July 22nd, 2009
What’s good for you? Take a minute and think on that. Yes, you should exercise (find something you enjoy and that you will stick with); yes, you should watch what you eat (portion control is just as important as content. I am all for eating carbs. I lived in France, and not eating bread is against the law; I just don’t eat a whole loaf anymore); and yes, you should read this blog.
Life is short. It should be lived to its fullest, its deepest, its widest. You should read books and articles that uplift you and educate you and entertain you. Same for the tv and movies that you watch. Be DELIBERATE in your viewing habits. Don’t watch whatever. Don’t turn on the TV unless there is a specific show you want to watch. Use your television as a music player. Cable has great free music channels. Turn it up and dance or mellow out and relax.
Make a list of ten things that you enjoy, things that you bring joy, peace and fulfillment. Your list will be different from mine, but to get you started, let me rattle off a few things that pop into my head. Hmmm, what is good for me?
Laughter.
Good conversation.
Good sex.
Good red wine.
Coca-Cola in a glass goblet.
Hugs.
Good books.
Good music.
Dancing.
Clothes that flatter.
I could go on and on, and you should too. Some items may seem superficial; some are soul deep. The things that are good for me are not all tangible, but they are priceless. I make effort to incorporate them into my daily life. If my list includes a good belly laugh, I need to make time for people who see the lighter side of life. I know I can enjoy food, even if I am watching my weight. One can diet and not be miserable. Little tweaks and changes are easier to mesh into our habits than drastic cold turkey changes.
The hardest challenge is to become aware of what makes our soul happy and to institute time management practices to allow ourselves such enjoyment. If your “good for you” list includes playing with your dog, then make sure you spend time every day with Fido. If you want to learn to play the banjo, book a weekly lesson. When you make the time for activities that broaden your world, your whole outlook improves and that affects your physical and mental and emotional and spiritual health. (How many kinds of health are there?) Implementing those things from your list that make your heart happy will indeed make your heart healthier. That really is good for you.
July 22nd, 2009
“How did you get all that dirt on your face” my sister asked one day. It wasn’t dirt. I’d been outside the day before and wasn’t wearing the right sunblock.
Having been a Licensed Esthetician for the past 21 years and obediently wearing my high heels at the cosmetic counters for at least 15, one of the biggest dilemmas I’ve heard from thousands of women is the discoloration on their faces. “What is this on my face?” Why doesn’t my foundation makeup match the rest of my skin?” It could be hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause, prior acne and scarring or photosensitivity from certain medications. When I tell them the most likely culprit is UV damage from the sun, they always seem to have the same dumbfounded look on their faces. “What do you mean the sun? I always wear my sunscreen because it’s in my moisturizer!” Then, to reassure them that I just might know what I’m talking about, I have to pop the big question. “Have you ever seen a newborn baby with freckles? Babies do not have freckles”.
We are not born with freckles. We start to see them on toddlers. We think they look cute because little Susie’s been kissed by the sun and she looks healthy with a little color on her face. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most likely, little Susie is going to have these for the rest of her life. As she gets older, there seem to be more of them every summer. As a teenager, she not only sunbathes all summer but hibernates in tanning beds in the winter. Her mom can warn her and make threats about what can happen to no avail. Yet, poor Susie, with all the information in the media about how damaging UV sunlight can be to us, she still continues to do it anyway. Susie is now an adult and is reclining in my facial bed or at my makeup studio wondering what she can do about all this discoloration that suddenly appeared.
Ever notice if you leave something in your window it will fade after a while? We had our cherished portrait of my grandfather hanging in our Florida room not knowing the sun had been shining on it for years and one day we noticed Papa Hank was fading into oblivion. Our bodies are blessed with the remarkable ability to protect ourselves from the damage of UV light yet we are constantly abusing it. When we’re born, the color (pigment) of our skin is even in tone and color.
Yesterday, I was outside pulling weeds, wearing my broad-spectrum UV block, of course.
“It” popped into my mind again as I noticed the sidewalk was now a mess with little piles of dirt. For those of you who don’t know what “It” is, “It” is the dreaded brown spot my complexion has recently acquired and is now showing its true colors.
Here is the only way I can describe what has been happening without getting too technical. Our skin was once like a clear, smooth sidewalk and now there are little clumps of dirt (melanin) piled on top. Melanin is the substance that gives our skin color and tries to protect us from UV light. When we are born, the melanin cells (melanocytes) lie perfectly smooth and even. As UV light hits us, melanin rises closer to the surface of our skin and tries to protect us. Hence, a suntan! A suntan is our body’s way of protecting us from ultraviolet light. As time goes by, these melanocytes start to clump into groups (piles of dirt) and move closer to the surface of our skin where we can see them. Usually we notice them fading in the winter because we’re not outside so much. If you go outside for an hour on a bright, sunny day without your broad-spectrum sunblock, you will most likely see those brown spots reappear because they’ve worked their way back up to the surface of your skin. This is why my sister thought I had dirt on my face.
Heaven forbid! Have you ever seen an Esthetician, a practitioner of beauty, with a dirty face? I hope not.
So slather yourself and baby with a broad-spectrum sunblock. Teach them from the time they’re toddlers how to protect themselves from the sun. This isn’t all about aging. It’s a matter of health. It’s called skin cancer.
