Spanx for your face!

by Elizabeth Buczak
BeansTalk Contributor

Have you ever woken up in the morning with a bloated and puffed up face? We often refer to that as having a “fat face” day. Staying up late, insomnia, crying or even consuming an excessive amount of salty foods or alcohol before bed can lead to a puffy morning face (especially after the holidays where we might have partied a little too hard and ate a little too much.) The bottom line is that no woman wants to wake up in the morning dealing with fat face, which is why a change in lifestyle may be necessary. Changing eating habits and taking care of your skin offer some quick remedies that can help reduce facial swelling or at least mask it up a little for that boost of confidence to get you through the day. They work just like spanx…. Only for your face.

Nutrition
“The most common culprits of swelling include overconsumption of salt and simple carbohydrates,” said Kasia Ciaston, a licensed dietician and nutritionist at Lifetime Fitness. Simple carbohydrates include processed, white-sugar foods like chips, cereals, crackers pretzels, soda, and white breads, which contain a large amount of salt that leads to swelling and bloating within our bodies.
So what can you do instead??
• “Reduce the amount of processed foods that you eat and incorporate more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables,” said Ciaston. “This means that you should probably cook your meals at home, ditch the saltshaker and opt for a healthier seasoning.” Yes, that means eliminating TV dinners, fast food and frozen foods from your dinner menu.
• Instead of trying a diet rich in “bad fats” which include saturated and trans fat, choose a diet rich in good fat like salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, avocados, etc.  In addition to eliminating swelling, when eaten in moderation these fats lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Keeping hydrated is key as dehydration can be a huge culprit in facial swelling. Ciaston recommends drinking at least 8 glasses of water.
• Removing sugary beverage from your diet will help you eliminate pointless calories. “Drink water with lemon, lime, or orange wedges or try some green tea with a lemon twist,” she said. Green teas have been show to boost the body’s ability to burn fat.

Skin
It can be tough determining the reason behind fat face in the morning so pinpointing a specific treatment is impossible. Using the proper skin cleanser is important for the safety of your skin, they wouldn’t reduce facial swelling because they only clean the surface of the skin," said Lenah Alewaidat, an esthetician at A Matter of Style in Oak Park, IL.
 Her cure?
• Home natural remedies. “I would always recommend using products that contain caffeine, green tea and cucumber for facial swelling. Chemicals cause irritation and only make the problem worse.” One of Alewaidat’s favorite home made masks is the cucumber mask. Mash up cucumbers, add in a little milk with a splash of lemon juice to make a paste. Apply for 15 minutes, than rinse of with warm water.
• “Tea bags are also a fantastic way to reduce facial swellings because of their antioxidant properties," she said.
• For a fast and quick fix in the morning, Alewaidat recommends washing your face with cold water or simply using a cold compress or ice pack for 10-15 minutes. With a cool washcloth stand upright and massage the face in circular motions alternating soft to medium pressure can relax the face in the morning.  To reduce the occurrence of morning face, try lying down straight throughout the night on an elevated pillow, which enables the fluids in the face.
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Do you ever suffer from puffy face or "fat face"? What natural remedies do you use to fight a puffy morning face??