Sensitive vs. Sensitized

A classic case of  skin type vs. skin condition. 

“Sensitive” and “sensitized” skin, are they one and the same? Are the words interchangeable? Do they both ‘basically’ refer to the same thing?

No. No, and No.

Yes, the picture is all butterflies, flowers and pink and all but it’s not a ‘girl’ only issue. The guys walking around with itchy, burning, red, or inflamed skin would attest to that I’m sure. Holla.

SENSITIVE

Sensitive skin is considered a skin type, meaning that you were born with it. As it’s in your genes you aren’t going to grow out of it, ever. It’s embedded in your DNA and nothing can be done to change the fact that you indeed were born with this particular skin type.

It is not uncommon for people of Celtic, Scottish or Irish descent to have this skin type. Other common traits of people with this skin type are:

- Light eyes
- Red hair and
- Almost transparent looking skin.

However, this is not absolute. This is a global world, breeds get mixed. Medium skin with light eyes? Yes. It is not impossible for darker skin to be genetically sensitive. 

As sensitive skin is a genetic condition, it would stand to reason that if you have sensitive skin there is most likely someone else in your immediate family with sensitive skin – mom, dad, son, daughter, sister or brother.

It has also been found that:

- Allergies (e.g. hay fever)
- Eczema and/ or
- Asthma 

are genetic predispositions often associated with a sensitive skin type.

SENSITIZED

Sensitized skin, or skin that has been environmentally sensitized is considered to be a skin condition. 

A skin condition is the present state that the skin is in. As such, skin conditions can vary from year to year, season to season and even from day to day. Your skin condition in the morning can even be different from that in the afternoon. It is a temporary state of the skin which can be treated. 

Many factors can trigger sensitivity/ environmental sensitization of the skin. These include but are not limited to:

- Aging 
- Cosmetic Products
- Diet 
- Climate
- Hormones
- Stress
- Environmental Assault
- Impaired barrier function of skin

All of which  will be discussed in a later post.

Keeping the skin both calm and hydrated is the most effective way to decrease skin’s sensitivity and keep it under control.

And you’d want to do this why? Because skin that remains in a red, irritated or inflamed state over extended periods of time is skin that is prone to hyperpigmentation (darkening), deep lines and wrinkles aka signs of accelerated aging. Yeah, you’d want to not do that; Premature aging is not Sexy.

If you can help slow down the signs of aging just by soothing inflamed, irritated skin, why wouldn’t you?

Stay tuned for a further discussion on triggers, treatment options, and my favourite topic – useful ingredients to look for in skin care products .

b FiercelyFabulous

Photo credits: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Health Tip: Smart Start

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Yes, studies have shown that starting the day right with a breakfast that is high in fibre and low in sugar can give your body the boost it needs, the boost that most of us think we can get from coffee. 

But what about replenishing the fluids lost during sleep?

Your body loses quite a lot of it’s water content during this time. 

Drinking an 8 oz glass of water soon after waking up would replace the water that your body has lost. 

Doing so will also give your metabolism a boost, enabling you almost immediately have more energy.

Find pure water boring? Add freshly squeezed lemon or lime, or spike it with a dash or two of pure cranberry juice (read non-sweetened). This will add a touch of flavour, as well as vitamin C, a powerful anti-oxidant.

Whatever you do stay far away from commercially packaged, flavoured water.

One look at the Nutritional Facts on the label will indicate that these drinks often come packaged with more sugar and salt than a healthy diet would allow for just replacing liquids that have been lost overnight.

Start your day off right by just replacing just the liquids that have been lost, rather than putting your daily calorie bank in deficit before you even have a meal. Save the extra calories that come with ‘flavoured water’ for something fun why not, like dessert perhaps.

Follow with that high fibre, low sugar breakfast.

Tip: a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese doesn’t fall into the ‘high fibre, low sugar’ category. 

Photo: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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What a pain in ye eyeball.

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Mr. Migraine.

–

What a pain nightmare.

The headache from hell that just keeps mutating, just before it starts to rot inside your mental.

The type of pain that makes you think that in your past life you used to butcher squirrels for coats and now karma has finally come to get you. Boo!

The type that can lead one to behead another for simply letting their little light shine… through an open window.

Keep that little light of yours under a bushel dammit you think to yourself, for all those tiny people drumming incessantly in your head is far from cute.

You’d tell the drummers to stop, but you risk opening your eyes, not that you’d see anyways cause your left eyesight went MIA-mi. Just the thought of your apparent lack of control over your body workings makes you smile… oh,…. there goes the little pa-rump-pa-pom-pom-ers again, only you know it’s not Christmas cause these guys come with a little fella in the band who scrapes his nails on the blackboard music sheet.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.

Day in day out, there is no respite from this torture. Only death will save you now.

What is a migraine?

Trusty old Wikipedia says that a migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men.

Just great.

The typical migraine headache affects one half of the head, is pulsating and lasts from 4 to 72 hours. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting,  increased sensitivity to light (photo phobia) as well as sound (phono phobia).

About one in three people who suffer migraine headache receive some sign that the migraine will soon occur. This can be some aura or experience in the form of an unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experience.

Interesting isn’t it? Not exactly being able to see into the future, but close. Still, this is nothing that migraine sufferers don’t already know. What we would really benefit from rather is how to STOP this beast.

Common migraine triggers

As it turns out, common triggers for migraine attacks include:
- Allergies
- Bright lights or sounds
- Odors/perfumes
- Stress
- Skipping meals
- Alcohol
- the Menstrual cycle and Menopause and
- Certain foods, including red wine, cheese, figs and diary products including chocolate*

Migraine Management

What the doctors say:

Knowing such, an important factor in migraine management is preventative treatment, which would largely be lifestyle changes – from proper nutrition plus perhaps taking nutritional supplements, increased exercise, to just plain avoiding the migraine triggers. Engaging in such constructive behaviour may result in reducing the duration, painfulness and/ or frequency of the migraines. 

Of course when all else fails, there’s always the option of reaching far enough to grab a handful of those pain killers, and swallow hard, not that I’m promoting drug abuse. Naturally, Smarty Pants, this doesn’tfix anything, it just eases the pain to allow you to get your life in order before the next attack that’s bound to happen if you don’t change something soon.

This however is not a fool proof remedy you say, as the surely the above only addresses the problem in about 60% of us, if so much. What about the others?

What the herbalists say:

Well, there’s always holistic medicine.

Thing is, as high as they may sound sometimes, their advice concerning migraines is pretty much the same thing, minus the crazy pill popping of course. 

Their view is that migraines are caused by a lack of serotonin to the the brain, and that lack of sleep, and the effect of foods, yadda yadda, are thought to be the causes. 

Some recommendations include increasing your intake of:

- Ginger,
- Water
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Food high in fibre.

Also reducing your intake of
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Soda and
- Salt as preventative measures.

Well there goes the fun. We come back to proper nutrition again. 

Direct sunlight is also thought by herbalists to cause migraines, so avoiding it may be a good idea. The idea goes something like this – when the sun rises, the very hottest rays irritate the blood vessels and cause them to shrink thereby causing pain. Moonlight walks are thought to help alleviate the pain. (See Ayurvedic Cure)

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Migraines are painful and debilitating. 

As a migraine sufferer, I decided to see if I could help myself and some of you, my suffering peeps out there, fight this horrible monster that attacks when least expected. Hope this helps

At the end if it all it seems like we are encouraged to:

Eat Better | Exercise more | Stress Less | Avoid Sun | Sleep

Seem easy enough. After all, according to GC if we do just that we’d alleviate a whole host of other issues as well.

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Forward ever…

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Sources:
Ayurvedic Cure – Migraine
Wikipedia – Migraine

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*For a full list see the Medicine Plus Medical Encyclopeadia.

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Help your body fight off disease by incorporating these foods into your diet.

Preparing these foods crispy fried, candied, salted or creamed definitely doesn’t count.

Whole grains e.g. Oats

This whole-grain delivers cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre and energy-providing carbohydrates without spiking blood sugar levels. Oats also keeps blood pressure in check.

Prepackaged already sweetened ‘oatmeal’ breakfast cereals contain high amounts of sugar.

Try cooking quick or rolled oats with milk, soy or almond milk and topping with cinnamon, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, diced dried fruit like apricot, currants or figs to add sweetness, or the good old cranberries (mentioned below) for a tart kick.

Also consider topping with diced fresh fruit like blueberries or strawberries. The possibilities are endless. Use a little agave nectar rather than sugar for added sweetness.

Too much work? Try Original or MultiGrain Cheerios. 

Green and Leafy veges e.g. Spinach

It’s hard to beat spinach as a green and leafy for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Spinach is also high in calcium and vitamin K, which is great for the lactose intolerant among us.

Eat alone, steamed or sauteed with onions, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms and herbs for flavour. Cooking with cream and excessive salt will reduce it’s overall health benefit.

Legumes e.g. Black beans

Beans (legumes not peas!) in general are packed with protein, fibre and yummy nutrients such as magnesium, folate and iron. They keep the heart happy by controlling cholesterol and blood pressure.

Keep salt and sugar levels down when cooking a mean bean stew. Flavour using herbs and spices instead. Consider adding garlic, onions and diced veges like celery for added depth in flavour profile. Also cook with oils like canola, sunflower or olive oil which are free of trans fatty acids.

Antioxidant berries e.g. Cranberries

Packed with anthocyanins, bacteria fighting substances, cranberries also help heart health by inhibiting the build-up of the bad LDL cholesterol.

Found in it’s usual preparations  however, cranberries are usually laced with sugar – in juices or in most commercially packaged snacks. These don’t count as ‘healthy’.

Nuts e.g. Walnuts and Almonds

Like salmon, nuts in general especially walnuts and almonds, contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain magnesium, folate and the anti-oxidant vitamin E.  

Eat nuts fresh or roasted. As you would imagine that I’d say, eating them sugar coated or candied doesn’t count.

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All-in-One Meals

Eating properly doesn’t have to be a production, and need not require cast and crew. 

Cooking up a healthy, nutritious meal can require little effort and just one pan – be it a skillet, a Crock-Pot or slow cooker, a wok or a saucepan.

Stews, soups, pies, jambalayas (pelau anyone?), or stir fries, the variety of foods you can make by just combining all the ingredients in one pan are endless.

You would need at least one type of all of the following:

- Protein
- Vegetable
- Grain or Starch 

and add appropriate seasonings to taste and it’s on like boil’ corn. 

Switch up the esthetics of the food. Tease your eyes and boost your nutrition by substituting vegetables of different colours and  switching to different proteins and grains/ starch from time to time. Also, switch up the taste by experimenting with different herbs and spices, and leave excess sugar and salt out of the mix. For sweetness for example, add some sweet potatoes/ yams to the mix.

Just toss the ingredients into the slow cooker before you head to work, turn that baby on, and come home to a hot, satisfying home-cooked meal.

Alternatively, toss in the ingredients into the cooker at night, close the lid and go to sleep. You’ll wake up to a hot meal that you can pack yourself for lunch.

Slow, simmered, root vegetable foods are rich, flavourful and exactly what the doctor has ordered for the winter blues or end-of-year family get togethers. 

You save time, energy and money, and best of all, you have less dishes to wash!

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Diet Downfalls

Losing the extra few pounds can be a challenge, but you may be sabotaging your own efforts. Save yourself from having to do that extra lap or two by avoiding the following:

1. Munching all day
Enter the vending machines when the 3 pm crave starts screaming your name, or the doughnut, cake and cookie ‘snacks’ that just stare at you during those forever long office meetings, and those pesky never-ending starters at your office parties.  

These extra often sugary or salty snacks can turn out to be your diet buster. Sweet tooth? Fruits contain natural sweeteners, try some slices of fresh fruit instead. Also, stash healthier snacks in your draw so that when that hunger pang does strike you have a better choice of eats to choose from, rather than the vending machine’s choices.

Real fruit juices as well as artificial juice drinks, soda and energy drinks for example, can also pack a mean calorie bomb. Satisfy your thirst with a glass of water or unsweetened tea instead, and save your calories for later, as chances are you’d still grab a snack after that drink anyways.

Skipping meals is just as bad.

Your sugar level decreases, lowering your energy and alertness levels. It also heightens the chances of you over-eating at your next meal. Womp.

2. Monotonous food

Following a restrictive diet greatly limits your body’s exposure to essential nutrients. Not to mention, variety is the spice of life! Wear, eat, see, hear the same thing every day and you are bound to get bored and cheat somewhere. Mix up your foods to reduce binge eating and fuel your body (and your skin) with the nutrients that it needs.

Eating locally helps you get a greater range of nutrients in your diet. Not only are the foods more accessible but they are usually cheaper and more flavorful too as there are greater avenues for you to get them fresher. Grab a local recipe book on simple cooking and see what you can whip up. Eating healthily doesn’t always have to mean grilling vegetables. You may be amazed by the amount of new preparations you may come across for tasty meals that incorporate your green and leafys.

3. Inhaling food

Yes, we are always running against the clock. The webpage takes 3 seconds to load instead of 1 and we are ready to fire somebody.

Not only does inhaling your lunch not allow you to savour it’s taste, but  doing so does not allow your brain to accurately read how full your stomach is, and can result in you eating more food than you need. It is estimated that it takes about 20 mins for your brain to realise that your stomach is full.  Take the time to enjoy what you eat.

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GMOs

Although we have been consuming foods with modified plant DNA for years, the topic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is very controversial. As a matter of fact, it has been estimated that genetic modification of food has been practiced for over 8,000 years.

The Native Americans have cross-fertilized corn plants, and thousands of hybrid plants have been created by cross pollination.

Watermelon and oranges have been genetically modified to have their seeds removed, and other everyday foods that we consume today like flax, corn, potato, canola and soybean oil, tomatoes, sugar beets and squash have all been genetically modified.

Genetic modification is facilitated through the transfer of genes between organisms. Through this transfer of genes, food can me modified to:

1. Improve traits
Tomatoes have been modified to contain 10x the amount of lycopene, a bright red pigment and phytochemical that has been considered a potential agent for the prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer. 

Rice has been altered to be rich in beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant.

2. Transfer disease-resistant genes from one plant to another
Certain varieties of corn, cotton seed oil and hawaiian papaya have been altered to be more resistant to pests and diseases.

3. Modify colours of vegetables and fruits
Some carrots have been modified to be dark red.

4. Be more commercial
Salmon has been modified to grow to market weight in 18 months rather than 24-30 months.

In addition to foods, animals have been genetically modified as well. Hens have been modified to lay more eggs, cattle to have leaner muscle, and pigs to produce less smelly foods and gas. 

Public concern prevents most of the possible genetic modification of animals to be approved.

Consuming modified DNA s is considered safe by the FDA. Over 60% of processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients, and over 80% of soybeans and 30% of corn in the USA are from genetically modified seeds. 

The future of GMOs is highly debatable. The slippery slide that is the alteration of crops and animals, the livelihood of small farms, and the fact that this modification benefits the producers more than the consumer are just some of the issues related to genetically altering the DNA of organisms. 

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Food for thought.

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Works consulted
Brown, J. (2008) Nutrition Now. CA: Thomson Wadsworth. 
Notes 

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Anti-Aging Tip #2

Use Antioxidants Orally and Topically.

Antioxidants prevent and repair the damage done by free radical action on the skin. They are the body’s defense against ruin, and may be ingested or applied topically. 

Vitamin E and C  help protect the skin in this way and are utilized in many topical skin care formulations. A particular form of Vitamin C has a melanin-surpressant and is helpful in treating hyper-pigmentation (darkening of skin due to exposure to sunlight) 

Betacarotene, which is converted into Vitamin A in the liver, is also another well-known antioxidant.

Minerals such as Zinc and copper also help prevent reactions from starting.

Japanese green tea extract has been receiving much ado lately, though it is believed that white tea packs the most antioxidant punch. 

Antioxidants found in skin care also include grapeseed extract and maritime bark extract which contain proanthocyanidins (I can’t pronouce it either but I can spell it!), which are known to be powerful antioxidants. Sunscreen also contains antioxidants which prevent damage to the skin from the sunlight. 

Antioxidants are photosensitive (sensitive to light) so ensure that skin care products that contain antioxidant ingredients are properly packaged to maintain the integrity of the ingredients especially in the cases of specialty serums and what-not. If you can see that a product is darkening in a jar, this is a sign of a good product gone bad; the antioxidants that may have been present in these products are no longer effective.

For more info on the power of antioxidants in your diet see  Anti-Agers

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Eat up!

Supernova

Related GC post Anti-Aging Tip #1

Sexy State of Mind

Sexy is truly a state of mind, Hero or zero

Sexy is not a profession, it is not a size. It is neither a skin colour nor hair type. It’s a swag. Sexy need not speak for it radiates from the eyes. It resides within the funk, deep within your soul. 

It’s not the end result, it’s the initiator. You can’t buy it, wear it or surgically enhance it. It doesn’t age. You have to find sexy within yourself and own it.  Swagger jack and people will be made out in a big way. You will not be considered sexy, you will be considered fake.

It is an unconditional love of self, a honest belief that you love yourselves and everything that comes along with it. Many times we are incensed by society when we feel that they do not accept us as ‘we are’. But how can we expect society to accept us when we aren’t even accepting of ourselves? A Sexy State of Mind subconsciously commands the world to stop and to pay attention. To appreciate. To love. To gravitate toward. No long talking. 

It’s how you walk, how you talk. It’s how you view the person who looks back at you in the mirror. It’s where you put that person in the grand scheme of things. Is that person first or last? Is that person even on your list?

How can we attract good when all that we project is doubt and a vapid obsession with being someone else? How can we expect the world to take note of what we have to offer if we don’t demonstrate what it is, or even know what it looks like? Instead we only attract predators, for in this mindset we are nothing but wounded prey. We are so deprived of  love within, just by osmosis, we absorb manufactured love wherever and however we can.

To achieve a sexy state of mind we have to be comfortable with who we are, where we are in life and understand where we are going. We must practice self love daily, give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and cut ourselves some slack. We must set our goals, work smartly to reach them, and enjoy the journey. Every year is our best year, because everyday we tell ourselves “I am the best me today”.

Let us stop focusing on our weaknesses. It gives them too much importance in our lives. It enables them to be part of our mental script, which only further debilitates us. There are other people with that strength, let them contribute that to the team. Weaknesses makes us nothing less than human. 

Cause let’s be real; no matter how hard we work at our weaknesses, they are never going to be as strong as we wish them to be; they will never be our strengths.  So let us focus on developing our strengths. Let our strengths shine. When we put enough focus on developing our strengths, no-one will know or even care about our weaknesses. 

We can’t have a sexy state of mind if we are stuck in the waiting phase. Waiting on that promotion, waiting on the right time to step out that dead-end relationship, waiting until we lose those extra pounds to get our look together, waiting until something else comes along that will enable us to have another life. The “Waiting State of Mind’ doesn’t promote positivity. It doesn’t promote happiness. It doesn’t promote sexy. 

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Be your own sexy self. Everyone else’s is already taken.

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