Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA

Finding the Motivation to Work Out

How many of you have started a new gym membership, went every other day the first couple weeks, then soon lost motivation and now you’re lucky to make it a few times a month. Finding your motivation is key to staying with an exercise plan, and making it a regular part of your anti-aging lifestyle. Certain simple lifestyle changes, techniques and mindsets can help to keep motivation steadily high.

Use a scale every day – Weigh yourself first thing every morning without heavy clothes, before breakfast, and after using the bathroom.  Studies have shown that people who weigh themselves regularly lose more weight and keep the pounds off more effectively than those who don’t. Being aware of your weight can put you more in tune with the factors that cause it to go up and down, to track your progress on a diet or fitness plan, and to allow you to adjust accordingly as weight fluctuates.

It’s all in the mind – Studies of elite athletes have shown that the ideal ratio of pre-event visualization to physical training is 70-30. That’s seventy percent visualization. Just psyching yourself up while strength training can increase up to 8%. Visualizing doing perfect benchpresses can add about 12% more power than being distracted. Repeating affirmations or mantras during endurance exercises can help increase stamina and performance.

Plan ahead – Chances are, if you are not planning your workouts in advance and scheduling around them, something will come up or you will find an excuse to skip workouts. The morning is the best time to work out. Not only can early morning workouts have beneficial effects on your mental and physical health throughout the day, but people’s days tend to get busier as the day moves on, and they are less likely to be interrupted by things coming up before the start of the work day.

Consistency is Key – “Well, maybe I wont work all week, but I’ll take a really long run on Sunday.” That’s the equivalent of saying “well, maybe I wont brush my teeth all week, but I’ll brush them extra long on Sunday.” Your body will begin to lose conditioning only three days after stopping working out. Adults should work out at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week. There are significant additional health benefits for working out an hour a day, 5 times per week. Recent studies have found that even 15 minutes of exercise a day have incredible health benefits.

With a little help from my friends – Studies have shown that having an exercise partner or group can help you stay with an exercise routine. Not only are you committing to yourself, but you’re making a commitment to someone else, which makes it that much harder to break. You can also help each other track progress, keep things fun, and support and motivate each other. Running with a partner, in a group, or in a public event can increase performance, because of an aspect of social comparison and often competition.

Set your sights – Signing up for a specific event or having a very specific fitness or health goal in mind can dramatically improve your motivation and help you stay on track. If you know you have to be in shape for a marathon in 3 months, you will be able to figure out better how much you need to be running to accomplish the goal. If  your goal is unclear or nebulous, it is hard to track progress and to stay on course.

Do what you love – Working out should not be tedious! If you hate the elliptical machine, it’s going to be hard to committing 2 hours a week to using it. And why would you? There are so many fun, challenging, and unique ways to stay in shape. Whether it’s basketball, kayaking, hiking, skiing, surfing, jumping on a trampoline, martial arts, or even gardening, there are so many activities to choose from that burn major calories and that you can actually look forward to doing. It’s much easier to stay motivated when your workout isn’t a chore you feel you have to do, but something you genuinely enjoy. And if you really don’t like any other physical activity, at least can sex burn 85 calories or more in a half an hour.

The wave of the future – Modern technology has made incredible innovations geared to make exercise more fun, effective, and accessible. You can now where a sensor on your wrist that’s linked to an app that can keep track of your heart rate, calories burned, steps, workouts, and diet, while GPS tracking the distance of your runs. One app even let’s you take a picture of your meal, and it will tell you how many calories and carbs it has. Recent have studies have found that personal mobile exercise management apps improve weight loss. Certain exercise related and physically active video games have been shown to be effective for weight loss and fitness. Investing a little bit in engaging gadgetry and gear can motivate you to put it to use more. After all, you want to get your money’s worth.

Staying on a fitness plan isn’t always easy, but making your health a priority can help you grit your teeth and workout even when it’s tough. Making these simple lifestyle changes can help you stay on track. Rejuvalife Vitality Institute is here to support your health and wellbeing goals. We offer comprehensive Fitness and Nutrition Plans, Nutritional Supplements, Lifestyle Management, and Medically Supervised Weight Loss.

For Your Health!

Longevity – Will it Last?

Human Life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past 100 years, and the maximum human life span has also increased dramatically. Even more incredibly, centenarians are now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, increasing from only 3700 in 1940 to over 60,000 today. This is due largely to modern scientific and medical innovations, in addition to other changes in the way we live our life. Many diseases and environmental factors that used to cut our lives short are no longer as much of an issue. We have antibiotics for infection, sterilization, pasteurization, surgery, immunization, and countless other innovations that weren’t available in the recent past. If trends are any indication the human life span and life expectancy will continue to increase as our scientific and medical technology evolves. Science is divided on the question of whether it is possible to significantly increase human longevity, or if there are hard and fast biological markers that put a cap on how long we can possibly live, and we have already reached the plateau.

This also raises the question that even if we can extend our life span, what will happen to the quality of life as we grow older and older as a people? Skeptics argue that if human beings really were supposed to live to an average of 100 years, then there would not be such a universal decline in all human biological systems by age 80. It is now possible to keep someone who is brain dead or in a coma alive with life support and machines to keep them functioning. If growing to a superhuman age is going to bring with it significant increases in age related decline and pathology, then what is the point? For the science of anti-aging to be useful to us, it must necessarily delay age related changes and the degradation of the quality of life.

Current research is providing evidence that by developing deeper understanding of how the aging process works, we can dramatically slow down the aging process, and potentially stop and even reverse biological aging. Research into the relationship between longevity and telomere length, oxidative stress, caloric restriction, and gene expression have produced some remarkable findings. For instance, studies on rats have shown dramatic increase in lifespan for rats who were given an extremely low calorie diet. The idea of gene manipulation opens a whole new world of possibility. Even if humans as the are are designed with a genetic time limit, gene manipulation has the potential to alter those very genes. Maybe the key to longevity is to simply change the expression of the genes that cause our systems to deteriorate with age and us to die.

While the jury is still out on the fate of human longevity as a whole, there are many simple lifestyle changes and scientific innovations currently available that are known to increase our projected life expectancy and lower our mortality rates. Stopping smoking, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and limiting television exposure can all add years to your life. Rejuvalife Vitality Institute offers a comprehensive, medically supervised age management program, using bioidentical hormones to restore a youthful hormonal balance. This combined with proper nutrition, fitness and lifestyle management can significantly improve your life expectancy. We can’t change the genetics that were given to us, but we have a say in the quality of life that we live and how we take care of the body that we have.

The Unexpected Benefits of Exercise

As if being able to fit into your jeans from college isn’t enough of a reason, sufficient exercise can bring a wide variety of serious health benefits. Besides the obvious weight loss, improved muscle and cardiovascular function, as well as increased longevity, exercise brings with it a host of unexpected benefits. In general, those who exercise regularly are actually “biologically younger” than those who do not exercise regularly, therefore, they are at lower risk for age-related disease and physical decline.

A new study suggests a strong link between exercise and eye health. The study suggests that regular exercise can lower the risk of macular degeneration resulting from age by up to 70%. Physical activity reduces inflammation in the blood vessel walls the results from the disease.

Exercise can significantly increase how quickly you fall asleep, and improve the overall quality of your sleep. As your metabolism becomes more efficient, your body is able to make the downgrade from awake to asleep faster. In other words, your body does not to remain active as long to maintain your metabolic balance. Not only that, but exercise allows you to wake up faster and feel more rested, even if you got a little less sleep than normal.

Exercise is also great for your skin. Healthy skin requires sufficient water and oxygen to look and feel it’s best. The heavy breathing and increased heart rate associated with exercise increase your circulation, which carries oxygen throughout the body, including the skin. Increased muscle mass and reduces fatty deposits can also result in tighter, smoother feeling skin, as the skin is literally being pulled more tightly over the muscle.

Sports involving small, fast moving objects like tennis can improve your general ability to focus. In addition to improved concentration, your eyes will actually physically focus faster. A strong link has also been shown between exercise and memory and other cognitive functions. Exercise also significantly improves balance, which can have positive effects in many different areas.

Don’t sweat! People who exercise often tend to sweat less when not working out than those who don’t exercise regularly. The body uses the exercise time to sweat out toxins and excess water. In addition, regular exercisers have lower resting heart rate, which keeps their bodies from heating up and sweating during regular tasks, like climbing stairs.

If taking care of yourself isn’t enough, then do it for your kids. Studies show that parent who have healthy exercise routines and diet are more likely to raise kids with the same habits. Not to mention if you live significantly longer, you will have more time with your loved ones.

So how much do you need to exercise? Adults should do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Health benefits increase significantly at 5 hours per week. Adults should also do exercise to strengthen their muscles using all major muscle groups at least 2 days per week.  While it’s less than ideal, recent studies have found significant health benefits from exercising only 15 minutes a day.

Exercise is one of the most important components of an anti-aging lifestyle, along with nutrition, sleep, and stress reduction. In addition to looking and feeling great, exercise provides an incredible amount of health benefits. Rejuvalife Vitality Institute offers comprehensive fitness and nutrition programs, as well as medically supervised weight loss, to support your overall health, beauty, and well-being.

Don’t Stress Over Stress

Stress, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For our earliest ancestors, stress could have meant the difference between life and death in the face of a hungry saber-toothed tiger. Stress activates our body’s sympathetic nervous system, inducing the so called “fight-or-flight” response, causing our adrenal glands to release a flood of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline serves to temporarily increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure, and boost energy supplies. Cortisol increases blood glucose and delivers more of it to the brain. In small doses, this stress can be just the extra kick we need to perform well on a test, meet a difficult deadline, or perform in front of an audience. This is generally followed by a period of rest, when the body and adrenals have a chance to recover and return to equilibrium. When we stress our muscles, say through weight lifting, it forces our muscles to grow over time to be able handle greater degrees of stress in the future. A similar mechanism serves as the foundation for the way we learn new skills and information, by constantly pushing ourselves beyond our current comfortable capacity, we train ourselves to handle increasingly greater demands. Stress is critical for growth.

It’s only when stress becomes chronic and uncontrolled that it can become an issue. Stress can be especially toxic when a difficult event happens and a person feels they do not have the financial or internal resources to handle it. When chronic stress becomes a part of life, serious physical and mental health consequences can develop. This is due in part to a somewhat paradoxical problem. Prolonged exposure to adrenaline and cortisol in the bloodstream can contribute to prolonged elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, which can cause a number of issues. At the same time, the adrenal glands can weaken due to overworking, resulting in diminished ability to produce enough adrenaline and cortisol to meet the stress.

According to a statistic from the American Academy of Family Physicians, stress-related symptoms account for two-thirds of all office visits. Several studies link high levels of self-reported stress to significantly increased mortality rates. This is due a number of different factors. For one, there are higher risk and complication rates of diseases. High levels of stress are linked to increased risk and symptom complications for heart disease, heart attack, cancer, stroke, obesity, type II diabetes, anxiety, depression, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, sleep issues, and memory impairment, to name a few. High stress also has a strong link to lower immune function, which can contribute to increased mortality due to any number of illnesses. Certain predisposed genetic factors that make some people more susceptible to stress than others may also contribute to mortality rates.

Several key lifestyle changes and practices can help reduce stress. A growing body of research is supporting the health benefits and stress fighting properties of meditation. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve immune function. A recent study showed that regular meditation improved physical and emotional responses to stress. Participants who meditated regularly experienced less immune system activation and emotional distress in response to stressful situations.

Regular exercise is critical for coping with stress, as well as healthy diet and nutrition. Reducing caffeine and sugar intake can reduce spikes and crashes in mood and energy, which can help with stressful situations, in addition to promoting relaxation and better sleep. While alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs may provide a feeling of temporary relief, they interfere with addressing the underlying issues that contribute to stress in the first place, and may cause other health issues that contribute to stress. Sufficient sleep, 7-8 hours per night, is necessary to have sufficient energy to deal with stressful situations. Several mental, emotional, and behavioral changes in the way you cope with stress can help to alleviate it, such as avoiding stressful people, learning to say “no”, avoiding stressful conversation topics, reframing issues as opportunities for growth, organizing time management, and focusing on the positive. Try to shift your focus to changing stressful environmental factors that are in your control, and learning to cope with or avoid factors that can’t be controlled.

If stress is taking a significant toll on your wellbeing, and efforts to address it have not been effective, Rejuvalife offers a comprehensive stress management program, designed to diagnose and correct potential hormonal imbalances of DHEA and cortisol, and to manage aspects of diet, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle that may be contributing to stress. This allows stress to be taken off the adrenal glands, so they have a chance to recover and restore normal functioning. As cortisol contributes to the retention of abdominal fat, stress management may also play an integral role in a weight loss program. Rejuvalife operates on the principle that a person’s overall “looks” and external beauty are in large part a reflection of internal health and well being. If a person has poor internal health, of which stress can be a major contributing factor, this will show on their face, and their external beauty will be diminished. Stress management is therefore an integral part of a person’s anti-aging lifestyle and aesthetic enhancement regime.

The A,B,C’s (and E’s and K’s) of Vitamins for Skincare

Rejuvalife operates on the principle that radiant inner health is essential for outer beauty. Lifestyle, diet, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and stress management are crucial elements contributing to overall external looks. Even if someone has perfect bone structure and attractive facial features, if they have low energy, poor diet, are stressed out and sleep deprived, then these factors will show on their face, and their overall beauty with be diminished. Patients ask all the time what vitamins, nutrients, and minerals are best for their bodies. More recently, I have been getting a lot of questions about what can be taken to improve skin and therefore overall beauty. The answer is that many of the same vitamins and minerals that are good for our bodies are also good for our skin, when used as a supplement and when applied topically. I wanted to give an overview of how vitamins you take for your body can also improve your skin and overall beauty.

Vitamin C and E

Vitamin C and E are essential for protecting the skin from sun damage and repairing damaged skin. People who take Vitamins C and E regularly on a long term basis show reduced rate of sunburn caused by UVB radiation. Topical Vitamin C and E are recommended for protection from immediate sun exposure, and taking them as supplements has been shown to reduce sun damage, wrinkles, and improve skin texture. Vitamin C and E reduce damage from free radicals, which break down collagen and elastin and lead to wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Vitamin A

Unless your Vitamin A levels are low, adding addition Vitamin A probably won’t make much of a difference on your skin. However, if these levels drop even slightly below normal, it can result in skin problems, including a dry, flaky complexion. Vitamin A is essential for skin maintenance and repair, and without sufficient levels, your skin will suffer. Topical Vitamin A has been shown to reduce wrinkles, control acne, and improve symptoms of psoriasis.

Biotin

Biotin is a B-Vitamin responsible for the formation of skin, nail and hair cells. Even a slight deficiency can lead to dry, itchy, or scaly skin.

Niacin

Niacin, another B-Vitamin, when applied topically helps the skin to retain moisture, which gives the appearance of more voluminous, healthy skin and a youthful appearance. Niacin is also an anti-inflammatory which can reduce skin swelling and irritation.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K probably will not make much of a difference to your skin when taken as a supplement, however, topical Vitamin K has been shown to be effective in reducing dark circles under the eyes.

Selenium

An increasing amount of research suggests that Selenium plays a key role in Skin Cancer prevention. A study showed that Skin Cancer patients who took Selenium regularly had 37% fewer malignancies, 50% reduced risk of death from skin cancer, and a 17% decrease in overall mortality. Selenium in supplement and topical form has sunburn fighting properties as well.

Copper

Copper plays a role in the development of elastin, the fibers responsible for supporting skin structure. Most people do not have deficiencies, so supplements are generally not recommended and may have harmful effects. However, applied topically, copper can be very beneficial. They have been shown to firm skin and elasticity, and provide quick improvements in skin smoothness, clarity, fine lines, wrinkling, and sun damage.

Zinc

Most of us are familiar with using Zinc Oxide on our noses for sun damage. What most people don’t know is that Zinc is also crucial in regulating acne. Sometimes, acne itself may be a symptom of a Zinc deficiency. When taken as a supplement or used topically, Zinc reduces oil production, and can help reduce formation of acne lesions and help repair existing ones.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential Fatty Acids, such as the Omega-3s found in fish and flax, have a powerful affect on the skin. Essential Fatty Acids are largely responsible for the skin’s natural oil barrier. If levels are low, the skin produces a problematic form of oil, which can lead to problems like dry skin, inflammation, and white heads and black heads. Learn more about Omega-3 Fatty Acids in another edition of Dr. Berger’s Blog.

Hyaluronic Acid

The same substance used in dermal fillers such as Juvéderm, Perlane, and Restylane may have benefits when used topically. In your body, hyaluronic acid serves to lubricate joints. In the skin, hyaluronic acid acts as a sort of glue, holding skin cells together, which keeps skin tighter and smoother. Hyaluronic acid has the ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water, which aids in moisture retention in the skin. Some research indicates the hyaluronic acid might be beneficial for the skin as a supplement, although more research is needed.

Take Care of your Skin

Rejuvalife is here to support your overall health, inside and out, and we take skin very seriously. In addition to our Skin Rejuvenation treatments, such as Chemical Peels, Microdermabrasion, Therapeutic Facials, as well as Botox and Dermal Fillers, we also offer a complete line of the highest quality Nutritional Supplements and Skincare Products. We can also work with you to develop a diet and nutrition plan to promote healthy levels of these vitamins and minerals and overall well-being. We recognize that good skin is an essential part of beauty, and are here to help you achieve the smooth, youthful, glowing complexion you have always wanted.

Your coffee habit might be saving your life

“Can I please get a venti decaf, sugar-free hazelnut, non-fat, no foam, no whip, extra hot caramel macchiato with five pumps of sugar-free hazelnut syrup?” There’s no denying it. Coffee has become part of the American Culture and the American Diet.

Whether you’re a fan of our coffee culture or not, coffee is here to stay, supported by the fact that the average American drank 26 gallons of coffee in 2009. While this may sound like a lot, recent research has shown astonishing disease fighting and health improving properties of daily coffee consumption, especially in higher doses. People in the U.S. get the majority of their antioxidant intake from coffee. A typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than an average serving of blueberries. The properties of the special antioxidants and polyphenols found in coffee, along with the effects of the caffeine itself, may play a major part in prevention and ultimately treatment of a number of degenerative diseases.

One of the most recent findings to gain attention is coffee’s incredible association with lower skin cancer risk. A study of nearly 94,000 women found that daily coffee drinkers had an almost 11 percent lower risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, and that women who drank six or more cups daily had a 30 percent reduction in risk. In addition to actually being able to absorb UV rays, caffeine inhibits a chemical pathway responsible for repairing DNA damage in cells caused by UV radiation. While this repair process may sound like a good thing, the problem is that sometimes these cells don’t repair properly and can go on to become cancer cells. By inhibiting this process and letting these cells die, the  risk of them becoming cancerous is eliminated. Caffeine inhibits a similar process in breast cancer development, by promoting cell death of damaged, potentially malignant cells in the breast.

In addition to several other types of cancer, research has linked high, daily coffee consumption to reduced risk of Heart Attack, Heart Disease, Stroke, Dementia including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s, Type 2 Diabetes, Liver Cirrhosis, and Asthma. Some studies have found that coffee actually improves social skills, and reduces symptoms of depression and rate of suicide.

Ok, so coffee fights cancer and heart disease, but is it really worth the bad breath? Contrary to the implications of the common phrase “coffee breath,” a study from the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany (yes, this is a real thing) showed that certain compounds in coffee may ultimately reduce bad breath by eliminating bacteria responsible for halitosis.

The verdict is in. Coffee has tremendous health benefits when included in your daily nutrition, as part of your anti-aging lifestyle. But not all coffee drinks are created equally. A 6 oz. cup of black coffee has about 7 calories. Add a bit of half  & half or creamer and you’re looking at about 50 calories. Every teaspoon of sugar you add from there is about 23 calories more. Do your body a favor and stay away from any of those fancy, sugar filled coffee concoctions. A 16 oz. Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino has 370 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 54 grams of sugar. A 16 oz. McDonalds Frappe, which makes the Starbucks Frappuccino look like a diet drink in comparison, contains a whopping 560 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 70 grams of sugar. That’s the same amount of sugar as 17 and a half of the sugar packets you might use to sweeten your regular coffee! Sugary, artificial coffee drinks have so much sugar that the harmful effects of consuming the sugar on a regular basis far outweigh the health benefits of whatever trace amount of actual coffee they may contain. Caffeine also increases metabolism and energy available for exercise which aids in weight loss, as long as you minimize added milk and sugar, and steer clear of the muffins, bagels, and donuts that often go with it.

Drink up!

Internet Addiction and the Wired Brain

Before I begin, I’d like to acknowledge that I do recognize the irony of writing a blog about the harmful effects of the internet.

The internet and modern technology certainly seem to make life easier and more efficient, but the consequences of living in a wired world may be severe. A growing body of research is connecting excessive internet and technology use with major negative changes to our cognitive function, mood, emotion, overall health and the physiology of the brain itself.

Our brains are hard-wired to respond to the instant gratification, fast pace, and unpredictability of the internet and new technologies.  We are designed to be stimulated and direct our attention toward novel stimuli and change, which the internet and technology constantly provide. We never know when we’ll receive a tweet or email or what they will be about, or what we’ll find browsing the internet. There is a never ending stream of new, complex information entering our brains at all times, and this has fundamentally changed the way the modern brain works.

Recent studies are showing that the structure of our brains can actually physically change from excessive Internet usage. A study in China looked at brain MRIs of college students who spent about 10 hours a day online, and compared them to a control group who spent under two hours a day online. The heavy internet users had noticeably less gray matter, which is involved in muscle control, sensory perception, memory, emotions, and speech. Another study showed that multitasking on the Internet was associated with a diminished ability to identify emotions in pictures of faces. Other studies have found correlations between excessive internet use and ADHD, social anxiety, and depression.

The increased use of the internet and technology is linked to spending more time sitting and living a more sedentary lifestyle in general, both of which are associated with significant health consequences, such as reduced lifespan, higher incidence of major diseases such as heart attack  and stroke, as well as a faster decline in cognitive functioning.

Although there is still some debate, research is coming around to support the idea of “Internet Addiction” as a disease like drug or alcohol addiction. The behaviors and effects associated with being addicted to the internet or technology are very similar to those related to drugs or alcohol. The constant stimulation the internet provides can actually increase dopamine activity in the main pleasure center of the brain. People can develop tolerance, where the same amount of internet time that used to be satisfying no longer is, so more is required to get the same effect. Heavy internet users who quit “cold turkey” can actually have significant withdrawal symptoms, including physical tremors, anxiety and mood swings. Internet addiction can cause affective changes such as depression or irritability. Furthermore, heavy internet usage can disrupt social relationships. All of these are characteristic of the classical definition of an addiction.

As our world becomes more and more wired, it is important to take some time everyday to unplug. Turn off your blackberry and go outside, have a real face-to-face conversation or read a book. If the idea of being away from your technology fills you with a sense of dread, it may be a good time to kick the habit.  If you think you may have an addiction or problem with excessive internet or technology use, take this online test (irony noted) to see how you rank. If you need help, there are counselors who work specifically with technology addiction. Just Google it. No, seriously.

5 Tips for Recovering from Summer Sun Damage

Summer is coming to an end, and while your tan looks great, those all day sun sessions may have taken a toll. Signs of sun damage may include dryness, prolonged redness, new freckles or moles, dull appearance and under-eye circles. Over time, sun exposure can lead to premature signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles.

1. Exfoliate

Start with a clean slate! Being out in the sun all summer has most likely left you with an accumulation of layers of dead skin, giving your face a dull complexion. Using a gentle exfoliant 2-3 times per week to slough off dead skin cells will help to restore your skin’s natural radiance and glow.

2. Moisturize

Use a non-comedogenic moisturizer daily and drink plenty of water to restore your skin’s natural hydration. Use aloe vera to help with burning and to restore moisture. Aloe has natural anti-inflammatory properties, and has been shown to help burn patients heal nine days faster on average.

3. Protect

The most important (and often overlooked) component of an anti-aging regimen for your skin is the daily use of sunscreen. The sunscreen should be at least SPF 30 and protect against both the UVA and UVB spectrums.

4. Watch Your Diet

Several different foods will benefit your skin and help restore damage. Including soy in your diet aids in smoothing and moisturizing the skin, improving its overall tone. Antioxidant rich foods fight free-radical damage from the sun, working to repair previous damage and protecting against future damage.

5. Get Some Rest

Sufficient sleep is essential for healthy skin cell growth and repair, because it prompts skin cells to restore themselves and encourages the body to rebuild collagen. Getting at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night can maintain a healthy level of cell turnover and slowly diminish the signs of sun damage.

Still need more help? 

For excessive or prolonged sun damage or additional aesthetic enhancement, various cosmetic procedures may be an option. These include Chemical Peels, Laser Treatments, and Microdermabrasion for toning and resurfacing the skin, and Fillers and Collagen Stimulators for treating signs of aging that sun damage may accelerate, such as fine lines and wrinkles.

Dr. Berger Goes Down Under, as Featured Speaker at A5M Conference in Melbourne

Dr. Berger recently returned from his trip to Australia, where he was invited to be a featured speaker at the Australasian Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine (A5M) Annual Conference in Melbourne. This year’s conference on Age Management focused on the theme of Preventative Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Balanced Patient Care. Dr. Berger was welcomed as a leading authority on Anti-Aging and Aesthetic Medicine, and his presentations provided valuable wisdom to the medical community attending the conference on a diverse and expansive body of information. In addition, Allergan, the makers of Botox, sponsored Dr. Berger’s workshop called “Juvederm and the Perfect Lip.” Below we have provided the abstracts for Dr. Berger’s presentations.

Facial Sculpting – Beyond Traditional Thinking

The traditional use of neurotoxins and aesthetic medicine has been primarily focused on addressing individual and compartmentalized concerns related to dynamic muscle contractions such as crown lines, crow’s feet, and forehead lines.  Advanced usage of neurotoxins takes a more holistic approach to facial appearance; looking at the face as a whole to achieve a more global aesthetic improvement. This can be achieved either as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with other aesthetic modalities such as volumising fillers, collagen stimulators, resurfacing and skin tightening lasers.  When used in this fashion a more natural appearing desirable aesthetic outcome can be achieved on a consistent basis.
This presentation will review the use of botulinum toxin as a facial sculpting tool and how it can be used in conjunction with other modalities to achieve natural global rejuvenation.

Juvéderm and the Perfect Lip

The lip is the most important aesthetic feature of the lower face.  Optimum aesthetic appearance requires a lip that is aesthetically balanced to the rest of the face and that has ideal volume, shape and proportionality.  Hyaluronic acid fillers are ideal for achieving the perfect lip correction on a consistent basis.  This presentation will review the use of Juvéderm and Juvéderm Ultra Plus and Hyaluronic injectables for the achievement of the perfect lip augmentation.

The Clinical Aesthetic Application of Anti-ageing Medicine

Beauty is indeed beyond skin deep!  Underlying internal processes significantly influence the development and profession of individual aesthetic decline as well as the duration of benefit from cosmetic surgical and medical interventions.  Optimal cosmetic appearance is very positively influenced by more optimal lifestyles and more youthful hormonal homeostasis.  Cosmetic surgeons will benefit from recognizing specific aesthetic physical signs of hormonal decline, deficiency and disequilibrium.  Once they are recognized they can be corrected in conjunction with cosmetic medical and surgical procedures, in order to achieve superior and longer lasting outcomes.
This presentation will review the more common clinical physical signs of aesthetic decline that are associated with specific hormonal deficiencies and how relate these findings to specific corrective treatments.
Learn how to recognize specific aesthetic physical signs of hormonal decline, deficiency and disequilibrium that can be corrected in conjunction with cosmetic medical and surgical procedures, in order to achieve superior and longer lasting outcomes.

Setting up Complete Anti-ageing Practice 

The complete anti-ageing practice should focus on both the inside and outside to provide comprehensive anti-ageing care, addressing how people feel and look.  Optimum outcomes are achieved by providing patients with state of the art operations, while addressing both anti-ageing and cosmetic needs.  Practices organized and equipped to address these needs will thrive.
This presentation will summarize the components of setting up a comprehensive anti-ageing and cosmetic medical practice and will discuss the key factors that lead to success.  The evolution of anti-ageing and cosmetic medicine naturally leads to combining them in a comprehensive way to create the anti-ageing and cosmetic medicine practice of today and the future.

The Age of “Boytox” – Male Cosmetic Procedures on the Rise

Move over ladies! Women aren’t the only one’s rushing to the doctor’s office for cosmetic procedures anymore. The number of men seeking cosmetic treatments has skyrocketed over the past decade. Specifically, there has been a steady increase in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, such as botox and filler injections, with a 45% increase in overall procedures. In contrast, the percentage of men seeking more invasive surgical procedures such as Rhinoplasty has actually decreased, dropping 48% between 2000 and 2010.

And what’s topping the list? If you guessed Botox, you’d be right. In 2010, 336,834 men made their way to a doctor’s office for their injections. Still, men are only accountable for a mere 6% of all procedures, with women having a total of 5,379,360 procedures in 2010, but the number of Botox injections for males has increased 258% since 2000, prompting the media to coin the term “Boytox.” In addition to wrinkle removal, men are also seeking Botox injections to reduce excessive sweating, contributing to some of these numbers.

What other procedures made the top 5? In 2010, 164,536 men had Laser Hair Removal procedures as part of their “manscaping” regiments, and 158,268 got Microdermabrasion. In fact, men account for nearly 1/5 of patients for each of these procedures. 78,472 received Soft Tissue Fillers, including Radiesse, Juvederm, Sculptra, and Artefill, as well as Fat Transfers. Lastly, 90,297 men received Chemical Peels. All of these procedures showed a dramatic increase since 2000, with the exception of Chemical Peels, although their popularity of has resurged sharply in the past few years as newer methods have been introduced.

The rise in cosmetic procedures among men can be attributed to several factors. The overall landscape of public opinion has changed dramatically in recent years, with the media emphasizing a youthful appearance for men as well as women. Just like the women who seek procedures, male patients want their outward appearance to reflect their inner youthfulness and health. The image of a more polished man, who is concerned about their health and appearance, has become more accepted. The “metrosexual” craze of a few years ago comes to mind. In addition, women are also much more likely to discuss their procedures today than in years past. There isn’t a stigma about cosmetic procedures anymore in the way there used to be, and this trend seems to be carrying over to men. I believe that as the number of men seeking procedures continues to rise, any stigma of cosmetic enhancement seeming “unmasculine” or solely the domain of women will continue to diminish.

There are other strong factors underlying the rise in procedures for men. Due to the aging of the baby-boomer generation and the economic recession, there is more pressure for older men to compete with a younger generation for jobs and romance. With fewer jobs available and more competition, many men seek cosmetic enhancement to give them an edge in landing a job, or keeping the one they have, in the face of a workforce becoming increasingly dominated by younger workers.

Men want to look youthful and attractive just as women do, and like women, men who undergo procedures may experience a boost in their self-esteem and confidence levels. This can empower them to pursue romantic and career opportunities they may not have before.