Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA

Could Green Tea & LED lights replace Botox??

German scientists claim that a combination of LED lights plus green tea extract cream will result in “less pronounced wrinkle levels, shorter wrinkle valleys, and juvenile complexion.” I don’t know about you, but having a more “juvenile complexion” sounds mighty good to me!

It’s been known for over 40 years that light therapy will heal wounds and I’m sure you’re familiar with light therapy for skin rejuvenation in the form of IPL (intensed pulsed light) treatments. However, high-intensity LED’s such as those in computers and auto tail lights, have been shown to reduce skin wrinkles if applied every day over several months. However, there’s a nasty side-effect with the high-intensity LEDs—they can generate byproducts that damage the cells. Again, science to the rescue—apparently when the potent antioxidant, epigallocatechin gallate, found in green tea, is placed on the skin in a cream form, it negates the side-effects of the LEDs.

Furthermore, the combination of LEDs and green tea cream showed excellent results in only 10% of the time it took for the LED therapy alone to reduce wrinkles! Therefore, it’s both rapid and painless!

We’ll be following this fascinating discovery over time, and fill you in on the updates as we’re made aware of them! In the meantime, the liquid facelift is an excellent treatment while waiting for the LEDs+Green Tea to appear as an alternative.

Vitamin C for Skin Care, Cosmetics

Researchers at the University of Leicester Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology in Portugal have recently found a strong link between vitamin C and skin cancer.  In an earlier study, the Portuguese researchers had found that DNA repair is upregulated in people consuming vitamin C supplements.

Their most recent study found that “vitamin C may improve wound healing by stimulating quiescent fibroblasts to divide and by promoting their migration into the wounded area,” according to Dr. Marcus S. Cooke. By increasing improving the capacity of fibroblasts to repair potentially mutagenic DNA lesions, vitamin C may also protect skin against negative effects of the environment, including oxidation.

Not only did the study find that vitamin C is beneficial in protecting the skin against disease, it linked the advantages of the vitamin to the cosmetics industry. Since vitamin C is an antioxidant, it will counter damaging free radicals that are associated with premature skin aging. Not only will vitamin C eliminate these free radicals, they will remove and DNA damage formed if they advance beyond the cell’s defenses.

Some natural sources for vitamin C include papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, strawberries, and oranges. Vitamin C dietary supplements can also be taken in place of obtaining the nutrient through food. People who smoke cigarettes are also at a higher risk of having a vitamin C deficiency.

For more information on the benefits of different vitamins, and what supplements are good for you, watch my video below:

Fat Transfer – it’s hot!

Whether placed in the face, hands, the buttocks or used instead of implants for breast augmentation, transferring your own fat from places you don’t want it, to places you do want it, our “state-of the-art” technologies and methods get you the results you are looking for at Rejuvalife.

Fat transfer, often called fat transplantation, fat injecting or microlipoinjection, has fabulous application for smoothing and repairing aging hands, plumping facial wrinkles and lifting saggy cheeks, creating more curvaceous buttocks, and enlarging breasts.

Though it’s new to many, fat transfer is actually quite old. In 1893, German doctor Franz Neuber took a small bit of upper-arm fat to rebuild the face of a patient who had a pit in her cheek, and in 1895 the first breast augmentation was performed by Dr. Karl Czerny with fat from the patient’s lower back. We’re already performing the latest fat transfer procedures using the Body Jet , which gets the best fat from the patient, is fast and has minimal downtime.

Think about it—would you prefer your own fat—a substance from your body that your body will not reject—to rejuvenate your face, breasts, buttocks and hands or artificially-produced substitutes? Of course, the answer is an easy one.

As far back as 1998, Dr. Robert Alexander, a faculty member of the Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, in San Antonio, TX conducted a fat transfer study that was quite encouraging. In his trial, 70 women from 21-45 years of age had fat transfer to their breasts. Although there were concerns that patients might develop microcalcification (tiny specks of mineral deposits), only 3% of the women developed them—no more than with any other breast augmentation procedure.  The most recent studies continue to show fat as a viable alternative to implants and dermal fillers.

The biggest concerns about using fat instead of implants and fillers is the question of how much fat the body will “keep”, i.e., that will remain over time and not reabsorbed by the body. In Alexander’s study, approximately 60-75% of the transferred fat volumes were retained after the transfer. Considering that fat injections and transfers are permanent, compared with an implant that will eventually have to be replaced, and that most dermal fillers (Juvederm, Restylane, etc) used in the face and hands last a maximum of a year, this is a viable alternative!

In our practice, our new Body Jet Advanced-Lipo gives us the ability to use the Body Jet to harvest fat in near perfect condition for use in Fat Transfer procedures. For one, this kind of liposuction is safer, more precise and causes very little discomfort or downtime for our patients. It can be done in conjunction with other skin tightening treatments such as SmartLipo, although most of our patients find that their skin is left in excellent condition post-procedure with Body Jet alone. Also, we can use the extracted fat within minutes in a Fat Transfer treatment to restore volume to the face and/or hands, if desired.

The Benefits of Human Growth Hormone When Used Correctly

Human Growth Hormone, HGH, has alternatively received both beatings and boosts by the scientific and medical communities and the media. What is HGH? Who should take it?

HGH supplementation was originally approved, and still used today, to help extremely small children attain a more normal adult height. Were it not for HGH, these children would be abnormally short-statured adults.

Although using hormone growth therapy for adults has been both a social and ethical controversy for over 50 years, individuals who inject HGH on a regular basis give glowing testimony of Youth Regained: stronger muscles, faster response time, increased mental acuity and memory, a level of energy they haven’t seen in years, and a reduction of body fat. Mayo Clinic studies have shown that injections of HGH increase bone density and muscle mass, decrease body fat, bolster the heart’s ability to contract, improve mood, and increase exercise capacity. Notwithstanding these fabulous consequences, only adults diagnosed with “adult growth hormone deficiency” are allowed to use HGH.

What is Human Growth Hormone?

HGH, as used today, is also called somatropin. The version used is identical in amino acid sequence to that naturally produced by the human body and is called rhGH for “recombinant” human growth hormone. It’s chemically identical to that produced by the pituitary gland.

Who should take HGH?

Beginning in your 40s, your pituitary gland begins slowing its production of HGH. A continued decrease in HGH will ultimately cause obesity, osteoporosis, mental confusion, decreased immunity and cardiovascular problems such as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. See any connection between these symptoms and what we’re told to expect as “normal aging”? Of course! Many of the signs of “normal aging” are due in part to a decrease in HGH production, as well as diminution of other hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone and progesterone.

How is HGH best taken?

HGH molecules are too large for the body to absorb them unless injected. The pills, creams and sprays offered on the Internet are useless. Injecting a small, daily dose of HGH is almost completely painless through the use of extremely thin, short needles. Some versions of HGH come in an easy pre-loaded cartridge in a pen-style injector. You dial up the dosage as defined by your physician, inject it once a day, and that’s it. Simple. Easy.

How do I know if I need HGH?

Blood tests can reveal your body’s level of HGH. If extremely low and accompanied by some of the problems noted above, a prescription can be written for you to receive HGH based on a diagnosis of adult human growth deficiency.

When monitored by a qualified physician, HGH supplementation can dramatically increase the quality of your life, while fending off many of the consequences of aging.

A Test to Identify Nutritional Imbalances

Like others reading our blog, you understand that the food you eat affects your health.  Eating high quality, fresh, vitamin-laden foods give you the best chances to feel energized and avoid illness, disease, obesity and future problems such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and other age-related conditions. But how do you know your best efforts at a healthy diet are hitting the mark?

NutrEval is a comprehensive nutritional evaluation designed to identify nutritional imbalances that help to overcome chronic disease and promote optimal health and wellness, including: organic acids, amino acids, essential fatty acids, toxic and nutrient element levels, and oxidative stress. It’s a unique profile that provides critical information for understanding individual disease risk, it evaluates your overall nutritional status, and assesses your functional need for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, & co-factors.

The resulting profile also provides help in understanding gastrointestinal problems and difficulties with your body’s detoxification processes.

Nutritional testing is a tool to understand how your diet and environment are affecting your body. As you know, your nutrition affects almost every aspect of your health. Armed with the results of nutritional testing, you can work with us to formulate a plan to achieve optimal health. Nutritional testing can help us design a customized treatment plan for many problems including: depression, joint pain, heart disease, fatigue, mood swings, allergies, arthritis and gastrointestinal symptoms to name a few.

Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging

Now there is more good news for all of you that are taking your Fish oil, and more good reason to if you are not. Happily, a recent study, supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the Bernard and Barbro Foundation, shows that omega-3 fatty acids may slow biological aging.

Researcher Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, and his colleagues followed 608 patients with known coronary artery disease for a period of five years. Blood tests were taken to identify their telomere lengths at the beginning and end of the study. Research has shown that the length of telomeres may be a marker of biological age; theoretically, the longer one’s telomeres, the younger one is, biologically speaking. Therefore, measuring telomere length at both the beginning and end of the study enabled the researchers to understand how rapidly their telomeres were shortening, i.e., how quickly (or slowly) each patient was biologically aging. “The results of our study underscore the recommendations of the American Heart Association, that patients with known coronary artery disease should be getting at least one gram a day of omega-3 fish oil,” Farzaneh-Far said.

Biological age differs from actual age, as it takes into account both genetics and environmental stressors that damage cells. For example, one of two 45-year-old men may have a younger biological age based on genetic factors, even though both have similar habits. It pays to have “good genes,” and not just for beauty but for longevity, as well. However, this study suggests that upping your intake of omega-3 may help you lower your biological age.

So how do omega – 3s stop telomeres from getting smaller and, therefore, prolong life?

Oxidative stress is a major driver of telomere shortening and aging. Oxidative damage causes stress on normal body functions, leading to a gradual loss of vital functions later in life. This process is commonly believed to occur as a result of the aging process. The researchers agreed that the study was limited, at it made no provision for proof of cause and effect. In other words, there was no placebo used, and there was no consideration of other lifestyle issues—perhaps those with the highest levels of omega-3’s also did other things that kept their telomeres longer. This was a complaint by some physicians.

Further, since the research focused on telomere length in leukocytes, the findings might not be the same for heart cells. I certainly very much agree that omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on the fats that circulate through the body, i.e., triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease. They also have a potent positive impact on lipids that circulate in the blood stream and damage the heart. The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on lipids are still the best advertisement for their use to prevent heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and non-HDL cholesterol, and stabilize cell membranes — all of which may reduce risk for coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac death.

So remember to take your fish oil daily!

More Chocolate – Less Stress!

If you know me well,  you know that I’m pretty laid back and that I love good chocolate. Hmm…is there a relationship there?  Here is some great news about the anti-stress benefits of chocolate. And by the way, be sure to see our website information on how to manage stress! Doing so might be a lifesaver!

Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant also present in grains and nuts. Studies suggest that they may benefit the heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, connective tissue, adrenal glands, kidneys, muscles and nervous system. Quite a number of studies suggest their ability to prevent coronary heart disease. Researchers at Nestle Research Center in Switzerland have discovered that a small portion of dark chocolate can actually lower one’s stress hormone levels. This is great news for all of you Type-A personalities!

The research team, led by Sunil Kochhar, studied 30 men and women. Each participant’s anxiety level was identified by distinct metabolic profiles. The subjects in the study agreed to eat 20 grams of dark chocolate around mid-morning and again in the afternoon. For us Westerners, 40 total grams is about 1.4 ounces. For comparison, a $2-size Endangered Species  chocolate bar is 1.4 oz. One of those per day would meet the requirement.

After two weeks, the participants’ levels of stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical markers were again measured. The researchers observed that after two weeks of consuming 40 grams of dark chocolate per day, the participants’ levels of stress hormones and stress-related biochemical markers were reduced.  As dark chocolate is rich in a variety of bioactive compounds that may partially correct stress-induced imbalances, the team concluded:  “The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 g of dark chocolate during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of… healthy human subjects, as per variation of both host and gut microbial metabolism.”*

In other words, if you’re feeling uptight you might eat a piece of chocolate to help you mellow……….

*Francois-Pierre J. Martin, Serge Rezzi, Emma Per-Trepat, Beate Kamlage, Sebastiano Collino, Edgar Leibold, Jrgen Kastler, Dietrich Rein, Laurent B. Fay, Sunil Kochhar. “Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects.” J. Proteome Res., Publication Date (Web): October 7, 2009; DOI: 10.1021/pr900607v.

Cocommune – A Rave Review!

Happy 2010 folks!

I hope everybody had a great holiday and New Year celebration!

It’s the first work week of the year and I’ve got something exciting to tell you all!

This morning I checked into the office, just like any other day. Mail came in, FedEx dropped off some boxes, the usual.

Well, one of the boxes contained a special surprise, one that was so tasty the second I bit into it I just had to write about it!

It’s called Cocommune Bar, for Gastrointestinal, Digestive, and Immune Support.

Here’s what their makers have to say:

“Cocommune Bar™ is our latest, delicious creation in functional food bars. We have blended a rich dark chocolate with a generous amount of moist, chewy coconut filling to provide a taste that will rival even a Mounds® bar! This all natural, kosher food bar also contains a very useful 500mg of our specially prepared Tegricel™ colostrum per bar. This unique and potent colostrum was designed to enhance general immune function and to protect and repair damaged GI tissue from the use of NSAID’s. Tegricel™ can also be beneficial in other conditions such as Crohn’s, Celiac, IBS and ulcerative colitis that can result in intestinal damage.”

And what do I say? I say GIMMIE MORE – and the staff agrees!!!! These scrumptious bars are so delish (and healthy) I was shocked when I read the nutritional label. For just one serving (one bar is 40g) you’ve got 160 Calories, 12g of fat (remember, it’s made with coconut), 23g of carbs (that’s only 2 NET GRAMS PER SERVING!), 4 g of dietary fiber, 1 g of sugars (ONE GRAM!!!! Almost everything you pick up nowadays is simply made only of sugars!), 17g of sugar alcohol, 2g of protein, and 60mg of sodium.

The ingredients were a list of easy to read words. You know, I always frown and typically turn away from foods that have ingredients that I can’t even pronounce – a good rule of thumb: If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably not something you want in your body.

Did I mention the chocolate is sugar free???

So if I haven’t enticed you enough, I say come on down and grab a bar for yourself. If you’re a fan of chocolate and coconut, I can assure you won’t be disappointed!!

The Girl Loves to Grill!

Being the food nut that I am, when I read Dr. Berger’s blog about grilling red meat, my heart just dropped.

This is definitely controversial (for me, at least) because we’ve heard for so many years that grilling especially is a healthier method of cooking rather than frying, for example. The problem with grilling and BBQ-ing is that most people figure “well done” means burning your steak down to a crisp. By charring and burning the meat, you’re essentially going to end up eating charcoal!

Well, I know how much we all the outdoors and grilling assorted meats (granted its freezing out now), so I dug a little deeper to give you pointers on the proper way to grill red meat.

1. Make sure the grill is hot!

a. Generally, anything (whether it’s an oven or grill) over 300°F is safe to cook meat on.
b. If you’re using a gas grill, turn it on and close the lid for about 10 minutes to burn and scrape off any remainders stuck on the grill
c. For charcoal grills, make sure all the coals are nice & red and no longer give off fire before placing the meat.

2. Meat should be seasoned and tenderized prior to grilling

a. If you’re using any oil in your seasoning, use lightly because oil will cause flare-ups and that will needlessly burn and carbonize the meat – Not Good!

3. Don’t let it get too hot

a. A higher flame means you can sear the meat and trap the juices but if it’s too high, the meat will be burned on the outside and left uncooked on the inside.

4. Remove the meat once you have it to your liking

a. Having a meat thermometer is a great tool to own in the kitchen. Using the meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the meat. Temperatures should be as follows

i.      Rare: 120°F – 125°F
ii.      Medium-Rare: 130°F – 135°F
iii.      Medium: 140°F – 145°F
iv.      Medium-Well: 150°F – 155°F
v.      Well Done: 160°F+

b. If you don’t have a thermometer, press the center or thickest part of the meat with your finger. If it’s still soft and squishy, that means it’s rare and needs more time for cooking. Medium will be firm but still have its buoyancy and well done would feel very firm and not as resilient.

5. Note…

a. that the meat’s internal temperature will rise a minimum of 5°F after removing from the grill so if you want Medium steak, remove the meat off the grill when at 140°F.
b. that using a meat thermometer means you may lose some of the succulent juices when piercing the meat

I hope these tips help you grill the most succulent (and not to mention healthier & safer) of steaks!

Anoush!

~Sho

MEN, RED MEAT & PROSTATE CANCER

…SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Aren’t “real” men supposed to love red meat?  The media hypes it big time with rugged cowboys supposedly thriving on it, right? WRONG!  I hate to burst your bubble but red meat, processed meats and prostate cancer go hand in hand.  I’ve been following the studies and can confidently report to you today that the results are pretty conclusive.  One large study involving over 17,000 men ages 50 to 71 (over 9 years) found that those men who ate the most red and processed meats had significantly elevated risk of developing prostate cancer at any stage and, particularly, advanced cancer.

 RED MEAT & GRILLING/BARBEQUEING

I know you don’t want to hear it but …. The researchers found a direct link to grilling and BBQ’d red meats and prostate cancer.  They believe the link involves high-heat cooking and the chemicals it produces, namely polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines known to cause cancer in animals.

 Sorry guys!  My mission in life is to bring you health and wellness and I’m convinced it’s not found in red and processed meats.

 How about we talk about some other healthy options…

 Let me hear from you!

 At Rejuvalife Vitality Institute – we help change you from the inside out!

 To your health,

Dr. Berger