Belated Valentine : Being Loving to Ourselves

Gotcha!

It's now three weeks since my last entry. This delayed blog entry is an indication of a blip in my time management resolution. This transition period where I have been mildly successful in not over working to complete what is on my to do list (Pitta) I have not been able make that list short enough to allow time for them or to say no to last minute diversions. (Vata).

When I am working with my clients I noticed most of my female clients instinctively help me even when they need to strain their muscles to do it. I use that moment as an opportunity to help them realize how they are always cognizant of the needs of others and their inability to just receive.

My male clients seem to have no problem just receiving even though they have heavier bodies and therefore there are times I strain myself to give them the same bodywork as my female clients.

So while the resolution to manage time in a more balanced manner and one to lose weight may seem unrelated, it may share a common desire to finally focus on us and our needs.

This Saturday Kristen and I along with a staff member, who is also a Holistic Nutritionist worked a conference for Holistic Nutritionists. Both Kristen + I probably were the best qualified to present the Holistic Health approach to beauty, but we were both there mainly because we both considered the needs of our staff before ourselves.

I observed that all the attendees were women. They all had the passionate to increase their knowledge to better help their clients but they share a struggle to create a career as they cared so much for their clients they were not fairly compensated for their valuable advice. Tahlia our staff member who also is a Holistic Nutritionist is able to practice her second profession with the help of another career in Esthetics. The other nutritionists were able to practice with the help of a supporting life partner.

These very dedicated women know their work is valuable as good nutrition is the best way to leading a disease free, healthy life. While client should appreciate the worth of their counsel, the Nutritionists need find a means to create this recognition and be fairly rewarded for the value of their guidance.

Can we all see how we can use this in our own life. A good start will be to sell ourselves first!

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I started the New Year with a resolution of organization and consistency. Since I have not written here since the end of last year, it looks like I have already broken this one quicker than any past New Year’s resolutions.

But don't be quick to judge. This resolution has a better chance of sticking and it has already changed my life in a profound way.

This is not my the first time "getting more organized" was my resolution. I have even bought books on how to organize my work to my home. Even a book enticingly named , "The Organized Executive" by Stephanie Winston.

From my experience at try to create more order in my life, I realize my problem was not that I was not an organized person or that I needed to learn more about how to organize myself. The problem was my desire to do too much resulting in over scheduling and being receptive to last minute changes and additions to that list.

Therefore to keep promises of positive change – whether it is about how we look or how we behave --can only occur with a clear understanding of ourselves and the real cause of the unwanted situation.

My workaholic lifestyle with its vicissitudes was creating excess Vata (for information on Yata and other Dosha types at http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.html) and all my knowledge of anti-aging skincare was not hiding the extreme dehydration and fatigue that unbalanced my body’s systems and will lead to disease. Negative Vata tendencies in my thoughts and emotions were negatively affecting my cognitive abilities and my relationships.


So last fall when the Vata energies were in full force, I arranged to began the New Year at Dr Lad’s Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. I was looking forward to have the two week cleanse and rest help me create the needed balance in my daily life and to clear away the unwanted symptoms of my obsessive habits and indulgences. But it was up to me to rein in Vata's love of change and freedom with a more organized and predictable life.

Dr Lad and my personal Ayurvedic Counselor Suzana prescribed herbs and treatments that would balance my Doshas which in turn gave me the ability to realistically create a more structured life that was based on my individual needs and wellbeing.

I had planned to write my blog and to do some administrative planning during my two weeks of Panchkarma. Instead I let go of my over active mind and the counter-productive plan and spent the time contemplating with the guidance of Dr Lad and Suzana where I wanted to go in personal growth. I was given herbs to help reduce my Vata tendencies to be active and impulsive and to build back my energy and reduce symptoms of imbalance.

I finally develop a clear plan I knew I could follow. I did not just organize my work but included my daily routine for diet and exercise along with time out for a real personal life. My personal life had deteriorated to just dinners with my daughter and my partner. I was so addicted to my work, I could not easily plan extended time with them.

I have been back two weeks now. There has been no blog entry but not due to not staying on my plan. I had to postpone writing my blog to assume unexpected duties of bookkeeping. ----If there ever was a activity that could be considered the antithesis of Vata, it would be bookeeping.---

Since the resolution' main goal was to create organization and balance in my life, I had the difficult task of priortizing my work duties and not give up personal time to unexpected work demands. Good sign number 1 - I took up the duties of mundane but critical duties of bookkeeping -- Good sign number 2


So if you have a poor record of keeping New year's resolutions or any promises other time os the year, perhaps the problem is not your character but your understanding of yourself and the unique aspect of the unwanted predicament.

I find the popular resolutions to lose weight or joining a gym are also the most likely to be broken --- as early as February. Perhaps one needs to understand what activities one enjoys before palnning and committing. If you need help in keeping the promise of increasing physical activity, I recommend using Ayurveda to guide you in finding a health promoting activity that is more suited to your individual make up.

When it comes to weight loss, I recommend also recommend the help of Ayurveda to know yourself better before choosing one of the multiple ways to weight loss. The "one diet for everyone" do not take in account the underlying cause of the unwanted weight. I have known people who gain weight due to food allergies and others due to insulin resistance. Some people like Kaphas (for information on Kapha and other Dosha types at http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.html) and diabetics have a slower metabolism. Depression and some prescription medicine can affect weight gain. I also do not recommend weight loss programs that ask us to buy precooked packaged food. Not only is this food the least nutritious but according to Ayurveda, Kaphas should not eat leftovers as they slowdown metabolism further.

We should not be discouraged when we encounter difficulty or fail to follow our new plan to the letter. Focus on the big picture - the overall plan - and the overall outcome not on the dailyups and downs.

Celebrating without a Wrinkle

Christmas is a joyous time when we celebrate the best in us as we become more focused on the needs of others.

And for mid life baby boomers this festive time can momentarily depress us with the sudden appearance of sagging skin at our cheeks or additional lines around our eyes and mouth- known or not known to us to be suggesting the negative occurrences in our bodies.

We put our personal needs aside to indulge our love ones. We exhaust ourselves shopping for just the right gifts and preparing to host and attending celebrations.

Then there are the late nights with too much food and drink - hopefully just - while partying.

Add in the cold dry weather and the decreasing sunshine to further challenge our bodies’ endurance.

So what can you do to minimize the affects of holiday celebrations on your looks and your health.

Here are 5 easy suggestions that will give you big results for your efforts.

Get enough sleep by napping before a late night. This “beauty sleep” will give you the energy to keep your metabolism optimal
Keep your skin moist to ensure capillary health and good circulation. A quick and simple way to do this is to wear a serum under a rich moisturizer.
Keep warm so circulation is optimal so cells are nourished. Easily done by wearing a hat and gloves anytime you are outdoors. A hat helps with hair health too.
Exfoliate and moisturize your body to keep it youthful. It also improves circulation and you will find you feel warmer than usual this time of the year. And if you make it a habit your skin will be irresistibly soft by Valentine’s Day.
Drink warm liquids. Calming herbal teas, nourishing soups and comforting hot chocolates can help keep you warm and moist inside out.

“What Should I do when I get home late and don’t have enough resolve to cleanse off make up?” is a common question from client. Cleansing facial skin nightly of make up, dirt and pollution debris is important. But if you can only manage to drop into bed, then I would highly advise applying a rich mask, heavy moisturizer or facial oil over your unwashed skin before sleeping.

This will help you reduce the negative effects of self indulgence as moist skin is healthy skin and is therefore more resistant to old make up and pollution debris. This simple act will keep skin cells moist so that your morning after skin will be more normal and less dehydrated, dull or sensitive.

Beauty + the Global Warming Beast

How Global Warming affects Your Health and Appearance and How Small Daily Acts can create a Beautiful World

Are you are paralyzed to the point of neutrality by the news on Global Warming? Are our government leaders and our world leaders frustrating you as they declare 10% reduction of CO2’s by 2050 as you learn that the Arctic is becoming downright balmy and the melting glaciers are causing island nations to become history like Atlantis?

Do you feel like the only person who understands that Nature is not being heard at the negotiations in Copenhagen, yet Her timeline and Her ratios are the only ones that really matter? Well you are not alone!

Global warming is not just being felt in the weather. This year many of our clients have noticed unusual problems with their skin. Acne and skin sensitivity has become a problem for those with a lifetime of clear even complexions. It has also become a problem for those who take good care of their health and skin.

The unexpected and unseasonable changes in our weather are affecting our skin and health. On the macro level we need to push our leaders to be wise and to be visionary in balancing our priorities of economy and environment. On the micro level we can contribute positively to the preservation of our planet with small everyday act of conservation and consideration.

It’s Win-Win as the things we can do will also make us more beautiful both physically, mentally and emotionally.

We can mitigate the effects of the weather on our health and the appearance of our skin with the help of Ayurveda. Becoming more aware of the day to day characteristics of the weather, we can balance its affects on our physical and mental health with diet, activity and herbal supplements. With a basic understanding of skin health, we can rebalance our skin daily with 3 simple vital skincare products. You neutralize the effects of the fluctuations in humidity and the temperature with the appropriate serum, face oil and a good moisturizer. Sunscreen in a foundation will make you a sure victor.

Your call for lower CO2 emission will result in better air quality, which will reward you with the lessening of the effects of pollution in prematurely aging our skin. Thereby saving us the mental anguish of “anti-aging” or doing something irrational like injecting our faces with toxins we wisely try to avoid in our foods and our cosmetics.

Repairing our ozone reduces the harsh affects of the sun’s rays on our skin. Skin cancer is not the only negative effect of over exposure to sun. Premature skin aging is a more eminent result and even the young suffer the aftermath of a sunburn with blotchy or overly sensitive skin.

Walking or cycling, even taking public transit can lessen the sedentary aspect of our lives along with lowering our personal CO2 emissions. You can save money spent at the gym and create more meaning and interest in your exercise.

Eating locally can greatly reduce your carbon foot print but it will make eating to balance your day to day health easier. George Ohsawa, the founder of the Macrobiotic diet, advocated the importance eating of naturally and locally grown foods to promote personal health and even happiness. For more on this and on George Ohsawa go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobiotic_diet .

Finally – stop cluttering your life with the spoils of so called successful bargain hunting trip and contribute to good Fengshui. Fengshui is the art of placement or decorating your home to improve your prosperity and health in life. For more on Fengshui go to http://www.malcanarrol.com/.

Clutter is one of the biggest sins of Fengshui and a real pain if you clean your own home.

Simple rules for to incorporate low carbon footprint habits in your life are;
Feel connected to your environment
Use natural products
Buy Locally produced and grown products
Choose Re-Use before Re-Cycle
Be a Minimalist and be proud of your frugality

Sleeping for Beauty

Sleeping for Beauty

Most of us “alternative healthees” accept the importance of healthy diet, exercise and natural skincare as precursors to good health and personal beauty.

For my seasoned clients, holistic skincare also includes rest and relaxation.

On entering the age of wisdom or Vata (spirit), did you expect to be free of the need to look "good"?

Actually taking care of our looks can be beneficial to our overall health.

Personally without the growing signs of aging on my face, I would probably inadvertently overwork my body to poor health. i.e. I am writing this at midnight; fueled by an organic green coffee happily consumed too late in the afternoon.

I follow healthy diet, exercise and grooming regimes but my lifestyle is negatively impacted by my workaholic tendencies. So my understanding of "Face Mapping" from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine helps me to listen to my dehydration wrinkles, my overly sensitive skin and my puffy eyes, so that I begrudgingly schedule in rest and relaxation.

While my diet and skincare helps me cover up short term abuses – my haggard face screams at me, when I over do it; so my long term health is not irreparably affected.

When my feet are swollen, it’s "just" edema but when my eyes are puffy, I listen and curtail my nights at the computer so that my Kidney energy can regenerate. While I need to address the immediate needs of my eyes' dry delicate skin with a good eye cream;-- only adequate sleep will revive my kidney function and relieve my edema (get rid of my puffy eyes) before it becomes a diagnosable disease.

When I was diagnosed with digestive problems, I merely avoided the foods I was allergic to. I experienced some relief but nothing close to good digestion. But when I learned that the stubborn red, puffy cheeks and adult acne could be caused by a weakened spleen and low kidney energy; I finally found dramatic improvement to my poor digestion and my skin’s appearance.


One more example. I have had dry hands and feet since I was young. It was so unimportant to me that I did not even regularly apply cream to moisten them. But the dry skin on my face finally had me pursuing relief. Again it was my poor tired kidneys. So I finally listened to my dehydrated skin, ---relaxed and rested my mind body spirit more often.

But workaholics and high stressed people can experience poor sleep. And for those of us going through peri-menopause, decreasing Estrogen can intensify poor sleep and dehydrated skin.

So how can we end the cycle and increase our ability to get a good night’s sleep?

Lets start with what we suspect could be affecting our sleep.

If you have a tendency to overdo it with work; your over worked adrenals can disturb a good night’s sleep. The adrenals can also be the problem if you consume too much coffee or white sugar. So using coffee or sugary snacks to force your body to work longer will make your adrenals weaker in the long run.

If you are awakened by being too warm or in a sweat and you are in your forties of fifties; then suspect peri-menopausal symptoms. There are studies that indicate that in many cultures that eat a vegetarian based diet experience fewer or no peri-menopausal symptoms. I found that a vegetarian diet reduced my hot flashes and my resumption of meat comes with corresponding degrees of hot flashes. My TCM advised me that my hot flashes affected my kidney energy, so more incentive to change my diet.

Other problems that could disrupt our sleep are stress related. Chronic dehydrated skin; waking to urinate or waking with a thirst ; --can indicate low kidney function. The kidneys determine the body's hydration levels. Overwork and aging can weaken Kidney function. I recommend getting the help of a naturopathic doctor or TCM to boost Kidney function. But in the mean time make sure you consume enough healthy clean fluids like water fresh juices, soups and herbal teas to keep the kidneys in good working order.

Those of us who abuse our bodies with over work and then in our fatigue give into cravings for refined and fatty foods that challenge our liver can also experience disrupted sleep. Again I recommend getting the help of a naturopathic doctor or TCM to help us detox our livers and other elimination organs. But in the meantime eat a liver friendly diet of low fat and no refined foods.

While you explore how you can improve your sleep, you can give you body some rest and relaxation with exercises like yoga, tai chi and a meditative walk.

So – you see-- “Nothing moisturizes our skin like a great night's sleep”.

Bruising can lead to Better Health

During a training session, a staff member had brought up a client's concern about bruising more than usual.

She wondered if it warranted a visit to her Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor or Traditional Chinese Doctor.

She asked us the question even though we were clearly estheticians and not doctors because of our holistic approach to beauty. Our response while specific to the client can help you understand the inter-connectivity of your body's systems and how your body communicates with you.

Bruising is caused by the damaging of the capillary walls - i.e. impact. The ease or frequency of bruising will give a clue to the condition of the capillary walls. The condition of our capillary walls will affect our blood and lymph circulation which in turn will affect our overall health. Our immunity and vitality are affected by our blood and its circulation. A lymphatic system in good working order ensures we are disease free.

The condition of the blood and lymphatic system also affects the rate we age and is easily seen in the skin. Bruising is a sign of trouble that can be accompanied by any of -- red sensitive skin, acne, dry dehydrated skin; telling us that two of the most important systems of our body is in trouble.

The client was in her 50’s, the Vata time of her life, and was slim with dry skin, a dominant Vita nature. It is currently autumn; which is Vata time of the year. Therefore her capillary walls are probably more easily bruised due to the dominant condition of Vata in her life. Since one of the main characteristics of Vata is dryness, it is safe to guess she is bruising more now due to her age, the season and the inability for her dry skin to protect her capillary walls. Therefore she is bruising due to her blood vessels being more dry and brittle than usual.

It is common to dismiss her concern as part of aging, but it is more helpful to her if she understands that the bruising is occurring because her capillary walls are growing more delicate. And like dry brittle skin, we can slow down the process with a change in our daily habits.

How can she improve the condition of her capillary walls? First she needs to maintain moist skin so it can better protect the blood vessels from external damage from the weather, sun and impact. This is where I repeat myself about the importance of moist skin-- so to prevent me from boring every one – please go to http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-am-too-young-to-be-aging.html to explore ways to keep your skin dewy and moist. Doing this will not only reduce bruising and improve circulation but you will look way more youthful.

A holistic program to maintain better circulation would include regular exercise, healthy diet and daily dosha balancing. You can learn about your doshas at http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.html and how to balance them at http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/05/enjoying-weather.html

Or get it all in one book “Beauty 2.0” at Pure + simple http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=1605&category_id=257&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=27#Excerpt

or at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-2-0-Holistic-Natural-Modern/dp/0981262406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258332847&sr=1-1

Now if you are bruising more frequently but you do not believe it is due to weaker capillary walls, then I recommend looking at the changes in your daily activity that causes the frequency and the impact of what is causing the bruises ;)

A bit of Cancer with that younger looking skin?

How much risk are we willing to accept for the pursuit of an misguided perception of or a narrow definition of beauty?

What are you willing to risk to get rid of that annoying wrinkle between your brows?

• Are you willing to inject something called bovine toxin into the coveted area of your third eye to try and get rid of it?
• If the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) warned you that it can cause muscle weakness, blurred vision , droopy eye lids and more, would the short term result be worth the long term risks?

Would you still do it if statistics showed that only about 40% of people who try botox continue to use it? Are you so driven about the short term gain that you would not even care? The low rate of repeat injections is due to first time recipients are not screened properly as botox is successful only in removing the wrinkle caused by repetitive motion or due to negative side effects experienced.

Are you objective when choosing methods to remove that darker spot on your cheek?

• Does the inexpensive route of bleaching creams feel both budget friendly and convenient.
• Did you know that when you choose this method of skin lightening that you have inadvertently chosen to risk getting skin cancer.
• Did you know that the spot only disappears for as long as you continue to use the cream?
• And would you trade hyperpigmentation for hypopigmentation? Vitilago can be triggered by the continual stress of lightening agents on skin cells.
  
  

Many of us are unhappy with the blotchy or wrinkly skin that seems to creep up on us as we age. Hyperpigmentation is caused by chronic skin inflammation caused by sun exposure, irritation and hormonal fluctuations. Due to over sun exposure in our childhood and harsh skin treatments in our teens; some of us are seeing hyperpigmentation as early as in our twenties.

Wrinkled skin comes with the dehydration and poorer circulation of aging. Poor skincare and lifestyle along with careless sun exposure are the main causes. Poor lifestyle choices can be neutralized with nutrition and skincare.

There are many choices to reduce hyperpigmentation and they will also reduce other signs of aging. They range from Intense Pulse Light, Microdermabrasion, Acid Peels to the inexpensive lightening cream. These options offer different degrees of relief from hyperpigmentation depending on the brand of equipment used and the skin characteristics of the client.

The humble lightening moisturizer looks like the one with the least risk, but this is not the case. The most common active ingredient in lightening creams is hydroquinone. The use of hydroquinone is banned or restricted in many countries but allowed in Canada and in the USA. Hydroquinone is the most effect skin lightening agents for non- hormonal hyperpigmentation. But used in effective doses, it has also been known to be a cytotoxic agent that is mutagenic and cancer causing. But the foolishness of its use is more apparent as users risk hypopigmentation (vitilago) and Onchronosis,hyperpigmentation accompanied with skin lesions.

While hydoquinone substitutes like Kojic Acid have not been proven to be health risks, there is controversy. So as the ingredients on the label changes, commonsense still cautions that using anything daily that can change the colour of our skin (by disrupting basic cellular processes like melanin production) will probably not be a good solution longterm.

So better solutions for lightening skin would be skin peeling and light therapy which work more on the physical removal of the guilty mutated skin cell. All methods mentioned will also reduce those wrinkles. Choosing the right method for you requires consideration of your skin-tone and ethnic background.

The most cost effective in the short run is chemical peeling. You can do skin exfoliation daily at home with an alphahydroxy peel (best for light hyperpigmentation). go to http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=552&Itemid=27 to find some excellent natural skin peels like Pure + simple Lactic Acid in a base of kelp. Or visit a professional clinic or spa which can use higher percentages for darker, deeper hyperpigmentation.

For medium skin tones like Asians, the use of microdermabrasion causes less risk increased hyperpigmentation or of possibility hypopigmentation with the added benefit of skin rejuvenation. I recommend sea salt over aluminum crystals as the medium used in your microdermabrasion treatment. It is definitely safe and the sea salt helps skin hydration.

Intense Pulse Light is successful for the darker more stubborn pigmented areas for all skin tones and you get wrinkle removal as a side benefit. I discovered that there is a noticeable difference in safety, number of treatments and in the final results with the different brands of machines when we did our research to purchase our Intense Pulse Light Machines.

I prefer preventative measures which include using sun screens and non -irritating skincare so anti-aging the smart way starts in our younger years.

Be wise about sun exposure by balancing the benefits of vitamin D with the risk of skin aging and skin cancer. The magic formula is dependent on skin tone. Light skin tones need more Vitamin D and are more quickly damaged by sun exposure. Taking Vitamin D as a supplement is also recommended for everyone in Canada to ensure healthy bones and skin. See http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/07/anti-aging-stage-3-4-sagging-skin.html for more info on vitamin D for skin anti-aging.

So when looking to improve your appearance understand the emotional element before you do your research. No amount of make over will replace real self esteem. And if our self confidence relies too much on our appearance, we may make irrational and risky decisions that have long term impact on our future well-being.