Think a bit of fake tanner is all it takes to make your legs look their best? Keep them healthy from the inside out with these tips from The Miami Vein Center:
1. Exercise 30 minutes every day. Walking, climbing stairs and swimming keeps your calf muscles pumping blood toward the heart. This keeps your heart fit and your legs strong.
2. Avoid prolonged sitting and standing. At work, or on long car or plane trips, flex your ankles often. This will pump the blood out of your legs, simulating walking. Elevate your legs when possible, keeping your feet positioned higher than heart level. You should also consider short walks every few hours.
3. Compression hose. These provide counter-pressure to aid in venous blood flow to the heart. They reduce pooling and pressure in the veins around the ankles. They also may reduce the risk of forming a deep-vein blood clot. Always wear them during long plane or car rides.
4. Maintain your ideal body weight. Large abdomens create pressure on your leg veins.
5. Avoid excessive heat on your legs. Hot tubs and hot baths tend to increase vein distention and lead to more pooling of blood.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jose I. Almeida, MD, FACS is a Board-Certified Vascular Surgeon specializing in Endovascular Venous Surgery. He is the Medical Director of the Miami Vein Center (MVC) and serves as Voluntary Associate Professor of Surgery at the UM School of Medicine; 1501 S. Miami Ave.; 305.854.1555; MiamiVeinCenter.com.
Beauty Foods
They’re not just great on a plate, some of our favorite foods are also key ingredients in potent beauty-boosting products. Text by Jacquelyn Benson
Powerful Fermentation
Komuchka is known as a health-boosting superfood, but it doesn’t just aid digestion. It’s also the key ingredient in Elemental Herbology’s Lighten & Brighten Complexion Hermoniser Serum, where it works with Vitamin C & bilberry to help reduce pigmentation and skin discoloration; $98, ElementalHerbologyUS.com.
Refreshing Touch
Kahina Giving Beauty is renowned for their Argan Oil-based products. This Kahina Fez Body Serum combines that powerful ingredient with a range of unexpected additions, from watermelon and olive oil to cumin and cloves, helping to moisturize and replenish you skin; $98, Kahina-GivingBeauty.com.
Tighten Up
Help reduce the appearance of fine lines and give yourself back a plump, youthful complexion with Amala’s Advanced Firming Complex. The key ingredient? It’s already one of your favorites: cocoa bean. That’s right: chocolate. The plan helps boost collagen production and stimulate circulation while giving a much-needed dose of antioxidants; $248, AmalaBeauty.com.
