How do we get better skin? How do we maintain the skin we’re in? Is there such a thing as slowing down the aging process? I’m finding new “friends” on my skin every day, moles, fine lines, beauty marks and more….
Early on in life, most of us, if we were lucky never had to worry about skin issues like acne, dark circles, eczema, uneven tone or even sunburn. I’ve been fortunate to be one of those persons to not suffer any severe skin concerns for most of my life, with the exception of skin reactions due to allergies, I’ve been ok. However as time passes and I get older I notice the inevitable happens, AGING! As we get older we see changes in our facial appearances like:
laugh lines become deeper
faint crows feet appear at the eyes
forehead wrinkles creep in
cheeks droop and sag
skin texture changes
dark circles under the eyes
intense oily or dry skin
some of my goodies
In my entire life, I’ve only ever had 2 facials. The first being December 2019 and the other in February of 2020. I enjoyed the experiences and for the most part did it out of curiosity. But I’ve always had a routine that has worked for me. A lot of folks ask me what I do on a daily and admittedly nothing much. Here’s some do’s and don’ts of facial skincare that I follow and you should consider to:
Drink enough water to keep the skin hydrated
exfoliate once a week
moisturize with creams not oil based lotions (oil free moisturizers help prevent acne)
apply a serum during the night
use vitamin C on the face and Vitamin E on the skin (coconut oil is life)
learn how to do proper extractions
Wash your face with warm water to open pores
Rinse your face with cold water to close pores
NEVER sleep with make up on (make up wipes is not a cleanser you must wash your face after)
use Salicylic acid to gently exfoliate at night if you’re acne prone
Use an SPF 75 if not wearing make up though the day and SPF 50 minimum if you wear make up
Keep the dairy intake low,- dairy is food for acne (and sinus flare ups)
Invest in a facial steamer and facial brush
do not rub the face to dry after washing, gently pat the face or allow to air dry
sleep on satin pillows and wash them a least twice a week (cotton pillows dry the skin and hold bacteria longer)
Here’s what I usually do once a week….
My life can sometimes be hectic and so I set aside some time to focus on my face once a week. My routine is usually, to clear my face with make up wipes, then steam with an ionic steamer, then I apply a light cream based moisturizer to ensure than when I extract blackheads, dirt and oil am I gentle enough to not break the skin, once I’ve completed that then I wash my face with a facial brush and a cleanser to remove the excess dirt and dead skin, pat dry and apply a cooling hydrating mask for 10 minutes. I then rinse the mask and apply a vitamin c serum and then relax.
Be mindful that there are many underlying causes for acne, dry skin, uneven skin tone etc… so finding out what works best for your skin as you age is key. Hormones, poor eating, drink too much alcohol, stress, lack of bowel movement, dirty pillows, unclean make up brushes, using wash clothes and sponges, genetics and climate all contribute to unhealthy skin so making sure that you are maintaining all of the above is key to changing the appearance of the skin.
I love Fashion and I love Fitness so it only made sense that I love fit fashion or sports fashion. I recently created a cute video on my IG page @lmoxeyfit showing you some of my favorite Nike outfits. People ask me if I have a favorite sports brands and although I’ve been a supporter or Nike, over the years I’ve grown to love other brands as well. Here’s a list of some of my favorite work out wear brands:
Alo Yoga
Gym Shark Women
Nike Women
Body Engineers Women
Forever 21 active
Adidas women
Girlfriend Collective
Fabletics
Spiritual Gangster
Carbon 38
Alala
I must say over the years I’ve expanded my wardrobe to include most of these brands. The price range for an average kit can range from $-$$$ check out some of the cute pieces I either have or will acquire in the very near future.
outfits pictured are either Nike, Gym Shark or Minka Blue,
visit the sites of each to find your favorites and get moving. Start working out in style so that you can not only feel better but look better while doing it. Let me know your favorite fit fashion brands.
How many of us find ourselves on the struggle bus when it comes to controlling what we eat? We often think the fitness journey is all about working out, drinking up the protein shakes and lifting heavy weights. Its’ so much more than that. The big part of whole body transformation/maintenance is what you put inside the body, what you eat…. In most cases, it’s proven that women eat a healthier diet than men.
photo: Scharad Lightborne Photography
In a Massachusetts survey, for example, women were about 50% more likely than men to meet the goal of eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The masculine ideal of meat and potatoes should give way to vegetables, fruits, grains, and fish.
source: harvard university
It’s obvious that we are very different beings in every sense of the way. It’s crazy how men could swallow cows, sheep, horse, duck, i mean almost anything and not gain weight and here we are as women counting our grapes , slicing our oranges in half and measuring how much wine to pour in a glass (ahh well not really lol) but you get the point. It is super hard biologically for us women to get to the place we want as it relates to our weight, physique and appearance. But we are winning at some things though. No, it’s not a competition buuuutttt the way men eat finally does catch up with them in the long run and as women we train ourselves into good habits that stick in the long run don’t we?!. Besides the good genes, insane metabolism at an early age and bottomless pit, men aren’t so lucky later in life…
…At younger ages, men face a greater risk of heart disease than women. On average, a first heart attack—the most common manifestation of this prevalent disease—strikes men at age 65. For women, the average age of a first heart attack is 72
source: Harvard University
This is huge reality check for men and women. We are both exposed to NCD’s (non-communicable diseases) at some point in life if we don’t maintain a healthy diet and workout. So now that we have some facts, lets discuss the ways we can curb our health towards the right direction, live longer, look and feel better and embrace a new way of living. Let’s talk the benefits of dieting and the various diets. I’ve compiled a list of my top researched diets and jump starts for you to consider adding to your fitness journey.
Green Juice ingredients
TYPES OF DIETS:
WHOLE 30 The Whole30 diet is a month-long elimination diet used as a nutrition reset. The central premise of the diet is that food should make you healthier, but it says many common foods found in Western diets—including sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, and certain food additives—can be harmful to your health, well-being, and energy. During the 30 days, you will eat whole, unprocessed foods, like fruits, vegetables, animal protein, nuts, and healthy fats. After the 30 days, you will slowly reintroduce off-limits food groups to check for reactions. The program is not a weight-loss plan, but many people find they lose weight on Whole30. The goal is better health, so it is recommended to not weigh yourself or take body measurements during the full 30 days.
KETO The ketogenic diet is an eating strategy where you power your system on fat, rather than carbohydrates. A standard ketogenic diet consists of 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates, though there is some room for modification to meet your personal goals. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, this breaks down to about 167 grams of fat, 100 grams of protein, and 25 grams or fewer of carbohydrates.
By minimizing your carbohydrate intake and consuming healthy fats instead, the ketogenic diet puts your body into ketosis. This is a metabolic state where the liver converts fats into acids called ketone bodies that it uses for fuel. This process simulates fasting conditions to switch up your energy supply. Naturally, there are some significant side effects from this process; some positive and others less so.
Mediterranean This balanced, heart-healthy diet is well-researched and advocates an active lifestyle, a healthy weight, and less sugar, red meat and saturated fat and more fruits, vegetables and nuts. This is another kind of vegetable-heavy diet that avoids a lot of meat, but does not eliminate it altogether. This diet has been proven to help with depression, in addition to controlling blood sugar levels and helping with weight loss. The Mediterranean diet recommends the use of oil as much as possible and that means as an alternative to butter, salad dressings or marinades. It also emphasizes adding vegetables to each meal and favors fish over chicken. Whole grains, nuts and herbs are also used in larger amounts.
Paleo In recent years, the paleo diet (which only allows foods that can be hunted, gathered or fished) has become more popular. It’s based on the theory that our bodies are designed to eat like our caveman ancestors — they’re not designed to digest the processed foods that are the basis of most modern diets.T his is a natural way of eating, one that almost abandons all intake of sugar. The only sugar in a Paleo diet comes from fruit. However, abandoning sugar is not the only stipulation. Processed foods and grains are also eliminated from the Paleo diet. The fewer number of carbohydrates in your system leads to a decreased amount of glucose. So your system will then begin to use fat as its fuel source. In a Paleo diet, dairy is also eliminated. So what can be eaten? A Paleo diet consists of fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, sweet potatoes, eggs and meat, so long as that meat is grass-fed and not grain-fed.
Vegan The vegan diet, which is devoid of all animal products — from milk chocolate to honey to hamburgers — can be a great choice. The vegan diet is comprised of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and vegetable oils. When well-designed and balanced, the vegan diet is one of the cleanest, greenest diets out there.T his diet is a form of a vegetarian diets. One of the primary effects of this diet is that it reduces the intake of cholesterol and saturated fat. It takes some planning, but if a vegan diet is rationed out properly, it can have many positive effects. Studies have proven that those who practice a vegan diet minimize their overall risk of coronary heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure. To compensate for a lack of meat, vegans must find a way to incorporate more sources of protein and vitamin B-12 into their diets.
Intermittent Fasting Intermittent fasting (IF) is basically a pattern of eating that varies greatly from the typical breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern and requires periods of completely avoiding food. Which means that there’s a set time for eating, followed by an extended period of fasting. In the 5:2 method of intermittent fasting, you eat normally 5 days per week and then fast (only consuming 500-600 calories) for 2 days of the week. In the 16:8 Lean Gains style, there is an eight-hour feeding period — during which you can eat anything you want — followed by a 16-hour fast.
We will talk about the pros and cons in another post of each diet. in the meantime do your research and remember EVERYTHING in moderation is how to win. EVERYTHING at slow or fast paces without planning is sure to make you lose, not weight but time and long term results.
l. moxey 