There isn’t a day goes by that I do not get questioned about a patient’s facial appearance that includes puffy eyelids, dark circles as well as wrinkles.  We let’s face it; our looks are of great interest and concern.  I recently had a chat with dermatologist Dr. Bobby Buka, section chief in the Dept. of Dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City about this. 

“Puffy eyes are progressive,” he said.  “As we age, we all lose fat pads (called subcutaneous tissue) that rest below our eyes. These dark circles that may appear underneath your eyelids and can be visible as a discoloration or bluish color with puffiness of the eyelids is actually blood coursing through veins beneath.”

Buka also mentioned that getting enough water and fluids optimize “hydration”, and this is very critical.  Doing this can replenish the deeper layers of the skin with water delaying drooping of skin, and improve the appearance of dark circles.  Avoiding dehydration can help to decrease the effect of gravity as adequately hydrated skin tends to sag less with advancing age! Buka also recommends a well-balanced, high-vitamin diet.

Those affected by allergies, particularly children and young adults, may have the presence of a horizontal crease on the middle part of the nose.  This may reflect persistent upward “rubbing” of the nose from itchiness and explain the appearance of a nasal “crease” associated with allergies, especially if your allergies are not adequately controlled or treated.  In other words, get proper therapy for your allergies so you can feel better and look better!

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

This makes the perfect combination of fiber and protein, helping you to avoid the mid-morning munchies and keep you feeling full all morning long.

Ingredients:
1 container (5.3 oz) Greek Yogurt (such as Fage 0%)
2-3 tbsp water
½ cup Fiber One cereal
½ cup strawberries, sliced
¼ cup blueberries
1 packet Splenda
Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix Greek Yogurt with water to thin it out.
2. Stir in Splenda and cinnamon to sweeten the yogurt evenly.
3. In a dish or tall glass, spoon 1/3 of the yogurt.
4. Top with strawberries and then ¼ cup Fiber One.
5. Repeat layer, but use blueberries for the fruit. Top off with last 1/3 of yogurt.

Serves 1

Nutritional Content: 187 calories ∙ 42 g carbohydrates ∙ 17 g fiber ∙ 16 g protein ∙ 1.2 g total fat ∙ 0 g sat fat ∙ 185 g sodium

Bon Appetite!

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

I feel bloated and am dreading getting into my bathing suit this weekend—can this be due to excess water weight and is there anything I can do to get rid of it? 

A:  There are a few reasons your body may be retaining extra water. One may be that you had a high sodium meal.  Sodium holds up to 50 times its weight in water and consuming more than the recommend 2500mg (1 tablespoon) of sodium each day is sure to leave you bloated.  To limit your sodium intake stay away from foods like canned soups, fast foods, and cured meats. In addition, many Asian cuisines such as Chinese and Japanese food rely on ingredients such as soy sauce, fish sauce and MSG which all contain large amounts of sodium. 

Another culprit is eating too many simple carbohydrates (think white bread, white rice, white pasta, cookies, chips, etc).  Carbohydrates get broken down into glucose and get stored as glycogen for energy.  In order to be stored, a water molecule must attach to glucose. Therefore, the more stored carbs = the more stored water = water weight and bloating.  To help combat this, choose high-fiber carbohydrates.  Since fiber is indigestible, the less net carbohydrate there is, and the less glucose to be stored.   This helps to decrease water retention and also promotes weight loss.  Sources of high-fiber carbs include whole grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes.

On that note, if you feel like you are retaining water and that is causing your bloat, don’t despair.  Water weight-gain is not body fat and is only temporary.  Although it may sound counter-intuitive, drink more water.  If you drink more water it will help flush out the sodium and the bloat.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

It has been said that water can remove toxicities from your body, relieve headaches and keep your skin glowing.

But, will drinking eight glasses of water each day each day really improve your health?

Not really, according to a study done at the University of Pennsylvannia; it is being reported by BBC News.

Authors Dr. Dan Negoianu and Dr. Stanley Goldfarb said in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology they found little evidence that drinking that much water improves an individual’s health.