My Skin Gets Thirsty

Well — Luckily I’ve been busy working — but as anyone who has read any of the blog knows, I suffer from sleep issues. The worst is when I have a very early call time and I’ve only gotten 3-4 hours of restless sleep.  It doesn’t work for me in this business AT ALL – babies gotta wake up looking refreshed and ready to take on the world.  I’ve discovered a couple tricks that help my skin retain tons of moisture. This seems to be key in making my stressed out skin look healthy and glowy.   If I’m traveling I am that crazy person that puts Vaseline all around her eyes and cheeks – after 5-6 hours the vaseline sinks into my skin and voila, I don’t look like I just got my face kicked in. I know some people swear by Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream for nighttime & travel, but that never really worked for me. And since Vaseline is a little intense to use daily, and doesn’t really work if I have to go to a set where someone is going to start applying loads of makeup on me, I kicked into Dora the Explorer mode and investigated some different solutions. I stumbled upon what I like to call Heaven in a green jar – a product by June Jacobs called Intensive Age Defying Hydrating Mask. I recently started to apply it in the am before I went to set and would rinse it off with tepid water or tissue it off and the makeup artists would immediately comment on how healthy my skin looked.  A fabulous compliment after only a few hours of sleep and a few days in really heavy makeup for several hours. June Jacobs is Paraben free which is essential for me, since my skin seems to react to those nasty little parabens. The intense hydration sinks into my skin making it look glowy and healthy and super fresh – which is something that’s important to me since I don’t like putting on tons of makeup daily.  I use it in my daily life when my skin seems to be dehydrated from a lack of sleep and I want to look well rested before a meeting.  Click here to go to the June Jacobs website. The brand veers towards the luxury end – so if it’s a little steep – take a look at some other terrific hydrating moisture masks online. Places like http://www.skinstore.com carry an array of products that are top of the line and reasonably priced. And of course one my favorite places to get lost in, Target carries several types of hydrating masks that can fit in anyone’s budget. And if you are a do-it-at home kind of gal, you can always slather on a coat of Vaseline before bed time to wake up dewy eyed and refreshed. I’ve done it for years … and always will.

Oh & click on this to learn more about why Paraben Free is important.

Secrets from a Superstar Trainer …

Any one who knows me well, knows I love to exercise. “Keep it light, keep it tight.” Right. I run, dance, and practice yoga on a regular basis, but I also love to try new exercises & classes to give my body a little challenge and keep me inspired.  I’ve been taking a class at my local Equinox taught by Grace Lazenby called All The Right Moves. The goal of Grace’s class is to keep you long and lean by combining yoga, pilates and dance moves to challenge those tiny little muscles in our special female bodies.   A few people have been asking me about where to go, how to take these classes? There are tons of options in cities throughout America – most are called Cardio Barre, Mat Pilates, there’s Physique 57 in NYC et … But for those of you who can’t get to this class and workout at home, I wanted to attach a terrific quick exercise video created by Tracy Anderson, the tiny powerhouse who keeps Gwyneth Paltrow looking like a million bucks.  She emailed this video to Ms. Paltrow post Holiday 2008 while she was away and Ms. Paltrow then put it on her website. Goop.com

I thought I would repost it for those who don’t subscribe to the GOOP newsletter and haven’t gotten to see it.  Give it a whirl – you can do these exercises at home, in the office or in your trailer. All you need is a chair and the motivation to do a tons of reps.

ACTORSDIET.COM – GUEST BLOG

So I was lucky enough to be asked by the talented and health savvy duo that created actorsdiet.com to write a guest blog for them – you can check it out below.  And go check out  the **site, for the whole post as well as fun recipes, ways to manage health and diet,etc: 

           

Eating Out? Two Out Of Four, and There’s Nothing More To It!

Hey there Actor’s Diet …… Lynn Chen & I were lucky enough to work on a film a few years ago, so I was thrilled when I found out she was one of the creators of this neat site, and even more thrilled when she asked to me to write a guest blog.

I love to eat out … in LA, there are great restaurants, and I consider myself a tiny but mighty LA Zagat/Google machine when it comes to restaurants. Name a street and I’ll tell you where to eat, from fine dining to casual healthy spots, a single LA gal spends a lot of time in restaurants. But as an actress, a lot of my job depends on staying in shape, physically and emotionally. So how does one eat out and stay in shape without losing her mind?

Well we all know a night at Mastro’s or heck Cheesecake Factory, is going to be pretty decadent in the calorie department. The portion sizes, the steak, the bread, the butter, the dessert the vino – it’s all so glorious and tempting. I once read a nutritionist talking about her eating out trick, one that could save you 2000 plus calories at dinner and it’s the first thing I share with people when they say the need to shape up but don’t cook at home often.

Two out of Four is all you need to know!

When at dinner, pick your 2 out of 4 for the evening, the four being:

1. Bread

2. Appetizers

3. Alcohol

4. Dessert

So, if you are starving and need the (1) bread and dying for an after work (3) cocktail then SKIP the (2) apps and the (4) dessert. If you know you have to have the (4) special “dessert” at this restaurant and must have that amazing (2) appetizer – then stick to iced tea or sparkling water and no (1) Bread.

A pretty straightforward formula that saves me lots of extra time in the gym after a few nights of eating out . I vote two thumbs up on this quick and easy formula. And just think, if you eat out often it could save you from gaining those “where hell did those 3 pounds come from?” Until next time ……..

 

 

Something I love ….

I guess for anyone who has read my blog – I talk a lot of FOOD!  Well, really being healthy and making smart choices about what you put in your body.  I honestly believe that being conscious of your BODY is a direct link to being conscious of your MIND and your HEART  (like the Erykah Badu song says) 360 degrees, all connected.  I realize that when I am least happy in my life, I abuse myself in lots of ways.  Indulging in things that my body, my mind and my heart physically and emotionally reject.  And when I’m “seizing the day” I’m light as a feather, ready to be a peaceful warrior, at ONE  … Shut your zen face, right? But come one, it’s the truth, only truth.

We tend be kinder to strangers than to ourselves. Why don’t we nurture ourselves and take the time to say that its okay to want to be better in all aspects of our life?  We’re all a work in progress — but we have to take ownership of the things we want to make better in order to continue to expand to our highest potential.  I love human beings, and I love women – I was shaped by insane, intimidating, ferocious women, who continue to challenge me. And by a mom who taught me to always moisturize, whether it was with Nivea, Vaseline or Cooking Oil (yes, crazy gypsy afghans.)  I’ve been slathering moisturizer on since I was little with no clue as to why? 

Now as a big girl, I’ve tried about everything on the market, and am lucky enough to get to try a lot of things first.  This product has become my new obsession, Lisa Hoffman Day & Night Serum.  I’ve been using this for the last 2 months, and on site people immediately compliment my skin. Coincidence? I think not.  

Skin care specialist recommend using a serum to sink in after washing your face and before your moisturizer. They are lightweight, so they easily absorb.  Good Serums provide a ton of anti-aging benefits, and also claim to help with skin cell renewal, reduce the appearance of fine lines, tighten saggy skin, repair sun damage and hydrate your skin, et. Ultimately making it super glowy.  

Adding this into your daily routine will easily upgrade it to star status.  Lisa Hoffman SkinCare (created by the lovely wife of Dustin Hoffman) is fantastic and boasts really reasonable prices, well except of course the serum that I love.  It is the priciest thing in line (again, of course). So, if its not within your price range check out a bunch of the fabulous ones at Target or your local drugstore (i.e, Loreal, Boots, & Olay all carry serums in there skin care lines).

Here’s a link to her products:
http://www.lisahoffmanskincare.com/skincare.html

Good Food Facts For Good Skin

In honor of answering some of your questions via Twitter, I’m going to make a quick list of foods that you should Absolutely consume to help in your mission for gorgeous radiant skin. Regardless of what your specific skin concerns may be, there is a short list of power foods that are consistently on every dermatologist’s list.  These super good for you foods can help reduce inflammation, combat aging and even prevent skin cancer. 

1-ANTIOXIDANTS in the forms of Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries & Plums, these 4 specific fruits rate the highest in antioxidants, which protect your skin from being attacked by those nasty free radicals we are exposed to daily (sun, pollution, et).

2-OMEGA 3 in the form of SALMON, Walnuts & FlaxSeed.  Chock full of essential fatty acids, salmon, walnuts and flax seed are  powerful for both skin & BRAIN!  Omega 3’s are a major resource in keeping your skin supple & glowing.  

3-GREEN TEA is your skins best friend – its polyphenols combat damage from ultra violet rays and is brimming with Vitamin C & Zinc. Plus this little magnificent bonus; green tea is full of something called  ECGC, which is an antioxidant known for helping speed up your metabolism.

4-LOW FAT DAIRY - Full of Vitamin A.  The A in low fat dairy is easy for your body to absorb, allowing you to see results sooner.  In addition Low Fat Dairy also contains ACIDOPHILUS, aka healthy bacteria, that helps keep your digestive track normal.

5-Water/H2O/Agua – Clean, filtered, spring, distilled water – not water in sugary beverages.  Try and consume at least half your body weight in oz.  (i.e. 150lb female should try and consume 75oz a day) It may seem like a lot, but it has been know to help hair, skin, and nails stay hydrated. 

Obviously any foods that are NATURAL, WHOLE FOODS from the earth are full of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for overall well being.  But as we continue to learn about all of them, let’s start with these top rated choices. 

Try these tiny tricks:  Switch your afternoon or am coffee for green tea. Add blueberries to your morning cereal, oatmeal or Low Fat Yogurt.  Eat 2 servings of baked or raw salmon a week.  Sprinkle Walnuts in your dinner or lunch salad.  Since I don’t eat dairy, I personally take Power-Dophilus pills that I find in the refrigerator section at Whole Foods and get my Vitamin A from Spinach and Sweet Potatoes. 

Now Look at that.  Healthy body, healthy heart, healthy skin. Stress, poor diet, the sun, et take a terrible toll on our bodies. Let’s take control by adding small daily changes to keep ourselves in fighting form.  

For More Detailed Information on the items listed above: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/skin-food

A Little Afghan Girls Dream …

When we moved to the United States from Afghanistan, I wasn’t old enough to talk and my mom spoke zero English. She did however have a terrible fascination with tweezing her eyebrows and watching Television (mainly Soap Operas).

I spent my formative language learning years glued to the TV. Some household faves were: Days Of Our Lives, Dynasty, The Cosby Show, Three’s Company (in syndication) Entertainment Tonight, and Peter Jennings. I learned English from Television, FACT. I learned the art of dramatics and romantics from daytime and primetime Soaps. I learned the dynamics of an All American family on the Cosby Show. I figured out how to turn a joke on a sitcom thanks to 3’s Company. I learned what Hollywood was, where it was and what was happening in it while watching ET. And I learned about politics and World News through the stern and comforting voice of Peter Jennings. Each show, all those hours of television shaped my life in ways that I can’t even explain. And it might not be the best story, but I think its one that many immigrants understand.

My dreams of Hollywood were one that were far far away …. I’d never see any girls that looked like me in Virginia, let alone on TV. And lo and behold … a little girl from Afghanistan broke down some barriers and proudly was one of the first Afghans ever to be on a Soap Opera,  let alone on TV in the USA. I guess far far away dreams can come true all the while making your mom (who is still glued to her tv) put down her tweezer to watch you attend the Daytime Emmy’s and giggle with glee …..

“http://”>http://sn.soapnet.go.com/video/2008-daytime-emmys-azita-ghanizada

So Fierce … Christian Siriano for Payless

 

Oh dear sweet shoes, how I love thee …. I’m a shoe gal and I love heels, what girl doesn’t? I will shop thrift and be the girl in a $12 dress from the bin at Squaresville or off the rack at H&M. And I will rock it like a queen. But with shoes I spend, and I spend big. Lanvin, YSL, Gucci, Chloe are a few of my staples, I like chunky, sleek, tall, wedge, knee high, ankle, strappy and on and on.  However, to my predicament my favorite Lanvin heels that were $500 3 seasons ago have crept up to $900 a season, I’m sorry What? $900 for a shoe is ridiculous, and designers should scale back and go with the flow of the market, but since people still buy them, they’ll still sell them that high.  

What’s a girl to do … well of course, sale, outlet, ebay .. but here’s a dandy little find.  As I was flipping through my September Elle (all 10,000 pages of it), I stopped at a blue ankle boot that looked FIERCE.  Lo and behold, according Elle, Christian Siriano, the lovable winner from Project Runway has created a line of shoes for Payless that will debut in the FALL.  They look impeccable,  the structure, the carved heel, the colors … and all at a cost of $25-45, that is it?  $25 for some fabulous shoes for Fall.

A cost that affords some to play with styles they might not otherwise enjoy (ankle boots are not everyone’s favorite).  I say try and scoop them up as fast as you can, because they will sell out FAST. Christian Siriano for Payless available at select stores September 2009.

How Dare YOU Insomnia! & The Great Lemon

Day #7 –  Shut your face ….. really, already! I’m not even missing sugar, well, not as much as I was day 1-4.  Maybe because I’m eating so much real food, my sugar hasn’t dipped enough to send me into a sugar fit!!

Sweet.  I don’t think I’ll end the week tomorrow with some big sugar filled treat.  I actually would prefer not to.  I have to go to an opening night party of Inglorious Basterds and I may have a glass of champagne, it will after all be almost midnight then, right?  But honestly, I am going to quietly try and maintain the habits I’ve been building this week and see if it sticks.  

The one thing that has happened this week. My Insomnia has come back to visit …. as he so often does.  I am one of the millions that suffer from sleep disorders – I’ve never been a good sleeper – I wake up at the slightest sound and I don’t easily fall asleep.  My mind just won’t shut down at time and it has gotten so bad that I was hospitalized for it in 2003 .  (But that’s a whole other blog).  I don’t know if my Insomnia and my change in diet this week have anything to do with one another.  Hmmm, I’m use to putting myself in a tiny sugar coma before bed, which might help me crash?  Boo, sugar and your addictive qualities.  Here’s to hoping that it’s only a very temporary visit from my old friend while my body is adjusting to my newer, healthier lifestyle.  

Quick side note: (Things that do help when I can’t sleep, yoga, breathing, journaling before sleep, warm tea, melatonin spray under the tongue and per my doctor’s suggestion, a glass of red wine  

Tip #6 – The really awesome benefit of a fresh squeezed lemon in 6oz of tepid water in the am. The healing properties of Lemon have been around forever.  Most cleanses incorporate the use of lemon, and most doctors will tell you to use lemon in your water to help battle any bacterial infections. It’s a powerful tool, that pretty little lemon, but did you know that some have claimed weight loss without changing there diets but by religiously starting the day with a glass of fresh squeezed lemon water.  Upon rising, squeeze a full lemon in to tepid water, and drink up at least a half hour before you eat.  This helps flush out toxins and eliminate any excess waste in the body.  It also makes skin glow, makes hair shiny, and purifies your blood. Lemons are also full of vitamin c and other helpful nutrients, and the best thing of all is that Lemons are inexpensive and available to everyone.  

Want more info: attached is a link on the benefits of lemon water in the am:

Here’s to being healthy and celebrating the killing of some nazis ….. 

Why Anorexia Sucks …. and I decided to drink.

Day #6 — The final home stretch, well what can I say …. As I near the finish line of my no-sugar week – I have to admit, I drank WINE last night.   I had a date, and dates are boring without wine … my splenda is down, I’ve had zero starch, except for vegetables (that means no rice/bread/crackers/potatoes/pasta/quinoa et), and I’ve only allowed myself apples and blueberries for fruit —- a girls gotta live a little, right?  I say YES, I also say that all of this is about balance.

I live in a city where how often you work coincides with your shape — there’s a lot of pressure for actresses to be thin, and I’ve never met one without some sort of an eating issue.  A women in the spotlight puts on 5lbs and she has “baby bump” – a man in the spotlight puts on 25lbs and he’s “funnier?”  Are you kidding me? What kind of logic is that, and who is creating this pressure …. 

Little girls and teenagers are looking up to women with rail thin bodies and emulating them, does thin equate success – absolutely not!  Confidence, courage, kindness, hard work and intelligence will keep you ahead in life, NOT trying to look like a model.  I checked myself on a terrible need to eat sugar all day long, instead of real food, which causes my blood sugar to spike and lower throughout the day …. I knew I needed to figure out a way to eat more whole, natural foods, so that my mind and body were stable.  Most every adult in my family developed type 2 diabetes once they were in the United States, and my grandfather died as a result of it.  Coming over from Afghanistan the amount of available fast food, sugary cereals and coca-cola was all so new and exciting that it affected nearly all members of my family.  Instead of continuing on the diet always available to our culture (which is natural foods and meats that are farm raised) they began switching it out for easier, quicker options. It was about awareness for my family, and taking steps in the right direction to feel better and live cleaner. Type 2 diabetes has become a major epidemic in our society and we all need to take responsibility for it and share information on how to control it and prevent it from affecting our children and our grandchildren.

 

I see so many girls that go all day without eating, drinking coffee throughout the day, having a soda and chain smoking – and it breaks my heart. There weight will always fluctuate in extremes due to this behavior. It is absolutely unnecessary to live that way to have a healthy and happy body.  All that deprivation will lead to sadness. And that sadness will keep them from working, not the extra 5lbs.  I remember complaining about the ghastly few pounds I always gain over the holidays in the locker room at the gym, and a fabulous lady in her 50s looked at me and said: “Sweetheart, how sad you will be when you are 50, that you spent your 20s with this body, worrying about 5 extra lbs.”  Amen fabulous lady, amen ….. 

Statistics on eating disorders: Courtesy of www.loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org

• As many as 10 million women and girls suffer from anorexia and/or bulimia, in the United States alone.
• Approximately one million men and boys suffer from anorexia and/or bulimia, in the United States alone.
• An additional 25 million people in the U.S. struggle with binge eating disorder.
• Eighty-six percent of people with eating disorders report the onset of the illness by the time they reach the age of 20 (by no means is an eating disorder “less severe” when the eating-disordered person is above the age of 20).
• An estimated 85-95% of people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia and 65% of people with binge eating disorders are female.
• A shocking 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat.
• Young women that have anorexia are 12 times more likely to die than other women their age

 

And for those interested in TIPS on preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes: 

 

 

Sugar = Dull, Wrinkled Skin! WTH

Day 5 …. last night was not easy, I wanted something sweet after my dinner, so I literally sucked on half a lemon after dinner …. Aha. Like a mad lunatic, I just wanted a little piece of chocolate but after that initial twenty minutes of wanting it, guess what? It disappeared … and when I got home I let myself have a cup of unsweetened natural applesauce with a sprinkle of good for you Omega-3 filled walnuts and blueberries.

I think most people have heard that Omega-3’s (fish oil/flaxseed oil) found in fish like Salmon, and walnuts and tofu are considered superfoods because they can decrease inflammation throughout the body and help regulate depression. So naturally we want to increase these types of foods and or supplements into our daily diet to keep us healthy.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT did you know that foods high in sugar and most sugars in general cause your to skin to AGE FASTER? You white, sweet, sugary little bastard, how dare you?

The more sugar you eat the more it damages your skins collagen. Of course we can’t completely eliminate all sugar from our diets to prevent this, but dermatologists and doctors alike say cutting back on ADDED sugars in our diet can help reverse this. Also starting on a regimen of healthy vitamins, and of course, keeping sunscreen on daily

So what is Added sugar? Again those packages that say Sugar Free or Low Fat, ingredients like Maltose, Dextrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup are preservatives that help the shelf life of certain foods last longer. Some examples would be, white breads, sugary cereal, sugary crackers, and mini desserts that are pre-packaged. SODAs and DIET SODAS, fruit flavored drinks, and fruit juices from concentrate.

TIP #5: I know its a lot to take in, but I think we can all start small like CHANGING out one thing in our daily diet: Is it a 4pm diet coke, the second of the day? Switch to an iced tea or a hot tea, that you can sweeten with a little honey. Are you having a sugary breakfast cereal with skim milk in the am, instead try a package of high fiber unsweetened oatmeal and add blueberries and walnuts to make it a more powerful way to start the day. And even if its only Every other Day, replace that after dinner cake/ice cream/cookie with a sliced apple and natural peanut butter or almond butter. Small steps like these help lead us to making the bigger changes in the long run.

Some additional tips Courtesy of http:www.Prevention.com on saving your skin and skipping the sugar:

1. Cut back on the sweet stuff in your diet. It’s not easy to eliminate sugar completely. Even whole grains, fruits, and vegetables turn to glucose— the type of sugar that fuels glycation—when digested. But limiting added sugar can help. Some guidelines:

a Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories.If you’re a 45-year-old woman of average height (5-foot-4), that’s 160 calories (or 10 teaspoons)from added sugar—about the number in one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola or six Hershey’s Kisses. By comparison, the average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, or the equivalent of 465 calories. (To find out how many calories total you should eat every day, log on toprevention.com/caloriecalculator.)

b Watch for hidden sugar in food. Many prepared foods contain hefty amounts of sugar—but it’s hidden under aliases—including barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, and turbinado—on ingredient panels. The key is determining how many teaspoons of sugar each serving contains. Doing this is easy: Check the nutrition label for sugars, which are listed in grams under total carbohydrates, and then divide that number by 4 (each teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 g) to convert it to teaspoons. For example, if sugars are listed as 12 g, you’re getting 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

c Avoid high fructose corn syrup. This type of sweetener, which is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose (another form of sugar), is believed to produce more AGEs than other types. Because HFCS extends the shelf life of foods and is sweeter and cheaper than other sugars, it’s a popular ingredient in soda, fruit- flavored drinks, and packaged foods such as breads, crackers, and other snacks. You can spot it in ingredient lists on nutrition labels.

2. Supplement Your Dietwith at least 1 mg of vitamins B1 and B6 a day. These vitamins proved to be potent AGE inhibitors in a number of published studies, says David J. Goldberg, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. B1 and B6 are plentiful in food, but taking a multivitamin—most of which deliver at least 1 mg of both Bs—ensures you’re getting the daily value of 1.1 mg for B1 and 1.3 mg for B6 (1.5 mg after age 50).

3. Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every day. Significantly more AGEs occur in sun-exposed skin than in protected skin, according to the British Journal of Dermatology study. (See p. 122 for moisturizers that have the coverage you need.)

4. Employ an inside-outside approach to antioxidants. These free-radical fighters help keep sugar from attaching to proteins, so replenishing their supply—both by eating more antioxidant-rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables , such ascranberries, walnuts, and red bell peppers, and by applying topical antioxidantssuch as green tea and vitamins C and E—is a real skin saver. “It seems to be the best way to ensure that they reach the dermal layer of skin, where collagen and elastin are located,” says Goldberg.