Here’s How You Can Naturally Reboot Your Body

Look good from the inside out. Photo: Imaxtree

Nicknamed “the Feel Good Doctor,” Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera is the author of the new book Be Youthful: Look Good, Feel Great–and Remain Young at Any Age. While most doctors tend to push a long list of pills, lotions and potions, Dr. Aguilera’s unique cosmetic and clinical dermatological practice integrates meditation, healthy eating and self-awareness for a holistic approach. In keeping with that, we asked for his top tips to give ourselves a reboot, from the inside out. The best part? Some of the items Dr. Aguilera considers to be important for not just our skin health, but our overall well-being, are free.

1. HydraFacial: This is a gentle skin resurfacing procedure that thoroughly and effectively cares for the skin, providing cleansing, exfoliation, extractions and hydration. It’s non-invasive, non-surgical and delivers instant results with no discomfort or downtime. I like to think of this procedure as an effective water-pressure cleaning system that goes beyond what, the now obsolete, microdermabrasion used to do. It’s so gentle to the skin yet effective and invigorating with a nice booster of antioxidants, peptides and hyaluronic acid, which is pressure-infused into the skin. The skin is left supple and luminous for days.
2. Shino Bay Spot Light Treatment: This is one of the most popular at-home resurfacing treatments we offer in my practice. It’s an easy one-step system that can be used by most skin types (except sensitive skin and rosacea). It contains four percent TCA (trichloroacetic acid). Patients use a cream every weeknight after cleansing. Then either Saturday or Sunday, they use the provided pads before moisturizing. Skin, after only a couple weeks, will be camera-ready.
   

   Be Youthful: Look Good, Feel Great–and Remain Young at Any Age
   
   Courtesy of: Dr. Shino Bay

3. Plenty of Rest and Water: The skin is a fascinating organ; it protects our bodies, attracts the opposite sex and helps maintain a healthy metabolism. There are two very important ways you can help it do its job and ensure that it continues doing its job long into your life. First, rest. While we’re asleep, our skin repairs itself from the day before. Collagen production, which limits the amount of moisture loss in our skin and helps keep skin looking youthful, kicks into high gear while we’re getting our beauty sleep. We can usually tell if someone had a restful night or a rough night just by looking at their skin. Plenty of H2O is also essential. Our body is composed of about 70 percent water; therefore, water is the primary ingredient in blood, lymph, mucus and the other fluids that circulate throughout our body. Skin needs constant hydration for proper function, not only to ward off infections, but also for proper metabolism and other bodily functions that eliminate toxins, regulate body temperature and produce hormones. Well-hydrated skin advertises beauty and health.
4. Morning Meditation: All of your life’s experiences have brought you to this point. Open your eyes and see what you have created for you and the people you love. Are you happy? Do you feel that you are a better soul this year than last? Did you get reactive, gossip, cut corners, fight, struggle, cry, get offended easily, hurt? Were you more loving, proactive, kind, compassionate, altruistic? These questions are important to see the direction of where you have been and where you want to go. Remember, you’re the protector of your own space. In this new year; do some spring cleaning in your mind and free yourself of old ideas and behaviors that do not serve you. Let go of resentment and passed unpleasant experiences. It’s your mission to be kind every day, all the time, as much as you can. Here is a trick: When faced with a difficult situation, find a quiet place, close your eyes and quiet the mind. Inhaling, I am loved and supported by the universe. Exhaling, I no longer feel anxiety, frustration or fear from this situation. We cannot deny or avoid those difficult moments in life, but we can learn to transmute fear and anxiety into love and courage.
5. L-Theanine Supplements: L-Theanine is extracted from green tea and it’s a natural stress reducer and increases a state of well-being within 20 minutes of ingestion. L-Theanine is believed to be key to many vital functions, including focus, sleep, immune system strength and even blood pressure control. L-Theanine produces dopamine, a hormone which produces a sense of well-being. In addition, L-Theanine has been found to help LDL concentrations to remain normal instead of undergoing oxidation. This means keeping good cholesterol in balance with bad cholesterol. This is my power pill when I’m going through periods of stress.