This eZine (No. 135)

AntiAging:	Retinol vs. RetinA
Wellness:	Overstressed? Your Heart Rate May Be a Clue
Alternative:	Cure Poor Eyesight

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Retinol vs. RetinA

By: Dave Osh

Many anti-wrinkle and skin rejuvenation products contain retinol, which is a form of vitamin A. Many people confuse retinol with Retin A, which is a brand of tretinoin also referred to as trans-retinoic acid or simply retinoic acid.

Retinol and retinoic acid are related but distinctly different. Retinol and other forms of vitamin A, such as retinal and retinyl palmitate, do not have much direct effect on the skin. They first need to be converted by special enzymes into the active metabolite, retinoic acid. Only retinoic acid directly affects skin cells and helps reduce some signs of aging.

In theory, you should be able to apply retinol to the skin, wait till it gets converted to retinoic acid, and eventually get the known skin benefits of the latter. In reality, the conversion rate is low and varies greatly among individuals.

Besides, when exposed to air either during storage or use, much retinol may get oxidized or degraded even before it can become available for conversion to retinoic acid in the skin.

As a result, significantly less people respond to retinol creams than to retinoic acid (tretinoin, Retin A), and the degree of response tends to be less too.

It is true that retinol products tend to have fewer side-effects than retinoic acid (tretinoin, Retin A). The reason is the same: lower biological activity of retinol due to slow conversion and, possibly, degradation.

Notably, some companies have developed stabilized high-concentration retinol formulas that seem to be more effective than run-of-the-mill retinol products. However, high concentrations of retinol can be almost as irritating to the skin as retinoic acid. (See our article on active retinol for more about such products.)

Bottom line
In my program “How to Astonish Everyone with Wrinkle Free Young Look“, I recommended Retinol as your first choice. This is what I have used for the last 2 years especially because the side effects of Retin A.

But after further research I changed to Retin A, with the same procedure as in my program (before bed time, after ALA and before moisturizer).

Retin A (Renova and other brands) appears to provide a better shot at eliminating fine lines and reducing wrinkles than even the best retinol formulations. (Not to mention many virtually ineffective retinol products.)

Retin A users who experience skin irritation and/or chronic peeling could try to eliminate the side effects by reducing the concentration and/or frequency of application. If that fails, a well-selected retinol product may be worth a try.

In some countries, retinoic acid (tretinoin, Retin A, Renova) is available only with a prescription by a physician. So a trip to the doctor may be necessary.

Caution: neither Retin A nor retinol should be used in the event of continuing chronic side-effects.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

About the author:
Dave Osh is the author of "Perpetual Wellbeing - 4 Steps to Ageless Sex-Appeal" and the revolutionary Anti-Aging Fitness Program "Change Your Body and Be Admired".

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Overstressed? Your Heart Rate May Be a Clue

By: Kirk Laman, D.O.

Has your life been out of control lately? If so then join the crowd. The American Institute of Stress estimates that over 40 percent of Americans suffer from chronic stress, and as many of 20 percent feel completely overwhelmed. It’s no wonder that prescriptions for medications to deal with anxiety are among the most commonly written by physicians.

How can you tell if you’re effectively handling the stress in your life? One simple method for accessing your coping skills is to take your own pulse. Interestingly, the quality and speed that your heart beats on a daily basis can be marker for your response to stressful situations.

Although no hard and fast rules exist, the average person runs a resting heart rate of between 60 and 90 beats a minute. Generally, the slower your pulse the more relaxed your inner state. Clinical research has shown that if your resting heart rate is consistently over 110 beats a minute, then you are at higher risk for many health problems. Heart disease, lung illness, and anxiety are seen more commonly in people whose heart rate is rapid.

Yet, more important than the speed of your heart is something called Heart Rate Variability or HRV. Our hearts are not watches. Although we’d like to think that our heart beat has a machine like regularity, it doesn’t. No quartz tuner is implanted within our chests. The rhythm of our heart actually varies from beat to beat. It does this because of the influence of our nervous system and hormones. Adrenaline, the fight or flight, hormone speeds up the heart, and something called the para-sympathetic nervous system slows it down.

Hundreds of medical studies have shown that the interplay between these two hormonal systems is normal. Our heart rate is supposed to vary. It goes up when we are active- walking, racing for the elevator, or exercising. And when we are resting it should be slower. HRV is normal. It’s a good thing. In fact, when HRV is reduced, it has been shown to be a marker for serious heart disease. Blocked heart arteries, episodes of chest pain, and even Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) are more common when HRV is reduced.

It’s also been shown that our emotional state has a direct bearing on our heart rate variability. Depression, anxiety, sadness, and other negative emotions reduce our heart rate variability. While positive emotions: appreciation, gratitude, and joy, these can improve our HRV.

Most importantly, research from The Heart Math Institute has shown that we can alter our HRV at will. Just by setting aside 1-3 minutes of time, we can change the emotional state of our heart. A technique called Freeze-Frame (Devised by the Heart Math Institute) has been shown to successfully alter the HRV. All that you have to do is to stop what you are doing, move your focus to the heart region, and then think a positive thought. The very act of connecting to your heart with a positive thought or memory can diminish the influence of stress on your body.

Amazingly, it doesn’t take a huge investment in time or money to improve your health. If you’re overstress consider heading to the Heart Math website and learning this valuable technique. You don’t have to be a slave to stress.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

About the author:
Dr. Kirk Laman is a cardiologist, author, and public speaker. He has a passion for helping people improve their heart health. Dr. Laman is also aboard certified cardiologist and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Michigan State University- College of Osteopathic Medicine. His special interest is in helping people heal the emotional and psychological issues that trouble their heart. Dr. Laman’s widely acclaimed book, “How to Heal Your Broken Heart,” (http://www.HealingYourBrokenHeart.com).

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Cure Poor Eyesight

By: Karl Ross

People tend to think that better eyesight always relate to eye surgery or glasses. Eye surgery is very risky and could lead to irreversible damage. Glasses maintains vision problem and do nothing in order to cure it. Yet, there are healthy natural treatments which cure poor eyesight symptoms. The only problem is that these methods are being hidden and disregarded by doctors and optometrists who wish people will continue to buy glasses and risk their eyes with laser eye surgeries. It is better to avoid the risks and try these basic simple exercises first. They could improve your eye vision dramatically.

Eye chart
Its purpose is to exercise the eye to a healthy behavior of shifting instead of central fixation. Hang the eye chart and move to a distance where you can read the first 4 lines. Look at the first letter carefully close your eyes and try to visualize it in your imagination. Try to create a clear picture of it. Instead of static letter try imagining it slowly swinging. Repeat this with the rest of the letters in the four first lines you can read.

Covering
This is a very important exercise. People think that their eyes rest when they sleep. Actually, on the dreaming stage they keep moving and work as if the person is a wake.
Therefore, proper resting is crucial. For best performance you need a quite and comfortable place like your favorite couch. Cover your eyes with your hands, and try to feel as pleasant as you can. Listen to the music you like best, or try to imagine your favorite view. The eyes need about 10-15 minutes to reach full relaxation, the longer the better. It is recommended, to perform it daily for 15 minutes or a few times a day for 5 minutes.

Reading
Reading is a very important task for the eyes as it is performed on daily basis. It is important to adjust natural way of reading which will reduce eye tension and will educate the eyes for better, healthy vision habits. Healthy eyes read a sentence by focusing on each letter and then moving to the next one. A tensed eye will jump from word to word and will try to read the complete sentence in a few eye glances. Reading large areas instead of focusing on central vision, letter by letter, lead to increased eye tension. It is best to move slowly from letter to letter as a practice. At the end of each page focus on a point a few meters a way. This will ease the tension on the eyes from the reading.

Tiny writing
This exercise requires the eye to use its central vision. The eyes and the mind should be very relaxed to avoid over pressure on the eye when reading the tiny writing. Get text and print it from and word processor in size 4 or 3. It should be black text on a white paper. Hold it against your eyes and read it in a slow and relaxed mode. Make sure you keep blinking often and look at a distanced point once in a while.

Physical exercises
It is important to understand that the aim of these exercises is to make eyes muscles more elastic and avoid tension. First try to feel your eyes: are they tensed? If so try to feel exactly where, and relax that area. Look at an object not far from you, and move your eyes: ten times up and down and ten times left to right, then in circles for 5 times. Take a piece of paper with a dot at its top edge. Bring it as close as 5 CM from your nose and then move it away as far as you can. Concentrate on the dot all time, do it for about tem times. Hold the piece of paper close to your nose, look at for a few seconds and then look at a distant point for a few seconds. Again do it for ten times.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

About the author:
To Cure Your Eyesight Now go to http://www.eyeslikenew.com/?hop=razme

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For your wellness,

Ainsley & Dave