Skin -- More than a Thing of Beauty

Taking care of your skin may first be a thing of beauty. But you intuitively understand your skin is connected to the rest of you from the flash of red in your cheeks from feeling embarrassed or eating spicy food.

Your skin encases and protects the body physically. When you sweat it is maintaining your internal temperature.

It holds and influences efficiency of your blood and lymph systems by distributing moisture and nutrient to the rest of your body.

It comes to the rescue of overworked lungs and kidneys in eliminating excess waste and toxins.

According to Gilles Marin Healing From Within with Chi Nei Tsang “Skin is the main storage space of the body, not only of storing excess and waste but also nutrients, vitamins, minerals and chemicals needed to restore metabolic balance.“

Listening to our skin can guide us get more beautiful and healthier skin but it can also help us know our selves better.

An example is a case of Acne, (you can substitute rosacea and aged-looking skin)

You can merely try to erase the acne with harsh ingredients like retinol cream, harsh cleansers and high tech treatments like Microdermabrasion and Intense Pulse Light.

I am not against ridding the skin of acne quickly but I strongly advise that you deal with the underlying causes of problem skin. It can take courage as it leads to increased awareness of who you are physically, emotionally and mentally. Then and only then can you benefit for the long term from the quick results.

We always start at the physical level by determining what the base skin type is. This information is nonnegotiable. Successful long term results can only be achieved if the solution is individualized to your true physical nature.

Then it is the determination of the external physical cause that has unbalanced the skin. Finding the solution of how to help the skin live harmoniously with climatic conditions is easy but not always successful.

For a person suffering from acne due to oil production stimulated by a lack of skin hydration can be as simple as a few treatments of Sea Salt Microdermabrasion and a regular home routine of hydrating serum and protective moisturizer.

But lets say the problem has improved but not to your expectation, i.e. flawless skin —then we need to look at some internal causes like the digestive system.

If the blemishes are accompanied with dehydration and redness in the cheeks – the problem can be poor digestion or an over acidic stomach – so adding a digestive aid like Pitta Digest could help with digestion and acidic stomach. Or you can visit an alternative healer for solutions to boost digestion.

If acne is mainly along the jaw line – your real problem could be constipation or a toxic colon. You can try a gentle detox program as mentioned in Getting Ready for Detox or get the guidance of an alternative healer . Go to alternative healer to see who we have found to be successful in helping us, the staff at Pure + simple get healthier.

Long term health and healthy beautiful skin reflects a good digestive system. Good digestion relies on healthy clear organs. And healthy clear organs need regular internal cleansing.

So if you are feeling that you need more than digestive enzymes, you are now ready to go deeper.

What is preventing you from attaining good digestion regularly?

Now what was mere acne has started to open doors to self understanding. This non-threatening but annoying physical problem has become your “gateway to your feeling”. (paraphrased Gilles Marin Healing From Within with Chi Nei Tsang)

More information on how emotions can affect your organs go to Detoxing Your Way to Sanity

Detoxing Your Way to Sanity

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Why refrain from eating your favourite foods or forgoing any food for any frame of time?

Or, why have reflexology and shiatsu massage to improve organ function?

Annual and semi-annual bowel, liver and other internal organ house cleaning is widely accepted as beneficial for physical health. But according to Asian health followers it is also good for our psychological and emotional health.

Mantak Chi (it’s hard to define him so follow the link) advocates that psychological treatment with Chi Nei Tsang (Chi Internal Organ Massage) will give clients better results

-->described in his book and that of his disciple, Gilles Marin .

Conventional medicine supports this theory in the New York Times best seller, The Second Brain by Neurobiologist, Michael Gershon

I have personally experienced this while doing Julia Chang’s Liver Gallbladder Cleanse. Even though I have been doing internal cleansing since I was in my twenties, I still experienced facial breakouts and increased anger and irritability in my day to day encounters as my repressed anger is being cleared as well. It is common knowledge in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine that the condition of the liver and gallbladder can affect the emotions with increased anger, bitterness, irritability and frustration. And excess anger and bitterness can affect the functions of the liver.

“"Sickness of the liver," the Nei Jing tells us, "causes...people... to have fits of anger." Anger causes Qi-and tempers-to rise. Maciocia reminds us that anger can be considered to include irritability, frustration, rage, indignation, animosity or bitterness. Anger, when expressed appropriately, may not cause harm; when chronic or suppressed, it may become pathogenic. (quote from Qi: Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness”

Other emotional / organ partners are fear / kidneys, grief and sorrow / lungs; worry / stomach; joy / heart. (for more information see the Qi: Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness)

If you do not like to do internal cleansing with diet, you can do it with massage and exercise. Yoga postures are an excellent way to stimulate and detox the organs. While all Yoga exercise stimulate your organs to detox, I find the meditative, restorative yoga of Iyengar as taught at the Yoga Centre of Toronto may be more fitting for this purpose than the more aerobic or energetic schools..

While Yoga postures can be customized to your body and flexibility, some people who are not very flexible (many males), who are elderly may prefer to practice Tai chi at the Taoist Centres in Toronto. http://toronto.taoist-tai-chi.org/content/standard_ca_to.asp . Here you will be encouraged and guided patiently through the Tai Chi sequence of over 100 movements. If done correctly these movements are designed to strengthen your core as well as detox the organs. This may explain the popularity of this organization with those who are elderly or recuperating from major diseases.

Those who want to combine organ health with martial arts can learn the original Tai Chi practiced by the Shao Lin warriors. This is being taught worldwide by Master Wong Kiew Kit. He travels over the world and come to Toronto regularly but you can learn from his Canadian group of teachers by going to his site.

If you prefer to detox when completely relaxed then order a Lymphomaniac Facial at any Pure and simple and receive a stomach reflexology massage with your facial treatment. If you ask (nicely ;) the esthetician will help you design a stomach massage routine you can do daily each morning to give yourself a great start daily.

If you are too sensitive for direct stomach massage or would like the added benefit of better foot and leg health, get foot reflexology massage. You can even receive this treatment in the comfort of your home or office with Jean Louie (http://jeanlouiereflexology.com/ . Her rates are competitive with in clinics treatments.

Foot reflexology is an excellent ‘ two for one ‘, for seniors and those suffering from foot problems. I highly recommend foot reflexology for people with high blood sugar and diabetes. It will help to alleviate symptoms and problems from poor circulation like edema, numbness while stimulating the chi to your internal organs.

Getting ready for Detox

August is here and I am preparing for my fall detox.

For the novice a great way to start is to get professional assistance from a Naturopath, an Ayurveda doctor or a Traditional Chinese Doctor. Click here for a listing of health professionals my staff and I have found to be helpful.

If you are planning to start your own detox, you will find the following pointers helpful.
1. Eat only vegetable for a period of time from 1 day to a week is a gentle way to start. Strict fasting (liquids only) is not recommended for Vatas
2. Clean your bowels and kidneys first
3. Then your liver

Some people who cleanse regularly advise having a colonic at the beginning to clear the large intestine so that toxins from the small intestine and other organs can be released.

I find the people at Supplements plus a great help in recommending a great colon cleanser program.

Renew Life has two good colon cleanse programs. One regular colon cleanse and one for those with Candida

My personal favourite, for those of us who are not fibre friendly, is Alpha Science Laboratories “Ultimate Fibre Plus”. It supports psyllium with slippery elm, apple pectin and a good combination of acidophilus to give a gentle and balanced colon cleanse. Click here for more info.

Due to my satisfaction with “Ultimate Fibre Plus”, I am planning to use Alpha Science Laboratories “Kidney Cleanse”. I like the ingredients list and that no sugar has been added. I have high blood sugar.

I have been cleansing my liver every long weekend for a couple of years. Yes, when you have had 55 years to pollute your internal organs with city air and some very indulgent food choices, don’t expect to clear all toxins out in one shot.

My favourite is the Liver/Gallbladder Flush from Prime Health Products. You need to prepare 6 weeks in advance before you actually do the flush. It is gentle and not disruptive to your daily life. There are no diet restrictions except for the 2 days before the flush when you consume only apple cider and water. Click here for the link.

An excellent support to an internal detox program is body work like massage and body scrubs. Pick up a bath mitt like the ones the Korean Body Scrubbers use (soon you can get it at www.pureandsimple.ca) and use it in your daily shower.

Pure + simple has put the Lymphomaniac Facial on sale for $85.00, so you can get a great facial and have your stomach massaged like never before. This massage, if you allow us, will give your internal organs a direct rub down that will make Reflexology will seem so remote. We are happy to show you how to do for your self daily. This is an excellent daily routine for those of us who suffer less than optimum digestion or elimination.

The Lymphomaniac Facial targets your major lymph nodes so those tender areas surrounding your breasts will also get a boost to increase circulation and cleansing.

Here’s to that wonderful feeling that we get with Beauty through Health!

Get Happy Feet

It is almost August and you have been exposing your feet in strappy sandals for over a month. The pedicures are not lasting as long. The polish is okay but your feet and especially your heels are dry.

Exposing feet tends to allow the skin to dry.

Dry skin gets callused easily.

Dry skin also slows down circulation which results in drier skin still.

Dry skin also lets in bacteria and fungus to possibly cause future problems of athlete’s foot, foot fungus, and nail fungus.

Many people use nail polish to hide nail problems but the chemicals in the polish just increase your problems especially with yellow nails and nail fungus.

Diabetics are more prone to suffer from foot infections, ulcers and fungus even athlete’s foot. And we all are more prone to these foot diseases as we age.

What do these too groups have in common? – Poor circulation. Blood that is not re-circulated often enough can be toxic. The lack of circulation is also the cause of dry skin, edema and cold feet.

To help increase circulation if you are diabetic or a Kapha you can do aerobic exercise, follow a Kapha diet and keep skin on the feet moist with a body lotion.

For conventional medical advice similar to the Kapha diet to prevent the above diseases go to http://www.reversegangrene.com/foot_gangrene_diet.htm

For Vatas-- keep feet warm and moist to maintain good circulation and prevent future problems.

For more information on foot and nail fungus go to http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/footconditions/a/toenail_fungus.htm

When we are not afflicted with defined diseases, we can be neglectful of our feet.

But prevention is the best way to avoid foot problems and to maintain beautiful legs and feet.

Some easy rules are;

1. Keep skin on feet moist. Vatas can use a rich cream like Martina Gebhardt Chamomile Cream.

Pittas are recommended to use a medium rich body lotion in the summer like Pure + simple’s Intensive Body Lotion

While Kaphas can use a light hydrating lotion like Jurlique Citrus Hand + Body Lotion

2. Use a nail brush and a gentle cleanser like Pure + simple Shower Gel to clean feet and toe nails daily.

3. Maintain the circulation with exercise and reflexology massage. Jean Louie will bring her healing hands to you. Learn more about jean at http://jeanlouiereflexology.com/

4. In the winter protect circulation of the feet and legs by keeping feet warm.

Digestion: Your Path to Beauty

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Beauty can be your path to good digestion too

Everyone one of us is beautiful and our beauty is most evident in the glow of our healthy minds and bodies. The foundation of this health is our digestive system.

Negative changes in our skin and our eyes are indications of the first signs of trouble in our circulatory system which is caused by trouble in our digestive system.

I have been trying to remedy food allergies and intolerances for 40 years. I started out very conventionally with allergy shots. My major allergies then sugar, grains, legumes and dairy and they remain my allergies now.

But while the 40 years of Naturopaths, Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Doctors have not given me a cure their advice and care have lessened the symptoms. The improved digestion has given the benefits of better mental and physical health along with smoother skin and a fitter body.

No – my happiness in my physical appearance is not the attainment of the model’s figure I wanted in my youth but in the beauty of the fleshiness of a fit compact stocky one.

I had found contentment with the improved but not resolved situation until I began to get gas from eating the above 4 food groups. The digestive upsets prevented me from staying healthy on a vegetarian diet which was important to me.

So I began a new search for better digestion with Dana Zangari, a Registered Holistic Allergist and Nutritionist, http://www.pandechiropractic.ca/Dana-Zangari/dana-zangari.html .

She uses Biofeedback to treat me for allergies to legumes which included some of my favourite flavours like chocolate and coffee and some fruits, vegetables and grains.

I found that though she had reduced my allergy symptoms when I ate the allergic foods, they still gave me gas.

At my third session I was pleased with the improved overall feeling but the gas was still a problem for me. So she advised me to take digestive enzymes but I was hesitant as I found that these enzyme caused me to feel acidic. Dana tested the enzymes and found I was allergic to some of them and clear them for me.

Digestive problems can cause our internal organs and our circulatory system to become too toxic which leads to illness and skin problems.

Skin problems like Rosacea, sensitive skin (redness in the cheeks) and acne are symptoms of impure blood in the capillaries.

Chronic dry skin or dull skin usually indicated a slow moving constipated bowel system.

While vanity is no a virtue, it can be an aid in keeping our bodies healthy. An excellent way to prevent illness s to listen to your skin when it tells you your bloodstream is too full of toxic materials.

And be even more proactive - by listening to your stomach (gas, abdominal pain, bloating) to prevent having to be told by your skin you need to get help to change your ways.

How to be Radiant without Redness

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How to Survive Summer Heat when you have Sensitive to Rosacea Skin.

While summer is a welcomed reprieve from the long still cold of winter, it is not so true for those who suffer from the heat.

For those of us with Pitta imbalances, the heat makes us tired, irritable and it can be seen in our red and puffy faces. And to really make summer life more frustrating the redness can be the accompanied with acne.

What causes this Pitta Imbalance?

In Ayurveda, Pitta is heat. We all have this in our individual make up. Those of us who genetically have it in abundance can claim to be a Pitta - secondarily or primarily.

It is only an imbalance when we suffer from unhealthy or unwanted symptoms of this heat energy. Any one can suffer from a Pitta Imbalance. And a primary Pitta does not necessarily suffer from a Pitta Imbalance

Over abundance of Internal heat that imbalances Pitta can be caused by a stress out or aggressive lifestyle, an unbalanced diet of too many heating foods, medication, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, menopause, extreme exercise, a high level of toxins and aggressive skincare and over sun exposure.

Air conditioning can give us some reprieve as it cools down our bodies but the dehydration just worsens the appearance of our skin.

So how can we improve our plight in such an otherwise delightful time of the year?

From the list of causes, it is wise to start with diet. Any book on Ayurveda will list the foods for Pitta. They are cooling and alkaline foods which are great for any summer meal. Star foods are cucumbers and melons. Substitute coconut oil for your salad oil. You can cook with it but eat as much raw food as you can. Favour lean light proteins like white fish. If you want your omegas then eat either low salt smoked salmon or go for sushi. Avoid high oil foods including meats, salt and acid foods like vinegar. Replace it in salads with lemon or lime juice.

Raw foods can be a challenge as Pitta imbalance can come with digestive problems. Usually if you suffer from rosacea or redness in the cheek area your body is telling you,”you do”. Pittas are also more sensitive than other Dosha dominant types so are more prone to allergies. Make cucumbers more agreeable by removing the seed section.

The best solution would be to get advice from a naturopath or an alternative allergist. I am currently experiencing great reduction in my food allergies and great improvement in my digestion with Dana Zangari, a Registered Holistic Allergist and Nutritionist. You can find her at http://www.pandechiropractic.ca/Dana-Zangari/dana-zangari.html

To decrease stress and other extreme behaviors, find relaxing exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi and find time to do daily meditation.

Try to avoid excess sun and heat exposure by choosing shadier and greener paths to your destination.

Once you have lessened the macro causes of your internal health, you can start to repair the visual damage this energy has caused by reducing the redness and puffiness in your skin.

Redness in the skin is an indication that your capillaries are dilated and your circulatory system is not working properly. This is due to the capillary walls being dry and inelastic.

This compromised circulatory situation results in less moisture and nourishment being delivered to the skin cells in the area- in turn this causes more inelastic capillaries and more redness.

The puffiness and acne is caused by the inactive circulatory and lymph system. The result is excess toxins and fluids left in the area which causes localized edema and breakout when stress or body heat -as in PMS- is increased.

The ideal solution is a facial treatment that will turn around the situation. The best facial to quickly reverse the dehydration redness spiral is our Deluxe Lumi-Lift Facial. It will stimulate circulation and drainage with micronized current while improving skin hydrating with galvanic current improving the effectiveness of our own collagen gel mask . While you may breakout after the first facial due to the increased circulation and hydration - the end result is both less redness/puffiness and less breakouts. Another bonus of this facial is better facial tone and less wrinkles. It is not a one off deal though if you want long term effects. Depending on your skin condition and the results you want you will need to have a series of the facials weekly. It can vary from 3-10 per week. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=42

For those who are more timid to try new things you can choose any facial treatment that will clean your pores, hydrate up your skin and include a good face massage like our Super Hydrating Facial. The hydration effect of this facial is pumped up with a collagen sheet mask and oxygen treatment. Again if you are doing these facials with results in mind you will probably need to do a few of thsi facials weekly for 3 weeks or more. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=42#SuperHydratingFacial

Then get advice from a knowledgeable skincare expert on creating a daily care routine. Beautiful healthy skin comes with a seasonally adjusted daily regiment that includes gentle cleansing, hydration and protection. A must-have item for all that want hydrated skin throughout the year, is our facial serum Collagen Elastin Plus. It is not only our best selling item but it has the most loyal client following.

This serum with a suitable moisturizer for your skin type will keep your skin hydrated without a lot of fuss throughout your day. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=553&Itemid=27

For more detailed advice on the above please feel free to contact me or any of our professional staff.

A Face of a Thousand Stories

Yes You have a Face of a Thousand Stories

Along with the influence of your character, behavior and beliefs - your diet and your environment can determine your physical appearance. This is not contradictory to Ayurveda. With the help of Ayurveda I rebalanced my body to benefit from the fluctuations of the weather.

Spencer Wells, author of The Human Journey: A Genetic Odyssey and an anthropologist and geneticist, explains with scientific data how your features reflect the journey taken by your ancestors.

You will discover that a stocky build or a short neck is not an unfortunate distribution of attractive features. And that having “excessive” body hair give question to your femininity. Along with other “unique” features, they are nature’s way in helping your ancestors thrive in their environment.

But contrary to common thought, our genetics is not linear or clear cut as in the differences between siblings. I personally have suffered the feeling of injustice as my sister who inherited the features of the accepted beauty with chiseled features, slim build and large feminine eyes and well endowed figure.

While I, somehow I seemed to have gotten all the less feminine, chunkier features from larger frame, short stocky legs and chubby face but with a flat chest.

I did not feel less attractive on my own. Most people and society supported this truth in words and action.

But as I learned Ayurveda and began to understand the message in my physical attributes I started to love each feature as I loved the character that help form it . And I of course shared this with my staff and clients. But even with the knowledge of Ayurveda and evolutionary science - it’s a hard sell to some – so if you are not convinced you are not alone.

When I started to read about the evolution of human kind, I started to see the beauty in how my stockier frame and shorter legs contributed to the survival of my ancient ancestor in the ice age.

While I may have envied my sister in the past, I am now at peace with physical appearance. My personal experience has given me an empathy with those clients that are coming into their middle years and have not yet accepted their physical appearance. They punished themselves by trying to imitate the beauty of others, sometimes with drastic measures.

I believe that but using both Ayurveda and the history of our human journey I along with my clients come to love our selves and others in a genuine way.

We can invest more into our appearance without trying to imitate but to protect and highlight our uniqueness.