Solutions to Holiday Problems Including Puffy Eyes

We’re closed next week and you know what happens right before you go away? Well if you’re like us, you start to lose it. As we outlined our December newsletter, holiday music coming our of our ears (nothing against holiday music), we joked about the 12 days of Christmas which morphed into the 12 days of Craziness and here you have it. For time’s sake I’ll work backwards. I suggest singing out loud it’s sort of stress relieving you know the tune…

On the twelfth day of Craziness, Foodtrainers gave to me

A gift certificate for January Foodtraining

“Peace of Mind” for patience waning

Oloves for the plane delay

Safslim so weight wont stay

Gluten free cookies for Santa ho, ho, ho

Pure Aloe Force to help me “go”

Hangover Tonic for after “highs”

Green tea ice cubes for puffy eyes.

Raw Reserve for portable green juice

Newtree for my sweet tooth

Astragalus for Immunity

AND A NUTCASE FOR MY NUTTY FAMILY.

The green tea ice cube tip came from our friend Valerie, founder of Odacite’ skincare. Odacite uses only the best ingredients (all organic no paraben nastiness lurking) I’ve mentioned them before in a skincare post. Recently, they sent out a fantastic email that Valerie gave me permission to repost (condensed a bit).  I love the combination of topical and nutritional solutions for our eyes which Valerie explains is the first place to show signs of aging (no kidding) so it’s important to start caring for eyes early. Find your eye issue and corresponding solution. Personally, I’m a puffiness/sagging hybrid.

Fine Lines, Crows Feet, Sagging

The Cause: UV rays, wind, cold, heat cause inflammation and diminish skin's elasticity. Repeated expressions (smiling, squinting) form creases.

Odacité Solution: Evening primrose, jojoba, and olive oils to hydrate and maintain flexibility. Pomegranate to support the skin’s underlying structure. Blue Green Algae contains powerful antioxidants hat will stimulate the renewal of the firming tissues.

Nutrition Help: Include a variety of brightly colored fresh fruits and veggies in your diet for a blast of antioxidants

Dryness

The Cause: The skin around your eyes is very thin and does not produce any oil making it extra prone to dryness and flakiness.

Odacité Solutions:  Hyaluronic acid attracts and binds water within the cells of the skin to bring instant hydration. Because hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in skin, collagen and other areas of the body it is deeply absorbed with no risk of irritation or allergy.

Nutrition Help: Include nuts and seeds in your diet. One of my favorites is chia, with the highest nu source of omega 3s fatty acids of any seed. Chia seeds are also hydrophilic meaning they attract water.

Dark Circles

The Cause: Genetics, lifestyle, lack of sleep. Also the under-eye and eyelid skin gets thinner and more transparent with age, allowing bluish-red blood vessels to show through.

Odacité Solution:  Tea extracts and Tocopherols (natural Vit E) improve circulation, lessening bluish tones from blood - Aloe to speed healing - Blue green algae for its high Vitamin K content.

Nutrition Help: Eat foods rich in vitamin K, it helps fortify blood-vessel walls. The major source of Vitamin K is green, leafy, vegetables - kale, collards, spinach, and turnip greens are the highest.
Puffiness

The Cause: Fluid pools around the eyes while you sleep but should drain quickly after you get up. Persistent swelling may result from stress, lack of sleep, allergies that cause irritation, or a diet that promotes water retention.

Odacité Solution: Aloe vera to soothe irritated skin.  Calendula to reduce inflammation and redness.  Tea to diminish excess fluid.

Nutrition Help: Drink plenty of water and limit salty restaurant foods, caffeine and alcohol to reduce water retention.

Odacite has a fantastic eye cream for all of your (and my) eye complaints. The Ultra Effective Eye cream is super concentrated, yet very well tolerated by even the most sensitive skin. I contemplated never smiling again, based on what Valerie mentioned, but that will not work so until then Odacite says Happy, puff-free Holidays and is offering a Free eye cream + free shipping with orders above $120 if you use the Code FOODT. Offer valid for 3 days or until 12/23.

Do you use eye cream? What’s your main eye issue? What do you do to ameliorate it? Are you conscious of looking at ingredients in your cosmetics and skincare?

Happy Holidays, thank you for reading. If there’s any topic you’d like to see covered in the New Year, let me know. I’m off to mainline chia and aloe.

Your Food is Organic but Moisturizer Carcinogenic

If you were to ask me about a foreign-sounding food ingredient there’s a good shot I would be able to tell you what it is. I can also explain which produce is more pesticide-laden and why you shouldn’t be drinking from a plastic water bottle (if you’re using one right now, you’re busted). Until a couple of years ago there was a large discrepancy between my knowledge of what goes in our bodies and that which goes on our bodies. In many ways “green” changes when it comes to food are easier ones. An organic apple simply tastes better. When it comes to body products, some of the more natural choices do not work as well. I test-drove many lotions and potions and thought I’d share my favorite finds. And because I do not consider myself an authority on these products I interviewed two women who are.

Odacite' Perfect Nutrients Body Lotion

I read about Odacite' in a magazine and was taken my Valerie’s story.  Valerie was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently made many sweeping life changes. She learned that some of the greatest exposure to toxins occurs with our personal care products. Even her expensive French moisturizer was chock full of chemicals. Odacite’s products use only the best, organic ingredients and they are made fresh for each customer. This lotion kept my skin hydrated for the entire ski season last year. 

Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence

I first tried these products in Sag Harbor at one of my favorite stores Wellnest. This spray is fantastic after you wash your face in the morning and I also use it after hot yoga. Tata Harper’s skincare was founded on the idea “that women no longer need to sacrifice their health to look and feel beautiful.” All of her products are produced on her farm in Vermont.

Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner

I’ll admit I feel like a bit of a hypocrite talking about natural hair care. I’m pretty sure what’s making this head blonde is far from organic. I’m not proud of that. Despite the highlights, I was on a mission to ameliorate my chemical exposure.  My friend and fellow dietitian Ashley Koff tweeted about Rahua and it caught my attention. I’ll tell you that Rahua isn’t just my favorite organic hair care; it’s the best hair care line I’ve ever used. If only Rahua could make me blonde without bleach, I’d be thrilled.

SpaRitual Nail Polish

I don’t wear polish on my nails anymore because it grossed me out when I was cooking. I didn’t want “ballet slippers” in my smoothies or families’ meals. Because my runner’s feet need all the help they can get, I was excited to experiment with Spa Ritual. Spa Ritual’s polishes are free of toluene, formaldehyde and DBP.

Valerie and Tata were kind enough to answer some of my questions. Their answers may help you choose better products.

What are your top 3 evil ingredients when it comes to topical products?

Valerie:

1. Parabens- are the most widely used preservatives in personal care products. These synthetic chemicals are hormone disruptors. Medical concern is raised as many studies show that parabens are linked to breast cancer. Studies also show parabens react with the sun and accelerate aging. So if you don’t do it for your health, toss them to avoid wrinkles.
2. Fragrance- considered a trade secret manufacturers are not required to list ingredients in formulating their fragrance. Most are synthetic chemicals that can trigger allergies and disrupt hormone levels.
3. SLS and SLES (Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate)- are cheap detergents in many “foaming” cosmetics. They can cause damage to the heart, liver and lungs.

Tata’s top 3: Hydroquinone, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Parabens.

Note: hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching chemical that has caused tumor development in animal studies. The National Toxicology program is conducting reproductive toxicity studies of this chemical.

Parabens, according to the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer products, may cause reproductive and developmental disorders. The following ingredients indicate paraben presence:
methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, parahydroxybenzoic acid, parahydroxybenzoate. You cannot assume that a product labeled organic or natural is free of parabens some seemingly wholesome brands like Kiehls are paraben parties, sad.

If someone is just starting to consider what goes “on their body” is there one place or product you would suggest they start?

Valerie: Great question, 60% of what you apply on your skin enters your bloodstream. The EWG showed that women are exposed to 200 chemicals every day from personal care products. I would say whatever you use the most of. Body lotion covers most of your skin. Lipstick would be second as women ingest 32 lbs. of lipstick in a lifetime and most are contaminated with lead. Shampoo and toothpaste are important too.

Tata: I would definitely start with body lotion because as women we generally apply it 2x a day and sometimes more frequently.

And finally, what do you say to people who say organic, chemical free products are too expensive?

Valerie: I say choosing organic is the best long-term investment you can make for yourself, your family and the planet. You can choose to support your local farmer who grows his product with care and integrity, you can choose to purchase from companies that make organic products and say no to chemical business or you can chose to support your MD. In the long term it is a lot less expensive to buy organic because your health is priceless.

Tata: High quality natural and organic ingredients are going to cost more than their synthetic alternatives; but when you think about this carefully natural ingredients are more compatible with our systems and don’t pose the potential health risk of the chemical ingredients so there’s really no comparison.

If you’re new to organic personal care products, start to read ingredients and avoid Valerie and Tata’s “evil 3’s”. And maybe start with one product, as they suggested, the one you use most.  We also like Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database, The Detox Market and Spirit Beauty Lounge.

Where do you stand with personal care products? Any natural companies you’d suggest? Are you willing to read product labels or make one organic/natural switch?
*Valerie from Odacite graciously offered to give away 3 of their discovery kits (includes 7 Odacite' products) to our readers. Be sure to leave a comment below in order to be eligible.
And Tata Harper is giving one reader her floral essence (too bad I am ineligible).