K Jude's 'Take Some Old Skin' — ....and Make it Better Better Better

Your Natural Aging Eye Lashes and EyeBrows Before and After in February

by KJude on February 8, 2010

I love mascara. I love long eye lashes which I was not blessed with. I do have pretty decent eyebrows and never plucked them to smitherines when I was younger; although I did try. However; I DID find a product that helps me both to keep fuller lashes and allows me to thumb my nose at eye brow hair loss in my middle age. LiLash and LiBrow.

I’m posting a before and after on the results of two women who needed fuller lashes; and my 85 year old Mother in Law who wanted to have fuller eye brows. Stay tuned for pictures that will post at the end of February. I will also do a mini report on mascara’s, lash extensions and stimulators for lashes and brows. I broke off from LiLash for several months and used a cheaper competitor; now I’m back with LiLash and happier with my results! Check out LiLash!

Tagged as: aging, eyelashes, fuller eyelashes

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Bio Identical Hormones and You and Your Health and Skin Part Three

by KJude on February 4, 2010

There are wellness clinics sprouting up all over the place whose main focus is to deal with bio-identical hormones. Their usual protocol is to charge you upfront for blood work and the consultation. Their premises is that you will go on to the hormones based on your blood work – and the blood tests are significant in their costs; but you will get a discount through them usually in return for them managing your hormones. (as a member of Life Extension; you can order the same tests; and several others at about the same price as I was charged, and you have access to doctors and health practitioners who can consult over the phone with you.) While there are many different ways you can approach this; if you can afford it, going to someone who specializes in it is best in my opinion, at least in the beginning. After you are on the hormones, like I said you will have periodic blood tests – my doctor only did 3 in the one year, and I was told later I actually got one extra. And I got a phone call a few times to ask how I was doing. You usually have the option to make appointments that are included if you need to have a sit down and talk through any issues – but they are limited. And of course; you pay for the hormones each month. All in all you can pay between $1500 and $3500 a year, just for the doctor and depending on what you take, $150 – $240 a month for hormones. I got in on a newer situation, so my costs were much lower than above.

I believe that bio-identical hormones DOES HAVE ITS PLACE. But the thing you have to keep in mind is that you are still supplanting substances onto and into your body that your body didn’t make. Therefore; you are ‘giving over’ that job to the bio-identical hormones that your body once took care of itself. Of course; we know that our bodies discontinue this service to us at the rate it was doing before and that is why we have the problems we do. You MUST keep your health at a high level and eat well and exercise. Hormones will help to keep you biologically young but honestly, I heard things like ‘it will help your breasts become firmer’, you will lose weight, etc. I actually gained weight, 5 pounds. The doctor told me sometimes that progesterone could cause water weight gain and offered to give me a diuretic if the problem persisted. I had to be on thyroid medications even though they were bio identical because I was low. You are still on a ‘drug’; so to speak. Just like insulin takes over the job of the pancreas in a diabetic; any hormone you are ‘taking’ is doing the job FOR you.

And I believe that If I had it to do over again – I would probably elect not to take bioidentical hormones, but that is knowing what I know now.

What I knew and understood then was very helpful to me being on them. I still think you need to educate yourself on any HRT therapy. DO read Suzanne Sommer’s books on hormones. She has written many. Two of my favorites were ‘Breakthrough’ and her latest book ‘Knockout’ on Cancer. She writes a very compelling story and has interviews from many alternative doctors who have great motives to promote bio-identical hormones. The reasons are very solid and I agree with them for the most part. But I really must stress, yet again – no one can tell you what to do, no one can insist on any one procedure or protocol that is going to be exactly right for you. You will have to decide what is best and how much time, expense and research you want to do and the level of TRUST you are going to allow your health care practitioner. And a note on Suzanne Sommers; whom I have a great respect for: She also takes HGH injections. She gets chelation. She has dealt with cancer; has been dealt with harshly by the medical community and I can really empathize with that, and therefore her goals are significantly more than the regular lay person looking to balance their hormones. Being a cancer survivor puts you in a different playing field. If you read her book ‘Knockout‘ you will just drop your jaw at what she has endured at the hands of the medical community for sticking to her guns on natural, alternative and holistic care. I salute her!

The bottom line is this: When your hormones are balanced; you feel better, look better, ARE better. Your bones will remain stronger; your heart will be healthier and your female organs as well. That is where DIM comes in as well – protecting your female hormones. I am on DIM as a transitional support for my hormones/female organs.

Another really awesome product that is supposed to help your own body regulate hormones is MACA. I take Maca and I love it. There are many forms; many claims, but you definitely want it from a great source. I take Royal MACA with DIM in it for the extra protection to my female organs, which I thankfully still have. Royal Maca is said to be good for and has a 89% rate of effectiveness for the following symptoms:

Hormone Balance

Promoting energy

Support a healthy sex drive

Supports bone health

Relieve vaginal dryness due to menopause or peri menopause

Relieve PMS symptoms in healthy women

Promotes healthy balance between good and bad estrogen.

This is a lot of information but keeping your hormones regulated will help you to…take some old skin…and make it better!

Tagged as: aging and hormones, bioidentical hormones, blood tests and hormones, dim, HRT, Royal Maca and hormones, skin

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Bio Identical Hormones and Your Aging Skin Part Two

by KJude on February 4, 2010

I am 53 and I personally was on bio-identical hormones for over 18 months. I have had one hot flash in that entire time. Even though it took about 4 months to normalize various things it was nothing like my previous hot flashes and other issues. I still had heavy and long periods; but everything ran so smoothly that PMS was a definite thing of the past; and lots of other things got better too. In November of this year I began phasing out of bio-identical hormones. I found that I was having too many problems with my periods which were still very heavy and long. While I did not have PMS or night sweats and my moods were even, the main reason I was interested in them was because of my heavy periods , AND face it! I understood that it would help with facial skin, my body; the inner workings, my outer shell. My aging skin was like parchment paper and my body was dry. Everywhere. The bio identical hormones DID help with that. A lot.

The process of changing from bio-identical hormones to OTC – over the counter solutions has been a pain. I have had 3 very heavy cycles; some lasting 15 days. I had to take the herb Shepherd’s Purse to calm the heavy flow down enough to be able to work since I stand on my feet for several hours to do so. I am working with Dawn Welch, a Naturopath/Homeopath to make the transition and I am hoping that one more cycle will have me pointing in the right direction. In addition to other situations I have been dealing with, this has been extremely hard because my night sweats came back and I had a raging case of PMS right before Christmas that had me embarrassing my poor son who was home from college. (he and his friends had the audacity to wake me from a sound sleep and I informed him that my home was not a dorm room. note to all: do NOT wake me up, it’s hard enough to stay asleep as it is!) But the cost of bio-identical hormones is really astronomical and if I can get the same relief by allowing my body to work the way it is supposed to – I’m better off. Please Note as well on Yeast Infections and Bio-identical Hormones: With your hormones out of wack; you can become much more susceptible to yeast infections as it causes imbalances in your bacteria. I had that lovely experience as well and thought I would never ever ever get through it. I in a way blame myself as I still had bio identical hormones left over from after I was unable to consult with my doctor on them. And without monitoring I was still following the exact same protocol. (there were lots of other issues at stake here; one being an enormous amount of stress that isn’t good for anyone) Please see my next post on bioidentical hormones.

You pay a lot of money every month to have them ‘monitor’ your progress, which they only do about every 4 months with a new blood test. You do want to be in close contact with your doctor – but honestly; I do not feel that I had that great of followup in the first place. I really feel like it is another ‘business’; a money maker – and the one thing that makes it different than mainstream HRT therapy is the fact that it is bio-identical to your own body; which is best. It has about a 98% success rate as far as alleviating symptoms of peri and menopause – and it’s 150 times better than problems discovered by women in the Women’s Health Initiative Study back in 2002 that followed women who were on mainstream HRT. If you recall; they shut that ’study’ down years earlier than scheduled because too many women were getting cancer and other problems were surfacing.

See my next post on Hormones Part Three

Tagged as: aging skin, bioidentical hormones, dim, hormones and your skin, maca, night sweats

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Hormones and Your Aging Skin Part One

by KJude on February 4, 2010

Hormones and your aging skin and how hormones affects this. I have met so many women lately who have so many issues that they don’t know where to compartmentalize them. I would really like for people to leave comments/questions and if it’s too personal and you’d rather talk one on one, just specify that and I won’t publish your comments, but will get back to you personally. Refer to these other posts for more information: Chronic Pain, Stress, Hormones and Your Aging Skin, Stress and Your Natural Healthy Skin Part One, Insomnia and Your Aging Skin, Bio-identical Hormones and Your Aging Skin

You really do owe it to yourself to get your hormone levels checked – Progesterone is known as the calming hormone. When first pregnant, your body produces huge amounts of this hormone, which is believed to be why you could sleep through your entire first trimester if anyone would just let you! Sometimes a progesterone cream (or wild yam cream ) will be all you need. However; you DO want to work with a professional anytime you are messing around with your hormones. This is very very important. The other option for you is to obtain Dr. John Lee’s book on balancing your hormones; figuring out dosages, symptoms and more. This is a step by step you can do yourself.
Mainstream doctors will point you towards Premarin (made from the urine of a pregnant mare) and possibly Provera whose side affects have 71 words in the explanation) These are not bio-identical to your body and have been known to cause multitudes of problems which you should definitely investigate. Read: The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women, by Barbara Seaman. A real eye-opener. HRT therapy was not really intended to become what it was before the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative Study which found that HRT was causing more cases of breast cancer and heart disease than a woman may have faced without treatment. It was also a 4 BILLION dollar a year industry! If you haven’t heard of Dr. John Lee yet, click on his name and peruse the books he has written about peri-menopause, menopause and working on your own hormone issues. It’s just very important for each woman to do her own research, even if you are working with a health care professional. Acupuncturists(Laurie Covington, L.Ac., MSOM) and Naturopath/Homeopaths are also great resources. I have placed mine in this post under their respective titles; but you can always google online pharmacies in your area and find someone as a resource in your area.
Then there is bio-identical hormones. This subject is too huge as well to cover in one post. I have read three books on it and attended via Internet 2 symposiums on it and have the literature from both. You can google this and find sources in your area. I will have future posts on this subject. Read my post above for more information.
herbdoc.com I buy (Female Balance+). If you are not on any HRT; I highly recommend this product. I can’t tell you to use it even if you do take other forms of HRT; but I personally do. The regular Female Balance works if you don’t need calming down (as in PMS symptoms). It helps with hot flashes, water retention, and the doc says, regulation of your periods. Mine were too horrible and nothing seemed to help them, but I found immense relief with these products. My nutritionist tells me to continue taking it along with DIM and lots of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3. I have a laundry list of supplements I am taking now; but my only health issues are not just heavy periods and hormones. Let’s just say my water consumption is not a problem for me.

Read Post Two on Hormones

Tagged as: aging, hormone levels, Hormones, Hormones and Your Aging Skin, progesterone cream and hormones, skin, sleep and hormones

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Mychelle and My Personal Aging Skin by KJude

by KJude on January 28, 2010

Soon we will again hear from our 4 models in the skin care study on how they are doing and what changes they continue to see by using MyChelle Dermaceuticals Skin Care.

In my own experience I am on approximately day 60 using the products and continue to be very happy with them and also continue to notice changes in my skin for the better.

Most Notably:

The texture of my skin is smoother with no rough patches
Someone remarked the other day that I had no pores….I disagree, but I’ll take it
The fine lines are less obvious
The color and tone of my skin has greatly improved
Since I began using the Dry/Mature Line my skin stays hydrated always – I have switched my Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser to the Fruit Enzyme Cleanser and my skin seems to like that better.
The pumpkin cleanser is more hydrating; and I do have to definitely use my pumpkin mist after the serums; but it just seems to work better for me using the Fruit Enzyme Cleanser.
Breakouts on my chin and around my mouth have improved by at least 90% – I love the Clear Skin Serum for that reason!
Overall my skin looks more radiant and just….better.
I want to get the No Tox Anti-Wrinkle Serum next; I can’t wait to try that!

Tagged as: aging skin, MyChelle, skin care study

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Healthy Foods and Snacks for Natural Skin & Health

by KJude on January 28, 2010

I need to credit Life Extension of which I am a member for the following list – but it’s a good one and bears sharing. Not a bad grocery list either! I probably eat 95% of these foods and it’s good to know they are healthy, and really relatively easy on your wallet.

1. Apples

A great mid-afternoon snack when raw or a dessert when cooked. Just make sure you wash the skins first.

2. Bananas

A portable source of potassium and a good basis for smoothies.

3. Baby Carrots

Keep a bag at work for a cheap and healthy snack.

4. Barley

Nutty flavored and makes a nice change from potatoes, rice and pasta. Barley Mushroom Pilaf

5. Beans

Good as a base for soup or a thickener. Soak in baking soda or cook with a peeled carrot to reduce gas.

6. Beets

Turned your nose up at beets as a kid? Give them another try.

7. Black Beans

Hands down, the most anti-oxidants of any bean. Soak raw beans for faster cooking time.

8. Black-eyed Peas

Good luck when eaten New Year’s Day. Also known as the cowpea.

9. Bok Choy

Light and sweetly flavored; a great way to stretch a wok meal.

10. Broccoli

Catch the crowns on sale for a low-calorie treat providing calcium, potassium, fiber.

11. Bulgar Wheat

A quick-cooking type of whole wheat you can use as a substitute for rice or cous cous.

12. Butternut Squash

Less than a buck in season and makes a deliciously smooth soup.

13. Cabbage

Try all three flavors: Green, red and Napa. All are filling and cheap.

14. Canned Tomatoes

Easier to cook with but make sure you use a low-sodium version.

15. Carrots

The beta-carotene is good for your eyes but there’s so much more to the most inexpensive of veggies. (Easy to grow, too.)

16. Celery

It’s not true it takes more calories to eat celery than you earn, but it’s a nice idea. Not bad raw but a great energy boost when stuffed with peanut butter.

17. Celery Root

Grate with carrots and mix with low-fat milk and mayo for a French-version of coleslaw that’s unbelievably good.

18. Chicken Gizzards

Don’t throw away the bagged gizzards that come with each chicken. Properly cooked, they’re delicious and a great source of protein.

19. Coffee

Skip super-expensive Starbucks (45 calories from fat) and bring a thermos of home-brew to work.

20. Cornmeal

White, yellow and blue cornmeal are all roughly ground and make a nice change from wheat.

21. Cucumbers

It’s hard to beat thinly sliced cucumbers and onions in a vinegar sauce for an easy and delicious potluck dish.

22. Daikon Radish

Also known as the Chinese radish, it looks like a carrot and is delicious raw. Low in calories and high in vitamin C.

23. Dried Plums

Prunes with an image makeover and the same benefits.

24. Eggs

Less than $1 for half a dozen (sometimes for a dozen) and a cheap source of protein.

25. Garbanzo Beans

aka “chickpeas” are cheapest raw but even canned are a great protein.

26. Green Beans

Frozen retain their nutritive value but taste even better fresh. Stay away from the high-sodium canned.

27. Greens

Nutritionally rich, tons of fiber and available year round. Delicious sauteed in olive oil with onions, garlic and cayenne.

28. Grapes

I like to peel them to make for a long-lasting snack. It’s addictive.

29. Grapefruit

Two servings each packed with vitamin C, pectin fiber and antioxidants. Sweeten by cooking.

30. Kale

A highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; considered to be anti-inflammatory.

31. Kiwis

Often $1 for 3 or 4 and they’re packed with vitamin C. Peps up smoothies or oatmeal. Tip: Spoon the fruit out of its shell.

32. Lentils

The versatile legume makes great soups or mix up a can with fresh tomatoes for a snack.

33. Mangoes

Packed with vitamins A, B6, and C with fiber to spare. Hard to peel but has a great smooth texture. Watch for sales.

34. Milk

Prices have fallen to less than $1.50/gallon as a way to attract shoppers. Low-fat and non-fat milk really aren’t that bad!

35. Nuts

Pay less for peanuts, almonds and walnuts in the shell. A handful makes a healthy mid-day snack.

36. Oats

Microwave slow or fast oats for two minutes in a bowl and mix with yogurt for breakfast.

37. Olive Oil

Drizzle on a crusty bread, douse with garlic salt and pop it into the toaster oven.

38. Onions

Bake whole or chop for added zest in just about any recipe. Saute with a dab of olive oil until they glisten.

39. Oranges

The tiny ones make a great snack at work or school. Cut-up a big one for breakfast.

40. Pasta

Whole grain pasta is a dietary staple with great nutritional value.

41. Pearl Barley

Not often remembered but the unique texture is great in soups, stews and casseroles.

42. Pears

Ripen at 65 to 75 degrees F for 4-10 days, depending on the type.

43. Popcorn

Pop some up at home with a minimum of salt and oil to feed the late-night munchies.

44. Potatoes

Avoid fries and chips, eat them with the skins or mashed and you’ve got potassium and vitamin C.

45. Pumpkin

Scrape the soft flesh before carving and bake or puree.

46. Pumpkin Seeds

Snack on jack-o-lantern guts for protein and essential minerals.

47. Rice

In India, rice is cooked in boiling milk and sweetened with jaggery (an unrefined sugar) to make a rice pudding called Payash.

48. Rutabagas

A cross between the cabbage and turnip; eat the bulb root or leaves to avoid goitres.

49. Sardines

Mash with parsley, olive oil and lemon juice then spread on crackers for an appetizer rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

50. Spinach

Packed with nutrients; easy base for an omelet.

51. Split Peas

Yellow and green varieties are an inexpensive source of protein.

52. Squash

Acorn, spaghetti, zucchini, butternut, pumpkin, etc. Strictly speaking, they’re fruits, not vegetables.

53. Sweet Corn

Frozen or on the cob, it promotes healthy vision and a strong cardiovascular system.

54. Sweet Potatoes

Each of these orange babies packs four grams of fiber and more than 25 percent of daily vitamin A and C requirements.

55. Tofu

Inexpensive, health protein source. Doesn’t take much to fill you. Don’t like the texture? Try it in smoothies.

56. Tuna

Cans packed in water are dirt cheap lately and almost 100-percent protein.

57. Turkey

A popular bargain-priced loss-leader around the holidays. Buy an extra bird and freeze it for later, if you have room.

58. Turnips

The root is high in vitamin C and three greens are a good source of Vitamin A, C, K and calcium.

59. Water

Yes, water is food, and it’s relatively free. Replace pop and coffee with water to reduce hunger cravings.

60. Yogurt

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Stress and Your Natural Healthy Skin Part One

Tagged as: healthy skin, Natural Skin, take some old skin

by KJude

Every day I say: I will get organized. I think about this while I’m doing my skin care routine and thinking about my articles to write, which is why am I writing about organizing on a skin and health care site – because the lack of it is contributing to my stress level, which contributes to [...]

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Love, Natural Health and Healing Your Skin From Within

Tagged as: healing skin, Natural Health

by KJude

Most of the time, if you listen or acknowledge the signs around you, you get answers to your troubles, a tidbit of wisdom to move you along in your day, or just a readjustment in your attitude and thinking. And especially when you feel like you are giving everything, your all; and nothing is coming [...]

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Winner of the MyChelle Sample Pack

by KJude

Finally got my third party totally unbiased picker of names out of a jar and the jar in one place - and our winner of the MyChelle Sample Pack is Valarie – so congratulations Valarie! – I’ll email you to get your address so I can send this out to you. Thanks to everyone who left [...]

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Aging Skin and Body & Natural Healthy Information

by KJude

In my research I run across so much information that my brain hurts! Literally. So it is fun to happily come across a helpful and well meaning alternative doctor, who has a great accent by the way; and is funny and to the point – and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He wants your life [...]

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