Howard Murad's Blog, page 11
July 9, 2016
A Dirty Little Secret…to good health
an you be too clean?
There is actually such a thing as being too clean–especially if you are a child with a developing immune system. While the world around us is teaming with microbes, most of these organisms are either beneficial to our health or harmless. Long ago, before the scent of hand-sanitizer became everyone’s favorite fragrance, our bacterially fertile surroundings actually helped to teach our immune systems how to respond to invaders and other pathogens.
Most people don’t realize that our gut, with its billions of bacteria, is one of the most powerful parts of our immune system. Researchers are now investigating how changes in the gut’s population—aka the human microbiome—may contribute to the rise of lethal allergies and autoimmune diseases.
the bulk of evidence suggests that lack of exposure to ‘dirt’ (germs and bacteria) at a young age can result in devastating consequences to your health in later life
Current thinking suggests that society-wide shifts in our microbial communities, driven by changes in what we eat and in the quantity and type of microbes we’re exposed to in our daily lives, have increased our vulnerability. While the verdict may still be out, the bulk of evidence suggests that lack of exposure to ‘dirt’ (germs and bacteria) at a young age can result in devastating consequences to your health in later life (also known as the hygiene hypothesis).
At Murad, we talk about the benefits to mind and body that come from rediscovering the joy and freedom you knew as a child. Perhaps giving yourself permission to once again play in the mud will not only help you to cope with the stress of modern living, known as Cultural Stress – perhaps, it will actually help you cope with challenges to your immune system.
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July 8, 2016
Mind Over Matter
Here at Murad, we believe that taking care of yourself is crucial for your physical and emotional health. Just as you build physical strength over time, you also build emotional strength. That rings particularly true in moments of stress, which can have effects on your wellbeing, body and – you guessed it – your skin.
What makes it easier to get through stressful situations? Mental resilience and here are three ways to build it. Think of any of these tips as building mental muscle.
MEDITATE FOR MINDFULNESS. If you can breathe, you can meditate. Whether it’s for ten minutes or forty, research has shown that regular meditation can defuse stress, lower blood pressure and increase mental clarity. It’ll also strengthen your relationship with yourself and others. A top tip for Mindfulness is to start with the simple process of brushing your teeth – simply try and focus your mind on only on the act of brushing your teeth. When another though enters your mind, acknowledge the thought, stop, and refocus your mind. This simple act of brain training, will kick start your ability to focus.
KEEP CALM + COHERENT. The key to keeping calm in stressful situations is to recognize the signs. Sweaty palms? Racing heartbeat? Recognized. Now, consciously return to balance by taking five deep breathes. Then recall a positive feeling or memory like relaxing at a beach or taking a hike.
HOLD THAT POSE. Any form of exercise helps build mental stamina, but particularly yoga. It’s about more than just flexibility. While holding a challenging pose, you might feel the need to stop. But through breathing and staying focused, you’re able to hold it thanks to self-control – which is at the heart of resilience. Remember: Stress is often an overreaction. It’s usually not the problem that triggers panic, it’s the significance you’ve placed on it. It’s a myth that you either have resilience or you don’t. It’s something that develops with practice and in time, becomes second nature.
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The Fountain of youth
Our skin is the only thing that stands between us and oxidative damage from the sun, pollution, and other environmental stressors. This kind of damage, otherwise known as “free radical damage,” can result in advanced skin aging, clogged pores, redness, and a dull, lackluster complexion, to name just a few not-so-pretty side effects. Grapefruits, however, are packed with antioxidants, which help fight the effects of oxidative damage (anti-oxidant, get it?) One medium grapefruit contains over 120% of the daily value for vitamin C, an antioxidant that does double duty fighting oxidative damage and helping to produce collagen. Grapefruit also contains the antioxidant carotenoids beta-carotene (vitamin A) and lycopene, which give grapefruits their pink and red color.
Proper hydration is also crucial for maintaining youthful, healthy skin. When the skin’s barrier is hydrated, it’s more resistant to that wrinkle-causing oxidative damage.
Proper hydration is also crucial for maintaining youthful, healthy skin. When the skin’s barrier is hydrated, it’s more resistant to that wrinkle-causing oxidative damage. At 91% water, grapefruit is one of the most hydrating fruits. But unlike drinking water, when you eat your water, you absorb it more slowly because it is trapped in the structure of the food. This slower absorption rate means that your body, and skin, stay hydrated longer.
Put hydration together with a hefty dose of fiber – one grapefruit contains four grams – and you’ve got a recipe for beautiful skin. The dual combination of insoluble fiber plus water helps the body flush out waste and toxins that can lead to inflammation and clogged pores.
While Grapefruit is great from the inside out, Murad also uses Grapefruit fruit extract is also a rich source of antioxidants and phytochemicals that, when applied topically, can help protect against oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. Last, but certainly not least, grapefruit is a natural source of alpha hydroxy acid, which helps exfoliate skin, smooth fine lines and surface wrinkles, improve skin’s texture, and tighten and cleanse pores. {Link in here to our Acne InstaMatte™ Oil-Control Mask}
So there you have it, a food that tastes great, has the potential to shrink pores, reduce wrinkles, and result is a healthier-looking, matte complexion – who could ask for anything more?
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Eat Your Sunscreen Recipes
Now that summer’s here, we hope you have your sunscreen ready to go. But another way to protect yourself is by “eating your sunscreen.” Dr. Murad says eating certain foods can improve your body’s natural environmental defenses and increase your cellular health. Although daily SPF is essential, it’s helpful to double up on your sun protection through foods that help from the inside out.
eating certain foods can improve your body’s natural environmental defenses and increase your cellular health.
Since June is National Fruit and Vegetables Month, here are 3 recipes to help you eat your sunscreen:
Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Hazelnuts
Pomegranates are rich in polyphenols, which provide anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative protection to fight free radicals. Spinach contains coenzyme Q10, which helps neutralize free radicals and minimize the damage they cause from penetrating your cells.
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons roasted hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces spinach leaves
3/4 cup finely shredded radicchio
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 large Bartlett pear
Preparation
In a small saucepan, boil pomegranate juice until reduced to 1/4 cup, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, salt, thyme and pepper.
In a salad bowl, gently mix spinach, radicchio, pomegranate seeds, and hazelnuts with dressing. Divide among 6 plates.
Quarter pear and core. Thinly slice crosswise, and then stack slices and cut into matchsticks. Arrange pear slices on salads.Recipe from Myrecipes.com
Herb-Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain carotenoids, which help protect cells from the danger of free radicals that may be produced by the body, pollution, cigarette smoke, and more.
Ingredients
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 1/2-inch-thick tomato slices, from 6 medium-sized tomatoes
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add olive oil and stir to form a moist mixture.
Arrange tomato slices on baking sheet and spoon a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the Parmesan mixture on top of each slice, dividing evenly. Use your fingertips to press into an even layer. Bake until tomatoes are soft and topping begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Mango-Pineapple Salsa
Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C, which is responsible for producing collagen to help skin look plumper and younger.
Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled, cored and diced small (about 2 cups)
1 cup diced pineapple
½ cup minced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Directions
Mix together all of the ingredients and season with salt to taste. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. The salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe from Browneyedbaker.com
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5 steps to breathing it in and letting it out
W
e know you changed your breathing pattern when you read our title. Discover mindful breathing and get more from your inhale and exhale.
And then again, I am ruining the Tea Road by being a complete coffee addict. Coffee is the fuel to a hard long day followed by a harder, longer night. Coffee is the cheap addiction to jumpstart mornings, to quicken afternoons, and to prolong midnights. The character of coffee is attitude, a swagger in which priorities have been predetermined.
Moving to Glasgow, Scotland for studies, the first thing I learned from one of my Scottish flatmate who is an artistic hound of the city was that there is no way you will drink from Starbucks or Costa around here if you visited Frida’s.
VIBRANT, ZEALOUS, RELENTLESS
That summer, since I have been postponing on seeing who’s Frida and how good is her coffee, I decided to grab a bus and see with my own eyes (and taste) this mystique coffee shop she’s been telling me about. And there I am, talking with Frida, just in front of the coffee store, not even entering the place, and things are just delightful from the beginning.
SHE OPENED UP THE TEA BOX AND MY EYES MUST HAVE LIT UP. SHE SAW I LIKED HER CHINA COLLECTION, AND SHE VERY MUCH LIKED THIS FACT.
She took pride in telling me how her mother keeps sending her different types and she asked me to choose the one we wanted. The first time I went with her favorite. The woman has some taste.
Thereafter I would simply say “Surprise me.” She hated it when I said that. That made me want to say it even more. I think I was in her room all of 10 times if that. Yet it all mattered so much.
Coffee is the fuel to a hard long day followed by a harder, longer night. Coffee is the cheap addiction to jumpstart mornings, to quicken afternoons, and to prolong midnights. The character of coffee is attitude, a swagger in which priorities have been predetermined.
SURPRISE AFTER SURPRISE
Thereafter I would simply say “Surprise me.” She hated it when I said that. That made me want to say it even more. I think I was in her room all of 10 times if that. Yet it all mattered so much.
Coffee is the fuel to a hard long day followed by a harder, longer night. Coffee is the cheap addiction to jumpstart mornings, to quicken afternoons, and to prolong midnights. The character of coffee is attitude, a swagger in which priorities have been predetermined. Coffee is the cheap addiction to jumpstart mornings, to quicken afternoons, and to prolong midnights.
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Trust Your Gut
“Trust your gut” may be old advice, but it’s scientifically sound advice as well. It covers it all. Your intuition, your judgement, your body. So what does it really mean? Turns out it speaks to the neurons lining our gut that some scientists have nicknamed our “second brain” which influences our mood and well-being. Every system in your body is connected. Your digestive and hormonal systems work together to create a properly functioning digestive system. When you have an unhealthy gut, it causes more than just stomach pain, gas, or bloating. Because 60-80% of our immune system is located in our gut, gut imbalances are linked to hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic fatigue, anxiety, eczema, rosacea, and other health problems.
Because 60-80% of our immune system is located in our gut, gut imbalances are linked to hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic fatigue, anxiety, eczema, rosacea, and other health problems.
Here’s a few tips on how you should be treating your gut for a happy and healthier you:
GARGLE FOR TWO MINUTES A DAY. Digestion starts in the brain when the vagus nerve (runs between the brain and the gut) starts producing stomach acid and digestive enzymes. People with poor digestion have a weak vagal signaling process. Gargling water for two minutes each day will help to strengthen it.
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. The most effective way to improve gut health is to eat more water. The gut is a long slippery tube, and for good gut function, you need to keep that slipperiness, which happens when you’re properly hydrated. So go ahead, eat that water-rich food.
AVOID SUGAR AND STARCHES. Sugar and starch can produce harmful bacteria, which then cause bloating and damage to the gut lining. It’s not just sweets and chocolate – steer clear of energy drinks, fruit juices and many low-fat foods which contain concentrated sugar.
EAT MORE FERMENTED FOODS. Eat plenty of fermentable fibers like sweet potatoes, yams, and yucca. Also, incorporate a probiotic, fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi into your diet.
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Eat Your Water
Grapefruit – we explore the fruit that will make you glow inside and out. I’m told it’s unusual to see four fawns together, all skinny stilts and big ears and spots and not yet savvy about things like streets. Fawns and such have been a relief this week from the blaring dreariness of what humans have been up to.
If you have a pet, this should be a cautionary tale. Americans spent $14.2 billion on veterinary care for their pets in 2013—and that doesn’t include proprietary health diets and food supplements. Put another way, pet owners pay about $850 annually in veterinary expenses per dog, and about $575 per cat.
AND YET AGAIN I WAS ONLY LEFT WITH NATURE
Mysteries like these could be solved by more research, but how can we get vets to pay attention to the studies that have been done? It would help if professional bodies took a strong evidence-based stand.
I’ve started to think that my gut is an asshole for another reason. If he’s so smart, and always right, why the hell is he holding out on me? What does he know that he isn’t telling my brain? Why does he know things that my brain doesn’t?
It’s easy to forget our connection to nature, when so little of what we interact with in our daily lives reminds us of the natural world it’s all built upon
The first thing that comes to mind is their genuine presence. A child’s laugh, or a dog’s tail wagging, or a cat’s purr all feel like money in the bank to me. I receive palpable pleasure when seeing their joy, and it makes me want to create more of it by playing with them or petting them.
It would help if professional bodies took a strong evidence-based stand. I receive palpable pleasure when seeing their joy, and it makes me want to create more of it by playing with them or petting them. Put another way, pet owners pay about $850 annually in veterinary expenses per dog, and about $575 per cat.
Mysteries like these could be solved by more research, but how can we get vets to pay attention to the studies that have been done? It would help if professional bodies took a strong evidence-based stand.
A child’s laugh, or a dog’s tail wagging, or a cat’s purr all feel like money in the bank to me.
I think that my gut is an asshole for another reason. If he’s so smart, and always right, why the hell is he holding out on me? What does he know that he isn’t telling my brain? Why does he know things that my brain doesn’t?
If you have a pet, this should be a cautionary tale. Americans spent $14.2 billion on veterinary care for their pets in 2013—and that doesn’t include proprietary health diets and food supplements. Put another way, pet owners pay about $850 annually in veterinary expenses per dog, and about $575 per cat.
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Your Secret Stress
The last twenty years have brought an unprecedented acceleration in technology, higher expectations in every realm of our lives from work to family to community and less and less time to take care of ourselves. This imbalance between demands and support creates a constant and unrelenting Cultural Stress® that is so deeply woven into the fabric of our existence we don’t even notice it anymore. A secret stress hidden in plain sight.
…we can change our relationship to stress to blunt its aging impact. We can choose to live younger by making Connected Beauty part of our lives.
How do you know you’re being damaged by Cultural Stress? For many of us, the damage shows first on the largest and most visible of our organs—the skin. But the lines, wrinkles and pigmentation issues of premature aging are just outward manifestations. Cultural Stress actually ages every cell in our body. Realistically, we can’t change or eliminate Cultural Stress without giving up on the modern world entirely. But we can change our relationship to stress to blunt its aging impact. We can choose to live younger by making Connected Beauty part of our lives.
Every aspect of your life is an interconnected as every cell in your body. That simple truth is what Dr. Murad calls Connected beauty. By being mindful of those connections we can reestablish a healthier relationship to the world around us.
And it’s not a hard shift to make. Begin by acknowledging that you are the most important person in your life and everything will start to fall into a healthier, happier place. When you focus on your needs you’ll discover that you’re able to take whatever life throws at you without being knocked off your stride and able to give support to those you love without feeling drained.
When you focus on your needs you’ll discover that you’re able to take whatever life throws at you without being knocked off your stride…
So make today the day your start to make Connected Beauty a part of your life and put Cultural Stress in its place—you’ve got nothing to lose but your fine lines and wrinkles.
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Sweet Dreams are Made of This
We advocate a daily dose of at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Failure can lead to immune system issues, and diseases like hypertension, heart disease or stroke.
At Murad, we recognize that youth begins within. The replenishing effects of a good night’s sleep are undeniable. Yet, in the U.S. alone, over 60 million people aren’t getting one. So we sought out some of the latest technological innovations that just might help do the trick
• SMART ALARMS: These are digital body-activated alarm clocks. They wake you up during your lightest sleep phase, resulting in a less jarred, more rested feeling when you begin the day. Check out the Aura, the Sleep Cycle or the Misfit Shine.
• GEL PILLOWS: With cooling gel that conforms to your body’s movements, these help you to relax more quickly when your head hits the
• HIGH-TECH SHEETS: Cotton fails to wick away moisture when we’re beneath it, leading to discomfort. New brands like SHEEX address this issue with lighter, more breathablefabric.
• SLEEP MONITORS: This technology continues to impress, boasting more extraordinary features each year. Choose between mobile apps such as Sleepbot, or devices like RYTHM and Beddit Smart – which works under your sheet – to measure your sleep patterns and locate the root of your problem spots.
• SLEEPING MASKS: They’ve come a long way since grandma’s trusty light-blocking paraphernalia of yore. New devices from companies like Tempur-Pedic comfortably contour to your face, helping you to enjoy beneficial shut-eye whenever – and wherever – you’d like.
Coupled with regular exercise and a healthy diet, these products can help you doze off more easily to get the rest your body needs. You’ll see the difference in your skin, too, waking up to a more youthful, glowing you. And that’s something to help us all sleep better at night.
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Sharing a bed or sleeping alone: What’s better for your health?
We ask sleep expert David Bostrom to explain the science of a goodnights sleep.
Go to Chinatown, alone, preferably in the late afternoon. Walk around. Go into one of the shops that sells mysterious (to me) herbs and dried things. Buy some condiments or beef jerky or sweet buns for, what, $2. Listen to the grandmas hollering at their children and grandchildren, and the vegetable sellers.
Those events that are always at, like, 11pm on a Wednesday, in the east 30s or something? Go to one. Just go. Go alone if nobody else wants to go. Maybe it will suck, maybe everyone you meet will be obnoxious, but the point is that it is happening, someone is trying something, and even though we all know New York is a terrible place for creative types, it is also a wonderful place for creative types, because sometimes people show up at 11pm on a Wednesday to watch grown adults roll around on a floor in the east 30s.
Walk around. Go into one of the shops that sells mysterious (to me) herbs and dried things. Buy some condiments or beef jerky or sweet buns for, what, $2. He sits there on the bottom bunk, emaciated tanned limbs protruding from a Bintang vest and a pair of baggy pyjama trousers printed with a flailing dragon, and then he starts to witter. Try to remember a place that used to make you feel like you loved New York. If it’s still there, go there. If it’s been turned into a condo or an artisanal mustard store or whatever, try to identify what it was about that place that made you love New York.
He sits there on the bottom bunk, emaciated tanned limbs protruding from a Bintang vest and a pair of baggy pyjama trousers printed with a flailing dragon, and then he starts to witter.
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