How to Have Good Hair and Skin Health

Hair and skin are made up of protein, and one needs to consume good amount of protein to maintain hair and skin structure. It is already known that good skin needs vitamin E and vitamin C to stay healthy. However, what many people don't realize is that hair and skin need to be constantly moisturised with vegetable fats in order to stay moist and healthy. Skin that is protected by oils are much less prone to irritation and bacterial infection.

When buying shampoo and shower lotion, buy those that contain avocado, argan oil, grape seed oil, shea butter, oatmilk, carnelian rose oil etc Such oils can be used to moisturise both hair and body to prevent dry, itchy and brittle conditions, and ensure shiny and smooth hair and skin.

Coconut oil is not just suitable for consumption, it can also be used to be applied on hair and skin. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.

Home-made sugar scrub can be made with fine sugar and coconut oil, and can be used to exfoliate dead skin cells and recondition skin, to create a super smooth and soft result.

Use facial mud wash and mud masks to unblock pores and exfoliate skin.

Cucumber extract and watermelon skin extract can be used to nourish skin, as well as to moisturise and alkalise.

The most important of all, one should avoid consuming meat and dairy as they can cause skin irritation and acne. One should drink plenty of distilled water to ensure hair and skin are well hydrated at all times.

My Letter in TODAY Newspaper, Coconut Milk: Healthy or Hazardous?(Includes Links to Research Studies)

Here is my published letter in TODAY newspaper(in Singapore) about the Health Promotion Board's incorrect view of coconut milk. Coconut milk is able to promote weight loss through thermogenesis, and is anti-fungal and anti-bacteria.

 http://www.todayonline.com/voices/coconut-milk-healthy-or-hazardous

(Even though coconut milk is also described to possess anti-viral properties, I think I didn't mention it because I had in mind of colloidal silver's potent anti-viral properties that I felt was much more significant. There is a local site where colloidal silver has been lab-certified to be able to neutralize various types of viruses very quickly. http://www.colloidalsilver.com.sg/Certifications.php )


These articles at the HPB's website mentioned coconut milk as fattening:

Getting the Fats Right!
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/5634

Healthy Eating in Schools Programme
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2818

Eat to Lower Blood Pressure
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2862

Survive the Hawker Paradise
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2694

It is stated on the HPB's site that heart attack is the number two killer after cancer in Singapore. In Sri Lanka where coconut oil is consumed as the main dietary fat, the country has the lowest death rate from ischemic heart disease.

Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in aging and arteriosclerosis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3519928

"The Demographic Yearbook of the United Nations (1978) reported that Sri Lanka has the lowest death rate from ischemic heart disease. Sri Lanka is the only of the countries giving reliable data where coconut oil (containing over 50% medium chain fatty acids) is the main dietary fat."


Research that found coconut oil to be more easily absorbed compared to other oils composed of long-chain triglycerides—

Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/3/621.full

Overfeeding with medium-chain triglyceride diet results in diminished deposition of fat.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/37/1/1.abstract

Medium-chain fatty acid nanoliposomes suppress body fat accumulation in mice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21733323

Medium chain fatty acid metabolism and energy expenditure: obesity treatment implications.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9570335


Research has also found coconut oil to be able to induce thermogenesis for effective weight-loss—

Combined medium-chain triglyceride and chili feeding increases diet-induced thermogenesis in normal-weight humans.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23179202

Postprandial thermogenesis in lean and obese subjects after meals supplemented with medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2021124

Research on the nutritional characteristics of medium-chain fatty acids.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17878693

"Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) have attracted attention as part of a healthy diet, because they are absorbed and transported directly into the liver via the portal vein, metabolized rapidly by beta-oxidation, and increase diet-induced thermogenesis."

6 of the Most Potent Anti-Aging Secrets to Thrive Much Further in Life

I have some personal recommendations for anti-aging since I haven't seen these being widely practiced around. I follow these recommendations myself to thrive at what I do in my own life as well as to maintain my youthfulness, and I would like to share these with everyone who also have such intention to thrive. They are all based on well-documented scientific studies.


Purple Foods for Anti-Aging

Purple and blue foods such as purple cabbages, eggplant, small red beans and berries contain anthocyanins good for anti-aging results. Even Mariah Carey takes purple foods 3 times a week. I don't recall seeing many people making purple smoothies, the popular type is still the one containing green vegetables that contain green chlorophyll.


Chinese Herbs for Anti-Aging and Resilience/Strength

2 of the most potent Chinese herbs are yellow astragalus(Huang Qi) and fleeceflower root(He Show Wu). Yellow astragalus is actually better than ginseng, it has been scientifically proven to be able to extend the telomerase at the end of chromosomes, extending the cells' expiry date and prolonging lifespan.

He Shou Wu has a strengthening effect from the introduction of the root's resilience into the body to increase its resilience/strength. It promotes faster healing during sickness, increases the body's resilience to physical stress endured in high and low intensity sports, as well as increase sexual function for men. It is useful for warming up the body during cold winters, and has been widely claimed to be able to restore hair loss and reverse premature greying of hair.

Common everyday vegetables in the supermarkets do not have as much resilience as such resilient plants that are trees and roots that can live hundreds of years. Eating such plants would therefore 'transfer' the plants' longevity and resilience into the human body. This is how such herbs actually work in order to improve the body's health and resilience/strength.


Negative Ions

Negative ions are found abundantly from water splashes such as waterfalls, beaches, fountains, the washing sink, the bathroom shower. It is also found in lemons. Negative ion generators can provide a constant flow of ions that has been scientifically demonstrated to improve brain function, prevent depression, prevent cancer and extend lifespan.

Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes

Science : The Power of The Negative Ions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I66oE44rejQ


Distilled Water

Non-distilled tap water contains animal wastes from water-based animals such as fishes and frogs and therefore is not actually vegan if you think of it. Such non-distilled water also contains added chemicals such as chloride, fluoride and other unknown pollutants from the environment. I usually find a puddle of foul-smelling yellowish liquid at the bottom of my distiller after the water has been distilled away.

Water can only hold a certain amount of impurities and if it is not distilled, it would not have the full ability to hold on to the body's impurities to effectively flush them out of the system. If the impurities from non-distilled water is reduced from getting into the body, the body would contain less impurities and one doesn't have to consume as much water for hydration purposes. With less impurities and toxins entering the body from drinking distilled water, the body can function at a higher level, and not age as quickly.


Avoid Foods Cooked in Dry Heat and Oil

Meat and vegetables that are cooked in dry heat and oil create toxins that can age the body as well as contribute to illnesses such as cancer. For me to avoid the toxins, I rely mostly on boiled foods such as chickpeas and lentils.

The Hidden Toxins in Cooked Foods
http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/hidden-toxins-cooked-foods

"Many may not be aware, however, of the toxins and carcinogens that exist when food is heated past a certain temperature or for a period of time"

"Cooked meat and fish contain heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), both of which have been shown to be mutagenic and carcinogenic."

"Acrylamide is a carcinogen that is found in cigarettes, coffee, and many baked or fried foods, particularly breads, potato and corn products."

Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats

 
Choose Foods Low on the Glycermic Index

Foods that are high on the Glycermic Index can lead to excessive glycation that can age protein fibres such as skin, blood vessels and nerves. Common foods that are high on the Index include donuts, cakes, buns, white bread, sugary drinks, and candy etc

Even when eating foods that are low on the Glycermic Index, one also has to be aware of the Glycermic Load to ensure that there is no overloading of blood sugar in the blood by consuming too much food at once. The Glycermic Load can be effectively reduced by practicing grazing, which is done by dividing the number of large meals in a day into smaller meals.

Foods such as white rice(66) and potatoes(over 90) are high on the Glycermic Index. Alternatives such as brown rice(46) and chickpeas(28) are much lower on the Index.

Avoid consuming carbohydrates on its own but eat it with protein and fats. Consume vegetables first before consuming carbohydrates to reduce the speed of digestion. 

Taking too much low GI fruits at once such as binging on a large amounts of sweet juices and smoothies can still increase the sugar level in the blood to high levels. The key is to either eat fruits whole without juicing or limit juices and smoothies to smaller portions.

(Elle Magazine) Sugar and Aging: How to Fight Glycation
The relationship between sugar and fine lines can be sticky. Find out why!
http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/sugar-aging-how-to-fight-glycation-614621

"The science is this: When you have sugar molecules in your system, they bombard the body's cells like a meteor ­shower—glomming onto fats and proteins in a process known as glycation. This forms advanced glycation end products (commonly shortened, appropriately, to AGEs), which cause protein fibers to become stiff and malformed."

"The proteins in skin most prone to glycation are the same ones that make a youthful complexion so plump and springy—collagen and elastin. When those proteins hook up with renegade sugars, they become discolored, weak, and less supple; this shows up on the skin's surface as wrinkles, sagginess, and a loss of radiance. The presence of AGEs also makes the complexion more vulnerable to bad-news assailants such as UV light and cigarette smoke. As New York–based dermatologist Cheryl Karcher, MD, puts it: "Number one, the glucose makes the cells abnormal; and number two, it creates free radicals. So you get a double whammy when it comes to aging."

"The external signs of glycation show up around the age of 30 or 35, when a perfect storm of built-up sun damage, environmental oxidative stress, hormonal changes, and the development of AGEs begins to result in, well, a-g-e. "When you're younger, your body has more resources to ward off damage, and you're producing more collagen," says New York– and Miami-based dermatologist Fredric Brandt, MD, who in 2007 was one of the first to launch an anti-aging skin-care line specifically addressing glycation. "When you reach a certain age, these sugar by-products begin to build up at the same time that your threshold for damage is getting lower."

Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects(2001)
Glycation
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/07/14/insulin-part-one.aspx
"Everyone knows that oxygen causes damage, but unfortunately the press has not been as kind to publicize glycation. Glycation is the same as oxidation except substitute the word glucose. When you glycate something you combine it with glucose. Glucose combines with anything else really; it's a very sticky molecule.

Just take sugar on your fingers. It's very sticky. It sticks specifically to proteins. So the glycation of proteins is extremely important. If it sticks around a while it produces what are called advanced glycated end products (A.G.E.s).

That acronym is not an accident. If you can turn over, or re-manufacture, the protein that's good, and it increases the rate of protein turnover if you are lucky. Glycation damages the protein to the extent that white blood cells will come around and gobble it up and get rid of it, so then you have to produce more, putting more of a strain on your ability to repair and maintain your body.

That is the best alternative; the worst alternative is when those proteins get glycated that can't turn over very rapidly, like collagen, or like a protein that makes up nerve tissue. These proteins cannot be gotten rid of, so the protein accumulates, and the A.G.E.s accumulate and continue to damage.

That includes the collagen that makes up the matrix of your arteries. A.G.E.s are so bad that we know that there are receptors for A.G.E.s, hundreds of receptors, for every macrophage."

The first introductory post for this blog

I recently wrote about the social and political climate in Denmark while debunking its status of being the "happiest nation" in the world from a global ranking that I also explained to be heavily flawed. What I wrote was endorsed by a Danish book-writer and that got me thinking about sharing what I write to more people.

I am currently 32 years old(but still look 22 due to great health) and living in tropical Singapore. I first got into serious writing in the local newspapers about local politics in the early 2000s most notoriously dealing with Free Speech and government negligence of handicap accessibility in key public areas. I stopped writing and dealing with local politics after a few years and moved on to research about the meaning of life and Happiness that was spurred by the huge increase in books with such topics in bookstores. I later self-published my findings to experience self-publishing that was becoming popular a few years ago.

While in 2007, I assisted a local international school's debate team to win the finals at a national debating tournament that was telecast on national TV.

The research in the meaning of life that ended in late 2007 eventually got me heavily interested in Spirituality in the following year. Since then, I have been researching about the greater spiritual reality and have accumulated lots of insights that most people are not aware of. I realized that what most people on this planet knows about spirituality is only at the surface level, there is a much greater spiritual reality that is beyond the public's knowledge. My level of consciousness has since then evolved into becoming more powerful to handle the bigger picture of reality.

Throughout the last 5 years, I have also researched and accumulated lots of information on other topics such as nutritional health, anti-aging methods, weight-loss methods, natural cures for various diseases, sports nutrition, nature of various emotions, positive psychology, sociology, sexuality, energy-saving methods, money-saving methods, Intelligence, flaws in IQ-testing, culture, vegan cooking, art, video-making, video-editing, music remixing. I have also recently debunked lots of flawed diets, faulty scientific studies, false social notions etc and I hope to publish them all in this blog.

My hobbies are: listening to music, making art, beauty appreciation, making fan music videos, spiritual exploration, spending time with nature, exploring new cultures and trying foods from other cultures, and investigations in the supernatural as well as UFOs and aliens.

I have had experiences during my dream-time state of encountering different species of aliens as well as being assisted by spiritual beings in my own life. Such experiences no doubt have enabled me the ability to relate to other people's encounters of such similar experiences and made me somehow of a believer in such beings.

I hope this new writing journey will bring me closer to my goals of experiencing more of the greater spiritual reality while getting more out of life, and I wish to share such a journey with the readers who would visit this blog.