Dr. Mark Hyman Q/A regarding Genetics

Question:

Can I overcome a family history of disease, or is it my fate?

Answer:

Your genes are only part of the equation. Your environment is also critical to whether you’re healthy or plagued by sickness and disease…and you can change that! I ask every patient detailed questions about all their environmental inputs:
What is the quality of your diet? Do you eat whole foods? Is yours a plant-based diet? Or are you following a disease-promoting SAD (Standard American Diet) that makes you malnourished and unable to self repair, regulate and heal?
What are the stressors in your life: your relationships, work, societal pressures, family, money?
Have you been exposed to toxins in the air, water or in food and has that disturbed the balance of your health?
Have you experienced physical trauma?
Do you misuse or under use your body and not provide the regular benefits of moving, stretching, and strengthening that allows your organs, joints and muscle to function as they were designed?
These are the real factors that influence and affect every system, function and process in our bodies. If we don’t deal with them directly we are just dealing with the effects – and not addressing the real causes of disease.Getting to the root of the environmental influences on your health and your life is the beginning of the possibility of your achieving UltraWellness – something we all are capable of enjoying.

DR. HYMAN

Dr. Mark Hyman
MARK HYMAN, MD has dedicated his career to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through a groundbreaking whole-systems medicine approach known as Functional Medicine. He is a family physician, a four-time New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader in his field. Through his private practice, education efforts, writing, research, advocacy and public-policy work, he strives to improve access to Functional Medicine, and to widen the understanding and practice of it, empowering others to stop managing symptoms and instead treat the underlying causes of illness, thereby also tackling our chronic-disease epidemic. His website is at www.drhyman.com.

The 'Kate Effect'

By:   Abby Waters

Since the royal wedding in April 2011, women of all ages have become mesmerized by the latest British style icon Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

With her flowing brown hair, statuesque frame and warm smile, she has become one of fashion's most influential figures and possibly the most copied royal of all time. 

The 'Kate Effect', which was originally noted by the UK Guardian, reflects her powerful influence on clothing purchases. Within hours of wearing an item in public, you can be sure the design will sell out worldwide.

Kate is a designer's dream. She has been selected as "Hat Person Of the Year" by The Headwear Association, "Best Dressed Woman of The Year" by Harper's Bazaar, and she has landed on Vanity Fair's "International Best-Dressed List" for the first time. Not bad for a beginner.

When Kate arrived at the BAFTA 'Brits to Watch' event in Los Angeles last July, she appeared to be taller, thinner and more beautiful than just about every A-list female celebrity at the gala. Some of the ladies in attendance were Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively. The Duchess of Cambridge selected 5.5" Jimmy Choo sandals which -- already 5'10" in stocking feet -- had her towering over most of the men. Her cleverly pleated lavendar Sarah Burton gown, accented with a beaded belt, made her waist look super tiny.

Kate has several secrets when it comes to dressing that make her look larger than life, incorporating elements that make her seem taller and thinner than she already is. Do you want to know Kate's dressing secrets? Shhhh, here they are...

Nude Pumps
Nude shoes are a fashion favorite of the Duchess. She wears great looking pumps by L.K. Bennett which often include a front platform. By combining the nude shoes with nude hose, it makes her look taller. Lifting the hemline of her skirt makes her legs look like they go on forever. A similar effect can be achieved by wearing dark pumps and exact matching hose or tights. For many glam events, she selects very high heeled sandals by Jimmy Choo.

Fit and Flair Designs
Kate loves fit and flair coat-dresses for royal appearances. These are designs that are fitted at the top and cinch at the waist with a bottom flair. The pieces make her waist look very slim. She often adds a wide belt for even more focus on her waist. Kate made her first royal solo appearance in Oxford for the Art Room program wearing an Orla Kiely "Birdie" jacquard-printed fit and flair style coat-dress. Kiely is a favorite designer of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Skinny Jeans

Skinny Jeans are exactly what the name implies. They are very narrow legged jeans that pair well with tailored blouses, blazers and overcoats. The Duchess often selects loose fitting knee-high boots to wear over the jeans to make her legs look even trimmer.

Simple Jewelry
Clothing flows better when jewelry is kept at a minimum. Kate wears delicate chains, studs and simple drop earrings to frame her face. Framing the face draws the eye upward and makes her appear taller. The pieces add just the right amount of sparkle and color for a well-balanced look. Big statement pieces of jewelry can tend to chop a look and can also take attention away from the beauty of the person wearing it, because the jewelry then becomes the focus. Two favorite jewelry designers for the Duchess are Kiki McDonough and Tiffany.

Asymmetrical and One-Shoulder Designs
These styles make the wearer appear taller by drawing the eye up to the shoulder area. Kate selected a stunning silver Grecian-inspired one-shoulder Jenny Packham gown to attend a fundraiser at St. James Palace. She looked so elegant in this design. Packham knows how to create fantastic high profile pieces, and Kate always selects the perfect design to compliment her figure.

Tailored Blazers
Tailored blazers are something that Kate wears over jeans and pencil skirts. They show off the beauty of the wearer because of the simple nature of the design. The form-fitted garment showcases a great body and has a slimming effect. Kate wore a Roland Mouret "Smythe" blazer on her trip to Canada.

High Hats
Hats give you a boost in elevation. Royals wear hats for just about any and every event and occasion. Kate stole the show at the wedding of Zara Phillips in 2011 with a giant tilt hat by Gina Foster. It was an over-the-top look that had her towering over everyone at the event. The design was dubbed the 'Potato Chip Hat' because the shape and the color closely resembled the popular snack.

Kate is a beauty who continues to look more incredible with each passing day, and her fashion followers can't wait to see what she will wear next. Not everyone is blessed with Duchess Kate's genes, but anyone can use her secrets to achieve a trimmer and taller look.

Abby Waters

Abby is a motivational speaker, writer and respected vintage fashion consultant, featured in Time magazine, UK Gaurdian and Palm Beach Illustrated. Her articles on style and fashion have appeared in numerous print and online publications.

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Is Your Sunscreen Safe?

By:   Leslie Pepper
15, 30, 60, 80, broad spectrum, SPF, UVA, UVB… all these terms are enough to drive anyone crazy! What do they all mean?
Minerva Place got the 411 from Bruce A. Brod, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
What exactly does SPF mean?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, which is the amount of time you’re protected against sunburn. For example, if you normally burn within one minute of being in the sun, if you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, you’ll have 15 times longer in the sun (or 15 minutes) before you burn. Remember, though, SPF only refers to UVB rays.
UVB rays? What’s that?
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible kind of radiation that comes from the sun. UVB rays only reach the top layers of skin, and they’re the ones that are primarily responsible for sunburn.
However, there’s another kind of ray, the most common kind of sunlight at the earth’s surface, which reaches beyond the top layer of skin, called UVA. Those rays actually penetrate deep into the base layer of the skin and may have more of an effect on collagen and elastin, and therefore may lead to even more wrinkling and an overall more aged skin appearance.
Is higher better when it comes to SPF?
Yes and no. Higher is better, although the absolute numbers are misleading.
An SPF of 30 may be 97 percent effective, but an SPF 60 won’t give you double the amount of protection. In fact, the FDA has said that there is no evidence that an SPF over 50 provides any additional benefits.
I’m seeing “broad spectrum” on sunscreen labels these days. What does that mean?
This year the FDA introduced new sunscreen guidelines that provide you with more information about what type of UV protection a sunscreen offers and what a sunscreen can do.
Now, if a sunscreen says it’s broad spectrum, it means that the product has proven to the FDA that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
In order to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, the sunscreen must have broad-spectrum protection and an SPF of 15 or higher. Without both, the sunscreen only helps prevent sunburn.



How often do I need to reapply?
At least every two hours, more often if you’re swimming or sweating.
Keep in mind that no sunscreen is waterproof or sweat-proof. With the new FDA labeling laws, sunscreens are only allowed to say they’re “water resistant,” and they must give the length of time the water resistance lasts. If you don’t see that on the bottle, the product isn’t water resistant.
And it ‘s critical you put on enough sunscreen! Most people only apply 15 to 50 percent of the recommended amount. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology found that applying less than two ounces over the body at one time can leave people with an SPF rating far lower than what’s on the bottle. Two ounces looks about like two golf balls.
There are so many different ingredients on the back of the sunscreen bottle. What should I look for? 
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are both physical blocks, which means they protect you by reflecting the sun. I like these, as they usually don’t cause any skin irritation, and new nanotechnology allows them to rub in better and appear less white on the skin than the oxides of old (think white-nosed-lifeguards).
Avobenzone (brand name: Parsol 1789) is a chemical block that protects you by absorbing the sun. Unfortunately, avobenzone breaks down in the sun, so if you’re in direct sun you should apply it even more often than every two hours. Neutrogena has patented a more stabilized form of avobenzone known as Helioplex, which lasts longer in the sun. Another new chemical UVA blocker is called ecamsule (brand name: Mexoryl) which is very stable in the sun. If you do choose a chemical block, apply it to dry skin 30 minutes before you go outside for maximum effectiveness.
Do I always have to use a sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy?Yes. 80 percent of sunlight comes through even on a cloudy day. Many people get burned on cloudy days because they don’t feel the heat, so they don’t realize how strong the sun actually is.
I’ve heard that studies have found sunscreens are dangerous and can cause cancer 
I disagree wholeheartedly. One group reported a study they’d done that found that retinyl palmitate — one ingredient in sunscreen — caused skin cancer in mice. That study was flawed for several reasons. First, the skin of mice is much different than that of humans, and mice are more susceptible to skin cancer. Plus, retinyl palmitate is a derivative of Vitamin A, which has actually been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
The benefits of sunscreen have been shown to prevent skin cancer in millions of people for the past quarter of a century.


Leslie Pepper

Leslie Pepper is a freelance writer based in Merrick, NY who specializes in diet and health. Her work has been published in print magazines such as Real Simple, Woman’s Day, and Parents, as well as online publications such as WebMD.com and Everydayhealth.com.

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Miracle Foods For Healthy Skin

By:   Kate Parham 

 

Does beauty truly come from within?

No, we’re not talking about what a good person you are (though, we’re sure you’re delightful!); rather, does what we eat really affect our skin? Are those potato chips causing your acne? Will eating fresh fruits and veggies prevent wrinkles?

It’s a controversial topic in medicine, one with conflicting evidence and opinions. But Dr. Jessica Wu, author of the new book Feed Your Face: Younger, Smoother Skin and a Beautiful Body in 28 Delicious Days, is convinced: “Despite what most doctors tell their patients, I believe that what we eat does affect our skin."

Dr. Wu came to this conclusion after monitoring and analyzing her patient’s food choices for more than 15 years at her dermatology practice. “The science clearly shows many instances in which food choices are linked to conditions like acne, rashes and sun damage,” says Dr. Wu.

Dawn Gallagher, model, TV host and author of the new book Nature’s Beauty Secrets: Recipes for Beauty Treatments from the World’s Best Spas, agrees. “In order to keep your skin looking healthy, you need to maintain a diet that is well-balanced nutritionally,” says Gallagher. Poor nutrition can negatively affect the skin’s ability to renew and heal itself, but improved diet often results in younger looking skin, possibly even partially reversing the signs of aging, says Gallagher.

Gallagher goes on to say, “Skin care products are a lot less likely to be effective if your skin is lacking in the essential nutrients." So even if you’re using the right products, it may not make a difference if your diet is lacking.

Just as both diet and exercise are important for maintaining a healthy body weight, both nutrition and products are important for achieving healthy skin. “Some people respond more quickly to prescription medications, while others respond better to a change in their diet,” explains Dr. Wu, who sends most of her patients home with a “prescription” for the right foods AND the right products.

Eat This
If you want hydrated, firm, radiant skin, sans acne, wrinkles and rashes, eat a diet high in these nutrients:

• Vitamin A: Without Vitamin A, our skin turns dry, itchy and it loses its elasticity.
  • Prescription: Eat carrots, spinach, broccoli, melons and apricots, says Gallagher.
• Zinc: Working with Vitamin A to produce collagen and elastin, the fibers in Zinc give your skin its firmness and strength, says Gallagher. Plus, studies show it may be even better at treating acne than antibiotics.
  • Prescription: Eat beans, whole grains, nuts and fortified breakfast cereals.
• Vitamin C: To keep your skin firm, eat a diet high in Vitamin C.
  • Prescription: Eat citrus fruits, cabbage, strawberries, watermelon and tomatoes.
• Vitamin E: An antioxidant, Vitamin E neutralizes free radicals that cause aging.
  • Prescription: Eat almonds, hazelnuts and wheat germ.
• Lycopene: This antioxidant has been shown to protect against sun damage, says Gallagher, and to improve fine lines, hydration, elasticity and radiance.
  • Prescription: Eat tomatoes, which are high in lycopene.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These anti-inflammatory nutrients help calm rashes, itchy skin and acne, actually reversing damage and decreasing hormones associated with increased oil production (read: clogged pores)
  • Prescription: Eat oily fish, like salmon, sardines and trout, at least twice a week.
• Silicon: Silicon helps hair and nails grow longer, thicker and healthier
  • Prescription: Eat green beans, whole grains, lentils and spinach.
  
  Avoid this
  Just as some foods improve the quality of your skin, others just make it worse. Check it out:
  
• Dairy: Full of hormones, even the organic kind, dairy (including milk, cheese, and yogurt) can aggravate acne, says Dr. Wu.
• Refined grains: Refined grains break down into sugar, which increases inflammation, in turn breaking down collagen in your skin, says Dr. Wu. Avoid white breads, pasta and tortillas.
• Sugar: Steer away from foods made with sugar (white, brown, powdered, and raw) as well as corn syrup, honey and molasses, which offer little to the diet except extra calories, says Dr. Wu. 

Play with your food
“Spas offer us a place to rest the mind, renew the body and re-evaluate our lives,” says Gallagher, whose book facilitates this process by suggesting simple recipes for at-home spa treatments, all of which can be made with what’s already sitting in your pantry or fridge. A few tips to remember:

• “Some items in these recipes, especially essential oils, are very strong,” explains Gallagher. “They should never be eaten, no matter how yummy they smell. Many ingredients should not be used if you have certain medical conditions, like high or low blood pressure or epilepsy, or if you are pregnant. If you are unsure, consult your physician first.”
• Before slathering any product all over your body, test it on a small area, like the inside of your arm or just under your hairline for facial products, recommends Gallagher.
• Use organic ingredients whenever possible. “Pesticides are not pretty.”
• Take your time. “Enjoy the scents and sensations of fresh fruits, exotic essences, and pungent herbs,” says Gallagher. “In this hurried, harried world, quiet, contemplative time to your-self is an absolute necessity. Stress can dull the most lustrous complexion, cause nails to crack and break and turn hair brittle and lifeless.”

Peach power
Peach kernel oil is rich in vitamin E, making it great for nourishing the skin without leaving a greasy feel. High in antioxidants, peaches protect skin from damaging UV rays by counteracting free radical activity, and applied topically they improve the strength, elasticity and general appearance of the skin. The following recipes use the power of the peach to hydrate your skin and battle the effects of the sun and environment—a must for dry and mature skin.

Peachy Keen Facial Mask

• ½ –1 ripe peach
• 1–2 Tbsp peach kernel oil, olive oil, or almond oil

1. Mash peach in a bowl, removing skin and pit. Mix with just enough warm peach kernel oil, olive oil, or almond oil to form a spreadable paste. You can also prick a small vitamin E capsule and add the oil to the mixture.
2. Apply with small brush or cotton pads. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off with tepid water.

Fresh-as-a-Peach Moisturizer

• ½ –1 Tbsp almond oil or peach kernel oil
• 1 tsp peach juice
• Drop of honey

1. Mix ingredients together in small bowl and rub gently into face (or hands and nails).

 

Kate Parham

Kate Parham is a Washington D.C.-based freelance writer who reports on health, consumer finance and lifestyle topics. Her work has been published in dozens of consumer magazines and online including USA Today, Real Simple, Self, Cooking Light and countless others. 

Nanci Babcock

Minerva Place Founding Member

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It’s Okay To Be A Princess

By: Cathryn Michon

Since the Royal Wedding of William and Kate, there have been increasingly shrill alarms sounded by the kind of professional scolds who write parenting books and who know one thing for sure: Nothing gets anxious mothers to shell out money for a hardcover parenting book like increasingly shrill alarms.

According to these books, we’re all supposed to be terribly concerned that little girls like to wear sparkly tiaras and pink poofy dresses, instead of dressing up like lawyers and doctors who, let’s be honest, don’t dress that cute unless they are lawyers and doctors on TV shows.

In her bestselling (and terrifyingly titled) book Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Girly Girl Culture, author Peggy Orenstein anxiously muses whether or not the 4 billion dollar a year Disney Princess industry is sending this bad message to girls: “The only way to happiness is by marrying some rich man who turns you into a Princess.”

To which I say: Peggy Orenstein is a big mean spoilsport who obviously never got a sparkly tiara and is trying to ruin everyone’s fun.

How come there is no corresponding book out there for parents with the equally terrifying title, Superman Talked My Son Into Jumping Off a Building: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Gravity Defying Macho Boy Culture? How come we don’t worry about boys having increasingly unrealistic expectations from the superhero fantasies marketed to them? How come we don’t worry about boys wearing tights and capes, which let’s face it, will present a lot more social problems in future life than a poofy skirt and a tiara if they don’t grow out of it?

I think it’s because dads know better, and would never buy that book. Apparently men know that harmless childhood fantasies are just that, harmless. Men and women all hope that their children will grow up to be Nobel prize winning physicists, but really, do you have to make your kid dress up like one for Halloween? It’s neither festive nor scary to wear unfashionable corduroy pants, crooked glasses and uncombed hair.

The people who want us to give our girls more “realistic fantasies” clearly don’t understand that fantasies are by their very nature not realistic. That is, after all, the whole point.

Girls fantasize about having the superpower of being so girly that everyone caters to their every whim and they can get all the fancy outfits they want. Boys fantasize about the superpower of being so manly that they can fly or spin titanium strength spider webs out of their fingers.

None of these kids is going to have any of this stuff actually happen to them of course, but for some reason, everyone is only worried about the ridiculous fantasies of the girls.

And all of this “Princess Paranoia” went into diamond encrusted overdrive during The Royal Wedding of Kate and William. All of the pundits (with books to sell) were terribly concerned that young girls everywhere who were previously planning to be Presidents of countries, or curers of cancer, would now hurl all their ambitious energies into trying to become Princesses.

These professional killjoys felt the need to point out that there aren’t in fact that many job openings for “Princess” and that, not to put too fine a point on it, the most famous of them seem to end up dying in car crashes (with Princess Diana and Princess Grace, we’re two for two on that one).

There is no question that there is no equally compelling “Prince” fantasy for young boys. Even those boys who long to be rock stars have to settle for now imagining themselves as “The Artist Formerly Known As” rather than just plain old, “Prince”.

So, OK, I will agree that wanting to be a Princess is a) strictly a chick thing; and b) not that frigging likely to happen for you. But my response to this is, “So what?”

Perhaps the closest equivalent male-only fantasy to a Royal Wedding is The Superbowl. Being in The Superbowl is a) strictly a guy thing; and b) not that frigging likely to happen for you.

Two billion (or so) people watched the Royal Wedding of William and Kate, but Royal Weddings only happen every twenty years or so. 100 million (or so) people watch the Superbowl, but sadly we seem to have them every damn year. So as wildly unrealistic gender specific fantasy broadcasts go, I accurately calculate* The Royal Wedding and The Superbowl have precisely the same number of viewers per two decades, give or take ten or twenty million.

*Using the form of math that most proves my point which is, again: “So what?”

I am a lifelong Princess junkie, and I watched every royal wedding that was ever broadcast, and yet I have managed to earn a living in a highly competitive male-dominated business. Cinderella didn’t eat me, perhaps the worst she did was instill in me a love of beautiful shoes. Anyone who says I was held back by loving Princesses can Google me and kiss my tiara, because I’m doing just fine.

Though I am not a parent, I am a proud Godmother to three very girly girls. All three of my beloved girls called themselves Princesses and had the outfits and shoes to back up their claims, many of which were purchased for them by me, an unapologetically girly girl. My girls watched princess movies and read princess stories and slept on princess sheets in their princess pajamas.

It may not be a scientific sample, but I am happy to report that all three of them are now high achieving teenage girls who are smart, hard-working, brave, athletic and ambitious. One competes on three different soccer teams, one is a freshman in college studying to be a geologist, and the third is learning to fly on a trapeze.

Frankly, I blame Superman for that one.

Cathryn Michon

 

Cathryn Michon is an award-winning actress, author, stand-up comic and filmmaker. She’s the star of the upcoming   film “Cook-Off!” and the author of the bestselling “Grrl Genius Guide” book series. She’s also the screenwriter (along with her husband W. Bruce Cameron) of the film “A Dog’s Purpose” produced by Dreamworks Studios.

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Fasting? Not So Fast !!!

Fasting? Not So Fast !!!
                                                                                                                                                     

By:  Katherine Brooking, MS, RD

As a nutritionist, I get questions all the time about the potential benefits of fasting.

People fast for many reasons — for quick weight loss, to “detox” the body, for religous purposes, or even as a political protest. Here is the latest info on the myths and facts about fasting. Before you forsake your fork, read this:

Fasting and weight loss
Most experts (this one included) do not recommend fasting as a way to lose weight. If you’re itching to shed pounds, a drastic cut in calories may seem like the fastest way to see instant results, however when you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, so you will likely gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast.

Fasting to “detoxify” the body
Many fad diets include a “detox” phase during which dieters are instructed to drink only water or herbal teas. But there is scant scientific evidence showing that fasting will detox or cleanse your body. Fasting does not boost the body’s disposal system or cleanse your body in a healthy way.

Some people say they feel great during or after a fast. They might feel great because they believe fasting is healthy or has a significant spiritual meaning, or they might feel great because severe calorie restriction (like fasting) can produce feelings of happiness or even euphoria. In either case, fasting isn’t actually doing a body good.

What is the sensible, long-term solution for cleansing your body? Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and unsaturated fats.

On the other hand...
There are some interesting studies indicating that, under some circumstances (and always under medical supervision), fasting may boost general health.

NOTE: If you are considering any type of fast, it is imperative that you check with your doctor first. Fasting can be harmful for some people, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and individuals with certain health conditions.
                                               
Fasting and heart health
A recent study found that periodic fasting not only decreases the risk of heart problems and diabetes, but may also lower blood sugar levels. The researchers found that people who fasted regularly had a 58 percent lower risk of coronary disease compared with those who said they didn’t fast. The study was conducted by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute (IMCHI) in Utah. Study findings were presented at the ongoing annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans. While these findings are intriguing, experts say it is still too early to conclude that fasting should be used as part of a heart health prevention plan.

Fasting for a longer life
Meanwhile, caloric restriction, while not a strict fast, has been shown in numerous studies to extend life in rodents, yeast and various insects. The National Institute on Aging funds several projects investigating this possibility in monkeys. Investigators at Washington University in St. Louis are studying members of the nonprofit Calorie Restriction Society, a group that exists to promote this type of research in humans. Several compounds also are under investigation in hopes of reproducing the benefits without the negative aspects and challenges of ingesting so little food.

The Bottom Line: For most healthy people, a day of fasting for spiritual or religious purposes will not cause harm. However, while there is some interesting research on the benefits of fasting/calorie restriction, more studies are needed to determine just how fasting can effect the body. So hold on to your fork and keep eating healthy meals and snacks. It’s good for your body… and tastes good too!


About the Author:

Katherine Brooking, MS, RD
 

Katherine Brooking is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters Degree in Nutrition Education from Columbia University and a frequent nutrition contributor to national morning shows including the TODAY show, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Early Show on CBS, and Good Morning America Health. As a writer covering health and wellness topics, Katherine has contributed to SELF Magazine, Prevention, Cooking Light and Womans Day and other leading news publications including The Washington Post and New York Daily News. Her site is appforhealth.com.

 

Please visit the site daily for new articles and information about women's health, wellness, diet, fitness, and beauty!

Nanci Babcock, Minerva Worldwide Founding Member

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Hollywood's New Weight Loss Secret

Hollywood's New Weight Loss Secret

By:   Lee Nelson

"How did she do it?"

That's the question you hear every time a Hollywood star appears on the red carpet debuting a newly toned, sleek physique. Since it is every celebrity's business to look fit and fabulous, they usually get the skinny on new fitness methods long before the general public. And if it's working for them, their fans want to know the secret and are fast to follow.

The hottest new weight loss secret sweeping Hollywood (and the world) is the ballet-inspired, 55-minute workout called Xtend Barre. Natalie Portman, Drew Barrymore & Ginnifer Goodwin are just a few of the celebs who have become devotees of the workout, which burns between 400-700 calories per session as it sculpts and tones elongated muscles.

“We are bringing out a woman’s hidden ballerina,” says founder and creator Andrea Rogers of Boca Raton, Fla. “But men are doing the program, too. Most of them are professional athletes, and they know what their bodies need.”

Xtend Barre is a fast-paced, full body workout targeting all major muscle groups. It uses a ballet barre to blend dance with Pilates, sculpting exercises and stretching. By using the sturdy ballet barre for concentrated movements that target small muscle groups, participants build a strong, dancer-like body – without unwanted bulk -- along with increasing stamina and flexibility. Resistance bands, weights, stretch bands and other props are used to keep the men and women strength training, stretching and burning calories.

Other barre-type workouts have been created over the years, usually aimed at a very specific, exclusive user group. But Rogers designed her workout for all body types, ages and both genders. Participants don't need any dance experience to benefit from the Xtend Barre workout. Nor do they have to be young and fit, or even particularly coordinated. The stability of the ballet barre gives people of all levels of fitness and skill the support and confidence to challenge themselves. It also allows those with knee pain, balance issues or other ailments to perform most of the workout.

“Women feel graceful doing the workout. They stand taller and look in the mirror at the barre to watch their bodies react to the workout. The clients never get bored.”

At first, says Rogers, most men scoff because the workout involves using only 1-3 pound weights during a portion of the class. “But just because we are working with light weights doesn’t mean it’s not going to burn. Within five seconds, those one pound weights feel a lot heavier, and your legs are shaking. We are using our own bodies as resistance.”

Rogers has been a dancer and choreographer since the age of 18. Included on her resume are performances with many celebrities and recording artists such as Enrique Iglesias and Aaron Carter. She also worked as a principal dancer for Walt Disney World and traveled the country with several professional dance companies.

To keep in shape after her dancing days had ended, Rogers became certified as a classical Pilates instructor. She came up with the idea for the Xtend workout in 2006 as she was teaching private Pilates classes, which sometimes seemed too routine and lacked the creativity of her former profession. “I missed dancing. I missed the music. I missed the dance world,” Rogers admits. So, she went back to her choreographer's roots to develop moves and exercises that would help spark her clients’ routines.


“I started with simple movements, especially for my clients who were having trouble doing floor exercises. I brought it up to a dancing position,” she says. “My clients started feeling the difference in their bodies in a few sessions. So, I approached the studio owner about creating a class.”




It didn't take long for word to spread. A waiting list of eager beginners filled the studio within the first few weeks of the new class.

“One of the best things about this workout is that it is efficient,” Rogers says. “I’m a working mom, too, and my time is limited. These women are spending time away from their work and family, and they are spending their hard-earned money to get in shape. They want something that will work and provide results.”

Rogers now has Xtend Barre studio franchises in 70 cities in the U.S. and more than 30 international studios in places such as Dubai, Paris, London, Brazil, Canada and Australia. Studio owners say they have packed exercise rooms and waiting lists of clients. “It is humbling to see how fast this is all growing," says Rogers. Just last year Rogers started offering her workout on DVD: Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled with Andrea Rogers. Obviously, not too many people's homes are equipped with a ballet barre, so the program substitutes the back of a sturdy chair or couch.

"I’m just in the process of determining what next steps to take for new DVDs and the rest of the business. It’s just all very exciting. The best part is that most of these franchises are female-owned studios, and there are incredible business women that I have met,” she says..

And with the very public results the Xtend Barre workout is showing on some of Hollywood's hottest celebrities, the cat's out of the bag. We're predicting Andrea's future is nothing short of dazzling. 


Lee Nelson

Lee Nelson spent 21 years as an award-winning reporter in Iowa, and now freelance writes for magazines and websites out of her home in Chicagoland.

I Don’t Want To Be Kim Kardashian (and Neither Should You)

I Don’t Want To Be Kim Kardashian (and Neither Should You)

By: Cathryn Michon

Sometimes, when I’m feeling low, I thank my lucky stars that I’m not Kim Kardashian.
Despite the fact that she has earned over 65 million dollars, I promise you, you do not want to be Kim Kardashian either.

Even if you think it would be cool to be famous and have Madame Tussauds turn you into even more of a wax figure than you already are, you are probably forgetting how Kim Kardashian got to be “Kim Kardashian” in the first place.

Let’s review. The first thing you must do to become a celebutante is, of course:

A sex tape.
Not porn, which is well-lit and shot by professionals, but a poorly lit, stinky bachelor pad video in which the whole world gets to decide for itself whether you really were (a) having that good of a time, and (b) if you aren’t perhaps just the teensiest bit behind on your personal waxing.

Yes, in case you had forgotten, it was through a sex tape that Kim was ‘discovered’.
The only thing more embarrassing than starring in a sex tape is starring in a sex tape that no one wants to watch. So, once your sex tape has been ‘leaked’, you have to generate some publicity. You have to get yourself in front of cameras to let everyone know the tape exists, that you are really embarrassed, and that you really hope they won’t go to www.myembarassingsextape.com where you can buy via PayPal.



That’s right, if you want to be the next Kim Kardashian, you are going to have to eagerly promote your own humiliation.

You’ll also have to become a reality star, which means you will never be allowed to do anything without sucking in your stomach and wearing fully done hair and make-up. As a reality star, you are now in the business of being, well, you. Even so, it takes an army of writers to make your life interesting, because no one’s real life is that interesting unless maybe you’re a hostage or something.

Regrettably, Kim never became a hostage, so to maximize her ability to get attention she became the next best thing:

A bride. Thus, everyone else became her hostage.
As Kim learned, the kind of guy who will marry a reality star is the kind of guy who is dumb enough to think that what matters to him, matters to you. The man Kim married and divorced in record time honestly believed that she would move with him back to Minnesota, but as far as Kim was concerned, the vows she took had an extra (silent) clause:  “For better or for worse, but obviously not in Minnesota.”

As we all know, in the real world (as opposed to the Reality World), for a marriage to last, one needs to have more in common than the fact that you both grew up in families who seem oddly devoted to using the letter ‘K’ with ungrammatical abandon not seen since the introduction of Krazy Glue.

Perhaps I’m being kruel to Kim Kardashian. So that she can speak for herself, I have held an interview with her via a statement she wrote for her blog when her marriage tragically came to an end.



Kim says: I hope you respect my courage because this isn’t easy to go through.

I say: Of course, Kim, I totally respect that it must be excruciating to have suffered 72 days of marriage and then tell your husband, via press release, that you have filed for divorce.

Kim says: There are also reports that I made millions of dollars off of the wedding. These reports are simply not true and it makes me so sad to have to even clarify this.

I say: Hmm, perhaps math isn’t your strong suit. It was released in the press that 17 million dollars was paid for the right to turn the wedding into a TV show, and since the cost of the wedding was 10 million dollars, I come up with a balance of 7 million dollars profit. Maybe I should be your accountant–you make more money when I do the math.

Kim says: I share so much of my life on a reality show, that contemplating whether to even film my wedding was a tough decision to make, and maybe it turned out to not be the smartest decision. But it’s who I am!

I say: We know!

Kim says: Everyone that knows me knows that I’m a hopeless romantic!

I say: Well everyone knows that you’re hopeless, that’s for sure! Plus you love exclamation points!

Kim says: I am trying not to read all the different media reports but it’s hard not to see all the negative ones.

I say: But you only see them, right? You’re not actually reading the words, are you? That’s too much work. You should take it easy, go shopping. Just don’t spend more than 7 million, K?

Kim says: I married for love. I can’t believe I even have to defend this. I would not have spent so much time on something just for a TV show!

I say: Did I say you didn’t marry for love? Why are you so defensive?

Kim says: I want a family and babies and a real life so badly that maybe I rushed in to something too soon.
I say: If you want a real life, turn off the frigging camera. Life is not a sex tape.

Which is why you and I can be happy that we’re not Kim Kardashian.

Next time you’re at home in sweatpants with no makeup, just relax and let your stomach hang out. Enjoy! No one is looking! You can also rest easy because there is no sex tape of you running 24/7 on a frat house bigscreen. And finally, you can gratefully remind yourself that you have something that Kim Kardashian, for all her money and fame, will never have:

A real life.

Minerva Place Online Women’s Magazine

Posted on May 11, 2012

 

Check out the AMAZING Minerva Place site IT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE TO ENJOY!!!! EVERYDAY – Grab your Coffee or favorite beverage of the day and just browse and read - http://nanci.minervaplace.com/ Make sure to register for the Minerva Place newsletter . . . MINERVA PLACE is FREE everyday TO READ their AMAZING CONTENT – IT IS A FREE ONLINE WOMEN’S MAGAZINE . . .

If you find that you LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO – sign up as a PREMIER COMMUNITY MEMBER for $19.95 a year (See the list of amazing Premier Benefits, perks and support the fight against childhood obesity) – - so that you TOO can get your own MINERVA PLACE PERSONAL SITE AND START SHARING this incredible FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE . . . it is FUN and EASY and you JUST SHARE . . . .

Go to my PERSONAL SITE http://nanci.minervaplace.com and check everything out. Then click on the link at the top right JOIN THE MINERVA COMMUNITY and Join today . . . It is that easy. FOR ALL of those who Personally Upgrade to Premier Members between TODAY and Sunday the 13th – You will be eligible for Prizes and FREE E-BOOKS . . . .

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 Minerva Worldwide Founding Member

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Minerva Place Online Women’s Magazine

 Posted on May 10, 2012

Check out the AMAZING Minerva Place site IT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE TO ENJOY!!!! EVERYDAY – Grab your Coffee or favorite beverage of the day and just browse and read - http://nanci.minervaplace.com/ Make sure to register for the Minerva Place newsletter . . .

MINERVA PLACE is FREE everyday TO READ their AMAZING CONTENT – IT IS A FREE ONLINE WOMEN’S MAGAZINE . . .

If you find that you LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO – sign up as a PREMIER COMMUNITY MEMBER for $19.95 a year (See the list of amazing Premier Benefits, perks and support the fight against childhood obesity) – - so that you TOO can get your own MINERVA PLACE PERSONAL SITE AND START SHARING this incredible FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE . . . it is FUN and EASY and you JUST SHARE . . . .
Go to my PERSONAL SITE http://nanci.minervaplace.com and check everything out. Then click on the link at the top right JOIN THE MINERVA COMMUNITY and Join today . . . It is that easy.

FOR ALL of those who Personally Upgrade to Premier Members between TODAY and Sunday the 13th – You will be eligible for Prizes and FREE E-BOOKS . . . .
Any questions just ask!

Nanci Babcock  Minerva Worldwide Founding Member

http://nanci.minervaplace.com

 

Which of these 3 are you?

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3. Then There Are The People That Just Say, What Just Happened?

Which One of These 3 Are You?

Remember That Time Is "Your" Most Valuable Asset So Don't Waste It!
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Signs Your Teen Suffers Clinical Depression

By:   Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN
I’m just a loser who can’t get anything right…No wonder no one likes me!...The world would probably be better off without me…
The mind of a depressed teenager can be a lonely, bleak place. While all teens struggle with ups and downs, depressed teens see the world in a consistently negative light. It’s as if depression straps a pair of dirty, negative glasses on the child’s face. Instead of seeing sunshine and green grass, the depressed teen sees an overcast day and dying grass – despite the fact that sun is out and the grass is healthy.
Approximately eight percent of all teens are clinically depressed. Girls are twice as likely as boys to be affected, although some researchers now suggest that girls are simply more apt to be diagnosed. Teenaged girls tend to display the stereotypical signs of depression, such as crying jags and an outwardly depressed appearance, which may lead parents and medical professionals to identify, diagnose and treat and depression. Their male counterparts, on the other hand, may act out in school or exhibit extreme irritability -- behaviors that parents and teachers are likely to dismiss as simply rebellious, obnoxious or unruly.
So, identifying depression in teens is not always easy, because some of the behavioral characteristics -- moodiness, withdrawal and surliness -- can also be part of "normal" adolescent development. How do you tell the difference between depression and typical teen behavior?
Consider the context. A teen who cries every day after losing her grandparent to cancer is probably not clinically depressed; she’s grieving. But a teen who cries daily, despite the fact that her home and school life are both relatively stable, may well be depressed.
Consider the timeframe, too. Almost all teens occasionally exhibit one or more of the symptoms below, but if symptoms persist for two weeks or longer it’s time to get help.
Symptoms of Depression in Teens

1. Irritability, anger or hostility. People tend to think of depression as a pervasive feeling of sadness, so they expect tears. But depression really is a persistent feeling of hopelessness. Depressed teens feel bad inside, and they feel powerless to change their situation. That’s why many depressed teenagers react with anger and hostility to even seemingly innocent queries (“How was your day today?”). Irritability is often a major symptom of depression in teenage boys.
2. Extreme sensitivity to criticism. Depression brings with it feelings of guilt and worthlessness. A depressed teen is already beating herself up inside for not being perfect enough. External criticism – even a simple comment such as, “You have a stain on your shirt” – appears to validate the fact that she’ll never get anything right. If your teen reacts strongly to any kind of criticism, she might be depressed.
3. Withdrawal from friends and family. It’s perfectly normal for teens to spend more time with their friends and less time with their families as they grow. It’s not normal for your teen to sequester herself in her room for hours at a time. Pay attention if your teen has effectively removed herself from the family; pay close attention if she’s no longer interacting with her friends.
4. Unexplained aches and pains. Teens are more likely than adults to express their depression physically. If no physical cause can be found for your teen’s frequent headaches or stomachaches, depression may be the culprit. Pay a visit to your pediatrician to rule out (or in) a physical ailment. If none is found, ask about depression.
5. Loss of interest in activities. Does nothing strike your teen’s fancy? Kids who give up formerly beloved activities – or participate in them begrudgingly – are often depressed. If your sports-obsessed son hasn’t picked up a ball in months and won’t even watch the games on TV, he might be depressed.

Getting Help
If you suspect depression, talk to your teen’s doctor. He can check for any underlying medical conditions that might be causing or contributing to your teen’s behavior. He can also conduct a depression screening and refer you to a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist for help.
Currently, only about one-third of teens with clinical depression receive treatment. While it can be difficult to find someone to work with you and your teen, it’s essential to keep pushing for help. Look for someone who has a history of working with teens with depression. You want someone who will listen carefully to your concerns and adequately assess your teen before issuing a diagnosis; you don’t want someone who whips out a prescription pad as soon as you mention “depression.”
Be patient. It can take time to find the proper treatment regimen for your teen, but your teen’s health and well-being is worth it.

Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN

Nanci Babcock just posted a new blog titled 5 Basic Skin Care Tips From the Mayo Clinic.

Nanci Babcock just posted a new blog titled 5 Basic Skin Care Tips From the Mayo Clinic.

How do I know if I'm gluten intolerant?

ask Dr. Hyman

Dr. Hyman Hyman

MARK HYMAN, MD has dedicated his career to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through a groundbreaking whole-systems medicine approach known as Functional Medicine. He is a family physician, a four-time New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader in his field. Through his private practice, education efforts, writing, research, advocacy and public-policy work, he strives to improve access to Functional Medicine, and to widen the understanding and practice of it, empowering others to stop managing symptoms and instead treat the underlying causes of illness, thereby also tackling our chronic-disease epidemic. His website is at www.drhyman.com.

question

Ask Dr. Hyman: How do I know if I'm gluten intolerant?

Dr. Hyman

Q: How do I know if I'm gluten intolerant?
There are two ways to tell if you are gluten intolerant: an elimination/reintegration diet and blood tests. But first, let’s talk about what gluten is and why it’s a problem for so many people.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats. It is hidden in pizza, pasta, bread, wraps, rolls, and most processed foods. Clearly, gluten is a staple of the American diet.
Unfortunately it’s also linked to many diseases and conditions; a review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 “diseases” that can be caused by eating gluten. These include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores, and rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to many psychiatric and neurological diseases, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy (nerve damage). It has also been linked to autism.
Gluten sensitivity is actually an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation throughout the body, with wide-ranging effects across all organ systems including your brain, heart, joints, digestive tract, and more. It can be the single cause behind many different “diseases.” To correct these diseases, you need to treat the cause–which is often gluten sensitivity–not just the symptoms.
To find out if you are one of the millions of people suffering from an unidentified gluten sensitivity, just follow this simple procedure.

The Elimination/Reintegration Diet
While testing can help identify gluten sensitivity, the only way you will know if this is really a problem for you is to eliminate all gluten for a short period of time (2 to 4 weeks) and see how you feel. Get rid of the following foods:

• Gluten (barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, wheat, triticale — see www.celiac.com for a complete list of foods that contain gluten, as well as often surprising and hidden sources of gluten.)
• Hidden sources (soup mixes, salad dressings, sauces, as well as lipstick, certain vitamins, medications, stamps and envelopes you have to lick, and even Play-Doh.)

For this test to work you MUST eliminate 100 percent of the gluten from your diet–no exceptions, no hidden gluten, and not a single crumb of bread.
Then eat it again and see what happens. If you feel bad at all, you need to stay off gluten permanently. This will teach you better than any test about the impact gluten has on your body.
There are also gluten allergy/celiac disease tests that are available through Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics. All these tests help identify various forms of allergy or sensitivity to gluten or wheat.