- in Anti-Aging , Skin Care by tony
Anti-Aging and Beauty Tips
Our skin is a very vital and complex organ; a strong envelope to keep us intact and everything else out. It is an organ of sensation and touch, closely connected to the brain and the main nerve center of our bodies. It has many life-preserving functions.
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It is a temperature regulator because it helps prevent the loss of heat when we are exposed to the cold. In over-heated conditions, the skin relies on tissues helping the heat to escape through profuse sweating. Sweating is also a response to sudden fear or emotional stress.
Our skin maintains its health by excreting sebum, a fatty substance which comes to the surface where it mixes with sweat. This helps keep our skin pliable and moist.
Over-production or underproduction of sebum can cause excessively dry or oily skin. At puberty, the sex hormones affect the skin through the bloodstream and stimulate the sebaceous glands. The sudden increase of sebum activity may clog the pores and cause blackheads, pimples, or other skin problems.
In premature aging, the sebum production slacks off considerably, causing the skin fibers to lose a lot of their elasticity and tone, resulting in dry, leathery looking skin that is wrinkled.
Your skin will give back to you what you put in
The surface of our skin is also normally acid, and this protective covering is called the acid mantle. It acts as a barrier against any bacterial invasions.
If you wash with harsh alkaline type soaps, you will wash off the entire protective acid mantle and it takes quite a lot of hours before the body is able to restore it.
The skin breathes, drawing in oxygen and exhaling impurities, continuing steadily through the day and night. Other toxins are excreted in the form of perspiration which generally collects like tiny beads of droplets on the surface of our skin.
Often the skin will take on increased elimination in order to relieve the workload of some distressed organ, like weak kidneys or liver, and even when the lungs are not working adequately.
Toxins from the bowels are sometimes eliminated through the skin too. Were it not for these fantastic arrangements for removing the poisons from the body, the blood would become so polluted it would not even be able to support our life.
Another function nature has given to the skin is the ability to absorb certain external substances such as ointments or lotions that are applied to it.
This absorption also means that unless the skin is properly bathed and cared for, the impurities deposited on the surface through perspiration accumulate and the waste may be absorbed in the body, causing the skin to become toxic.
Our skin consists of four layers which are constantly being renewed. The surface layer which is the epidermis flakes off and depends upon the layer’s underneath for constant renewal.
That is why it is so important to use a little friction when bathing so that the dead flaking cells can be thoroughly removed.
We also need to use cosmetics sparingly, taking care never to apply fresh makeup over the stale makeup.
Dry Brushing
Dry brushing has many benefits. When you do dry brushing, you brush towards the heart, starting with your feet and hands.
It is an excellent anti-aging skin care method that supports lymphatic drainage, it exfoliates your skin, keeping it soft, and it cleans the pores of your skin, and reduces cellulite, giving you a natural energy boost.
Dermatologists agree that gently brushing the skin rates similarly to massage, which has well-documented benefits.
Even though we might look after our skin, there are problems that we can experience such as brown spots, acne, eczema and other skin disorders.
how to body brush
Brown spots
The appearance of brown spots on the hands and face is a cosmetic problem that affects many older men and women.
Different methods of removing these tell-tale aging signs have been used by many people.
An old-time favorite remedy is castor oil which is rubbed onto the brown spots every night until they disappear.
Some sources recommend external applications of fresh juice from some ground up parsley.
Acne
Perhaps no skin diseases cause people so much distress as acne.
Cleanliness and nutrition are extremely important in preventing this unpleasant skin disorder. Diets which are high in fat content stimulate the sebaceous glands.
The increased activity forces oil to the surface where they often get clogged which results in pimples and acne.
Doctors will often recommend retinol products for treating acne, but in discovering that, they also discovered how effective it has proved against wrinkles.
Eczema and psoriasis
If you add fatty acids to your diet, you can greatly improve the conditions of eczema.
Unsaturated fatty acids have also been found to have huge beneficial effects on the skin disorder, psoriasis.
What are the ideal fatty acids to add to your diet?
Omega 3 is the one.
Tick the anti-aging boxes
Even though aging is a natural process of growing older there are still many factors that play a role in whether we will age faster than our biological age, or whether we will grow old gracefully. A lot of people do look older than they really are because they do things that advance the aging process.
Look at these factors that can cause you to age prematurely:
Attitude
The mind sure does play a role in whether we will age slower or faster.
Happier people look younger, always. When you hope, have optimism, joy, and contentment in your life, youthful vigor exudes from the face and body.
Studies prove that happier people live longer with fewer health problems. Continual anger and stress etches itself in the skin causing deep lines and wrinkles.
How your body and face reveal your emotions and expressions can determine how prematurely you develop wrinkles on your skin.
Smoking and drinking
When you smoke and drink in excess, you are not doing your skin any good, because these two habits deplete your body of necessary nutrients.
The skin requires much collagen, elastin, and hydration to look youthful and healthy. If you smoke, you deprive your entire body of oxygen.
Drinking, too, can leave permanent marks on your body. Not only are you damaging your kidney and liver, but facial skin can become discolored over time.
There are 4 aging things that smoking, and drinking bring to your skin:
- Dehydration,
- swelling,
- collagen depletion,
- inflammation.
Cold, Sun, and Moisture
It is so easy to accelerate the aging process just simply by basking in the sun’s rays. Damage caused by the sun is the top cause of wrinkles. Age spots, too, and other discoloration forms worsen under the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Someone who has spent years working on their tan will ultimately end up with leathery and wrinkled skin. Once you extend your time in the sun over 20 minutes, the benefits that you would receive from taking in some essential vitamin D are all counteracted by the UV rays damage to your skin.
Cold weather too, is just as dangerous, causing thin, wrinkled skin. If you have acne and you use harsh treatments that deplete your skin of natural oils, you damage its natural elasticity.
Diet
Food has a huge impact on the skin. When you choose foods high in sugar and fat, i.e. processed foods, with few vegetables and fruit, you create something inside your body that goes completely against anti-aging methods.
When you replace all that ‘bad food’ with foods that are healthy and organic, you avoid creating inflammation from building up in your body which is one big aging factor.
Weight
If you are not at a normal weight, you probably are too heavy or too thin.
Being too overweight or too underweight adds years on to the aging process.
Being underweight, you will lose the natural fats in your face, resulting in sagging skin; jowls and wrinkles.
Not even a face lift or Botox treatments can help a thin and underweight face to replace the natural youthful fattiness that used to fill out your face in earlier days.
When you add on a couple of extra pounds to a very underweight body, you can make yourself look softer and more wrinkle-free.
Too much weight creates the appearance of being older than you are because you have poor muscle tone.
People who are overweight become less active as they age.
Because of all that inactivity, they create for themselves chronic health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Malnourished, your body can add on anything from 10 to 20 years to your appearance and health but it is never too late to fix things.
A rich diet that is full of antioxidants, fresh and natural foods and plenty of muscle building exercises can kick-start your metabolism again.
If you are serious about your weight and trying to reverse some aging habits, it might be a good start to see a nutritionist periodically, so they work out a high energy, age-fight low fat program for you to adhere to.
Choices
Every day we make choices that will hinder or delay or help the process of aging. You should involve yourself in regular workouts to keep your body looking toned, healthy, and full of energy. It’s your choice to opt for the television set with your bowl of chips or it’s your lifestyle choice to get ‘out there’, exercising and building your body for a youthful and more disease-free body.
When you make the right choice to work for your body and not against it, you help the anti-aging process big time.
That means listening to your body and what it is telling you.
Don’t just carry on eating when you are full.
Rest when you are tired.
Focus on your body’s needs, turning towards natural inventions and natural interventions rather than the chemical solutions, if you want to turn back the hands of time.
Because these choices to work with your body and its natural rhythms will pay you back in dividends that you would never have dreamed of.
a life choice concept.
Stress, unfortunately, is a very good recipe for aging and we all suffer from time to time.
Chronic stress can ruin your health and your mental state too, which is a top aging factor.
All those worries, frowns, and negative feelings encourage the aging process. It’s not that easy just to say, get rid of stress, but it is necessary to find ways to reduce stress like a wonderful massage, calming and natural herbs, foods that de-stress and certainly exercise.
We all know that those late nights, the early starts, the work stress, drinking the night before, lots of sugar – all this FOMO takes a major toll on your skin.
When you can’t bear to miss a party, to watch every hot Netflix movie, or try every new cocktail bar, busily spending hours on social media to keep your friends updated, it all takes its toll.
In your 20's, you are probably too busy to see the warning signs coming. But they are all adding up to premature aging of your body, your health, and your skin.
By the time you hit your 30's, you can expect to be starting to see the results, dry eyes, sagging skin, puffy and red face, wrinkles, dry hair …. The list will get longer over time.
Nobody said there’s anything wrong with aging, its life’s natural process but if you don’t look after your body and skin, you might just be ‘old’ 20 years ahead of your time.
Check out these 7 subtle ways that your skin gets older by the day, faster than it should be:
1. When you spend too much time on social media
Ever heard of ‘tech-neck’? It can cause you back and neck problems with all that peering down at your phone, aging your neck and jawline faster.
The pull of gravity from looking downwards all the time means sagging in the lower face starting earlier than it should.
2. Lying in bed using your phone
All that bright light from your phone screen or laptop can certainly hamper your sleep – let alone the damage you do to your eyes when you stare at that bright light in a dark room as well.
It can cause dry eyes and eye infections because your blinking mechanism is all suppressed.
3. Computer lighting
When you spend too long staring at your computer or television, it’s a no-no when it comes to trying to keep a youthful skin.
The light, known as high energy visible light can break down elastin and skin collagen structures that are responsible for keeping your skin youthful and firm.
4. Drinking too much
A big negative side-effect of drinking too much alcohol is it dries out the skin. It acts as a diuretic too, causing your skin to become dehydrated and flaky.
5. Not sleeping enough
When you don’t get enough sleep, or you don’t drink enough water, you can wake up with puffy skin and even extra makeup will not take that away.
When you don’t get your 40 winks every day, your face can start looking pale and lifeless.
6. Turning the heat up
When you are cold you want to be warm, but over-hot temperatures can dry out the skin caused by central heating.
Combinations of hot and cold weather are harsh on the skin leading to dry, sallow and dull complexions caused by dehydration.
People need to realize that drinking water in winter is just as important as in the summer.
7. Sleeping on the wrong bed linen
Did you know that the wrong kind of bed linen can add lines to your face?
Ideally, what you are looking for are soft, pillowcases made from silk, so much gentler on the skin, and particularly if you are someone who likes to sleep on your side.
Pillowcases that are made from synthetic materials can result in small folds and creases on your face and body which, over time, develop into premature wrinkling, say the skin experts.
8. Eating unhealthily - or not eating enough
It should not be a surprise to anyone that sugary, oily foods aren’t going to do your skin any good. When you are too busy in your life to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat nutritional foods, you accelerate the volume loss from your face.
Detox your body and life from bad habits and bad food
A detox is an excellent idea to benefit your skin.
You feel wonderful and you look younger.
There are certain super foods that are packed with nutrients to get your skin in reverse again. When you detox, you are not starving yourself, it really means cleansing your body from all the toxins that have built up from the consumption of too many processed foods.
The body naturally detoxes all the time but when you incorporate a detox regime into your life you put that natural process to its maximum benefits.
Including these foods into your diet, you are going to notice stuff happening, very good stuff, inside and out:
- Fresh fish (e.g., sardines, salmon, tilapia)
Fish truly has health benefits, which is why fish forms a big part in most anti-aging diets.
Reason being, they have such high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in them and plenty of essential vitamins that are proven to make people healthier and younger looking.
Herbal tea (e.g., green tea, black tea, peppermint tea)
Herbal teas detoxify the body which is ideal for an anti-aging diet.
They are safe and easy to use, to help you look younger from the inside out.
They act as purifiers, helping to fight bacteria, cleanse impurities from your body and heal broken skin or wounds.
Greens (e.g., spinach, broccoli, Swiss chard, basil, etc.)
No anti-aging diet would work without leafy greens, because they are so detoxifying. They supply all the necessary vitamins and minerals to look younger.
When you are short of iron you become tired, particularly for the older woman, and which can be so easily remedied by taking more vegetables. Look younger because your blood is clean and healthy.
Citrus (e.g., limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit)
These fruits make you look younger because they supply abundant antioxidants, to fight off free radicals that accelerate getting old.
Citrus fruits flush out the intestines, clearing your body of bacteria and toxins and keeping your body hydrated.
Pineapples
Pineapples contain bromelain, enzymes for digestive health because they clean out your colon. Pineapples have been used for hundreds of years for digestion problems.
Conclusion
By adding the above, you also need to take away.
That means taking away refined sugars, processed foods, alcohol, excessive eggs, and dairy and meat.
You need to be consistent in the process of natural anti-aging skin care because then only will it be a beautiful canvas that tells your story of love and care for many youthful years.
And if you're a person who is struggling with any type of skin issue or just in general, you want to have beautiful glowing skin.
We're going to talk about some of our top tips today.
So, Jordan we can go ahead and jump right in.
I know we've got .
again I'll play Vanna White here for the first one I'll have you then number two. .
We're going to talk about five keys to anti-aging and having perfect glowing skin.
And so, number one thing that you need to start doing right away to transform the health of your skin is do what Jordan?
Jordan: Healthy fats, and there are many types of fats and I recommend you get them in your diet every day.
Let's talk a little bit about the taboo saturated fats, or should I say the bomb, because saturated fats are critical for your health and what are saturated fats?
They come in medium and short chains.
Short chain fatty acids which are great for the gut, and by the way, the skin is a reflection of your insides. It's a great way to tell how healthy you are.
Short chain fatty acids are found in butter, even a more concentrated source in ghee.
I know you love ghee I loved ghee.
Josh: Oh yeah.
Jordan: I loved ghee.
It's really good for you.
Ghee is clarified butter and it's a powerful food and remedy that is consumed throughout India and around the world.
Those are short chain fatty-acids.
Medium chain primarily comes from coconut oil, and palm oil, and red palm oil also has vitamin E which is great for the skin.
It can be a little messy though when you consume or cook with the red palm oil it can stain bad.
Coconut oil and red palm oil fell out of favor 50 or so years ago when the myth that saturated fat causes heart disease was out there.
Well guess what?
Saturated fat might actually help your heart. In fact, we believe it does.
So you want saturated fats, coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, look for organic virgin or unprocessed, you want butter grass-fed organic and ghee.
And then we have monounsaturated fats coming from olives in olive oil, macadamia nuts, you've got sesame seeds, peanuts have monounsaturated oils, and avocados are a great source.
Josh: Yeah, absolutely.
Jordan: And then we have Omega-3s, two types.
From fish, fatty fish in particular salmon herring, mackerel, sardines, and fatty tuna.
You've got Omega-3s from walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds and their oils and you can take supplements of course that have EPA and DHA. And probably, and you asked me this before, my favourite source of fats because it has phospholipids, it has squalene, and many other fatty acid components, its caviar or fish roe.
And it's not just for the wealthy.
Caviar is affordable when you buy it from the right places.
And it's really, beneficial.
Little high in sodium but if you can get either salmon roe or any type of caviar with no preservatives and colors, it not only gives you omega-3 fats, it gives you Vitamin E, Vitamin D, and phospholipids which help drive the fats into your system.
Those are amazing for your skin.
Egg yolk is also a great source of fat, and get this here's a tip. When I see people that have skin issues, I recommend an egg yolk facial mask.
I don't know if you've heard of this but not only does it have antioxidants, but it also pulls out impurities.
And I believe that when you consume eggs internally, especially raw and another program we'll tell you how to do that properly.
Eggs act like a toxin sponge and can pull junk out of your body. But if you are bold enough to wear egg on your face, give it a try.
Eggs are good internally and they're good on your face, especially if they're pasture raised.
Josh: And I might want to mention this, one of the things, face masks Jordan, I love the idea of the egg yolk and adding some turmeric to that.
Rubbing that on the skin, it's incredible. I know we're going to talk about some natural beauty tips when we jump in and talk about essential oils.
Jordan: Yeah, I'm not to be here when the person who rubbed turmeric on their face calls back in and says, "How do I get it off?"
You can talk to him about that one I'll stick with the egg yolk.
Josh: All right, let's jump in here, so five keys to anti-aging,
number two
one of my absolutely favorite topics.
We're going to talk about the best essential oils for supporting healthy skin and the natural anti-aging process.
And I'll tell you Jordan, I'm a huge fan of essential oils. I'm going to start off talking about some of my favorite essential oils and let you talk about some of yours.
So, I'm a huge fan of geranium and geranium rose. Geranium, actually works through naturally hydrating and moisturizing your skin. So geranium is one of my favorites. I love myrrh essential oil. We know myrrh was used in the Bible.
In fact Jordan, when we hear the story of the three wise men bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus, some researchers believe that myrrh would have been used by the whole family, but potentially by Mary as well.
In fact, myrrh during those days was used to prevent infection, it was used to balance hormones. We know Queen Esther, it's referenced in the Bible that she used a total of six oils, but one of those they mentioned was myrrh essential oil along with floral oils as a natural beauty treatment.
We know Cleopatra . . . so again myrrh essential oil, one of the most popular, one of my favorite. And myrrh is a little bit thicker than the other oils. One of the benefits is it doesn't vaporize as quickly as certain other essential oils.
So, myrrh oil, one of my personal favorites especially for issues of red, dry, and flaking type skin, it's absolutely fantastic for those types of issues as well.
Jordan: Now you know what I always think about when I read the passage of Scripture in the book of Esther, could you imagine if we found the scroll that talked about the beauty treatments that the incoming queen candidates consumed?
Josh: Oh yeah. Jordan: That would be so amazing, six months of treatment of myrrh is what the Bible said.
But just a written protocol how cool with that because those were ladies that transformed themselves to be in the presence of the king. So if any of you have that scroll, you can send that in and we'll give you more than just one free gift.
Josh: And I want to talk about a natural .
. . actually I'll talk about my special formula for my anti-aging serum using essential oils in one second.
But Jordan, share with us some of your favorite essential oils for natural skin care and beauty.
Jordan: Absolutely and I do love lavender.
In fact for me, every day I use lavender, frankincense, and rosemary, and I pour it on my head, actually multiple times and I love to anoint my kids.
Josh and I are working on an amazing book, I'll tease it here.
It will be already in the next few months.
It's called Essential oils: Ancient Medicine for the Modern World and it is a whopping 400 plus pages already and it's not fully complete.
It is the guide to essential oils, and I'm loving doing the research and the reading myself. It's truly amazing. But one thing we talked about is, how I like to anoint my kids and I put a little drop of usually lavender, it's an oil that can be very safe for children in various areas.
I'll tell you something funny in just a minute that many people can probably attest to doing also. So, I put a drop of oil on their head and I quote from Psalm 23, "I anoint your head with oil your cap runs over, surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the rest of your days and you'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
And I say that about myself when I pour it on.
You know what else I thought of?
I have a bunch of goats and animals at the farm and I said, next time a female goat has triplets, three girls, I'm going to name them Surely, Goodness, and Mercy. You know what I did the other day?
I get to the bottom of the essential oils and I get irritated because they don't come out of what you would call the orifice reach anymore, so I pull it off and then I close it, thinking I'll remember next time.
So I went and poured frankincense on my head and I couldn't catch it. Sometimes you quickly catch it, it went all over my face and I think almost in my eyes and it didn't bother me. It was unbelievable, I mean I wouldn't normally put frankincense in my eye and my cup certainly ran over that day.
But if that's ever happened to you, you know what I'm talking about.
Thank God it wasn't oregano.
Josh: Yeah, no exactly.
Yeah oregano or clove you'd have to be running water in your eye for 30 minutes.
Jordan: And I have accidentally put clove on when I did it in the dark, just a drop or two and it wasn't that great, I'll tell you.
Josh: Oh yeah.
So as we're talking about, I mean essential oils are so beneficial for the skin, part of your natural beauty routine.
I'm going to share my formula for a natural anti-aging serum that I use, that my wife Chelsea uses on a regular basis. Before I do that though, today there are millions of people all around the world who are using chemical based products Jordan.
If you think about it, I mean things like EDTA, sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, all of these chemicals that are found in our shampoo, and our body lotions, and our moisturizers.
I want to encourage you today, if you're using those chemically based beauty products and skincare products.
Get them out of your house, replace them with essential oils.
We actually have lots of natural DIY recipes on my website, draxe.com.
So if you want to make your own natural shampoo like I do, just search Dr. Axe shampoo recipe and we've got all of those things on there right now.
And so here's this radiating serum we use, Jordan.
We actually use a little bit of jojoba oil which is very good for the skin. We do a little bit of pomegranate oil, and then we mix in lavender, myrrh, and geranium. Those oils and then a lot of times frankincense.
And so we mix all those oils together.
That's what we use in our skin, that's what we use on our face, that's one of the great things as well about oils especially like frankincense and geranium.
Whether you have dry or oily skin, they're actually good for both.
They work to naturally balance out the oil on your skin.
So again, essential oil is so powerful we know for natural beauty and skin.
And I know Jordan you've got kids at home, so we're talking about anti-aging and beauty before I uncover this third one.
What are some of the oils you use if your kids get any type of issue maybe they fall and scrape themselves?
What do you do in that case?
Jordan: I hate to go to the well too often but lavender is so good for mild burns, cuts, and scrapes.
I cut two of my fingers, I'm not even sure how and you're always preparing things, kids have nails or grabbing this that in the other, but lavender is so gentle and soothing. I use it all the time.
But I also use frankincense and I'll use it more now that I dropped some in my eye by accident because it's pretty soothing as well.
But I think lavender and frankincense are a major one-two punch. Lavender brings healing, frankincense is very anti-inflammatory so they're both amazing.
There's many others of course. And there's also what we would call the healthy fats to use.
Rosehip and rosehip seed oil are really, good as well. And of course, coconut oil is always great.
Josh: Oh yeah.
We're jumping into number three here.
You guys are going to enjoy this one.
This is huge and may surprise some of you when it comes to skin health.
Number three here in the five keys to anti-aging, you need to consume more collagen rich foods.
Jordan: And this would be bone broth which we mention almost every single program.
That is the quintessential beauty product. We talked about this yesterday, if you want great health there's a handful of foods and compounds that are ancient yet need to be super modern.
We mentioned fermented foods, bone broth, fish roe or caviar, those are amazing. But particularly, bone broth.
And it isn't just bone broth, when you are consuming a chicken, so today we're having organic roasted chicken for dinner.
When it's organic I eat the skin, it's one of my favorite parts.
That's where the hyaluronic acid and other collagen boosting compounds are found.
So even if you're not simply making broth, you can consume the skin. And you know what else?
In addition of bone broth, meaty broth. When you cook meat or when you roast chicken, people always throw away what they think is the fat.
It's not the fat.
Its broth from the meat that contains not only collagen rich substances but also immune supportive, energizing supplements particularly amino acids.
Josh: Yeah, it's incredible.
If you think about Thanksgiving and all that juice at the bottom of the turkey, I mean it is loaded, that's where all the nutrients are.
Now, my mom, my grandmother likes to make gravy out of it.
Now when Chelsea and I do Thanksgiving now, we actually use that, we make our own sort of paleo or gluten-free gravy with it.
It is so good for the body and that's the part that you absolutely want to be getting on a regular basis.
So, I want to mention a few things here with collagen rich foods. If you look at bone broth, it is packed with proline and glycine.
I mean these are building blocks of collagen that support healthy tissues. And when you're buying things specifically for the skin type one, two, and three collagens are all beneficial.
So you want to focus on getting something that's a well-rounded product with different types of collagen.
And Jordan, another thing I want to mention here when we look at bone broth, is its high in something you mentioned.
It's high in glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid.
All these not only support the joints and the gut, they protect the skin as well.
And talk to me Jordan about some other food, so again we know bone broth is by far number one. But after bone broth are there any other foods, or nutrients, or plants that can support collagen production in your own body?
Jordan: There are many.
Think about this, when you look at bone broth you talk about chondroitin, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid, they are glycosaminoglycans.
They are polysaccharides, so there are also proteoglycans and there's really two major food sources of polysaccharides.
You could think a third potentially and they're all good for the skin.
Number one is mushrooms.
Mushrooms both culinary and medicinal are great. And we talked about this earlier, well not a mushroom, more of a fungus, chaga is amazing.
Chaga actually has melanin in it, chaga is a tree fungus from Russia and is absolutely acclaimed.
Reishi or Ganoderma is a powerful Chinese mushroom that people talk about as the mushroom of immortality.
Turkey tail is amazing for a number of reasons. Shiitake is great, agaricus.
So, mushrooms are a great source, not only of immune support but of collagen building.
Number two is sea vegetables or seaweed.
Seaweed has various components or polysaccharides, sulfated polysaccharides in red marine algae that's great for collagen and elastin production.
And of course, citrus. Vitamin C was named after collagen. Vitamin C which cured scurvy, scurvy was really characterized by bleeding gums and loose gums and teeth because the collagen had worn down.
So consuming Vitamin C rich food and the cofactor, so that's why I think actually lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine oil would be great as well because all of the components.
Citrus peel is wonderful.
But consuming lemon or lime juice can help also boost collagen production.
So if you're someone who says, "You two always talk about bone broth. I'm a plant-based eater, I'm a vegan," well here's what you can do.
I'm not only a bone broth every day, I have mushroom broth every day.
Josh: I love it.
Jordan: More like tea. I take mushrooms and some of them are very hard, we grow medicinal mushrooms I will make a decoction or an infusion and consume that as well.
So, I'm getting it all over from all different angles. And this isn't even a vegetable, it's a fungi, so let's call it this, multi kingdom collagen.
Josh: I like it, it's great.
So, Jordan, step number four here, let's talk about it.
Organic acid, I'll have you go first.
Jordan: Organic acids are a powerful, often left out nutritional superhero.
Organic acids are created either naturally in food, so citric acid is found in lemon. There is acetic acid which is created by bacteria but found in apple cider vinegar, there is fulvic and humic acid which is created by the natural breakdown of carbon-based substances and there is lactic acid through probiotic fermentation and many others.
Organic acids, we hear a lot of them, fruit acids put on the skin, right?
Josh: Oh yeah.
Jordan: But consuming fermented foods is a great way to get organic acids, as is consuming something that will contain a fulvic or humic acid.
So, these are really, really important. One great source of organic acids is Himalayan shilajit.
Shilajit is sort of this dark colored goo that oozes from volcanic areas. They find it in the Himalayas.
Also, another form of it is humate.
So, consuming those can be really, good for you.
But organic acids truly help you become younger and most Americans today because of our processed diet are virtually deficient in organic acids.
Josh: Jordan a lot of people talk about alkalizing the body. But organic acids kind of work in a different way, they really help balance your pH of your digestive system which is really so important for the body.
We know that there's a lot of different organic acids, Jordan mentioned shilajit, even apple cider vinegar, we're talking about things like acetic acid, fermented herbs, sauerkraut, some of these other foods, great sources of organic acids.
And they really support a healthy probiotic growth within your system as well. So, you really want to make sure you're getting some organic acids.
So, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and water with a meal is a great thing to do.
A serving of sauerkraut as we've talked about, or in your supplements looking for things like shilajit, humic acid, fulvic acid, like Jordan's talking about.
Some absolutely fantastic tips there, what about kombucha?
Jordan: Kombucha has organic acids as well, it has glucuronic, gluconic, and acetic acid, and it's another great source of organic acids and beauty.
A lot of people consume kombucha for its beauty benefits.
Josh: Jordan, what do you think and, this is a little off topic, but Jordan, what are your thoughts on iodine?
Jordan: I think iodine can be very good, some people believe it is the absolute answer for everything.
We're going to talk about that in an upcoming show, but I think a natural source of iodine particularly sea vegetables can be really, really good, and there are some good supplements out there and there are people that really need iodine.
So if you know that you've got thyroid issues, I would recommend seeking help from a natural health care practitioner to make sure, but that would be their reason to supplement with larger amounts of iodine.
Josh: Absolutely.
Our last food and this is an absolutely big one. Jordan: I'm going to talk about three enzyme rich fruits, okay?
So, two fruits that are known for their enzyme content are papaya and pineapple.
So, papaya has papain, I'm sure you've heard of papain. It's the number one meat tenderizer out there, because it breaks down proteins, it's also found in a lot of supplements that are geared towards digestion.
Bromelain is the other.
Bromelain is from pineapple really from the stem, and papain is commonly found in the latex or the skin of the papaya, not the parts we eat unfortunately.
Those two are standbys for enzyme production.
Josh: So Jordan, talk about those enzymes that are found in kiwi and then I can touch on the next fruit after that.
Jordan: I absolutely. I've been eating one to two kiwis a day or in evening since I realized that the powerful enzyme actinidain which is another proteolytic or protein digesting enzyme is found in kiwi.
And kiwi also contains omega-3s, the seeds and you can even eat the skin.
I peel it because I like to taste better.
But kiwis are awesome and the enzymes in the fruit, it's not found in the stem or a part you don't eat. So eat more kiwis, look for the actinidain enzyme content.
And the last one is?
Josh: Figs. I mean, Jordan knows because I talk about them all the time, I am a huge fig fan.
And figs actually contain fican which is another proteolytic enzyme that has similar benefits to actinidain, and bromelain, and papain.
So again, figs are absolutely fantastic for digestion.
When you talk about the skin, talk about an antioxidant powerhouse.
All those seeds are great for naturally helping cleans the colon.
So again, figs are a great one.
So, remember this, pineapple is great.
We know that papaya is great. But our two favorites are probably kiwi and figs are excellent.
I want to actually throw one more out there.
There's an herb or a root high in proteolytic enzymes, ginger.
Ginger contains zingiberene which is another enzyme that actually helps support digestion.
So, ginger is beneficial for so many things.
But that could go on the list there as well. And just a few recipe ideas.
I love doing Jordan, I'm a kiwi smoothie, I do actually just some kiwi.
A lot of times I'll put some of that vanilla bone broth protein powder in with that.
The figs, I love doing with chocolate. In fact my wife and I a few weeks ago do chocolate fondue.
We did some raspberries, blueberries, and figs dipped, so we took dark chocolate, coconut milk mixed it up, did fondue with it.
Talk about an anti-aging dessert.
We got a couple questions here we're going to answer for you right now.
One of the first questions here is from Sarah.
She says, "What are your thoughts on this?
My husband is afraid to take probiotics because he hasn't eaten too clean lately.
Wouldn't he benefit from taking probiotics anyways?"
Jordan: Probiotics are great if you eat well or if you don't. And either way, they're not going to harm you because if you get too many they're merely digested as protein would be.
So if you've not eaten very well lately, it's the best time to take probiotics, maybe not a mega dose but certainly get started on it.
Josh: All right. Maria has a question. She says, "My son has some skin issues," so her young son.
Says, "The doctor say they are actually under the skin cysts. I'm just wondering what are some things my son can do to help him have naturally healthy skin?
Jordan: Not sure the age, but detoxification or cleansing is very, very important.
But one of the best ways to have healthy skin, and there's so many things we could have mentioned, hydrating.
I know people that get enough fluids have much better looking skin.
I would put fat right up there as a one-to-one.
But also getting sun.
Many people have skin issues when they don't get sun, green foods are amazing.
There's so many things we left out in retrospect.
But also this would be a great candidate for essential oils, particularly frankincense and lavender combo.
Josh: Yeah, I would say one of the things, especially if we're talking about a young boy here, let's say it's elementary or high school often times as Jordan mentioned, lavender oil is great.
One of my favorite things to do Jordan, is to mix manuka honey, or just raw local honey you get at your farmers market with some lavender and tea tree oil.
Rub it on the face, leave it on for two minutes and wash it off. It's great for young kids and teens to do.
Jordan, this is a question from Licha Rosa Shifflett she says, "How can I lessen some of my hormone balance issues?"
Jordan: Start with adaptogenic herbs, not pro-hormones, not bioidentical hormones but adaptogenic herbs.
Ashwagandha is my favorite, rhodiola is really good, eleuthera, reishi, reishi is amazing, cordyceps you mentioned, ginseng, depending on what you're dealing with is a powerful adaptogen as well.
Schisandra is just awesome.
Adaptogens first, two I would go with a bioidentical hormone program under a licensed physician.
So, get tested. I don't believe in using progesterone creams, Because you don't know your numbers. S
o, make sure that you get tested and I think bioidentical hormones are a second step.
Third of course would be a prescription hormone medication which I'm not too fond of, but some people need based on what their lifestyle is.
So start with adaptogenic herbs that help lower cortisol, helping to boost DHEA which helps with everything from serotonin to you name it. Josh: Got a comment here from Dana. She says, "Yes. I cut out dairy and it helped acne," so that's a great comment there.
We have actually a question from Nida. She says, "I get bloated a lot.
Any thoughts and what can cause it and help to reduce bloating."
Jordan: So eating one food at a time is great.
Number two, chew your food thoroughly, I guarantee you, Nida, if you focus on chewing after our program all my kids took longer to eat dinner because they were chewing their food.
And they were like, "You and Josh argued.
He said 30, dad you said 50, I'm going with 30," thanks a lot, Josh.
So, they're happy.
Chew your food more thoroughly, especially carbohydrates and really take digestive enzymes with your food, that is what this is for, to reduce post-meal, gas, and bloating.
Josh: Hi, Dr. Axe here. I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video.
Also, don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine.
Thanks for watching.
