How to Beat Blue Monday

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21st January, amino acids, anxiety, anxious, bag, beans, below par, bleak mid-winter months, Blue Monday, breakfast, caffeine, cheese, coffee, cola, cold, coloured fruits and vegetables, concerntration, constipated, cucumber, daily fix, decaf, depressed, desk, doom and gloom, drink, eggs, emotions, fatty acids, fibre, fish, five a day, fizzy drinks, food, fresh, Frozen, gut, headaches, healthy digestion, herbal tea, hydrated, ice, January, juiced, lean meat, lemon, lentils, mental health, mentally, miserable, mood, nuts and seeds, omega 3 and 6, outside, partially hydrogenated oils’, payday, physically, portion sizes, protein, pulses, regular meals, resolutions, sip, sleep, small, soothing hot drink, soya products, squash, stimulant, tea, trans fats, tummy, water, wholegrains, winning lottery ticket, worried

With the 21st January, aka Blue Monday fast approaching, some of you might be feeling a little below per right now. It is cold outside, it’s still ages until payday and those resolutions that seemed like such a good idea on 31 December have been long forgotten, all of which can make you feel a bit miserable.

Fear not, it’s all doom and gloom. While can’t turn up the temperature or give you a winning lottery ticket, we do know that what you eat and drink can help ease the blues and beat the anxiety that makes life a little harder in the bleak mid-winter months.

Drink water
Yes, this one again. If you don’t keep hydrated you won’t feel at your best, your concentration will lapse, you may get headaches and you might also feel constipated and none of these things will help your mood. Cut down on fizzy drinks and high sugar squashes, and instead drink water with ice and add slices of lemon and cucumber to liven things up a little and keep a bottle on your desk and in your bag so you can sip during the day.

Keep an eye on caffeine
We know many people love a coffee first thing and a tea break mid-afternoon, but both of these drinks contain caffeine which might not help you if you are feeling blue. Caffeine is a stimulant and one which will give you a burst of energy at first, but then when you come down the other side it could make you feel anxious, depressed and disturb your sleep, especially when drunk before you go to bed. We don’t suggest you stop having your daily fix suddenly, as this could lead to nasty withdrawal symptoms, but it might be a good idea to start cutting back on tea, coffee, chocolate, cola and energy drinks and think about switching to decaf versions or opting for herbal teas which are caffeine free but mean you don’t miss out on a soothing hot drink.

Look after your tummy
You might not know this, but your tummy reflects your emotions so if you are feeling anxious and worried, your gut may suffer too. To help with healthy digestion, it is important to eat plenty of fibre which means loading up on wholegrains, beans, pulses, live yoghurt and you might want to consider taking a probiotic too.

Get your fruit and veg in
Eating a variety of coloured fruits and vegetables every day means you’ll get a good range of nutrients including the minerals, vitamins and fibre needed to keep you physically and mentally healthy. You might be interested to know that fresh, frozen, canned and juiced fruits and vegetables all count towards your five a day and if you are worried about portion sizes, one portion is about a handful.

Remember to eat protein
Protein is packed full of the amino acids that make up the chemicals your brain uses to regulate your thoughts and feelings, and it also keeps you feeling fuller for longer so you are less likely to reach for the mood interrupting sugary snacks later on. Lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, beans, lentils, soya products, nuts and seeds are all good protein sources and it is pretty easy to fit them into every meal – so make sure you do.

Eat the right fats
We know we are told fats are bad and to be avoided at all costs, but this isn’t true. Try to avoid ‘trans fats’ or ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ and instead eat fatty acids, such as omega 3 and 6 as these are good for your brain function and mental health. Healthy fats can be found in oily fish, nuts (almonds and walnuts are a good choice), olive and sunflower oils, seeds (such as sunflower and pumpkin), avocados, and eggs all of which are tasty and easy to eat!

Eat on a regular basis
Now is not the time to skip meals as this will lead to a drop in your blood sugar levels and that can make you feel tired and irritable. Try to go for small, regular meals throughout the day, adding in healthy snacks, and always eat breakfast as this will set you up for the day. Wholegrain bread and pasta, brown rice, cereals as well as nuts and seeds are all a good idea but keep away from sweets, biscuits, sugary drinks, and alcohol as these won’t do your mood any favours.

Whatever you eat and drink make the sensible choice and we wish you a very happy, healthy 2019.

Team Pure Beauty

Are Your Intolerances Affecting Your Face?

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acid reflux, appearance, bacteria, biome, bloating, body, carbs, chicken skin, chin, complexion, dairy, dairy alternative, dark circles, Decleor Anti-Dark Circle Multi-Brightening Eye Care, Dermalogica Breakout Control, Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm, Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, digestive discomfort, dry, Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush, Eyes, face, food, gluten, gut, inflammatory, intolerance, Keratosis pilaris, loose skin, pimples, puffiness, rough, skin, spots, sugar, tighten, wheat

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There are many food intolerances which affect people and it’s a common misconception that the effects of these intolerances are mainly gastric. It is, however, normal for certain intolerances to affect your complexion and there are specific ways that each one can affect you. Today, we’re looking at some of the most common intolerances and the effects that they can have on your face.

Sugar

Sugar is in just about everything these days because it’s cheap and makes things taste better (and makes foods more addictive), but it can really mess up your gut biome and this in turn can have an effect on your skin. If your system is sensitive to sugar, the bacteria which live in your gut can go a little bit haywire, causing dry patches and pimples on your forehead, bags under the eyes, a lack of tautness in the skin and even thinning skin. Obviously, cutting out sugar (or at least cutting down) is a must, but Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift can also drastically improve the appearance of eye bags, while Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm will help to tighten loose skin.

Dairy

Dairy intolerances are really comon and many people report uncomfortable bloating, digestive issues and acid reflux, but it can also cause an inflammatory response in other parts of the body. This means that you could end up with puffiness in the face, as well as dark circles under the eyes and even pimples on the chin. After switching to a dairy alternative, use Dermalogica Breakout Control to deal with the spots and Decleor Anti-Dark Circle Multi-Brightening Eye Care to brighten the eye area.

Gluten

Gluten can be a hard one to avoid, especially if you’re keen on carbs, but a gluten intolerance can have an impact on the whole body. In terms of your skin, one of the most common signs of a gluten intolerance is keratosis pilaris, a rough, chicken-skin effect which affects the skin on your arms, thighs and occasionally your abdomen. We highly recommend using Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush to brush the whole body before bathing or showering which will help to reduce the rough appearance of the skin and help to stop extra skin cells from forming around the existing problem areas.

Eat for the skin you are in

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a nutritional powerhouse, acne, age, almonds, antioxidant, Brazil nuts, candida, day, dry skin, eggs, firmer, flawless, formation of collagen, fresh fruit and vegetables, ginger, good fats, green tea, gut, healthy life cycle, lycopene, mackerel, menu, mushrooms, oats, olive oil, plumper, porride, production of hyaluronic acid, Relax, salmon, sardines, seafood, skin, soothes, sunflower seeds, UV damage, Vitamin E, wholegrains, youthful complexion

Just as there are certain beauty products that work best for different skin types, there are also foods that feed your complexion depending on what it needs.

The basis of a healthy diet is a balance of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, good fats and plenty of water are is good for us, you can then add certain foods to correct and enhance your skin depending on your specific needs.

If you have acne or blemish prone skin, zinc is your food friend as it helps reduce the production of oil and influence hormones. Pumpkin seeds are a fantastic source of zinc as are Brazil nuts, eggs, oats, mushrooms, ginger and seafood all of which are available in supermarkets and easy to add meals and snacks.

Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to help control inflammation so eating oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel as well as flaxseed and walnuts can calm acne.

Acne is associated with candida. Eating raw garlic, which contains the anti-fungal natural medicine, allicin, alongside salads, steamed vegetables and eggs can help clear the gut ease the candida and in turn calm your skin.

A vitamin D deficiency can also lead to skin problems, therefore consuming beta-carotenoid foods like sweet potatoes, squashes and carrots can give you the A boost you need.

You can suffer from dry skin at any time of your life but adjusting your diet can help you get your glow back. A great place to start is with oily fish, like mackerel, which contain the fatty acids that nourish the skin and help lock in moisture. If you have dry skin and really want to benefit from your diet, also up you intake of magnesium as this fantastic mineral helps the body make the most of those essential oils.

Avocadoes not only taste great but they are packed with Vitamin E, a nutritional powerhouse when it comes to dry skin. Vitamin E can also be found in almonds, olive oil, sunflower seeds and peaches so it is pretty each to get it into your daily diet.

Green leafy veg are rich in Vitamin C and magnesium help with the formation of collagen and production of hyaluronic acid – both of which are vital when it comes to nourishing your skin.

As we age it shows on our face faster than anywhere else, but food can be the key to a youthful complexion. Let’s start with the simple tomatoe. Not only are they packed with the collagen building Vitamin C that makes your skin look firmer and plumper, they also contain lycopene, which protects the skin from UV rays and damage. Oats are great for your skin as the contain a natural plant chemical that helps prevent damage to skin cells and soothes irritation, so start your day with a bowl of porridge and beauty boosting blueberries and anti-ageing almonds.

Sipping green tea isn’t only a good way to relax for ten minutes, but it is full of the antioxidants that assist with a healthy skin life cycle. Not many people know this but you can dab cold green tea on your skin and use it as a fantastic antioxidant moisturiser.

We have mentioned, avocadoes, fish and nuts already but if you are looking at flawless skin at any age, put these on the menu and you won’t regret it.

Team Pure-Beauty