Green Sugar Part 1: Are All Sweeteners Created Equal?

Physicians, diet experts, and beauty gurus agree: refined sugar is the enemy of graceful aging. If you want to stave off wrinkles, weight gain, fatigue, and age-related diseases, then start by replacing all those empty calories you consume with real nutrition.

A Sweet Life After “White Death”

While this anti-aging prescription might sound like a bitter pill to swallow, a spoonful of nutritional awareness—and a trip to your local Asian market or health food store—can make it a lot easier to take.
Today’s expanding green marketplace offers a number of naturally delicious plant-derived sweeteners that ancient holistic traditions and emerging scientific research suggest are not only far less toxic to our bodies than refined sugar, but even beneficial to our health.

The Beauty of Whole-Food Sugar

As for the old saw that sugar is sugar regardless of what you call it, there’s a good deal of evidence that throws that nutritional wisdom into question. Although the jury is still out on claims that honey, molasses, and their more exotic counterparts release energy into the bloodstream more gradually than refined sucrose and high-fructose corn, scientific research does suggest the effect of minimally processed sugars on blood glucose levels is balanced by their green bonuses.

Not only do the simple cooking methods used to produce these more complex sugars leave most of their nutritional content intact—heat derivation is a far safer than chemical extraction. Obviously, the phosphoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and bleaches used to manufacture those sparkling white granules and crystal-clear syrups are anything but pure and innocent.

Why Less Isn’t Always More
But what about no- or reduced-calorie sugar substitutes like aspartame? Confirmed waist-watchers who think artificial sweeteners are the best way to avoid empty calories should consider the other negatives of sugar’s synthetic cousins. From headaches and other side effects to increased risk of cancer and neurological damage, the numerous health hazards of nonnutritive sweeteners are hardly a positive alternative to white sugar’s potentially deadly effects.

And while these chemical concoctions only remind of us of sugar, the traditional Asian sweeteners I’ll discuss in my upcoming spots add a deep, rich flavor that may even surpass it.

Hyaluronic Acid: Nature’s Perfect Moisturizer

Age may bring wisdom of mind and spirit, but the natural intelligence of maturing bodies often needs a boost. Aging skin, in particular, benefits from treatments that help replenish its diminishing supply of the hormones, antioxidants, and other natural compounds needed to regulate cell functioning and renewal. One of the most beneficial of these compounds is hyaluronic acid.

Our body’s capacity to produce hyaluronic acid peaks when we’re teenagers. The fresh, supple surface of youthful skin reflects the concentrated power of hyaluronic acid to encourage collagen production and bind water to skin cells. A single hyaluronic acid molecule can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water! Long used to lubricate and plump tissues during orthopedic and eye surgery, hyaluronic acid has proven both effective and safe in numerous clinical trials.

The hyaluronic acid in LaVie Organique™ Original Formula skin care products works in synergy with other revitalizing skincare ingredients to visibly reduce the appearance of dryness and fine lines. With a daily and weekly LaVie Organique skin care regimen, every product from your daily cleanser to your face cream protects and nourishes your skin with this potent natural moisturizer.

An Introduction to Skin

Your Skin.
It is one of the largest organs in your body, covering 12-20 square feet. Your skin reflects beauty and sensuality, and provides the sense of touch and pleasure. Your skin even shows emotions as you grow pale with fear of red with embarrassment. Your skin provides protection from the environment, and helps to regulate body temperature either by using the contraction of fine muscles in the deep layers of the skin to retain heat – we’ve all had “goose bumps” – or by using sweat to cool.

We can enjoy all these important functions of the skin as long as it is nourished well and maintained properly. Just like any other organ, the skin derives nourishment from food and may be damaged by toxins. Toxins result as the byproducts of normal biological activity, but they may also be ingested as chemicals. Your skin is a reflection of how efficiently nutrients are being supplied to the body and how efficiently waste is being removed. Your skin reflects your diet, and waste products that are retained in the body. Your skin not only conveys your physical health, but also your emotional, mental, and spiritual states. Because the skin exfoliates and replaces itself about every 27 days, a healthy skin can be obtained fairly quickly with care and attention. Local work. Professional skin care treatments include facials, organic peels, microdermabrasion combined with an effective in-home skin care regimen – a daily and weekly routine which includes masks, serums, creams, etc.

To begin to understand the method of obtaining beautiful skin, we need to understand more about the skin’s properties. We hear a lot in natural healing circles about how it is good to maintain an alkaline environment in the body. While this is true of the blood, the skin is naturally acidic on the surface. One way the body maintains its internal alkaline environment is by displacing acid to the skin. The acid forms a waterproof protective barrier for the skin.

In addition, much of your skin has hair follicles nurtured by sebaceous glands, which secrete a fatty substance called “sebum.” It is the combination of oily sebum and acidic perspiration from sweat glands that make up the acid mantle. The acid mantle protects in several ways:

- It serves as a protective layer.
- It prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi on the skin.
- It protects from harsh elements such as sun and wind.
- It creates a healthy glow by retaining moisture in the skin.
- It waterproofs the skin and hair.

A key idea to understand is that your skin is naturally acidic. The acid mantle provides protection from the elements and retains moisture.

Toners and Serums Explained

You've probably heard of toners and serums (LaVie Organique offers both!), but what exactly do they do? Do you need one? Read on to find out:

Toner is the step in the skin care regimen following cleanser.  A good cleanser, such as LaVie Organique's, will remove makeup and all buildup accumulated during your day.  Those of us with large or frequently blocked pores may find a toner particularly helpful, as it follows behind the cleanser, catching any missed particles or makeup residue and making sure the skin is absolutely clean. Toners are available with different properties; for example, a drying toner (astringent) is helpful for acne-prone skin.   LaVie Organique toner is suitable for all skin types but especially helps those with aging skin, because it includes hyaluronic acid, which holds in moisture. Regular users of toner observe smaller pores and a more even skin tone.

Toner is applied to the face and neck as a spray, using a cotton pad to gently swab the skin. Another popular and more precise method is to spray the cotton pad directly with toner and apply.

The next step is serum.  Serums penetrate deeper into the skin than moisturizers, delivering hydration and anti-aging benefits.  LaVie Organique serum is specifically designed to rejuvenate tired skin and combat the signs of aging.  Those with dry and/or aging skin will appreciate the added moisture that a serum provides.  

Serum is applied after toner and underneath your usual day cream.  Dab several drops of serum onto the fingertips and apply to the face and neck in a circular motion.  Serum is the foundation of your daily skin protection; beneath moisturizer and makeup, it is actively protecting your skin from the drying effects of the sun and the summer heat.