Dark undereye circles?

[onesmartcookie]

Yeah...this is the first time I've really noticed myself having these, prominently. I get sufficient sleep (7-8 hours), but I have a feeling it's diet- related (background - I'm a longtime vegetarian, have been experimenting with veganism and raw foods for the last year and a half or so).

Does anyone know of any one specific ingredient to help with this, or is it just the whole eating raw? Probably the latter....

Thanks!

[Veganforlife]

Yup - the latter. Plus from what I've read, it's hereditary too.

[Ariannah]

I've had them all my life. Raw has helped diminish them greatly (as in I no longer have the raccoon or "beat up" look) but I still have undereye circles.

Raw has been the only thing that has diminished them in any way shape or form.

I used to wear tons of cover-up, but I hate wearing make up and just stopped doing it one day, and haven't worn it since.

My 2 brothers and all of my children have it too, and we're all on wildly different diets, so partly hereditary I guess as well.

[Crisyn]

Dark undereye circles are sometimes also called "allergic shiners". For me and my family, they only appear when we eat something we are allergic/sensitive to - for me and my daughter it is dairy or gluten, for my husband it is dairy, and for my son it is dairy or corn.
If you are eating 100% raw, you are already avoiding the major allergic culprits like dairy and gluten, however some people are sensitive to unexpected things like specific nuts, corn, buckwheat, sesame, etc. which can be included in a raw diet.
You may want to try an elimination diet (where you eat only foods that are unlikely to give allergic reactions, and then add back one food at a time into your diet until you find the culprit) or you can try getting allergy testing done.
Good luck!

[jnoelj]

We have the case of "allergy shiners" in our house as well. I have been blessed with hereditary bags under my eyes, which all the kids have too!! The puffyness in my eyes has gone down considerably since going raw. Fortunately I don't have the dark circles though.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I looked like a raccoon after having my third child - I was not eating vegetarian or primarily raw at the time. This was before discovering raw food altogether.

Once I went raw it helped immensly.

I think that cooked grains was a huge part of it - another allergy symptom. I see young children with the allergy shiners and attribute that to cooked grains and animal products.

[dreamrawalwz]

In Chinese Medicine, when someone has dark circles, we look to the kidneys, and issues of (de)hydration/fluid retention and filtration.

Hmm, I've heard that it shows sign of distress in the liver and or GI tract. I guess we can say it means SOMETHING is wrong somewhere in there, huh?

[Purl]

I have dark circles as well as my 4 dc. Our Wellness Dr thought it was due to environmental allergies, perhaps dust or our cats. BUT-here's the kicker. My oldest was born 2.5 months premature and has ALWAYS had dark lids and the skin right under his eye brow...now WHAT could cause THAT? It looks like he is wearing brown eyeshadow all the way up to his eye brow???(I should mention that his IDENTICAL TWIN does not have this.) It has always puzzled me, and I noticed it again tonight about 3 hours before I saw this thread.

[firefaery]

generally related to allergies, but the root of the problem is that you aren't absorbing minerals properly. Food allergies go ahand in hand with damage to the GI tract. If you can heal your gut and start absorbing nutrients a bit better they should go away.

[Sunshine9]

I have intimate experience with dark under-eyes

What kicked them for good for me was:

-eat a clean raw diet

-Angstrom Zinc (about 1/2 a bottle over 2 months, taken every few days)

-Letting my body relax with more blended foods & using a hydrochloric acid supplement when I ate a lot of fiber

-eliminating bananas (They tax the adrenals. I'd say this minimized them 50% after about a month)
... might try Cordyceps mushroom supp if you want to speed it up. They are very powerful, amazing for adrenals

-definitely eliminating allergens

-get good sodium!

-staying hydrated

might sound like a lot.... but just drink water... get zinc.... let the adrenals rest and rejoice... don't get sodium deficient... rest :)

[tpvu]

I've had dark circles under my eyes for years.
I was seriously sleep deprived and stressed until about 2 years ago.
Still have the dark circles.
Don't know why, either.
tpvu

[lydias]

In Tonya's book Beautiful on Raw she says to juice beets in a green drink and that will help detoxify liver and help with under eye circles or bags. I've been doing it and it seems to work!

Also sign of adrenal weakness but will correct itself on raw. :)

[raw-a-go-go]

It is possible, if dark circles are not something you are predisposed to get, that they are parasites - which usually menas the liver is being affected. I am NOT saying that is what is going on here, but it is common with many people. It is not uncommon to get parasites from salads, or the salad bar at your favorite health food store, or from a vacation you just took in the tropics. Gratefruit seed oil tincture is a good thing to include to help your body rid itself of parasites.

[Ariannah]

-eliminating bananas (They tax the adrenals. I'd say this minimized them 50% after about a month)

I've had dark circles under the eyes since I can remember remembering! B-b-but b-b-b-bananas? Say it ain't so!! They're the only fruit I like in smoothies. They make the creamy texture of a smoothie the way I like, and they are soooo yummy! They make it so that even my el-cheapo blender makes a zing of a smoothie. These babies keep me raw! :P

Giving these up is going to be hard... but something I'd be willing to experiment with.

I thought my diet already was squeaky clean, and then the thought of giving up bananas?... *shudder*....

[Damzlfly]

I have chronic dark circles too...I hate em, but I did find a great concealer that helps. I found when I eliminated the intolerances fromk my diet, they lightened up, but have never gone away. And when I don't get enuf sleep, watch out. But eliminating banana's?? NOOOO

[eatyourbroccoli]

baggies pop up on me when im dehydrated, or when i eat something i am allergic/intolerant to (it should be noted that, personally, the latter dehydrates me extensively)

[Veganforlife]

I have chronic dark circles too...I hate em, but I did find a great concealer that helps...

What concealer are you using?

[Damzlfly]

What concealer are you using?

Its an Estee Lauder Smoothing Creme Concealer http://www.esteelauder.com/templates/products/sp_shaded_color.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5846&PRODUCT_ID=PROD2094