by James Lunden

Healthy skin has a smooth, silky appearance and it’s sole purpose is to protect our body from sickness and infection. Youthful skin tone is also a sign of health and is something everyone notices when we’re looking at each other. Anti aging skincare is designed to help re-energize skin and give it back the elasticity that time often takes away as we age.

Of course it would be so much easier if we could all just sit back and never worry about how we look, but for most of us looking good means feeling good — the two go hand in hand. When researching which anti aging skincare treatment you wish to use: Make sure it contains a good dose of antioxidants to help oxygenate your skin cells, Retinol A to accelerate healing, and a good moisturizer to prevent dry skin.

Why Me?

A lot of people wonder why their skin has succumbed to age, when their neighbor of the same age looks ten years younger. This can be for a number of reasons.

1) Your lifestyle choices may have accelerated the aging of your skin. E.g., tobacco use, certain prescription medications, not drinking enough water, over-exposure to the sun or tanning beds, poor diet, excess alcohol consumption — will all cause your skin (and body) to age faster than what is genetically predetermined.

2) Your neighbors may possibly be using anti aging skincare themselves. We all have our private beauty secrets, that we would never tell anyone about. Some people prefer to pretend their look is 100% natural, while secretly they have an entire treasure chest of products at home, to keep them looking their best.

It’s Never Too Late

It’s never too late to get started with anti aging skincare treatments. At the same time, it’s never too early either. If you’re over 30 years old, start using a good product now, to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. If you already have a few signs of aging on your face, make sure your lifestyle choices aren’t hurting your skin and find a quality anti aging product to stop nature in its tracks.

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is made by fermenting sugary foods such as sugar cane, sugar beets or molasses. MSG is most commonly associated with Chinese Food, but food manufacturers use it as a flavor enhancer in many types of food.

The FDA requires manufacturers to clearly label that a food contains monosodium glutamate. However, some products may be labeled as MSG-free and yet still contain free glutamates which also cause problems for persons sensitive to MSG.

To avoid MSG and free glutamates, you need to read food packaging labels for key words that indicate the presence of these ingredients: hydrolyzed protein, calcium caseinate, soy sauce, yeast extract, glutamic acid, autolyzed protein, textured protein, modified food starch, autolyzed yeast extract, protein isolate and modified corn starch.

You may live younger longer by reading labels for such “excitogens” and avoid some nasty side effects that are experienced by many people. Symptoms of MSG sensitivity include headache, nausea, chest pain, tingling in the face and neck, warmth and flushing on the upper body, difficulty breathing and drowsiness. Some of the more serious effects of MSG on those sensitive to the additive include irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, diarrhea, gallbladder attacks, ringing in the ears, hypoglycemia, asthma and damage to the retina.

Anyone who wants to avoid MSG and free glutamates needs to be especially careful when purchasing almost all pre-packaged foods. The following food items commonly contain MSG and free glutamates: flavored potato chips, instant soup mixes, canned soups and stocks, salted nuts, gelatin, dry milk, salad dressings, bullions, hotdogs, self-basting turkeys or chickens, protein shake mixes, processed meats and cheese spreads.

Once you start reading labels, you may wonder if there are any foods that don’t contain MSG. Not surprisingly, the best diet for a person sensitive to MSG is the best diet for everyone. It’s a diet filled with organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Other options include organic frozen vegetables with no additional ingredients, canned tuna in water, black olives, fresh eggs, olive oil, unprocessed meats, imported Italian pastas, French or Italian breads made with semolina flour and unsalted almonds.

The general rule when grocery shopping is that the saltier the product the more likely it is to contain MSG. In addition, highly processed foods and foods with many ingredients are likely to contain MSG or free glutamates. The simpler the food, the better it is for you and the least likely it is to contain MSG.  Anti-aging foods don’t need enhancers.

Have a fun and successful day,

Vida

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The unfortunate aspect about living life without your own goals is that you may very well reach a point in your life where you will wonder, “what would have happened if I had only done….”   Catherine Pulsifer

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