Snacking often gets a bad rap, but if you make intelligent choices about what you eat, you can actually benefit your health and longevity. Read on to find out how!

Why Snacks?
Most of us are used to eating three times a day, but it is much healthier to eat smaller meals more frequently -f ive small meals a day, for instance. Eating in this way delivers a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day and is also much less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems.
And when you eat more small meals throughout the day, you will most likely avoid the pitfalls of overindulging at your next meal and may actually consume fewer total calories for the day.

Keep healthy "grab-and-go" snacks on hand all the time to avoid the tempting lure of high-calorie snacks. Here are my top five snack choices:

1. Nuts and Seeds Keep You Young
Healthy and appetizing, nuts and seeds are absolutely the best snack of the bunch. Helping yourself to a handful of nuts and seeds every day can improve circulation and muscle tone.
And nuts and seeds are especially full of arginine, an amino acid that helps to combat heart disease, impotence, infertility, and high blood pressure, and it also facilitates the healing process. Additionally, arginine can stimulate the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.
The pituitary releases growth hormones, which begin to decline quickly in humans after age 35. This means that after 35, your hormones start to plunge and you experience some aging symptoms. The skin loses elasticity, the muscle loses mass and strength, the lean body tissue decreases, fertility and virility decrease, and other signs of aging start to set in.
Many nuts and seeds are rich sources of vitamin E, lignants and omega-3 fatty acids, which protect you from heart disease and also from the ravages of aging.

Almonds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, and pistachios: mix them in any combination and enjoy! Keep in mind that there are more nutrients in the raw form than roasted. Make sure that the nuts and seeds are fresh and not old and rancid.

2. An Apple a Day for Heart Health
There are many reasons to eat an apple - or two or three - every day. One study discovered that subjects who ate five apples or more a week had a healthier lung function than those who ate no apples.
And scientists have confirmed that apples also contribute to a healthy heart. Thanks to the fruit's rich pectin content, eating two to three apples per day leads to decreased cholesterol levels. Pectin also helps prevent colon cancer, one of the top causes of death in adults over age sixty.

3. Bring On the Berries
In season again, berries are bursting with antioxidants. The enticing red, purple, and blue skins of berries contain bioflavonoids, antioxidant compounds that reduce free radical damage.
These flavonoids are more potent antioxidants than vitamins C and E, and they also help to reduce inflammation - more effectively even than aspirin!

• Blueberries are your best pick because not only do they have the highest level of antioxidant activity, but they also possess powerful neuroprotective properties that shield brain cells from damage , helping to slow down the age-related onset of memory loss, Alzheimer's, and senility.

• Cherries also contain these beneficial anthocyanin compounds, which stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin. In fact, Chinese researchers have observed that cherries help keep diabetics healthy. These compounds also protect you against cancer, arthritis, and heart disease because they lower cholesterol.

4. Avocado: Packed with Nutrients
Among the many antioxidant nutrients, glutathione is known as the "master antioxidant." This naturally occurring compound, found in avocados (as well as asparagus, walnuts, and fish), is made up of the three amino acids glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. Glutathione regulates immune cells, protects against cancer, and assists in detoxifying.
A deficiency in glutathione can play a part in diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, low sperm count, and premature aging. Avocados are also a source of L-cysteine, which helps protect your body from the harmful effects of pollution, chemicals, radiation, alcohol, and smoke. L-cysteine may also help boost immunity, protect you from heart disease, and build muscle. It is also useful for combating inflammation and encouraging healthy hair and nail growth.

Pair your avocado with whole-grain crackers or whole-grain crisp breads for a fiber-rich tasty treat.

5. Apricots for Anti-Aging
One of the staple foods of the famously long-lived centenarians in the Hunza valley of the Himalayas is the apricot. Research has discovered that apricots have the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids of any food.
Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

Many people want to treat skin conditions naturally, without having to resort to prescription medications. Read on to get the tips to banish blemishes and put your best face forward—naturally.

All-Natural Tips to Get Rid of Acne
Commonly called pimples and zits, and universally disdained by teenagers and adults alike, acne occurs when skin follicles get blocked by oil or sebum that normally drains to the surface of the skin. The sebum blockage allows bacteria and yeast to grow, causing the skin to become inflamed and the acne to eventually rupture.

Here are my favorite home remedies for acne:
• A cucumber-aloe mask can quickly cool the heat of inflammation. Put one fresh cucumber in a blender, mix with 2 tablespoon of aloe gel, and apply to your skin. Leave on for twenty minutes and then wash off with cool water.

• Drink an all-greens juice. Make tea by boiling one bunch each of fresh dandelion greens, carrot tops, and beet leaves in 7 cups of water for 20 minutes. Strain into a jar and drink 3 cups every day.

• Just a spoonful of honey! Each morning, drink 12 ounces of lukewarm water with 1 tablespoon of honey on an empty stomach. This lubricates the intestines. When you don't empty the intestines regularly, toxins end up in either the liver or show up on the skin.

• Try tea tree oil, which when applied to acne, may help eliminate bacteria and reduce inflammation. Tea tree oil contains a compound called terpinen-4-ol that is responsible for its antimicrobial activity. Make a tea tree oil solution by mixing 1 part tea tree oil to 19 parts water; use this as a skin cleanser. Oregano oil, which is antimicrobial, can also be used in this manner.

Avoid picking and touching your face, stress, and using chemical cosmetic, skin, and hair care products. Also, medications such as birth control pills, steroids, and psychotropic drugs can trigger or worsen acne.

Natural Treatments for Psoriasis
Upwards of 6 million Americans are affected by this common skin condition. It is a symptom of a faulty skin cell regeneration mechanism. While normal skin cells take up to a month to mature, in patients with psoriasis this process is shortened to 5-7 days, producing excessive skin cells that cause the skin to thicken in raised red areas with silvery scales. Painful oozing lesions may appear and flaking and itching are common. Western medicine relies on steroidal creams, tar cream with UV light treatment, antibiotics, or immunosuppressants for relief.

Natural treatments for psoriasis:
• Soak in sulfur baths or hot spring regularly to help with skin healing. No nearby sulfur baths? Try taking a warm Epsom salt bath.

• Water chestnut paste. Peel and slice 15 water chestnuts and slowly simmer in a non-metal pot with 1 cup of rice vinegar. Allow 20 minutes for the chestnuts to absorb the vinegar. Remove from heat and let cool, drain excess vinegar, and mash the chestnuts into paste. Store in a sealed glass jar. Once a day, apply this paste with a loofa sponge and lightly scrub to thin out the thick patches of skin.

• Milk thistle stops the breakdown of substances that contribute to psoriasis and it protects the liver. Other herbs helpful for psoriasis include yellowdock, sarsaparilla, and calendula. Take as tea or supplement.

• Relieve itching with tonic oil. Mix 10 drops of tonic oil (wintergreen, eucalyptus, and menthol) with fresh aloe gel and apply liberally and frequently.

Avoid exposure to extreme temperature changes and too much sunlight with strong UVA rays. Keep your skin moist and avoid dehydration and constipation. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are irritants and can worsen psoriasis. Stress, anxiety and emotional upsets are notorious for initiating flare-ups of psoriasis.

Remedies for Redness
Rosacea is a chronic skin problem that reddens the forehead, nose, cheek, and sometimes the chin. Scientists believe there may be a genetic predisposition to the condition, and some recent research suggests that mites that naturally occur on human skin are more abundant in people with rosacea. Western medicine offerings include antibiotics, creams, and light therapy involving broad spectrum pulsed-light. In my treatment of rosacea, I focus on soothing the spirit, clearing heat, and using natural remedies to remove skin blockages.

Natural remedies for rosacea:
• Create a cucumber mask. Peel the skin off of a fresh cucumber and puree the insides in a blender with one egg white. Coat your face with this mixture, leave on for 30 minutes, and then wash off with cool water. Use this mask daily and you should see improvement within a month.
• Make chamomile tea and soak into clean soft gauze; then place gauze on red area. Change the application every 15 minutes, twice per day.
• A flax fix. Take one tablespoon flax seed oil or fish oil daily. Another option? Top your salads with it as dressing.
• Herbal Therapy. Burdock, yellow dock, red clover and cleavers are often used to relieve symptoms of rosacea. I often recommend to my patients with skin conditions our Exquisite Skin Chinese herbal formula to help support healthy skin functions and reduce itching.

Avoid exposure to extreme temperature changes, excessive use of cosmetics, creams, and abrasive skin cleansers. Exposure to sunlight UVA rays can trigger an outbreak. Alcohol, smoking and caffeine are irritants and generate heat that contributes to flare ups. Stress, anxiety and emotional upsets are also notorious triggers.

Skincare Extra Credit
It cannot be overstated that what you put on your face can directly contribute to these kinds of skin conditions. Why not put only the best on your face? Opt for all-natural makeup, moisturizers, and cleansers. I highly recommend the Lamas skincare line and our age-defying rejuvenation cream.

What you eat eventually ends up in your skin. Many of our foods today have chemical and artificial ingredients that can cause allergic reactions and irritate your immune system. Keep a diary of your meals, and be more aware of your physical and emotional reactions to the food you eat. It won't take long to discover if you have food allergies that worsen your skin conditions.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

Many desperate teenagers and young adults with severe, scarring acne have been helped by prescription medications, but those treatments are not for everyone. Luckily there are natural alternatives that are effective and safe for remedying acne. At my practice, I recall a teen aged girl who had such severe acne on her back and face that she refused to go to the beach or to swim. I treated her with diet and nutrition, topical and internal herbal therapy, and acupuncture. Her condition cleared up substantially after six months of treatment. I saw her mother not long ago and she happily reported that her daughter is back to her outgoing self and has quite a social life now. To her credit, she stuck to the diet I recommended.

There are many steps you can take on your own to help heal your acne conditions.

Eat the right foods
For acne relief, I encourage eating plenty of squash, cucumber, celery, carrots, cabbage, dandelions, papaya, cherries, pears (especially the Asian or Fuji variety), watermelon, persimmons, raspberry, mung beans, Lentils, split peas, alfalfa sprouts, millet, brown rice and buckwheat.

For those with acne, I suggest avoiding sugar, dairy products, chocolate, caffeine, soda, red meat, nuts and seeds, fatty, fried and processed foods until your skin clears up. Make sure you are not constipated as toxins can accumulate and aggravate your acne. Eat plenty of fibers and drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

Get some exercise
Here is one more reason to get active: Cardiovascular exercise can help increase circulation and boost skin immunity. Perspiration can help unblock pores and follicles, allowing the sebum to be discharged. Just make sure to wash your face and affected skin areas after exercise to keep your skin clean.

Beware of medications
Watch out for medications like birth control pills, steroids, and some psychotropic drugs, which can trigger acne or make it worse.

Relax and don't stress
Manage your stress because stress hormones can upset your hormonal balance, contributing to aggravated skin conditions.

Be mindful of your face
Avoid the activities that introduce baceteria to your skin: resting your chin in your hands, picking and touching your face, biting your nails, pressing a cell phone to your face, or nesting your face in your pillow at night.

Acne Home Remedies
Below are a few other tips that I recommend trying:

• Drink an all-greens juice. Make a tea with dandelion, carrot, and beet tops. Boil one bunch each of fresh dandelion greens, carrot tops, and beet tops in 4 - 5 cups of water for 20 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups a day.
• Yogurt brings relief. Just apply 2 tablespoons of plain organic yogurt to the affected area of your skin, 3 times a day. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then wash off with warm water.
• Treat premenstrual acne with B6. Vitamin B6 can be used to treat the kind of acne that becomes its worst right before a woman's menstrual period or at mid-cycle. You may take up to 100 milligrams of B6 daily.
• Try Chinese herbal therapy. A Chinese herbal formula from my family medical tradition that we routinely use for our patients with skin conditions is called Exquisite Skin. It contains tribulus fruit, peony root, astragalus root, Siler root, and rhubarb root—herbs that have traditionally been used to support healthy skin.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

You’ve probably heard that drinking eight to ten glasses of water per day will give your complexion a dewy glow. But is this really true?

Water intake and dry skin

Every system in the body needs water to function, and the skin is no exception; however, when it comes to dry skin, it’s not how much water you drink that’s important, it’s how well your skin retains moisture.

All of us have a natural “skin barrier” that locks in moisture, keeping our complexions hydrated and supple. Environmental factors–such as extreme cold, dry heat or the use of harsh cleansing products–can damage this barrier and make skin dry, flaky and more prone to wrinkling. Taking flax seed supplements and eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, can help your skin barrier lock in moisture.

So how much water does skin really need?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no harm in drinking eight glasses a day. Just keep in mind that we get 20 percent of our water through food, and other beverages count toward our daily requirement as well (this includes coffee and tea, but not alcohol, which is dehydrating). In my view, there’s no hard and fast rule on how much water you need–it really depends on your body size and level of activity.

The best liquids for your skin

To truly drink for your skin, try replacing liquids that harm the complexion–like soda, alcohol and sugary juices–with those that are good for it, like antioxidant-rich green tea and sugar-free pomegranate juice.

Wishing you great skin!

By Leslie Baumann, M.D.