Great Foods to Help Get Your Skin Back to Business

The Christmas holidays can take a lot out of us and our skin. It’s understandable that our beauty routines go out the window in the face of parties, big dinners, and treats–not to mention cold weather. Now that it’s January, let’s get back to business and focus on some truly positive additions to our diet that will have us glowing, healthy, and happy through the years to come.

No Yo-Yo Dieting

Control of our diet has a great effect on our skin. There’s a big difference between planning our diet and capital-D Dieting though, and the latter can have bad consequences on our skin health, and our happiness. Avoid yo-yo dieting and instead make a plan for foods that give you energy, give health to your skin, and make you feel good. Here are some foods to introduce into your diet for your skin’s sake:

Antioxidant Rich Foods

Antioxidants prevent, as one might expect, oxidization. Oxidization in the body produces free radicals–harmful to your cell production and a cause of aging skin. Look for antioxidant rich foods that fight free radicals including:

• Olive oil
• Tomatoes
• Yellow bell peppers
• Cranberries, blueberries, blackberries
• Walnuts
• Dark greens: broccoli and kale
• Low-Glycemic Foods

Replacing sugar-filled foods with low-glycemic alternatives prevents insulin spikes. A “sugar rush” takes a toll on our energy levels–we’re up and then we’re way down. The same happens to our skin, and the aggravation can result in acne, burst blood vessels, and rosacea. Low-glycemic foods are digested slowly, and keep us, and our skin, calm. Remember these allies in the fight against red, irritated skin:

• Chickpeas
• Oatmeal (add anti-oxidant rich berries in lieu of sugar to sweeten your breakfast)
• 100% Whole grains
• Water! Drinking water fills the desire to reach for other drinks like juice and soda

Anti-inflammatories

Dairy is a major cause of inflammation in our skin, leading to breakouts, puffiness, and uneven textures. Look for alternatives that give you the lean protein and calcium boost you need without the blow up:

• Almond milk
• Carrots
• Sunflower seeds, and other Vitamin E rich foods
• Omega-3 rich fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
• Walnuts, cashews, and almonds
• Soybeans
• Avocados

These are just a small sample of the foods available to you that will give you energy, and keep your skin young and glowing year round.

The Importance of Beauty Sleep

Beauty sleep is no joke. A proper sleep is an integral part to good skin care, from its day-to-day appearance to dramatically affecting how your skin ages.

Lack of Sleep Affects Collagen Production

It’s to be said over and over: collagen production is the key to taut, elastic, and youthful skin. Titan Skin Tightening is a non-surgical treatment that promotes collagen production to improve elasticity that may have been lost over time. A good sleep protects from unnecessary collagen destruction that isn’t simply a natural effect of aging.

Let Your Body Do the Work

Sleep is your body’s time to regenerate. The natural affects of time will age your skin–that’s to be expected–but a regular and full sleep is essential to taking good care. Your body needs a full, proper, and consistent sleep to get into a routine of supplying your skin with the right nutrients at the most effective times.

Be Gentle

Your skin is soft, delicate, and beautiful. Being kind and gentle to your skin right before and right after a good night’s sleep is something that will be recommended repeatedly when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance. Gentleness can be promoted through these easy and effective tips:

Don’t over cleanse: Removing the day’s dirt is important, but too much cleansing will remove natural and important oils. (Try: Vivierskin Hexam, Skinceuticals Gentle Cleanser or Simply Clean, ZO Medical Normacleanse, SkinTx Gentle Cleanser)

Take it easy on the towel: Use a clean and soft towel to dry excess water from your face, and dry lightly. Towels are rough and may irritate your skin.

Apply creams lightly and only with one or two fingers: Fingers are covered in oil and dirt–such is life. When applying a day cream with SPF or a cooling night cream, dab with one or two washed fingers to minimize rubbing as well as oil and dirt transfer that will clog your pores. (For Day, Try: ZO Oclipse-C SPF 50, Sunforgettable SPF 30 Skin Primer Vivierskin Platiné, Triple Skin Protection SPF 30, Vivierskin Platiné Sun Protection SPF 45, SkinTx Physical Face Block SPF 30)

Sleep on your back: This may feel at first like you’re becoming Sleeping Beauty herself, but learning to sleep on your back protects your skin in the night in many different ways. A good night’s sleep on your back stops blood from pooling in your very delicate under-eye skin, something that causes dark circles and puffiness in the morning (and will often last throughout the day).

Softer pillowcases Considering that you spend an ideal 7-8 hours in bed a day, a good quality pillowcase is worth the small investment. While sleeping on your back is the gentlest  way to sleep, you’re bound to flip over once or twice. Ensure that your delicate facial skin is not rubbing itself into a rough fabric after you’ve finished a productive and delicate nighttime routine. Combine this with washing dye-free bed sheets with an unscented and gentle detergent and you have a bed fit for a queen.

The Key to Cleansing

Facial cleansing is done to remove dirt from the day as well as exfoliate and renew the top layer of skin. We sweat more some days than others, especially during the summer or menopause. However, over-cleansing to accommodate this–same as under-cleansing to accommodate dead skin–is the wrong idea. Here are some ways to know you’re doing just enough to give your skin a clean start each day.

Signs that you’re over-cleansing:

•  If your skin feels very taut after you cleanse, you are likely using something that is too harsh, or cleansing too often. Your face should feel slightly dry, but not pulled stiff.

•  Over-cleansing, causing your skin to try to accommodate the removal of too many oils by producing more and more may cause adult acne. Cleansing several times a day is not a proper solution to acne.

•  It’s been said before: don’t use water that is too hot. This rule is for showering too; it irritates your skin unnecessarily and zaps essential oils your skin needs.

•  Exfoliating is a good habit to get into, but too much will work against you. Over-exfoliating causes redness and dryness. Do exfoliate, but only weekly. Good, productive exfoliants can be found below.

Use the right cleanser for your skin:

We recommend and carry only medical grade skin cleansers and exfoliants. Your skin is delicate and beautiful: ensure the right ingredients are there for you (helpful minerals) and the wrong ingredients are left out (irritating perfumes).

Dry Skin:

SkinTx Gentle Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Foaming Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser, Vivierskin Foaming Cleanser

Oily skin:

SkinTx Medicated Acne Wash, SkinTx Astringent, Obagi Foaming Gel, SkinCeuticals Foam Cleansing Gel, SkinCeuticals Simply Clean

Combination:

ZO Normacleanse, Obaji Foaming Gel, SkinTx Gentle Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Clarifying Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser, SkinCeuticals Simply Clean

Exfoliants:

SkinTx Exfoliant (Combination or Dry), Vivierskin Vitamin C Scrub, SkinTx Exfoliant Forte (Oily), Obagi Exfoderm Forte (Oily), SkinCeuticals Micro Exfoliating Scrub (Combination or Oily)

Compliment your Routine with a Cleansing Treatment:

Peels and Microdermabrasion are available to complement your daily cleansing routine. Illuminize, Vitalize, and Rejuvenize Peels as well as Microdermabrasion all target different areas of concern for each client–ensuring the right amount of exfoliation and renewal is provided to brighten and re-balance your complexion. All treatments are non-invasive and boast minimal “social” downtime, allowing them to be easily integrated into your busy schedule.

Get a Better Sleep: Tips for Effective Beauty Sleep

Beauty sleep is the real deal; take advantage of it! Your body needs time to rest, and that includes your skin. Skin needs the time you are asleep to work on new skin cells, and bring nutrients to the top to keep you looking healthy and youthful as possible.

Calm your Skin

Be gentle with your skin as you get ready for bed–you are preparing it for hours to luxuriate and regenerate and should take as much advantage of this as possible. Gently cleanse your skin and lightly apply a night cream that will rehydrate you after a long day. Collagen in the skin regenerates at night and being gentle with your skin is important to support this process.

Give Your Screens a Curfew

To cut down on your stimulation before bed, give yourself a curfew for TV and computer use. This will this improve your ability to sleep in two important ways. Firstly, removing artificial light reduces the stimulus provided to the brain that keeps you alert. Secondly, cutting out the outside world at an appropriate time reduces stress and keeps you “mindful”–you can pay attention to your immediate surroundings and your mind becomes calm, making it easier to sleep. This is a form of meditation and is highly effective in improving one’s ability to sleep.

Be Comfortable

Being comfortable when you are preparing sleep is done a few ways: all these tips affect your skin!

1. Temperature

Firstly, make sure your room is the right temperature for a restful sleep. Sixteen to 20 degrees Celsius is recommended, but a good rule of thumb is knowing that you are not too hot. You shouldn’t be shivering in bed, but being too hot will dehydrate you. Adjust the temperature using blankets. The right sleeping temperature will ensure restful sleep while allowing your body to stay as hydrated as possible throughout the night–very important for good skincare.

2. Wear the Right Clothes

Wearing the right clothes will allow you to be comfortable while you sleep, but will also give your skin a break throughout the night. Wear pyjamas that are loose–tight clothing irritates your skin by trapping sweat and rubbing material against you.

Curb Menopause–Before it Curbs You

The return of acne, weight fluctuation, hot flashes that leave your skin flushed and you feeling like you have a fever–these are just a few of the ways menopause can make your life uncomfortable, and leave you frustrated. Whether you’re experiencing symptoms of menopause now, or it’s years down the line, there are a variety of proactive things you can do make sure changes in your skin tone, body temperature, hair, and nails, don’t get in the way of you feeling comfortable and happy in your own skin.

Most Important: Prioritize Sleep

Your sleeping habits affect your hormones. Sounds complicated, but all it takes is regular and good habits to get you into a restorative, balanced sleep that will undermine menopause’s often insomnia-inducing symptoms. A regular sleep now will help teach your body to fall asleep when you want it to, not when your menopause decides you can go to sleep.

Feel Stronger

Hormone levels drop during menopause, bringing on a higher risk of osteoporosis. Focus on calcium rich foods for strong bones. Strength will also make it easier to feel well rested after sleep, as the body has the nutrients it needs to do productive work during your sleep. Calcium rich foods include:

• Kale and Spinach
• Parmesan and Swiss Cheese (these contain the lowest levels of lactose in a cheese while still being very high in calcium)
• Greek Yogurt

Control Temperature

Sweating is a common and incredibly annoying symptom of menopause. Research shows that ingesting Omega 3 Fatty Acids can reduce these “night sweats” by helping to control temperature. Enjoy these tasty treats that will give you energy throughout the day and reduce sweating:

• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel (fatty fish)

Relax

As hormone levels swing, some women feel depressed during menopause. A good night’s sleep will help taper these down feelings, as will intake of blood sugar-leveling vitamins, especially Vitamin B. Look for:

• Broccoli
• Spinach (also high in iron and calcium)
• Lean meat and poultry

Perhaps most important is predictability: your body is going through fluxes, and you can do your part to be as predictable as possible by eating well and sleeping right to taper exhaustion, mood swings, and skin flare ups.

Comfort Food

It’s easy to turn to comfort food during Calgary’s long winters. It’s chilly outside, the days are shorter and the nights are longer. When outdoor temperatures drop, body temperature drops. The body gets sent a message to heat up quickly. This turns into a craving for high calorie, high carb meals—stews, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes—which provide an instant heat boost.

 What happens when we eat high calorie, high carb foods?

Those sugary, starchy foods cause blood sugar spikes and then falls, which sets up a cycle that keeps the appetite going. We become hungry again quickly, and then reach for more of the same foods.

Any food will raise our body temperatures, but we’ve been brought up to think of salads, fruits and vegetables are ‘summer foods’. We associate winter with rich and heavy meals.

This vicious cycle turns into pounds, many of which end up on the abdomen area, and can be difficult to reduce.

How can I get rid of abdominal weight?

Non-surgical liposuction and cellulite reduction is an effective and safe way to reduce pockets of abdominal fat, which can be hard to eliminate. With Venus Legacy treatments, radiofrequency (RF) energy is used. This is a form of electrical energy that has been used in medicine for decades. Venus Legacy combines RF with magnetic pulses to allow safe and gentle warming and stimulation of the skin and fat tissue areas. This triggers the body’s natural rejuvenating response, enabling fat cells to shrink in size.

Nighttime Snacking and Your Weight

It’s pretty obvious that for most, calories in, calories out is what determines whether weight is gained or not. Avoiding after dinner eating may help prevent weight gain. Eating when we are tired at the end of the day can make digestion more difficult, resulting in weight gain. It can also cause bloating, gas and heart burn. Nighttime eating may alter hormones that control appetite and result in added pounds. We have a ‘brain’ in our stomach that ensures food is moved in the right amounts and at the correct speed through the digestive system. When we are tired, which most of us in the evening, this ‘brain’ is also tired and doesn’t work as efficiently.

Why do we eat at night?

There are several reasons why we may turn to food at night:

• Inadequate calorie intake during the day
• Emotional eating – using food to cope with stress, procrastination, boredom, feelings of loneliness, boredom or to avoid sadness, anger or other unpleasant emotions
• It’s become a habit

When we deprive ourselves or skip meals during the day, we go into starvation mode and think about food constantly. This can result in eating random snack throughout the day, and not providing our bodies with what they need.

Lack of Planning

If we don’t pre-plan for dinner, it becomes easy to pick up take out on the way home, usually something high in calories, especially if we have skipped meals during the day. Guilt sets in and we may eat more. Or we stuff ourselves with cheese and crackers while we try to make a ‘real meal’ and then don’t feel like eating the dinner we’ve just prepared.

Does this sound familiar?

We may have a post-dinner ritual that looks like this. Changing into something loose and comfortable, flopping on the sofa with a book, electronic device or the remote control. You’re hungry again later, so it’s off to up and down, off the sofa, to get snacks, switching back and forth between sweet and salty.

Nighttime Snacking and your Weight Part II

Eating at night can add up to extra weight quickly. Cravings kick in, we’re stressed at the end of the day and before we know it, we are raiding the fridge again, even after eating a large meal.

 Tips to end nighttime eating and binges

• Eat breakfast daily. Balancing your blood sugar throughout the day is key to     stopping nighttime snacking. Always eat a breakfast meal that contains a good source of protein, such as eggs.

• Stop  the liquid calories. They’re full of sugar and will spike your blood sugar     and insulin, leading to cravings.

• Don’t skip meals. Ensure you have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with a snack between meals if you like. Develop a regular routine for meals—regulating your hormones through proper eating will keep it in balance.

• Include protein and good quality fat at each meal. These include nuts and seeds,     avocados, coconut, olive oil, chicken, fish and meat. Combine these with lots of vegetables to control blood sugar.

3 More Super Fall Foods For Your Skin

To get luminous skin this autumn, put these fall super food vegetables and fruits in your basket the next time you’re doing a grocery run. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fibres, adding these to your plate, will help your skin adapt to the changing season.

Pears

The sweet and juicy taste of pears always makes them popular. Cooking pears helps to bring out their amazing flavour. Try poaching or baking them.

Health benefits include: 

• Good source of vitamin C and copper • 4 grams of fiber per serving

Rutabaga

Rutabagas are a cross between a turnip and a cabbage and have a wonderful earthy flavor. To get the most out of them, add rutabagas to casseroles, puree them and mix with turnips and carrots for a tasty sweet soup, or roast them in ginger, honey, or lemon.

Health benefits include:

• Good source of fiber • Good source of vitamin C

Cauliflower

Perfect as a winter side dish, cauliflower’s sweet and slightly nutty flavor make them a tasty addition to your table. Cauliflower is always wonderful steamed, but can be blended to a texture similar to mashed potatoes or pureed for a delicious, healthy soup.

Health benefits include: 

• Compounds that may help to prevent cancer • Phytonutrients may lower cholesterol" “Excellent source of vitamin C

Your Winter Skin Detox

Perhaps winter seems like a counter-intuitive time to detox your skin. Many of us think of  "sweating it out" in summer temperatures as a way to balance oils. The best time to repair your skin is actually when the blistering summer sun is gone and your delicate skin has time away to recover from heat-related flare ups, which can cause wide-spread irritation.

Cover Up

You can’t control the weather, but you can control what you’re wearing. Wear a scarf and gloves on windy or particularly cold days to minimize irritation and dryness on your hands, neck, face, and chest.

Exfoliate

Skin will dry out in winter, so exfoliate regularly to keep your skin cells as fresh and clean as possible. Exfoliating in a gentle manner removes dead skin cells that have built up over days, weeks, and months. Dead skin cells clog pores and trap dirt, but a gentle exfoliation regime once or twice a week scrubs your pores clean while not being too harsh–too much pressure causes extra irritation.  The goal is to have a clean, healthy surface that your moisturizer can enter and rehydrate with ease.

Destress and Rest

The holidays are super stressful, and it’s hard to avoid. Your skin doesn’t have to be stressed and shouldn’t get in the way of you feeling confident during the winter months. Aim to get a regular sleep so that your skin is prepared to hydrate and restore itself. As always, sleep is a great thing for your skin because it loves to rehydrate over several hours. More sleep will cut down redness, flare ups, and pimples. Sleep really is good for absolutely everything.

Winter Sun Protection

Finally, protect yourself from the sun in winter. A quality face moisturizer with sun protection should be worn year round. As time goes on you’ll be glad you did–the difference between protected skin and skin that is constantly exposed to the sun is staggering. Do yourself a simple favour and protect your beautiful face every day.

Energy Boosters

Whether it’s a cold grey Monday or the end of a hot summer Saturday, sometimes we need a boost. There are many ways to keep your energy up as the weather changes –the changing of the seasons can sometimes give us headaches and drain our energy. Here are a few tips to keep you and your skin’s energy boosted and glowing no matter what the weather.

Go Carby

Completely carb free diets makes life and energy levels very dull–we become someone who constantly needs a nap. Complex carbs and multi-grains keep our energy up and us full without being full of sugar–as is the much less healthy carb-provider white bread. Multi-grains and complex carbs are able to be broken down and provide our bodies with energy and nutrients.

Stay Hydrated

As always, staying hydrated keeps us happy and healthy from the inside out. Drinking enough water a day (a litre and a half) will provide alertness, soft skin, and energy. Being hydrated also wards off sunstroke (come summer) and is a preventative measure against headaches and nausea.

Keep in Motion

Going for walks or even standing up between long periods of work is good for energy levels, as a sedentary life drags down energy and puts us in sleep mode. Go for short walks when possible; a bit of exercise is a better energy boost than a mid-day nap.

Sunscreen

The more the sun is out, the better able it is able to zap your moisture and make you tired. Wear a proper sunscreen and keep out of direct sunlight when possible to retain your moisture and keep your skin supple, glowing, and hydrated throughout the day. Wake up from the inside out with regular hydration, regular meals, and regular exercise for good, healthy, and bright skin.

Vitamin C

Although many of us take vitamin C to prevent colds–not our greatest concern in the summer–there are other preventative qualities of this vitamin that are important for our skin, all year long. Vitamin C can improve the quality of your skin because it is essential to production of collagen in our skin.

Vitamin C and Collagen

The production of collagen production keeps skin looking and feeling plump, healthy, and elastic. In other words, youthful. Collagen is the most abundant protein in humans, and essential to forming strong connective tissue. Vitamin C is essential for the prevention of free radicals that form chains that attack collagen production.

Sun protection

Topical application of Vitamin C has been shown to provide protection from and to repair sun damage. Look for medical grade lotions with L-ascorbic acid as one of the ingredients. This type of Vitamin C has shown the best results for relief and protection from  sun damage.

Skin Quality

Skin care products containing vitamin C can improve your skin quality:

• Strengthen your skin’s barrier
• Reduce inflammation
• Work hand in hand with chemical peels and microdermabrasion for the best outcomes
• Reduce hyperpigmentation
• Increase the effectiveness of sunscreen

Taking Vitamin C daily, as well as applying it topically may be the secret ingredient to improved skin. Look for ascorbic acid in the ingredients list on your medical grade skin care products.

Give Your Self the Gift of Looking Your Best

Start the new year feeling on top of the world. If you’ve been feeling discouraged because you can’t rid yourself of excess fat, love handles, stubborn pockets of fat and cellulite, consider body contouring.

You can be fit, thin and healthy, but as you age, these skin issues arrive for most of us, and no amount of exercise can help.

Sad, but true

No matter your body shape, skin tone, diet or exercise plan, over time our skin looses elasticity, collagen weakens and it becomes harder to loose excess fat. As we age, we develop wrinkles, fine lines and some of us have a genetic predisposition to cellulite, which is a common concern.

How does body contouring work?

The latest advancements in this technology mean non-invasive and painless aesthetic treatment are available to regenerate your face, neck and body. Turn back the clock to get the look you love.

How long does a treatment take?

With treatments such as the Venus Legacy for body contouring, there is no downtime. It’s safe and a treatment takes less than 30 minutes.

How many treatments will I need?

It depends on your goals, and treatment varies from patient to patient.

Treat yourself this year – you can have a body contouring treatment on your lunch break, and head right back to work.