Because of my teenage acne, my dermatologist at the time truly believed that I had to go on a severe diet because the food I was eating (in her opinion) was causing my acne (forget about the fact that I was 12-14 and that my hormones were raging). One of the items she cut off the list was soft drinks. And since the age of 12, I’ve very rarely even had a sip of a soft drink.

Because soft drinks are not part of my diet, it never even occurred to me that soda drinks could actually accelerate the rate at which your teeth deteriorate and age until I read an article about the matter.

I recently got an invitation to “Menopause Out Loud”. This production takes a more comical look at that inevitable period in a woman’s life. I’ve got to admit that like many North American women, I’ve spent very little time thinking of menopause and I really had no clue what to expect from the play.

The show was absolutely hilarious and it brilliantly highlights some quite unsettling body transformations after fifty in such a comical way. The actors are incredibly talented and Michelle E. White (who plays the power woman in Toronto) has a voice that can shake walls.

Lymph is as important as blood or oxygen in your body!

In simple terms, lymph is blood plasma after it has carried its nutrients into the body’s tissues, dropped them off for the cells, picked up our metabolic wastes, and re-entered our water reclamation plant, which is the lymph system. Once it has passed through a series of channels, where it is filtered and detoxified, the lymph empties back into the heart where it once again becomes blood plasma.

This explanation is quite rudimentary and the best way to truly get a better understanding of lymph in order to properly take care of it is to make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor. Your naturopathic doctor will help you find ways of keeping the lymph system active, detoxified and healthy.

If you don’t already have a naturopathic doctor, you can contact the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors to find one that’s closest to you.

The markets are bursting at the seam with fresh berries at this time of the year. Not only are berries available in copious amounts, they also at their prime and taste just perfectly and ready to be eaten on their own, as part of your favourite dessert, or served up with sinful crème fraîche or whipped cream (my personal favourite). To be a true Canadian is to indulge in locally grown blueberries, blackberries, cranberries (in the fall and winter), black and red currants, strawberries, and red and black raspberries simply because they taste so good.

According to iVillage UK, smoking not only alters your skin, but it also alters your body shape. That’s right! Along with possible weight gain, smokers tend to sport a pot-belly, which is most likely directly related with the fact that smoking alters your hormone levels, causing smokers to store the normal amount of fat in an abnormal way.

If that was not concerning enough, it also seems that smoking affects the glands and increases your waist-to-hip ratio.

First let’s define what this means. According to Wikipedia, a locavore is defined as follows: “the word was first introduced on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 160.9 kilometres radius. The word was created by a group of people from the San Francisco area who also took it as their group’s namesake.”

In Canada, becoming a locavore in the summer months is not only easy, but it will also help you age well while taking care of the environment. There is no lack of summer/fall farmers’markets in practically every single city in the country.

Did you miss out on learning martial arts when you were a teen? Have you given up because you think you’re too old? Think again! Martial arts can be learnt at any age. From karate to taekwondo these Asian disciplines not only strengthen your outer self, they will also build your mind and your spirit. Martial arts will instil in you self-discipline, courage and respect for your body. Martial arts will also enhance mental performance, help manage stress, teach the basics of meditation all the while sculpting killer abs and a strong core. These Asian moves will help you expand yourself further than you might have ever imagined.

Dr. Nicolas Perricone (often seen on Oprah as the anti-aging expert) is notorious for denouncing a female mishap – that too many women don’t eat sufficient amounts of protein. Even if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you should eat protein every single day. Dr. Perricone is notorious for saying that every day you skip out on your protein intake, you age just a little faster.

Why is protein an important part of your anti-aging regime?

Protein is essential in building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Our metabolism slows down as we age because of decreasing muscle mass (unless you do weight- and cardio-training).

The key with Omegas is the ratio in which they are taken. To make it easier on you and to ensure that you effortlessly include Omegas in your anti-aging regime, buy a pre-mixed bottle of cold-pressed organic blend of fatty acids which contains the ideal ratio of Omega 3-6-9. I’ve never personally seen any non-organic blends, but in this case, organic is the better way because you are certain your oils don’t contain any added pesticides.

Two of the more popular blends on the market are: Udo’s Oils and Omega Nutrition oils. Most natural health food stores carry both blends, but you can easily find Omega Nutrition oils at Loblaws stores that have a natural health section.

Essential fatty acids go rancid quickly. You should store them in your fridge, NEVER heat them and keep your eyes on the expiry date!

One last thing – essential oils are “good fats” and adding these oils to your diet will not make you gain weight…on the contrary. When I first learned why good oils help with weight management I was blown away.

Just like Omega-3, your body cannot produce Omega-6 fatty acids, therefore you need to deliberately include it in your diet. Omega-6 fatty acids are also an important part of your skincare anti-aging regime because it’s also important for skin and hair growth. Like Omega-3, these essential fatty acids are essential for every living cell in your body.

When it comes to your overall anti-aging regime, Omega-6 fatty acids are important because research shows that they play a crucial role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke. Additionally, Omega-6 has also been shown to regulate a variety of biological processes.

READ this article right now!

I apologize for the assertive opening, but if you missed this Toronto Star article that appeared on May 23, 2007, you’ll want to drop everything to read it. This incredibly revealing article explicitly outlines the benefits of strength training. In the words of the Star article, “we improved or reversed to a large extent the … gene signature of aging” thanks to weight training.

Once you see the physique and read the story of a 70-year-old ex-teacher who is still actively lifting weights, you might run to your nearest gym and sign up. If you’ve been an inactive member, then this article might get you back into the gym!

Pumping iron modifies genes, study suggests.