The Alarming Truth About Skin Cancer

Why are Rates of Skin Cancer Rising at an Alarming Rate?

There is no doubt that skin cancer is rampant. It is by far the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer. In fact, current research suggests that one in every five people will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.  But consider the following...

When looking at causes of skin cancer before the 1930s, skin cancer was rare. Since that time, the incidence of melanoma has gone up 1,800%. In just the last 30 years, the death rate from melanoma has increased more than fourfold, while the incidence of all types of skin cancer has more than doubled.

Does Sunlight Really Cause Skin Cancer?

Our sun is billions of years old. It's not likely that the risk related to the sun's rays could have suddenly changed in the last 80 years.  Nor do we spend more time in the sun than we used to. In fact, we spend far less time outdoors today than any other time in history. At the start of the twentieth century, more than 75% of people in the U.S. worked outdoors. Today, only 10% of the population works outside.

And not only do we spend less time in the sun, but in the last 30 years, the use of sunscreen has increased by orders of magnitude. Sunscreens are now a $6 billion-a-year industry.

What Really Causes Skin Cancer?

We have become far more vulnerable to all types of cancer, including skin cancer because of alterations that have occurred in the human diet. Science has proven that some foods can promote skin cancer. As a population, we now eat these foods in great abundance. On the other hand, there are other foods that strongly prevent skin cancer. Unfortunately, we now consume far too few of these foods.  Sunlight is simply a co-promoter of skin cancer that comes into play after our natural defenses have been compromised.

How Sunlight and Vitamin D Cause Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

Lab studies have also shown that vitamin D (which is highly protective against internal cancers) is protective against melanoma. In several studies, vitamin D was shown to cause melanoma cells to self-destruct. Surprisingly, moderate sun exposure was also shown to DOUBLE the survival rates of those suffering from the disease.  The more common (though less dangerous) forms of skin cancer - basal cell and squamous cell - are more closely associated with sun exposure than melanoma. But as you will see, the sun is merely a co promoter of skin cancer. It is our poor diet and nutritional deficiencies that make our skin prone to damage from UV rays.

The Dietary Connection to Skin Cancer

At the beginning of the 1900s there were almost no vegetable oils in our diet. Vegetable oil is rich in omega-6's. Instead, our diet was rich in healthy saturated and omega-9 fats from protein sources, avocadoes, olives, nut and seeds. Today, the average American consumes 70 pounds of vegetable fat annually. We are not designed to eat these fats in such large quantities.

The problem with abundant omega-6s displacing other healthier fats in our cells is that these fats are highly unstable. They are extremely susceptible to oxidative stress, especially in the skin, where they are exposed daily to UV light. Saturated fats and omega-9 fats are more stable when exposed to UV light thereby decreasing the amount of free radical production when sunlight hits your skin.

Numerous studies have shown that polyunsaturated fats (omega-6's) stimulate cancer while saturated fats do not. Studies have also shown that saturated fats do not break down to form free radicals as polyunsaturated fats do. Therefore, the result of having too much vegetable, corn, and soybean oil in your diet is that your skin will sunburn faster and more intensely and you will be more prone to free radical production and skin cancer.

A lack of antioxidant-rich foods has increased our risk of skin cancer.

Research also shows that low consumption of fruits and vegetables increases your skin cancer risk. This should come as no surprise. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and the role of antioxidants in the protection against many forms of cancer has been clearly established.

And in the case of skin cancer, the colorful plant pigments known as carotenoids are especially protective. These compounds are literally, "Mother Nature's sunblock." When you consume carotenoids they are deposited in your skin, where they provide protection against sunburn and skin damage. The leading sources of carotenoids are orange and yellow fruits (oranges, tangerines and lemons, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and carrots), spirulina, chlorella, tomatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, and spinach).

These nutrients are also powerful antioxidants that scavenge for free radicals and repair cells that might become damaged. In other words, they reflect and protect, forming a physical barrier and a nutritional barrier against skin damage.

Water to Keep The Fat Away

Drink Water to Keep The Fat Away

As incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single

most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.

Although most of us take it for granted,

water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.

1. The body will not function properly or burn fat, without water.

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat.  Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Here's why: the kidneys can't function properly without enough water.  When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped into the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to use stored fat as energy for the body.  But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle.  As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body!

2. Not enough water = water retention! And that shows up as excess weight

When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every drop.  Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cells).  This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best.  They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.  Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water.  Only then will stored water be released.If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame.  Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration.  The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water.  As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium.

3. Water for muscle tone

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.  It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

4. Water helps rid the body of waste  

During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat must be shed.  Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation.  When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources.  The colon is one primary source.  Result?  Constipation.  But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.

How much water is enough?  

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day.  That's about two quarts or 64 ounces.  However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you also drink should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

The overweight person needs more water than the thin one.  Larger people have larger metabolic loads.  Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water.

HGH Producer

There are many different ways to "work out". The goals of different excersise programs can range from cardiovascular conditioning, building muscle mass, increasing strength or stress relief. While all of these types of exercise serve a purpose, they do not have the ability to boost your natural growth hormone levels, while providing cardiovascular and muscular benefits.

The purpose of the "HGH Producer" workout is to boost your natural growth hormone levels to give you the leaning, muscle building and metabolism boosting benefits of growth hormone, a powerful anti-aging hormone that keeps us young, lean and healthy. When done correctly, our "HGH Producer" workout will provide you with maximum health and esthetic benefits in the shortest amount of time spent exercising. Instead of hours upon hours of exercise, The HGH Producer can be completed in 20 minutes and it falls under the category of high intensity training or high intensity interval training.

Top benefits of the HGH Producer Workout:
1.      Burns calories for 24 hours following its completion. Not just while exercising.
2.      Builds lean body mass unlike aerobic exercise.
3.      Provides both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
4.      Increases metabolic rate to create a better metabolism.
5.      Provides anti aging benefits because of its ability to support healthy growth hormone levels.

Here's a bit of how the HGH Producer Workout should look...

To start the 20 minute session jog, bike, run or elliptical at a comfortable pace for 2 minutes, then start your first sprint. All sprints are 30 seconds.

1^st sprint –your goal is to achieve 50% max heart rate,

2^nd sprint 60% max heart rate,

3^rd sprint 70% max heart rate

 4^th sprint 80% max heart rate

5th sprint 90% max heart rate

6^th-8^th sprint 95% max heart rate

Achieve this through biking, running, jump roping, elliptical, whatever exercise you choose to do. 

After each sprint, recover by jogging or walking for 90 seconds. 

For more information on the HGH Producer contact our office! We're now scheduling clients to try out the HGH Producer Workout with us!

Have you tried Kale Chips? 


Kale seems to be everywhere these days! The popularity of kale is not without reason, it is a nutrition powerhouse. Kale is an excellent source of calcium and fiber, and provides your daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, K, and C in one cup.  

Snacking on Kale Chips is one of the easiet ways to bump up your consumption of greens and a really great way to try out kale!

photo from foodnetwork.com

 
Kale Chips

1 to 2 Bunches of Kale
Olive Oil

Spices and Sea Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove kale from stalk leaving the leaves in large pieces
Place a little olive oil in bowl, and brush kale with oil.
Put kale on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges look crispy and turn brown.  Keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly.

Tip: Try different kinds of kale or collard greens.  For added flavor, sprinkle with a little high quality sea salt or gomasio, or a spice such as curry or cumin after rubbing on olive oil.



Is Your Sunscreen Making You Sick?

Summer is quickly approaching, and soon Americans will be slathering on the sunscreen. Why? Because that's what dermatologists recommend to prevent skin cancer. Sunscreen is also a big moneymaker for the personal care industry, and summertime means big bucks at the cash register.

But what if you found out your sunscreen is not protecting you against skin cancer? What if your sunscreen causes allergies, hormonal imbalance, cell damage, and even low birth weight among baby girls?

Would you still use it? Would you put it on your kids?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a consumer watchdog based in Washington, D.C. Researchers there conducted a study, and here's what they found: Most sunscreens—600 different ones in fact—contain a harmful ingredient called oxybenzone. That includes sunscreens made by top name-brand companies like Coppertone and Banana Boat.

Oxybenzone is one of 16 active ingredients found in most sunscreens. It absorbs UVB and short-wave UVA radiation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved the chemical in 1978. Although the agency developed new rules for the labeling and development of sunscreen products in 1999, the regulations only cover UVB radiation, not UVA, which is what puts you most at risk for cancer.

UVA radiation penetrates deeper into your skin. It can lead to sunburn and cellular damage, which produces free radicals that harm your health and put you at risk for skin cancer.

Numerous studies confirm the harmful effects of oxybenzone. In 1992, the National Toxicology Program conducted oxybenzonestudies on rats and mice. They found oxybenzone had an adverse effect on their kidneys and livers, disruptedfemale reproductive cycles, and affected sperm density in males.

In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, researchers tested 2,500 Americans, ages six years old and up. They found oxybenzone, also known as benzophenone-3, present in 97% of those they tested. In this study, females of all ages had higher levels of oxybenzone than males.

The Mt. Sinai School of Medicine also released a study on the safety of oxybenzone. The doctors found a link between high levels of oxybenzone and low female birth weights. The study was published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal put out by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Despite all the conclusive studies, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), which is the leading national trade association for the cosmetic and personal care products industry, continues to defend these sunscreen products. The organization released the following statement:

Consumers can be confident in the safety of the sunscreens they buy for themselves and their families because all sunscreens sold in the U.S. are regulated as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration, which requires them to go through a rigorous scientific assessment and approval process that includes safety and performance testing before marketing.

But the clinical evidence is clear: Oxybenzoneis one of several ingredients in chemical-based sunscreen that can disrupt your fragile endocrine system, causing hormonal imbalance and damaging your DNA.As pointed out by the EWG:

A previous bio-monitoring study reported that 96% of six- to eight-year-old girls had detectable amounts of oxybenzone in their urine. An earlier study detected oxybenzone in the urine of all 30 adult participants.

Sunscreen is designed either to absorb or reflect ultraviolet radiation. But if your sunscreendoesn’t block UVA rays—the radiation that causes skin cancer—it is not providing you with the protection you need.

So what precautions should you take and which sunscreen, if any, should you use?

Hiding from the sun isn't the answer. In fact, experts recommend that you get a good 10 to15 minutes of sunlight a day. But when you are out in the sun, wear a barrier sunscreen that provides UVA protection. Barrier sunscreens sit on your skin instead of being absorbed, providing a barrier to bounce off the sun’s harmful rays.

Dr. Harper recommendsher mineral-based sunscreen called SkinShift SPF 25. This paraben-free, non-greasy formula contains a unique combination of active ingredients that provide an effective, transparent barrier against harmful UVA and UVB rays. SkinShift SPF 25 also contains key ingredients like Edelweiss extract and Buddleja Davidii that help reverse the signs of sun damage while protecting and nourishing your skin.

Using SkinShift SPF 25 provides an amazing way to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun and nourish your skin at the same time!

Why You Should Care About Collagen at Any Age

Collagen is the principal structural protein that holds your skin together, keeping it firm, smooth, plump, and wrinkle-free. All through life your body produces collagen and breaks it down as part of its natural turnover process.

When you are young, your body makes more collagen than it loses. But as you age, your body loses more collagen than it produces, leading to a decline in the health and appearance of your skin.

Your genes predict how well your skin will age, and in terms of collagen production, your genes can tell us if you are prone to collagen breakdown and premature development of wrinkles, sagging skin, poor wound healing, and other signs of aging.

Even though you can’t change your genes, you can change their effects on the look and feel of your skin by using genetically designed skincare. At SkinShift™, we use a revolutionary DNA analysis to identify your skin’s genetic weaknesses—including risk of early collagen breakdown.

If your individual test results show a genetic predisposition for collagen breakdown, we can customize your skincare regimen to include ingredients that stimulate collagen production and balance the natural turnover process to prevent accelerated loss.

Is the Key to Aging Skin in Your Genes?

The dream of retaining your youthful look well into old age is now a step closer—thanks to scientists who have identified the key genes involved in skin aging. Using data generated by the Human Genome Project—the international effort to decode human DNA—researchers have identified the five major causes of skin aging, including numerous genes that govern how long your skin can stay free from wrinkles.

Researchers say the Human Genome Project has given us access to new genetic tools for providing more personalized skin care. For the first time ever, we can use DNA analysis to identify your skin’s strengths and weaknesses.

Our cutting-edge company, SkinShift™, offers a breakthrough in the skincare industry by offering a revolutionary line of skincare products that are scientifically formulated for the genetic profile that is unique to each individual. SkinShift™ clients simply swab the inside of their cheek and send the sample to our ISO-certified genetic lab. At the lab, the SkinShift™ DNA Test analyzes your DNA and compiles a customized report identifying the 15 genetic markers associated with your skin’s predisposition to five key aging factors:

·         Collagen Formation Factor—Determines if your skin is prone to wrinkling, sagging, poor wound healing, roughness, acne, and rosacea as a result of collagen breakdown.

·         Sun Protection Factor—Determines how well your skin handles the damaging effects of sun exposure.

·         Antioxidant Protection Factor—Determines your skin’s ability to defend against free radical damage.

·         Glycation Protection Factor—Determines if your skin is prone to heavy wrinkles and folds, accelerated aging, cracking and thinning, uneven texture, redness, and inability to self-repair caused by glycation.

·         Inflammation Control Factor—Determines how well your skin fights against deterioration and premature aging as a result of excessive inflammation.

Once we have your skin report in hand, we develop a customized skincare program for you based on your skin’s unique genetic needs. To date, no one else in the industry is customizing skincare products based on the individual DNA test results our SkinShift™ tests provide.

Our clients are thrilled and tell us that the SkinShift™ science is incredible, the products are amazing, and SkinShift™ may represent the greatest breakthrough in skin care this century.