As I saw my mom struggling with Alzheimer's, I started wondering - how much control do we really have over how we age?
Studies show that up to 75% of lifespan is attributed to lifestyle choice. In other words – if we optimize for exercise, nutrition, and sleep, then we don’t have to be victims of genetics or time. We have more power than we think!
Armed with that information, I decided to “leave it all on the court.” A few years back, I started an exercise routine targeted at protecting cognitive health and healthspan (the portion of life spent in good health), more generally.
Last year, I decided to up my game – and focus on nutrition. As an FDA lawyer, I’m focused on real science, so I picked up several nutrition books by physicians that I trusted. That’s where I learned about polyphenols.
Polyphenols are compounds in colorful fruits and vegetables – that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help protect healthy cells from normal wear and tear.*
By protecting cells, polyphenols target normal aging at its source -- they can support cognitive health, heart health, immune health, muscle recovery, and even . . . skin health.* They are reason we are told to “eat the rainbow.”
What jumped out at me about polyphenols – is that they can help protect our long-term health, and they can help us look great while doing it! Seriously . . . fantastic! I was all-in!
I instantly doubled-down on 5 fruits and vegetables a day (the current USDA recommendation), and when I could, stretched for 7.
But, 5-7 fruits and vegetables a day is a lot! And, life gets in the way of perfection. Sometimes, bagels for breakfast happen!
I started looking for an easy way to incorporate more polyphenols into my routine – which ultimately led me to create Skinja. First up is the “Clever” formulation, which uses two kinds of polyphenols - ellagic acid (from pomegranates) and anthocyanins (from berries) to target cognitive health and skin health.* More formulations to follow! Each will utilize different polyphenols to target skin health + one functional benefit (muscle recovery, mood health, and immune health)*.
I’ve been incorporating a home-made version of Skinja – high in polyphenols, collagen peptides, and fiber – into my routine for over a year now, and I feel great.
I feel empowered. I am doing everything I can to take agency over my health – I exercise every day (usually . . .); I optimize my sleep (most of the time!); and now, I’m optimizing my nutrition with 5-7 fruits and vegetables a day (usually . . .) and daily Skinja.
A couple months after I started using my home-made version of Skinja – I did notice more glow and the fine lines around my eyes appeared to be more resilient! And, my friends started texting me regularly – urging me to hurry up with the retail version!
Skinja is finally here, and I could not be more excited!
Whether you are taking “Clever” for cognitive health, skin health, or both* – I can’t wait to hear what you think!
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.