Usually I recommend diet and exercise from medical studies.  Today, I provide some of the rules of the gym written by humorist, Jason Gay, from the Wall Street Journal.  See if you can find the truth in each of these.

1.      A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself.  If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

2.     Don’t fall for gimmicks.  The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.

3.     There’s also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym.  Just when you think he isn’t here today…there he is, lurking by the barbells.

4.     Nope, that’s not a “recovery energy bar with antioxidant dark chocolate.”  That’s a chocolate bar.

5.     If you’re motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a “wooden coat rack.”  It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing.

6.     If a gym class is going to be effective, it’s hard.  If you’re relaxed and enjoying yourself, you’re at brunch.

7.     AND LAST… There is no secret.  Exercise and lay off the fries.  The End.

Just a reminder that we do more than skin care, Botox/fillers, and surgery.  Our nurses offer other services that help improve appearances.

 Tired of shaving underarms, bikini, facial and other areas?  Laser hair removal significantly reduces the number of hairs in these areas.  Men use it to decrease the thickness of hairs on backs and shoulders.  It usually requires 4-6 treatments six weeks apart and package pricing is available.

 Unsightly leg veins (spider veins) can be treated by injections of solutions that clot off these superficial veins, allowing the body to reabsorb them.  A tiny, virtually painless needle is used.  We offer two solutions that work on most small but noticeable veins. 

(Did You Know?   Laser hair removal and sclerotherapy (vein injection) require months to effectively work.  Now is the time to get started to be ready for summer.) 

 Permanent makeup enhances eyelids, lips, eyebrows and other areas.  The tattooing causes little discomfort.  Once done, there is little need for makeup in those areas.  Karine has years of experience.

Your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape and lose weight.  You are a BEGINNER.  How do you get started?  Changes in human nature come slowly!  Do not expect much from yourself initially.  Habits develop gradually over time.  Brian Grasso, a trainer and life coach in Montreal, has some important instructions.  

EAT ONE HEALTHY MEAL PER DAY.   

Modest changes aren’t as overwhelming.  Use common sense eating lean meats, fish, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  Eat whatever you want the rest of the day.  After two weeks, add a second healthy meal each day.  Gradually make eating healthy the main focus of your diet.

TRAIN TWO DAYS PER WEEK.  

To develop the habit, try going at the same time each week.  It is a process of making appointments with yourself and keeping them.  Even if you don’t feel like working out, go, and at least change your clothes.  Eventually it will become a priority and a part of your routine.  After a month, increase the number of times you exercise every week.

Do you know how many units of Botox other doctors inject?  Current recommendations of Botox are 15 units per site (forehead, between eyebrows, and crow’s feet) for most patients.  The usual price is $15/unit thus $225/site.  On January 17th we will reduce this to $13/unit.  This means most sites will be improved for only $195!  Those with special requests, deeper wrinkles, or need a touch up will be charged the extra $13/unit on this day.  That way you only pay for what you need.

 (Did You Know?   Latisse, used for eyelash lengthening and thickening is still available for only $90.) 

Filler prices have dropped too.  Restylane and Juvederm will now be $500, Juvederm Ultra Plus will be $550 and Radiesse will be $600.  On Filler Days we will continue the 10% discount.  HOWEVER, any new patient or a current patient wishing to try fillers for the first time will also receive the 10% discount on any office day.

Women who breakfast on cereal were 30% less likely to be overweight than those who skipped breakfast.  This is according to a Michigan State University study.  Whole grain cereal adds the benefits of fiber.  Tufts University found an association between whole grain consumption and the reduced tendency toward unhealthy belly fat.

 Breakfast with whole grains is also good for your heart.  Harvard found a 28% lower risk of heart failure in those with at least a daily serving of fiber.  Eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, and a variety of other breakfast foods can aid your health too. 

(Did You Know?  Skincare Special- Spend $200 on products and get a free micropeel!) 

Which cereals are advantageous?   

General Mills Whole Grain Total 100 cal, 2 g prot, 23 g fiber

General Mills Fiber One 90 cal, 3 g prot, 21 g fiber

Post Grape Nuts 312 cal, 10.9 g prot, 7.8 g fiber

Kashi GoLean 111cal, 10.2 g prot, 7.6 g fiber

Kashi GoLean Crunch 148 cal, 7.3 g prot, 6.4 gm fiber

Kellog’s Raisin Bran  139 cal, 3.8 g prot, 4.9 g fiber.  

The least fiber?  

Kellog’s Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Frosted Flakes.

According to the book series, “Eat This, Not That!” there are large differences in nutritional values between the foods we eat at holiday parties.

            Egg Nog.  350 calories, 19 g fat, 22 g sugars

            Better is hot chocolate. 120 cal, 4 g fat, 15 g sugars

            Crab Cakes. 400 cal, 19 g fat

            Better is shrimp cocktail. 165 cal, 1 g fat

            Gin and Tonic.  210 cal, 22 g sugars

            Better is champagne.  100 cal, 5 g sugars

Worst Entrée

            Prime Rib. 750 cal, 45 g fat

            Better is beef tenderloin. 165 cal, 7 g fat

            Pecan Pie a la mode.  810 cal, 65 g fat, 55 g sugars

            Better is chocolate fondue.  340 cal, 10 g fat, 28 g sugars

            Sam Adams Holiday Porter.  211 cal, 13 g carbs, 6% alcohol

            Better is Sam Adams Light. 124 cal, 9 g carbs, 4.2% alcohol  

Happy and Blessed Holidays to you and your families.

We have all received gifts that we wish we hadn’t.  I have had my share of ties that now reside in the deepest recesses of my closet.  Bad gifts from your spouse are the ones that are the most irritating and cause the greatest emotional response.  So how do we avoid receiving such gifts?  An article in the Wall Street Journal has some suggestions.  

There are some rules to share with your spouse to minimize the possibility of having to ask forgiveness.  

            When in doubt, go down a size.

            Never give a gift that suggests your spouse is not perfect.  No unsolicited exercise equipment or self-help books.

            Appliances and cookware are only okay if asked for.

            Don’t even think about a gift that you will get more enjoyment out of than your spouse.

            Remember:  It’s not just the thought that counts-especially if you didn’t have that thought until the checkout line.

            When all else fails, at least try to create memories.

Share this with your spouse in hopes of avoiding hurt feelings.  After all, there are still 6 shopping days left!  

Happy and Blessed Holidays to you and your families.

(Did You Know?  Latisse, used for eyelash lengthening and thickening is still available for only $90.)

Filler prices have dropped too.  Restylane and Juvederm will now be $500, Juvederm Ultra Plus will be $550 and Radiesse will be $600.  On Filler Days we will continue the 10% discount.  HOWEVER, any new patient or a current patient wishing to try fillers for the first time will also receive the 10% discount on any office day.

There are three ways we burn calories:  our resting metabolic rate, physical activity, and the processing of food.  According to Johns Hopkins’ Health After 50, our resting metabolic rate accounts for 65-75% of caloric intake.  In general, men burn more calories than women, heavier people more than light, and younger more than older.  

Physical activity burns 15-30% of daily calories.  This is a combination of exercise and just daily activities such as cooking, walking and even fidgeting.  The last 5-10% of calories burned is the processing of food referred to as the thermal effect of food.  

(Did You Know?  Our resting metabolic rate decreases about 10% per decade after the age of 30!)  

How can we affect our metabolism?  Add muscle.  Each pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day, fat two.  Exercise.  Thirty minutes of moderate exercise five days a week burns 1,000 calories or 15 pounds per year.  Eat More Often.  Eating smaller more frequent meals aids metabolism.  Eat Breakfast.  It starts up metabolism after dormancy overnight.  Consume Enough Protein.  Weight loss will come from fat not muscle.  Drink Water.  Helps speed metabolism after consumption.  Get Sleep.  Sleep deprivation slows metabolism.  Don’t Crash Diet.  This again slows your metabolism.  Lastly, turning down the heat, caffeine, and eating chili peppers slightly increase your metabolism.

Tufts University has reported that the American Heart Association has revised its food program regarding fats.  The changes reflect the evidence that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are part of a heart-healthy diet.  The emphasis is replacing saturated fat and trans-fat foods with foods that are high in healthy fats such as nuts and fish.  

The easiest way to remember which fats are healthy, in general, is to pick cooking oils that are liquid at room temperature.  Saturated fats such as butter are found in animal foods and plants such as coconut and palm oils.  Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are primarily found in liquid vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower.  The especially heart healthy omega-3 fats, such as those found in fish, are also polyunsaturated.  The chemical manipulation of mono- and polyunsaturated fats to create a solid form led to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or the unhealthy trans-fats.  

(Did You Know?  Those who switched from saturated to polyunsaturated fats cut their risk of heart disease by 19%!)  

Spreads can be more confusing than cooking oils.  Check the different types of fat and their amounts.  Look for spreads with the lowest amounts of saturated and trans-fats.  The higher amount of any fat means more calories.  The American Heart Association recommends for the average 55 year old woman 1,600 calories each day, consuming less than 12.4 grams of saturated fat, 1.8 grams of trans-fats, and total fat between 44 and 62 grams.