5 Steps To Slow Down Aging & Improve Your Health
The conversation about "Self Love" continues as we address the ways to slow down aging and improve our health.
Harvard physician, Dr. Sara Gottfried, author of "Younger", tells us that aging is impacted primarily by our lifestyle habits and practices. It’s my hope that we can shift our thinking about aging by diminishing the focus on “age” and putting the spotlight on health and quality of life.
Here are 5 steps to slow down aging, improve your health and just look better!
1. Master your eating
A few months ago I had a client who asked me, "what is the number one most effective way to look younger? Was it the use of Botox? Filler?" My answer was, “quit eating refined sugar”.
I admit, I am a recovering ‘sugar-holic’. For years, I had been addicted to cute M&M's. As appealing as it looks, sugar sets off an aging response in our cells that lead to the break down of collagen. Refined sugar is so addicting that it is being compared to crack cocaine.
Dr. Steve Gundry, a heart surgeon, researcher at Yale University, and author of the Plant Paradox, says that to master your health is to first take care of your gut biome. His diet tips include taking refined sugar off the menu completely, and replacing it with superfoods that keep your "gut bugs" (intestinal bacteria) happy. He recommends eating avocados, leaves (kale, spinach), mushrooms, tubers (root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets), select nuts (walnuts are recommended), and most importantly, olive oil.
To remove refined sugar from your regular eating pattern takes mindfulness and a strategy such as substituting the M&M’s with foods that are not disruptive to the gut biome. Sweeteners such as Manuka honey, maple syrup, or spices such as cinnamon are good substitutes. Berries are a great substitute for natural sugar with the added benefit of fibre.
Recently the same client visited Thermae for her regular Botox treatment and I noticed she was much leaner and had a more energetic vibe about her. She said she removed sugar from her diet completely and her husband is now doing it so they can be fit and healthy for their upcoming vacation!
Beauty Tip: To support your quest for improved nutrition, we have BEND Skincare Vitamins and Supplements. We call this the Beauty Vitamins because not only does it provide us with the required amount of omegas (essential fatty acids) in the form of wild caught fish, vitamin D3, and amino acids, it also gives skin a nice internal glow!
2. Master your sleep
There are two types of sleep: REM and NREM. According to Dr. Sarah Gottfried, we need our REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep for emotional restoration and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) Slow Wave sleep for physical restoration. Therefore, we need all stages of sleep to get optimal restoration. When you cut sleep, you get less growth hormone (the hormone that repairs cells), less melatonin which contributes to a healthy immune system, and you are more likely to gain belly fat.
Beauty Tip: Sleep time is the best time to use skincare serums that improve hydration and collagen stimulation. Try Vivier Vitamin C & E with Peptides to firm skin and repair damaged skin cells.
3. Move your body
Watching the Winter Olympics gives me a feeling of exhilaration for the athletes that have taken their physical performance to the highest levels. It’s inspiring to watch Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir express emotion and physical stamina, grace, and skill on the ice.
We don’t have to be Olympic athletes to be healthy. In fact, studies have shown that moderate exercise is sufficient in preventing premature death. Gottfried explains that it is never too late to get the benefit of exercise even if you wait until your late 60’s or 70’s! That doesn’t mean you should be a couch potato until then. Fitness leaders recommend “Burst” training (high intensity training such as sprinting intervals) to burn fat fast in a short amount of time. It only takes 20 minutes of this type of training every day to improve cardiovascular health, boost metabolism, and improve hormone levels.
Beauty Tip: For help in reducing stubborn body fat, Coolsculpting is a procedure we offer that safely reduces fat cells permanently and without needles or surgery. Often there is stubborn fat on the abdomen, love handles and on the back which responds well to Coolsculpting.
4. Master your stress
The perception of stress is in the mind. Dr. Gottfried states that people who perceive the world to be stressful not only look haggard, but also develop allergies and other problems with their immune system. The key is that most stress is “perceived” stress, much of which can be controlled in the mind. Instead of fretting, having emotional outbursts, or eating sugar, we can find more effective ways to deal with stress by controlling our thoughts and calming the mind. An effective protocol for stress control is meditation. For Type A individuals, Dr. Gottfried suggests movement meditation as in yoga where you can coordinate breath with movement while observing your thoughts rather than trying not to think altogether. Dr. Gottfried suggests to meditate every day, first thing in the morning to retrain the mind before the stress of the day takes over. The more consistently you practice meditation, the easier it will be for you to maintain mental control over your responses to daily stress. The benefit? Improved digestion, improved immune functioning, slowing of aging process AND looking better!
Beauty Tip: Stress can show on your skin as dryness, flaking, redness or irritation. Our cure for dry, irritated skin is Dermalogica’s Ultra Calming System. The Calm Water Gel is a weightless moisturizer that hydrates sensitive, dry skin and forms a barrier against the environment and locking in moisture.
5. Master your skin care
Inner health leads to outer beauty. When you’re eating and sleeping right, getting your exercise and managing your stress, you tend to look great! In addition, there are new treatments and products that assist us with our outer appearance and assist us to be the best version of ourselves.
a) Vivier Skin Care just released a line of skin treatments that encourage collagen regeneration. The “GrenzCine” line of skin care comes in a face serum, eye cream, and now a neck cream and body lotion. GrenzCine is named after the “grenz” layer of the skin; the junction in the dermis where the top and middle layer of the skin meet. GrenzCine contains high performing Vitamin C and the polyamine molecule to stimulate new collagen growth. This technology takes skin to a new level of age-fighting ability. Consider it an at-home treatment for the face, neck and body. Reserve the GrenzCine Serum, Eye Cream, Neck Cream and Body Lotion by contacting us online at thermae.ca or calling us directly (403 263 8873) and get 10% off your order until end of March 2018.
b) RHA Filler is the new Resilient Hyaluronic Acid Filler by the French company, Teoxane. It’s known that Europeans (and Calgarians) do not like the “overfilled”, “overdone” look. In fact, it’s best if no one can tell that you’re having work done. RHA is a filler that goes smoothly into facial lines and hollows, diminishing the aging appearance while allowing the skin to move naturally and freely. I consider this a game changer in the world of injectables because now we can treat those stubborn lines around the eyes, forehead, and mouth and get natural looking results that make a difference. As an injector for 20 years, I have never worked with a more beautiful filler product that floats effortlessly under the dermis, lifting away stubborn, etched-in lines. Contact us online at thermae.ca or by phone at 403 263 8873 to reserve a no obligation consultation to see how RHA filler can benefit you.
c) Viva RF (radio frequency) Skin Resurfacing and Tissue Tightening is a favourite amongst clients and staff because of the immediate, long term results and minimal downtime. Radiofrequency provides a non surgical option for treating skin laxity, wrinkles, acne scars, large pores, uneven texture, stretch marks, and pigment irregularity.
Radiofrequency energy creates controlled heat within the tissue to stimulate the body’s natural collagen production. We recommend doing 3 to 4 treatments for optimal results. I’m not going to tell you there’s no discomfort with this treatment. If you are like me, a topical numbing cream is recommended to minimize discomfort. After the treatment it’s common to have redness and mild swelling which dissipates by the next day. There will be tiny little pinpoint marks on the skin treated that is visible with a magnifying mirror. Overall the down time is minimal, short lived and can be concealed with light mineral powder such as Glo Minerals. Appointment requests can be made online at thermae.ca or by calling 403 263 8873.
