positive outlook and the absence of problems such as performance anxiety and depression play an important role in achieving peak athletic performance, the opposite has not necessarily been observed. Most experts believe there are too many variables and factors to be considered, such as the social prestige of athletic achievement. However, chemical changes occurring in the body, particularly the central nervous system, during exercise have been observed and verified by studies. For the time being, most experts of both physical and mental health believe that there is still a need to conduct more in-depth studies before a definitive picture of the connections between the body and mind can be drawn. The effects of chemicals on the brain, whether occurring naturally or introduced through psychoactive drugs, have been documented, but there is more room for study. For example, there is a general lack of knowledge on how psychoactive chemicals have an effect on psychology, as well as whether or not synthetic variations of chemicals in the body have the same effects as the naturally-produced ones.
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Today’s lifestyle leaves us open to a daily chemical assault, from the air we breathe to the water we drink, and the skincare and haircare products we use on a daily basis. It is not known what the long-term effects of these chemicals will be, but one thing’s for sure, it can’t be good. Some people are unaware of the huge amounts of additives in their food, water and personal care products. Some are too busy to care, and others have the attitude ‘ Yes I know, it’s awful, but what can you do?’ The informed, wise people out there though, are taking a different view. Any species that fails to live in harmony with it’s natural environment will eventually make itself extinct. Fact. It’s nature. If human beings carry on the way they are going, they will indeed end up extinct.. For instance, 100 years ago, cancer affected approximately 1 in every 50 people. Now it strikes 1 in 3. It won’t be long before it is striking half the population. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that our lifestyle is the biggest factor influencing this increase. Diet especially, is of paramount importance when it comes to maintaining good health, but so many people ignore this fact and fill their bodies ( and their kids ) with low-nutrient , chemical and additive filled junk. When people eat meat, they are consuming the same chemicals and hormones that the animal ate. Obesity is on the sharp increase, and it’s not surprising considering that the majority of obese people are meat-eaters. They eat the meat, the meat is full of growth hormones and chemicals, the growth hormones are absorbed into the human body, so the person gets fatter. Want my advise – if your are overweight and seriously want to lose weight – go on a low fat vegetarian diet. If your body had a choice, it would ask for lots of fresh organic fruit and vegetables, preferably raw. Your body would choose clean , fresh water ( I mean pure bottled spring water, not the stuff that comes out of your tap at home). Think about how much fresh water you consume in a day, and by that I mean water thats not mixed with squash, tea , coffee or anything else. I bet it’s not much. Do your body a favour, next time you reach for the fizzy drink, reach for the mineral water instead. Tap water is just another way that we are being poisoned on a daily basis. It contains chemicals, hormones and in a lot of areas it also contains flouride. Yes, sodium flouride , that old favourite. The stuff they put in toothpaste is the same stuff they use to make rat-poison ! Surprised. What people get confused about is calcium flouride, which is the stuff naturally found in water which helps keep our teeth and bones strong. People think this is what goes into toothpaste and the water supply, wrong. Sodium flouride is a by-product of aluminium smelting and other industries. It’s nothing more than toxic waste. For years it was very expensive to dispose of, until someone decided to make up some rubbish about it being good for our teeth, so they could get away with disposing of it in our water supply. This of course was done without public agreement. Nice, thanks for that, I’ll stick to the bottled stuff. Sodium flouride builds up in the body over time, and it can cause cancer. It makes bones softer so they fracture more easily, and it doesn’t protect your teeth, in fact it has the opposite effect. Sodium flouride is a main ingredient in anesthetic, hypnotic, and psychiatric drugs as well as military nerve gas. Sodium flouride promotes mental disturbances. The Nazi’s added it to the water supply at the concentration camps during the war, to help sterilize the prisoners and force them to be calm and submissive. Sodium Flouride has a poisonous and narcotic effect on a certain area of the brain, which makes the person submissive and less able to resist those who wish to control him. It’s a way of controlling of the masses. Hmmm, makes you wonder what the government have in mind for us today…… When we look at the skincare and haircare products we use daily, most contain sodium laurel ( or laureth ) sulfate. This is a foaming agent which is so harsh that it was first used as engine degreaser! Fancy that, washing your skin and hair in something harsh enough to strip oil off a garage floor. No wonder we’re all spending a fortune on moisturisers! Hmmm, am I just paranoid or do you think there could be some method in their madness…… So they put this SLS in your shampoo,shower gel, bath foam, toothpaste etc, and then add moisturising ingredients to the same products to counteract the drying effects of the SLS. Why not just buy products without SLS? That’s what the smart people are doing. That’s what I do. Since I stopped using commercial shampoos and skincare products, and switched to all natural, herbal skin care products, and natural hair care products, my skin and hair are gorgeous. My hair that was once frizzy and dry is now curly and shiny. Since I began using organic, aromatherapy based skin care, my skin that was once so shiny from all the grease and additives from my previous moisturiser, is now so soft , much younger looking, and I don’t need powder or foundation because my skin is great! I use non-flouride toothpaste, and I take vitamin and mineral supplements every day. I always eat fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, and I always drink bottled, pure water. I am vegetarian so I eat a very natural , low fat diet, that’s full of nutrients. I have never felt so healthy. If you value your body, your health and your life, as well as your children and other loved ones, you owe it to yourself to change your lifestyle right now and start living more naturally.
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Hoodia Gordonii – it’s everywhere these days. On 60 minutes, in the health food store, in your diet pills, on the Internet. You’ve seen it and probably wondered ‘What’s so great about Hoodia?’ Hoodia Gordonii is a natural appetite suppressant made from the Hoodia Gordonii plant – a cactus of the “succulent” cactus family, which grows in the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. Hoodia has been used by the indigenous Bushmen for years as a natural appetite suppressant during long hunting trips where food was scarce. So what’s so great about Hoodia Gordonii? Here are 3 reasons why Hoodia is better than any man-made diet pill to help you lose weight quickly and safely: 1) Hoodia Helps You Lose Weight Without Hunger or Feeling Deprived One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordonii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half were given a placebo. The subjects were allowed to do nothing but read, watch television and eat. After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia subjects lost weight without feeling hungry. People on various brands of Hoodia have reported losing 100 pounds in 6 months, 84 pounds in 5 months and up to 4 pounds a week by taking pure Hoodia. So if you’re looking for a way to lose weight but hate feeling hungry or deprived, Hoodia can help you to reach your goals without the pain of dieting. 2) Great For Emotional Eaters Not only do you feel full when you take Hoodia but many people say they don’t even have the desire to eat. Some say they don’t even think about food while taking Hoodia. This is great for emotional eaters – whose weight may be more a result of eating out of boredom or emotional needs than because of hunger. It’s also much easier to make healthier food choices when you feel satisfied and full, which contributes to your overall health and vitality. 3) Natural & Safe Sure, you can take the caffeine-filled, chemical laden man-made diet pills and lose a couple of pounds – but why would you want to? You don’t know what else it’s doing to your body – and it could be causing some major damage. One of the best benefits about Hoodia Gordonii is that it’s both natural and safe to take. Since Hoodia is a plant, and not a man made chemical, it has little chance of causing side effects. In fact the South African government classified Hoodia as a food – not a drug. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for about 10 years and have found no evidence of any negative side effects. Couple this with the fact that the Bushmen in the Kalahari desert of South Africa have been eating Hoodia for hundreds of years with no ill effect. You can see why Hoodia is an amazing alternative to caffeine-laden, questionable diet pills. While these 3 benefits definitely make Hoodia sound better than any man-made diet pill, there are a couple of things buyers should be aware of: There are a lot of ‘fake’ Hoodia diet pills out there. Because Hoodia is a protected species (and it also takes 2 – 5 years to mature), the demand is becoming greater than the supply and many manufacturers are bottling inferior forms of Hoodia that don’t offer you the appetite suppressant effects of pure Hoodia. Also, you probably don’t want to be on Hoodia Gordonii forever. You should try to change your diet to one rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats etc. before transitioning off Hoodia to maintain your weight loss. Good luck on your road to wellness! To find out how to spot the real Hoodia (and save yourself both money and frustration), visit: What To Know Before You Buy Hoodia.
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Are you hungry or is there something else going on when you think about food? There are various reasons for deciding to eat. Regrettably, not all of these are for sustenance, nutrition, or observing a balanced diet. If you’ve realized that you like to eat for other reasons, then it might be time to sort out the problem. One of the main reasons why you may find yourself eating is a way to avoid dealing with emotion. If this is an issue, then there are several ways to distance yourself from this type of eating. Telltale characteristics are implicated in emotional eating. You should recognize these, lest they lead you to ongoing weight gain, or being unable to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Often an emotional eater will eat when they feel depressed, angry, or stressed. Boredom is also a cause for overeating, and can begin the cycle of emotional eating. Other factors are at play in emotional eating as well. For example, one who eats from emotion will often times head automatically for the refrigerator after they come home, without even realizing it. You may also find that it is hard to talk about emotions openly with others. Food takes the place of talking. If you suspect that you do have an emotional eating problem, the first thing you should do is to look at your feelings and try and discover which emotions are contributing to the problem. Monitor your behaviors and feelings when you are eating and try to be more aware at those times. When and How Notice when you eat and how much you eat. Eating when you are not hungry, eating too fast, or eating while ignoring something stressful, are signs of emotional eating. If you can notice when you are eating, move away from the food areas. You can go into an area until you calm down and allow your emotions to slow down. Try breaking up patterns and habits. For example, having a quick bite when you get home from work. Recognizing your patterns is the first step to breaking them, and becoming aware is the first step to recognizing these patterns and moving away from being controlled by your emotions.
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Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers Ten years ago, a former colleague of mine, a fine teacher and person, was tragically killed in a car accident in British Columbia. He was on vacation with his daughter who miraculously survived the accident. What happened was a classic case of sleep deprivation: my friend was anxious to make his way to a chosen destination and despite his fatigue and the fact that he had been on the road for over 6 hours, he made the decision to drive through the night. He never made it there. That there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and traffic accidents cannot be disputed. In 1998, 24,318 deaths were cited from accidents related to sleep deprivation in the US. There were as well 2, 474,430 disabling injuries resulting from accidents where decreased mental efficiency and attentiveness due to sleep loss was the major causative factor. In fact, a major review conducted in 1996 suggested that the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez, the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger, the nuclear accident at Chernobyl( costing over 50,000 lives) and the near nuclear accidents at the Three Mile Island and Peach Bottom reactors were all associated with sleep deprivation of the personnel involved. Sleep deprivation is often caused by sleep disorders which are unknown to the subjects themselves. Sleep apnea, for example, is a common cause for sleep deficit. A study at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center of Stanford University Medical School showed that truck drivers identified with sleep disordered breathing had a two-fold higher accident rate than drivers without sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep disordered breathing, commonly known as sleep apnea, affects 15 million people in the United States. This condition, characterized by suffocation and oxygen deprivation which wake the subjects up several times in the course of the night, is responsible for daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Put these subjects on the highway and we have a recipe for disastrous traffic accidents. Perhaps an examination of the influence sleep deprivation has on our mental acuity and performance level can shed light on how we can protect ourselves and others from the disastrous consequences of sleep fatigue. What happens to you when you are sleep deprived? According to the Traffic Research Center, these are the influences of sleep deprivation on performance: a) Slower reaction time: sleeplessness slows down your reflexes; reaction time slows down, preventing you from stopping in times of danger. b) Decrease in concentration levels: When you are overly tired, your attention span decreases. Most people are subject to a decrease in attention every 90-120 minutes; however, sleepiness makes this decrease even worse and it can cause accidents when you fall asleep at the wheel. c) Disorder in information processing: Sleepiness is very much like being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When you are sleepy, your mental and psychomotor skills diminish. In one study, a group of subjects were kept awake for 28 hours; another group was given alcoholic drinks every half hour. When both groups were tested for hand-eye coordination, the ones who were sleep deprived performed equally bad as the ones with 0.5 blood alcohol level. What are the factors that have a direct effect on a driver’s tiredness? a) The amount of time the driver has been on the road. When a driver has been on the road for 8 or more hours, his driving performance is impaired. The risk of accidents increases. b) The amount of sleep the driver had the night before. Not having any sleep for 16 hours has a serious impact on driving performance. Research shows that the sleeping period of drivers who are involved in road accidents are shorter than the ones of those who had sufficient sleep. c) Sleep disorders and Obesity. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea or narcolepsy in truck drivers are a major risk factor. In the same Stanford University Study mentioned above, even weight can seriously affect the frequency of traffic accidents. Obese drivers with a body mass more than 30 kg also presented a two-fold higher accident rate than non-obese drivers. d) Environmental factors. The lack of resting and parking facilities for drivers is another factor that contributes to the accident rate. What can we do to ensure that we get adequate sleep? a) Set up a bedtime ritual—the same time to bed, the same routines like reading in bed or listening to relaxing music. b) See your doctor if you have snoring or breathing problems, daytime fatigue, morning headaches, night time choking episodes. You could have sleep apnea which can be treated with new devices and technology. c) If you are overweight, take the steps to bring down your weight. Obesity is a common factor in sleeplessness. d) Get into a routine of exercise during the day. Do not exercise after 7Pm as the activity could be over stimulating and prevent you from sleeping. A simple thing like sleep is nothing to be dismissed. More and more studies are revealing a direct link between our nighttime and daytime experiences.