Austin MD Nov/Dec 2014

N OV E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

THE MUSIC MIND: WHY MUSIC IS GOOD FOR YOUR

HEALTH HOW TO BEAT THE

HOLIDAY BLUES THE EARLIER, THE BETTER: PREP NOW FOR CEDAR ALLERGY SEASON

Sheryl Crow GOES BACK TO HER ROOTS

FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS: HOW TO AVOID PACKING ON THOSE EXTRA HOLIDAY POUNDS ‘TIS THE SEASON

TO GIVE BACK

AUSTIN MD’S TOP PICKS FOR HOLIDAY BEAUTY

IAL C E P S D

2N AL U ANNUSIC M SUE IS

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CONTENTS NOVE M BE R/DE C E M BE R 2 014

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AUSTIN M DM AGAZINE NOV EM B ER / D ECEMBER 2014

CO-OWNER & PUBLISHER

Angela Strickland

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Katie Lesnick EDITOR

Erin O’Brien ART DIRECTOR

Elisa Giordano

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sheldon Jackson

WEB DESIGNER

Brandon Tipton

PHOTOGRAPHER

Steve Dement

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

08 SHERYL CROW

The country superstar talks health, home and her Austin ties

Jake Harding, Malena Manning, Samantha Schak

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

42 REALITY RULES

Austin’s own “Modern Dads” star Stone Slade on the importance of healthy male role models

64 DOC WITH A BADGE

Dr. Jon Sheinberg on being a doctor and SWAT team member

76 PLAYING IT SAFE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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How to help your kids avoid holiday-related injuries

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Steve Dement, Nathan Hall, Mark Knight, Knoxy, Marissa Licarione Photography, Jeff Loftin Photography, MJ&M

DEPARTMENTS 12 22 28 36 42 50 52 56 58 66 70 72 74 82 84

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MUSIC & YOUR HEALTH LOCAL LIFESTYLE EVENTS HEALTH & BEAUTY MENTAL HEALTH SPORTS NONPROFIT & GIVING SPECIALISTS GUIDE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS BUSINESS BOOKS MEDICAL DINING FOOD/NUTRITION

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Rocio Avila, Jeana Bertoldi, Jon Black, Alex Charfen, Cadey Charfen, Dr. Esther Cheung-Phillips, Eric Copper, Dr. Ian Crooks, Dr. Melody Denson, Dr. Karim Dhanani, Sam Jackson, Kyle Jerome, Corey Jones, Megan Kniskern, Dr. Shirat Ling, Renee Hanson Malone, Dr. Michael Moossy, Dr. Ben Morgan, Charlotte Pieczynski, Dr. Avinash Ramchandani, Thomas Riordin, Monica Saavedra, Angela Strickland, Rachel Tribby, Karen Vandiver, Carol Zernial

Cover photo: gettyimages.com

www.AustinMDmagazine.com

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For adver tising and/or editorial information, please call Angela Strickland at 512-506-1248 or email angela@AustinMDmagazine com.

Copyright © by Green Iceberg Publications LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

NOV E MBER/DE CEMBER 2 014

MEET OUR TEAM

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he holidays are here, and Austin MD is excited to celebrate with you, our readers. We are especially thrilled because this is our second annual Music Issue. Austin is the Live Music Capitol of the World, and we want to know how our city’s musicians make health a priority.

We were excited to learn how Sheryl Crow makes balance a priority, and we also talked to Austin’s own Casey McPherson from Alpha Rev about how he stays healthy on the road.

The holidays are a time of giving, as well, and Austin MD is proud to bring you some easy ways to give back and highlight some of our partners, such as Rose Dental Group, to show how they make philanthropy a priority.

If you haven’t already, be sure to like us on Facebook, where we share stories, tips and local happenings. Austin MD wishes you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season!

PUBLISHER /CEO ANGELA STRICKLAND

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ANGELA STRICKLAND CO-OWNER angela@austinmdmagazine.com

KATIE LESNICK SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE katie@austinmdmagazine.com

ERIN O’BRIEN EDITOR erin.editorial@gmail.com

ELISA GIORDANO ART DIRECTOR hello@elisagcreative.com

SHELDON JACKSON GRAPHIC DESIGNER sheldawnjaxsun@gmail.com

STEVE DEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER stevedphoto@gmail.com

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heartburn.sw.org A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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COVER STORY

GOING HOME Country superstar and cancer survivor Sheryl Crow returns to her roots with her new release, “Feels Like Home.”

By Sam Jackson Photos by MJ&M

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“‘Feels Like Home’ is the most focused album I’ve ever made.”

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F 

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or Sheryl Crow, 2014 appears to have been a banner year of transformation and adjustment. Her most recent release this last year, “Feels Like Home,” not only accomplished her goal of planting herself firmly in the fertile ground of the Nashville country music scene, but it also did well on the charts, regular and country, getting to No. 7 on the country charts and hitting the top 10 on regular charts. As she was spurred into making the album after a conversation with country superstar Brad Paisley, it’s a continuation of her nine-album streak of top 10 placements, which matches the nine Grammy Awards she’s won throughout her 20-plus-year career.

As she put it on her website, “Feels Like Home” is “the most focused album I’ve ever made.” It’s also more of a return to an old friend for her, as opposed to a fresh start in an unexplored path, as the website’s manifesto continues: “Country music is rightly suspicious of carpetbaggers who jump on a bandwagon, but in my case, this world in Nashville really does feel like home.

I grew up three-and-a-half hours from Nashville, and my parents just moved out of that home that I grew up in recently. So I grew up in a community that was all farmland and churches and school and a town square. So country is where I come from, and that’s the kind of life I wanted to give my kids, and you can find that sort of life here in Nashville.

Even though Nashville has so much more to offer, there is still a small town feel that I love.”

When she wasn’t revisiting her roots, she did also nick back into Austin a couple times this year, once in June for the 40th anniversary of the legendary Austin City Limits TV show, where she co-hosted and performed a benefit show with a storied cast of incredible musicians, including Jeff Bridges, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Clark Jr., Bonnie

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“I’ve learned to stop putting everybody before myself and to say ‘no’ sometimes, which was a huge lesson for me.”

Raitt and T-Bone Burnett. The other, earlier in April, had her rocking the Mack, Jack and McConaughey Gala Night at the ACL Live Moody Theatre.

Of course, this was yet another year that Crow successfully escaped the scourges of cancer. While her struggles with breast cancer (and her victory over it) are pretty well-known, she also received a lesser-known, and equally unfortunate, piece of information in November 2011 that she had a meningioma, a common brain tumor taking up space in the tissues between her skull and brain. This diagnosis puts Crow in a community that sees their numbers swell by six-and-a-half thousand people every year.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, meningiomas occur at an approximate annual rate of 7.8 per 100,000 per year, and they can be easily detected through noninvasive tests such as X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests. Symptoms of these tumors include seizures, loss of hearing, visual and memory problems, changes in personality and the thought process, headaches, nausea and weakness in the arms and legs.

At first, Crow mistook her own memory troubles as the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. While these kinds of tumors are commonly benign in nature and any malignant ones are extremely rare, it couldn’t have been the best thing for a breast cancer survivor to hear that another piece of that cursed disease had snuck in when she was looking the other way and already trying to recover from breast cancer surgery. Publicly, she blamed the brain tumor on “[spending] hours on old, archaic cell phones” in a talk with Katie Couric.

But in the long run, Crow’s troubles might have taught her the value of backing down from the grindstone. “I’m not nearly so hard on myself anymore,” she said to WebMD a few years back. “I’ve learned to stop putting everybody before myself and to say ‘no’ sometimes, which was a huge lesson for me. I think women get caught up in that, forgetting about their own needs.”

It’s weird what it might sometimes take to make us slow down and pull our heads above the rat race for a minute.

AUSTIN MD’S

DONATAS1205/BIGSTOCK.COM

music issue

Austin is the LIVE MUSIC CAPITOL OF THE WORLD. Here is how some musicians are supporting health in the community and staying healthy themselves.

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MUSIC

& YOUR HEALTH

JUST LIKE THAT

As the distressing news of AC/DC veteran Malcolm Young’s dementia shows, mental illness often takes its toll brutally and quickly. BY SAM JACKSON

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Malcolm Young as lost forever and hold out for his return, as lead singer Brian Johnson commented to the Daily Telegraph: “I wouldn’t like to say anything either way about the future. I’m not ruling anything out. One of the boys has a debilitating illness, but I don’t want to say too much about it. He is very proud and private – a wonderful chap. We’ve been pals for 35 years, and I look up to him very much.”

While no rocker is immune to the effects and dangers of age, one can only hope for a miracle that will let Young stand onstage with the band he founded for at least another time before the band finally has to hang up the schoolboy outfit and take a well-deserved retirement.

If you or someone you love is suffering from dementia and need information or resources, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp or call their 24/7 helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

DIGITALISTA/BIGSTOCK.COM, PHOTO OF MALCOLM YOUNG COURTESY OF BOUDIST.COM

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t’s a tough day when you’re reminded of how time ravages everything. It recently came when AC/DC, one of the most stalwart and seemingly unstoppable energetic rock bands alive today, suffered a massive blow. It was announced at the end of September that founding member Malcolm Young is now getting treatment for mental illness and will be leaving the band for good as a result.

In April, the band initially broke the news that Young “would be taking a break” from the band after anchoring it as its rhythm guitarist for four decades. While the specific issue was described as “ill health” in the announcement, the truth was much darker.

It’s now come to light through a second press release in People that Young is suffering from dementia, possibly brought on by a previous stroke, and what was once supposed to be a short bit of time away has now become a permanent retirement in a Sydney nursing home.

While few details about his condition are known, his short-term memory seems to have Alzheimer’s had begun licking at his heels and been totally destroyed, with a family member he could no longer continue to tour, record or claiming he couldn’t remember people who play. If you want to rend your heart and find walked out of the room and came back in. out just how bad it got, the symptoms can be It’s distressing news, and it shows just how seen affecting him in the recently released brutally and terrifyingly quick mental illness documentary “I’ll Be Me,” which has all the is. Young toured the world for emotional impact of Sarah Mcyears playing hundreds of rock Lachlan’s ASPCA ads on a 10THE OTHER shows without any sign of physhour loop.

MEMBERS OF ical problems, and maybe it Nonetheless, AC/DC are AC/DC REFUSE helped that he left the jumping forging ahead in spite of the TO WRITE OFF and cavorting around to his tragedy. They have pulled in MALCOLM brother and used the “posing Young’s nephew, Stevie Young, YOUNG AS LOST for an art student” method of as the new guitarist, and at the FOREVER, AND stagecraft. Then all of that physmoment, they are in the studio THEY HOLD OUT ical strength proved useless working up their next album, FOR HIS RETURN. when dementia came along, the somewhat appropriately snapped him like a twig and titled “Rock or Bust.” After the then completely scorched the earth of his brain. record’s release in December, they will hit the It also comes in the wake of the episodes of road again for a world tour next year, partiallegendary singer/songwriter Glen Campbell, ly to give the middle finger to rumors of their who released his final studio album, “Ghost retirement, and also to celebrate their 40th anon the Canvas,” in 2011 and finished his goodniversary together. bye tour two years ago because the throes of At the same time, they refuse to write off

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MUSIC

ON THE

& YOUR HEALTH

ROAD Alpha Rev frontman Casey McPherson gives us some advice for maintaining healthy mental and physical habits while traveling.

SPECIAL TO AUSTIN MD PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

Austin MD: How do you stay healthy on the road while playing multiple shows?

Casey McPherson: Well, touring presents a few different challenges physically and emotionally. Often, you're sleeping four to six hours a night, and you have very little time to eat. In Alpha Rev, we will stop at Whole Foods once a week and pick up organic, healthy foods for lunches and breakfasts -- lots of fruits and veggies. This keeps us from ordering fast food because of time constraints. Fast food will kill your mood and your health while traveling, so we stay as far away from that as possible. I usually workout every morning at the hotel, which keeps my mental capacity up. People don't realize what being confined to small spaces all day long can do to you if you can't get out all your energy! Lastly, I call home.

A good network connection at home keeps a healthy mind and body on the road.

AMD: What's your routine on the road, in a general sense?

McPherson: My routine would be 5 to 9 a.m. wake up in my hotel room, and I search Google Maps for the nearest coffee shop. From there, I drink coffee, workout at the hotel gym and head to the lobby for van/bus call. We usually travel five to nine hours a day, load in the venue around 3 p.m., sound check, scarf down dinner and shower and change for the show. We're done with the show, fan pictures and load out around 1 to 3 a.m. every night, and do it all over again the next day.

AMD: What kinds of things make it difficult to stay healthy as a musician?

McPherson: Things like access to healthy food is a big one. People don't realize that in rural areas, there's not much more than a McDonald's or other

“FAST FOOD WILL KILL YOUR MOOD AND YOUR HEALTH WHILE TRAVELING, SO WE STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THAT AS POSSIBLE.�

Casey McPherson (born Sept. 15, 1978, in Lake Jackson, Texas) is a singer/songwriter based in Austin, Texas. He is currently the frontman of the band Alpha Rev who formerly sang in the band Endochine.

McPherson grew up in Jones Creek, Texas, where he was home-schooled and classically trained on the piano for 12 years.

He taught himself to play guitar as a child; being left-handed, he discovered that the instrument only worked when he played it upside down.

fast food place to eat at. Also, sleep deprivation and shaking hands with fans take a huge toll on your immune system. It's not uncommon for colds, flus and other bacteria/virus infections to hit one guy and run through the whole band by the end of the tour!

AMD: Have you had any medical issues related to your profession? What are some of the health issues you think musicians are particularly susceptible to?

McPherson: The biggest health issue I've ever faced on the road is addiction. I had a very serious drug and alcohol addiction, and touring made it incredibly difficult to heal from. As of Oct. 31st, with the help of AA and the county jail (which I don't recommend), I'm seven years without that! The other medical issues are weight gain and depression. Those, though, can easily be mitigated with healthy food, exercise and a quick call every day to the family at home.

AMD: Have you found any home treatments or have any routines that help you stay healthy with lots of travel?

McPherson: Yes! I use the Alpha Stem for depression and mood stabilization, I take Kavinace to help me sleep and I try to get out of myself and give back. I'm privileged to be on the board of Austin Child Guidance Center, and being a part of an organization like that actually helps me stay a much healthier person. I would love to plug them and say they are an incredible organization that provides mental health services to kids and families in our city. We're so lucky to have them! Lastly, if you do travel a lot, remember to eat well, exercise, call home, sleep as much as you can and stay grateful. Those five things can do wonders! Safe travels.

To learn more about Casey McPherson and Apha Rev, visit their official site at alpharev.com.

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MUSIC

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eeping your voice healthy as a performer can be quite a challenge, but it is not impossible. Although your environment may not be under your control, there are a few things you can control to prevent problems from occurring with your voice.

One of the main things singers deal with is the drying out of the vocal folds (vocal cords). In general, normal adults should be drinking six to eight cups (8 ounces) of water a day just as maintenance. Singing and speaking can be quite drying and require even more fluids to hydrate the vocal folds. I often tell singers and actors to load up on fluids at least a day or two before their performance or show. Beware of sodas, coffee and tea, which contain caffeine and can cause you to urinate more frequently, losing precious hydration. Even some herbal teas, such as green tea, can have caffeine, so check before you consume. Many of these beverages also are very acidic, which can irritate your throat when consumed too often.

Some performers may also have problems with reflux or heartburn, in which acidic stomach contents move up the esophagus and throat, causing irritation. Some patients do not have a feeling of heartburn, but complain of hoarseness and constant throat clearing. This problem is called laryngopharyngeal, or “silent,” reflux. Treatment usually involves not only medications to decrease the acid in your stomach, but also changes in diet and lifestyle including exercise and weight loss if needed. What you take in and how you live your life come out through your voice!

Alcohol and cigarette smoke both can cause irritation and dryness to the vocal cords, so one of the best things you can do as a singer is stop smoking and limit alcohol intake, as well as hydrate prior to, during and after your performances. Excess alcohol during performances can also lower your awareness of range and pitch, which may lead to inadvertent injury to the vocal folds.

Another problem vocalists deal with is singing while sick. Allergies and illnesses such as the common cold can lead to inflammation of the vocal folds, which can affect the quality of singing. In general, if you are sick, it is best to rest and sing after you feel better, but if you must sing, the best thing you can do is avoid using your voice except for during your performance. This means avoiding excessive talking, as well. And of course, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Vocal trauma in the form of overuse or singing when you are sick can lead to nodules, cysts and scarring of the vocal folds, and it may lead to permanent vocal damage. If you continue with voice problems, see an otolaryngologist or ear-nose-throat physician (ENT) as soon as possible.

& YOUR HEALTH

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE Dr. CP’s vocal care for singers

BY DR. ESTHER CHEUNG-PHILLIPS

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO AS A SINGER IS STOP SMOKING AND LIMIT ALCOHOL INTAKE.

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MUSIC

& YOUR HEALTH

A NEW WORLD OF SOUND Estes Audiology aids the ears of Texan musicians and other individuals who are interested in taking care of their auditory health.

BY JEANA BERTOLDI PHOTOS BY STEVE DEMENT

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our years ago, Ray Wylie Hubbard had trouble hearing. “I found myself in restaurants having to lean over and read lips,” he says. “My wife would talk to me, and I kept having to go, ‘Huh?’” Hubbard’s problems not only disrupted his personal life, but also affected his career in music – a field that is all about hearing. “When I would go record or play, I’d have to overcompensate to get the highs back on the amps,” he says. “For everyone else, the sound was real piercing, and for me, it just sounded normal.”

Hubbard decided it was time to see a specialist. He went to Estes Audiology in New Braunfels, where Soriya Estes, doctor of audiology, administered a hearing test that revealed the specific areas of his hearing that were lacking. Estes gave him a hearing aid, and he returned for regular adjustments. As a result, Hubbard says he experienced a new world of sound and a restored ability to create rich and full sounds in his music.

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“I can hear the sonic quality of music that wasn’t there before,” he says. “I can hear those highs. I’ve told people when my records come out, you may not like the singer or the song, but you’ll like the way it sounds.”

In addition to helping musicians like Hubbard regain their hearing, Estes Audiology works to limit the amount of damage that occurs in the first place. “A lot of what we do [for musicians] is preventative in nature – getting a baseline hearing screening for them and then getting them a set of very good custom-filtered earplugs,” Estes says.

She and the other practitioners at Estes Audiology work with organizations such as the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians (HAAM) and MusiCares to help care for musicians and spread hearing protection awareness. Estes says they provided 250 musicians at this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival with custom hearing protection with the help of MusiCares grant money.

Hubbard indicates that this kind of outreach

makes a difference in the music community, whose members often struggle from hearing issues. “I spent 30 years onstage with a crash cymbal right at ear level, so it was really nice to go in there [to the Estes Audiology clinic],” Hubbard says. “I would say anybody, especially over 40 or 50, who plays rock ‘n’ roll has had ear damage.”

Estes Audiology now has three locations: the original in New Braunfels, one in Boerne and one in Austin, which opened in May of this year. Estes says her practice aims to provide complete hearing health care. Though musicians represent a sizable portion of the clinic’s patients (Estes estimates 30 to 35 percent), the practitioners there see people of many backgrounds and many ages.

“A lot of conditions that we treat deal with nerve-related hearing loss,” Estes says. “There are 36 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, and 90 percent of those cases are nerve-related in nature, where hearing aids or some sort of assisted listening device is the treatment course for them.”

Estes emphasizes that hearing aids aren’t what they used to be. Within the last few decades, technology has led to devices that are much smaller and much more advanced than in the past. “Saying the words, ‘hearing aid,’ today is not like saying them 30 years ago,” she says. “I think the image in everyone’s mind is the big bulky things that whistle and squeal. Hearing aids today are digital processors.”

Because of advancements in technology, such as Bluetooth compatibility, Estes says they are seeing younger and younger clients who may have been unwilling to resort to hearing aids in their previous forms.

“I think the stigma of hearing aids is lessening,” Estes says. “People used to just suffer from hearing loss for 20 years until they retired and finally got a hearing aid. Now that’s not the case.”

In addition to looking less

imposing and more aesthetically pleasing, hearing aids now have the ability to connect to phones and stream music from them. “Hearing aids are really becoming a part of the whole communication system,” Estes says.

As for musicians, she says that in-ear monitors are becoming more common for use onstage. “Musicians are much more able to control the volume of what’s going in their ears,” she says.

Estes says that even she uses filtered earplugs when she attends concerts to cut down on background noise and protect her hearing. “The little yellow foam plugs that we’ve all used do a great job of protecting the hearing, but they’re compromising sound,” Estes says. “The filtered plug lets everything come in, even the highs. It’s like taking a master volume and just turning it down about 15 decibels. The sound doesn’t get compromised at all.”

In the future, Estes says she and the other practitioners at Estes Audiology want to focus on providing care where they are needed, which may eventually include more Austin locations, and spreading awareness. “I feel like it’s important for people to know that there are good solutions for treatment of hearing loss, and there are good solutions for prevention,” Estes says.

And for musicians like Hubbard, both treatment and prevention are of the utmost importance. “It’s necessary,” Hubbard says. “It’s a part of trying to have good health. To me, taking care of my ears is as important as trying to eat right.”

“

I CAN HEAR THE SONIC QUALITY OF MUSIC THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE. I CAN HEAR THOSE HIGHS.” To learn more, visit Estes Audiology at hearlifeagain.com.

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MUSIC

& YOUR HEALTH

The

MUSIC MIND

Music and its unique ability to affect mental health and well-being

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t has been said that music is a language that does not need written or spoken word to express a full range of emotional states, intellectual curiosity, visualization of an image or idea in the mind, solve a problem or tell a story. It can evoke memories, call one to relaxation or move one to dance, exercise, create or clean house. It has brought together people who speak completely different languages from countries all over the world. It can inspire people to seek war or peace, love or hatred.

Healing from war is actually where music therapy had its beginnings after seeing positive improvement in veteran patients’ wellness.

This was a result of bringing music into the Veterans Administration Hospitals after World Wars I and II. Music therapy utilizes music for different treatment purposes, depending on the client and the situation.

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It is now known that music therapy, when combined with a well-designed program of care, can lead to successful results in the healing process of individuals and groups. It can activate neurochemical responses that can be healing when the music leads to a new way of understanding a painful issue. Or when experienced as positive and uplifting, it can inspire one to see possibilities available that the pain or issue had blocked.

Catharsis was defined in Aristotle’s “Poetics” as healing and renewal by a purgation and purification of emotion. This can happen with music either with or without words and whether you’re the listener or the music artist. Someone’s personal story, however, was not lost on psychologist Carl Rogers, Ph.D., who developed client-centered therapy and published “On Becoming a Person” in 1961. He wrote that, “What is most personal is most universal.”

Thus, we resonate with someone else’s personal song, knowing that it’s our story, too, and we are no longer alone.

A recent example is with Songwriting with Soldiers Retreats, which the foundation clarifies is not treatment or therapy, but a gift to soldiers and veterans from professional songwriters started by Darden Smith. The soldiers and veterans tell their stories, and the stories are made into songs. During an event this fall, a veteran onstage said into the microphone, “It was an experience of something horrible being turned into something beautiful,” referring to his own story that had been made into a song at one of the previous retreats. It is a clear description of healing.

Music that results in a positive, healthy response has individuals reporting reduced stress levels and improved relaxation. The relaxation music genre abounds on select websites. You

TRIOCEAN/BIGSTOCK.COM

BY KAREN VANDIVER

can find titles from deep sleep and meditation to stress relief and anxiety relief, among others. There are titles too numerous to share, but easily found. You can download free apps for phones and listen to them immediately. Thanks to technology, free and instant support is available at all times.

There are other examples of neurochemical activation resulting from music. The psychological responses and interpretation of this activation can vary depending on an individual or group’s personal association to it and self awareness. An emotional activation from a thought or experience can be positive or negative, resulting in the brain releasing chemicals that have a positive or a negative effect on the body.

If a certain song or type of music was playing

when someone experienced a negative event, the emotional stress or negativity of this event can then be triggered every time the song or type of music is heard. The event doesn’t have to be traumatic. It can also be as common as the sad ending of a relationship. However, the full range of emotions from the past event can be relived again and again, creating more stress.

At that point, it is sometimes necessary to stop the music that activates the stressful emotions before healing can begin.

Music is constantly evolving to inspire and express new ideas and stories, seeing the past in new and different ways. Advances in modern technology have led to a more complete understanding of the brain’s response to music and other stimuli. The psychological interpretation

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WHAT IS MOST PERSONAL IS MOST UNIVERSAL.

of these responses may be positive or negative, as discussed in the previous paragraph. The interpretation may be accurate or inaccurate, depending on one’s self awareness. To gain objectivity, moving past the emotions of the event is an important part of the process. That is where discernment and an ability to separate the projection from the reality is imperative for healing and may require additional mental health or psychiatric treatment.

Music is used in hospitals, operating rooms during surgery and nursing homes because of its ability to relax, improve concentration and uplift those present. Music has the ability to affect our mental and physical health.

Positive mental health can lead to improvement in physical health and an overall sense of well-being, with music playing its unique and supporting role.

Karen Vandiver is an LMFT, LPC and Texasapproved supervisor with an office in Austin,Texas.

She is currently on the advisory board for the Songwriting with Soldiers Foundation in Austin, and she was a founding member of the International Piano Institute of Santa Fe, N.M.

A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Local Lifestyle

DYNAMIC DUO Austin MD catches up with Drs. Staci Hix-Hernandez and Jeremy Hernandez.

SPECIAL TO AUSTIN MD PHOTOS BY STEVE DEMENT

Austin MD: Tell us a little about yourselves. What do you do?

Staci Hix-Hernandez: Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Jeremy Hernandez: General, OB and cardiac anesthesia.

AMD: Why is it cool?

SHH and JH: Both of us feel at the end of the day that we made a difference. The best part is we get to work together to accomplish these goals. The day of surgery can be one of the most frightening experiences in a person’s life. We both get to be there to calm fears, provide reassurance and hopefully make it a pleasant experience.

AMD: What do you like to do in your free time?: SHH and JH: Spend time with our family. Watch as much sports as possible, specifically Texas Tech. Golf – our 2-year-old has a scary good golf swing. Running. Anything outdoors. We tend to watch a lot of cartoons with our 2-year-old son, Jackson. He is a huge Scooby Doo fan.

AMD: What do you do to unwind?

SHH and JH: Our best stress relief is working out. Who doesn’t feel better after a punishing session in the weight room?

AMD: Do you find it difficult to stay healthy?: SHH and JH: It’s all about choices and priorities. Even with a busy schedule, if you set goals and make a commitment to it, it’s very doable.

AMD: How often do you find yourself on the go?

SHH and JH: What’s it like to not be on the go?

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AMD: Is it hard to eat healthy?

SHH and JH: If you look for it, there are typically healthy choices anywhere you go. You just need the knowledge and the desire to make them.

AMD: Why do you like Cimmarron Hill CC Club House?

SHH and JH: We chose our Cimmarron Hill CC Club House. We recently moved into this neighborhood and were drawn to the peaceful, gorgeous environment and the fun opportunities (golf, tennis, restaurant, bar, running trails, huge community pool and amazing neighbors).

We play and relax – right where we live. Doesn’t get much better than that.

AMD: As young doctors in Austin, what motivates the success of your business (family/competition with your brother)?

SHH and JH: We both feel the patients’ needs and patient care comes first. If this accomplished and our business, that is success.

AMD: What is your favorite thing about Austin (clientele, food, music, people, etc.)?

Why did you choose Austin?

SHH and JH: What’s there not to love about Austin? We enjoyed the entire “Austin experience.” There is always something fun to do – great live music, wonderful weather, outstanding food, laidback and fun people, lots of opportunities for outdoor activities.

AMD: What made you want to become doctors in separate fields?

SHH and JH: Although we both have a desire to help others, our personalities fit our chosen fields. Much like we are the right match for each other, we are a match for what we do. It’s a passion, and we are both very blessed to be able to do what we love.

Dr. Jeremy Hernandez practices at 300 University Blvd. in Round Rock,Texas. For more information, call 512-509-0100 or visit www.sw.org.

Dr. Staci Hix- Hernandez practices at 425 University Blvd., Ste. 325, in Round Rock,Texas, and 800 W. Highway 71 in Marble Falls,Texas.

To learn more, call 512-509-3963 or visit http:// cosmetic-surgery.sw.org.

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Local Lifestyle

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Our TOP SIX Austin-area charities to support during the holidays

T

he sights and sounds of an Austin Christmas are simply magical.

The holiday season in our city is synonymous with whimsical, wonderful and weird moments: the Trail of Lights, Cherrywood Art Fair, Zilker Christmas Tree, “The Nutcracker” at the Long Center, Santa Land Diaries at ZACH Scott and ice

skating on the roof at Whole Foods. The season is also a time for giving back.

As a successful professional, I have benefited from Austin’s booming economy, as many other local business owners have. The holiday season is the perfect time to give back to our community, which has been so abundantly good to us. Whether it’s serving one of our

BY ERIC COPPER

fellow Austinites by volunteering time, providing healthy food to a needy family or donating funds to a worthy cause, it’s important to get involved.

How can you give back to your community this holiday season? Check out my top six Austin-area charities to support during the holidays.

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CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK OF TEXAS

OPERATION BROWN SANTA

COATS FOR KIDS

OPERATION BLUE SANTA

AUSTIN FAMILIES FOR FAMILIES

TOYS FOR TOTS

The largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas, the Capital Area Food Bank provides much-needed food, grocery products, social services, nutrition education and more.

Every dollar donated to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas provides five nutritious meals. Find out how to donate food or funds or volunteer your time by visiting www.AustinFoodBank.org.

In 1982, the Travis County Sheriff ’s Department began providing gifts for children at Christmas.

Last year, Operation Brown Santa gave presents to more than 1576 Austin-area families. You can help make Christmas morning special for a child this coming year by donating or volunteering. Call 24-SANTA, email the volunteer coordinator at volunteer@ brownsanta.org or check out their website at www.

BrownSanta.org for ways to help.

On Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, the Junior League of Austin will host its 28th Coats for Kids event at the Parmer Events Center. Thousands of local families will have the opportunity to find a warm winter coat for their child. Please donate a new or gently used coat, donate, or sign up to volunteer by calling the Junior League of Austin at 512-467-8982.

The Austin Police Department began Operation Blue Santa in 1972, providing Austin-area families with a full holiday meal and a Christmas gift for each child under the age of 14. Last year, APD, along with Austin Fire Department, Austin Energy, Austin Water Utilities and Texas National Guard, served over 3,800 families in our city. For more information or to find out how you can help this worthy cause, call 512-974-BLUE, email bluesanta@austintexas.gov or visit the website at www.

BlueSanta.org.

A nonprofit organization that partners with local church leaders from different faiths, school principals and government program administrators to identify needy families in our community, Families for Families provides holiday gifts to individuals who may not otherwise receive anything for Christmas. Adopt a family, or simply donate funds or time by visiting the website at www.AustinFamiliesForFamilies.org or by emailing jeremy. searle@austinfamiliesforfamilies.org.

The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver a message of hope to children at Christmas by collecting and distributing toys to kids who are less fortunate in our community. The magic of Christmas morning is something many of us remember fondly, and Toys for Tots intends to put that magic back into the holidays for thousands of local children by giving gifts. For more information or to donate a toy, visit the website at www.Austin-TX. ToysForTots.org.

The holidays are a time for hope. Whether you choose to donate Christmas gifts, a holiday meal or an afternoon of your time, consider giving back to less fortunate Austinites this holiday season by contacting one of these six area charities. There are countless, worthy families and children who count on you to do so. Happy holidays, from my family to yours.

To contact Eric Copper Broker, CIPS, CNE, GRI, CLHMS, with Austin Portfolio Real Estate, call 512-330-1031 or send him an email at Eric@LivingInAustinTx.com.

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A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

A Locally Owned P harmacy Serving the Austin Area!

We are your one-stop full service pharmacy specializing in: Traditional and hard to find medications Traditional Compounding: Pain Management Support, BHRT & more State of the art compounding facility Medication & Disease Management Consulting Accepting most insurances Free delivery on all compounds and traditional medications in the local area

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Stonegate Pharmacy at the Village Located in the Southwest Medical Village 5625 Eiger Rd, #150 Austin, TX 78735 M-F 8:30a - 6:30p Saturday and Sunday closed A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Local Lifestyle

THE ULTIMATE HOME REMEDY Are your feet tired from tons of holiday shopping?

If so, we have the perfect DIY sore muscle soak for you.

BY ANGELA STRICKLAND

HOME REMEDY 

SULFATES HELP IMPROVE THE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS, FLUSH TOXINS AND EASE MIGRAINE HEADACHES. 26

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T

he primary ingredient in this sore muscle soak home remedy is epsom salts. Epsom salts really aren’t salt at all. They are a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate.

Since magnesium and sulfate are easily absorbed through the skin, the ideal way to take advantage of their health benefits is adding them to your bath.

Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body, including regulating the activity of over 325 enzymes, reducing inflammation, helping muscle and nerve function and helping prevent artery hardening. Sulfates help improve the absorption of nutrients, flush toxins and ease migraine headaches.

You can see why this sore muscle soak remedy is so effective. The addition of a few drops of lavender essential oil will help calm your mind while the epsom salts work to calm your sore muscles.

To make this sore muscle soak home remedy energizing rather than calming, use eucalyptus essential oil instead of lavender essential oil. I like to use this before bed, so my favorite choice is lavender.

You can double this recipe if you like. I generally make only a few uses at a time so the essential oils retain their properties.

Place a cup of epsom salts in a mason jar, and add three drops of lavender essential oils. For visual interest (if you are making this as a gift), add two tablespoons of dried lavender.

Put a top on the jar, and allow it to sit for several hours so the epsom salts infuse with the essential oil. Add the entire contents of the jar to a warm bath and soak. I generally soak for about 30 minutes to let it work.

For more information, visit www.confessionsofanoverworkedmom.com/2014/03/sore-muscle-soak-homeremedy.html#2iYiHusMuyj5or2x.99.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GIORDANO

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EVENTS

STUNNING SUCCESS Austin MD Magazine hosts the second annual Date a Doc Bachelor/Bachelorette auction.

PHOTOS BY STEVE DEMENT

On Sept. 27, 2014, more than 400 people gathered at the Bob Bullock History Museum for Austin MD Magazine’s second annual Date a Doc Bachelor/Bachelorette auction. The night was a huge success, with more than $7,000 raised for local nonprofits and 12 candidates walking the runway. Local VIPs in attendance included Austin mayoral candidate Steve Adler and Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, with KEYE anchor Deeda Payton emceeing the event. Headline sponsors and Ferrari of Austin provided guests with the opportunity to get some great photos in front of their cars and while they took a break from bidding.Â

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A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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EVENTS

CLOCKWISE: KALINDA HOWE & BRIAN MCFARLIN, SCOTT WILCOX & LORENA BURGESS, (LEFT TO RIGHT) CAMERON CRAKE, JACKIE GILES, STEF ATKINSON, LAUREN GALEA AND JONATHAN BALLESTEROS

Bringing the Amazon TO AUSTIN

Rainforest Partnership hosts its sixth annual celebration dinner.

PHOTOS BY JEFF LOFTIN PHOTOGRAPHY & MARISSA LICARIONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Rainforest Partnership promised to bring the Amazon to Austin this year, and did they deliver! The sixth annual celebration dinner was a beautiful evening full of exciting Samba dance performances, exquisite artwork from their South American projects, rustic décor, safari chic attire and an impromptu, but magical rain display

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from Mother Nature. In the spirit of Amazonian culture, cocktail hour featured luxury tequila and mescal tasting, along with tropical cocktails, all paired with an authentic dinner. The night was a huge success, raising over $75,000 for Rainforest Partnership and leaving everyone feeling just a little closer to the rainforest.

EVENTS

BE SEEN

The third annual “Austin Originals” benefit concert brings in more supporters and revenue than ever.

PHOTOS BY JENNIE TROWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Austin Child Guidance Center’s third annual “Austin Originals” benefit concert and live taping had 500 supporters in attendance on Sept. 26, with the event raising over $272,000 in revenues – an increase of 60 percent from last year’s event! The center packed the Austin Music Hall, and guests thoroughly enjoyed watching LaTasha Lee & the Black Ties and the Wheeler Brothers performances, while TourGigs Video Production streamed the event live through the Austin Chronicle’s home page. This “be seen” event was underwritten by H-E-B Tournament of Champions, with Silicon Labs as a production-level sponsor.

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EVENTS

An Informative Visit

PHOTOS BY STEVE DEMENT

U.S. Rep. John R. Carter, currently in his sixth term representing Texas’ 31st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Cedar Park Surgery Center on Oct. 14. The congressman met with top Arise executives to learn more about ambulatory surgery centers, which have upcoming bills.

GOLFING FOR A CAUSE The Hispanic Physicians Association’s fourth annual golf tournament fundraiser benefiting student scholarships took place at Topgolf this year on Sept. 20, 2014. Thank you to all the sponsors, volunteers, friends and family members who participated in this event!

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Austin MD woulD like to give A huge thAnk you to All our sponsors who MADe our 2nD AnnuAl DAte A Doc event such A success!

M AGA Z I N E

H E A LT H C A R E

a Doc Dateauction

Your Healthcare Companion for Life

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Also A speciAl thAnks to All our BAchelors AnD BAchelorettes for pArticipAting in A wonDerful event for chArity! see you next yeAr! A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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PROFILE “THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY to do health care the way I thought it should be done,” says Dr. Andres Lerner, cofounder of Excellence in Healthcare Innovations (EHI). A hand specialist, Lerner partnered with podiatrist, Dr. Gary Cramer, to create a cutting-edge, patient-centered extremities health care practice in Austin.

Lerner is a minimally invasive hand surgery specialist and an expert in carpal tunnel syndrome. Cramer is a foot and ankle specialist with extensive expertise in minimally invasive treatments and peripheral neuropathy. Together, Cramer and Lerner wanted to establish a practice that would provide top-quality care while also making a statement.

“I would love for EHI to show patients and doctors there is a way to do medicine that is less number-oriented and more person-oriented,” Lerner says. “This way makes patients happier about their care ands doctors happier about their jobs.”

To make their vision a reality, the doctors looked hard before finding the right corporate partners. “They needed experience in health care and business structures and organization,” Lerner says, “but it was equally important they aligned with our ethics and vision in wanting to do the right thing.”

While both specialists in extremities, the doctors took opposite paths to find their vocations. Cramer knew what he wanted to be from childhood, while Lerner was already well into his medical career. “Across the street and two houses down from where I grew up was a podiatrist, Dr. Roberts,” Cramer says. “That’s the only thing I ever wanted to do.”

For Lerner, specializing in upper extremities resulted from discovering his passions and talents on the job. “I found that plastic surgery and hand surgery were what I was skilled at and attracted to,” he explains. “Hand surgery is a very special blend of plastic surgery, neurosurgery, microscopic surgery and bone work.

There are a lot of things blending together in the upper extremity, and I liked that. I don’t do the same operation over and over.”

For EHI’s doctors, this is a very exciting time to be extremities specialists, with many new techniques and procedures available and even more exciting things on the horizon. “Hand surgery and surgery in general are moving towards minimally invasive or less invasive ways

A

GREATER

GOOD The extremities care doctors at Excellence in Healthcare Innovations are on a mission to provide top-quality care while making a statement.

BY JON BLACK PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

of achieving results,” Lerner says. “Surgery is an injury that is created for a greater good. If we can get that greater good with less injury, that’s better medicine.”

Lerner is also enthusiastic about advances that catalyze the body’s ability to heal itself rather than having to rely on pharmaceutical or surgical methods.

Cramer, too, is excited by the possibilities created by minimal incision surgeries and empowering the body to heal itself.

“We’re not doing foot surgery the way we were 10 years ago,” he says.

Cramer is especially enthusiastic about two particular applications for his specialty.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a condition caused by a swelling of nerves in the lower extremities. It can cause severe pain or complete numbness, creating a risk of dangerous falls. While effective medicines exist to treat these symptoms, in 30 percent of patients, the condition results from the nerves being physically pinched at chokepoint below the knee. Available medicines don’t help these patients, but a new procedure does.

“When we surgically decompress the nerves, the symptoms will resolve,” Cramer says. “This can be done as an outpatient procedure. Patients walk out right away with no cane, no cast and no crutches.” As an added benefit, these patients also stop experiencing foot ulcers.

Heel pain is one of the most complaints of lower extremities patients. Most patients can experience relief through treatments already available – “but a percentage don’t,” Cramer says. “We didn’t have anything else to offer them.” A new diagnostic procedure using ultrasound allows doctors to identify cases in which the plantar fascia is too thick to be plantar fasciitis, a common cause of heel pain, and unlikely to respond to conventional treatment.

In these patients, needling the thickened area and delivering a concentrated injection of the patient’s blood platelets can stimulate the body’s healing ability. “In 80 percent of these people,” he says, “the body will reduce the plantar fascia to a normal size and symptoms will go away.”

Throughout their careers, EHI’s doctors have found interesting ways to utilize their medical training. Cramer previously established innovative, world-class wound-care centers in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A musician himself, after moving to Austin, Lerner became active with the Healthcare Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM). He provides services free of charge to members of Austin’s musical community.

A diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, Lerner received his M.D. from Maimonides University. After completing a residency in general surgery, he pursued a hand and microvascular surgery fellowship at the University of California San Francisco that combined plastic and orthopedic surgery training.

Cramer received his Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Independence, Ohio, and completed his surgical training in Huntsville, Texas. He is board certified in foot and ankle surgery, and he is a fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons and the American Professional Wound Care Association.

“We’ve been working, not making a lot of noise, throughout this year,” Lerner says. “But now the foundation is laid and solid, and EHI is ready to really explode.”

To find out more, contact EHI Health Care Clinic at www.ehihealthcare.com.

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“I WOULD LOVE FOR EHI TO SHOW PATIENTS AND DOCTORS THAT MEDICINE CAN BE LESS NUMBER-ORIENTED AND MORE PERSON-ORIENTED.” A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Health & Beauty

DECORATING YOUR

FACE

It’s time to plan your beauty regimen for the holidays.

BY DR. SHIRAT LING

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THE ART OF REJUVENATION DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

SHMELJOV/BIGSTOCK.COM

I

f you have started decorating your house for the holidays, perhaps it is time to plan decorations for your face. You will be taking family photos and reuniting with friends and relatives, so you want to look your best. You may not realize it, but the art of rejuvenation does not happen overnight. And with some procedures, it does get tricky having to maneuver downtime with holiday parties and festivities, so it’s best to get started soon. Some factoids about cosmetic procedures to consider: Microdermabrasion is a fine sandblasting of the top layer of skin (feels like a cat licking your face). This is a quick, but effective procedure that whittles down fine lines and wrinkles and minimizes pore size in a single treatment. This is a great way to give you an instant glow and help makeup go on more smoothly. It is safe on all skin types and colors. With monthly treatments, it can make a great difference as a stand-alone procedure. There is practically no downtime with this procedure, except some pinkness for 30 minutes afterwards and a wind-burned feeling for a day. You may apply makeup immediately.

Chemical peels are a variety of acids applied to the skin surface to remove the top layer of dead skin. The process can take a few days to a week to remove that top layer, ranging from small flakes around the mouth to entire sheets of skin sloughing off. Wearing makeup during this exfoliation period can lead to zombie-like skin.

Peels are useful in loosening the bonds between cells, and they help serums and other products actually penetrate deeper into the skin.

This can also help with pigmentation, wrinkles and texture. Results can be seen with a single treatment, but generally, a series performed monthly is usually recommended, so plan ahead.

Neurotoxins such as botox cosmetic, xeomin and dysport are used to relax muscles that cause wrinkles from expression, such as the vertical lines between the brows (aka angry 11s), horizontal forehead lines and crow’s feet. The results manifest themselves at a week or two after injections and last three to six months. Because it is an injection, there is a chance of bruising, especially if you drink

alcohol or take fish oil, Aspirin, Advil or Aleve in the week prior to injection.

Dermal fillers (Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, Voluma and Radiesse) are used to plump up cheeks, lips and boney hands and to reduce the appearance of deeper lines. These are thicker liquids, and some need a few days to settle into the tissues.

These are also injections that have a higher chance of bruising than neurotoxins, so plan these treatments at least a week or two prior to public engagements. These fillers last anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the filler chosen.

Photofacials are performed using a machine called the intense pulsed light (IPL) and is helpful in reducing brown pigmentation, as well as smaller blood vessels or mild rosacea. It can minimally help with collagen production, as well. The light from these machines destroys the pigmentation below the surface. The destroyed pigment initially looks like coffee grounds, but can be covered with good makeup. They eventually make their way to the surface and peel off.

Plan for a week of spots and peeling. These are also performed in a series on a monthly basis.

TRAVEL BEAUTY: maintaining your regimen while traveling

◆ Use waterproof bottles for the products you normally use, and pack in an extra zip-top bag, as the pressurization can affect the seals.

◆ If you like to use toner, you may opt to pre-soak cotton balls, then place in bottles.

◆ If you normally use a face brush to wash your face, take a less expensive version with you on your travels.

◆ Take an empty water bottle with you in your carryon, and fill it

POZNYAKOV/BIGSTOCK.COM

up when you get inside the terminal.

Dr. Shirat Ling personally performs all the medical cosmetic procedures at her South First Street office. She has performed more than 8,500 ablative laser procedures, and she has been in medical practice for 14 years, 10 of which she has spent performing medical cosmetic procedures.

CO2 fractional laser resurfacing is an invasive treatment that is best for deep lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, pigmentation and acne scars and to fortify thin under-eye and neck skin. There are several varieties of this treatment on the market. The most advertised is the Fraxel, which is less invasive, but has the most collateral damage, which leads to 10 days of downtime, with at least three monthly treatments (each with 10 days of downtime) needed for a good effect. The one in my practice has three days of downtime, with one treatment annually.

Depending on the depth of treatment, you may see results immediately, but more likely, you will see full results several months down the line.

Mothers-of-the-bride usually come in for this procedure a little too late for full effects before the big day … so plan this one several months before a major event.

A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Begin your Metamorphosis...

Botox

CO2 Fractional Laser

Skin Tightening Dermaplaning Photofacials

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Health & Beauty

PAINTING THE FULL

PICTURE Will veneers fix your smile?

The answer isn’t always as simple as it may seem.

BY DR. MICHAEL MOOSSY

A

s I have written quite a few of these articles, it’s challenging to come up with new and interesting topics that can actually be of value to readers. But I did think of one such topic recently. It’s very common for patients to want me to place veneers on them to fix their smile. Sometimes it’s just that simple, but other times, it’s not.

In a recent case, for instance, the patient simply wanted longer front teeth and asked me if I could veneer them. After examination, I found several things that needed to be taken into consideration. This patient actually has beautiful, nicely shaped teeth, but she does have an open bite in the anterior (front teeth) due to a thumb-sucking habit from childhood.

Because of this open bite, the patient has a lisp that is very prominent when she speaks. In addition, the patient states that she feels that her back teeth don’t meet up properly, and the exam revealed that she has a malocclusion on the back teeth. So in cases like this, when there are multiple issues, we need to step back and really think things through.

After I educated this patient, she developed a better understanding of her mouth and the problems it presents. This patient left my office with a referral to the oral surgeon for a consultation for a

surgery and possibly orthodontics that could fix the open bite issue and malocclusion. Whether or not she will get it is totally dependent on her, but we had to at least give her the option in order for her to make an informed decision. At this point, the patient can determine if the issue of the open bite means that much to her.

From one perspective, the surgical/orthodontic approach would be the best treatment, as it is her natural teeth in the correct position. She will have to weigh undergoing surgery with getting veneers, which requires the removing healthy tooth structure.

Having said this, if she decides not to go that route, she could proceed by having crowns and/or veneers placed on the upper arch, giving her the look she desires and correcting the posterior bite issues with porcelain. The only thing that would not be corrected would be the open bite, so she would still have her lisp.

Although it would have been easy for me to simply give her four veneers in the front to lengthen her teeth, it wouldn’t have addressed her other issues. By addressing her other issues, I gave her a better understanding of her complete oral environment so she could make an informed decision.

My point in writing this article is to demonstrate that although something may seem simple in the eyes of the patient, it isn’t always the case, and it takes a skilled practitioner to paint the full picture.

To reach Moossy General & Cosmetic Dentistry, visit

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drmoossy.com or call 512-459-5437 for an appointment.

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IN CASES WHERE THERE ARE MULTIPLE ISSUES, WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND REALLY THINK THINGS THROUGH.

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MENTAL HEALTH

T

he serious topic of domestic violence and child abuse has as the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Study (Felliti), indicatcaptured the nation’s attention in the aftermath of the ed that early trauma can contribute to engaging in high-risk behaviors NFL’s poor response to addressing the four professional such as smoking, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency and a sedenfootball players who are currently charged with either dotary lifestyle. The ACE’s research also shows that multiple traumas in mestic violence or child abuse. While there are many important issues childhood, such as a parental separation or domestic violence, can conrelated to this national discourse, includtribute to a shorter lifespan. Respondents ing how the NFL handled the situation, it who indicated having six or more adverse is important to recognize that domestic experiences as a child have a projected violence is not contained to a certain class, lifespan of only 60 years. ethnicity or culture. It reaches across the “So we need to start thinking of trauma spectrum of socioeconomic status, and it not only in the context of addressing menhas devastating impacts on those abused tal health problem, but also as a physical and our society as a whole. health issue. Physicians and other mediNational and local discourse on Child corporal punishment has historical professionals are key to screening for domestic violence and child abuse cally undergone scrutiny, with most recent childhood trauma, since trauma is conafter the NFL controversy scientific findings reporting short- and nected to physical health problems and long-term negative effects on the brain. referring patients to trauma-informed

BY RENEE HANSON MALONE According to Seanna Crosbie, LCSW, counseling services. We now know that director of program and trauma-informed children who receive intervention early services at the Austin Child Guidance have a much better chance for recovery.”

Center, “Childhood trauma impacts the developing brain, which can It is pertinent that children and adults who have experienced physilead to problems such as emotional regulation, chronic depression, sencal abuse by loved ones to receive mental health care in order to address sory integration issues and peer/relational problems. Often, trauma is emotions of shame, trust and fear so they can live healthy productive viewed as only a mental health issue; however, emerging research, such lives. Relearning to trust is a significant issue for individuals who are

TREATING

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PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

TRAUMA

survivors of domestic violence. For children who have experienced chronic child abuse, the obstacle of trust can affect personal relationships way into adulthood. However, if trauma is treated early on, a child has a greater chance of healing past wounds and leading a normal and healthy life.

The Trauma-Informed Care Consortium of Central Texas (TICC) has more than 30 members, with representation from individuals within the mental health field, law enforcement, primary health care and education. This consortium seeks to streamline local childhood trauma services through early detection, referral and treatment. For more information, you can visit www.TraumaTexas.com.

Furthermore, on March 30 and 31, 2015, the Austin Child Guidance Center will host the Cross-Discipline Trauma Conference of Central Texas at the Westin Austin at the Domain. This two-day training will bring in national leading experts in the field, including: ► Vincent Felliti, M.D., co-principal investigator of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) ► Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., senior fellow of the Child Trauma Academy and clinical professor of Medicine at University of California ► Erica Miller, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, author and Holocaust survivor

PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT, PHOTO OF STONE SLADE BY NATHAN HALL,YOBRO/BIGSTOCK.COM

► Ginny Sprang, Ph.D., co-chair of National Child Traumatic Stress Network Secondary Traumatic Stress Collaborative More information about the conference, Continuing Education Units provided and tickets can be found at www.AustinChildGuidance.org.

As a result of the NFL’s recent national attention, we are reminded that regardless of how much money, fame and success an individual has, he or she is not immune to becoming an aggressor with their beloved spouse and/ or children. It is very important that the city of Austin recognizes the value of trauma-informed systems of care, and decides as a community to incorporate strategies and training within all segments of society that serve our residents.

Moreover, as a society, we need to evolve the public discourse of domestic violence, especially within the media. We should never blame or shame the victim, which only leads to re-victimizing the individual, who truly requires support, safety, care and understanding.

On a positive note involving the scandal, the recent media attention has served to reinforce the need for accessible, quality mental health services for all income levels. No child or adult who is a victim of a violent crime should ever go without professional mental health care.

THE LOCAL NFL SCANDAL HAS LED TO AN OPEN CONVERSATION ON WHAT CONSTITUTES ABUSE.

For more information, visit Austin Child Guidance Center at www.austinchildguidance.org or email rhanson@austinchildguidance.org.

FAMILY VALUES “Modern Dads” star Stone Slade on stay-athome dads and the importance of abuse prevention Austin MD: You were recently on a reality show, “Modern Dads,” about dads that are the primary caregivers for their children. Do you think the role dads have today is tougher than in the past?

Stone Slade: If you look at the way things were in our parents’ day compared to today, I think the role of the dad has definitely become a more involved one. Things have changed so much since then that the average American family is just different today than that old “Leave it to Beaver” image. Each family has a different situation that they adapt to as a family to make it work.

I do think overall, though, we are seeing dads become

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 more involved in their children’s lives. I know I see a lot more dads out at parks with their kids now than I did when my teenagers were little.

AMD: With the recent NFL scandals domestic violence and child abuse have been in the news lately. What are your thoughts on how a healthy involved relationship with a dad can affect kids and prevent future abuse?

Slade: I think it’s weird that the fact that they’re NFL players has been made such a big deal. The NFL is just another business with it’s employees. They’re no different than the rest of us. What’s going on in the NFL is no different than what’s going on every day in our society except there is less chance of getting caught if you’re just an average Joe. I hope all this media attention brings more awareness to domestic violence.

The things you do and say in front of your kids goes a long way into shaping who they are going to be as adults. I see and hear things said in front of little ears all the time that make me cringe. There are just certain things you should never do or say in from of children. I’ve heard friends and strangers badmouth the other parent in front of or directly to their children. That just makes me sad because all they’re doing is chipping away that their kids’ self-esteem. Remember, the person they’re putting down in front of them is half of them ... ‘If my mom or dad is a dumb blank, then I must be, too,’ I think if you have issues with the other parent or any issues, really, you are doing your little one a huge favor to keep it behind closed doors. It’s hard enough to just be a kid.

Slade: This is another thing that is just different today than it was when we were growing up. I remember in first-through-fourth grade a teacher could take you just outside the classroom and spank you with a paddle. I was definitely the recipient of a few of those. If you’re a parent that chooses to use physical punishments, then I think there’s a fine line between a “good, old-fashioned spanking” and abuse. With that said, I choose to not walk that line. I just feel that there are other more effective ways to handle discipline than spanking your kids.

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AMD: Being a stay-at-home dad must involve challenges and rewards that people don’t realize. Can you talk about your unique situation, what led you to be a stay-at-home dad and some of the biggest misconceptions people have about stay-at-home dads?

Danica fulltime, and my graphic design business, Wet Media Designs, has exploded to the point where I’m able to run things from my home office. I’m one of the only dads that’s at every school function and in every drop-off and pick-up line. It’s not easy, but I love it. I wish that I had been able to pull this off when my older ones (21 and 18) were this age. Now I have an amazing girlfriend that is also a single parent to her teenage son. Having a strong like-minded person like her in a co-parenting role has definitely helped me juggle everything since becoming the primary parent for Dani.

Slade: Again, my story is completely different than my friends/costars, but is one that I’m sure is relatable to many dads in similar situations. Before and during the shooting of the show, I was a single dad with shared custody. Being a single parent is no joke! At that time, I was a freelance graphic artist and realtor, so I had a very flexible schedule allowing me to be able to spend more quality time with my little one than most dads are able to do. I can tell you that because I chose to take that extra time “off ” and not put her in daycare, there were some pretty lean months, but I wouldn’t go back and change anything. That extra time was invaluable for both of us. Since wrapping up the show, I have

As far as misconceptions of stay-at-home dads ... oh my gosh, it’s unreal. I’ve read so many negative things about SAHDs since doing the show that just aren’t right. Being a stay-at-home parent is hard work, period. Moms have been underappreciated doing this forever, and now, more and more dads are taking on that roll. The times are different; women are out there in the workforce with high-paying top-level positions. For some families that don’t want their kids to be in a daycare, it just makes sense for the dad to be the stay-at-home parent. It definitely doesn’t make him any less of a man. I would challenge anyone that thinks so to switch rolls with their wives for a couple months.

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PHOTO BY NATHAN HALL

AMD: What are your thoughts on physical punishments such as spanking? Do you think it’s a parent’s choice or that it does lasting damage?

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MENTAL HEALTH

SAVOR THE MOMENT

T

he dictionary says that stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” We have all heard people say that they were really “stressed out” by another person or situation, and nearly all of us have felt “stressed out” in anticipation of taking a test, preparing a project or simply standing up in class to give a presentation. When we are “stressed out,” we usually lose sight of who is doing the stressing and how the stressing is being done.

Have you ever been on an airplane where someone is definitely freaking out about flying? Have you ever seen someone on that same flight talking enjoyably with their neighbor while flying through the air at 500 miles per hour? If flying were responsible for how the stressed-out person was feeling, how do we

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account for the experience of enjoyment of the slowly and silently to yourself, ‘this moment is other passenger? the only time there is…’ Soak in the present At some point, many of us start to become moment. What are you seeing and hearing? suspicious of who is doing the stressing and What’s temperature like? How does the fabric how the stressing is being done. What if you of the chair feel? Breathe slowly and deeply. Get started to realize that the feelings you have in in touch with this very moment – the only time any situation are a result of how there is. Allow your mind to come you are thinking rather thanto a rest. Feel the calm stillness of REMIND something “out there” causing you this present moment. Now, point YOURSELF to feel a certain way? Would you to where stress is located. Where be relieved? Would you feel more THAT THERE IS does stress come from?

NO STRESS IN hopeful and resourceful? Would Sometimes people smile when THE PRESENT considering these questions, as it you be more curious as to the MOMENT. connection of how thoughts are begins to dawn on them that there actually felt moment to moment? is no stress in the present moImagine that instead of being ment. When we begin to undervery caught up in our heads with thoughts, stand that stress doesn’t come from “out there,” worries, hopes and fears, we suddenly realized but actually is a product of what we are doing that this moment is the only time there is? Take “in here,” in our head, we automatically start this moment, right now, to look around and say to feel better. When we feel better, we start to

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The five-step plan for college students to manage stress and stressful thinking BY DR. IAN CROOKS

tap into our resourcefulness and problem-solving ability that “stress” actually blocks us from accessing.

When you become aware of feeling “stressed out,” consider this five-step plan to regain your clarity of mind, sense of calm and improved productivity.

Remind yourself that there is no stress in the present moment. Take some time to slow down your breathing. Take in your surroundings. Allow your busy mind to slow down.

Check in. Take time to check in with yourself to make sure you are creating opportunities for your mind and body to work together healthfully and effectively. Are you getting enough sleep and exercise? Are you indulging in substances that actually help create distress? Alcohol and other substances are commonly used to experience short-term numbing of distressful feelings, but as anyone who has woken up with a hangover knows, the short-term relief comes at the price of long-term pain.

Stay connected. Taking breaks from intense studying and talking with friends helps us gain new perspective. Connecting with our classmates allows us to learn strategies or ways of accomplishing things that we hadn’t considered before. Reaching out for support allows us to decompress if we have been hassling ourselves with stressful thinking.

Get clear. If you are like most students, there are lots of details about what has to happen and when. If we try to wing it by keeping our calendar in our heads, we tend start feeling overwhelmed, when in actuality, it’s all pretty doable if we make plans for how to incrementally achieve our outcomes.

Get help. If stress-filled thinking and feelings have gotten the better of you, know that there are many resources to help you get back on track. Most schools offer guidance and support in the form of talk therapy or mentors. If feeling stressed out has made your life unmanageable or unworkable, stop right now and get help.

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor: “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”

Ian Crooks, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in Austin. He is also a psychiatrist for University of Texas at Austin men’s athletics, where he works with male student athletes. For more information, you can contact Crooks’ office at 512-454-7741.

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MENTAL HEALTH

Stress-Free

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Austin Lake’s tips for battling stress and depression

BY ROCIO AVILA, LMSW

I

remember the holiday planning calls we made to family when I was growing up. We made lists of gifts, dĂŠcor and food items that needed to be purchased, and we coordinated with loved ones to find the best dates and times to reunite. Then there were the sounds, sights and aromas associated with the preparation and celebration of holidays, which brought a sense of excitement and comfort. After my grandmother, with

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whom I used to spend holidays, passed away, the sounds, sights and aromas triggered a reminder of what I had lost. Their effect on me was forever transformed.

For most, the holidays are a time of cheer and celebration with loved ones; but for some, the holidays bring stress and depression for many reasons. Preparing for the holidays can be stressful, and individuals often overstretch themselves with too many commitments. They

make plans to help coordinate parties; cook and clean; assist with decorations; spend money, time and thought on inviting others and purchasing gifts; and somewhere along the way, forget to take care of their wants and needs. For some individuals, this is true year-round.

The holidays often trigger symptoms of depression due to grief over lost loved ones, loss due to death, separation, divorce, relocation, unresolved conflicts or the onset of new

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YOU MAY BE ON VACATION, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE A VACATION FROM YOURSELF.

conflicts. Stress and depression can lead to isolation and feelings of loneliness and/or anxiety.

During these times, it is important that individuals recognize when they are feeling symptoms of stress and depression.

Common symptoms of stress can include behaviors such as overeating, binge drinking, aches and pains (including chest pain) and headaches. Symptoms of depression include loss of interest in pleasurable activities, changes in sleep patterns, feelings of hopelessness/helpless, sadness/inadequacy and difficulty concentrating and/or making decisions.

During the holiday season, depression symptoms can be caused by increased alcohol use, the overbooking of one’s schedule, unrealistic expectations of self or loved ones and an overall lack of selfcare by not making time for oneself.

So how can you limit the amount of stress and depression during the holidays? Here are some tips to battle stress and depression in the upcoming holiday season:

► Plan accordingly.  Schedule your activities on your calendar. Writing down things such as commitments to purchase preparation items, shopping and gathering dates and times helps you visualize the amount of commitments you have. Being more specific by assigning time (deadlines and the time it will take to complete them) can be even more helpful for picturing what your days will look like.  While planning, be sure to include time for yourself. Book and hour or so with yourself to do the things that help you relieve stress. You may be on vacation, but that does not mean you have to take a vacation from yourself. ► Accept that you might have feelings of loneliness, grief and loss. It is OK to have these feelings surface during the holiday season.  Make time for meditation and self-reflection.  Avoid isolation, and surround yourself with your support system.  Plan a visit with your therapist to discuss what may come up or what has come up. This is a great time to uncover feelings and the roots of those underlying feelings. ► Be kind to yourself during this holiday season and year-round.  Do not create a heavy workload for yourself by over-committing.  Set realistic expectations for yourself and others.  Remove yourself from situations that may trigger stress and depression (including gatherings with toxic people or relatives).  Practice healthy behaviors and activities that make you feel good!

To learn more, visit austinlakeshospital.com. For inpatient services, call 512-544-5253; for outpatient services, call 512-356-9065.

•Ocuppational Therapy • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy Licensed by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Call for more information

512-900-7934 Fax: 512-900-7954

Visit our website by scanning this QR code.

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SPORTS

ENDLESS Possibilities

Holiday gift ideas for that special golfer in your life

C

hristmas is right around the corner. Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If you’re looking for something special for that golfer in your life, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few affordable gift ideas that are sure to make any golfer smile this holiday season.

RANGE FINDER Yes, the world of technology has made it to the golf course.

To see a range finder in someone’s golf bag these days is almost as common as seeing that new driver that promises an extra

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NEW GRIPS ARE AMONG THE BEST “GOLF GIFTS” YOU CAN GIVE AN AVID GOLFER.

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BY KYLE JEROME

10 yards on your tee shots. Range finders have become more popular over the last several years, making getting a yardage for a shot faster and easier. Range finders typically start around $100.

PERSONALIZED GOLF BALLS What golfer doesn’t want to play with golf balls with his or her name on them? And what better way to mark and distinguish your golf balls from the other players’ golf balls in your group than to have your name on them? Depending on the brand, personalized golf balls cost between $30 and $60.

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NEW GRIPS New grips are among the best “golf gifts” you can give an avid golfer.

New grips make your clubs easier to hold onto and make your clubs feel new again. Grips come in all different colors, styles and sizes to fit hand size. Check to see what kind of grips that special someone is playing with so you’ll know what size and style they like. Most grips usually cost between $7 and 10 each.

GOLF UMBRELLA A golf umbrella is one of those things everyone should have. Have you ever been caught in the rain with one of those small, pop-up umbrellas that barely keeps the top of your head dry? If you have, you know how much better a golf umbrella is in wet weather. Whether the person you’re buying for plays golf or not, a golf umbrella is one of the best gifts they’ll get this holiday season. Most golf umbrellas cost between $50 and 60.

PERSONALIZED SHAFT LABELS Personalized shaft labels are a great idea for any golfer, especially those who tend to be a little absent-minded. Shaft labels are stickers that have the owner’s name, phone number and address on them. They wrap around the shaft just below the grip. If someone leaves their club on the course, the person who finds it knows who to contact. Shaft labels cost around $10 per dozen.

GIFT CERTIFICATE TO A PRO SHOP This is an easy one. Do you have someone who’s hard to buy for?

Purchase a gift certificate at a pro shop, and let them do their own shopping. You can spend as much or as little as you want and let that person get that special item they want.

GOLF SCHOOL/INSTRUCTION Perhaps the most valuable gift you can give that special golfer is the gift that keeps on giving: good golf instruction. The best of everything else doesn’t matter as much if a good base of fundamentals and understanding of that person’s golf swing isn’t there. The Academy of Golf Dynamics has earned a reputation as one of the best golf schools in the country since 1982. Individualized instruction at one of the best practice facilities in the country is just one of the reasons thousands of golfers have trusted their golf games with the Academy of Golf Dynamics over the years.

Visit the Academy of Golf Dynamics online at www.GolfDynamics.com for further details.

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A New Normal?

How a TV show mirrors the struggles of caregivers

BY CAROL ZERNIAL

IF A CAREGIVER SEES ANOTHER CAREGIVER BATTLING THE POWERS OF DARKNESS ON TV, SHE’LL KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE LIKE HER.

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GIVING

Someone recently pointed out to me that caregiving has become mainstream – commonplace. Consider the evidence: The television mini-series, “The Strain,” is a show about researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who are investigating an outbreak of vampirism. One of the researchers, Dr. Nora Martinez, has to rescue her mother from assisted living because it’s being overrun with vampires.

As if caregivers didn’t have enough to do, we now have to battle the undead in addition to everything else. But if caregiving and vampires are the new normal, this could be good news – in a weird sort of way. Most caregivers feel isolated and alone. They think they are the only ones going through this situation. If a caregiver sees another caregiver battling the powers of darkness on TV, she’ll know there are others out there like her.

She’ll see that caregivers need tools specific to their own caregiving situations. Martinez may need basic things like silver bullets, an ultraviolet light and perhaps some hand-to-hand combat training (wooden stakes or crosses don’t appear to hurt these vampires). Regular caregivers may want to start out with other basics such as information on available services, education on Alzheimer’s or cancer and perhaps a support group.

Martinez realized that the assisted living

facility in which her mom lived had problems; it had vampires. Regular caregivers may face a similar realization that their loved one isn’t living in a safe situation. Dad may no longer be able to stay by himself in his own home. Or the assisted living facility may not be able to handle mom’s growing medical problems.

Martinez went on the run with her mom.

Caregivers understand this feeling completely.

We run from medical appointment to medical appointment, to the pharmacy, to the grocery store and to other chores. We often feel like we are running for our lives. This leads to caregiver stress. Unrelenting stress takes down our immune system and leaves us more susceptible to whatever is going around. We could become the next vampire because we have nothing left in us to fight.

Martinez may be smarter than the average person, but she still has her own problems to face. She may be a scientist, but she doesn’t always have the right answers. She may be trying to save the world from imminent doom, but that can be an everyday occurrence for the average caregiver.

So I’m glad that caregiving has gone mainstream. Caregiving is a part of our normal lives, and television is reflecting that reality – except the part about the vampires, because that’s not normal.

Carol Zernial is the vice president of community relations for WellMed Medical Management and the executive director of the nonprofit WellMed Charitable Foundation. A noted gerontologist, Zernial serves as the current chair of the National Council on Aging Board of Directors.

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NONPROFIT

Have a Heart

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GIVING

A TOTAL OF 30 ROSE DENTAL EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO HELP MAKE THIS DAY POSSIBLE.

Rose Dental Group hosts its fifth annual Dentists with a Heart event in Round Rock.

As part of our commitment to community service, Rose Dental Group held its fifth annual Dentists with a Heart event. “Dentist’s with a Heart’s” annual event provides the Austin and surrounding communities with free dental cleanings, exams and palliative care..

This year’s event was held at our Round Rock location at 893 N. IH-35,

BY CHARLOTTE PIECZYNSKI PHOTOS BY STEVE DEMENT Ste. 200, in Round Rock. We provided treatment to approximately 110 patients.

Local community organizations, including Manos De Cristo, CommUnityCare, Lone Star Circle of Care, Gateway Church and the Capital Area Dental Foundation, assisted in spreading the word to those in need.

With health care premiums going up, many companies have dropped their dental insurance benefits. This has resulted in a number of patients reaching out to us for low-cost or free care. The Dentists with a Heart Foundation was created to help Austin and the surrounding communities receive low- or no-cost dental care.

This nonprofit foundation works throughout the year raising funds to support the annual Dentists with a Heart event and to take on cases throughout the year. A total of 30 dental professionals from Rose Dental donated their time and provided cleanings, exams, basic fillings, extractions and urgent care for dental emergencies at this year’s event.

Rose Dental Group rotates Dentists with a Heart each year between our three locations in Round Rock, Southwest Austin and Northwest Austin. The owners of Rose Dental Group, Drs. Sergio Escobar and Rollin Sarradet, and their team members share a common core belief of giving back through various avenues in the community in which we live, work and raise our children.

After a heartwarming day of bringing smiles to faces, Dr. Escobar, co-owner of Rose Dental Group said “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Dentists with a heart is our way of caring.”

For more information on Dentists with a Heart or to donate, please visit www.RoseDental.net and click on the “Dentists with a Heart” tab.

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AUSTIN MD’S PICKS DR. JENNIFER WALDEN

S P E C I A L I ST S GUIDE

“Our goals are enhancement of body image, turning back the clock so that your outer beauty and youth match your inner beauty and youth, and improvement of self-esteem,” says Dr. Jennifer Walden, an Austin-based cosmetic surgeon with a national footprint.

Walden says the holidays are a popular time for people seeking her services. “Patients often get facelifts and other types of facial surgery, such as rhinoplasty, eyelid lifts and laser resurfacing, over the holidays because they are off work, at home and can recuperate during time off.”

Her practice offers cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally invasive services for the face, breast, body and skin. These include face and necklifts, eyelid lift, browlift, rhinoplasty, ear pinning, breast augmentation with your body’s own fat or implants, breast implant exchange, tummy tuck, liposuction, labiaplasty and buttock augmentation. The practice also offers noninvasive fat reduction with Venus Legacy radiofrequency, Botox and soft tissue fillers, as well as multiplatform Sciton Joule laser and broadband light treatments for pigment, hair removal, texture and color, as well as laser resurfacing for wrinkles. An in-house aesthetician provides facials, chemical peels, skin care, dermaplaning and brow and lash tint.

“We offer a comfortable and supportive environment, as well as years of experience in helping patients

BY JON BLACK / PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

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achieve the look they desire.” To give patients the best results possible, Walden emphasizes the importance of empowering them to make well-informed choices.

Her commitment to medicine far extends beyond the practice.

Frequently sought after for her expertise, she has been featured in media outlets including “20/20,” “The Today Show,” New York Magazine and Texas Monthly. She has published numerous articles and research papers in medical journals, co-authored a textbook and even developed new instruments for breast surgery.

Walden also uses her skills and experience to serve the less fortunate and promote health education. To raise awareness of heart disease in women, she has served on the Austin Executive Leadership Team of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. She works with Austin Smiles, which provides cleft-lip and palate surgery to infants.

Additionally, she is active with the Junior League of Austin’s Food in Tummies Program, providing weekend nourishment to elementary school children in need.

Harper’s Bazaar magazine named Walden “One of the 24 Best Beauty Surgeons in the United States.” Walden is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and she received her medical doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she also completed an integrated plastic surgery residency. She completed an externship at Plastic Surgery Associates in Miami and a fellowship at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.

“There are many things to consider when making a decision as personal as having plastic surgery,” she says, “and we understand the impact a procedure will have on your life.”

TO LEARN MORE or to schedule an appointment, visit www.drjenniferwalden. com, call 512-328-4100 or visit 5656 Bee Cave Road, Ste. E201.

SUBBOTINA ANNA/BIGSTOCK.COM, PHOTO OF JENNIFER WALDEN BY WINSTON LACKEY

Walden Cosmetic Surgery Center

FOR HOLIDAY BEAUTY DR. ALINA SHOLAR

Sage & Sweetgrass Wellness Spa

BY JON BLACK / PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

S P E C I A L I ST S GUIDE

advanced laser and skin-tightening treatments, as well as Botox and dermal fillers. Other treatments include Ultherapy skin lifting and tightening, Pearl fractional laser resurfacing, laser hair removal and photofacials.

“We offer some really unique amenities that no one else in the Austin area does,” Sholar says. These include biometric analysis and medical grade, custom-formulated botanical and holistic skincare products. “We can actually look beneath the skin surface to determine what needs improvement,” she explains. This allows for customized treatments best suited to an individual’s unique needs. At the same time, guests can benefit from holistic therapies such as spa rituals, intuitive quests and yoga practices, drawing on traditions as diverse as Native American, Ayurvedic and Eastern.

Sage & Sweetgrass is designed to provide guests the antithesis of the stereotypical medical environment. It is a topnotch medical facility that feels like a destination spa. “When you come to see us, you cross over the threshold into a peaceful enclave where aromatherapy scents and native incenses linger,” Sholar says. “The body and mind are soothed by a sense of well-being.”

The spa’s examination rooms, its spa rooms and its couple’s suite are all designed with an eye toward beauty and tranquility, as well as functionality. Sage & Sweetgrass does not limit its emphasis on creating a peaceful, soothing environment to physical surroundings. The spa’s staff is hand-selected for both professional expertise and excellent interpersonal skills.

“Our main focus is you,” Sholar says. “Just as you have skin, wellness and spiritual needs different from any other person, our treatments are individualized and focused on you as a whole person, unifying the mind, body and spirit.”

Sholar is a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and she holds an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Louisville and a second residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Tennessee. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University.

Sholar’s professional affiliations include the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Sholar is also an accomplished artist and medical illustrator whose work has been featured in textbooks and medical journals.

“Sage & Sweetgrass is truly a unique, and very Austin, spa experience,” Sholar says, “It’s a fusion of medical therapy, holistic healing and divine indulgence derived from one unique philosophy of mind, body and spirit.”

“For centuries, people have created sacred spaces for ceremony and spiritual retreat – places where they could take refuge from the outside world and focus on the highest ideals of wholeness, healing and peace,” says Dr. Alina Sholar. At Sage & Sweetgrass Wellness Spa, named for the ancient Anasazi practice of anointing sacred spaces with those herbs, Sholar combines this traditional approach to wholeness and healing with a state-of-the-art wellness clinic.

“Seamlessly blending the modern with the ancient is nothing new to us,” Sholar explains. “Here, science and nature, therapy and mystery, beauty and peace are intertwined to offer an experience as luxurious as it is therapeutic and as magical as it is real. We treat the whole person.”

In addition to Sholar’s aesthetic surgery practice, Sage & Sweetgrass offers an extensive menu of medspa and luxury spa services. Guests can undergo therapies including the most

TO LEARN MORE or to schedule an appointment, visit www.sageandsweetgrassspa.com, call 512-436-8018 or visit 4500 Steiner Ranch Blvd., second floor.

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HEALTH

HOLIDAY FOOD

HEALTH IMPACT Rich, heavy holiday foods can make your urinary health less cheery.

BY DR. MELODY DENSON

M

any people enjoy their holidays by gathering with friends and family around elaborate meals that include seasonal favorites – many that aren’t normally part of a regular diet. Rich, heavy foods, sugary delicacies and alcoholic beverages cause some individuals to worry about gaining extra pounds during the holidays. However, few consider that holiday food choices might impact their urological health. In reality, food can play a key role in aggravating urological medical issues such as overactive bladder, chronic pelvic pain and even kidney stones.

Overactive bladder is a condition associated with urgent or frequent urination. It’s that “gotta go, gotta go” feeling and the need to get to a bathroom before having an accident. Affecting 50 percent of American women and a third of American men, overactive bladder is extremely common and can occur at any age.

Interestingly, overactive bladder can be either wet or dry, and it is not always associated with incontinence. Normal urination is urinating six to eight times in a 24-hour period, including getting up once or twice at night. Anything above these numbers is considered overactive.

While certainly a nuisance, overactive bladder is not life-threatening, and it is often minimized through behavioral modifications such as food choices. So before sitting down at the holiday table or reaching for that last dessert, remember that there are many dietary items that can affect or trigger overactive bladder.

Cranberry juice, citrus juices, tea, carbonated beverages, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, chocolate … Foods we consume every day, and possibly in larger amounts during the holidays, that can irritate the bladder. Simply cutting out

some of these bladder irritants can help relax the bladder so it can hold more, and for longer periods of time.

Controlling overactive bladder is not just about drinking less fluid; it is also about changing some of the beverages and food products that we put in our mouths. At the same time, minimizing or cutting out several of these same food choices can help reduce the symptoms of interstitial cystitis or chronic pelvic pain – a debilitating condition that affects both men and women.

With respect to those extra holiday pounds, being overweight is just one factor that can lead to the development of kidney stones. In addition, having too much calcium in one’s system, as from dairy products, or too much uric acid, which is common with eating meat, can also cause kidney stones to form.

So as much as we allow ourselves to enjoy holiday treats, there can be residual health problems that last well past the holiday season.

Although the urinary tract system may not be “top of mind” during the holidays, it may be the only thing you’re thinking of afterwards.

OVERACTIVE BLADDER IS EXTREMELY COMMON AND CAN OCCUR AT ANY AGE. For more information, visit www.urologyteam.com.

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HEALTH

Keep it Down

How to avoid gaining weight over the holiday season

BY DR. AVINASH RAMCHANDANI

► Count your calories For most women, the average intake is a little less than 2,000 calories per day; for men, it is more like 2,500 calories per day. You can use a calculator to figure out your average calories needed per day. There is one available from a link from painlessnx.com. ► Avoid sweets and grains Dessert is the best part of any meal, but desserts are usually high in calories and sugar. Although the calories can be managed by the quantity eaten, the amount of sugar in some desserts can be mind-boggling. One scoop of ice cream has the equivalent of 5 spoons of sugar in it, and one piece of pie also has the equivalent of 5 spoons of sugar in it! Can you imagine how much sugar there is in a banana split?

Grains have a very high quantity of sugar, and the sugar is easily metabolized. One slice of bread, although it has about 2 grams of sugar (half a spoon of sugar), metabolizes in your body to glucose quicker and causes a higher peak of glucose than a spoon of sucrose (table sugar). Grains also have compounds like gluten that can cause allergic and immunologic reactions in many people. ► What can you eat?

• Sweet potatoes: They are great for you. They are high in carbs, but very nutritious with lots of vitamins and minerals.

• Turkey and ham: Turkey and ham are low in fat and high in protein, which can be beneficial.

• A little bit of everything else A small amount of desserts and grains won’t hurt, but if you are intolerant to gluten, avoid grain. ► Have fun!

The holidays can be stressful, so make sure you have fun and keep your stress level down. Stress can cause an increase in cortisol, which can cause a decrease in satiety.

YOU CAN STILL INDULGE AND EAT EVERYTHING YOU WANT; THE KEY IS TO EAT THE RIGHT THINGS.

For more information, contact Pain Care Physicians or Dr. Avinash Ramchandani at 512-326-05440.

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H

ow many times do you go through the holiday season wondering how to maintain your weight through all the over-indulgence and high-calorie meals? You can still indulge and eat everything you want; the key is to eat the right things. Here is a simple guide to maintaining your weight and having a good holiday season.

HEALTH

HELP FOR THE

HOLIDAYS

A few things to keep in mind while you are on the move through the hustle and bustle of the holiday season BY DR. BEN MORGAN

A

s the holidays approach, we find ourselves getting our homes ready for the influx of friends and family. This usually means crawling up into the attic to drag out heavy boxes, climbing on ladders to hang lights and doing lots of cooking and cleaning. With all of this hustle and bustle sometimes come the aches and pains of overexertion and the occasional injury. Keep the following tips in mind during this time, and you can help lessen the time you spend away from loved ones because you are nursing an issue that could have been prevented.  CALM THE HURRY. One conversation that is heard in our clinic over and over while rehabbing an injury is “I was just in a hurry and ...” Whether the “...” is lifting more than we should or climbing on a chair to hang something quickly, taking the time to do it the right way and knowing your limitations by getting help when needed can save weeks of unneeded distress.

MAKE GOOD DECISIONS IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN FEELING STEADY ON YOUR FEET.

 LEAVE THE CAPE IN THE CLOSET. Most of us, myself included, try to get everything done on our own to make the season more enjoyable for others. With this comes a drive to play holiday superhero and do it all. Many a back and shoulder injury can be attributed to this trait. Don’t be afraid: Get some assistance with the heavy tasks in the kitchen, or ask someone to hold the ladder. This can also be a great bonding time for friends and family, as well as provide some awesome memories.

Keeping these tips in mind can help and make your holidays much more enjoyable!

Learn more about Texas Physical Therapy Specialists at texpts.com, or call them at 1-888-658-8483.

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 FIND YOUR CENTER. This can be discussed both figuratively and literally during the holidays. I am going to leave the figurative to other health care professionals. Literally, balance deficits exist. We treat them all the time in the clinic. Unfortunately, it is usually after an incident. Make good decisions if you haven’t been feeling steady on your feet. Climbing on the stepping stool to hang a pretty wreath is not worth the risk of you and the wreath coming crashing down.

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PROFILE

TAKING ACTION

Police physician Dr. Jon Sheinberg works with the Austin and Cedar Park Police Departments to help save the lives of police officers.

BY SAM JACKSON PHOTO BY STEVE DEMENT

I

magine you’re having a heart issue and you’re waiting to see the doctor in that quiet little exam room, when the door opens. As you rise to greet him, and he starts introducing himself; your eyes immediately fall on his hip, where a pistol and a police badge are hanging in full view.

It sounds like the intro of a testosterone-jacked action flick starring Jean Claude Van Damme, but for Dr. Jon Sheinberg, it’s only life as usual. In addition to his private cardiology practice, he volunteers for the Austin Police Department (APD) in matters of

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“wellness, teaching, whatnot,” and is a sworn and licensed police officer for the Cedar Park Police Department (CPPD), joining the Cedar Park SWAT team in the field as their medical director on takedowns, arrests and searches of various natures.

One would think this would be a pretty common job, considering the dangers police officers face every day, but people like Sheinberg only number about 20 or so, including himself.

They are scattered all across the country, but they are all bringing a valuable service that previously wasn’t available.

“If you look at a tactical situation, a callout, there’s three different zones,” Sheinberg explains. “There’s the cold zone, which is a block away or so, there’s the warm zone, and then, right where the action is, there’s the hot zone.”

Because paramedics traditionally have had no training in dealing with violent situations, and no one wanted to risk them catching a bullet, ambulances had to stay in the cold zone until the end. Unfortunately, with some of the injuries that can befall SWAT members and officers in a mission, a block can be the difference between life and death.

“The mortality of police officers is off the chart,” Sheinberg comments. “The life expectancy’s 20-plus years less than a civilian. So from a mortality standpoint, if you get physicians involved with departments, they can reduce that mortality. So what the whole concept [of police physicians] is to bring medical support, which used to be stationed in the cold zone into the warm zone; and now, if you have physicians/police officers, or police officers/ EMTs or paramedics, they can actually go with the police into the hot zone.”

He put together a huge booklet entitled, “Operational Police Physician Concept,” that detailed a 10-day training program for training these officers, along with NYPD documents, articles about the position from Police Chief magazine and studies of heart disease rates among cops. Then he put it in front of the APD and the CPPD, and they put the program and the position into action.

Besides this, Sheinberg has also been attacking another unseen, but no less deadly, cop killer: heart disease. According to him, half of all cops die of heart issues five years after retirement, with the average age at 49.

“Cops have terrible heart disease,” he says of this issue. “The incidence and the prevalence of heart disease is much higher than the general population. We don’t know why. It could be stress, [since] it’s boredom punctuated by adrenaline squirts in crisis; diet’s probably not very good; or it could also

be that people who have higher risk of heart disease just go into this profession for some reason. So we don’t know, because you can’t control for all these things.”

Instead, Sheinberg developed a cardiac screening program to focus on early detection and prevention, particularly in the detection of coronary calcification and certain lipoproteins. He ended up finding early warnings of heart trouble in more than half the force.

Thankfully, he’ll soon present these findings to several police and medical boards, as well as the FBI Law Enforcement Leadership Academy, so they will be aware of this disturbing trend. It doesn’t hurt that he has also implemented a system to expedite medical care for cops that fights the problem of an understaffed police department, where just one sick officer can be a huge problem for the city he or she isn’t covering that day.

Another new step he’s been instrumental in is the acquirement and use of individual first aid kits (IFAKs), small medical kits carried in Batman-like belt pouches by Austin and Cedar Park police officers since the end of July.

Though a first for local authorities, IFAKs have made appearances in other places, most notably the 2011 incident in Tucson where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and around 17 other victims were shot by Jared Loughner. Six people died that day, and if the Pima County deputies hadn’t had IFAKs with them, four more would have, as well.

The kits vary depending on the place, but the IFAKs here include “a tourniquet, a quick clot impregnated gauze, which has a chemical

“

on it that causes a clot if it’s exposed to blood; there’s a chest seal for a chest wound, there is an emergency trauma dressing which looks like an Ace bandage with a big gauze pad attached to it and there’s shears to remove clothing.”

Sheinberg has helped develop an education program for these kits. So far, most of the APD and CPPD patrol division is able to use them in the field thanks to the training, and they’ve already saved four civilians with them.

What’s most interesting about Sheinberg, though, is that none of this is his first dalliance with law enforcement; he joined the Barnstable County, Massachusetts police department straight out of college. Even after he gave that up for medical school and the Air Force, and eventually went into private practice, he still felt the need to scratch the lawman itch, beginning with a stint in 2006 with the Travis County Sheriff ’s Department as a SWAT tactical medic, leading up to his police work today.

What keeps him going back?

“I love it. I don’t know [why]. It’s in my genes,” he says when posed this question.

“There’s people that I work with that tell me they cannot believe they get paid for doing this.

They love it. They love the people they work with, they love the camaraderie, they love the job. There’s something about it. It’s exciting; it’s rewarding. It’s similar to being a doctor: You get to take care of people, you get to make a difference, you go home at night after a busy day and you typically have helped individuals, society. Whatever you’ve done, it’s a profession that gives back a lot. And for people who like that, to be part of something bigger, it’s incredibly rewarding.”

It is too rewarding to give up, as he pointed out toward the end of the conversation.

“When I left the police force 25 years ago, I didn’t regret being a doctor; I love being a doctor. But I missed it every day for 25 years that, finally, when I got the impetus to go back to the academy, I decided to jump at it. It’s in your blood, man.”

It’s a good thing it stayed there, since it keeps good cops from losing theirs.

THIS IS A PROFESSION THAT GIVES BACK A LOT. BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER IS INCREDIBLY REWARDING.” For more information, contact Jonathan.sheinberg@cedarparktexas.gov.

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TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS

Austin:

WORLD-CLASS MUSIC CITY In the Live Music Capitol of the World, musical entrepreneurs are big business.

LIVE MUSIC is a huge contributor to the economic health and attractiveness of Austin as a great place to live, work and visit.

According to the City of Austin Music Division, Austin is home to 270 live music venues and more than 130 music-related nonprofits.

The impact of the music scene in Austin has been estimated to be more than $1.5 billion in the most recent study conducted by the City of Austin, but the industry’s influence on the economy can be seen in indirect ways, as well.

“Austin has a long-standing reputation as a world-class music city,” said Don Pitts, manager of the music and entertainment division of the Economic Development Department of the City of Austin. “This reputation is in large part thanks to the musicians who work to uphold it. Music is an element of every aspect of marketing Austin to future residents, business owners and visitors alike.”

Musicians are small business owners who face many of the same challenges that any other small business owners face. They have to serve the roles of CEO, director of

marketing and public relations, director of human resources and administrative support all on their own. Some musicians may not think of themselves as small businesses, but their livelihood – and Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capitol of the World – depends on their success both on and offstage.

“The entrepreneurs in Austin’s music community are among some of the hardest working small business owners,” Pitts said. “In the outreach and education work we do with Austin Music Foundation, we remind them they must constantly continue to reinvent their business model in an ever-evolving industry landscape.”

The Small Business Program has many resources available to musicians to help them learn to be savvier entrepreneurs.

The program offers low-cost classes on a wide range of relevant small business topics from small business insurance to SEO to marketing. No-cost professional business coaching is also available to help musicians and other small businesses develop their marketing and business plans.

For more information on all the programs and services the Small Business Program has to offer, visit the website at www.AustinSmallBiz.org.

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TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS

BREAK THE CYCLE OF

REACTIVITY Proactivity: the key to creating your future

BY ALEX AND CADEY CHARFEN

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE. Depending on what you read, somewhere between 8 and 17 percent of recent college graduates are unemployed. What does this mean? This means you have somewhere between an 83 and 92 percent chance of getting a job! (What can I say? We tend to look at the positive.)

This is great news until you look at the reality of actually getting the job. The Gallup organization tells us that somewhere around 80 percent of people are either disengaged or actively disengaged in what they do every day; in other words, they don’t like their jobs.

Never fear: This is not how it has to be. In fact, we have an office full of people who love what they do and are excited to get it done. You, too, can have a career you are excited about, increase your chances of getting a job and increase your chances of long-term success (and happiness) all through the addition of one simple habit to your daily routine.

First, why do we need this new habit? Today more than ever, we’ve become a totally reactive species. Any businessperson or entrepreneur (or college student) can tell you that the first thing they do in the morning is check email or social media. Checking email is proactively making the decision to allow the person who sent you email to manage your time. In other words, you’ve made someone else’s priority your top priority. And when we do this first thing in the morning, we step into a cycle of reactivity that we rarely break.

By acting almost exclusively in a reactive way, we fail to give ourselves time to plan, to think strategically and, most importantly, to be proactive.

The issue with the massive interruptions and distractions we have in our lives today is that proactivity and reactivity are mutually exclusive. You are either being proactive and deciding how to move forward, or you are reacting to the random messages that are sent to you through various means each day.

To break out of this cycle of reactivity and create the habit of proactivity, start your day with an exercise we call Planning & Solitude.

Planning & Solitude is not just creating a to-do list. A to-do list will be part of the outcome; however, Planning & Solitude is a time for you to think about what you really want, where you are going and

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PROACTIVITY AND REACTIVITY ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. why. As you prepare for graduation, this is an excellent time for you to think about things like:  What am I really good at?  What do I really like doing?  What value could I bring to an employer?  What kind of company or entrepreneur do I want to work for?

By answering these questions, you will be far ahead of the majority of post-college job-seekers.

Unfortunately, reactivity bleeds over into other areas of our lives, and most people move toward what is easiest or available when they leave college. Infuse some proactivity into this process now, and you will be moving toward the outcome you want, not just the one that is there.

HERE’S HOW PLANNING & SOLITUDE WORKS: It’s best if done first thing in the morning, when you’re fresh. You’ll need to set aside at least 15 minutes.

“WATCH YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD”™ Pick a quiet place, and put away all distractions, including any electronic devices, except for a pen and a journal or “idea book.” Embrace the silence; it’s food for thinking.

Set your intention for the day. Ask yourself what you want to get out of the day, why and how you can best accomplish this.

Don’t just make a to-do list. Instead, choose the one thing you’ll do today to move you forward. Don’t compromise. Get that thing done each and every day.

Work on the aforementioned questions or any questions or decisions you have to make. This is a time where you will do your best thinking.

Make it a ritual. Use the same place, at the same time, each and every day, even if you’re on vacation (of course, you’ll have to find a different place when traveling, but that’s OK).

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It’s a pretty simple formula. Yet, in order for it to really work, you have to commit to it each and every day so that you build the habit. Once you’ve built a habit of being proactive and planning toward your goals and vision (in your private life and your business life), you’ll be more fulfilled, more confident and more successful – and, not insignificantly, your value to employers will increase exponentially.

This will ensure you get more out of every day. It may even turn out that you end up in the special minority - the one Gallup calls “actively engaged.” That is, people like us who love what we do every day.

To learn more, visit www.charfen.com.

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BUSINESS Are you heading toward retirement, but afraid you may not have enough money saved to live the life you want to lead? You’re not alone. The 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found only 40 percent of Americans age 55 and older have saved $100,000 or more, with only 22 percent saving $250,000 or more.

But don’t despair, said Todd Holt from MassMutual Southwest, a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).

There are still strategies pre-retirees can employ now that can help make the retirement more comfortable. Holt suggests: ›› Get help. Find a financial professional you are comfortable working with and who understands your situation and your needs. ›› Get clear on what you have, and create a budget. Never overlook budgeting in retirement. It is important to understand what sources of income you will have in retirement from pensions and other savings and weigh that against anticipated expenses you might have.

SAVING? MassMutual Southwest offers some tips to brighten the post-work horizon.

SPECIAL TO AUSTIN MD

›› Consider working longer. According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, if you delay your retirement for just three years beyond age 62, you could boost your retirement by more than one third because you’d be saving for retirement longer, postponing withdrawals and receiving more from Social Security. ›› Re-evaluate your retirement expectations. Consider downsizing to a smaller home or a more affordable location in order to live the lifestyle you are accustomed to in your working life. Make trade-offs as you think about what is important to you.

About MassMutual Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyowners consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(K) plan services and annuities.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Mass., and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; the First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and the MassMutual Trust Company, FSB. Securities, investment advisory and financial planning services are offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. Supervisory address: 6010 82nd St., Ste. 100, Lubbock, Texas 79424. The phone number is 806-795-9393.

Local sales agencies are not subsidiaries of MassMutual or its affiliated companies. Agency officers are not officers of MassMutual. CRN201510-176518

To learn more, visit www.southwest.massmutual.com or call 1-800-687-6277.

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BOOKS

SOMETHING MORE Sen. Wendy Davis channels raw emotion into her memoir, “Forgetting to Be Afraid.”

BY SAM JACKSON

W

hen Sen. Wendy Davis announced she had a memoir ready to hit stores called “Forgetting to Be Afraid,” the big question was “Why now?” It’s not exactly the right time for a summing up of her life and career. In fact, one could argue she has not even begun to live, especially with the governor’s race heating up.

Nonetheless, with visions of Election Day in my head, I sat down to read “Forgetting to Be Afraid” and figure out what else there was to this woman besides what I saw in that livestream so long ago. It’s detail-rich – almost to a fault, especially in the beginning where things can feel plodding. It’s understandable since Davis has been writing nothing but bills for the past few years and perhaps had a hard time adjusting to storytelling, but it might make readers give up early on, which they shouldn’t, because the book really picks up steam after the first fourth.

As I read, I could hear a devil whispering faintly on my shoulder. The devil, for those curious, sounds like Glenn Beck mixed with a little Steve Buscemi.

“It’s a political move,” it says. “It’s a manifesto, not a memoir. Why else would she release it just before the election?” That does bear a bit of thought, especially in the later chapters that discuss her public service record, because at times, they sound like things an applicant would say in response to an employer’s probing question. So by extension, “Forgetting to Be Afraid” could almost be a résumé. But as you delve, it reveals a lot more than any sane applicants would want known about them, and it evolves the book into something more.

The biggest part is the raw emotion that just drips off the page. There’s no feeling of a ghostwriter blocking the tide, either; it’s a direct link to Davis’ story, and since she’s been a woman of constant sorrow with the occasional monumental triumph for most of her life, it hits hard. Sometimes her history repeats itself. She recounts her first run for public office ending in disaster with a “mean spirited” negative campaign, which seems prophetic now, given recent events. Divorce plagues her life, just as much as it did her parents. And the headline subjects that preceded the book, the stories of how she had to have two abortions, are heartbreaking. They are tacit proof that decisions of this sort aren’t heartless or inconsiderate of life as opponents might believe; in fact, it’s just the opposite.

But toward the end, as we hit her rise to the Texas Senate and the climactic

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THERE’S NO FEELING OF A GHOSTWRITER BLOCKING THE TIDE. IT’S A DIRECT LINK TO DAVIS’ STORY. events of the 2013 filibuster (which, it’s revealed, almost ended before it began due to a catheter issue), a sense of strength and power rears its head, mixed with raw anger and indignation at the follies and horrors of the Lone Star State’s political system.

It channels into my hands like electrical current through metal into Frankenstein’s monster, energizing and giving renewed vigor.

It’s one of the most potent memoirs out there.

And when you close it, you can hear the battle drums rolling for November. You can hear the sound of a good woman going to war.

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E

ven though cedar season typically hits us here in Central Texas around Christmas, early preparation is key in getting ahead of what’s to come even for those who do not suffer from a true cedar pollen allergy. And in the last year, we’ve had a lot of new residents move to the area who may not have experienced cedar season before. Mountain cedar produces pollen in the winter and grows plentifully in the Hill Country. When cold fronts blow in, they stir up the cedar pollen and kick off cedar fever.

Up to 20 percent of Central Texans suffer from cedar pollen allergies. This season, though preceded by a drought, is anticipated to be particularly bad, according to Dr. Karim Dhanani, allergist at Scott & White Clinic – Round Rock. Strong northern winds blowing through the area can often trigger suffering for allergy patients.

“Allergies to cedar pollen are so bad that they’ve been dubbed ‘cedar fever,’” Dhanani says. “The mountain cedar trees are everywhere in this region, and they produce significant amounts of pollen, leaving sufferers miserable.”

However, if you’re symptomatic to the point that it is affecting your quality of life, you don’t have to suffer. There are some

THE EARLIER,

the Better

Scott & White allergist Dr. Karim Dhanani offers advice on preparing for the upcoming cedar allergy season.

BY DR. KARIM DHANANI

treatments your physician may be able to recommend for relief – but you have to start early!

If you’re experiencing sneezing, runny nose, itchy/watery eyes and congestion, your physician can suggest some over-the-counter remedies, which include antihistamines or saltwater rinses for the nose. “If that doesn’t help, your doctor may prescribe Flonase or Nasonex for general symptom relief,” Dhanani says.

Lastly, if you’re still not getting relief, your physician may recommend that you see an allergist and get regular allergy shots, which can be effective in 70 to 80 percent of patients. But they need to be started

the season prior. For cedar allergy, this involves getting regular injections of cedar pollen proteins that increase over time to help desensitize your body to its effects.

“If a patient knows they have a history of sensitivity to cedar, we need to get them treated early – the earlier the better,” Dhanani says. “If we can try to nip it in the bud before the season starts, we can help keep things manageable through much of the season.

If you come see me, though, at the peak of cedar fever season (late December/early January), then we won’t be able to do as much to help you.” Your immune system needs at least six to 12 months of allergy shots to build up immunity to specific triggers like cedar.

The cedar allergy season in Central Texas is caused by a few different, butrelated plants. The plants are so closely related that the pollen they produce is almost identical under a microscope. The male trees appear to “smoke” as they release pollen from tiny cones. The female trees produce clusters of blue/green berries. The season typically peaks from late December to February.

As for why some people suffer from allergies like cedar more than others, Dhanani says it’s mostly related to “genetics,” adding that, “You may begenetically prone to getting allergies, but you also need to be living in a high-allergy environment, generally, in order for you to develop a problem.”

Karim Dhanani, M.D., is an allergist at Scott & White Round Rock Clinic. For more information, call 512-509-0200.

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MEDICAL

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75

MEDICAL

Playing it

SAFE

How parents can ensure everyone has a safe and happy holiday season by avoiding common toy-related injuries

BY COREY JONES

W

ith the holidays quickly approaching, if you’re like most of us, you’re probably still scrambling to pick out the perfect gifts for your loved ones. But when it comes to buying toys, be sure to keep safety at the top of your list.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), recent estimates reveal more than 120,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries each year. CPSC requires warning labels to be attached to all toys marketed toward children from 3 to 6 years of age.

These labels tell consumers two critical things: whether or not a toy is safe for younger children and why it is not deemed safe.

It is important that parents not only read those labels, but also teach children how to play with their new toys properly and safely once they have unwrapped them (while still having fun, of course).

TOYS THAT PRODUCE LOUD NOISES CAN DAMAGE A CHILD’S HEARING.

Sharp points and edges: Children under the age of 8 should not be given toys that contain sharp glass, metal edges or points/prongs. Even stuffed toys may have wires inside that could cut or stab a child, if exposed.

Small parts: Toys with small parts should not be given to children under 3. Infant toys, such as rattles and squeeze toys, should be large enough so that they cannot enter and become lodged in a baby’s throat.

Loud noises: Toys that produce loud noises can damage a child’s hearing. Make sure children do not fire toy guns, for example, closer than one foot from the ear. You can quiet some toys by putting tape over the speaker.

Cords and strings: Toys with cords or strings can be dangerous for infants and young children, as the cord can become wrapped around an infant’s neck, resulting in strangulation.

Parents should also:  Supervise their child’s play.  Teach kids to put toys away to prevent accidents and falls.  Throw away broken toys or repair them right away.  Store outdoor toys when they're not in use so that they are not exposed to the elements.  Disinfect toys.  Discard plastic wrappers from toys immediately, as they can cause suffocation.  Make sure younger children do not have access to older siblings’ toys – toys that might be appropriate for their age group, but not for younger children.

Toys aren’t the only potential hazards children face during the holiday season. Parents should also keep children away from items such as: › Fireworks › Matches › Sharp scissors › Balloons (un-inflated or broken balloons can be choking hazards) › Electrical wires

Using a little common sense – and taking a few precautions – will help ensure that everyone has a happy and safe holiday season!

Corey Jones, M.D., is an emergency medicine physician who practices at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center.

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OKSUN70/BIGSTOCK.COM

The CPSC also recommends parents remain mindful of toys with:

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77

MEDICAL

THERE’S STILL

Time

LOSING JUST 5 TO 10 POUNDS CAN CUT A PERSON’S CHANCE OF GETTING DIABETES BY ABOUT

50 PERCENT.

Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes? Here are five steps you can take now to lessen your risk of developing diabetes.

BY MONICA SAAVEDRA

MOVE MORE Incorporating more activity into your daily routine is one of the best things you can do to lower your risk of developing diabetes. If it’s been a while since you exercised, start by building more activity into your daily routine by taking the stairs or parking a bit farther away than usual when you’re out running errands. Every bit adds up. Remember, physical activity is one of the best things you can do to lower blood glucose and fat in your body.

1

LOWER YOUR WEIGHT If you’re overweight, you might not have to lose as much as you think to make a difference. Losing just 5 to 10 pounds can cut a person’s chance of getting diabetes by about 50 percent.

2

SEE YOUR DOCTOR MORE OFTEN See your doctor every three to six months, and get regular checkups and updates on your prediabetic status. If that isn’t possible, be sure to at least go in once per year, and at a minimum, get your regular screening exams according to your age and gender.

3

EAT BETTER Load up on fruits and vegetables, especially the less starchy kinds such as spinach, broccoli, carrots and green beans.

Throw them into a vegetable soup, or use them in a stir fry. Add more high-fiber foods to your diet, and choose whole-grain foods instead of processed grains – for example, brown rice instead of white rice.

4

Also, swap out high-calorie foods. Drink skim milk rather than whole milk and diet soda rather than regular soda, and choose lower-fat versions of cheese, yogurt and salad dressings.

GET YOUR ZZZZZZZZs Regularly failing to get enough sleep makes losing weight harder. A sleep shortfall also makes it harder for your body to use insulin effectively, and it may make Type 2 diabetes more likely. Set good sleep habits. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Relax before you turn out the lights. Don’t watch TV or use your computer or smartphone when you’re trying to fall asleep. Avoid caffeine after lunch if you have trouble sleeping.

5

CommUnityCare treats diabetes and prediabetes through a comprehensive team approach that includes the primary care provider, a dietitian and a specialist as needed. We also offer group medical appointments at many of our locations to allow patients additional time with their provider, and an opportunity to share their concerns with other patients in a group setting.

For more information about CommUnityCare, group medical appointments or prediabetes, contact Monica Saavedra, director of marketing and community relations, at 512-978-9035 or at monica.saavedra@communitycaretx.org.

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DMITRY LOBANOV/BIGSTOCK.COM

N

ow that the holidays are upon us, many of us may eat or drink a bit more than usual. While that isn’t necessarily a big concern for most of us, those who have been diagnosed with prediabetes have to be a bit more cautious. Getting diagnosed with prediabetes is a serious wake-up call, but it doesn’t have to mean you will definitely get diabetes. There is still time to turn things around. Making these five changes in your daily habits is a good way to start:

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MEDICAL

Stop the

Grind Bruxism: a wearing problem for your teeth

BY JEANA BERTOLDI

I

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areas where the patient has been clenching, or when patients report tenderness in the jaw muscles during a head and neck exam.

Only rarely are patients aware that they’ve been clenching their teeth. Unless a patient has noticed it happening during the day or has been told by his or her spouse, the symptoms may be present, but the cause unknown until a visit to the dentist.

“Bruxism is more common than most people think because when I discuss it with patients and show them clinical evidence, they’re surprised,” Whitehouse says.

If the problem cannot be fixed with a bite adjustment, dentists most often create a custom-made mouth guard, or dental night guard, that helps protect the teeth from damage. Made of hard plastic, the appliance fits over the teeth to create a protective buffer between the upper and lower teeth so that it can take the damage instead. “The plastic takes the wear and tear of the grinding,” Whitehouse says.

While night guards help prevent further damage from bruxism, it can be difficult to stop the grinding altogether.

Whitehouse adds that some patients seek

medications to help them relax more, but some of these medications can worsen the problem.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of bruxism, see a dentist to make sure your teeth are protected. If the problem is stress-related, try looking into relaxation techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises and hot baths. The holiday frenzy is here, but it doesn’t have to ruin your teeth!

For more information please contact Rose Dental Group at any of the following locations:

Northwest Austin 11615 Angus Road, Ste. 110 512-795-9463 Southwest Austin 6211 W.William Cannon Drive 512-288-4447 Round Rock 893 N. I-35, Ste. 200 512 310-9374

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t’s the holiday season: jolly carolers, frosted cookies, the glow of lights, candles – and the endless to-do lists. While this time of year can bring us a sense of warmth and joy, it can also cause the stress and tension to build. The relief of a good night’s sleep can help ease the strain, but if you start waking up with a headache and a sore jaw, you might have trouble hanging onto your holiday cheer.

These problems often arise from a condition many people aren’t even aware they have: bruxism, the damaging clenching and grinding of the teeth, which often occurs during sleep and can lead to an array of complications.

“Bruxism can be caused by stress and done unknowingly by a patient while they sleep,” says Dr. Erika Whitehouse, a dentist at the Rose Dental Group location in Round Rock. “That’s why it’s causing a lot of damage. They’re unaware they’re doing it, so they can’t stop.”

Bruxism can also be caused by joint or muscle issues in the jaw, or a bite that has been altered by restorative procedures, according to Dr. Whitehouse. It can cause headaches, pain that resembles an earache, jaw pain and tightness, damage on the inside of the cheeks, tooth sensitivity and tooth fractures and chips.

Whitehouse says she diagnoses bruxism when she sees enamel wear on a patient’s teeth or craters on the teeth that identify

H E L P I N G Y O U R B U S I N E S S M A K E I T S M A R K.

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GIVE US A CALL: 512 719 9999 A U S T I N MD M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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DINING

‘Conscious Cuisine’ TRACE: a truly memorable dining experience SPECIAL TO AUSTIN MD PHOTOS BY KNOXY INTERIOR PHOTOS BY MARK KNIGHT

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GOLDEN TILEFISH WITH BOUILLABAISSE SAUCE

GOLDEN TILE FISH WITH EGGPLANT VARIATIONS, OLIVE, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

By: Executive Chef Thomas Riordan

Ingredients for tilefish:

2 to 4 ounce pièces of tilefish 1 teaspoon olive oil Sea salt

Instructions:

1/ Season filets with salt.

2/ Heat a nonstick pan, and add olive oil.

3/ Place fish pieces in hot pan, skin side down, and sear until golden and almost cooked through.

4/ Turn fish and finish cooking for 4 to 5 minutes.

Ingredients for bouillabaisse sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 cups shrimp shells 1/4 cup onions 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 large fennel bulb 1 6-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with juices 1 cup fish or vegetable stock

Instructions:

1/ In a hot sauce pot, heat the olive oil.

2/ Add shrimp shells, garlic, onions and fennel, and sauté until soft.

3/ Add white wine, and reduce by half.

4/ Add stock and tomatoes, and simmer until reduced by half and flavorful.

Note: This can be prepared ahead, cooled and reheated.

Plating instructions:

1/ Place fish on plate, and top with 2 tablespoons of the hot bouillabaisse sauce.

2/ Garnish with your favorite fresh vegetables and a dill sprig.

W

ith an eye to embracing the rich and vibrant local culture in Austin, TRACE offers a menu that celebrates local, seasonal ingredients and responsible sourcing on all levels. Located at W Austin, TRACE’s “conscious cuisine” unites culinary talent with sustainable practices to create a memorable dining experience that’s ideal for sharing. Executive Chef Thomas Riordan and Pastry Chef Angel Begaye work in tandem to utilize the freshest, highest-quality locally sourced products, and to ensure that farmers and purveyors are consistently adhering to established standards.

TRACE is located in W Austin at 200 Lavaca St. For more information, go online to www.TRACEAustin.com.

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FOOD / NUTRITION

HEALTHY TAILGATING? With a good game plan, you can enjoy football season in Central Texas without breaking the calorie bank.

I

t’s football season! And, as we all know in Central Texas, football games are synonymous with tailgating. Unfortunately, tailgating usually comes with a slew of unhealthy foods. But if you’d like to score a touchdown at your tailgate parties, you have to put together a good game plan, which includes healthier options at your next game-day celebration.

Scott & White Hospital – Round Rock Executive Chef Ezequiel Gonzalez offers some healthier alternatives that are sure to impress the crowd at your next tailgate. “Football festivities don’t have to be an all-out eating and drinking fest,” Gonzalez explains. “There are plenty of ways to tailgate without defeating your healthy weekday efforts.”

Bring Your Own Dish You don’t want to be that person who brings a raw veggie platter to the party, but you’ll be surprised at how well-received your healthier contribution is – most people really appreciate having a healthier option available. Some ideas include salsa, dips with lower-fat ingredients and lean, low-fat turkey or chicken sausage links that you can grill and slice up for guests.

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Also a great idea is grilled veggies instead of the raw version.

Visit your local grocer, and prepare a platter of your own grilled Portobello mushrooms, asparagus, red and yellow peppers, zucchini or squash.

Lighter Alternatives Looking for lower-calorie alternatives to traditional tailgating favorites is a great way to cut a few calories. Think beyond burgers for alternatives that will help add variety to your next tailgating celebration: • Consider chicken brats, ground turkey or vegetarian burgers for something new and nutritional.

• Use low-calorie condiments like ketchup and mustard for flavor.

• Make it a wholesome meal with whole-grain buns. Higher fiber content will help you feel full longer.

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SPECIAL TO AUSTIN MD

CHEF ZEKE’S TURKEY SLIDERS INGREDIENTS: 1 pound ground turkey (can substitute ground chicken) 2 cups baby spinach 1 medium-size red pepper 2 cloves garlic 1/2 cup diced onion 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 8 small, low-calorie flat buns 4 ounces shredded, low-fat mozzarella cheese

BHOFACK22/BIGSTOCK.COM

INSTRUCTIONS:

Explore the Healthier Side Get creative, and think outside the box with your side dishes. Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in a variety of team colors for food fun. Consider simple substitutions in your favorite recipes for big nutritional benefits that will make everyone a fan of the food.

save over 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Serve with a light, whole-wheat bun and mustard for a lower-calorie football favorite.

Try substituting low-fat mayonnaise or sour cream in traditional recipes.

Nonfat Greek yogurt will add protein-packed goodness to potato or macaroni salad when used in place of mayonnaise.

Fruits and vegetables are high-fiber fillers that will add flavor without fat to your favorite sides. Add more fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

Barbecue meats: You should cut back on the ribs (100 calories per ounce), and chicken breasts can get boring, but try mixing things up and go for a pork tenderloin marinated in soy sauce or teriyaki.

For Your Main Course Switch to lower-fat or fat-free hot dogs to

Hamburgers: Go for the extra-lean ground beef (93 percent lean), and again, use wholewheat lighter buns and lower-fat condiments.

Chili: When prepared with some extra-lean ground beef (93 percent lean), stewed tomatoes and beans, chili can be a very nutritious option. Serve it with baked Tostitos, 2 percent shredded cheese and light sour cream this fall.

In a 450-degree oven or grill, roast the red pepper until it is charred on all sides. Place the pepper in a plastic bag and let steam for about 3 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bag, peel off the blistered skin and finely dice. In a sauté pan, heat the oil and add the onion; cook for about 4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Place mixture in refrigerator to cool.

In a bowl, mix turkey, pepper, onion mixture, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper together. Form into 2-ounce patties. Turn your grill to medium heat. Cook patties 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Top with cheese and place on buns. Makes 8 sliders.

LOOKING FOR LOWER-CALORIE ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL TAILGATING FAVORITES IS A GREAT WAY TO CUT A FEW CALORIES.

For more information, call Scott and White Round Rock at 512-509-0200.

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FOOD / NUTRITION

A FINE

Balance

This year, may your holidays be merry, bright and balanced.

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY – time to celebrate, shop and indulge a little. After all, we get a “free pass” to gain that 3-to-5 pounds, right? Every year, we see the same articles that talk about how to make it through the holidays without gaining weight, and going to parties the “healthy way” so we can all avoid the guilt that comes on New Year’s Day. However, it would seem that having too many rules to follow and too many restrictions on our fun continue to lead us to the same place. Why not take a different approach this year and find moderation in your food, exercise and mental health by letting go?

Don’t become overly obsessed with baking every new recipe you see on Pinterest, but do try a little bit of each cookie that your caring neighbor drops off for the family. Research tells us that we can be more susceptible to the highly palatable foods that are often staples during the holiday season (high sugar, high fat), as they can influence dopamine in the brain.

We also know that restricting the food you want actually leads to over-eating other foods. This year, find your balance in food, activity and mental health by incorporating these non-stress tips into your holiday plans:

Megan Kniskern, M.S., R.D., CEDRD, is the director of nutrition and culinary services at Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders and A New Journey. She brings 10 years of experience working with wellness programs, eating disorders and addictions in men, women and adolescents.

Kniskern is passionate about exploring tasty food combinations and creating new dietary approaches that allow patients to build a positive relationship with food. She is a certified eating disorder dietitian and an approved supervisor through IAEDP, and she is passionate about educating dietary professionals to further understand the unique challenges of working with eating disorders. Believing that the mind-body connection is an important part of the treatment and recovery journey, Kniskern has been a certified yoga instructor for nine years; she combines mindfulness practices and meditation techniques with traditional nutritional models.

She also teaches basic nutrition courses, along with a graduate course on eating disorders and addictions at Arizona State University. She has presented at universities, conferences and events across the country.

► FOOD: On party days, don’t restrict food; eat normally. We know that deprivation only leads to a lack

of ability to find moderation.

► ACTIVITY: Incorporate an outdoor activity with family or friends before or after

a meal-time celebration. Go for a walk, do a little window shopping or play with the kids in the backyard. ► MENTAL HEALTH: It’s party time, so go ahead try some of everything, and

this includes the veggie platter. Make sure to put all the food you eat onto a plate, as this gives you a much better visual understanding of what you have had to eat, including appetizers and finger foods. ► LASTLY, DON’T FORGET TO DRINK WATER. There may be punch, cocktails or hot beverages to

dive into, but alternate your beverage selections with a large glass of water to stay hydrated and nourished.

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RESTRICTING THE FOOD YOU WANT ACTUALLY LEADS TO OVER-EATING OTHER FOODS.

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BY MEGAN KNISKERN

FROM OUR TABLE

TO YOURS

A few recipes to make your holidays all the brighter

BY RACHEL TRIBBY

W

YEKO PHOTO STUDIO/BIGSTOCK.COM

hen cooking or eating in moderation, it is easier to cook minis or pre-portioned versions of my family’s traditional favorites, and as a bonus, they usually come out delightfully adorable! Two desserts to serve this year include my father’s favorite gooey Southern Pecan Pie in a miniature version and also my delicious dairy-free Super Rich Chocolate Cake that is easily made into little simple, yet elegant, Christmas towers. Venture out in moderation this holiday season to find pleasure in eating well, all while enjoying the traditions and history of delicious dishes with your loved ones. From our table to yours, cheers!

MINI-BOURBON CHOCOLATE PECAN PIES (Makes 16)

DAIRY-FREE, SUPER-RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup light corn syrup 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons Bourbon 1/4 teaspoon salt 11/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, chopped small 1 package store-bought (2) pie crusts

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 3/4 cups flour 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons each: baking powder, baking soda and salt 2 large eggs 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vanilla 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

DIRECTIONS: 1/ Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray and flour two standard-sized muffin tins. Note: Use non-stick cooking spray and dust well with all-purpose flour to prevent pies from sticking.

2/ In a large bowl, mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, salt, bourbon and vanilla using a wooden spoon. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Set aside.

3/ On a floured board, unroll pie dough and cut out 16 rounds using a 4.5-inch cookie cutter.

4/ Gently press dough rounds into prepared muffin tins. Fill each cup with pie filling. Do not overfill. Leave about a fourth of an inch of space at the top, as pies will bubble and puff.

5/ Bake on center rack of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Pie is done when center surface springs back when lightly tapped. Allow pies to cool for 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, loosen edges and remove pies to baking rack to cool completely.

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

DIRECTIONS: 1/ Heat convection oven to 350 degrees or conventional oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

2/ Whisk together eggs, coconut milk, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl. Whisk the egg mixture with the sugar-flour mixture by hand; beat together until combined. Whisk in the boiling water just until combined. The batter will be thin and very watery.

3/ Pour batter into two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners, filling barely half full. Bake until a tester inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes in a convection oven or 25 to 30 minutes in a conventional oven. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

VANILLA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING (Makes 3 cups)

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut milk DIRECTIONS: 1/ Cream butter with beaters in a large mixing bowl.

2/ Add vanilla.

3/ Gradually add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating between additions.

4/ Scrape down sides of bowl often.

5/ When mixture starts to thicken and appears dry, add 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy (2 to 4 minutes).

6/ Add more milk as needed if you want a thinner consistency. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring.

7/ Store frosting at room temperature. Icing can be stored in an airtight container up to three days.

About Rachel Tribby Rachel Tribby is the executive le cordon bleu chef at Rosewood Ranch. She joined the Rosewood team in October 2012 as a classically trained le cordon bleu chef serving the multiple facilities and teaching culinary classes on a weekly basis.Tribby has worked in professional kitchens for more than 20 years from guest ranches in the mountains of Colorado to serving as a pastry chef in Scottsdale and earning a spot as one of the Top 20 Pastry Chefs, and, more recently, to a personal chef/caterer around the valley for 12 years for clients with special needs diets. She has a versatile background in customer service and fine-dining experience, and she loves the challenge of continuously creating new recipes that fit into our everyday lives.

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