How much protein should we eat? Plus Preventing old lady hands podcast

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 You could do everything else right: eat the best foods for your skin, be up to date on the latest in anti-aging skin care and tirelessly slather on sunscreen -- but if you're neglecting your hands, all your efforts to harness the fountain of youth are for naught.You can always tell a women's age by her hands.

  "If you're going to take great care of your facial skin, but your hands don't match, what's the point?"  So here's how to prevent them from showing signs of aging.

 The Giveaway:  Brown Spots Common misconception: Your liver is the culprit behind those brown spots on your hands. Not true. Brown spots are caused by the sun, . However, they start to pop up as you age because your hands are exposed to the sun more than the rest of your body. 

 
Prevent It Many of us are diligent about using sunscreen on their faces, but forget about protecting our hands,Even if it's cold outside, the sun can be bright, and UV rays can make brown spots worse.

To avoid brown spots (and keep more from appearing), always wear sunscreen on the backs of your hands. Use a daily lotion with SPF 30-50, with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. Many hand creams now come with built-in sunscreen. 
  you can also go vintage by keeping a pair of driving gloves in your car. Alternately, hold the steering wheel in the six o'clock position with your palms up

 Treat It So, you haven't been diligent with your sun protection. Luckily, there are some ways to treat brown spots -- especially if you start early. Newer, light brown spots may respond to lightening and brightening creams with ingredients such as soy, arbutin, and vitamin C, or prescription retinoid and hydroquinone,

  Now If you're dealing with dark spots that have been around longer than a year, you'll need to make an appointment with your dermatologist. Your doctor can treat spots with a laser,  or a chemical peel.

Are your brown spots lumpy, as well? For raised brown spots, they can sometimes treat with liquid nitrogen, which freezes them off, 

 The Giveaway: Dry, Brittle Nails If you don't take care of your nails, you basically seal their fate: dry, cracked, and ridged, which drastically ages the appearance of your hands. 

Nails also begin to show vertical stripes, which  we can calls the "wrinkles" of the nails. No thank you. 

Prevent It Arm yourself with a cuticle oil to keep your nail beds in tiptop condition. And, we hate to say it, but it is time to toss your nail-staining dark polish.

  avoid acetone nail polish remover at all costs. Try RGB Nail Polish Remover which, in addition to coming in convenient and portable packaging, is soy-based and won't strip your nails. 

 Treat It The best thing you can do is to file down your nails where they've split or cracked, and buff out any ridges,   Bonus: buffing also gets rid of discoloration.

And switching from darker polish to a lighter one does more than just prevent stains -  lighter polish colors make ridges look less noticeable. it's also recommends taking biotin, a type of vitamin B that can help nails grow. 


The Giveaway: Crepey Skin No one wants the tops of their hands to look (and feel) like overcooked turkey.   UV rays break down collagen and elastic tissue as you get older, resulting in a dry, papier mache-esque finish. 

Prevent It Far and away, the easiest thing you can do is eat your protein. "Collagen and elastic tissue are made of protein, so eating protein will help your body produce stronger collagen and thicker skin

Skip the harsh detergent soap you'll find in most public restrooms.  its recommends keeping a mild cleanser, like Vanicream Gentle Cleanser, with you at all times so you can wash your hands without drying them out. Follow up with a moisturizer (hey, we never said this whole anti-aging thing was going to be low-maintenance).

 Hand Therapy creams that uses a blend of cold-pressed oils and arnica, lavender and calendula to hydrate and calm skin.  also recommend moisturizers with hardcore hydrating ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. 
Treat It Treat It
Don't forget your hands when you slather on your nightly combo of serums and potions.    alternate between a product with retinol and a product with peptides to stimulate collagen production. 

To make things easy, multipurpose the facial products you already have and apply them to the backs of your hands.  . You can even use prescription-strength retinoid products, like Renova, on your hands. 

  Also we recommend paraffin treatments to keep hands soft and non-crepey, which can be done   once a week in the winter. 

The Giveaway: Knotty VeinsIt's a less-than-stellar fact of life that losing weight becomes more difficult as you age -- everywhere except for your hands, apparently.  The loss of fat in your hands happens naturally with age, making your tendons, bones and veins really stand out. 

Prevent It Don't get too skinny,  (We'll take this as our cue to go order a pizza.)    This happens to all of us as we get older, but it's more obvious in those with less body fat." 

Treat ItIf you want to camouflage ropey veins, your best bet is to turn to the needle.   you can get injections by a vascular surgeon, which collapses the veins (not as scary as it sounds) and makes them less pronounced. 

 or  look into fillers and fat injections. When done well, these plump your hands and make them look more youthful (same as with your face). But, know the risks: these treatments can also cause bruising, swelling and lumpiness. 

If you do go the fillers route,  it;s recommends one with hyaluronic acid, such as Juvederm or Perlane, or Radiesse, which is made of calcium.

How much protein  should we eat as part of a healthful diet

 

 

 Many people are confused about how much protein they should eat as part of a healthful diet. In fact, Monday's RD of the Day, Lauren Ott, a clinical dietitian at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, says that it's one of the most misunderstood nutrients among her clients.

"Protein is absolutely essential in our diets. It is used for growth and repair of muscles, increased satiety, and building enzymes and hormones," explains Lauren.

The amount of protein in the diet is important, but we also need to consider when we're eating it.  According to Lauren, "It is best to evenly distribute protein through all three meals versus back-loading it at dinner, as most Americans tend to do."

For explaining the importance of including protein at every meal and for sharing an example menu of what a healthful day might look like, Lauren was Monday's RD of the Day.

  One of the most misunderstood nutrients to my clients is protein. So many of my clients either eat too much or too little of the stuff.The recommended daily allowance for protein is 0.8 gm/kg of body weight for the average adult. That’s around 40 to 70 gm of protein per day for most people. For athletes, active people, and older individuals, I recommend slightly higher than this, but never over 2 gm/kg protein per body weight.
It is best to evenly distribute protein through all three meals versus back-loading it at dinner, as most Americans tend to do. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate 30 g of protein at each meal had a 25 percent boost in muscle building, compared with those who ate the same amount of protein but skimped in the morning and loaded up at night.
Protein is absolutely essential in our diets. It is used for growth and repair of muscles, increased satiety, and building enzymes and hormones.
So how much protein is in the food we eat? The following is a guide:

• Meat (1 oz cooked)= 7 gm protein
• Soy (1/2 cup tofu, tempeh, edamame)= 10 gm
• Greek yogurt (6 oz)=  15 gm
• Milk (8 oz)= 8 gm protein (FYI: almond, coconut, and rice milk= 1-2 gm protein/8 oz)
• Whole grains (1 cup cooked)= 7 gm
• Nuts and seeds (1/4 cup)= 6 gm
• Beans and legumes (1/2 cup cooked)= 8 gm
• Egg= 6 gm

What does a typical day with adequate, evenly spaced protein look like? (For a 150 lb person and 55 gm protein/day goal)
BREAKFAST:
2 scrambled eggs + 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese (19 gm)
LUNCH:
½ cup tofu+ 1 cup quinoa (18 gm)
DINNER:
3 oz grilled chicken (21 gm)

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