eco-conscious • healthy • fun • creative
Sensory Changes
ISSUE 4 VOLUME 1 FALL 2019
TRUE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY PUBLISHER TRUE LIFESTYLE GROUP, INC. PO Box 1030 Bethpage, NY 11714 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | CO-PUBLISHER Jennifer Wojcieski CREATIVE DIRECTOR | CO-PUBLISHER Daniella Cippitelli CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jim Burgoon Karen Danchalski Linda Lombardo Jessica LoRe Michele Loesch Roberta Perry CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jessica LoRe CONTACT TRUE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE PO Box 1030 Bethpage, NY 11714 (646) 907-9655 hello@truelifestylemagazine.com
Issue 4, Volume 1 - Fall 2019
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Publisher’s Letter
Change is in the air, sights, smells, sounds...what a lovely season Autumn is. In certain areas, Autumn is a feast for the senses. Nature comes alive with color, sounds, and smells. Kids are back to school; everyone still hanging on to the last days of summer warmth. And the looming holiday season begins to take planning. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities such a pumpkin picking. Perhaps visiting the vineyards is your idea of an ideal day. Here on Long Island, our east end has been gaining popularity with wine enthusiasts. Take a leisurely drive and enjoy wine tastings. Many of the wineries offer tastings, and you can enjoy the day with food, drink, and live music. Regardless of where the day takes you, the weather is perfect for outdoor activity. As wonderful a season it is, there is also the anxiety that creeps up as the busiest holiday season races in. We’ve got some tips for conquering holiday stress. And info on maintaining your overall health, which is essential for all seasons. We take you to an authentic farm to table dinner. The change in seasons also means a change in skincare. And for those who need an escape, join us on a journey through Zion National Park. Take a deep breath and enjoy all that Autumn has to offer!
TRUE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Table of Contents
18
26
6
Personal Growth
Self Care
Health
Authenticity
Balancing the Skin
Productive Sleep
An analogy between trees and humans based on the seasonal changes of Autumn.
Understanding causes of acne and how to prevent this most common skin condition.
The quality and quantity of sleep is essential to your vitality and boosts efficiency.
Stress Free Holidays
Exercise for Life
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Cuisine
The Arts
Travel
True Farm to Table
Earth
Zion Natural Park
Nature is the original master of visual arts and composer of beautiful music.
An exhilarating hike fills the soul with a pure appreciation of all the world has to offer.
Restaurant meets the source of ingredients to enhance our human connection.
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HEALTH
Sleep Creates Productivity By Michele Loesch
Insufficient Sleep and the Consequences in the Workplace
I
n today’s fast-paced, go-go-go world, sleep is the very last thing we feel we have time for. You hear comments such as “sleep is for the weak” or “sleep is overrated.” Americans boast about how little sleep they get daily. It’s like being part of an exclusive club or something. Some even believe the less you sleep, the more you will accomplish. Right? Currently, almost 30 percent of American adults sleep six hours or less a night. A 2013 survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that more than 65 percent of the US adult population fail to obtain the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night during the week. The level of productivity in the workplace is what most, if not all, measure, to determine a company’s success. If employees are not productive and not reaching the productivity goals of the company, the future of the company will be at stake. Why does society today overvalue their employees and undervalue sleep? Why is it ok to glorify the high-powered executive who is on an email until 2:00 am and then into the office by 6 am?
Studies have demonstrated little sleep amounts lead to lower work rate and less creativity. Employees without enough sleep will choose a task that requires less effort to support their ability to problem solve. When employees are not getting enough sleep, their productivity drops, requiring them to work longer to accomplish the goal and task at hand. One must often work longer and later into the evening, resulting in a later bedtime, waking earlier in the morning to finish the job, creating this loop of sleep deprivation.
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Photograph by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush
The professional world spends money on promoting employee health, safety, and conduct. There may be policies in place for substance abuse, smoking, ethics, and injury and disease prevention. Nowhere in any of these programs is the importance of sleep mentioned, not only in the workplace but for the employee’s overall health and wellbeing.
What about ethics? Under-slept employees will be less productive, less motivated, less creative, and often unhappy. They may also suffer when it comes to making clear, rational decisions. Minimal sleep impedes the ability to think clearly, resulting in rash choices and decision making. So why does society continue to promote this type of behavior and stigmatize sleep as a bad thing? Besides the negative consequences faced in the workplace, these employees are also at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney failure, diabetes, weight gain, and compromised immune system. Your boss or company may not think working you to death is a problem, robbing you of your sleep and your health. They will squeeze as much time out of you as possible. But how much time do you have? High quality sleep is vital for both healing and sustained wellness. During the night, we restock our supply of hormones, process significant toxins, repair damaged tissue, generate vital blood cells for immunity. Sleep helps eliminate the effects of stress and processes heavy emotions.
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HEALTH
Creating an environment that will help you to improve the quality and quantity of sleep is essential to your vitality. Simple changes can be quite powerful. 1. Choose more calming, quieter evening activities that resonate with you and help you to relax, both mentally and physically.
Photo by energepic.com from Pexels
2. Turn off all full-spectrum light for a full 1-2 hours before bedtime, including no email, TV, video games, or smartphone apps. 3. Avoid amping up your brain. Avoid activities such as budgeting, balancing your checkbook, planning out the next day, or stressful conversations in the hour before bedtime. 4. No caffeinated food or drink at all after 2 pm. Yes, it can affect you that many hours later. 5. Mind the temperature. Rooms which are too hot or too cold tend to wake us up. Temperature extremes naturally increase our stress hormones which promote wakefulness. 6. Have a relaxing ritual at night. Herbal tea, such as lavender, chamomile, valerian, or passionflower, can help one to relax and set the tone for sleep. A hot bath with Epsom salts and lavender essential oils may work well. Or perhaps 10 minutes of gratitude journaling or reading an inspirational or inspirational book. 7. Quiet the digestion. No food at all for a full three hours before bed. 8. Take vacation!! You work hard all year long and deserve a break, one that rejuvenates you, allows you to move slow and sleep whenever the body feels necessary. For this is when the body heals and repairs itself.
While you may be thinking this is impossible, YOU are worth it. Create a lifestyle where your body can become well and stay well. Thrive, not just survive. Michele Loesch is a Certified Health Coach and Functional Medicine Practitioner. The essence of her practice is to create a partnership with her clients to improve the quality of their health and life with a focus on getting to the “root” cause of the symptoms. This targeted approach focuses on your unique lifestyle choices to create an environment for healing your entire body. Contact Michele at michele.loesch1@gmail.com.
* C.Y.Hoeksema-van Orden, A.W. Gaillard, and B.P. Buunk, “Social loafing under fatigue.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 75, no.5(1998):1179-90.
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HEALTH
Exercise For Life By Karen Danchalski
Seniors and exercise - strength, flexibility, balance, endurance & motivation... a physical therapist’s perspective.
What keeps you motivated to move? Ask this question to an older person, let’s say over the age of 65, and the answer is usually some form of “I’m afraid to stop!”. Many older people fear to lose their physical abilities, want to keep up with their families, and continue doing the things they love. I have been getting more and more calls over the past few years from clients in their 7th and 8th decade of life seeking personal training and in-home physical therapy. One commonality is that these individuals like to exercise, they understand its good for them, and they are willing to put in the effort. Some have been active their whole lives, and others have been content with just simple everyday activities. Older individuals often must adjust to “new normals” as they work through aches, pains, illness, and other age-related changes such as vision loss. We all will eventually be in the same boat, but don’t fear, keep positive, and grab some sneakers. People of all ages can benefit from exercise and improve their quality of life. MUSCLES AND BONES It is normal for our bones, joints, and muscles to degrade as we age. Our bones lose density, become more brittle, and are more susceptible to fracture(1). Our joint surfaces change from wear and tear, and articular cartilage thins which can lead to joint inflammation(2).
Deterioration in our bones and muscles are typical parts of aging and are due to changes in our hormones and nervous system as we age. Diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to bone and muscle loss
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Photograph by Carlos Hernandez
Our muscle fibers reduce in number and size, especially after 50 years of age. Fasttwitch fibers are most susceptible to decline while our slow-twitch fibers remain more steady in number. Fast-twitch fibers are found more in the large muscles of our limbs and generate greater power and force. Slow-twitch fibers are found more in our postural muscles, are not as forceful, but fatigue less quickly and help us with endurance-type activities (3).
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
PITFALLS FOR SENIORS Seniors face more significant challenges to starting an exercise program, need to listen to their bodies and be mindful of making adaptations to their routine. Seniors should consider any conditions they have that could limit participation and safety such as diabetes, arthritis, cardiac disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, falls, auto-immune disease, or neuropathy, for example. Anyone with illness or injuries should consult with their doctor before starting a program. No matter what limits you feel you may have, there is always something you can do to stay active. The benefits of exercise are numerous, so read on for safety tips and ideas to get you started! SAFETY FOR SENIORS What is a safe exercise for seniors? Generally, low load, low impact activities will be most safe in protecting against injury. It is essential to start slow, pace yourself, and avoid aggravating old injuries. You may have specific goals in mind, but in general, a good program focuses on improving posture, balance, strength, and fall prevention. Weight-bearing exercises are essential in building bone and should be incorporated into a daily routine. Bones need to be loaded to maintain their strength. While it is crucial to build bone in the earlier decades of life, it is never too late to improve bone health. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, numerous studies have shown that older individuals who engage in weight-bearing exercise are less likely to fall and sustain fractures by over 30%. Sedentary women are more likely to have low bone density and reach a fracture threshold earlier in life than an active individual (4). Lifting weights will strengthen the muscles and bones in your arms while simple exercises like walking and using stairs will target your legs. Pushing your routing a little further to
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HEALTH
include jumping, running, jogging, tennis, and dancing can also help to build bone in your legs. Varying the type of surface and incline you walk on can help build bone more efficiently, so if you like to walk, change it up from time to time. Walk up or down a hill, or try some uneven surfaces. A new space can uplift a mundane routine. There is also evidence that short duration higher intensity weight-bearing exercises build bone more efficiently than longer slower routines. Therefore, it is better to fit in more frequent sessions of shorter duration in a week than longer, less frequent sessions. One notable exception to weight-bearing exercise is for people with osteoporosis. Individuals with osteoporosis should consult their physician before starting an exercise program. They should avoid high impact, high load, twisting and forward bending movements as these could increase the likelihood of a fracture. A gentle walking program may be the safest option while incorporating more balance and postural exercises for fall prevention and pain reduction. Swimming is also a great choice. Warm water is therapeutic, provides both support and resistance to our bodies, and can be highly effective in reducing pain during a work-out. Try a Tai-Chi or Qi-gong class. These movements will build balance, strength, and coordination. There is also a relaxing meditative component to these movements, which is vital in maintaining your health. WHERE TO BEGIN Ok, so you put your sneakers on and know you should get up and get moving. How do you start? You may want to start with a physical therapist who can show you safe movements and some basic home exercises. Check out your community center, or YMCA, which usually offer exercise classes tailored for seniors. Tai Chi and Qi-gong may be provided in your community and can be a gentle fun way to learn something new. Check your local newspaper for classes and events. Exercise with a friend or assistant if you need help. Any qualified instructor can modify an exercise for you, so don’t be afraid to speak up and let the instructor know how you feel. It is never too late to build muscle and bone. Set realistic goals for yourself. Vary your exercise and keep things enjoyable to stay motivated. Karen Danchalski is a licensed physical therapist with a doctorate in physical therapy and certification in Stott Pilates. She has been practicing for over 20 years. In addition to direct patient care, Karen coaches private clients in fitness and enjoys writing in her spare time on various health and sciencerelated topics. Contact Karen at kmrpt@optonline.net.
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991386/ (2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3372644/ (3) https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5714/muscle-fiber-types-fast-twitch-vs-slow-twitch (4) https://www.iofbonehealth.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/WOD%20Reports/move_it_or_lose_it_en.pdf
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PERSONAL GROWTH
Taking Stress Out of the Holidays By Jim Burgoon
The seasons are changing. With the seasonal shift, the air has started growing slightly crisper, images of cookies dance around in my memories, and thoughts of spending times with loved one awakens my heart to joy. When I close my eyes, the smells of pumpkin pies and cookies immediately fills my sense of smell with anticipation of some fantastic treat. The air is full of a fragrance that seems to live in this season. It is a great time of the year to be alive. Then, out of nowhere, an anxious wave washes over my body. My mind is confused. My heart seems to be losing the sugary images that once danced across my memory. Joy gives way to stress. Happiness feels hard to find. I search my thoughts, hoping to find an answer to my sudden emotional shift. At first, there is an absence of answers. Anxiety seems to be the only emotion registering across my emotional landscape. As I search for meaning and answers in the sudden shift, a thought occurs to me. There is a difference between the ideal experience and the real experience.
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
What I know is that we live in the ideal experience. This experience brings all the emotions of a Hallmark Christmas movie. The cookies, the pies, the trees, and the yummy dinners dance across our minds. We picture all the good times we will have with our families. Food, family, and fun dominate our thoughts.
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PERSONAL GROWTH
Instead of a Hallmark experience, most of us get the National Lampoons Christmas Movie experience. You know the one I am talking about. The experience where stress, anxiety, and unrealistic expectations reign rampant. We want the beauty and smells of Christmas. We want the ideal experience. There isn’t a single person who wouldn’t want that. However, most of us have not experienced that. We experience the reality of it. We experience the stress of gift buying (especially if you buy your gifts last minute). We experience the stress of family. Let’s not even begin a conversation about holiday traffic. It is time, to be honest with yourself. Whether you want to admit it or not you know that the stress of the holidays can overwhelm even the strongest of us. There is no shame in admitting that. My holidays are very stressful. As a family, we do the cookies and pie thing. We go big for each holiday. Yet, we tend to end up with the arguing. We don’t start that way. Every intention is about having the ideal experience. The reality is that many of us struggle with the ‘baggage’ we have failed to eradicate. Due to that failure over our ‘baggage,’ we continue to struggle with each other’s ‘baggage.’ This ends with lots of stress. What if we could do something about the stress? What if we could create something in our lives that helps alleviate or possibly eradicate that stress? Over the last several years, I have been developing a few simple techniques that have helped take the stress level from National Lampoon and reduce it down to A Christmas Story.
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PERSONAL GROWTH
Here are 3 things you can do to reduce stress during the holidays: 1. Manage Expectations The #1 cause of stress is derived from trying to live up to someone’s expectation of you. In my family, it is expected to buy everyone a gift. If you don’t, or can’t, buy a gift for everyone, you start to feel incredibly guilty. It doesn’t help that the rest of the family goes overboard in their shopping and expects you to do the same. Sometimes, you just don’t have the money. Whether you have the money or not, the expectation is still there. You have to decide whether or not you will live up to their expectations. If you want to live up to their expectations, then this article isn’t for you. However, if you are tired of living up to an expectation (real or perceived), then it is time that you took action. Make the conscious decision to live to your expectations and not the expectations of others. Once you make the decision, you’ll have to learn how to give yourself grace as you build confidence to walk it out. 2. Express Your Desires One of the hardest things to do is to express what you want. It can feel selfish. It will feel even more selfish if you struggle with a people-pleasing personality. With that being said, you can shift the stress level from high to low by learning to communicate your desires. If you don’t want to do something, then tell someone. Not everyone wants to squeeze themselves in a minivan built for seven people but is now full of twelve people to see a Christmas light show. Yes, that is true and happens every year at my families
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PERSONAL GROWTH
home. Last year was the final straw for me. I expressed my desire to stay home. I had made the decision to manage expectations and express my desire. Staying home was top on the list. You will never gain what you do not ask for. Healthily express your desires and watch the stress level shrink! 3. Have proper boundaries that you will enforce
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
Boundaries are one of the main things that I teach people. Proper boundaries diminish stress while creating health. If you don’t want people to walk all over you, then a boundary is a must. Listen, we all know that our families mean well. We all know that they have the best intentions around the holidays. Yet, we also understand that the best intentions can go downhill quickly. This is where your boundaries come in. A boundary is simply a managed expectation that states, “Your actions are making me feel uncomfortable, and it needs to stop.” If you had the courage to say that to a family member, how much more could you enjoy your holiday? If you want a holiday that has less stress and more fun than we must enact and enforce boundaries! The holidays do not have to be a stressful or negative experience. Anxiety shouldn’t be what you remember around the yule time. If you properly manage expectations, express your desires, and set up proper boundaries, then you can enjoy the holiday instead of dreading it! Jim Burgoon is a Leadership Coach who has devoted his life to helping others move from a place survival to a life that thrives. Jim has spent the last 15 years developing leaders in various settings. You can connect with Jim at www.storiesunleashed.com as well as various social media.
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PERSONAL GROWTH
Authenticity of Autumn By Linda Lombardo
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go” – Unknown Are you tired of hearing that? I, for one, am getting a little tired of hearing, “Be like a tree and just let it go!” Last year, I wrote about Autumn and letting go of your leaves. I shared that trees push their leaves off; they don’t just let them go; they give them an intentional push. I’ll admit to leading forest therapy walks in the Fall and offering invitations to gather leaves and let them go, or be a ‘Leaf Doula,’ meaning, find a tree and encourage it to push off a leaf or two. “Come on, tree. You can do it. Let one go. Push.” And then, that exhilarating feeling when the tree complies, letting go of a leaf or two and watching them float gracefully to the ground. Good job! No matter how many leaves I gather in my arms and throw them not-sotenderly to the ground in a symbolic act of letting go, I am wracked with baggage, old and new: experiences, losses, fears, traumas, wanting to belong where I probably shouldn’t ever want to belong. And more. So, here’s a new perspective on an old story. Did you know that when leaves stop absorbing chlorophyll, they change color? Yes, of course, you did. It happens every Fall. We plan road trips to see the changing leaves; children gather them for school projects. These leaves of Deciduous trees change color as the trees prepare for Winter, discarding what they no longer need during their dormant time. But, did you know that the change in color is the leaf’s authentic color? It’s technically not the leaf changing color. It’s the unmasking of the leaf’s authentic color when chlorophyll is no longer present. Want to try it? Here’s a science experiment that gives you the power of a tree to change a leaf to its authentic color.
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Photo by Mike from Pexels
PERSONAL GROWTH
“Pour 2 cups water into a medium-sized pot and set it on the stove. Turn the heat to high. Bring the water to a boil and set your leaf in it for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to take the leaf out. Don’t dump out the water from the pot. Now, pour 1 cup rubbing alcohol into a tall, heat-safe glass, like a measuring cup or beaker, and set it in the middle of the pot of hot water. Be sure that the water in the pot doesn’t get into the container with the leaf and alcohol. Place the leaf in the glass container and make sure that it’s covered completely. Wait 1 hour and check back with the leaf. The leaf should now show its true color. The rubbing alcohol will be green with the chlorophyll that was removed.” That was just for fun, of course, and feel free to try it. Under the green of the chlorophyll is the real color of the leaf, which is a metaphor for what we humans call our authentic selves and our baggage. What we do to survive and belong in a world that doesn’t always value our authentic selves create experiences that shape us. Being human and belonging in a chaotic, consumptive world often comes at the cost of hiding our true authentic selves.
PERSONAL GROWTH
So, we’re a little like those leaves, aren’t we? Here’s where we differ from leaves. Thankfully, we can let the real authentic person shine through without being pushed off a tree, although it may also feel like being pushed off a tree, depending on how much ‘chlorophyll’ you’ve been storing. The other caveat is that some people may not take kindly to the authentic you because it threatens their baggage or mask. They are the ‘Evergreen People’, never showing their true selves, refusing to let down their guard; always holding on to their chlorophyll and needles. Interesting, too, that they have ‘needles’ rather than leaves. Don’t get me wrong. I love Evergreens, at least the ones in the forest. Humans are mostly Deciduous beings; shedding seasonally or at certain stages of development in our life cycles. And what a gift that is! One of my favorite artist/philosophers, Mary Anne Radmacher, writes, “Our lives are as keenly defined by what we let go of as by what we hold onto. So, here’s the skinny on authenticity. No more analogies. Be you. There is no one like you. No one. You’re here to be that unique individual, not a chlorophyll copy of all the other humans. Celebrate that. Express that. And maybe one last analogy … What will you stop absorbing so your true, authentic colors can shine? Now is a perfect time; in concert with the trees and the leaves, in concert with the seasons, in concert with the planet. Linda Lombardo is a certified life coach and forest therapy guide living on Long Island, NY. Her work includes life purpose and one-on-one coaching in nature. She writes and podcasts at Voice of Evolution Radio. You may find her at www.thevoiceofevolution.com and www.liforestwalks.com.
https://sciencing.com/remove-chlorophyllleaves-5789711.html
Photo by Jordan Benton from Pexels
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TRAVEL
Zion National Park by Jessica LoRe
Red rocks, arches and canyons... oh my! An adventure for the soul
Are you looking for a West Coast National Park getaway? Zion National Park, in Utah, would be a top recommendation. This place is simply amazing. Upon entering the park, you will drive about thirty minutes through some of the most beautiful landscapes you will ever experience. It is, for sure, the “scenic route.” These roads lead you to a private community filled with hotels, restaurants, shops, hiking trails, and tons of Zion visitors.
To enter the park, it’s $35 per vehicle. However, if you’re an active national parkgoer like myself, I’d suggest purchasing the “America the Beautiful” park pass for $80 that gets you into all of the national parks and is valid for one full year.
Photo by Jessica LoRe
Zion is truly magical, with breathtaking views. There are a variety of different hiking trails that you can choose. The one captured in these photos is called “The Narrows” hike, which can range anywhere from 6-7 hours. Note there is only one way in and one way out, so taking this route depends on how far you are willing to go. Although the entire hike is flat with no real elevation, it does get strenuous at times due to the rough waters and rocky terrain. There is very rarely a fully flat service, so renting a walking stick is super essential for this hike! The rocks are everywhere and can also be very slippery. A walking stick will help guide you while making your hike a little easier to handle. Since 80% of the walk is through water, waterproof sneakers and attire are essential! The water, for the most part, will be above the ankles, and at times up to the waist. Dress accordingly based on the time of the year you plan to go. A waterproof phone case will allow you to capture some pretty awesome photos while keeping your phone safe and dry.
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TRAVEL
Plan your hike accordingly. Leave bright and early to head to the trail entrance. The first shuttle leaves at 6 am, which helps beat the crazy rush that “The Narrows” is known to have as the day goes on.
Overall, this is one of the most amazing experiences you may ever have. The beauty that Zion National Park has to offer is unbelievable. The hikes are thrilling and will fill your soul with a pure appreciation for what this world has to offer. Take your time to soak it all in and enjoy every single moment. For one, I hope to be back at Zion real soon, and have officially added Utah as one of the most beautiful states I’ve visited so far!
Photos by Jessica LoRe
Jessica LoRe is a Long Island, NY based outdoor lover & adventure seeker. You can can read more about her travels at www. jessicastraveljourney.com
SELF CARE
Balancing Your Skin by Roberta Perry
Acne. Just the word alone evokes comments like “ugh” or “WTF!.” So when you wake up to an eruption, it literally brings the frustration to “a head.”
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes that acne, also known as acne vulgaris, is the most common skin condition in the United States. The AAD estimates 40 million to 50 million people a year experience acne, and the majority of those afflicted with the skin problem is teenagers and young adults. Though experts don’t completely understand the cause of acne, research has revealed some primary triggers, one of which is a pH imbalance. The pH level of the skin optimally should be at 4 to 6.5. This environment is known as the “acid mantle,” and one function is to help skin cells grow and function. Obtaining healthy skin pH level is “akin to breeding cells in a test tube,” says Dr. Michelle Copeland, author of The Beautiful Skin Workout. She notes that if the pH conditions aren’t right, the skin cells won’t multiply. Another primary function of pH is to kill bacteria before it enters the body, according to the National Skin Care Institute. What you put on your skin and what you put into your body can affect the skin’s pH level. While it is unproven by research that greasy or fatty foods will cause the skin to break out, there has been some research. A 2003 study led by Esther Boelsma of the Department of Nutritional Physiology in the Netherlands reported that“changes in baseline nutritional status may affect the skin condition.” Specifically, the intake of monounsaturated fat, which raised the participants’ pH levels by 6 percent. So let’s get down to it. Basic acne pimples are primarily caused by three things: 1. dead skin flakes that get stuck in the pore; 2. bacteria your skin gets from touching your face and body and transferring dirt and bacteria from things you have touched onto your skin; 3. over-production of sebum oil, which can come from hormonal changes and from using products that dry out the skin.
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When you strip the skin of natural oils, it fights back and wants to make more, which creates a vicious oily/dry situation all over your face. When these three things get together, inflammation begins in the clogged pore and the pimple erupts. There is a significant difference between whiteheads and blackheads. The top of the whitehead has not opened yet, but blackheads have already been exposed to the air. When multiple follicles merge, under the skin, a cyst can form, which, when inflamed, can hurt like crazy. You’ve had one or more of those right? Ouch! The good news about cystic acne is that it does not need antibiotics to make it feel better. Dermatologists will sometimes use a needle to inject cortisone into a bad cyst. The reason they do it is to reduce inflammation. However, a simple anti-inflammatory can make it hurt less, and the swelling of the area go down, and no needles! Whew!
SELF CARE
So now that we know how acne can form, here are some ways to help treat it and prevent it from happening in the first place. Wash no more than twice a day, but definitely after sweating. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating. Use your fingertips to wash your face gently. Use natural oil-based products without alcohol. Stay away from all harsh soaps and cleansers and anything that will dry out skin, which causes the skin to flake. It’s those flakes that get in pores, starting the acne process, in the first place. Rinse with lukewarm water. Picking at acne should never be done by anyone other than a dermatologist, and even then, with extreme care. I know this is a hard habit to break, but don’t do it. Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear, and you increase the risk of getting acne scars. Shampoo every 2nd to 3rd day but definitely after sweating. Keep your hands off your face. Hands get dirty, and when the bacteria mixes with the dead skin/oil combination, it because infected and becomes a pimple. Touching your skin throughout the day can increase flare-ups and add “fuel” to an already messy situation. don’t recommend either salicylic or benzoyl peroxide, because both are drying to the skin, which causes more flaking and potentially, more pimples. Instead, the area should be kept moist and clean with simple ingredient botanical oils. Instead, we recommend an oil-based cleanser and a Shea Butter based spot moisturizer/anti-inflammatory for pimples. Stay out of the sun and tanning beds. Tanning damages your skin. Also, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices. Using tanning beds increases your risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. Drink lots and lots and lots of lemon water. The combo does so many amazing things like alkalinizing the stomach and helping with inflammation.
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SELF CARE
Sleep!!! - There is nothing so rejuvenating for mind, body, and skin than a good night’s sleep. Acne is not fun, and it happens to the majority of people at one point or the other. There are factors that contribute and if you change those factors for the betterment of your skin, you will prevent the acne in the first place. Roberta and her late sister, Michelle, started ScrubzBody™ in a garage, growing to a fabulous storefront in Farmingdale, NY, where her products are still handcrafted in small batches. She has been a natural remedy segment guest on the Dr. Oz show. Try her amazing products for yourself at www.scrubzbody.com.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10940353_Human_skin_condition_and_its_associations_with_nutrient_ concentration_in_serum_and_diet
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CUISINE
True Farm to Table BY JENNIFER WOJCIESKI
Dining in a field alongside where your food comes from is an experience like no other. Meals are curated based on what is grown or harvested at that location in which the event takes place. Imagine sitting at a farm biting into a tomato while enjoying the earthen aroma of its kin hanging on the adjacent vine or the taste of fresh seafood while embracing the salty scent of the sea. There is no greater connection to our sustenance.
Jim Denevan began the concept of Outstanding in the Field back in 1999. He purchased a run-down bus, dubbed the “culinary caravan” and set off across America. He connected with farmers, chefs, fisherpeople, cheesemakers, vintners, brewers, and more. Over the last twenty years, OITF has been in seventeen countries and all fifty of the United States of America.
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Photograph by Robert Springer
The primary passion is to bring the restaurant to the source of the main ingredients. By gathering with people across the world and celebrating different cultures, OITF has accomplished much more. They have enhanced the most fundamental human commonality – a meal.
Photographs by Jennifer Wojcieski
“There is something beautiful and common when people come to one table in a field where your food comes from. There is something similar to whether you are in North Dakota or Louisiana or the on coast of California or here”, says Jim as he welcomes guests at an exclusive event at Amber Waves Farms in Amagansett, New York.
CUISINE
One would think this culinary concept was radical and rightfully so. In our society, typically the food is delivered to the restaurant. This is what most of us are used to. How exactly did Jim and his team entice chefs to create their masterpieces in a field? As they spoke to and met with more and more people, OITF found that many chefs were excited to participate. It was a cultural change for chefs to get out of the kitchen and enjoy a dining experience with the guests. After having the services set in place, the even more significant question then arose “who is going to come to this event and eat outside in a dirty field?” It turned out, people longed for that human connection. Outstanding in the Field is a chance to meet new people, engage in new experiences, and learn about other cultures one would not be part of in everyday life. It is an exciting realization that we all are one people. Jim pauses when thinking about his successful journey, “When people sit together with strangers and friends and making new friends over the years, I think it’s…I am humbly honored to be able to do this and for people to share a table together. It’s been the most incredible life to lead.”
THE ARTS
Earth...
a spectacular kaleidoscope of color and music
It is Autumn. For anyone who lives in a geographic region that celebrates a physical change of seasons, nature literally becomes a pallet of amazing colors, sights, and sounds. It is a season of sensory delight. If you have ever visited the regions filled with hardwood trees, the earth glows in reds, oranges, and yellows. Some think of fall as a time when nature is dying. But nothing could be further from the truth. She is letting go of what is no longer useful or needed in the preparation of the resting season. This will make the growing season, which awakens in the spring all the stronger. And she doesn’t just lull us to sleep. We get a feast for the eyes, the ears, and wonderful new smells in the air. Imagine if you will, stepping outside to a crisp autumn air, the trees alive, draped in brightly colored leaves. Yellow, gold, orange, and reds like nothing you can recreate with pictures. A glow around you. You take a step and hear the crunch of a leaf, which has already kissed the earth hello. You take a deep breath in, the smell of a freshly baked apple pie is coming from somewhere nearby. Animals give us a glimpse of their worlds as they gather food for the winter or eat to prepare their bodies for hibernation. If you listen close, the breeze plays in the trees like a beautiful instrument.
Photographs by Daniella Cippitelli
Autumn is truly a beautiful gift from the planet we occupy.
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Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. - Robert Frost
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