New Year’s Detox and Resolutions

This January I invite you to skip the resolutions and, instead, set a long term goal with baby steps to help you get there with ease and joy. Here’s what you need to know to set you up for healthy, beautiful skin this winter and all year round, including my favorite supplements and skincare ingredients.

Start with a few simple things like making sure to remove all makeup before bed or starting your day with a slow deep breath and setting an intention to drink more water. To help your body help you look and feel your best and live your most energetic and fulfilling life, small steps make a big difference. I’ve listed some other things you can do. Some of it will be familiar, but still needs to be said, others may need extra approval from your doctor and yet others will not be right for you. Here is what I do and what I recommend for many of my patients:

• Habits: There is almost always a lag between habits and outcome. Sometimes the lag can take years, like with damage from sun exposure to skin cancer formation, but, sometimes you can see the change in your skin and feel it in your body in a matter of hours to days, as from drinking water, eating less sugar, or getting a good night's sleep.

In those cases, you will see the improvement almost immediately and my hope is that will encourage you to keep it going, take control of your habits and age beautifully.

It’s a little different when it comes to skin care, as it can take four to six weeks to see lasting improvement beyond basic hydration, so it’s very important to stick with your routine for at least a month before deciding if a product is or isn’t making a difference for your skin.

• Homeostasis: Our bodies love sameness, that is, waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day, even having daily bowel movements at the same time every day, maintaining the same weight over time. The more you stay in homeostasis, the more your body will be able to manage stresses that are not under your control. Challenging that can sometimes be helpful, like with interval exercise training, or doing an in-office treatment that encourages collagen repair and formation.
• Intermittent Fasting or time restricted eating. This can be good for the skin as well as the gut and brain. I try to keep to as close to a 16 hour daily fast but there are days I get to as few as 13 hours or as long as 20 hours. Your body heals and rejuvenates when you sleep and you sleep better when not on a full stomach.
• Hydration: Water is essential for health and life. One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling tired. You may also notice puffiness around the eyes and sagging skin. Once you rehydrate you’ll perk right up!
• Foods: Try to stick to a whole food, plant rich diet as much as you can. I’m not a purist so I eat good quality meat on occasion. Avoid processed foods, aka fast foods and cold cuts, deserts, and candy as much as you can, and then try harder. I’m a work in progress there too. You will see the difference in your skin and feel the difference in your body very quickly
• Supplements: Some say that supplements are a waste, I’m not one of those people. I’ve been studying this for decades and there are certain supplements I believe could make a big difference in our skin and in our bodies. They will never replace a healthy diet or lifestyle but they can add value to it. Here’s what I take based on my research. Be sure to ask your doctor about what would be best for you
• Vitamin C 1,000 mg per day `
• Niacinamide 500-750 mg per day
• Quercetin 500- 1,000 mg per day
• Magnesium glycinate or threonate approx. 300-400mg daily.
• Zinc Picolinate 50mg once daily
• Vitamin D 1000-5000 IU once daily (check your vitamin D levels at your next annual check up)
• Elysium "Basis" and “Signal”- anti-aging, anti-inflammatory supplement increases NAD+, activates sirtuins, supports cellular energy and metabolism, promotes healthy cellular aging process, helps maintain healthy DNA. Can purchase online at http://www.elysiumhealth.com
• N-Acetyl Cysteine. This is a precursor of glutathione and helps with mitochondrial (aka energy producers of the body) function

Bottom Line: Small changes can make a big difference, start with baby steps and before you know it you’ll see big improvement. You don’t have to be perfect every day but it helps to be good on most days for beautiful, healthy skin that ages beautifully.

Happy New Year!