The Sun and Your Skin – How to win the anti-aging skin game

The Sun and Your Skin – How to win the anti-aging skin game

There has been a major shift in recent years away from the golden tanned/bronzed look. Although it is still popular, and as a westernised nation, we seem to still find obsession in ‘looking brown for summer’ there is somewhat of a shift occurring with regards to what we perceive to look good. Cancer councils around the world are trying to reprogram our self-image compasses to a somewhat paler complexion than in previous years.

The shift comes from a scary increase in the statistics for skin cancer in the last two decades. The knowledge we now have regarding this subject has grown immensely, and as such, as a society we are slowly starting to make a change for the better. As good as it may look to have that golden tan, the sad fact is that we are damaging our skin when we expose ourselves to the sun.

When we get sunburnt, this is both extremely dangerous to our skin, and damaging to our aging process. The more we punish our skin by getting burnt, the quicker our skin will age, as it loses its elastin’s that help keep our skin fresh and youthful.

All is not lost though. By applying a few of the tips below, you can reduce the suns effects, and help to stave off some of the damage caused. You can also attempt to slow the aging process of your skin as well!

·         Wear sun protective clothing

This may not always be a practical step, but the simple fact is that if you are able to cover up as much as possible, then you have a natural barrier from the sun’s harmful rays.

·         Slop on broad-spectrum, water resistant SPF30+ sunscreen

For best results, apply a minimum of twenty minutes before exposure to sun. In an ideal world, you should reapply every two hours.

·         Slap on a hat

Yes, this is all old news, but it’s there because it is effective. Put on a broad brim hat to protect your face and neck as best as possible

·         Seek Shade

Again this is one that should be fairly obvious, and sometimes being out in the sun is unavoidable. Try not to overexpose yourself to the sun if you can.

·         Wear sunglasses

Not only do these make you look at least fifteen percent cooler, they also help to protect your eyes. Well, some sunnies make people look cooler, others are just plain crazy.

Many people will read the above and think; ‘oh yeah, thanks captain obvious.’

Indeed these ideas are not new by any means. In fact they are all old news, rehashed. Perhaps a timely reminder might help you remember why you started wearing sunscreen in the first place?

You only have one skin, so be good to it. If you want to keep it looking young and fresh, then do yourself a favour and be careful in the sun. Better to be pale and youthful looking, than tanned and old before your time right?

                                                          http://simplyessential.com

Love Little Things – How to love life’s joys everyday

If you were to ask yourself when the last time you found amusement in something really silly was, when would that be? Can you even remember the last time that was? It doesn’t need to be anything you even had an outward physical reaction to. Even just something that was amusing to you alone is fine. What was the feeling you had? Did you hold onto it? Or was it just a fleeting moment? The reason for the psychometric-like line of questioning is simply just a thought provoker. There is no right or wrong answer with this, as only you have to answer these for yourself.

The reason for the questions as mentioned is for the purposes of awakening your thoughts and attitudes. Are you the type of person that can appreciate the little things in life? Or like many of us out there in society, have you forgotten what it was like having such adoration, and finding amusement in the little things you witness as a child might? If you relate better to the latter group, the question is why?

What is so incredibly important in your life, that you can’t appreciate a moment of laughter at something silly? This is not written to antagonise anyone. It is to provoke thoughts more than anything. I hope it succeeds in that goal.

Where Am I Now?

As an example of enjoying little things in life, I recently witnessed a young bull who had managed to escape through an open gate. He had figured out that with a gentle shove on the gate, it would open, and he would be able to go munch the brown, not-so-greener-grass on the other side of the fence. For some reason when I looked up to see that the gate had swung close behind him I found his complete bewilderment hilarious. Not only did he have no clue as to how he had engineered his escape, he also appeared to realise that this was not the most thought-out escape plan ever hatched. When he had moved away from the gate, I opened it fully, and proceeded to usher him back to the original side of the fence, where he discovered that the grass had always been greener on the initial side after all! It was a silly conundrum that I witnessed, and I must admit, my story will not win any comedic writing prizes, for me I chose to view the amusing side of it. I chose in that moment to enjoy something fairly simple, and the entertainment value of a 1 tonne beast being scared because he didn't know how to get back to the greener grass from whence he came.

  

With the busy, hectic, and oftentimes stressful lifestyles that we lead, couldn’t we all do with taking a step back and simply just enjoying ourselves in the moment for a while? Look at the amazement of life around you, and take a moment to appreciate it all while you still can. As one quote I read goes:

“Enjoy the little things in life, for someday you will realise that they were the big things”

I think that fairly well sums up the crux of this article. One final quote worthy of note here is another by Arthur Conan Doyle:

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important”

Don’t forget to enjoy life for the little things that appear in our lives daily. It’s what makes it great!

Turning your passion into a business

What do you absolutely love to do? What is your favourite pastime? If you had all the money you ever needed, what is the one thing you would do for fun? Ask yourself these key questions, and you will find the answer. Although one must admit that our modern-day society is shrouded in this type of advice and information, the undeniable truth of it all is that we live in a time where we have such  abundant access to information. Check out the video below if you really want to blow your mind on the amount of info there is out there. It is some phenomenal times we live in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJjfDUzD7M

When I first got started online, my passion was for helping people. Whether that was in a healing capacity, teaching, listening to, or just helping them, I was really passionate about helping people in my life. I was fortunate enough to be able to turn this into a business that has been successful for nearly twenty years. I found my passion, and I was able to harness that into a product that I had developed out of my own necessity to help myself, and those around me that suffered from cold sores as well. 

When I realised that I had developed something that could help people in a drastic way, I knew I had found my calling. The tricky part for me was that I had no idea how to operate, or set up a business online. Especially given it was late 1996 when this occurred. It wasn’t as if the internet was filled with the same business set-ups and websites that are available today.

As I alluded to, I had passion, and I knew that my idea would work. I actually wasn’t too worried about the money at that point either, as I simply wanted to help as many people as possible, and thankfully I was able to.

When you find the core of what drives you, you can start to move towards that as a career aspiration. Maybe even a business? Doing what you love will give you more satisfaction and contentment in your life, as you will feel as though you are living your own life on purpose. You won’t be stuck in the job you despise, or be in a career path that is not fulfilling to you. You will be able to say that you do what you love.

They say that if you do do what you love, then the money will follow. Whilst this isn't always the case, is it not better to pursue a career, or job that you enjoy, rather than complain another day that you are not satisfied in your life?

Like many things in life, we have a choice to move towards pleasure, or away from pain. Given we only have one shot at this amazing thing called life, isn’t it better to become conscious of what we want, and aim to move towards our pleasures, than simply letting life go by and have a feeling of discontentment?

Here’s to health, wealth and contentment always

Contentment - The Art Of Happy

          

When asked, many people will state their goals in life in a somewhat typical fashion; health, wealth, freedom, and happiness. I have always viewed the latter as something that seems outside of yourself. It’s like making the statement: “I want to be happy in… (insert typical area of want here. i.e work, family, career, myself etc), or “I’ll be happy when…” The problem with making such a statement is that it is like dangling the carrot just in front of you. You can see it, but can’t quite reach it. It is there, and if only you could get that promotion at work, or if only you could get along better with your co-worker then you would be ‘happy.’

I propose a slightly different option for you. What if instead of aiming for being happy, you became content instead? I say this because being happy in my humble opinion is also like a finite resource. You can be happy for a time, but then it goes away when one of life’s unexpected upsets transpires. By aiming for contentment, it is something that is more within you. It is something that you choose, as opposed to an outside force that needs to occur before you can catch a brief moment of the all elusive happiness.

Check out the video below about contentment. Certainly makes you think a little.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=627ddF06Gqs

So, the next time you catch yourself saying; I wish I was…, or I will be happy when… just stop and focus for a moment on what you already have, and be content.

Have a healthy, happy (ah, content) day...

Ok, so being 'happy' is pretty cool too, but you get the idea!

Nature’s Superfoods – Easy Ways to Eat Healthier

Eating well doesn’t necessarily have to be an arduous task. You can eat well, and eat yummy stuff at the same time. It doesn’t always have to be either or. I should probably put in a disclaimer here and say that I eat almost anything. Whilst I am fussy in some respects, for the most part I love fruit and vegies and a variety of foods in general. If you are not naturally adept at chowing down on the occasional celery stick, or piece of fruit, you may need to suck it up a little for the following list.

As we all know, some foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and healthy goodness, while others are nasty to our bodies. Below is a list of some of nature’s superfoods. Try adding some of these to your diet on a regular basis.

Açai: An exotic berry from the Amazon which has seen a lot of hype in recent years. The hype is not unfounded though, as this little berry contains a very unique concentration of amino acids, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. You’ll also be pleased to know that this little piece of natural awesomeness can help combat premature aging due to its high content of something known as oleic acid. This helps omega oils penetrate cell membranes to keep them supple. Cool huh!

Yoghurt: You may have seen the ads on TV stating all the good bacteria it contains. The most well known culture in it is Lactobacillus acidophilus. This passes through the stomach and helps to restore balance in the digestive system. It can also help fight off infections. One cup of yoghurt contains fifty percent more calcium than a glass of milk. Some other big worded good stuff it contains are: potassium, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphate.

Broccoli: This lovely green vege is packed with vitamin C, folic acid, and carotenoids which are loaded with vitamin A and can help protect your body from free radicals. It also enhances the immune system, and even have an effect on reproductive health. One small serving of broccoli provides 175% of your daily vitamin K needs, which helps build strong bones and aids with blood coagulation. Broccoli is also said to have anti-carcinogenic properties as well.

Blueberries: These guys are awesome too! In fact blueberries are even cancer-fighting. They contain high levels of ellagic acid, an antioxidant that has been proven to slow the growth of some cancerous tumors.

Hopefully that is enough to start with. Start adding a few of these into your diet on a more regular basis and begin to feel the difference. Like anything in life, it is about finding balance. Unless you go to the extremes, you don’t need to make too many radical changes to incorporate some of these into your dietary routine. A healthy diet isn’t all about cutting out the bad stuff, it is more about limiting the bad stuff, and ensuring that the good stuff we put into our bodies far outweighs the bad stuff.

I hope these tips help you! Have a fantastic, healthy day!

www.simplyessential.com

Follow One Course Until Successful

How many of you out there set New Year’s goals, or resolutions only to be wondering within the next few months exactly what happened to them? Could it be that you have too many goals to focus on, and your brain doesn’t know which one to really clamp into? Most folks are likely to repeat this habit year on year. It’s not something you need to beat yourself up on too much. We’ve all been there. 

There is a potential solution out there that I’ll cover below. Hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard to implement in your own life. It may even mean you get some of those goals scratched off your list by the end of the year. Then again, why does it need to be end of year anyway?

It’s time to focus. Actually the entire focus of this article is actually that word. Focus. It also represents a nifty little acronym that I live by, and has helped me get better results in my life since I implemented it.

Follow

One

Course

Until

Successful

It certainly sounds simple enough, and in fact it is. The majority of people will set goals and resolutions in such a way that means their energy is completely scattered when they set out to achieve their goals. The natural progression that occurs is that when you let yourself slip in one, then it effectively becomes like a house of cards, and the rest crumble. Obviously I am making huge generalisations here for the purpose of the article.

So a potential solution to all this is to simply focus your energy on one major goal. This does not necessarily mean you limit yourself entirely to just one endeavour, but it means the majority of your focus is on achieving the one goal. As an example, let’s say that your goals list looks like this;

  ü  Fit into wedding dress by (insert date)

  ü  Learn a language

  ü  Learn rocket science

  ü  Save the animals 

  ü  Save the forests

While all these goals are commendable, is it really reasonable to assume you will be able to complete them all simultaneously? Unless you are some kind of savant that can handle such things, then I suspect the answer is no.

The trick in this case is to prioritise what your most important goal is to you right now. If you have a wedding pending, then it is probably more likely you are going to want to fit into that dress, rather than worry about whether the computational fluid dynamics of an A4 rocket are calculated correctly (err, whatever that means?).  If that is the case, then the primary focus should perhaps be to get fit/lose weight etc. If that is your primary goal, you can also fit in other goals around it. An example of this might be to incorporate an audio course on a language to listen to on your workouts.

The point being is that you will surprise yourself with your results when you really focus. By making headway in one area, you will feel a greater sense of motivation and achievement, which will help you achieve more by taking the same approach.

Go forth and F.O.C.U.S!

www.simplyessential.com

Natural skin treatments that work wonders

Three Simple Steps for Healthier Skin

Ok, so you’ve tried everything, read everything, and seen everything to do with skin health. You may or may not have seen these ones before. Regardless, there is some handy hints written below which may assist you in keeping your skin clear, and healthy, and youthful.

Some of these may even be old wives tales, but strangely enough, it is the old wives tales that often have some great tips that are well grounded in truth. Funny that huh!

No need to head off to the pharmacy, or supermarket just yet, as all of these are made from ingredients you would find around the home.

Honey and Aspirin

Who would have thought that these two would work? Well thankfully they do, and well too for that matter. A combination of aspirin and honey can immediately reduce the redness that comes from acne. Aspirin helps reduce the redness of acne, while honey is a natural antibiotic that can disinfect your pores, which coincidentally were the initial cause of the acne in the first place. The method to the madness in this is first to clean the skin with toner to help open the pores. In a bowl, crush one aspirin into a small amount of toner to create a paste of sorts. Apply the paste directly to the acne spots and leave for a few minutes. Next, wash the paste off and apply a small dab of honey to the pimpled area. Wash off after approximately ten minutes. Your skin will look and feel clear and smoother.

Lemon and Sugar

I’ve previously written about my obsession with lemons here. Nature’s filled with wonderful healing, and antiseptic properties. Lemons are a natural antiseptic among many other talents they possess. Their antiseptic properties make them great for removing bacteria from pores. This in turn helps the skin become less oily, which can make it look smoother, and less prone to acne. Sugar on the other hand whilst is ‘good on the lips, bad on the hips’ should perhaps read: ‘great smeared all over the face, and still bad on the hips.’ Why? Well, the sugar in the mix acts as a powerful, yet gentle exfoliant. This opens the pores of the skin so the lemon can go to work. Simply cut a lemon in half, and sprinkle sugar on one of the halves. Apply this to your face each evening to remove dead skin cells. This will also help get rid of blackheads and help the skin look more radiant.

  Sea salt

What the? Salt? Really? Yes really. Like our friend the lemon, sea salt is a natural antiseptic. Ever wondered why you feel fresh and clean after swimming at the beach? Salt is doing its work. So instead of rolling around in the sand on a daily basis (unless you enjoy that of course), you can try this instead; add a tablespoon of sea salt to a glass of warm water and stir until the salt dissolves. Pour the salty water onto a facecloth, or applicator and let the salty-goodness do its work. Make sure you wash off afterwards with fresh water.

So there you have it, three incredibly simple things to help clear your skin up and make you look great! Go ahead and try it today!

www.simplyessential.com

Keeping your Heart Healthy

Protecting your Heart

The heart is no doubt a vital, if not one of the most vital organs…ok top ten at least anyway. The point being is that we can do so much to help ensure our hearts are healthy, and live as long as we do without putting undue strain on them.

I would even go so far as to say that increasing your heart health is even easy. You don’t need to make many changes, to change your heart’s health. By simply exercising regularly, and replacing some of the sugar in your diet, you will be able feel, and hopefully look better too!

By simply doing thirty minutes of exercise per day you can dramatically decrease the chances of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If you think this sounds hard, this could be as simple as three ten minute blocks. Sounds pretty easy right! Well, it actually is. For all you nay-sayers out there that are pre-determining their excuses as they read this; walking to work counts, walking to your car counts, lifting items such as groceries, babies, and laundry counts. Sure it doesn’t necessarily elevate your heart rate too high, but it is still movement. Perhaps if you want to elevate your heart rate just a tad, you may also want to look at incorporating something slightly more strenuous into your morning walk. Perhaps a lunge or two? Maybe you could increase the pace a little with your walk?

Of course, if you are committed, and do actually want to make a change then you will. Some of the benefits of actually dedicating yourself to become healthy/healthier are;

1.  Exercise releases endorphins (the brains ‘happy’ juice), which in turn helps relieve stress, anxiety and fights depression.
2. You feel better about yourself
3. You lower the risk of health problems
4. You help to lower your blood pressure
5.  Helps with circulation
6.  Gives a sense of achievement, which in turn helps to make you feel good about yourself, which in turn helps to release more endorphins, which in turn makes you more happy!

So we know that there are huge benefits of getting fit and active. Don’t feel pressured to do more than you can. Take baby steps with this, and eventually you will surprise yourself at what you can achieve. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say, and those incred

ibly fit looking people you see on magazines were not sculpted overnight either.

Stop making excuses for yourself, and get moving! Remember that you alone are responsible for your body. If you do not take the time to care for it, it may not always be there for you. Keeping yourself fit, active and flexible will do wonders for your health, and wellbeing. This should be an absolute priority in your life. Not just a thought.

I challenge you to start right now! For those of you that are already fit, and active, keep up the great work.

Remember that exercise is only one half of the heart health equation. We will cover some diet hacks another time.

Have a happy, healthy, and wonderful day!

www.simplyessential.com

Poached Salmony goodness

Poached Salmon on Rice

If you’re anything like me, then you will be able to relate to not having an abundance of time to cook in the evenings. I for one find less and less time the older I get. Funny thing with time is, they’re not making any more of it. You only get a certain amount of it in your life. A while ago I brought one of Jamie Oliver’s books Jamie’s 15 minute meals. Which I dare say changed my cooking life for the better. Whilst this recipe isn’t in his book, I managed to cook it recently in about twenty minutes, and is not only healthy, but delicious too. I figured instead of plagiarising poor old Jamie, I would put in my own recipe instead. Actually, this isn’t even my recipe, I just love it, and have cooked it often.

Ok, so I was about to write out a mammoth recipe for you to review and look over, but instead I noted that it is already available online. I got the below from an awesome site called: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/

SIMPLE GINGER SOY POACHED SALMON

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

20 mins

Slightly adapted.

Author: Chef Michael Smith - Fast Flavors

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

2 tablespoons grated ginger

½ teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce or chili pepper flakes

4 4oz fresh salmon fillets

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1½ cups brown basmati rice

3 cups water (for rice)

20 spears of asparagus

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Get the rice started in a rice cooker or on the stove. Follow directions on package for rice.

2.Meanwhile poach the salmon. Match your favorite heavy skillet with a tight fitting lid.

3.Pour the water, soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, and ginger together in the skillet.

4.Bring to a vigorous simmer over high heat, then lower to a slow, steady simmer. Nestle the salmon fillets in the mixture and cover the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes then gently flip the salmon fillets.

5.Cover and simmer until cooked through, about 4-5 more minutes.

6.Steam the asparagus for 4-5 minutes.

7.Divide the rice and asparagus among 4 bowls. Position the salmon on each pile of rice and spoon the sauce over evenly. Sprinkle with green onion to garnish.

8.Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving size: 1 salmon fillet, with ¾ cup brown rice, 5 spears asparagus & sauce Calories: 405 kcal Fat: 10.9g Saturated fat: 1.8g Unsaturated fat: 6.9g Carbohydrates: 41.8gSugar: 3.4g Fiber: 4.2g Protein: 34.7g

Go forth and try this awesome meal. It’s quick, tasty and is really good for you too. For full details on the recipe, you can check it out here: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/2012/12/27/simple-ginger-soy-poached-salmon/

Big thank you to Nutritionist in the Kitch too. Have a great day!

www.simplyessential.com