March 2nd, 2010
I suffer from migraines and so I was going through a list of foods that can trigger them, as mine have recently worsened. One that tops the list is NutraSweet or aspartame. I never use those blue packets to sweeten my drinks so I thought I was safe. Then I looked over to my diet peach Snapple and it was on the ingredient list. Now, I consider myself to be a very healthy eater and I have healthy habits in general. I don’t drink or smoke and never did. I realized that this innocent looking bottle was making me very sick. I was getting my migraines 5 days out of 7. I stopped drinking it and have had 12 migraine-free days.
It got me to thinking about how most people have a sensitivity to something. So getting back to skin, as I am a dermatologist. We know that there are many skin conditions that are worsened by certain foods. Maybe when I tell this to patients, they don’t take it seriously. I certainly wasn’t cautious enough with my own health. It is possible that we could cut down on some of the medications that we use if we had a better diet. Acne rosacea is flared by yogurt, soy sauce,vinegar, avocados, chocolate, citrus, spicy food, tomatoes and alcohol. New studies show that acne is improved by a diet that eliminates diary that has hormones and by a low glycemic diet. A high glycemic diet that contains processed carbohydrates, white breads and unrefined sugars raises insulin levels and may affect the androgen levels, or male hormones which tends to flare acne. Psoriasis seems to be helped by eating fish high in alpha omega oils. I remember 20 years ago, a patient telling me that every time he went to Japan his psoriasis would clear.
I know sometimes it is easier to just take a pill and use a cream. I think it is useful to see the body as a whole and realize everything we ingest has an effect. In this fast paced world of junk food and unrecognizable food,you just need to stop and think,what are you putting into my body. It may take a few more minutes or a little bit more thought or planning but try to eat the purest and least adulterated food. Now in the morning when I make my tea I save some for later in the refrigerator and ice it. So now I have fresh brewed ice tea instead of chemical-laden, disease producing ice tea.
Tags: acne, aspartame, healthy eating, migraines, nutrasweet, nyc, omega 3, psoriasis, rosacea, skin
Posted in Foods, Skin Damage | No Comments »
February 12th, 2010
I went for biofeedback today so it made me think about the importance of relaxation. I certainly know that stress impacts the skin. Living in a city like New york certainly has its benefits but it is very stressful and does take a toll on your skin. I have certainly seen patients who have moved to NYC from other parts of the country claiming that their skin has suddenly become much worse and they want to know why. Is it the late nights working or partying hard? Or is it the air pollution? Or is it just eating poorly? It could be a combination of all of these things. The exhaust from motor vehicles and the combustion from fossil fuels in the air and the benzene found in cigarette smoke finds its way into the atmosphere. We breath this through our lungs and also gets absorbed into our skin. Pollution depletes the ozone and so more UV light reaches our skin as well. We are also exposed to toxic cleansing products, pesticides and electromagnetic radiation and microwaves. All of this increases the free radicals that break down our collagen and elastic tissue. These are the major structural support for our skin, so as these decrease our lines increase and our skin sags. Drink green tea daily. My favorite is Jasmine, make sure it steeps for five minutes to get the poly-phenols. you can also take green tea supplements in capsule form it is also important to eat foods rich in antioxidants. Try to find fruits and vegetables that are the most colorful for example a pink grapefruit has more antioxidant than a white grapefruit. You can also use topical antioxidants for your skin my favorite product is Super Serum which has green tea it is very soothing and helps get the red out of the skin. Another great product to use is Skin Booster which combines retinol with green tea and hyaluronic acid.
Tags: antioxidants, environmental damage, free radicals, green tea, new york city, pollution, poly-phenols, skin
Posted in Foods, Skin Damage, Sunscreen | No Comments »
January 25th, 2010
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In the January issue of Allure magazine they mention the study from the National Cancer Institute that shows melanoma is on the rise in young women. Here is the link :
Just last week I found a melanoma in a 20 year old. We are certainly seeing more skin cancers each year and more melanomas in younger and younger patients. It is fortunate that we have found all of these melanomas in the earliest stage so that they are totally curable since melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancer. What does this mean to you and your friends and family. Make certain to get your mole check. Do not put it off. Also wear your sunscreen on a daily basis. Sun damage is cumulative. Even 10 minutes per day over a life time adds up. The newest recommendations from the American Academy of Dermatology is to wear an SPF of 30 daily. There are some new sunscreens that are easy to use that are very cosmetically elegant. We have a variety to choose from including waterproof powders, light lotions, and a new SPF 45 that is truly weightless and goes right into the skin. Whatever product you choose make certain that it blocks both the UVA and UVB rays as both are very damaging to the skin. Over one million cases of all types of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year. There is new legislation being proposed to tax tanning salons and to limit their use in teenagers. People who have used tanning beds before the age of 35 increase their risk of melanoma by 75 percent. So be smart get your skin checked, avoid tanning beds and use your sunscreen regularly.
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Tags: bad skin habits, cancer screening, melanoma, Skin Cancer, sun damage, Sunscreen, tanning, tanning salons, tanning tax
Posted in Foods, Skin Cancer, Skin Damage, Sunscreen | 1 Comment »
January 12th, 2010
As I was going to have a bone density I was thinking about osteoporosis and weak bones. Woman are supposed to get a baseline test at age 48. There is a lot of talk these days about not using sunscreen as you need the sun to absorb Vitamin D through your skin. Let me tell you why I think this is a big mistake. Every hour in the US someone dies from Malignant Melanoma or the big M as we call it in my office. This is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Sunscreen helps to protect us from skin cancer. There are also other skin cancers to worry about like basal and squamous cell cancers they are often on the face and can leave scars after surgery. If you try to get your Vitamin D from the sun it is not that reliable, especially if you live in a place that is not sunny all year round. The Vitamin D will not be well absorbed by people with darker skin tones or those who are older.
It is so easy to take a supplement. For those of us that are adults, 1000 international units would be good to take daily. Make certain you take Vitamin D3. You can also get it from some foods like fortified milk or orange juice. Breakfast cereals and some breads are also fortified with it. It naturally occurs in high concentrations in wild salmon. A 3.5 ounce serving daily would be all you need. You can find it in ahi tuna, trout and sardines. People for many generations took one tablespoon of cod liver oil which also has more than enough for the whole day.You can also go to your doctor and have a simple blood test to see how much Vitamin D is in you blood. Vitamin D protects your bones but it is also thought to protect the immune system and may lower your risk of colon, breast and kidney cancer. Just don’t prevent these cancers at the expense of your skin and end up with skin cancer. the newest recommendations from the American Academy of Dermatology are to wear an SPF 30 daily.
Good news! There is an article in the LA Times that says eating fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-aging. You know how much we all want to look younger so thats an added benefit of eating all that salmon. Here is the link:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/01/fish-oil-aging-heart.html
Tags: nyc dermatologist, omega 3, Skin Cancer, Sunscreen, vitamin d
Posted in Sunscreen | 10 Comments »
