Monthly Archives: April 2011

Are you accidentally making yourself older? Check out what these choices are doing to your body:

Choosing organic

We don’t have a problem with choosing organic when it comes to fruit and vegetables. The trouble is when you think “organic” is synonymous with “healthy.” Sorry – organic potato chips are still potato chips and contain aging fat and extra calories.

Just dealing with it

If you tend to treat pain with a stiff upper lip rather than a pill or a doctor visit, it’s like playing catcher without a mitt: It feels lousy. About 75% of pain sufferers do not receive adequate treatment, and if you’re one of them, you’re at risk for depression, irritability, fatigue, and an overall diminished quality of life. Treating pain early – we like to start with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation of injuries) coupled with an NSAID in pill or patch form – is an important step in regaining your quality of life. Call your doctor right away if it doesn’t get better quickly.

Eating in front of your TV

 If you’re doing TV dinners, chances are high that you’re having fast food or an equally unhealthy hawker equivalent - that’s the most common TV food. And that means you’re getting aging saturated fats in your bloodstream.

Extracted from RealAge.com

Most people slot a beauty treatment a week. Me? Due to lack of time, I am booked out to try four treatments, all in the name of research for my magazine, Aesthetic & Beauty Guide.

Here’s my beauty schedule next week:

Tuesday: Fraxel laser treatment for stretch marks. This treatment has some doctors reporting about 50-75% of positive results within a series of three to five treatments.  It is relatively painless, and there is slight downtime, however, you can expect see an almost instant result, faster than any other treatment that have ever been administered on stretch marks before.

Wednesday: Tattoo removal treatment. Teenage folly has resulted in a number of tattoos that I’d like removed. Can’t wait to check this out…and this only means one thing – more space for new ink!

Friday: PPx for hair removal followed by facial mesotherapy. PPx is reputed to be five times more effective than IPL for hair removal and the latter involves running a series of tiny needles all across the face to improve skin’s texture and tone. Sounds painful but pain is relative to me. In fact, I secretly like pain. Guess I am in the right line then

Pretty hardcore eh? Gosh! I feel like a big-haired Hermes-carrying tai-tai in Beverly Hills…

Planning the new issue of Aesthetics & Beauty Guide (ABG) is always a fun process – I think about all the treatments I want to get, and contact the relevant places for it. Well…that’s part of the process, it’s actually a lot of work as I have to research online and in forums to find out what is new and relevant, then develop topics to cover those themes.

Working for a bi-annual magazine also makes me think way ahead, and considering that July is already mid-year, I’m sure many of you are tired from work and in need of a break. That’s why I decided to make ABG July a wellness issue, covering pampering treatments at spas as well as the latest rejuvenating treatments to revive tired miens. Everybody say ahhhh….

The latest trend now is also about treatments with little or no downtime. With technology advancing at a rapid speed, more super machines are being developed that promises to erase all your problems with no interruption to your hectic social life. Who can afford to stay home for a week these days to recuperate from treatments? We want to zip into the clinic and out to our limousine ready to be whisked to our next soiree!

ABG is still first and foremost an educational guide to the complicated world of laser machines and aesthetic treatments, and with July’s issue, readers can once again look forward to our in-depth treatment reviews and further explanations of even more industry jargon. Fun, fun, fun!

Whatever you put in your pan for dinner tonight, make sure you add a few squeezes of this: lemon juice. A new study shows that marinating meats in lemon juice – or vinegar – can help greatly reduce the production of harmful compounds linked to aging and chronic disease.

Cooking Compounds
All foods — but especially ones derived from animals – contain varying levels of compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These compounds are known to cause inflammation and may open the door to faster aging. Cooking – especially high-heat methods – increases formation of AGEs. But now new research suggests that marinating foods in an acidic, low-pH liquid – like lemon juice or vinegar – may help slow that formation down significantly. AGEs in beef were cut in half after marinating for an hour – but shorter amounts of time may help, too.

How AGEs Age
Meats and full-fat cheeses contain the most AGEs, followed by fish and eggs – although even fruit, vegetables and whole grains may contain small amounts. Marinating your food is one way to minimise AGEs. Another option: Cook over low, moist heat. Boiling, poaching, steaming, and stewing are all great choices.

Source: Realage.com