If so, you could be one of the millions of people who suffer from dry skin during the winter.  Unfortunately, many commercial lotions used to combat dry skin contain mineral oil, a petroleum-derived component that keeps skin moist but does not improve its health.  Mineral oil provides short term moisture and smoothness, in the long term it can clog pores and interfere with the skin’s ability to eliminate waste products.

Mineral oil can clog hair follicles, leading to a buildup of dead skin cells and bacteria

Why not moisturize your skin naturally? Here’s how:

1. Satisfy your skin with raw oils. 

After a bath, try massaging your skin with the raw oil of your choice, you will feel your skin drinking it in!

• Coconut oil: A study comparing coconut oil to mineral oil found that both improved skin moisture after 2 weeks of daily use. Added Bonus: raw coconut oil is naturally fragrant and softens easily in your hands.

• Olive oil: Olive oil is rich with monounsaturated oils and a natural substance called squalene, which is often added to commercial moisturizers.

Natural moisturizers keep your skin healthy

2. Rebuild your barrier with good-fat foods.
In the winter, heaters often dry the air, causing more moisture to evaporate from skin.  We lose even more moisture when the natural fatty barrier within our skin is not strong. You can help protect your skin by choosing foods that contain good fats.

Good fats, aka “unsaturated fats,” help maintain sebum, a waxy substance on the surface of the skin that helps lock in moisture and prevent bacterial growth. For example, linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid abundant in skin that cannot be manufactured in the body and must come from your diet.

A study of a group of Japanese women who added either borage or flax oil to their diet showed a 10% increase in skin moisture after only 6 weeks. Both oils were effective, but flax oil continued to improve the skin for a few weeks longer.  Borage and flax oils are excellent sources of linoleic acid. Rather than borage, I prefer to use Evening Primrose Oil as my primary source of linoleic acid (as Gamma linoleic acid) and flax oil for the alpha form (ALA).

You can also get your good fats from a variety of tasty foods: eat smooth mashed avocado with a splash of lemon juice, spread silky nut butters on warm bread, savor the sharp, peppery taste of extra virgin olive oil on a salad. You can also add freshly ground flax seed to cereals, or munch on a handful of walnuts each day.

3. Protect your skin with potent antioxidants.

Eat a variety of plant foods to increase your antioxidant levels.

• Carotenoids: Carotenoids are pigments primarily found in yellow-orange and green fruits and veggies that provide antioxidant protection and increase levels of keratin, the flat, waterproof cells in the skin’s outer layer. Beta-carotene, the most common carotenoid found in fruits and veggies, also helps form vitamin A, which is essential for skin repair. Enjoy fresh greens, butternut squash and carrots to get plenty of this potent skin healer.

• Bioflavenoids: The inner rind of oranges contains bioflavenoids, which work with vitamin C to protect and rebuild collagen, the supportive tissue of our skin.

• OPC’s: Eat grape seeds – or use a bit of the oil as a moisturizer.  Grape seeds contain  OPC’s (fondly known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins –  antioxidants that fight free radicals.)

If you follow these tips, you will have softer, healthier skin all year-round!

NEXT WEEK: Why being bored could be bad for your memory

The two most important healthy compounds found in EVOO are MUFA and polyphenols.

MUFA

MUFA is an acronym for “monounsaturated fatty acid,” a class of healthy fats found in foods like avocado, raw nuts and seeds, and certain vegetable oils.  Olive oil is chock full of a MUFA called oleic acid, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. MUFAs found in olive oil may also reduce belly fat, aiding in “flattening abs” as well as getting rid of the internal fat that builds up around internal organs and promotes inflammation.

Although MUFAs are found in many oils, the best way to get your daily dose is to eat EVOO!  In Olive oil, 77% of the oil is MUFA, compared to 20% MUFA in sunflower oil, and 30% MUFA in butter.

[avocados, peanut butter, and sesame seeds...all great sources of MUFAs]

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are natural antioxidants found in plant foods.  EVOO is very high

in many different polyphenols, and also contains large amounts of another antioxidant called vitamin E.

Polyphenols from EVOO can work wonders for heart health:

1. Reduce Plaque in Blood Vessels

A polyphenol called oleuropein prevents LDL (aka “the bad cholesterol”) from oxidizing and triggering plaque formation in the arteries. By inhibiting LDL oxidation, oleuropein protects the blood vessels from plaque build-up and clogging.

2. Healthy Blood Thinning Effect

A polyphenol called hydroxytosterol may help reduce abnormal clot formation by making platelets (a type of blood cell involved in clotting) less sticky. Normally, platelets flow through the bloodstream and are activated by an injury (like a cut or bruise) and then become sticky to help stop bleeding. This process of injury within blood vessels (like plaque formation) can cause platelets to try to repair that area by forming a clot – increasing risk of heart attack or stroke.

~~~

These various health benefits are all great reasons to eat EVOO – but something else about this oil caught my attention recently:

A “new” polyphenol was discovered in EVOO…and you can taste the evidence yourself!

This new polyphenol has a peppery taste that you can feel in the back of your throat. This effect was discovered by Dr.  Gary Beauchamp, biologist and professional taster, who was tasting high quality freshly pressed olive oil.  Dr. Beauchamp felt a stinging sensation in the back of his throat that he recognized from previous work evaluating the taste of liquid ibuprofen. He named this peppery-tasting substance oleocanthol. Beauchamp and his colleagues also found that the stronger the peppery sensation of the olive oil – the higher the  amount of  oleocanthol in the oil.

Fresh, high quality olive oil is often described as peppery, and now we can see why.

Are you curious to taste it? Do you have EVOO in your cabinet? Taste a spoonful…can you feel a peppery sensation in your throat?

I wanted to find out for myself, so I set up a taste test at home.  Here it is…

THE EVOOO TASTE TEST

Materials Needed:

1 bottle of commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oil (popular brand, clear bottle)

1 bottle of Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil (stone crushed, dark bottle)

After a mini lecture on the subject, I “encouraged” my family to try and detect the “peppery” oleocanthol in each sample by tasting the oil without food (with a swish of water to clear their palate in between each sample.) They really could tell the difference! (Except for one particular family member who would only try a small dab of oil on a huge amount of bread.)

So what do these results mean? It seems that unfortunately, not every bottle of olive oil is packed the with the same amount of zesty flavor and healthy nutrients found naturally in olives.

What does Extra-Virgin really mean?

Years ago, it was discovered that some olive oil companies were secretly diluting their product with other oils. I am always fascinated to learn about the way foods were originally processed, and upon hearing this, I was troubled by the idea that we could be missing out on the health (and taste) benefits of olive oil as a result of this practice.

Traditionally, olive oil was prepared by stone crushing olives and bottling their oil in a dark glass to avoid light-exposure. This first crushing or “first press” of the olives is also called a “cold press,” because it avoids heating the oil. Exposure to heat and light would cause oxidation of the oil, rancid taste, and a reduction of its health promoting qualities. Unfortunately, modern processing sometimes includes heat, bottling oils after repeated pressing, or using clear or plastic bottles that don’t protect its health-promoting compounds may even cause contamination.

For this reason, its very important to read labels carefully when buying olive oil, and always go for “extra virgin” rather than those labeled “virgin,” “pure,” or “extra-light,” which are much lower in nutrients and also differ in taste.

I encourage you to think about which olive oil you are using. I used Biriani in this taste test, but there are other companies that are also very conscientious about the oils they produce.  This website, rates producers who voluntarily participate in a quality test and describes new voluntary USDA standards for olive oil.

If you look carefully in your local stores, you will find a company that provides family/estate source, cold pressed healthy olive oil. Its worth having a good bottle on hand. New research is pouring in, and it seems that olive oil can help improve bone density, reduce arthritis pain, and ease asthma symptoms.

Try recipes like homemade olive oil salad dressing, or just adding a little to your greens, soups and sauces after cooking. Keep your oil in a cool dark pantry shelf away from your stove. You could even store it in the fridge.

If you try the EVOOO taste test, or if you have a recipe to share, or any thoughts at all…please leave a comment!

Until then, dip your bread and…Enjoy!

If you were to poke a pencil through your pupil toward the back of your eye (ouch!) you would eventually poke your macula. Light hits the macula directly, exposing it to harmful UV rays. UV rays can cause damage – known as oxidative stress – that can eventually lead to degeneration of the macula if it is not protected. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss.

If you know anyone with macular degeneration, they will tell you that they first lose the ability to see in the center of their visual field. As the condition progresses, larger areas of vision are lost. It looks something like this:

The good news is, we can take steps to protect our vision. What protects the cells of the macula?

I was fortunate enough to hear a lecture by Dr. Julie Mares at a Nutritional Medicine conference here in Chicago, in which she talked about her research on lifestyle and visual health. She found that a combination of 3 healthy factors – healthy eating, exercise and not smoking, reduces the risk of AMD by 71% in a group of postmenopausal women. You can read the abstract here.

What should we eat to protect our eyes?

Dr. Mares’ research showed that people who ate more fruits and veggies – especially those that contain yellow-orange pigments- had a lower risk of AMD. Of course, orange yellow pigments are present in cantaloupe, oranges and carrots. But collard greens and kale also contain a splash of these healthy pigments. Think of an artist’s pallette – so many pigments go into producing a rich color! In nature’s pallete, these orange-yellow pigments are called carotenoids – but they are not just pretty colors…they are protective compounds that are part of a large group of antioxidants known as polyphenols. Plants produce carotenoids to protect themselves from damaging UV rays, and research is suggesting that carotenoids provide similar benefits in the eye.

People who have lower amounts of carotenoids in their seem to be at a higher risk of developing AMD. They also seem to produce more drusen – bits of debris from the cells that are known as “floaters.”

Many studies point to two carotenoids especially important for protecting vision: lutein and zeaxanthin.

Both lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the macula, but these carotenoids  are located in different areas and appear in different concentrations because of their unique functions . While lutein is present in the outer area of the macula, zeaxanthin seems to be concentrated up to 10x greater in the very center of the macula, known as the fovea. The fovea looks like a pit or depression in the center of the macula. It functions like a satellite dish in the center of the macula, helping to focus light. It has the most intense exposure to UV light. Scientists speculate that zeaxanthin may be concentrated in the fovea because it has stronger antioxidant properties.

Considering that zeaxanthin is less abundant foods than lutein, it is interesting that the eye somehow concentrates it in this critical area.

So how can you get more of these protective carotenoids? Here are 3 tips:

1. Go for the GREENS

Check out the difference in lutein+zeaxanthin levels between:

1 cup sliced ORANGE: 2.32 mg
1 cup cooked SPINACH: a whopping 20.4 mg!

Other sources:

- Lutein is found in melon, kale, collards, broccoli, and guava.
- Zeaxanthin is found in orange bell peppers, corn, necatarines, oranges, papaya and squash.
- Both pigments are found in egg yolks.

Check out this list of lutein+zeaxanthin content of more foods here.

2. Eat food, not pills

Supplements of these carotenoids are available – but it’s unclear how much they help. Trials are underway to determine what amounts or combinations of nutrients, given in supplemental form, could help prevent AMD, or to halt the progression of vision loss.

Foods contain many other antioxidants and supportive nutrients like fatty acids, that may work together to help protect vision in other ways, such as keeping the blood vessels of the eye healthy. There’s also some evidence the eye makes it’s own additional antioxidants from the carotenoids we eat (called meso-zeaxanthin.)

Supplements won’t replace a whole foods and a healthy diet. Some research suggests 6 mg of lutein a day for beneficial effects – and while this can be obtained in a supplement, it’s much easier to get in a couple forkfulls of kale salad!

3. Get more from every bite

Here are 2 ways to get more carotenoids from your veggies:

INCLUDE GOOD FATS

Carotenoids are fat soluble. Have a little extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or other good fat (like avocado, salmon, nuts, etc.) with your veggies to help absorb the carotenoids.

COOK YOUR VEGGIES
It’s good to know that cooking does not destroy carotenoids – in fact, it can increase their bioavailability. So when you’re eating for visual health, include some cooked veggies!

Take a look at how carotenoid (L+Z) availability increases with cooking:

RAW carrots – 1 cup provides .242 mg

COOKED carrots – 1 cup provides 1.072 mg

When I was growing up, I heard so much about carrots and vision. But now, I’m learning that there are a variety of fruits and vegetables that support our vision. Through attending this lecture on nutrition and vision health, I felt a great appreciation for all it takes to process what I enjoy seeing each day in my world- the faces of loved ones, the changing colors of the sky, the blankets of snow outside my door…there is so much beauty worth protecting!

In future posts I’ll share some information about how healthy diet can help lower risk of forming cataracts and help keep your eyes healthy.

Many women in midlife experience depression. With hormone changes, children leaving home, career challenges, sleep problems and caregiving – stress and depression often seem to go hand-in-hand. For some women, depression becomes a daily struggle. Antidepressants known as SSRI’s are commonly prescribed.

What’s an SSRI?

Depression involves a change in brain chemistry, especially a deficiency of serotonin. This is often treated with antidepressants called SSRI‘s.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is found in many areas of the body – made by immune cells, platelets, and even in the eye, where it helps to regulate to flow of the fluid. Low serotonin has been linked to depression, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and obesity.

Within the brain, SSRI’s work by helping the serotonin to work longer by blocking it’s return/reuptake to storage sites (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor.)

SSRI’s have been associated with many health problems such as increased suicidal thoughts in teens, and increased risk of miscarriage. But women in their middle years and beyond, might be vulnerable to a newly studied side effect: a  study suggests SSRI’s may increase risk of cataracts by 15% among those currently taking them, especially older adults. Common SSRI’s were studied:

Luvox raised cataract risk by 39%

Effexor raised cataract risk by 33%

Paxil raised cataract risk by 23%

Why cataracts? There is some discussion that SSRI’s might cause changes in the way serotonin works in the lens of the eye. Researchers suggest that other ways of treating depression could be considered if their findings are confirmed.

A safer way to treat depression?

If you are feeling winter blues, consider using some herbal remedies. Interestingly, some have been studied and found to also affect the neurotransmitters. Here are 7 medication-free ways to help relieve symptoms of depression:

Everyday pick-ups

1. Exercise – Exercise is often difficult when depressed, due to the feelings of inertia that occur with depression. However, even a brief walk of 20 minutes a day will help improve your mood. A recent study (called the SMILE study!) reports that depression improved similarly with exercise and the antidepressant medication sertraline. Exercise even seemed to help the medication work more efficiently.

2. Mindfulness – If you are feeling depressed, it is hard NOT to notice how badly you feel. But mindfully observing your thoughts and feelings is a little different. Depression can make it feel like sadness is the only emotion there is, and it dampens the ability to feel other emotions. Dr. Candace Pert described the mind-body connection, in which brain neurotransmitters communicate with immune cells, and vice-versa (as in serotonin mentioned above, which is found in immune cells, platelets and other areas of the body.) Mindfulness is a practice of observing thoughts and feelings real-time, moment by moment, without judging, “reading into”, or otherwise acting on the thought. A study reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was just as effective in preventing a relapse in depression, as medication was.  The participants who simple stopped their medication without receiving MBCT were more than twice as likely to relapse.

Supplements to consider

3.     St. Johns Wort – This herb acts like an SSRI with far less side effects. Due to its strong action, it should never be taken with an antidepressant medication unless your provider is closely working with you on this.

4.     Rhodiola – Used for thousands of years, Rhodiola is an adaptogen herb.  Studies showed improved mood and stamina in humans, but researchers are not yet sure how it actually works in humans. In animals,  serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters were balanced. Click here to read an article I’ve written on Rhodiola.

5.B6 –   This vitamin has been used reliably for its antidepressant effect, including depression related to PMS. Excessive vitamin B6 can cause wakefulness and bizarre dreams, and some findings of numbness in arms and legs have been reported with excessive use. National Institutes of Medicine recommends up to 100mg a day for adults but individual needs may vary. Nutrition professionals recommend making sure the B-complex vitamins are taken to avoid creating any nutrient imbalances and generally use vitamin B6 as a part of a comprehensive nutrition program. I have found that in many people, even a small dose of vitamin B6 has a positive effect on mood.

6. Zinc – Zinc deficiency has been associated with depression. Zinc gluconate, picolinate and citrate are well-absorbed forms of zinc that are often recommended to correct this deficiency. A recent study showed that in animals, zinc deficiency altered stress hormone levels and increases depression-like behavior. While the mechanism in human brains is not fully worked out, zinc has been used to alleviate depression many people. Excess zinc can compete with iron, leading to anemia. In my own experience treating depression, this happens rarely. But zinc should be taken carefully and monitored with blood tests to be sure zinc (plasma) levels are normal, and to check for anemia.

7. Vitamin D – Vitamin D is made within the body and activates brain enzymes producing serotonin in the brain. In winter months, as well as in aging, vitamin D levels tend to drop. If you have not had your vitamin D level checked, it is worth doing! Deficiency is easily corrected by taking supplements and if possible, increasing exposure to sunlight. Dosages up to 20,000 IU daily might be given depending on your blood level. Unlike other fat-soluble vitamins (A,E and K) vitamin D toxicity has not been seen with higher doses.

Feeling better, naturally

So, does this study mean that you should stop taking antidepressant medication? Not necessarily. Stopping antidepressants is something that should be done carefully and only when you and your provider agree and have a “next step” in mind. Never stop an antidepressant suddenly! If you need medication right now, you might be able to incorporate other strategies like exercise and mindfulness, to improve your mood. Over time, you might need less of the medication. While studies such as this present compelling information, it takes many studies to understand different aspects of a problem and figure out best practices. Herb-medication interactions also are essential to keep in mind.
But if you have winter blues… or stress that is tipping you over into depression, you can try to keep your mood bright this winter with these steps!

St. John's Wort

You can see the video of my Aunt Donnie showing me how to make an ointment from leaves she collected (just fyi – it was shot about 20 years ago. check out my 80′s eye glass frames! )

Do you have an Aunt, Grandmother, or other medicine woman in your life? What did you learn from her? If so, leave me a comment, I’d love to hear about her!

PS Many thanks to Kimmer Olesack for shooting the video, and Fred Brown for the edit!