Saving Money and Saving your Skin in Winter

6a00e55255b4628834017eea952afa970d-200wiIn my holistic dermatology practice, I often help patients whose skin suffers in winter.  It is possible to both help your skin and save money doing it.  I emphasize this because it requires doing something very simple and at the same time very challenging: changing your habits.

Even more, it requires changing the beliefs behind those habits, so I will try to give some additional information beyond what was in my last blog, to help you make these changes.

If you have ever done dishes or wet work, with your hands in and out of water repeatedly for a while, you know how your skin becomes dry and chapped.  This is because you are washing away the oils and the salts which hold water in our skin.  In the winter when the air is dry (low humidity), bathing washes out the oils from the skin. The belief that we need a shower, especially a long, hot one, to be clean, to wake up, or to feel alive in the morning, needs a second look if your skin becomes dry and scaly in winter.  A washcloth under the arm and in the folds does a very nice job between showers, and does not dry out parts of your skin which do not need washing.
The result is that you:
  • save hot water,
  • save on lotion
  • save oils in your skin,
  • save money on heat,
  • save fresh water,
  • safe electricity

Once you have the routine down, you will save time as well.Of course there will be times and situations where you need a shower or bath. Bathing less often, faster, and soaping less areas which do not need heavy cleansing, will keep the moisture in your skin and save you money as well. I repeat the essence of my last message because I have found,
in my 30 yeasr of practice, that people often have to hear it more than once in order to reduce their bathing. Did you?

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M. Dattner
Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.


Got Varicose Veins? This herb could help.

6a00e55255b4628834017d4321224b970c-200wiPressure from standing upright creates pressure in the legs and leads to enlarged leg veins. This pressure makes the valves in the veins ineffective, in effect turning the little systems of blood veins in the body into one long vein. This pushes fluid out into the
tissues, causing swelling of the legs and varicose veins.

Reversing gravity by elevating the legs is a great natural treatment.  Another natural treatment is the use of horse chestnut extract, which contains multiple bioflavinoids including a flavinoid called escin. Horse chestnut products are standardized based on escin concentration, as this is considered to be the active ingredient. It has multiple beneficial effects.  The other bioflavinoids present in the extract work synergistically with the escin.

As a bioflavinoid, ascin strengthens the capillaries and blood vessels. It prevents leakage of material through the capillary walls by supporting the layer of cells that form the inner lining of the blood vessels. That reduces the amount of leg swelling from leakage of fluid.  It also has constrictive effects on the vessels.

Elevation of legs and horse chestnut use are just a few of the ways to support leg varicosities. Since there are other steps to take, possibilities of slowing the process if action is take early, and dangerous consequences if clots form in
these vessels, it is important to get evaluated by your physician when leg vein problems begin.

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.


Want to avoid a stroke? Avoid these two foods.

6a00e55255b4628834019b00502860970c-200wiA number of recent reports show a dramatic rise in strokes in young and middle aged Americans. That included one report of a 51% rise in strokes in males 14- 34 years old (K Doheney Health Day). Causes were not found in the study, but explanations offered included increased obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, salt consumption, and recreational drug use.

I suggest that anything that increases fibrin formation and clotting within the blood vessels, is a possible culprit. Increased high temperature cooked foods, sugar, and other substances which lead to the process known as “glycation” may be factors in this change.

If you want to lower your risk for having a stroke, avoid eating sugary and fried foods. (Oh, and this may help clear acne naturally, too.)

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine


Want to avoid a stroke? Don’t eat these two foods.

6a00e55255b4628834019b00502860970c-200wiA number of recent reports show a dramatic rise in strokes in young and middle aged Americans. That included one report of a 51% rise in strokes in males 14- 34 years old (K Doheney Health Day). Causes were not found in the study, but explanations offered included increased obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, salt consumption, and recreational drug use.

I suggest that anything that increases fibrin formation and clotting within the blood vessels, is a possible culprit. Increased high temperature cooked foods (fried foods), sugar, and other substances which lead to the process known as “glycation” may be factors in this change.

If you want to avoid an increased risk of having a stroke, avoid or eliminate sugary and fried foods from your diet. (Oh, and doing this can also help treat acne.)

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine


What Food You Might Eat to Prevent Alzheimer’s?

6a00e55255b462883401901b980627970b-200wiWell, not exactly curry…

Some of the best features of natural, unprocessed remedies made from plants is that they are often less toxic and less expensive than pharmaceuticals. However, as an integrative physician and holistic dermatologist, I believe in using the medicine that is best for each individual patient at each individual time.

Some of the best medicines that exist and are being developed are naturally occurring remedies which are strengthened through pharmaceutical concentration. For example, a friend of mine developed a highly concentrated form of blue-green algae in the form of a pill which may be beneficial for fighting virile strains of the flu.

An exciting development from researchers at New Delhi Jamia Hamdard University in India: they have successfully used cucurmin–extracted from turmeric and turned into nano form–to control and cure cirrhosis of liver in animal model experiment. The experiment has been shown to reverse severe damage to the liver.  Human trials are starting and researchers hope for major breakthroughs.

The university studies and develops traditional methods of treatment and medicines, “We have all come across references to turmeric’s healing powers in history and mythology. So, we decided to check its efficacy. It was found that when used in large doses, turmeric wasn’t particularly useful. But broken into nano particles, it worked wonders. It even reversed cirrhosis which is incurable,” said S. Ahmad, vice-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard.

Curcumin extract is an antioxidant that helps revive dying cells. As a repairing agent, it can regenerate cells that have begun to break. The experiments on animals have proved that it has no toxic effect. “The trouble with traditional medicines is that not enough studies have been done to prove their efficacy. Neither do we know how their utility could be enhanced. We are trying to fill in the blanks. In this case, the result has been fascinating and we are confident that the human trials will be successful as well,” added Ahmad.

I am excited that this and other experiments like it could pave the way for treating diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s!

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

 


4 Ways to Stop Varicose Veins

6a00e55255b4628834017d4321224b970c-200wiVaricose veins are caused by pressure from the blood in the veins.  When there is prolonged pressure from standing upright, hormonal changes, and weakening of the elements of the vessels, the valves begin to break down, causing the veins to appear on the surface of the legs.

There are several ways to relieve the pressure. Putting your legs up in the air on a desk or doing a shoulder stand and other upside down Yoga poses throughout the day are also very helpful, if you are careful about your spine.

Eating a diet rich in bioflavinoids, and taking bioflavinoid supplements, helps prevent and improve disorders of the veins, blood vessels, and capillaries.   

When prolonged standing cannot be avoided, be sure to wear comfortable shoes with good arch support. Some walking or movement of the legs periodically will help the pumping action to return blood. Your stockings should not bind anywhere. Any signs of pain or tenderness in the veins should immediately be reported to a physician, because of the possibility of venous thrombosis, with a clot that could break loose and block blood flow in vital organs like the lungs, heart or brain.

Top Four Tips for Healthy Veins from the Holistic Dermatologist:

  1. Wear good, supportive shoes, elevate your legs above the heart regularly throughout the day, and/or wear compression stockings at a pressure suggested by your doctor.
  2. Take horse chestnut extract standardized to contain 50-90 mg of aescin, 2- 3 times per day. Avoid with pregnancy, kidney or liver disease.
  3. Eat a diet rich in vitamin C and bioflavioids, or supplement them, in order to strengthen the blood vessels.
  4. Seek medical care if veins become hot, tender or rashy.

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD
Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.