(School Assignment)
Tuesday October 29,
2013 – 10:06 AM
Paige Grasby
Public Relations
Representative for Gymnastics Ontario
As gymnast I understand how much our body goes through on a
general day, especially our skin. Constantly sweating and clogging our pores
with dirt and chalk all day can’t be good. As girls we are always looking for
the search for the best fix to give our skin the clear, healthy, glowing skin
we deserve. So I went on a mission to
find the best products I could to treat my skin the way it should be, but boy
was I wrong, the 20 step procedures and the sky rocketed price tags attach did
not make this an enjoyable experience.
Still, as a girl I understand the desire to look youthful
and naturally beautiful, what women doesn’t want that? The upside is flawless
skin is in your reach, and it doesn’t cost nearly as much as high-end products.
1.
Detoxify:
Your skin is the body’s largest organ. Toxins
build up inside your body can make the skin on the outside of your body look
less than beautiful. Detoxification is an ongoing process though periodic
cleanses which can help launch you into a healthier long-term lifestyle. When
you detoxify your body, the results show on your skin.
•
Avoid processed and fast foods that contain
chemical ingredients
•
Exercise
•
Eat enzyme-rich foods
•
Eat a high plant-based diet (or all, as I do)
•
Drink a lot of water and avoid excessive
caffeine
2.
Nourish:
You are what you eat. While this is true,
it is especially visible on your skin. Eating toxic, chemical-laden foods can
show up on your skin. Poor nutrition can also speed up breakouts. But here are
some general suggestions to slow this process down:
•
Eat a variety of produce from across the full
spectrum of color
•
Eliminate common allergens such as wheat, soy,
dairy products, and peanuts
•
Minimize or eliminate animal protein. If you do
eat animal protein, choose organic, naturally raised, and pastured meats like
free-range organic poultry
•
Eat plant foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such
as chia seeds, walnuts and green veggies
•
Start each day with a Glowing Green Smoothie
•
Eliminate refined sugars
3.
Cleanse
Keeping your skin clean is also important.
Many people use harsh cleansers that can actually strip the skin of important
hydration and leave it dull. Use a mild cleanser. Because I have oily skin and
used to battle acne, I used to think I needed a stronger cleanser. But now I’ve
been using and love the Tamanu Organic Luxury Cleanser by Sally B’s Skin
Yummies. It cleans my face
really well, but doesn’t strip it. It works for all skin types. I don’t
recommend using very drying cleansers or regular soaps on your face.
4.
Exfoliate:
Exfoliation
removes dead skin cells on the surface of your skin that can cause dullness.
You don’t need to buy expensive products or use harsh chemical exfoliators,
however. You probably have a natural skin exfoliation agent right now in your
kitchen: oatmeal. Oatmeal both soothes and exfoliates. To make an oatmeal
exfoliation mask, mix ¾ cups of ground oat grouts (grind them in the food
processor) or steel cut oatmeal with 1/3 cup of warm water and spread it on
your skin. Allow it to dry, and then rinse off with warm water.
5.
Hydrate:
·
Drink
plenty of pure water throughout the day
·
Drink
16-32+ ounces of Glowing Green Smoothie
·
Eat a
lot of raw foods that contain their own water, like salads containing lots of
brightly colored vegetables.
·
Avoid
caffeine and alcohol, which are dehydrating.
·
Take in
extra fluids on hot days, when you are ill or stressed, and when you exercise
vigorously.
After seeing these five points, how many of
them do you do a day? Do you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day? Well
maybe this can be your first step.
6.
Protect:
As a girl, especially in the summer, we all
want the perfect sun kissed glow and sunlight is important because it supplies
valuable vitamin D. To that end, you do need to get about 10 minutes of
sunlight each day on unprotected skin in order to allow your body to synthesize
vitamin D. Too much sunlight, however, can be harmful, just like anything in
excess. Practice healthy sun habits, such as covering up and wearing a hat.
As you can see there are tons of different “at home”
remedies that can help you keep your skin looking, healthy and beautiful. Now
it’s your turn, make a checklist and see which of these six steps are you’re
currently doing and which ones you need to work into your routine. Hopefully
some, if not all these, tips work for you. Let me know how it goes and which
six steps you think really work.