Ever look in the mirror the morning after an indulgent sushi dinner only to realize that you look like a blow fish? It turns out there’s a name for this affliction: Sushi face! At least that is what actress Julianne Moore called it during an interview with New York Magazine.

To get the scoop on sushi face, we reached out to Nigma Talib, ND, a naturopathic practitioner in London, to find out the real deal with sushi face; specifically and how we can enjoy our favorite rolls and sashimi without waking up to the bloating and under-eye bags. Dr. Talib is the author of Younger Skin Starts in the Gut: 4-Week Program to Identify and Eliminate Your Skin-Aging Triggers – Gluten, Wine, Dairy, and Sugar, and has coined such terms as “wine face” and “sugar face.” So who better to ask about sushi face?

Most people might immediately pin the blame on the soy sauce (which is packed with sodium), but you might be surprised to learn that fish and rice also contain some salt. The reality is there are a number of elements in the sushi feast work together to make you retain fluid, says Dr. Talib. “Post-sushi, we all get an inflamed face because the sodium is causing water retention and even the rice plays a role,” she says. “Rice gets broken down into sugar by the digestive enzyme amylase which is found in our saliva.” This feeds bad bacteria in the gut and increases bloating.

So the bad news is that sushi face is really is a thing. But the good news is that it only lasts less than 24 hours.

Now before you go throwing in the towel on your favorite food altogether, here are some tips from Dr. Talib to help you avoid the extreme post-sushi bloat:

1. Choosing another cuisine the night before / day of a big event. (Save the sushi for a meal before a lazy weekend.)

2. Consuming more potassium to balance out all the sodium. Avocado — a popular ingredient in many rolls — is potassium-rich. Other good sources of potassium include nuts, bananas, oranges, broccoli, greens, potatoes and tomatoes.

3. Asking for low-sodium soy sauce. Many restaurants do carry low-sodium varieties, and if enough people ask for them, others will start too as well. If you are feeling adventurous, skip the soy sauce altogether and savor the natural taste of the sushi. See if this makes a noticeable improvement in your appearance the following day.

It seems as though a new anti-wrinkle treatment is approved or launched on a weekly basis, which begs the question: do we really need more fillers to help soften fine lines or add volume back to deeper folds?

And the answer is a resounding YES, according to top facial aesthetic doctors.

For a time, all doctors had in their wrinkle-filling-toolbox was collagen — and it was good (depending on who you ask). The greatest risk was allergic reaction, though the cosmetic results tended to vary as well. Continue Reading →

Many of us can barely even pronounce the names of some of the chemicals listed on labels of the creams and lotions we slather on our bodies and those of our children!

But corporate-lawyer-turned-savvy-“mompreneur” Samantha Addonizio is doing something about it.

Her brainchild is KYI, a whole foods skincare line. KYI stands for Know Your Ingredients. Addonizio’s main go-to ingredients are argan oil, shea butter masks and sweet almond oil. Continue Reading →

From the great wrinkle race to stem cell facelifts, nothing was off limits at the hot topics session of The Aesthetic Meeting 2013, the annual meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) in New York City. During this “don’t-miss” event, leading plastic surgeons from the U.S. and abroad discuss the latest and potentially greatest innovations in cosmetic surgery.

Benjamin Ascher, MD, a Parisian plastic surgeon, is hot for focused cold therapy, namely iovera by Myoscience. This is a toxin-free way to treat wrinkles by tapping into the body’s natural response to cold. Continue Reading →

Gwyneth Paltrow may be 40, but she looks close to 25 on the cover of May’s Harper’s Bazaar.

How does she do it? The actress-turned-mother-turned-wellness-guru is not a fan of Botox, but she does dabble in laser skin resurfacing, according to media reports. Continue Reading →

No-one likes it when their co-worker or friend chomps gum in their ears, but this oh-so-annoying habit may have some surprising beauty benefits.

Gum chewing can actually help you:

Win the Battle of the Bulge

It’s true, chewing gum burns about 11 calories an hour, and it also satisfies that oral fixation and keeps you from chowing down. Yes, you may be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but eating while chewing gum is not as easy. Choose sugar-free gum, and try chewing a piece before you reach for that sugary afternoon snack. (American Idol judge Randy Jackson says it is one of his secret weapons when he is tempted by a buffet at a party or on set. Jackson had weight loss surgery in 2003.) Continue Reading →

How to look good on a (Skype) date

It’s date night — only your date is across the country.

Instead of waiting for the doorbell to ring, you’re logging onto your computer. Skype, FaceTime and other video-chatting applications are making it possible for many long-distance relationships to work long-term, but there’s a catch. Continue Reading →

We all know that shaving or waxing can get annoying, especially over the spring and summer months. Imagine never having to worry about shaving your legs or underarms again, or heading to the beach without having to worry about your bikini line. Laser hair removal allows you to do just that.

This simple procedure beams concentrated light into your hair follicles. The pigment in the hair follicles absorbs the light, which destroys the hair. This process can be performed on the face, legs, arms, underarms, bikini line and several other areas of the body. Continue Reading →

You had the best of intentions.

Your new year’s resolutions were to lose that 10 lbs that has been following you around since college, get rid of that “wine waist” (the one from drinking too much pinot grigio with your girlfriends) and get back on track with your laser hair removal regimen… the list goes on.

But uh-oh, spring came early this year, and now you are late to the party.

Worry no more. With these three quick-and-easy beauty fixes, you will be primed for a spring fling in no time. Continue Reading →