It is no secret that sugar has undesirable effects on the body, but we often neglect to think how it may impact our skin. With the recent lockdown situation, we have all been spending lots of time at home and most probably eating too much sugary foods and home baked goodies. And on top of that, having more opportunities for indulging in wine, all the while feeling stressed out about what the future holds.

It is no wonder we reach for sugar in such stressful times, as sugar releases the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine gives us a feeling of pleasure and happiness, also reinforcing habitual behaviour as it provides a sense of achievement. It is what drives the addictiveness of sugar. It is often compared to having the same chemical processes as with illicit drugs.

Excessive sugar is a huge culprit in accelerating the aging process. It causes dehydration, aggravates inflammation, and overall leaves the skin looking dull and aged.

Sugar and Inflammation:

Taking into consideration that the skin is a protective organ, the immune system of the skin plays an integral role in how the skin looks and feels; how you will age and skin conditions you may be experiencing.

Inflammaging is a term use to describe chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation which overtime impairs the immune system and accelerating the aging process. When we eat excessive simple sugars, Insulin levels spike which subsequently increases inflammation in the body.

It is believed that our gut contains a large part of our immune cells that keep our bodies healthy, fighting viruses and bacteria that could make us sick. Excessive sugar throws the balance of good and bad bacteria out, encouraging growth of harmful bacteria. When this happens, digestive issues such as bloating, and constipation occur which in turn prevents us from proper elimination. Since your skin is the largest organ of the body – and also an organ of elimination – toxins will find its way out through the skin and suddenly, you might see an increase in acne breakouts or even flare ups of skin irritations such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

Sugar and Collagen:

Collagen is a structural protein which makes up about 70% of our skins. It is responsible for moisturizing processes and giving the skin a plump and firm structure. With the natural biological aging process, we gradually produce less collagen. This is why the skin loses its firmness and develops wrinkles. All signs of aging are as a result of loss of collagen. It is no surprise then that we must protect our skin’s collagen and in addition, stimulate the skin to produce more collagen.

Eating high glycemic foods such as cakes, chocolates, sugary drinks and wine, increase the breakdown of collagen in a process called glycation. Sugars bind to the collagen and elastin fibres making them stiff and brittle. This gives the appearance of criss-cross wrinkles and an overall aged look.

Sugar and Dehydration:

Sugar also dehydrates the body and the skin. The excess sugar eventually filters through the kidneys leading you to urinate more frequently. With increased urination, dehydration occurs. Dehydration is never a good thing since all living cells – including those in your skin – requires water for metabolism.

Another way in which the skin becomes dehydrated is through the loss of moisture from the skin. Due to inflammaging effect of sugar and the breakdown of the skin’s immune system, moisture loss is increased, leading to fine lines, tightness and dullness.

Natural Sugars:

Not all sugars are bad and a moderate intake of naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates are necessary for healthy cellular functions. These sugars come with fibre and other naturally occurring phyto-chemicals that assists in gradual sugar metabolism, helping to prevent detrimental insulin spikes. Still, any food containing high amounts of sugar should be eaten in moderation with a maximum of 6 teaspoons as part of your daily dietary allowance.

Tips to reduce sugar intake:

• Avoid added sugar in tea and coffee
• Learn to read labels to avoid added sugar in foods such as cereals, bread and packaged foods
• Completely eliminate sugary soft drinks and juices
• Increase protein rich foods
• Increase fresh foods rich in fibre
• Add good fats with omega 3, 6 & 9
• Add a probiotic supplement for healthy gut bacteria
• Increase water intake t a minimum of 2 litres a day
• Drink Skinny Green Tea
• Prioritize quality in your sleeping patterns
• Manage stress levels
• Live an active lifestyle as it helps to be mindful of what we choose to eat and at the same time, assists with stress management – often a cause of reaching for sugary snacks. Not only that, but it is key in lowering excess blood sugar levels and burning glycogen stored in the liver.

If you have seen the effects of premature aging in the form of criss-cross winkles, dehydration, inflammation or suffer with acne prone skin, contact us for a one on one professional consultation. Our expertise in skin analysis, product ingredients and scientific developments can help you see real results. info@futurethis.co.za

If you are out of SKINNY Green Tea or Coffee and are worried that your metabolism is going to hit rock bottom during the rest of lockdown, here are some helpful tips to keep you fired up.

The term metabolism describes all the chemical reactions in your body that keep you alive and functioning.

The higher your metabolism or metabolic rate, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off.

Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.

Here are 10 easy ways to increase your metabolism (besides using SKINNY Green products of course!).

Eat Plenty of Protein at Every Meal

The increase in your metabolism after eating is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal.

Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It increases your metabolic rate substantially more than carbs and fats. Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.

Eating more protein can also reduce the drop in metabolism often associated with losing fat. This is because it reduces muscle loss, which is a common side effect of dieting.

Drink More Cold Water

Drinking water may temporarily speed up your metabolism. Studies have shown that drinking half a litre of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour.

This calorie-burning effect may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature.

Water can also help fill you up. Drinking water a half an hour before you eat can help you eat less.

Do a High-Intensity Workout

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves quick and very intense bursts of activity. It can help you burn more fat by increasing your metabolic rate, even after your workout has finished.

Lift Heavy Things

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, and building muscle can help increase your metabolism. This means you will burn more calories each day, even at rest.

Lifting weights will also help you retain muscle and combat the drop in metabolism that can occur during weight loss.

In one study, 48 overweight women were placed on a diet of 800 calories per day, along with either no exercise, aerobic exercise or resistance training. After the diet, the women who did the resistance training maintained their muscle mass, metabolism and strength. The others lost weight, but also lost muscle mass and experienced a decrease in metabolism.

Stand up More

Sitting too much is bad for your health! This is obviously partly because long periods of sitting burns fewer calories and can lead to weight gain. In fact, compared to sitting, an afternoon of standing up at work can burn an extra 174 calories!

If you have a desk job, try standing up for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down.

Drink Green Tea (or coffee)

Green tea has been shown to increase metabolism. It helps convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10–17%!

It’s thought that green tea’s metabolism-boosting properties may help prevent the dreaded weight loss plateau that occurs due to a decrease in metabolism.

You can find SKINNY Green products online after lockdown.

Eat Spicy Foods

Peppers contain capsaicin, a substance that can boost your metabolism.

One study of capsaicin, at acceptable doses, predicted that eating peppers would burn around 10 additional calories per meal.

Alone, the effects of adding spices to your food may be quite small. However, it may lead to a slight advantage when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the risk of obesity – partly caused by the negative effects of sleep deprivation on metabolism.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which are both linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sleep deprivation also boosts the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases the fullness hormone leptin.

This could explain why many people who are sleep-deprived feel hungry and struggle to lose weight.

Drink Coffee

Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism. Like green tea, it also promotes fat burning.

However, this seems to affect lean people more. In one study, coffee increased fat burning by 29% for lean women, but only 10% for obese women.

Coffee’s effects on metabolism and fat burning may also contribute to successful weight loss and maintenance.

SKINNY Green Coffee also suppresses your appetite and gives you an energy boost.

Replace Cooking Fats With Coconut Oil

Unlike other saturated fats, coconut oil is relatively high in medium-chain fats. Medium-chain fats can increase your metabolism more than the long-chain fats found in foods like butter.

Due to the unique fatty acid profile of coconut oil, replacing some of your other cooking fats with it may have benefits for weight loss and an increase in metabolism.

So, don’t just sit there , make some of these small lifestyle changes and incorporate these tips into your daily routine to increase your metabolism and in turn help you lose weight and keep it off!

Get your SKINNY GREEN products online here.

Cardio doesn’t necessarily mean running or skipping only. Here are a few other great heart-pumping exercises if you need a bit of variation while working out from home.

To get an energy boost, pre and post workout, grab your SKINNY Green Tea or Coffee.

Cardio is one of the easiest and most convenient forms of exercise that you can do from home – without equipment and is also great for your overall physical and mental health. Cardio boosts mood and brain function and improves your heart health by pumping blood around the body more efficiently.

Here are some great cardio bodyweight exercises that will get your blood flowing and your serotonin levels soaring, thanks to www.sweat.com.

Burpees
Burpees are a great cardio exercise to do at home: they don’t require equipment, they get your heart rate up quickly, and they work your legs, abs, and arms at the same time. All you will need to do burpees is enough space for a yoga mat.

Jump squats
Jump squats are a plyometric version of a standard bodyweight squat. This aerobic exercise will get your heart rate up and have you breathless. They work your legs and core, and unlike burpees, you won’t require too much room to do these: just enough space above you to jump and land safely.

High knees
High knees are another high intensity cardio exercise. The aim here should be keeping your heart rate up, and keeping a consistent pace. Ensure that you land lightly on your feet with a soft bend in the knee to increase your control throughout the movement and soften the impact on your knees, hips and ankles.

Jump lunge
A jump lunge is the plyometric version of a regular lunge, which means you’ll be ‘jumping’ as you move your legs. Jump lunges work your legs — as your muscles work to jump and land (accelerate and decelerate against gravity) you develop power in the muscle. When jumping explosively, ensure you maintain a strong core and try to keep your balance as you alternate between each leg.

Tuck jumps
Tuck jumps are an advanced plyometric (jumping) exercise. In this exercise, you will be tucking your knees up to your chest as you jump. These may be somewhat challenging for those new to high intensity cardio, or if you have weak joints.

Jumping jacks
Jumping jacks are a great full body aerobic exercise. You’ll require enough space to spread your arms and legs out wide.

Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers are a whole body movement that not only increase your heart rate, but strengthen your shoulders, arms and core, too. It’s recommended that you use a yoga mat with this exercise.

Butt kicks
Butt kicks are another excellent leg exercise that will improve your coordination. If you’re new to doing cardio exercises at home, this is a great exercise to try because it’s pretty easy to get started. You don’t need much space, and you can step lightly or use a mat to keep to soften the sound of your feet hitting the ground. You can use butt kicks to build the resilience you’ll need to try some of the more high-intensity jumping exercises!

Step up with knee raise
The step up with knee raise exercise requires a solid surface, such as a box, step, or a sturdy chair for stepping up onto. Get creative and find ways to challenge yourself with what you already have available at home like a chair, staircase, or milk crate.

Box jump
Box jumps are great for raising your heart rate and building power through your legs! This exercise will strengthen your lower body, including glutes, quads, calves and hamstrings. Box jumps require a safe and solid surface to jump onto — such as a plyometric box, bench or step. If you do not have a sturdy surface for box jumps, broad jumps are a great no-equipment alternative. With broad jumps, you’ll jump along the ground instead of up onto a box.

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Visit: www.sweat.com for free workout and nutrition tips – by far one of the best sites we have used during lockdown!!

Green Tea is still one of the healthiest beverages on the planet and rightly deserves this accolade with it’s enormous health benefits. The green tea leaves can be steeped to make tea, sipped whole (in the form of matcha powder) or be incorporated into cooking. It is also used with a combination of powerful ingredients to make our SKINNY Green Tea.

Here are just 10 of green tea’s benefits, as well as simple ways to include this wonder plant into your daily life.

Bursting with Antioxidants
Green tea contains polyphenol antioxidants that reduce inflammation in the body, a known trigger of premature aging. These antioxidants also proactively protect cells from damage that can lead to a number of chronic illnesses, making it a superfood that offers a broad range of health protection.

Supports Brain Health
Green tea is known to elicit an alert calm. While it does provide caffeine, green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which produces a calming effect. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine has also been shown to optimize brain function to enhance memory, cognitive performance, and elevate mood. Green tea’s ability to counter oxidative stress also makes it a potent protector against neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Supports Weight Management
In human and animal research, green tea has been shown to rev metabolism and stimulate fat burning. It is also linked to curbing appetite and preventing fat gain by inhibiting a process known as angiogenesis—the formation of new blood vessels—which fat tissue growth depends on.

Protects Against Cancer
Green tea fends off cancer in a few key ways. The plant protects against damage that can trigger the uncontrolled growth of cells, which can lead to cancerous mutations. The anti-angiogenesis effect that helps prevent fat gain also works to block cancer from spreading.

Supports immunity
Green tea antioxidants offer antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects that support immunity. In addition, green tea acts as a probiotic, food for the beneficial gut bacteria tied to healthy immunity.

Supports Bone Density
The antioxidants in green tea have been shown to protect against bone loss and reduce the risk of fracture. One recent study looked at the connection between polyphenol-rich foods, including green tea, and osteoporosis. Researchers concluded that phenols influence bone mineral density by preventing oxidation-induced damage to bone cells as well as by reducing inflammation, which helps support bone building.

Balances Blood Sugar and Prevents Diabetes
Green tea helps reduce fasting blood sugar levels. A study in Japanese adults from 23 communities followed over 14,000 healthy people for five years. Scientists found that the consumption of green tea was inversely associated with the risk of developing diabetes, even after adjusting the data for age, sex, body mass index, and other risk factors. In other words, there is something about green tea that is itself protective.

Heart Health Support
Once again, green tea multitasks. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects and ability to guard against oxidative stress, green tea has been shown to protect the heart by reducing total cholesterol, “bad” LDL, blood pressure, and triglycerides, or blood fats. It also prevents the oxidation of LDL, a process that triggers a domino effect, which contributes to artery hardening and heart disease. A higher intake of the beverage is also tied to a lower risk of strokes.

Protects Skin from Aging
Research shows that polyphenols in green tea protect skin from the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light. This helps prevent the acceleration of aging, in addition to offering cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory benefits. Green tea compounds also help defend against wrinkles, due to their ability to prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastic fibres, which in turn forestall the loss of skin elasticity.

Enhances Longevity
The cells of regular green tea drinkers have a younger biological age than non-drinkers, by about five years. Japanese research also shows that regular green tea drinkers live longer. In one study in older adults, those who drank the most green tea were 76% less likely to die the six-year study period.

(Source: www.health.com)

JUST YOUR CUP OF TEA… SKINNY GREEN TEA!

SKINNY GREEN TEA is a natural weight loss product consisting of only three powerful ingredients.

SKINNY GREEN TEA is made from Green Tea which is made up of properties that have been known to increase caloric expenditure as well as the metabolism of fats and appetite suppression.

The second ingredient in our tea is Zychrome™, a specific chromium complex that is more effective than other forms of chromium. Research shows Zychrome™ helps support healthy insulin levels and function thereby assisting with the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body.

Our third ingredient is Cardiaslim™. Clinical studies show that this ingredient promotes weight loss and reduces waist and hip measurements and also increases the metabolism of fat. Cardiaslim™ contains the blend of 2 plants’ extracts that have been proven to be safe and effective in weight loss. Studies have also shown that Cardiaslim™ helps healthy blood lipid levels (cholesterol). Great news is that Cardiaslim™ is naturally derived, sustainable sourced, and vegetarian – it is sourced from flowers and fruits of Sphearanthus indicus and Garcinia mangostana.

Available online (after lockdown) and at various stockists nationwide.