Inclusive Health®: Emotional Self-care

If skincare is healthcare, then doing things to promote good health should ultimately improve your skin. That’s why world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad recommends a whole-body approach for glowing, radiant skin. With Dr. Murad’s three pillars of Inclusive Health® as your guide, finding your personal path to whole body wellness has never been easier.

Let’s explore the third pillar of Inclusive Health®: Emotional Self-care

The final pillar to improved health and appearance is a balance of mind, body and spirit. Scientific studies have shown strong correlations between mental health, happiness and physical health. So surround yourself with people you care about and set aside some time every day to do the little things that make you happy. Take a long walk or enjoy a stress-reducing spa treatment. Your body (and your skin) will thank you.

Need some rest and relaxation? Locate a Murad Spa near you at murad.com/locator.

What do you do to emotionally self-care?

Inclusive Health®: Internal Skincare®

If skincare is healthcare, then doing things to promote good health should ultimately improve your skin. That’s why world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad recommends a whole-body approach for glowing, radiant skin. With Dr. Murad’s three pillars of Inclusive Health® as your guide, finding your personal path to whole body wellness has never been easier.

Let’s explore the second pillar of Inclusive Health®: Internal Skincare®

Beautiful skin on the outside begins with hydrated cells and strong connective tissue on the inside. Feed your cells with the raw materials they need to stay healthy: foods rich in Lecthin, Omega-3 fatty acids and other vital nutrients. Many of these can be found in raw fruits and vegetables.

And because it is not always possible to eat enough of these foods, it is important also to take these nutrients in the form of dietary supplements every day. Murad offers a variety of supplements to target your skin concerns.

For Acne Breakouts Pure Skin® Clarifying Dietary Supplement

For Fine Lines and Wrinkles Youth Builder® Dietary Supplement

For Cellulite and Stretch Marks Firm and Tone Dietary Supplement Pack

See all Murad supplements

Inclusive Health®: Topical Skincare

If skincare is healthcare, then doing things to promote good health should ultimately improve your skin. That’s why world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad recommends a whole-body approach for glowing, radiant skin. With Dr. Murad’s three pillars of Inclusive Health® as your guide, finding your personal path to whole body wellness has never been easier.

Let’s explore the first pillar of Inclusive Health®: Topical Skincare

As the largest organ of the body, the skin is extremely responsive to topically applied products. Each Murad product contains Dr. Murad’s Recipe of essential ingredients for beautiful skin: hydrators to infuse healthy moisture, antioxidants to neutralize harmful environmental aggressors, and anti-inflammatories to calm irritated skin.

For optimal topical skincare, follow Murad’s three step system:

Cleanse
Wash away impurities and prepare skin for treatment.

Treat
Target your skin concerns for a renewed complexion.

Hydrate
Infuse skin with essential moisture and protect skin against the elements.

Nourish Your Skin from Within

Straight from the doctor: healthy eating tips. Add healthy foods that are rich in essential nutrients to your diet for healthy skin, inside and out.

• Replace processed foods in your diet with fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates
• Substitute trans fats with healthy fats like Omega-3 Fatty Acid
• Be sure to eat foods rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, glucosamine, lecithin, B Vitamins and trace minerals.

Did you know?
Topical skincare products only address about 20% of your
skin’s needs? The other 80% can only be addressed through
proper nutrition.

3 Tips for Hydrating Your Skin From Within
By Kirstie Margalit, Content Manager

True or false? You should drink eight glasses of water a day. Think you know the answer? Believe it or not, this often-repeated adage is actually false. As Dr. Murad likes to say, “Hydration should be defined by the water you keep, not the water you drink.”

So yes, water retention can actually be a good thing—at least when it comes to the water in your cells! Now that we’ve got that straight, here are some of Dr. Murad’s top tips for keeping your skin (and your whole body) hydrated and healthy.

1. Eat Your Water, Don’t Drink It

Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with water, so eating them keeps your cells hydrated all day long. (Plus, unlike water, they’re packed with essential vitamins and minerals.)

2. Supplement Your Diet With Cell-Fortifying Nutrients

It’s tough to get all the nutrients you need from food alone. Supplement with a good multivitamin, at least 500 mg of omega-3, 2,000 mg of lecithin and at least 1,200 mg of glucosamine.

3. Build Muscle to Build Cellular Water

Muscle is about 70% water, while fat only contains around 10%. So the more muscle you have, the more water you’ll have in your cells!

Soothe Stress With an At-Home Facial
By Kirstie Margalit, Content Manager

Having a stressful day? Taking time out to pamper yourself is a great way to relax and unwind. And what better way to do that than with an at-home facial? For a smoother, more radiant complexion in a matter of minutes, try our Vitamin C Infusion Home Facial Kit.

Giving your skin (and your mood) a little TLC is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Cleanse Wash your face thoroughly with your favorite Murad cleanser to remove makeup and impurities.

2. Treat and Repair Follow the instructions provided with the Home Facial packets. Apply any remaining treatment to your décolleté and the back of your hands. Gently massage into your skin for 30–60 seconds. Leave on for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

3. Moisturize Follow with Essential-C Night Moisture or your favorite Murad moisturizer.

Shape Up for…..Your Wedding!
by Talia Sandoval-Cudé

I’m getting married in a few months and I ordered my dress a size too small (I’m sure I’m not the first person to do this). I’m now realizing that it’s time to buckle-down and get into shape before the big day arrives and I end up walking down the aisle with my dream dress splitting at the seams. I know I need to change a few things so I’ve decided to go on a eight week overhaul and write it all down for your reading pleasure. There must be some accountability. And, I hate that my gut is expanding and my prized pair of skinny white jeans are moving slowly to the bottom of a pile of not-so-skinny jeans.

My plan was to do the Murad diet according to the Cellulite Solution for eight weeks and use the Firm and Tone Serum and Body Firming Cream combo as well. My knees and the backs of my legs could use some help. At least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise daily. There’s the gym here at work and I live by the beach. I usually have my coffee and bagel whilst watching the pretty people dressed in designer work out clothes go by with their little dogs or smart baby carriages. I’m going to make it out to the boardwalk (we call it The Strand) at least three times a week.

Combining supplements with exercise and a healthy diet seemed easy enough, but having a couple of co-workers doing this regimen with me helped to keep us all on our toes. The best part was after having weekly cellulite treatments on my legs. Only a few weeks in and the esthetician noticed that my legs and knees were cellulite free!

After eight full weeks of taking supplements, making healthy food choices (including two weeks of eating only green vegetables and lean proteins), and working out daily (alone and with a trainer), I can say my clothes were definitely loose and my body is firmer. When I went to try on my dress, it fit too loose! Overall, the experience was a great learning lesson for me that will become part of my lifestyle. I love that I look good and feel good and best of all, the dress looked amazing!

Cellulite Solution Recipe: Steamed Vegetables with Low-Fat Marinara Sauce

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 medium carrots, diagonally cut
1 cup string beans, diagonally cut
2 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 medium green, red, or yellow bell peppers (or a combination), cut into 1-inch strips
1 ½ cup low fat marinara sauce, heated

1. In a pot of boiling water, lightly steam the vegetables in a steamer basket until they are cooked but still crunchy.
2. Arrange vegetables on a platter. Top with low-fat marinara sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Great as a snack or side dish.

Cellulite Solution Recipe: Veggie Sandwich on
Whole Wheat Pita

Tomatoes, ½-inch diced
Red onions, ½-inch diced
Black olives, chopped
Whole wheat pita, cut in half to form two pockets
2 lettuce leaves
¼ cup Hummus

1. Mix together the tomato, onion, and olives

2. Place a lettuce leaf in each pocket. Stuff the pockets with the vegetables and Hummus.

Makes 1 serving. You can add 3 ounces of cooked, cubed chicken breast or cooked, cubed salmon to the sandwich.

PS: On a personal note, it’s been about 2 weeks since I started my own Shape Up for Summer Challenge. And part of that challenge is adding healthy choices to my diet. I admit, I’m a fast-food fiend. But lately, I have added raw fruits and vegetables to my meals and opted for a veggie sandwich like the one above instead of a burger. Have you made healthier choices as part of our Shape Up for Summer Challenge?

Cellulite-Fighting Recipe: Dr. Murad’s Healthy Hummus

Cellulite and stretch marks are no longer an inevitable fact of life. With some modifications to your nutritional habits and lifestyle, you can fight it.

Cellulite occurs internally with the weakening of the connective tissue. As the skin sustains damage from a myriad of sources it loses its essential water and weakens. Cellulite is caused by skin that has deteriorated and dehydrated to the point where buoyant fat cells trapped just below the skin are able to push up and show through the surface.

To achieve smooth, dimple-free, healthy skin, you need to repair the damage and replace the lost water. The first step is eating your water to feed and nourish your connective tissues. Start with Dr. Murad’s Healthy Hummus.

2 cups cooked or canned garbanzos (chickpeas)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup water
Fresh parsley, chopped
(for garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Add additional water if necessary. Garnish with chopped parsley. Makes four ½-cup servings.

Learn more about fighting cellulite at murad.com.