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Are you blushing or is that rosacea?

As we age, we may notice a blush on the cheeks that might extend into the jawline and onto the nose as well. While we’d like to imagine this is nothing more than a healthy glow, the truth is it might be rosacea.

Persistent red blotchiness, dry skin or bumpy, rough skin–perhaps even bumps that appear to be acne–might be rosacea. It tends to run in families, so if one or both of your parents had rosacea, you’re more likely to get it as well.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition in the skin. Although it can develop at any age, it’s more often seen after the age of 40. It can be triggered or worsened by alcohol, heat, stress or spicy foods.

If rosacea is giving you a blush, consider giving it the “blush-off” with a series of IPL treatments, followed by maintenance every 3 – 4 months,…

6 Steps to Boosting Your Metabolism

As you know, some people are blessed with a fast metabolism and the ability to eat whatever they want without gaining an ounce. For others, dieting and weight loss aren’t as easy. There are a few diet tricks that can help you shed the pounds without crash dieting.

Follow these six steps to kick your metabolism into high gear and keep those temptations in check:

Eat mostly vegetables with lean protein: Half your plate should be brightly colored vegetables (spinach, kale, red peppers, broccoli), considering those with deep colors contain the most nutrition. One quarter should be good quality, low fat protein sources, such as eggs, tofu, fish, chicken and turkey, which will give you a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time and, thus, minimize cravings. One quarter should be complex carbohydrates, which could include whole grains or legumes.

Keep blood sugar healthy:…

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…

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…

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…

The Wave of the Future in Liposculpture

I’m returning to the office this week after my extraordinary trip to China, (pictures coming soon!) and I’m very excited to get back to work because we’ve got an incredible, BRAND NEW liposculpture procedure available now at Rejuvalife, and I’m the very first physician in Beverly Hills to offer it. It’s called Body-Jet, and it’s the newest technology and highest standard liposculpture procedure in existence. It was recently launched in the U.S.  and it is sure to become very popular because of its many benefits over its predecessors.

Unlike traditional liposuction, where a tumescent solution is injected into the tissue during the procedure, the Body-Jet uses WATER which loosens the structure of the fat tissue so it can be removed. Water is continually added and almost immediately aspirated. This method, called Water Assisted Lipo (WAL) produces less swelling and bruising from the procedure, and requires only…

Another Reason to Eat the Mediterranean Way – Less Depression

China is an amazing country – I am looking forward to posting photos and news from my trip when I return in a few days. In the meantime, I read this article, and since we’ve talked about this type of diet and the many benefits derived from keeping your soup clean, I thought I should share it with you, if you haven’t already seen it.

From the NY Times:

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet — packed with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil and fish — is good for your heart, many studies have found. Now scientists are suggesting the diet may be good for your mental health, too

A study of over 10,000 Spaniards followed for almost four and half years on average found that those who reported eating a healthy Mediterranean diet at the beginning of the study…

Traveling in China This Week

I’ll be sure to post some photos when I return, but my posts will be scarce this week because I’m in China presenting a lecture at an anti-aging conference.  More to follow!

Thanks for reading,

Andre Berger, M.D.

Dysport Goes After Botox, Head-On

In the U.S., Botox has been King-of-the-Hill for fighting facial lines and wrinkles for 20 years. A new contender, used successfully for years in Europe,  looks like it’s about to give Botox a run for its money! Called Dysport (pronounced “diss-port”) this slightly different formulation of botulinum toxin type A was recently approved by the FDA, and reportedly works faster and lasts longer than Botox. It may be better for those who have become too tolerant to Botox, and personally, I think it allows for a finer degree of sculpting in the area. (In some instances may save you some money, since the dosage is not 0ne-for-one between the two.)

I recently had a question come into the website about Dysport, and since it’s becoming a very popular beauty and anti-aging topic, I’ve given a more detailed answer in an “Ask Dr. Berger” video.

Thanks for reading,…

Food Choices Supersede Genetics

A recent study has revealed that though a genetic predisposition to obesity creates a risk for obesity 2.5 times higher than for

those with no predisposition, this “fat gene” is effectively neutralized for those who follow a low-fat, nutrient rich diet!

This means even if you’re inherently predisposed to become obese, you can wrest some control of your genetic makeup simply by eating well. Talk about a reason to keep your soup clean! This research is a powerful weapon we have in our own hands that allows us to combat obesity from the comfort of our own homes!

” ‘This means that the critical factor is what you eat. At least in the case of the FTO gene, the most important obesity gene identified so far,’ says…