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Cindy on KARE 11 TV With Holiday Makeup Tips
"I find that women of every age, when they are turned on to life, when they're excited, when their circulation revs up, when they're blushing: they look their most attractive."
-- Cindy Joseph
Video courtesy of KARE 11 TV
A Recipe for Radiance
In a recent issue of Experience Life, I was interviewed about what lights me up and inspires and motivates me. For me, it's a no-brainer: living according to what brings me true joy and happiness. When I do this, I feel more than satisfaction -- I feel radiant! I experience more enthusiasm, energy and vitality in everything I do.
Like everyone, though, I occasionally lose that glow. But there are strategies for getting it back. In starts with asking myself, "What makes me happy? What are my priorities? What are the things that add joy to my life?"
I believe there are several important factors that support joy, including health, emotional expression and being spiritually in tune. The more I nurture a balance between these aspects, the more radiant I feel. The opposite is also true, as the more imbalanced I let them become, the worse my mood and outlook. It's then that I go back to some essential self-care actions:
- Nurturing relationships: When I connect and relate intimately with friends or family -- be it through playful laughs, brainstorming about careers or sharing feelings -- I get totally recharged, and carry that energy through everything I do.
- Getting enough sleep: When I don't get enough sleep, forget about it -- everything goes haywire. First, I get nervous and cranky; I also feel hungry when I have no need for food. If I'm really deprived of rest, I'm emotionally tender and easily brought to tears. After that, I lose my motivation to do anything about it. Once I'm in that state, it's tough to do what it takes to get the needed rest. Thankfully, even a short nap can totally recharge me, physically and psychologically. I've learned to make getting a good night's sleep a priority, so I never have to get to that point. (For more on the physiological benefits of sleep, see "Sleep Deficit: The Hidden Debt That's Hurting Us All" in the November 2008 archives at experiencelifemag.com.)
- Fasting: Under professional care, fasting is one of my annual rituals. Initially, the glow dwindles, but once I start to refeed, it's amplified and just keeps getting brighter! Fasting resets my whole system: cravings for junky foods disappear; my skin and eyes become brighter; my body performs better; my mind is sharper. All my senses wake up -- I can detect smells much more clearly, I hear better, and my sense of taste is highly intensified. My energy is reignited, and I feel fresh and clean, like a newborn baby.
- Showing Gratitude: Taking the time to appreciate what I have and making a deliberate point of finding the good in my life always brings a smile to my face. I sometimes do this first thing in the morning by putting my attention on my body and appreciating the miracle that it is. I may take a moment in the day to look at the sky, the trees and wildlife around me. The magnificence of nature leaves me in awe. I may sit in meditation and listen to my breathing, which slows me down enough to notice the life force in and around me. Slowing down allows me to experience gratitude and appreciation.
- Exercising regularly: I have an exercise routine I practice every week that covers my basic health needs. But when I need to kick up my glow in the middle of a workday, I grab my jump rope. I will stop whatever I'm doing, and jump rope 100 times. It takes about three minutes and voilà! I always feel better physically and emotionally. (For more on the physiological benefits of exercise, see "8 Ways Exercise Makes You Gorgeous" at experiencelifemag.com.)
"Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic." -- Rosalind Russell.
Let the Sun Shine In
Getting outside and into nature sounds like a relatively easy and attractive thing to do. Yet once we have done everything necessary to protect ourselves from the bugs, the pollen, the poison ivy, the deer ticks, and oh, that most dangerous of all the elements, the sun, many of us would rather grab the TV remote and enjoy the nature channel. Why take the risk of actually going out of doors?
My guess is, if you are reading this magazine, you're probably not the type to run from the sun or park yourself on the couch out of fear. However, we've all been inundated with information about the risks of UV rays. And its true that excess sun exposure (the kind that burns you) is bad for your health.
In my view, though, we've been lead to fear the sun far too much. We're told that being in the sun at all will prematurely age our skin and maybe give us skin cancer. Sunscreen companies are making a bundle from our fears, and convincing us to slather ourselves in chemicals that are themselves potentially hazardous and not adequately studied.
What gets lost in translation -- at least for a lot of people -- is that a moderate amount of sun is vital for your well-being. And in my experience, people who spend time outdoors in the sun look a lot healthier than their sun-fearing counterparts.
I know Experience Life has a great article on the importance of balanced sun exposure in the July/August 2009 issue, so if you haven't read that, do.
The bottom line is that sun is good for us. Always was, always will be. We need the sun for everything. It is the source of life. Nothing would exist without it.
We probably don't even know yet all of the hidden benefits related to getting enough sun. One important benefit we do know about is vitamin D -- a critical nutrient we synthesize best from sunshine and that helps protect us from all kinds of diseases and health conditions.
But did you know that if you wash too soon after sunbathing the vitamin D does not get created?
It turns out that vitamin D is synthesized in the top layer of our skin that contains sebum, an oily, waxy substance that serves as the body's natural moisturizer. This is where the chemical reactions triggered by sunshine occur and make vitamin D.
But if you wash your skin with soap and water too soon after coming indoors, you wash off a lot of the sebum-containing vitamin D before it has a chance to be fully formed and absorbed by your body.
Some health experts (check out the video below from Dr. Mercola) say that it can take up to 48 hours for the vitamin-D producing reaction to be completed. So they recommend avoiding bathing for a day or so, or (perhaps more realistic) simply rinsing your arms, legs and torso with water during your showers rather than lathering your entire body up. (You can still use soap under your arms, in the groin area and wherever else you need to, of course).
Anyway, all of this means that being a little dirty and sweaty for a while after being outdoors is good for you, too!
And there's more: Did you know that when sun's rays hit your retina your body is stimulated to produce more melanin, therefore protecting you from sunburn? Consider taking those sunglasses off for a while when you're out there. Remember, your eyes are designed to adjust to light.
If you have had too much of the sun, you will know it. Trust your instincts. And remember, houses, hats and clothes are the safest sunblocks you can use -- much better than pouring chemical filled lotions on your skin.
My approach: I spend as much time outdoors as feels good, I wear a hat and sleeves if I feel I'm in danger of getting too much sun, and I leave the sunglasses and the sun block in my beach tote unless they are a must.
You can figure out the approach that's right for you. But do head out into the great outdoors and soak up some sunshine. It's our friend!
My guess is, if you are reading this magazine, you're probably not the type to run from the sun or park yourself on the couch out of fear. However, we've all been inundated with information about the risks of UV rays. And its true that excess sun exposure (the kind that burns you) is bad for your health.
In my view, though, we've been lead to fear the sun far too much. We're told that being in the sun at all will prematurely age our skin and maybe give us skin cancer. Sunscreen companies are making a bundle from our fears, and convincing us to slather ourselves in chemicals that are themselves potentially hazardous and not adequately studied.
What gets lost in translation -- at least for a lot of people -- is that a moderate amount of sun is vital for your well-being. And in my experience, people who spend time outdoors in the sun look a lot healthier than their sun-fearing counterparts.
I know Experience Life has a great article on the importance of balanced sun exposure in the July/August 2009 issue, so if you haven't read that, do.
The bottom line is that sun is good for us. Always was, always will be. We need the sun for everything. It is the source of life. Nothing would exist without it.
We probably don't even know yet all of the hidden benefits related to getting enough sun. One important benefit we do know about is vitamin D -- a critical nutrient we synthesize best from sunshine and that helps protect us from all kinds of diseases and health conditions.
But did you know that if you wash too soon after sunbathing the vitamin D does not get created?
It turns out that vitamin D is synthesized in the top layer of our skin that contains sebum, an oily, waxy substance that serves as the body's natural moisturizer. This is where the chemical reactions triggered by sunshine occur and make vitamin D.
But if you wash your skin with soap and water too soon after coming indoors, you wash off a lot of the sebum-containing vitamin D before it has a chance to be fully formed and absorbed by your body.
Some health experts (check out the video below from Dr. Mercola) say that it can take up to 48 hours for the vitamin-D producing reaction to be completed. So they recommend avoiding bathing for a day or so, or (perhaps more realistic) simply rinsing your arms, legs and torso with water during your showers rather than lathering your entire body up. (You can still use soap under your arms, in the groin area and wherever else you need to, of course).
Anyway, all of this means that being a little dirty and sweaty for a while after being outdoors is good for you, too!
And there's more: Did you know that when sun's rays hit your retina your body is stimulated to produce more melanin, therefore protecting you from sunburn? Consider taking those sunglasses off for a while when you're out there. Remember, your eyes are designed to adjust to light.
If you have had too much of the sun, you will know it. Trust your instincts. And remember, houses, hats and clothes are the safest sunblocks you can use -- much better than pouring chemical filled lotions on your skin.
My approach: I spend as much time outdoors as feels good, I wear a hat and sleeves if I feel I'm in danger of getting too much sun, and I leave the sunglasses and the sun block in my beach tote unless they are a must.
You can figure out the approach that's right for you. But do head out into the great outdoors and soak up some sunshine. It's our friend!
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