Parisian's Pure Indulgence

Live longer or live better? How to do both

For the past 16 days I've been hyper alert to all the foods I eat with hidden sugar.  We all know when we dive into a piece of banana cream pie, we are sugar loading, but have you ever stopped to think about all the things you eat with hidden sugar?

While, I don't want to obsess about every little thing I eat with sugar, I don't want to be blind to it either.  These past 16 days, I have eaten less sugar than I have in a long time...at least I think I have.

Why? What's the problem with eating sugar, beside weight gain?  

--Chronic Inflammation--

My goal, especially now that I'm about to enter another decade of life...the 60's, is to live better; live a life free of serious illness, many of which are brought on by inflammation in our body.  

You've heard of anti-inflammatory medications and anti-inflammatory diets, but do you really know what inflammation is? In short, it's the body's response to outside threats like stress, infection, toxic chemicals, or a high sugar/fat diet.  

Most of us know excess sugar in our diets can lead to type 2 diabetes, read more by Dr. Robert Lustig --the anti-sugar man-- sugar and type 2 Diabetes links.   Diabetes is only one disease we need to be concerned about.

"Cancer, depression, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's—these seemingly diverse diseases are increasingly thought to have a common denominator: inflammation. While our genetic predisposition for disease can't be changed, we can do something about this other major player," writes, Deborah Kotz, for US News-Health.  

You’d have to live in a bubble to avoid all sources of inflammation: saturated fats, sugar, stress, infections, and environmental toxins, but you can create balance by eating a diet rich in foods that fight inflammation-triggering free radicals and toxins.

Here are just a few inflammation fighting foods:

Tart Cherries - Not Sweet

Studies show that these delicious, tart cherries can reduce pain from arthritis and post-exercise soreness. One study showed the fruit has the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food!

Add it:  Look for tart dried cherries and tart cherry juice.  Add tart cherry juice to breakfast smoothies, or sprinkle dried tart cherries over your morning bowl of oatmeal greek yogurt.

Red/Purple/Green Grapes

Grapes contain a mix of antioxidants, including flavonoids and resveratrol, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a potent antioxidant.  Resveratrol shows promise in helping to combat a range of maladies, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, to cancer to aging.

Add it: Freeze grapes and eat them as a snack, use them whole in smoothies or halve and add to salads.  

Red Onions

This vegetable contains the flavonoid quercetin, which has been found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Add it: Caramelized red onions are a wonderful addition to salads, sandwiches, and whole grain dishes.  Top your turkey burgers with caramelized onions for a burst of flavor.

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Studies show that antioxidants extracted from virgin coconut oil were more effective in reducing the inflammation in arthritis induced in rats, than Indometacin, a popular prescription Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) often prescribed for arthritis.  Click link to Study, Polyphenolics isolated from virgin coconut oil inhibits adjuvant induced arthritis.

 I don't know about you, but I'm not just looking to coast through the next chapter of life, I want to embrace it, live passionately, and in good health. 

The father of a friend of mine, just spent his 80th birthday, bicycling 80 miles! That's what I call living!  Do you want to be propped up on a couch watching TV at 80, or kicking up your heels, doing things you love?  The choice to eliminate inflammation from our bodies, can improve our odds of living an active life, and living better.

 

 

 

Your skin on Sugar, yikes!

It's about 9:00 pm as I write this blog, and I'm dreaming about the french vanilla ice creme in my freezer waiting to be topped with the smooth deliciousness of hot fudge...

I'm on day 5 of no #sugar, and needless to say, I'm having major sugar cravings!  

Nightly desserts and I have to break up. 

I won't tell you, I'll never eat another dessert--I know me to well-- I am telling you my awareness of how much sugar I eat, and my desire to drastically cut back on it, is real. 

Since I was a child, sugar has been my achilles heel. I remember bicycling to the local Speedy Mart, with 25 cents in my pocket; with the sole purpose of buying 3 different candy treats.  Yes, I could purchase 2 candy bars and a smaller package of candy for 25 cents!!  More than that, I loved soda, oh, did I love soda--my favorites were Squirt, Orange Crush, A & W Root Beer, and Coca Cola.  

I gave up the soda and junky candy in my 20's but my sweet tooth remained.  Up until a few years ago, I thought smugly to myself, since I'm only a few pounds over my ideal weight, what's the big deal if I eat dessert most every night?  I'm learning more, and more, it is a big deal, a very big deal. 

I've read 80 percent of our food choices contain sugar! I'm not talking about desserts either, it's the hidden sugar.

How about you?  Have you ever stopped to think about how much sugar YOU consume?  Everything I read tells me sugar is causing much of our inflammation; cancer feeds on it, and it's terrible for your skin!  Another way sugar affects us is:

Brain Fog!

Blanking out in the middle of a meeting or sentence? Research out of UCLA suggests that sugar forms free radicals in the brain's membrane and compromises nerve cells' ability to communicate. This could have repercussions in how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods, says Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, Ph.D., author of the UCLA study.  

If you want to watch a very interesting video on how Sugar affects the brain, watch this video. It's Surprising!

When you ingest sugar or high-glycemic foods that rapidly convert to sugar --your body breaks down these carbohydrates into glucose, which raises your insulin levels. Simple carbohydrates, like refined sugar, white bread and soda, cause your insulin levels to spike, which leads to a burst of inflammation throughout the body.

Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles.

Digested sugar permanently attaches to the collagen in your skin through a process known as glycation. Aside from increasing the effects of aging, glycation can also exacerbate skin conditions like acne and rosacea. 

The good news about sugar-damaged skin--It's never too late to turn back the clock. One way to undo the damage is to look for products with ingredients that support the collagen layer of your skin. Treatments that contain Vitamin C and Retinols are best. Retinols have 25 years of scientific evidence to prove they work. 

Topical nutrients such as blueberries, pomegranate, vitamin C, tea blends, and hyalauronic acid can help protect against the damaging effects of glycation and oxidative stress on the skin.

Our Parisian's Pure Indulgence, 70% Organic Bleuet Oxygen Face Polish is infused with glycation fighting Blueberries, Pomegranate and Cranberries, along with hibiscus to cleanse pores deeply.  

In my next blog I'll share tricks to counteract the damage to our skin from sugar.  

In the meantime, I'll go have another plum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good, Bad, and the #Ugly

Good or Beautiful can be thought of as the way someone looks or appears, but what is real Beauty...and what makes us #Ugly?

Interestingly, when you ask someone what makes a person beautiful, it rarely involves the outside. You will hear, she is fun-loving, generous, funny, smart, a great friend, etc.  The word pretty, may be in the description somewhere, but the emphasis is on how the person shows up in life...their character.

Appearance is the first thing we notice about someone, though. How they put themselves together, perhaps their facial features, their hair, and yes, even wrinkles.  We notice these things upon initial contact.  We may even want to get to know them better, based on these externals.

The way a single woman looks, may be how she attracts a man.  How you appear may help you land a job, or a new friend.  

But, be ugly internally, and you can lose all three real fast!

Open your mouth and let criticism, sarcasm, and back-biting come out--and ugly soon becomes all someone else can see.  You know what I'm talking about!   The most beautiful woman in the world soon becomes ugly when what comes out of her mouth is anger, bitterness, victimhood (complaining about how life or others have treated them).  Some women can hide this side for a while, but it usually doesn't take long for it to rear it's ugly head.

Personally, I struggle with sarcasm and women who say mean spirited things at someone else's expense.  Most of all, I struggle with victim mentality.  I have family members like this. It makes it very difficult for me to be around them, I'll be honest.  

I can love them, and care about them, I just don't want to be around it.  It feels like poison to me.  

On the flip side, I know women who are average looking on the outside, may not have been dealt the best hand in life,  and yet, they are so beautiful in character, you don't notice, nor care, about what they look like.  They are truly beautiful, and you want to get to know them.  

The truly beautiful woman, is the women

who cares as much about her character, and how she shows up in the world, as she does her appearance.  

She cares about others, she is generous of spirit, and resources. She observes, and shares, the good in life.  She is confidant and poised.  She radiates beauty. 

She also takes care of her appearance.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to look the best you can, as long as it doesn't become all you are about.  I know too many women who are far more concerned with their appearance, and pay little attention to their character.  

How do you find the balance?

Begin with the internal.  Be authentic (real).  Tell others what you struggle with, just don't make it the only thing you talk about; don't be afraid to share the real you.  Take ownership, don't be a victim, in your struggles. It's not always about the other person and how they've wronged you!  I hear women do this all the time.  I believe, in many cases, they don't even realize they do it.  How many people do you hear blame their parents for their poor choices?  If my Mom, had loved me, and told me how great I am, I wouldn't over eat, drink, pick bad men in my life...the list goes on and on.

You know what I say to this....blah, blah, blah.  Get help, and don't wallow in victimhood.  That may sound harsh, but it's true. 

We all have the ability to make the choice to be happy, kind, fun-loving, and yes, even grateful, when life has dealt us blows.  

Get busy, and make yourself feel beautiful!  

No one's going to do it for you.  Do something you're proud of.  Complete a project you've been meaning to do, learn something new and share your learning! Give of yourself to someone else. Stop, and just be grateful, even for the small things.  

Call someone and lift their spirits...genuinely, tell them something you like about them.  Doesn't cost a thing, and you'll be surprised at how making someone else's day, in turn; makes yours.   

When you feel good about something you've accomplished in life, be it large or small, it builds character, self esteem, and quickly turns the Ugly,  into someone...truly beautiful!