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Anti-Aging Resolutions For the New Year

January 14, 2016 by Coletta Hargis

You might have made up your mind to eat healthy or exercise more for the new year, although the cold weather and a lack of proper motivation can often end such resolutions just as quickly as they’re thought up.  Yet this year, you can try focusing on something different: to look and feel younger.  Here are five simple habits to help you look younger in 2016, from an article I found online:

blue dish washing gloves

Start wearing gloves when you wash the dishes: Dish washing isn’t a chore that’s going to go away any time soon.  Before you find yourself tackling a mountain of dishes, slip on a pair of gloves.  Hands are often said to be the number-one giveaway of age, making us seem even older than we actually are!  When we apply anti-aging creams to our faces and necks, hands can easily get neglected, but they need plenty of help as well.  Exposure to hot water and abrasive dish soap can leave your hands dry by stripping away precious natural oils, leading your skin to become parched, irritated and cracked.  Yet by wearing gloves, you can protect your skin’s natural barrier.

Dog asleep

Stick to your bedtime: Getting back to a sleep routine after the holidays can be difficult, but a lack of sleep has been shown to accelerate the aging process of your skin.  One study even stated that a lack of sleep leads to increased visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.  Since sleep pattern disturbances are common as you age, try moving up your bedtime 15 minutes each day until you can get enough sleep.  To make sure that you’ll be able to fall asleep, stay away from caffeine after lunch and avoid taking naps.

Makeup on

Don’t sleep with your makeup on: This is a pretty bad habit, that can lead to a number of nasty skin conditions.  Dermatologists say that sleeping in makeup can increase your exposure to free radicals, break down collagen and prematurely age your skin.  To make sure this doesn’t happen, be sure to take the extra minute every night to wash off your makeup before going to sleep.

Fitness tracker

Use a fitness tracker: Plenty of times you don’t see the results of diet and exercise because you’re underestimating how much you’re actually eating.  Log your meals with a fitness tracking app or food diary to fix that.

hairstyling tools

Ease up on hairstyling tools: Hair is another area where people don’t focus as much attention as they should.  Gray hairs aren’t the only thing that give away age.  If your hair starts to thin or lose its volume, you might be more tempted to use straighteners and curlers, yet hair experts have warned that too much styling can damage the hair’s cuticle and make it more prone to breakage.  Limit your use to three times a week at most, and try using heat-protection products to mitigate the damage.

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: 2016, anti-aging, Coletta Hargis, new years resolutions

8 Exercises For Older People

November 18, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

Seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population around the Elderly weight liftingworld.  Americans are increasingly living into their 90s, and the US Census Bureau has estimated that over 20 percent of the population will be 65 or older by 2030.  This means that senior health issues, fighting aging in particular, are more important than ever before.  While I’ve spoken at length before about foods and drinks that can fight aging, sometimes you need some exercise as well.  Even small amounts of physical activity can increase longevity, so that’s why it’s important to look into exercise.  Listed here are eight exercises that can reduce the effects of aging, which I found in an article from Everyday Health:

Walking: Reaping the benefits of exercise doesn’t require running a marathon, even the little bits can go a long way.  In one study made up of over 1,700 adults who were followed for six years, people over 65 who exercised for 15 minutes three times a week reduced their risk of dementia by a third.  In another study, researchers found that walking 72 blocks a week halted brain shrinkage and reduced risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia by 50 percent.

Tai Chi: Falling is one of the greatest threats to senior health.  They’re the leading cause of injury death and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital trauma admissions among adults over 65.  One in three seniors falls each year, leading to more than 2 million injuries and almost 20,000 deaths, which is why it’s so important to know how to maintain balance.  One great way to do this is to practice tai chi, which involves a series of gentle stretches and poses that flow from each other with the purpose of focusing on your movement and breathing.  Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that older people who took tai chi courses twice a week for eight weeks improved their balance and had an increased sense of well-being.

Yoga: Yoga, like tai chi, involves poses, stretches, controlled breathing and meditation, with the purpose of increasing your flexibility and strength.  Several studies have suggested that “silver yoga”, geared towards the elderly, helps reduce body fat, systolic blood pressure and sleep disturbances among older people, while also improving their balance, endurance and overall fitness.  Yoga also helps ease constipation and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Strolling: While you might think staying in bed is the best thing to do in the hospital, it’s not always the case.  One Israeli study found that older patients who walk around their rooms or hospital wards could shorten their stay by about a day and a half.  The researchers say this is because senior health typically declines with immobility, and muscles will quickly lose their reserves without exercise.  They also found that patients that exercised had shorter stays in hospitals.

Jogging: According to a study from the University of Colorado, running can help protect against memory loss after an illness.  When older rats were recovering from E. coli infections, they tended to score higher on memory tests if they had unlimited access to an exercise wheel.  Although these older rats ran 50 times less than the younger rats, they performed just as well on memory tests as the rats that weren’t exposed to E. coli.

Leg exercises: Swelling in your legs, calves and feet, sometimes known as “peripheral edema”, tends to come with the territory of aging.  To reduce this swelling, you should lie on your side and circle your top leg in the air.  You can also stand on the floor and raise yourself up so that just the balls of your feet are touching the ground.  These exercises increase blood circulation and help fluid move more easily throughout your body.

Weight lifting: Osteoporosis is another common health problem among seniors.  According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, some 44 million people in the US, most of them over the age of 50, have osteoporosis or low bone mass, which leads to hip fractures, falls and other serious injuries.  Studies show that load-bearing or weight-bearing exercises for at least 30 minutes three times a week can combat osteoporosis by forcing your body to work against gravity.  These exercises also help you build muscles, which exert more force on your bones and causes them to become stronger and denser.  Some good weight-bearing activities include walking, weight lifting and stair-climbing.

Swimming: A Canadian study recently found that people with arthritis can benefit from warm-water exercises, including swimming.  Using 79 older adults with osteoarthritis of the hip, they found that swimming reduced people’s chances of falling and breaking a bone.  Swimming has other anti-aging benefits, such as easing arthritis pain and boosting mobility.  Swimming is able to strengthen your hip, back and abdominal muscles.

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis, elderly, exercise

5 Drinks That Fight Aging

November 18, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

It isn’t necessarily creams or potions that can help you fight aging.  Rather, anti-aging begins on the inside.  I recently came across an article that shared five drinks that can help you fight aging in the best way possible, listed below:

cup of coffee

Coffee: This thick dark beverage can do a lot more than just give you a boost of energy in the morning.  Coffee contains age-fighting antioxidants that protect the body from damage.  It’s said to be able to fight off a number of diseases, including Parkinson’s, depression and type 2 diabetes.  Some studies have shown a link between drinking coffee and a reduced risk of basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, as well as a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s in adults.

Red wine glass

Red wine: Red wine contains polyphenols, antioxidants that help protect your blood vessels and arteries.  One particular polyphenol, resveratrol, is believed to help lower the bad cholesterol, which is why red wine has a reputation for being heart healthy.  A study from Texas A&M found that resveratrol helped to improve learning and memory in rats, while Columbia University researchers say that the compound is effective in damaging UVB rays to help protect against skin cancer.

Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice: While pomegranates can be tough to eat, its antioxidant-rich juice is readily available in supermarkets.  In 2011, a Spanish study found that the drink can actually slow down cell damage through oxidation.  Pomegranate juice is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which plays an important part in the skin’s collagen production and can repair and prevent sun damage.

a cup of green tea

Tea: If you don’t like coffee, then thankfully tea serves as a great substitute, that offers no shortage of anti-aging properties.  Green tea is rich in polyphenols, and studies have shown that it may be helpful in preventing a number of conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even osteoporosis.  One study even found that the green tea polyphenol EGCG can revive dying skin cells.  Other teas are known to be rich in anti-aging antioxidants, in particular white tea, which can slow down the breakdown of collagen and elastin to help prevent skin aging.

Aloe vera juice

Aloe vera: Used to calm sunburns and skin irritations, aloe vera is known for its cooling properties.  These ingredients have been known to help wounds heal with less scarring while also strengthening skin fibers.  A study of women over 45 found that taking liquid aloe vera supplements for just 90 days improved skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis

7 Great Foods For Fighting Aging

August 28, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

When it comes to anti-aging, it can be easy to overlook the importance of a proper diet.  Yet failing to use the right diet means you aren’t doing everything that you can to look and feel younger.  I recently came across an article that talks about some of the best food for erasing wrinkles, listed below:

pomegranate

Pomegranates: Pomegranates are packed with vitamin C, which helps to guard against sun damage.  The juice also contains both ellagic acid, which fights damage from free radicals, and punicalagin, which is a supernutrient that many increase your body’s capacity to preserve collagen.  Eat a cup of pomegranate seeds every week to feel your best.

A bunch of blueberries

Blueberries: While they might be small, blueberries contain more antioxidants than almost any other food does, giving your skin extra protection against the skin-damaging free radicals from sun exposure, emotional stress and even overexercising.  One half-cup every day will help you prevent cell-structure damage that leads to loss of firmness, fine lines and wrinkles.

kale and spinach

Kale and spinach: These are both rich in phytonutrients, which help guard against damage caused by the sun.  Spinach is loaded with beta-carotene and lutein, two nutrients known to improve skin elasticity.  Aim for three cups of either kale or spinach every week.

sliced smoked salmon

Cold-water fish: Sardines, salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which strengthen skin-cell membranes and help keep in moisture.  Two servings of fish a week can reduce chronic skin inflammations such as eczema and psoriasis.  Yet don’t eat more than six 6-ounce portions a week if you want to avoid mercury contamination.

a cup of green tea

Green tea: Green tea contains both catechins, which prevents sun damage, and polyphenols, which combat free-radical damage and could reverse the effects of aging.  Drink at least one cup a day, and you’ll start seeing results in as little as a month.

sliced and whole watermelon

Watermelon: Much like pomegranates, watermelons contains vitamin C.  They also contain lycopene and potassium, which help regulate the balance of water and nutrients in cells.  Eat at least one to two cups a week.

olive oil bottle

Olive oil: The “good fats” in olive oil are highly beneficial, containing heart-healthy omega-3s, which improve circulation and leave skin rosy and supple.  A tablespoon a day should do the trick.

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis, nutrition

Anti-Aging Drugs Discovered

May 28, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

Coletta Hargis senolyticsRecently, a new class of anti-aging drugs has been identified by a team of researchers from The Scripps Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic.  In mice, these drugs reduce frailty, improve heart function and extend a healthy lifespan.  These drugs, called “senolytics” by researchers, work by causing senescent cells, which secrete harmful substances that damage other cells, to die.  Since these drugs are already approved for human use, researchers say that clinical trials should be fairly easy to arrange in a relatively short time.  The cancer drug dasatinib, sold under the brand name Sprycel, and quercetin, a nutritional supplement with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, are classified as senolytics.  And now that the researchers know what to look for, even stronger drugs could be on the way to being discovered.

The study states that with short treatments of senolytic agents, it could become possible to delay, prevent, alleviate or even reverse multiple chronic diseases and disabilities as a group, as opposed to one at a time.  Old mice given the two drugs improved their heart function in just five days.  The ejection fraction, a measurement of how much blood is pumped, rose by around 10 percent.  Mice irradiated to mimic cancer treatment experienced improved capacity for exercise for seven months on a single dose.  Control mice, by comparison, had endurance 15 percent below normal, while treated mice had normal endurance.

A special kind of mouse, that ages six times the rate of normal mice, greatly extended their healthy lifespan, also known as “healthspan”.  The mouse type mimics a human disease known as progeria, and dies in six months, compared to the 3 to 3 ½-year lifespan for normal mice.  Treated mice of this type had their healthspan increased by 10 percent, and more than 15 percent greater bone density.  Most likely, these secreted factors from senescent cells inhibit regeneration, so that just getting rid of these cells is sufficient to have a positive impact.

Within a year or two, the first treatments could end up reaching clinical.  However, since federal regulators don’t consider aging to be a disease, this would be based on treating specific conditions, as opposed to general anti-aging.  For example, cancer patients who become weak after chemotherapy could be tested to see if these drugs restore their strength.  Nonetheless, further research on the drugs is necessary, and there need to be more replication studies over a long time to understand their long-term effects, as well as see how they affect humans.

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis, dasatinib, quercetin, senescent

8 Anti-Aging Ingredients That Work

April 28, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

When it comes to anti-aging, people are often left wondering what ingredients people should be looking for.  Labels are often filled with scary-sounding names with such words as oxides and acids, and it can often be difficult to decipher the true contents of these products.  I recently came across an article that interviewed a well-respected dermatologist, Dr. Sam Bunting, about her foolproof fan for understanding the ins and outs of ingredients.  She selected eight ingredients that work well.

1. Zinc Oxide: According to Bunting, this is the best sunscreen ingredient for providing protection against the long-wavelength UVA rays that ravage our collagen and contribute to hyperpigmentation.  Now that this is available in a micronized format, it won’t have to cause a grey-ish finish on the skin any more!

2. Niacinamide: This ingredient is well-tolerated, and can even increase tolerability of more irritating ingredients, such as retinoids.  It also helps reduce hyperpigmentation and inflammation typically associated with aging.

3. Retinoids: This is the most-substantiated of all the anti-aging ingredients.  According to Bunting, you should absolutely be using it unless you’re pregnant or suffering from rosacea.  It improves fine lines, texture, tone and pore quality.

4. Glycolic Acid: Chemical exfoliation delivers more precise and controlled improvements in skin texture and tone, as well as improved penetration of other skincare “actives”.

5. Salicylic Acid: An excellent choice of chemical exfoliant for those with oily/combination skin, with anti-inflammatory properties.  It exfoliates, therefore increasing cell turnover and getting into pores to keep them clear and unclogged.

6. Kojic Acid: A great ingredient for targeting hyperpigmentation, that works well in combination with AHAs.

7. Ascorbic Acid: Vitamin C is essential for healthy functioning collagen, meaning that properly formulated and appropriately packaged vitamin C is a great investment.

8. Azelaic Acid: A great ingredient for anybody prone to redness that wants to tackle pore clarity and exfoliate without irritation.

 

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis

Great Anti-Aging Vitamins

March 27, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

If you’re looking to fight aging, sometimes you don’t need to go down the aisle of a fancy store and buy the most expensive anti-wrinkle cream you can find.  Dermatologists say that what you put in your body is essential to looking and feeling better.  While taking supplements and using creams are a popular trend, there’s nonetheless no guarantee that vitamins will have the same effect in supplement form as they do in their natural form.  I recently came across an article that shared 5 great natural food sources that you can look at when engaging in that eternal struggle against aging.

Coletta Hargis Vitamin C

1. Vitamin C: Vitamin C, essential for collagen production, skin repair and keeping your bones and teeth strong, can be found in abundance in citrus fruits.  It not only protects against sun damage, but can also repair existing damage which results in lines and wrinkles.

Coletta Hargis Vitamin A

2. Vitamin A: If you’re looking to harness the antioxidant benefits of vitamin A, load up on foods like mangoes, kale, carrots and sweet potatoes.  This vitamin works inside the cells, hitting the receptors, which in turn helps them function as if they were younger.  It also slows the breakdown of collagen, which is essential in giving skin its youthful appearance and elasticity.

Coletta Hargis Vitamin D

3. Vitamin D: Don’t ignore bone health when you’re fighting aging.  Bone loss can be one of the most powerful effects of aging, especially for women.  Vitamin D works with calcium to keep your bones strong and dense, so the better your bone health, the better your bone structure is and the more youthful you’ll look.  Foods like fatty fish, dairy products and egg yolks are also great sources of Vitamin D.

Coletta Hargis Vitamin K

4. Vitamin K: If bruising is a problem for you, then start eating more leafy greens to get your dose of Vitamin K, which helps keep collagen in your skin intact and keep your skin thick to reduce the appearance of bruises, veins and even dark circles.

Coletta Hargis Vitamin E

5. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is great for keeping our cells healthy, especially when you combine it with Vitamin C.  It helps fight damaging free radicals on a cellular level, which in turn protects your cells from vulnerability.  You can find your regular dose of Vitamin E in nuts, seeds and such oils as sunflower and soybean oil.

 

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis, vitamins

Welcome!

March 12, 2015 by Coletta Hargis

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Coletta Hargis’ anti-aging blog!  Check back soon, more updates are sure to come!

Filed Under: Coletta Hargis Tagged With: anti-aging, Coletta Hargis

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