Rajani Katta's Blog

6 Tips to Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady and Preserve Your Collagen In the Process

That bedtime bowl of ice cream every single night may feel really good, but that hefty dose of sugar may be doing some serious damage to your skin.Foods that cause rapid increases in your blood sugar levels are what I call sugar spikers. And sugar spikers, consumed on a regular basis, can lead to skin problems.Higher blood sugar levels (also known as blood glucose levels) have been linked to BOTH acne and aging skin. In terms of acne, research has found that higher blood sugar levels translat...

THE DERMATOLOGIST'S GUIDE TO HAIR LOSS

If you've experienced hair loss, or hair thinning, then you know exactly how upsetting it can be. I've discussed hair loss with many patients, and I know that there are usually a number of questions surrounding it. Is my hair loss due to an internal condition? Is it due to a nutritional deficiency? And will my hair ever regain its former fullness?As a dermatologist, we can't answer those questions until we ask several others. We also need to examine your scalp. That's because there are a numb...

Good Food and Glowing Skin: Skin Saving Salads

When it come to good food for glowing skin, salads are an easy place to start.While a great salad can be a delicious meal, it's also an easy way to pack in nutrients. From the base, to the main ingredients, to the crunchy toppings, to the dressing, each and every salad component can be designed for maximum nutrient power.The salads highlighted below are just a few of the many great options out there: all are easy to make, packed with flavor, and deliver a strong shot of nutrition. 1. Chopped...

What you've heard on the Internet about skin and diet, and why so much of it is wrong

Are you tempted to buy the latest hair, skin, and nail supplement? Or go gluten-free because your favorite celebrity said it helped her skin? Before you take another step, make sure you know the evidence. Because there are many, many myths and misconceptions out there. And that's a shame, because there's actually strong evidence linking skin and diet. And those evidence-based recommendations HAVE been shown to promote healthy, youthful, glowing skin.Here are just a few of the common myths abo...

Vitamin C and The Science of Skin Care: The Benefits vs The Hype

When it comes to glowing, radiant skin, a lot of my patients reach for the bottle. As in, that bottle of the latest skin serum, expensive moisturizer, or high-tech night cream. Vitamin C skin care products are popular, but it's important to know the difference behind the science-supported benefits and the over-hyped marketing claims Before you reach for that bottle, though, it helps to know the science of skin care ingredients. Vitamin C is an especially popular skin care ingredient right now...

Good Food and Glowing Skin: Skin Saving Sauces

It is possible to reconcile your love of good food with your desire to eat healthy? Absolutely. With all of the resources and recipes out there, it's more achievable than ever. Thanks to the many amazing cookbook authors and food bloggers who are so generously sharing recipes and detailed instructions online, it's easier than ever to find amazingly good food that's also amazingly good for you. I'd love to highlight some of these great recipes, all of which are packed with flavor AND nutrients...

Biotin: The Hidden Dangers

Warning: Biotin, a popular nail supplement, may interfere with lab tests for heart attacks and thyroid function. Before you reach for that supplement bottle of biotin, make sure you know about this recent FDA warning. Biotin may interfere with laboratory tests, including tests for heart attacks and thyroid function.Biotin supplements have become popular for those with brittle nails, but are the subject of a recent FDA warningBiotin is a popular supplement for nail health, but we don't have re...

Red Lentil Dhal: Lentils, Tomatoes, and Spices Combine to Promote Healthy Skin

This simple lentil stew, cooked with Indian spices, uses three main ingredients that are great for your health and great for your skin: lentils, tomatoes, and spices.Lentils are considered powerhouses of nutrition, due to their high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. I consider all types of lentils to be great power carbs. They combine energy-providing carbohydrates with high levels of protein and fiber. This means that while lentils are a great source of energy, they d...

Diet and Acne: Foods That May Help Acne

Eating your way to better skin when you have acne: an elimination diet may help If you have acne, avoiding certain foods may help. This certainly won't work for everybody, but some people have been helped with an acne "detox "diet. This page provides more details on foods to avoid.If avoiding certain foods can help your skin, can eating more of other foods help?We don't have the same level of evidence to say for certain that specific foods will help in the treatment of acne. Having said that,...

Diet and Acne: Foods That Make Acne Worse

THE LINK BETWEEN DIET AND ACNEThis is the question I heard from almost every single acne patient that I treated over the years. Does my diet have anything to do with my acne? When I was in dermatology training 20 years ago, my professors all answered this question the same way. "The research studies that have been done have never found a link between diet and acne." It turns out we were wrong. It's not the chocolate: it's the sugar. How the original research studies got it wrongResearchers we...