WELCOME TO NOURICHE WELLNESS & AESTHETICS

by Nadia Elsayed

Stress is part of our daily lives. Demanding jobs, raising children, environmental toxins and even dietary habits cause our bodies to wear out our immunity, sometimes resulting in illness and fatigue.  Unhealthy ways of handling stress include smoking, drinking alcohol and even negative thought patterns can actually increase the amount of stress on your body.

Cortisol is the “stress hormone” secreted by the adrenal glands in response to daily stress and is in the glucocorticoids class. Cortisol is regulated by the pituitary gland in the brain and keeps our bodies “in balance” during stressful times.  Unfortunately, many people experience high levels of stress >70% of the time, leading their adrenal glands to secrete high levels of Cortisol leading to a “burnout” of our adrenal glands when stress is not managed or reduced.  Both high and low levels of Cortisol can lead to extreme fatigue, susceptibility to illness and problems with the intestinal track, nervous system and endocrine system.

Managing stressful situations will go a long way towards managing your daily activities and regulating your Cortisol levels.  Making a daily to-do list, prioritizing tasks and scheduling separate times for work and recreation will help you start to reduce the daily stressors we all face.  Remember that taking time off from our busy work schedules is important for balanced living and reconnecting with family or friends.  I encourage you to incorporate these ideas into your daily routine to keep you healthy and happy.  Fall is almost here and we need our immune systems to be their best as flu and cold season approaches!

Food choices to help balance Cortisol and other hormones that help with mood and immunity include old fashioned oatmeal, spinach, soybeans, citrus fruits and black tea. Schedule an appointment with our dietician Ashley today to get helpful tips and recipes to balance your own Cortisol connections today!

by Amy Thibodeaux

Most of the skincare problems we treat in our office are very complex. Everyone’s skin is different and must be treated as such. However, when dealing with acne, there are many contributors that are often overlooked. I’ve compiled a list of a few small things we can do to prevent acne.

* Pillowcases- Sometimes we overlook our pillowcases and forget to wash them often. Pillowcases can hold on to dirt, bacteria and microscopic bugs that can be a huge contributor to acne.

* Cell Phones- How many times a day do we pick up our cell phones and press them to our faces? We carry them around with us everywhere we go and drop them in our dirty purses. To protect yourself from all the bacteria, dirt and debris on your cell phone, be sure to clean it often with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab.

* Make-up brushes- Dirty Make-up brushes are another hidden acne cause. Even after one use, make-up brushes become dirty. They are basically magnets for a build-up of old make-up, oil, sebum and dirt. If they aren’t washed often, they just put bacteria back on to your just washed face.

* Sugar- Many people don’t realize the more sugar we dump in our bodies the more inflammation we have. This applies not only to our skin but also our bodies in general.

Amy Thibodeaux is the certified laser specialist at Nouriche where she treats various skin conditions such as acne, age spots, rosacea and much more,