Good! Because it’s not only good for your health,
it’s good for your skin as well. Let me give you some examples of those superfoods. Number one,
Omega-3 fatty acids, which I’m not only found in fatty fish such as herring, sardines, and salmon, but also in plant-based sources, like flax seeds and walnuts.

[2:42] Omega-3’s are known to decrease inflammation and may reduce the risk of acne and other skin problems.

[2:52] Next we got vitamin C which helps in the production of collagen, 
and prevent cell’s damage caused by free radicals. Great sources of vitamin C are oranges,
pineapples, tomato, strawberries, and bell peppers.
Though, if you do suffer from arthritis, you may want to avoid the tomatoes and bell peppers which are actually nightshade vegetable. So, if you notice that your information increases or you have more joint pain when consuming those,
eliminate the nightshade vegetables. Next we have vitamin D,
which helps limit sun damage and signs of aging. Almonds, for example, are a terrific source of vitamin E.
Vitamin E revitalizes to skin by increasing cell production and helping in the rebuilding of tissue.
You probably know that our skin constantly regenerates, right? We’re shedding parts of it all day,
just like we are losing, you know, single hairs all day. Everything renews, so,
supporting that renewal process is important. Vitamin E can be found in eggs and dark leafy greens.

[4:21] Next we have beta carotene, which is needed for growth and repair of tissue.

[4:28] It is found in abundance in orange foods like carrots,
sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and cantaloupe. Definitely some of my favorites right here! Now other fabulous foods for boosting skin health are
dark leafy vegetables, avocados, mushrooms, berries,
and surprise, dark chocolate. Yep, I just had some before the live stream – 100%. Now, honestly, it takes a little getting used to, but
it is still delicious and you know you’re doing something good for your health. So, please, can I just torture you and force you to eat some chocolate?
Dark chocolate, that is! Alright. Also, if you would like more ideas and recipes on superfoods – if you haven’t yet make sure you listen to last week’s episode,
which was number three, where I cover superfoods in depth. Number three for beautiful vibrant skin,
get plenty of sleep!

[5:38] I can tell you, I am shocked when on the rare occasion that I don’t get enough sleep I look in the mirror the next morning.

I swear, I immediately look years older, I’ve like dark circles and even more wrinkles under my eyes, and my skin kind of lacks any
color, looks kind of grayish. I mean, it is not a pretty sight.
It turns out that while you sleep your body actually boosts blood flow to the skin, which means you wake up with a healthy glow.

[6:20] If you have followed my hydration advice from earlier, the body also balances your hydration system while you sleep,
sending the fluids, the water, to the skin where it’s needed to recover moisture while eliminating it from other areas where it’s not needed. So, hydration and good sleep
basically go hand-in-hand. Also, when you don’t get enough sleep and already have inflammation in your body,
and again if you suffer from arthritis that is definitely the case, and or you have inflammatory skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis,
these will likely get worse, if you don’t get enough sleep. And last, but not least, if you don’t get enough sleep,
your body won’t have the chance to perform the important repair and regenerative tasks on the damaged cells, which then will accelerate the aging process.
So, it’s really important to regularly get 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Experiment with the amount to see what leaves you refreshed and energetic the next day because,
it differs on an individual level. Now, personally, for the last few years, I have found, well, actually for all my life I found that I am on the high end when it comes to sleep requirement.

[7:49] What has been working well for me the last couple of years has been a very specific 8 and 3/4 hours of sleep. That’s just ideal for me and,
luckily that’s exactly what I got last night.
Now, let’s talk about your cosmetics and what’s in them.
Did you know that your skin is actually a breathing organ? It literally absorbs about 60% of what you apply topically,
and, as I mentioned earlier, will send it straight to your bloodstream, and scarily enough children absorb even more than that.
So, imagine that the products you’ve been using for years actually contain harmful ingredients and could damage your health. Now if so,
your first instinct would be to find a healthier alternative immediately, right? Well,
did you also know that many cosmetic companies actually do not list the ingredients, AKA toxic chemicals.

[8:56] Because they’re not required to do so.
So, several of these toxic chemicals are linked to a host of problems which can include allergies, skin rashes, even cancer, headaches,
fertility and reproductive issues, even birth defects, hormone inhibitors, and more.
I want to go over just some of the toxic chemicals that should be avoided.
One, parabens, often found in deodorants and moisturizers. Parabens are hormone Inhibitors, and they are also believed to accelerate tumor growth.
Next, one of my favorite pet peeves, your artificial fragrance and color.
They may trigger allergies, as they do with me for sure, asthma, and some colors even contain lead and harmful dies.

[9:59] Next, touline which is found in nail polish, also hair color products, and some fragrances. This chemical has been linked to kidney and liver damage,
which may also affect fetal growth. Sodium lauryl sulfate, SLS, or sodium laureth sulfate,
SLES, is a foaming agent, which is found in shampoos, and body or facial washes. It causes the skin to dry out,
and it is also been linked to eczema, even hair loss, rashes,
and dry and scaly skin. Right? All these things that make your skin age faster.

[10:45] Formaldehyde is another toxin to avoid. It is used as a preservative, and it’s actually known by several different names, and should be avoided at all costs as the side effect
are numerous.
Next, PEGs are found in numerous skin and personal care products and this is basically anti-freeze.

[11:13] Okay, it belongs in your car not on your skin.
Also, widely used paraffin / mineral oil / petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum clogs the pores,
which then in turn causes toxic buildup, right, because your body can’t release those toxins again.
And next, we have phthalates, which you hear a lot these days about plastic products, plastic bottles, plastic
storage containers for your food, but when it comes to cosmetics phthalates are often found in nail polish and hairspray,
and it is a known hormone disruptor. And, next we have triclosan.
It is used in antibacterial soaps and body washes, but also toothpaste and some other cosmetics.

[12:07] It is a pesticide. Yep, a pesticide!
They put that in your skin care products. It is not only harmful to the environment and to you, but it is even a suspected carcinogen, so it can cause cancer, with other words.
And, of course, there are many more chemicals. I mean hundreds, literally. You get the point, right? We have to do our research, we have to
look out for what’s in our skin care products and, to make it simple, if you wouldn’t eat it, if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth,
don’t put it on your skin either!
Finally, since this is such a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to these ingredients, I would like to share with you some resources so that you can gather more information about these dangerous or toxic
ingredients. My favorite resource is the Environmental Working Group, which you can find at http://ewg.org.

[13:14] Now, those are the folks that release The Dirty Dozen every year, a list of that

[13:22] most of you are probably familiar with, which vegetables and foods to avoid, because they’re full of pesticides, etc. Now, the EWG has specifically released Skin Deep Guide
to cosmetics, in which to actually rate 80,000,
you heard that right, 80,000 personal care products. And, that Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics can be found at http://ewg.org/skindeep.
So, there you can simply go, you look at what products you have at home right now, you look them up and you see
what’s actually in them and what harm they can do. Of course, once you have done that you will be looking for healthier alternatives
when it comes to your skincare cosmetics. And here, also just giving you an example, one of my favorite local companies here in the Bay Area, and it quite popular company you may have heard of it,
is called Anne Marie and they only sell organic skin care products that are chemical free
Now, you can find them either here at the local retail location in Berkeley, California or online at http://annmariegianni.com.
So, that pretty much sums it up for today.

[14:47] If you enjoyed the show, please do share it on your favorite social media outlets, I would greatly appreciate it.
Also, I know this has been a lot of information, and it’s a lot to process at once, right? So, as always I recommend baby steps.
To summarize,
erink more water, if you’re not getting enough already. Same with your sleep, make sure you regularly get good, regenerative, you know, good quality sleep.

[15:22] Eat nutrient-rich foods. Again, you don’t have to swap out everything at once, just start adding the good stuff to
your meals right now. And, last but not least, talking about all these chemical products, and if you do the research you may be in shock and you may be inclined to immediately
throw all your things in trash, and if you can afford it I encourage it, but for most people that is unrealistic. So, I suggest,
start becoming aware, do some research, and the next time you need to replace or restock your shampoo, or your your facial cream, whatever, that’s when you go and grab the chemical free product.
Alright? So, I hope this was helpful. Please make sure to tune in next week when I’ll be discussing steps to improve your digestion.
You can find me either live at 11 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday mornings at http://thearthritiscoach.com/live
or
Wednesday mornings after 4 a.m. Pacific in your favorite podcast app.

[16:35] Thank you so much! I’m glad you could join me today, and I will see you next week. Thank you, bye, bye.