Top 10 Fruits for Better SKin

Our skin is the largest organ in our body and believe it or not, it's our first barrier of defense as well as our means of touching and feeling the world we live in. Now who wouldn't want better skin right? Imagine a healthy skin devoid of any blemishes and is supple, soft, and wrinkle free. Ahh, the dream of every dermatologist indeed. In this post we will talk of FRUITS, yes fruits, which can have drastic effects on how your skin looks and how you feel. You'll Feel Better knowing you are beautifying your skin the most NATURAL way, without any side effects, or unwanted complications. When I say natural I also mean nutrition-wise and that means we will be eating our fruit, not blending it to a paste and apply it all over ourselves.

Firstly let's talk about what to avoid and what to do more of before we even consider the fruits we would love to buy every time we go to the supermarket for that "I look and feel young" skin. Here are the things to avoid:

1. Too much sunlight. UV rays damage our skin by producing toxic free radicals which must be repaired by our cells. I always advise patients and people in general that if you were to expose yourself to the sun excessively you should eat foods that have high anti-oxidant value, as well as supplement with vitamins which help repair cells from free radical damage (Vitamins E, C, and A). Also, remember that as a natural defense mechanism for our skin against harmful sun-rays it produces more of the pigment melanin. That explains why we get darker the longer we stay out in the sun.

2. Stress. Stress can have profound effects on our skin. It decreases our immune systems ability to counter infection. It also contributes to free radical production which is a big factor in that it speeds up aging ( and wrinkling of our skin). What's more is that stress affects the digestion of our food, hence limiting the amount of much needed nutrients to our skin.

3. Not enough sleep. Sleep is the way by which our bodies rest. It's also the avenue by which our body regenerates its reserves to rebuild or repair our cells and tissues. One such repair is eradication of free radicals. Deprivation or lack of sleep not only affects our mental and physiologic functions but also is a major cause of auto accidents year in and year out.

4. Bad Hygienic practices. This is obvious folks. Good hygienic practices promotes better health and better skin.

5. Exposure to caustic substances and /or chemicals. Read the labels of every chemical you come in contact with and I mean EVERY chemical. Look for the WARNING sign and read it. If in doubt, wear gloves. You'll be glad you did. It's common sense.

So, we have talked about what to avoid altogether and now let's consider what to do more of for that healthy skin:

1. Water. Let me let you in on a little secret. WATER IS THE SECRET TO ALL LIFE. Imagine where we would be without water. Water is the most natural purifier for your skin. Adequate hydration removes unwanted toxins from our body for that healthy, glowing, and radiant skin. Also, what's important to remember is that we ourselves, our bodies, is over 70% water. That is why prolonged dehydration can have deadly effects in our body. Here's another TIP on water you may already know: When you wash your face wash first with warm water, soap and work the lather around in circles to promote circulation in your skin. Also keep your hands warm by immersing them in lukewarm water often. This will help open your pores. Rinse with lukewarm water again then with cold water to close your pores. Pat with towel to dry.

2. Exercise. Exercise does wonders for your skin!! Let me repeat that. Exercise does wonders for your skin. During exercise, the increase in circulation also increases the rate by which we remove unwanted wastes and toxins from our bodies as well as speeding up cell rejuvination and renewal. Remember that as we sweat we also sweat off some of these toxins. Exercise is also a means to fight stress and we already talked about what stress can do to your radiant skin.

3. Massage. Massage like exercise improves circulation and muscle tone. By massaging our skin we help circulation flow optimally. Massaging also relieves stress.

So we have talked about what to avoid and what to do more of and we have talked about a handful, actually. Whew! Hey, helpful knowledge isn't helpful if it's not shared and put to good use right? The FRUITS for better skin are the following;


1. Papaya. Like I said in one of my previous posts, this is an amazing fruit. Do you know why all the hype about papaya being an effective skin whitener? Well, its because it contains a digestive enzyme called PAPAIN which clears damage caused by free radicals. The fruit itself is also rich in beta-carotene which is a good anti-oxidant against free radical damage. Papaya can keep you always looking young. A magical fruit indeed.

2. Pumpkin. Has anti-aging properties when applied on the skin. Also has anti-aging properties when eaten due to its rich content of Beta-carotene.

3. Grapefruit( Pink). This fruit as well as other citrus fruits high in Vit. C (Ascorbic Acid) is an excellent exfoliant when applied directly to the skin. When eaten it has anti-oxidant properties, helping delay aging.

4. Berries. Rich in anti-oxidants. Delay aging process.

5. Pineapple. A terrific skin softener when applied over rough spots. Also a major source of Vit. C when eaten. Vit. C helps fight off free radical damage and also helps delay the aging process.

6. Watermelon. This fruit is the richest source of Lycopene in any fruit or vegetable ( surprise!) and it has been shown to prevent UV damage by as much as 40%. Lycopene is an anti-oxidant that scavenges free radical and prevents them from damaging cells. You can look younger with daily servings of this fruit. A healthy summer fruit indeed, just in time for it's protective properties too.

7. Pomegranate. Shows promise as the next anti-aging wonder. This fruit contains an enzyme which prevents sub-structural breakdown of our skin. Also, the oil extract from its seeds has been shown to have rejuvinating properties when applied to your skin.

8. Avocado. This fruit is rich in fiber, minerals, and the "good" fats. It's also a good source of the anti-oxidant vitamin, Vit. E. When applied as a mask it helps remove skin impurities.

9. Apples. This fruit is another overlooked wonder. It helps tone, rejuvinates, and aids in healing our skin. Also, apples contain a substance called PECTIN which has been shown to be effective against acne.

10. Grapes. Rich in anti-oxidants which help delay the aging process.Also improves metabolism. Resveratrol, found on the skin of grapes have anti-cancer properties.


So there are our TOP 10 Fruits for Better Skin. Try them and see how they can make you Feel Better Today. Looking young and radiant is worth going through this list and expanding your own is it not? Until our next post. Do take care, always.

How to Fine Tune your Focus

An old motorcycle racer once described to me what he called the fifth harmonic. I, of course, listened patiently eager to know what this fifth harmonic really is or if it's even real at all. He told me the first harmonic is the motorcycle itself, the second, the rider, the third the road, the fourth is a balance of the three. Well, I didn't know if this was a zen-to-anything so I asked him if the fourth was really the most important one since it pretty much sums up the three elements of you, your ride, and the road. So he says to me the fifth harmonic is your sense of focus, your intuition, your ability to read ahead and make changes accordingly BEFORE anything bad happens. It is this realm of finer tuning which some people call "maintaining the edge". As I was sitting there listening passively to this old timer reflecting back on days of yore it suddenly dawned on me that all his concepts of harmonics this and harmonics that is really LIFE in general.

So is achieving a deeper sense of focus the secret to harmonizing all aspects of your life? in a sense, yes. Absolutely. By honing your awareness you also hone your perception and in the process you can see the "bigger picture" and not just the big one. The question then becomes how do we focus more in our daily living? To say it plainly, how do we train ourselves to develop a keener sense of awareness? We ought to observe more and we ought to listen more, and I hate to say this, but we also have to train our memory. As we age so does our neurons and we can improve our memory by doing memory exercises. Crossword puzzles, sudoku,chess, and other memory enhancing games can greatly improve your memory.

Improving your focus in life, however, is more than just merely heightening your sense of awareness, your adeptness to listening, and even improving your memory. You need healthy relationships, a positive outlook, and an open mind. Peg the following in your mind:

"I am working to focus more to achieve stability and balance in my life."

Being able to focus and see what areas in your life is more deserving of your attention allows you to recognize ALL your options or choices in plain sight and enables you to see and gauge the situation more clearly and, therefore, act more appropriately. You'll develop a presence of mind that is indeed security. Your confidence level will go up and so will your self-esteem. You'll feel better about yourself because you are working towards harmonizing all aspects of your life. Your goals will be clearer and nearer. Your planning will take on a whole new level of precision and you will be more productive all in all.

All this is possible from being able to focus a little more and be observant. If I only knew and paid more attention then what that old geek with his trusty dusty motorcycle was really telling me I would have seen and appreciated the many choices and options I hadn't even noticed before in my life. Remember to start small. Work on one area at a time and, even at that, in increments. Drastic changes are hard to assimilate and harder to adapt to.

So until our next post. Focus more. Not just on your needs mind you, but also in the needs of others. Take care of yourselves...and one another. JowelMD signing off..