Not all carbs are bad

As a doctor and surgeon, I read a lot about about carbohydrates.  

For some, all carbohydrates are bad. But, in reality, there are good carbohydrates too.  

I guess you can rate carbohydrates by their calorie density.  The lower the density, the healthier the carbohydrate.  Lets say you have a bowl of Dorito’s and a bowl of cherries.  The cherries would be a better choice since they have a lower calorie density. 

Our diets are normally 50-65% carbohydrates.  What we sometimes forget is that fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates.  These contain things like minerals and vitamins that we all need.  

So carbs are important, as long as they are the right carbs.

Dr. Brueck MD, like all doctors, concerns himself with more than just his board certified plastic and cosmetic surgery specialty. The general health and well-being of all his Southwest Florida patients is equally important to him.

Discounts vs. promotions? Or just plain competence?

Regular readers know that Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD. Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, periodically blogs here about matters relating to plastic surgery and health. Why not set up an RSS feed of this blog so you miss any of them?

Our British counterparts – The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons – recently did a comparison of marketing tools/techniques by their members vs. their counterparts here in America.

They found that clinics were 2 times more likely to offer financial incentives such as prize drawings, multi-procedure discounts, or special rewards for booking surgery such as studio photo shoots.

I think this speaks to the tough economic times we all face – here – Europe – anywhere. Like their counterparts here in America they have seen an alarming increase in non-plastic surgeons cashing in on the new cosmetic industry.

These difficult times certainly warrant prospective patients to be more cautious and diligent in their search for a cosmetic surgeon.

Coupons are great but experience matters more.

Dr. Brueck MD FACS reports on skin care news

Dr. Robert J. Brueck regularly blogs about skin care and cosmetic surgery's contribution to healthy skin and youthful looks. Dr. Brueck, who practices in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Florida, also maintains a web site featuring insights and information about plastic cosmetic surgery.

SKINCARE/WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON

Every time I pick up a journal it seems that there is a new skincare product or regimen. “What’s the latest new craze?”

Vitamin B3 is the latest. Emerging literature seems to indicate application of topical B3 can reverse sun damage. It may not be as effective as Retin-A but it also is less irritating and easier for some patients to tolerated especially people with fair skin. It can also be used in treating acne, rosacea, actinic or sun damage, and even alopecia.

We now have the NIA24 skincare regimen which is based on this research. The results so far have been good.

So if many of you have been trying other skincare regimens and have had problems you may want to consider getting on the NIA24 regimen.

Thanks for stopping by.

VITAMIN D - HOW IMPORTANT IS IT

Dr. Robert J. Brueck, Fort Myers Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with a comprehensive web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com, frequently writes about matters of health and beauty. This time he reflects on the importance of Vitamin D

We live in a dynamic, new, nutrition-oriented world.

For many of us our daily routine starts with a morning cup of coffee and maybe a multivitamin. How things have changed for me! My early morning cup of java is a constant. But I gaze across my desk and see a ton of diet supplements that I now take on a regular basis.

(I do, however, have to admit that I am lazy on weekends and sometimes forget them.)

One of those supplements is Vitamin D. There was a recent article discussing the importance of Vitamin D for “cognitive function”. This appeared in the July 12^th magazine Healthy Aging.

Researchers found that an astonishing 40% to 100% of older adults in the US and Europe are deficient in vitamin D. ( I just reached over and took another 5000 IU of vitamin D; now I can remember what day it is. )

Vitamin D may also help prevent degeneration of our brain tissue by being important in preventing the buildup of Amyloid/(Alzheimer’s) and also in the formation of nervous tissue. The lead researcher, Dr. David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter England and colleagues studied vitamin D levels in 858 adults who were greater than the age of 65.

Study subjects who were severely deficient in vitamin D were 60% more likely to have substantial cognitive decline in general over the 6 year period of this study.

So the study’s findings may open new avenues for research in brain function disorders i.e. senile dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Thought: It may not be a bad idea to pop a vitamin D capsule in the morning.

Can you trust Plastic Surgery directories? Here's what Dr. Brueck thinks.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I try regularly to offer news and opinions about beauty and cosmetic surgery that I find interesting and helpful.

To learn how to subscribe, click on the RSS button in the side bar of this article.

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This issue's subject is plastic surgery directories and thoughts on how they, and some probing questions, can help you find the right cosmetic surgeon for you.

Used to be there were two, maybe three directories in our lives. The White Pages, the Yellow Pages and, at one time, City Directories.

With the onslaught of the Internet and the Web, there are now more directories than weeds in an untended lawn. All manner of entrepreneurs have discovered they can create a directory and sell companies a place in it.

Some of these directories have no subject discipline. If you have a few bucks, you can have your web site listed in a directory. Others, have requirements that a company or individual be in a certain business.

Plastic surgery directories are like that. You must be a qualified plastic surgeon to be included in the directory. There are a few of them and they all require medical/surgical qualification at some level.

The general idea is that someone looking for a plastic surgeon will enter an appropriate search term, such as breast augmentation, in one of the Web Search Engines. Among the results they receive will be a few Directories of Plastic Surgeons.

The directory can be sorted by geographic location or other criteria. If you are looking for a plastic surgeon in "Anyplace Town", the directory will deliver a list of plastic surgeons in or around "Anyplace Town".

It will also include a profile of the doctor, an email address, a telephone number and, occasionally a web site address, for each doctor. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, for someone seeking information and access to a local plastic surgeon, a directory can be very helpful, just as the Yellow Pages can be. (Of course, the internet is usually more responsive, more comprehensive and more current than a printed directory.)

The Yellow Pages can be an instructive analogy, though. Doctors run paid advertisements in the Yellow Pages. Similarly, doctors are required to pay to be included in online directories. This doesn’t make any doctor who pays to be included a bad doctor. He or she would not be listed without meeting what are quite demanding qualifications.

The problem is that an extremely well qualified plastic surgeon may not be willing to pay the directory publisher to be included. That doctor could be the finest surgeon in town, board certified in his or her practice, recognized by his or her peers as the best. If, however, he or she chose not to pay to be in the directory, you as a searcher wouldn’t know it, and you wouldn't learn about that doctor in this otherwise very helpful list. It’s not that you get false information. It’s just that you don’t get all the information.

What can you do about it? Use the directories, by all means. Look in more than one. A surgeon may have paid to be in one directory but not another. When you have zeroed in on the surgeon or surgeons that you want to advise you, go to the consultation with a list of questions.

1. Are you, doctor, board certified in the procedure I am interested in? May I see your certification?

2. How many other patients you performed this procedure for? Can you give me a short list that would be willing to comment on your work?

3. Can you show me before and after photographs of your work?

4. Am I a good candidate for this procedure? What are the chances of complications?

5. What can I expect after the procedure has been completed? What will recovery be like?

6. If you were unavailable to perform this surgery, who would you recommend in your place?

7. Can you give me the name of a patient who was not happy with your performance?

Question #7 is a real test. No surgeon is perfect. Each of them has had at least one patient that he or she did not completely satisfy. If the surgeon can’t answer that question, it should set off an alarm in your head.

Does it mean the surgeon thinks he or she is “perfect”?

Does it mean the surgeon has not paid enough attention to patients to know when one is not 100% satisfied?

Does it mean the surgeon has something to hide?

Incidentally, whether you contact the person the surgeon names or not is less important than asking the question and paying attention to he answer.

So, can you trust plastic surgery directories? More so than not.

In the words of a past President of the United States, however, “Trust but verify.”

Plastic Surgery - Update on “RELOXIN”

Botox has enjoyed a “monopoly” ever since it came on the scene.

It’s long awaited rival Reloxin has been delayed by another government bureaucracy, the FDA.

It may not come out until late 2009, but when it does “WOW”. The competition will be great as it always is. Prices will likely come down.

The FDA’s reasons for the delay concern the company’s plan to handle potential risks.

Hold on to your hats; the roller coaster ride will soon begin.

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Interested in Botox as a filler? Check out Dr. Brueck's website for more information.

Plastic Surgery - Viagra for Cellulite? Hmmm

We all know about “Sildenafil”, better known as Viagra.

Now, Viagra MAY the answer to the nemesis of all cellulite.

Researchers in Zagreb, Croatia have found that Viagra, when combined with skin moisturizers, may have a beneficial effect on cellulite. Viagra has an enzyme that has broken down fat in test tubes. Viagra also has the ability to increase blood flow to the area.

So the “theory” is rub the Viagra on the cellulite → breakdown the fat cells → and with the new blood supply → whoosh the cellulite is gone.

It sounds great! It could really be some “pricey moisturizing cream”.

Stay tuned more to come.

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Want to know more about plastic surgery? Interested Fort Myers/Cape Coral resources? Take a look at Dr. Brueck's website. It's chock-a-block with helpful information.

Cosmetic Surgery - You can have dramatic eyes without it.

Long, flowing eyelashes can enhance the beauty of ones eyes and, hence, ones whole face.












For centuries, women have tried to enhance their eyes and eyelashes.

In the first century many Egyptians would rub kohl (an eyelid preparation to darken the eyelashes) on their lashes to enhance their beauty. In Victorian times, women would rub castor oil on their lashes. A major revolution occurred in 1913 when T.L. Williams revolutionized the beauty industry with the first mascara, Maybeline. Williams' brainchild was a mixture of kohl dust and Vaseline.

So ancient history does matter.

Fake eyelashes soon came onto the scene, when filmmaker, D. W. Griffith, used fake eyelashes to beautify female actresses for the silver screen.

Who can forget the supermodel of the 60s, Twiggy? She adorned the covers of countless fashion magazines with her faux eyelashes.

Then came the famous eyelash extenders, which became popular earlier this decade.

They had their origins in Asia. Women today are turning to semi-permanent eyelash treatments, such as tints, extensions, perms, and topical ingredients. There are new products that we can put directly on eyelashes that are liquids or salves to promote eyelash growth. These peptides, nutrients and naturally enhancing ingredients can promote eyelash growth and enhancement. Eyelash extensions are also quite popular. The cost can vary from $150 to $300 per eye with maintenance about $75. It is most important to protect the client's eye while the extenders are placed.

Experience does matter.

Usually the extenders are bonded to the client's existing eyelashes. The client has to be still as they are being applied. No twitching! Patients have to avoid contact with water for 48 hours - no curlers - no mascara. You also shouldn't sleep on your face, so belly sleepers beware. Sauna and steam roams are also 'verboten' (forbidden).

Tinting is also an effective way to highlight ones lashes.

Usually there are vegetable dyes. Some people are allergic to mascara and have difficulty applying it. Another technique is perming. This service takes 30-45 minutes and adds curl to natural lashes. This can also be combined with tinting. So there you have it - a journey for more beautiful eyes.

We will soon have in our office topical agents designed to enhance eyelash growth. Give us a call at 939-5233 to find out more. Visit my Web site at BeautyByBrueck.com for more information about cosmetic procedures for the eyelids and face.

Longer eyelashes - News from Dr Robert Brueck, Fort Myers Board Certified cosmetic surgeon

Remember a while back, we wrote about the quest for longer eyelashes and some potentially new and exciting developments?

There now are some definitive studies to show its effectiveness. The drug in question is Allergan’s Lumigan, also known as bimatoprest. The drug currently is FDA-approved for the treatment of glaucoma.

In a double blind study, patients received a placebo (or nothing, i.e. water drops) in one eye and Lumigan in the other.

The results?

The eye receiving Lumigan had eyelashes grow two millimeters in six weeks, or twice as quickly as the eye receiving the placebo.

Allergan also warns that the drops may cause the iris to become darker.

So if you want longer lashes and darker irises, this is the ”holy grail.” You will, however, have to wait for FDA approval for this use, which is anticipated for 2009.

The only question I have is, “How do you measure eyelash length?”

For lots of interesting information about cosmetic procedures for the eyes and face, take a look at my web site at

http://www.beauty-by-Brueck.com/Eyelid-Surgery-by-Dr-Robert-Brueck.htm

or

http://www.beauty-by-Brueck.com/Face-Lift-Surgery-by-Dr-Robert-Brueck.htm