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Brides and diets are nothing new. As a matter of fact, its one of the few times women are excused from ignoring all nutritional guidelines for the sake of looking their best on that special day. According to recent ABCnews story the controversial K-E diet, uses a feeding tube to help dieters shed 20 pounds in just 10 days. Your hunger and appetite go away completely, so patients are absolutely not hungry at all for the whole 10 days, said Dr. Oliver Di Pietro.  A feeding tube is inserted into the dieters nose and slowly runs, a steady consistent drip of a protein and fat combination directly into their stomachs for a total of 800 calories.  It is claimed that body fat is burned through a process called ketosis, and the theory is that it leaves muscle intact. Doctors are supposed to supervise the diet, but patients arent admitted to the hospital. Instead, they have to tote the bag of food solution with them and keep the tube in their nose for the 10 days straight, needed to lose the 20 pounds. This diet according to the ABC news story appears to have special appeal for brides- to –be as they consider quick ways to lose weight and still look good. Dr. Kim advises brides against any drastic measures close to the wedding day. It is typically advised that patients who are considering plastic surgery procedures prior to their wedding schedule them a minimum of three months prior to the wedding day. The most popular procedures among brides are breast augmentation and liposuction. Both of these procedures would have a marked effect on how the wedding dress fits, which is the main reason for allowing enough time for swelling to be reduced and healing to have taken place prior to the fitting  for  the wedding gown. Drastic weight loss after body contouring procedures or breast augmentation is not advised.

Having a mammogram can be stressful enough, if you are told that you have an abnormal result that can be even worse. If the abnormal reading is found to be false, you are likely to be relieved; however, it would make most women wonder how often this happens. According to a recent onlinehealth article more than half of women in the U.S. who get the recommended annual mammogram will have at least one false-positive reading after 10 years of screening.  New research suggests that these women have an elevated risk for breast cancer. Women in a Danish study who had received, at the minimum one false-positive mammogram had a greater chance of eventually being diagnosed with breast cancer than women who had no previous history. However, there was little discrepancy in risk between women with and without false-positive readings who had received their mammogram after the year 2000, suggesting that improvements in mammography screening technology have resulted in more accurate screening.This study could be interpreted as reassuring for women being screened today, says breast cancer specialist Stephanie Bernik, MD, who was not involved with the study. Breast augmentation remains the number one cosmetic plastic surgery performed in the US. This results in many breast surgeries every year. Dr. Kim advises his breast surgery patients including those who have had breast augmentation with breast implants, breast reduction, and breast lift that it is important to be committed to proper breast health even after cosmetic breast surgery. Patient should follow the recommendations of their primary care physician. The general recommendations are those of the American Cancer Society. The recommendations include monthly breast self-examination and annual mammogram beginning at age 40. The recommendations can vary based on family health history and other medical considerations. Patients should understand that cosmetic breast surgery does not change the standard breast health recommendations.

Life coach was the buzz term tossed around from early 2000 through about 2005. In most cases it replaced the title motivational speaker. Now a new term has surfaced may be as a reinvention of motivational speaker, life coach- and now wellness coach. According to recent local ABC news story there is a distinct differentiation between personal trainers, who concentrate on physical fitness, and a wellness coach. A wellness coach claims to take a specific up holistic approach, which is created to focus on both the body and the mind. Typically, they meet clients individually and help them create a tailored health plan. The coach is really trained to help you take a bigger picture of you, overall aspects of your health and wellness, and then come up with a formula that combines all of these things together, said Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation. This type of coaching is common for executives; however, the new wellness coaches claim that it is not just for executives. It was seen in the workplace with executives that they were more productive if they were healthy and fit and they were handling their stress well and addressing all the issues of wellness. So now its showing to be advantageous for the average person to pursue wellness as well, said Dr. Holly Benjamin of the American College of Sports Medicine. Cosmetic plastic surgery has always been about wellness and health. Since cosmetic procedures are elective, they are specifically for people who are healthy. It is hopeful that as this trend progresses that wellness coaches will include plastic surgery options as part of the overall plan for their clients who are interested in looking and feeling their best. Dr. Kim explains to his patients that as they make proactive decisions about their health which include exercise and proper diet it stands to reason that they will be proactive concerning their appearance. Patient should begin at a younger age addressing the obvious signs of aging. This can be done using noninvasive cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers. Patient should consider procedures such as facelift, brow lift, and blepharoplasty as soon as they begin to see fine lines and wrinkles become more noticeable. This will allow them to have the least drastic change in their appearance, the most natural appearance, and the best long-term results.

Paying for a gym membership becomes a burden if youre not using it. Its also a burden if you are not maximizing every opportunity available within the gym. According to a recent Los Angeles ABC news story the majority of weighted equipment today has placards displayed on every machine that show which muscles are worked and basic instructions on how to use it. There are also seat and lever controls along with pins to select the amount of weight desired. The really key thing to do is to take advantage of the staff in these facilities, said Scott Sechrest of the CYBEX Research Institute. Gyms needed clients in order to stay in business , so most offer a few free training sessions when you start, or a at the very minimum a session where give you a tour of  the club and brief explanation on how to use the equipment. If you decline their offer (and many do), youre likely to use only whats familiar — increasing your chance of failure. The big trend in fitness uses muscle confusion. You need to surprise your body and change things around. Dr. Kim advises patients who are involved with their gym to inform their personal trainers that they are having cosmetic surgery. Patients having breast augmentation, liposuction, or abdominoplasty need to ease back into their work out routine and if the personal trainer is aware of the surgery he or she may be able to better help with recommending the right exercises that will not injure the patient or prolong their recovery. It is imperative that patients communicate with Dr. Kim and follow his recommendations for resuming exercise workout routines. Generally patients who follow a regular exercise routine and proper diet, not only have the best results but also maintain them long-term.

A recent ABC news story gives new meaning to the question: do you have a minute?  According to the news story a minute of exercise per day can be extremely beneficial. The news story reported that according to psychologist Dr. Frank Lawlis and fitness pro Michael Carson who co-created the MyMobileMinute program, you can have success in a minute. The program requires a minute or two of exercise done specifically before you eat. Carson says this small burst of activity changes the whole chemistry in your body and tells your body that youre either fleeing from something or hunting or gathering for something like we did in our predatory times, Studies have proven that even as few as 30-second bursts of rigorous movement allow glucose to below two muscles efficiently and help to reduce the appetite. Dr. David Kim explains to his patients that maintaining a stable weight through diet and exercise is not only critical to their health but also to maintaining long-term results after plastic surgery procedures. This is most important for body contouring procedures including liposuction and abdominoplasty. Often patients are misled to believe that after having liposuction it is impossible to gain the weight back in the areas that were treated. Patients must remember that all of the fat cells were not removed. There are remaining fat cells that can in fact become overpowered which in turn would mean the patient would gain weight. Breast augmentation results can also be altered if patients have significant weight gain or weight fluctuation. The best advice for health and appearance is to maintain a steady and stable weight that is proportionate to a patients height.

Interestingly enough, it appears as though when it comes to losing weight men are very motivated by money. According to KTLA competition in cash may be just the incentive men need to lose weight, according to a study released this month. The study, sponsored by Healthy Wage, a wellness program that pays participants to lose weight no matter which weight-loss plan they follow, followed 66 employees from different large companies over six-month. Each participant bet $100 that he or she would lose 10 percent or more of their total body weight. If the participants reach their goals, they would each win $400. At the completion of the study, 63 percent of men had achieved the challenge, but only 15 percent of the women had. While its not really surprising that men responded better to competitive, scenarios similar to games, this innate quality appears to prove that this approach can be effective and particularly favorable in competitive, prize-driven weight loss endeavors , according to HealthyWage co-founder David Roddenberry.  Such efforts tap into the male drive for competition and a desire to win. It is no secret that men are held to a different standard when it comes to their appearance. We do know that losing weight is primarily for health reasons but it is undeniably an appearance issue as well. Men often find as they age it is more difficult to lose the abdominal thickness that can cause their waist size to increase by as many as two to three sizes. Dr. Kim explains that for male patients liposuction is an excellent solution. Dr. Kim is an artist as well as a plastic surgeon and therefore is able to sculpt the abdominal area both the front, sides and around the back to create a much more aesthetically pleasing waistline. More men are now realizing that liposuction results are superior to diet and exercise alone.

Aspirin has a new benefit according to a recent NBC news story. According to the story a recent study of more than 1,200 Asian women, those who consumed an aspirin at least a couple of times a week had a reduced risk of developing lung cancer — whether they had ever smoked or not. The discovery, which associates consistently taking aspirin with a risk reduction of 50 percent or more, did not prove that aspirin directly provides protection against lung cancer. There may be other reasons for the connection. The study supports a number of previous studies associating regular aspirin use to reduce risks of certain cancers, including colon, prostate and esophageal cancers. Still, experts believe that it is too early to recommend widespread aspirin use for reducing cancer risk. Even low-dose aspirin carries associated risks, like stomach irritation and ulcers. Avoiding tobacco smoke is still the best way to protect yourself experts warn. Dr. Kim reminds patients that aspirin use prior to cosmetic procedures including noninvasive procedures as well as surgery is not advised. Patients who are scheduled for injectables including Botox and injectable fillers should not take aspirin at least two weeks prior to their injection. Aspirin increases the risk of bleeding and bruising. Patients  who are scheduled for surgery, even shorter surgeries like breast augmentation, and liposuction, are also advised to discontinue aspirin and other medications at least two weeks prior to surgery. Patients who are on a daily aspirin regimen prior to scheduling surgery, may be required to stop at least three or more weeks prior to surgery. Dr. Kim is committed to providing the best possible results in the safest manner possible.

Having a skin disorder that leaves skin itchy and irritated can be an experience that affects a persons lifestyle choices dramatically. According to recent NBC news story the condition dermographic urticarial also called dermographism, meaning writing on the skin, is an exaggerated skin reaction or a type of hive, or urticaria. What happens after a slight scratch is that within minutes, skin feels warm and the area that is scratched gets red, puffy, and raised like a hive. Then, it turns white and later a little pink. Within the next twenty minutes any swelling, itchiness, or markings are gone, and skin appears normal. A New York artist with this condition,  Ariana Page Russell, a 33-year-artist, scratches the letters of a word on her forearm, upper thigh, or stomach, then people can read it because it  looks like she has been writing on her skin.  For Russell, this is skin art. It has had a positive effect on other people who also suffer from the  visible skin disorder. Many of these people tell Page that her decision to put art to her dermographic urticarial helped them to feel better about their condition. While this is an interesting twist on the effects of skin rashes, most people are not willing or able to turn their  dermographic urticarial  into visible art. Patients should be proactive about their skin care including using medical grade skin care treatments for anti-aging , as well as acne treatments.  Provided patients do not have an existing skin disorder that disqualifies them as a candidate, Dr. Kim may recommend facial laser resurfacing which helps reduce acne scarring as well as creates a healthy glow for skin. Injectables including Botox are also effective. Patients of all ages should be concerned with the health of their skin in order to maintain their best appearance for their lifetime.

Moderate consumption of alcohol has once again been linked to a reduction in the risk of stroke for women according to a new study. According to a recent NBC news story drinking alcohol moderately may lower womens risk of stroke, according to the new 26-year study of 84,000 women, those who drank low amounts of alcohol — about half of a glass of wine per day, on average — were 17 percent less likely to have a stroke in comparison with women who drank no alcohol. Women who drank about a glass a day were 21 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who drink no alcohol at all.  Those who drank alcohol in larger amounts showed no reduction in stroke risk, according to the study. The data are in line with current guidelines for women concerning drinking alcohol, which suggest there is a modest decrease in stroke risk for women who drink less than one drink per day, the researchers was a limited study due to the fact that it summarized. The study showed an association, not a cause-and-effect link, and relied on the participants to report their own alcohol consumption.  It is important that women gather information concerning alcohol consumption and their health and are proactive about asking their own personal care physicians the recommendation for their individual health history and overall health. Dr. Kim consults with patients who complain of slight weight gain as a result of a couple of glasses of wine every night with dinner. It is important that patients remember alcohol contains extra calories and as women age it can become increasingly more difficult to maintain a stable weight. Besides reducing the amount of alcohol on a regular basis patients may also want to consider liposuction for small areas of fat that do not appear to respond to diet and exercise. Liposuction is an excellent option for the lower abdomen, outer thighs, and love handles. As a talented artist as well as skilled plastic surgeon Dr. Kim is able to sculpt the body creating incredible results that most patients could not achieve through diet and exercise alone. It is important after body contouring procedures to maintain a disciplined diet and regular exercise in order to enjoy the results for a lifetime.

Regret can often be a powerful emotion. According to a study in a recent Los Angeles Times article it has no place in old-age if you want to be happy. According to the article a new study finds that how we deal with  options that no longer exist  and opportunities  that we consider lost makes a big difference in whether or not we will grow into happy seniors or be the victims of  late-life depression. Reporting their findings in Science magazine, German researchers found when playing games of chance among older subjects , the 20 who had experienced depression later in life were definitely much more likely to respond to regret similar to the way a healthy young person would: Their hearts rate was elevated, their hands would get sweaty, and they would change their playing strategy in the next game. The emotionally healthy older adults, in contrast, were calm cool and collected in the face of regret: Whether they went all in and lost, or held and lost, had no association with how they played the next game. Their palms stayed dry and their hearts did not race. This led scientist to believe older people were happier when they live life without regret. Dr. Kim helps patients understand that regardless of their age when considering plastic surgery it is common for patients to say that they regret having not made the decision sooner. This is most common with patients who have had breast reduction or facelift. Because these procedures are somewhat dramatic and satisfaction is usually immediate, some patients feel a sense of loss that they were unable to enjoy the benefits sooner. Patients wait for different reasons but plastic surgery remains one of the surgeries with the highest rate of patient satisfaction.