ONCE UPON A PILLOW

Rebecca Watson Vizard has spent a lifetime exploring. Although Rebecca’s childhood was spent in Tensas Parish in the tiny town of St. Joseph in northeast Louisiana, her parents saw to it that she had glimpses of the world beyond from an early age. This awareness of people and cultures beyond those most familiar laid the groundwork for a life’s journey that has taken Rebecca literally around the world. Once in college, Rebecca dreamt of living abroad working as an artist. Today, half of that dream has been realized. She is a fine artist specializing in textiles, and her art has made her a wellrespected name in interior design worldwide. However, she does not live abroad, nor is her successful company, B. Viz Design, located in Paris. Instead, Rebecca returned home and eventually established her company’s “Global Headquarters” on Plank Road in St. Joseph. Through her work and the work of others dedicated to revitalizing this charming old Delta town, Rebecca and the “downtown team” are helping St. Joseph come alive again. Because of her success in the fine arts, her entrepreneurial spirit, and her leadership in the revival of that special place she calls home, Rebecca Watson Vizard is our April BayouIcon.

ARTICLE BY GEORGIANN POTTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

R

ebecca Watson Vizard admits that St. Joseph and Lake Bruin are her favorite places in the world. That’s quite a statement from someone who has traveled so extensively. Although her life “plan” did not include returning to Tensas Parish in it, life – as it often does – took an unexpected turn. As a result, she and her Uptown New Orleans husband, Michael, moved “north” to become permanent residents in 1987. Michael eventually joined Rebecca’s late father, William Wade “Bill” Watson, at Cross Keys Bank and is now Chief Executive Officer.

Rebecca confesses that moving back to St. Joseph was a struggle after so many years in larger cities. “That was not in my playbook,” she says. “Even so, I think the best part of my career journey was that move. It took me nearly four years to get comfortable with the idea, but I did. My business and that location transformed my mind and my spirit.”

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Rebecca was born to Bill and Ruth Harper, her mother a native of Shreveport. Rebecca’s parents reminded her of Barbie and Ken when she was a child, except her parents were brunettes. Rebecca’s parents were younger than most of her friends’ parents because many of her friends were younger siblings in large families. Still, Rebecca had some tangible advantages from being an only child.

Both of her parents had successful careers -- Bill was a banker and Ruth was an English teacher. They also both loved traveling, and did so often. New Orleans was a favorite “local” destination, primarily because Bill had gone to Tulane University as an undergraduate and for law school, and Ruth had graduated from Newcomb College of Tulane. They often traveled farther afield, however, with their young daughter in tow. “I remember our family vacations were always to a different place because they wanted me to learn something new,” Rebecca says.

When Rebecca was 11, her mother took her to Mexico to tour archeological finds. When Rebecca was 13, Ruth enrolled in a class in Oxford, England, and Rebecca went with her for 3 weeks. Rebecca admits to pouting about going because she wanted to play for a softball team in St. Joseph that same summer. “What a brat I was!” Rebecca recalls. “I can’t tell you how life changing that trip was even though I didn’t realize it until later in life.” At 15, Rebecca toured Austria, Switzerland, and Germany with her parents. She especially loved Salzburg and Vienna. “I loved the wonderful art there even though I didn’t know much about it. My travel bug had bitten.”

Rebecca’s paternal grandmother, Roslyn Newell Watson, lived nearby and she and Rebecca were very close. When Rebecca graduated high school, Roslyn took Rebecca on a Mediterranean cruise. One stop was Ephesus, Turkey – a country that remains a favorite for Rebecca. “I remember watching a ruin being excavated.

The fresco colors were still brilliant at the ground where the archaeologists were digging,” Rebecca remembers. There were also plenty of wonderful things to do back in St. Joseph. Sunday lunches – fried chicken, of course – at her grandmother’s home were always special. Christmas was also celebrated at her grandmother’s home. Rebecca’s uncle and aunt, Phil and Allein Watson, lived on the other side of the Methodist church from Rebecca’s home. Their three sons -- cousins Ben, Brooks, and Scott – were like brothers to Rebecca.

The four were inseparable. In the summer, they swam and water skied in Lake Bruin. “I remember our spending many days playing super heroes with pinned towels on our shoulders to make capes,” Rebecca says with a laugh. “We mainly ran up and down the levee and around our yards and the church yard. The faster we ran the higher our capes would fly!” Two childhood experiences offer a glimpse into Rebecca’s future success as an entrepreneur and artist. Her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in when she was about 5. She devised a way to make money from her father’s habit of swearing (not the really worst words, but swearing nonetheless) and teach him to mend his ways at the same time. Her plan was to take advantage of poker night when her dad and his friends gathered for a friendly game. “I hid around the corner in my little flannel nightgown and ran into the room yelling ‘25 cents!’ each time one of the men swore,” she recalls. “I did very well on poker night. I’m sure it was so irritating that they all stopped swearing – much to my dismay.”

Around the same time, Rebecca’s love of art was triggered. When Rebecca had a babysitter, her mother left an art project for her to do. She looked forward to those nights because she loved the projects. Because her mother had many of her clothes made by a very talented dressmaker in St. Joseph, there were always scraps of material left over. Rebecca used these to make clothes for her Barbies and to decorate Kraft boxes to make homes for them. “I never played with my Barbies,” Rebecca admits. “I just dressed them and created environments for them.”

When she was 9, Rebecca began spending 6 weeks each summer at Camp Waldermar (an all-girls camp in Texas). Waldermar was the first place that Rebecca took formal art lessons. “I won the gold medal in pottery,” she says. “I think this little accomplishment gave me the courage to take art classes in college.”

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Rebecca attended Davidson Elementary and graduated from Tensas Academy. She was active in both academic and extracurricular activities. Her parents had been good athletes, and so was Rebecca. She was active in basketball, track, tennis, and cheerleading. Clubs filled her time as well working with the school newspaper, 4-H (she loved the gardening and cooking competitions), and the National Society of the Children of the American Revolution (NSCAR). Grandmother Roslyn was a devoted Daughters of the American Revolution member and taught Rebecca the importance of genealogy and history.

In high school and later at Newcomb, Rebecca had teachers who became significant mentors for her. She remembers Betsy Ratcliff James for the warm, encouraging, and inviting smile that never left her face. “I think I got my smile from her,” Rebecca says. Margo Wade taught Home Economics classes and made them fun and fascinating. She taught Rebecca how to sew – a skill that would prove invaluable.

When Rebecca was a college freshman, her English teacher, Mr. Rossi, made fun of her southern accent. When the course was over, he told Rebecca that her intelligence far exceeded her accent. “I could not decide whether that was a compliment or an insult,” Rebecca admits.

Pat Trivigno, Rebecca’s painting professor, was a favorite because of both his patience and his creative teaching methods. “When he wanted me to loosen up my painting technique, he tied my brush to a yard stick and made me paint from 3 feet away!” Rebecca found painting to be therapeutic and calming. The threehour class gave her a chance to bond with the other art students which brought encouragement to them all.

It was her Louisiana architecture class with Professor Sam Wilson that brought together many of the things that Rebecca loves most about New Orleans. Professor Wilson walked his students through different areas of the Garden District or the French Quarter and explained the distinctive structures. Rebecca was to put this knowledge to good use later.

FINDING THE PIECES

I just look for handmade textiles wherever I go,” Rebecca explains. “Flea markets are excellent places for these discoveries, although the pieces are becoming more difficult to find. I used to always find very thick raised embroideries every trip. Now I find one every 2-3 trips. The really special textiles are getting rarer.”

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED BY LIVING

At Newcomb, Rebecca joined Chi Omega Sorority and made many new friends. Because Newcomb was small, all of the fraternities and sororities were very close. Rebecca, like her classmates, had part-time jobs which Rebecca says taught her a valuable lesson – what she did not want to do for a career! Her plan was to move to NYC after graduation and work in advertising. From there, she hoped to get to Europe where she could paint and take art lessons from European masters.

A job in a frame shop was enjoyable when she was enhancing a customer’s art, but boring because she was alone often. She worked at a wine and cheese shop and loved learning about these staples to the “good life” and meeting people. However, working so many Saturdays didn’t suit Rebecca. A job with a travel agency was disappointing because it was mostly clerical.

After she completed college, she worked for a short time as a stock broker’s assistant. She loved the research, but discovered that a 9-5 office job wasn’t for her. Remembering her Louisiana architecture class, Rebecca took the tour guide course in New Orleans and began working as a tour guide for convention groups. “I loved that job, and it led to my being a concierge for the Sheraton on Canal which was great fun,” Rebecca remembers. “I loved solving peoples’ problems, making dinner reservations, and planning their visit to New Orleans. I felt like an ambassador for the city!”

AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS WHICH TOOK 36 YEARS

Rebecca’s expertise in textiles and fancy stitchery didn’t develop overnight. Instead, it was a steady journey of discovery. One Easter when she was 5, Rebecca’s maternal grandmother, Maxine Waller Harper, taught her how to sew buttons on a dish towel. Rebecca was mesmerized by the process and quietly stitched each button to the towel while others dressed. When leaving for church, Rebecca realized that she had sewn the button towel to her Easter dress. “I had a fit because I didn’t want to cut it off. My grandmother snipped the buttons off anyway,” Rebecca remembers. “I think that was the first time that I realized you could add something pretty to embellish something ordinary and make it extraordinary.”

W

hen the Vizards moved to St. Joseph, their daughter Sarah was quite small and son Ross would be born 2 years later. Michael’s bank work kept him very busy. Rebecca was working out of their home and admits that it was nerve-wracking at times. Still, there were perks. For one, it meant that she was able to be with her children when other mothers had to leave them in daycare. For another, Michael was “a country boy at heart.” When they first moved, Rebecca says he would put on his work clothes and then step into a camouflage jumpsuit to grab a quick hunt before work. “I grumbled at the amount of time he spent hunting because the kids were really little, but he cooked the most amazing venison I have ever had,” Rebecca says. “It became so that the only time I was disappointed in him was when he didn’t bring home anything for dinner. Before I had his cooking, I didn’t even like game!”

Perhaps the biggest perk was the time that Rebecca’s children got to spend with their grandfather, “Touchdown.” When asked how her father came to have that name, Rebecca explained. When Sarah was a baby, Bill would always walk into a room to see her with his arms up like a referee. When Sarah would do it, he would say “Touchdown!” When Sarah began talking, she said “Touchdown” every time she saw her grandfather (and threw her arms up, too). “One time we were driving by the bank and Sarah was in the back in her car seat. She yelled ‘Touchdown!’ as we were passing by,” Rebecca says with a smile. “Before long Daddy was called ‘Touchdown’ by the whole community.” While the Vizards lived in Shreveport before Rebecca’s move “home,” Rebecca began her first business enterprise shortly after Sarah was born -- painting baby clothes and socks that she sold to several children’s shops around Louisiana. She then painted some samples and set up in a friend’s booth at the Dallas Trade Mart. After more sales of painted children’s clothes than she could imagine, Rebecca realized that she would need more money than she had to buy the inventory. She made an appointment with her dad and asked for a line of credit. To her dismay, he turned her down because he didn’t think she was “credit worthy.” That rejection set Rebecca on a course for success. “I wanted to prove him wrong even more than I wanted to make money at that point,” Rebecca admits. She then proposed a deal to her sock vendor to see if he would send her the inventory and let her paint the socks for him. Within a month, he sold the splatter paint design to a national retailer. The venture was extremely successful and her sock painting lasted for nearly 8 years.

At that point Rebecca had the funds to decorate her home on Lake Bruin, and soon friends started asking her for decorating advice. Very quickly she was hired by friends of friends and had interior design jobs all over the country. She realized how much it cost to make pillows out of a nice fabric with down forms and trim and thought, “For this amount of money, my clients should be able to get something extraordinary instead of a regular pillow that anyone can copy.”

In the beginning Rebecca sold only to her clients and her mentor, the late Gerrie Bremmermann, a very successful interior designer in New Orleans. Bremermann was the one who encouraged her to focus on her now famous antique textile pillows. Rebecca took her several items – paper mache bows and hand-painted pillows – but it wasn’t until 1994 when Rebecca brought in her first antique textile pillow that Bremmermann told Rebecca that she had found her “calling.” Bremmermann sold Rebecca’s pillows through her Magazine Street shop and helped launch Rebecca’s name in design. Another mentor, Marina Tosini, met Rebecca at a textile booth in Paris in 1999. A mutual respect and friendship developed, and Tosini taught Rebecca both about textiles and how to negotiate at the flea markets. “Marina is a feisty Italian lady,” Rebecca says. “I have seen her every year since we met except for 2020. We have had many amazing adventures.” With travel comes adventure, and not always the kind one wants to experience. Rebecca was in Paris in January 2015 when the Charlie Hebdo shootings took place. Although she usually took the Metro everywhere, after that incident Rebecca didn’t feel safe doing that. “Fortunately, Marina knew someone who we could hire to drive us everywhere and avoid the major thoroughfares.”

The decades-long hunt for antique textiles has meant that Rebecca has had to travel to faraway places. She admits that traveling was a challenge while the children were young, but Michael and their housekeeper, Belinda Prudhomme, made it possible. “I just look for handmade textiles wherever I go,” Rebecca explains. “Flea markets are excellent places for these discoveries, although the pieces are becoming more difficult to find. I used to always find very thick raised embroideries every trip. Now I find one every 2-3 trips. The really special textiles are getting rarer.” Rebecca has enough inventory for at least the next 5 years which she says is “kind of like oil reserves” and will keep her “ahead of the pack.” These embellishments are all antiques which are carefully removed and then placed on new fabric to give the embroideries a “new life” on a one-of-a-kind pillow.

REACHING A LARGER AUDIENCE

With the worldwide web, Rebecca’s work is now accessible to a much larger potential buyer pool than during the early days when she traveled around selling pillows out of her trunk. Eliza

Sartor, Rebecca’s business manager, took advantage of the COVID shutdown to develop a new website (www.bvizdesign.com). She added more products besides pillows with help from Sarah and Bess Hogue, the St. Joseph shop manager. As a result of their efforts, in spite of the pandemic the business had a better year than usual. “I don’t think I could have done what I have done without the internet and easy ability to communicate with people all over the world,” Rebecca says. “It has almost leveled the playing field for designers who don’t live in the cities.”

The downside of web marketing is that people can copy Rebecca’s work from the images they see. “Someone is taking the images from my website and having bad copies made in China,” Rebecca explains. “It is disheartening because I am close to retirement age, but I have 8+ people counting on me for their livelihood. The copies are obviously not my pillows, but I don’t want them to cheapen the look. I think plagiarism is one of the biggest problems in the design world today.”

Ideas for new products come to Rebecca often (about every 10 minutes, she says) and from sudden epiphanies. For example, she was looking at a pile of antique vestment fabric scraps left over after the metallic trim had been removed. She had been throwing each remnant in a box. She noticed that they were all Christmas colors so she had mini-Christmas ornaments made from them. Her popular Fortuny dog collars came from the long, skinny scraps left over from pillows. “I like to keep the dog collars going because my favorite thing is to see a rescue dog in Fortuny. It’s such a Cinderella story!” Both of these items sell so well that she now has to buy the materials to make them. THE CHALLENGES OF SMALL TOWNS

In 2015 Rebecca published Once Upon a Pillow: A Story of Home, Design, and Exquisite Textiles. The book is now in its 3rd printing and sells not only in America, but also in London and Paris. Rebecca has met many people through her book, including new textile dealers overseas. The book was a major step in bringing awareness not only to Rebecca’s work, but also to her hometown.

One year later, Rebecca took the proverbial deep breath and opened her first retail shop in St. Joseph. Two years later, she opened her second one, this time in New Orleans. She says that if she had stayed in a big city, she would probably have found a job she liked and would never have started her own business. “I never thought that I wanted to have my own line at any time. It just kind of happened from forging on from one thing to another,” Rebecca says.

Rebecca knew that starting a business in an economically depressed area would be challenging. For one, there is a very limited labor force available. When Rebecca would hire someone and spend a lot of time training them, they would disappear when their earnings reached near the point where they would lose government benefits. Rebecca’s salvation came through finding older women who were gifted sewers. She tried a few until she found the most talented among them. Some ladies began making pillows on the side, but increased their production when they realized they could make a good living. Today Rebecca has 3 fulltime seamstresses and 2 parttime ones and hopes to hire more soon. “Opening the shop in St. Joseph was very stressful at first because I had no idea if it would work or not, but I knew it would be good for the town. After a year I started feeling more positive

about its sustainability,” Rebecca says. “After others opened shops in our precious little town I was thrilled. Seeing the town progress and revitalize has been most rewarding. But if it weren’t for the other cute and interesting shops and restaurants opening, I think I would have worn out. Kudos to the downtown team!”

Experience gained while volunteering in NOLA public schools and for a mentally challenged children’s organization while she was at Newcomb changed Rebecca. Both experiences were heartbreaking, but also filled with moments of heartwarming compassion. When she moved back to St. Joseph, she continued that spirit of “helping out” others. She taught art at the elementary school when there was no art teacher. She helped get the local farmers’ market started. “The first summer I sat there every Saturday morning selling $3 seasoning salt that Michael makes,” Rebecca remembers.

One of her more interesting “hometown projects” was the Bottle Cap Project. Through it, Rebecca taught at-risk children how to hammer and string bottle caps to sell to her to make chandeliers. She paid the children by the bottle cap, so they had to learn math before they could get a paycheck. The chandeliers are called “Beer-de-liers.” With this project, as with every job she has had, Rebecca learned something about mankind and the good and the bad. “Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad every time,” she says.

FAMILY, FUN AND THE FUTURE

Michael and Rebecca are a very happy pair, each perfect for the other. Each appreciates the other, and genuinely have fun just being together. Rebecca loves how caring and giving Michael is, and suspects that he has probably sacrificed a lot to help support her dream. “I’ve made him go places he would never have gone, but goes because he thinks I need a bodyguard!” she says. “He has encouraged me every time I have had a setback, and there have been many.”

Their two children, Sarah and Ross, are excellent travelers. Rebecca says they are very flexible and love good food and cooking. Both have red hair, and Ross married another redhead, Brooke Kinbro from Nashville. Ross and Brooke recently presented Michael and Rebecca with their first grandchild, a darling redhead named Vivian Louise. Rebecca hopes to be called “Bizzy” when the little one can talk. Sarah is actively involved in B. Viz Design and will take over the business someday. She even worked for a time in Bremmermann’s New Orleans shop, learning the business from her mother’s mentor.

One of Michael and Rebecca’s funniest travel adventures (among many) happened in Italy. They took a “bus to nowhere” on the advice of the hotel desk clerk who said to go where they were going by taxi would be much too expensive. They rode the bus and were dropped in a large field through which they hiked to get to the market Rebecca was seeking. Sweaty and dust-covered, they found so many textiles that Michael became concerned about how they would get them back to town. “I told him not to worry, that if the taxi cost 3oo Euros it would be worth it,” Rebecca explains. “Our cab back to the hotel was about $11. Clearly our biggest challenge is the language barrier!”

What does the future hold? Rebecca hopes that more grandchildren will be born, and that Sarah will become more the face of the business. She would love to travel more “for fun, not work” with Michael, and to also spend time creating things from her many ideas without the pressure of selling them. Golfing with Michael is a possibility, and creating topiaries. Rebecca would also love to create collages from antique textiles with painting and perhaps try crafting jewelry from textiles. Those ideas are obviously still coming every 10 minutes!

The little town of St. Joseph was very fortunate when hometown girl Rebecca moved back bringing with her enormous creative energy, a deep-seated love for home, and an unselfish heart that she has used to help bring hope to others. But Rebecca was very fortunate, too. After she left home to find her way in the world, Rebecca learned her most important life lesson -- that the world had been right there at home all along.

Boost Your Beauty

Look and Feel Your Best

NO MATTER YOUR AGE, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THEIR best self. At DermaMediQ, Dr. Sowma and team consult with each patient to discuss expectations and treatment options to help them reach their aesthetic goals. There are a variety of treatment options available from mild treatments to more in-depth targeted procedures. Whether it’s treating fine lines, acne scars, sagging skin or achieving a more youthful glow, the staff at DermaMediQ is here to help you put your best face and body forward. Here are a few of the amazing treatment options available: Morpheus8, EmSculpt, laser hair removal and Forma.

MORPHEUS8

Morpheus8 is is a minimally invasive skin rejuvenation procedure that pairs microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) energy. Is the first and only full body fractional technology adjusted for sub-dermal tissue remodeling, dermal treatment and epidermal resurfacing. Morpheus8 is perfect for tightening specific problem areas on the body but also great for treating acne on the face. This procedure also helps improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduces the appearance of large pores and can help fade stretch marks.Treatments are quick and relatively painless, with the help of a topical numbing cream or local anesthesia, and requires little downtime.

EMSCULPT

Emsculpt is the first ever body sculpting and muscle building device. This procedure requires no injections, no surgery and no anesthesia which means that is absolutely no downtown. Emsculpt sculpts abs while simultaneously building muscle mass, resulting in well defined abs. One treatment with this unique device is equal to 20,000 sit-ups. Emsculpt also can help achieve an amazing butt-life without surgery or injections by building and tightening the buttocks.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, chin, back, arm, under arm, bikini line and other areas. Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, in large areas, such as the back or legs make take up to 20 minutes. Take shaving out of the equation with the use of laser hair removal.

FORMA

Forma is a skin and tissue remodeling technology equipped with a subdermal heating applicator. Radiofrequency travels via electrodes to deliver a non-invasive and pain-free treatment, and its controls allow the device to reach optimal temperatures. Forma effectively treats the forehead, upper and lower eyelids, nasolabial folds, jowls and neck.

With a variety of treatment options available, DermaMediQ is your headquarters for procedures to help build self confidence, rid unwanted fat or sagging skin, and target problem areas. Dr. Sowma and her staff can help you achieve your beauty goals with a variety of minimally invasive options specifically suited for your desires. Call today to schedule a consultation and get ready to spring forward with a new, more confident you.

Move Your Body, Build Your Brain

BAYOUHEALTH | BY SHANNON DAHLUM

It’s well known that regular movement is vital for your physical health. Exercise decreases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by fighting off insulin resistance and strengthening your heart. Maintaining your strength and mobility as you age helps preserve a higher quality of life, but it likely increases your longevity, too. Exercising your body is also important for supporting your mental health; the hormonal and biochemical responses that happen as a result of exercise help diminish stress and fight off depression and anxiety. Not only does a consistent exercise practice support your physical and emotional health, but it also supports memory and cognition. A study done by the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in November of 2014 showed that a growing emphasis on test scores in school children, at the expense of physical activity, actually led to decreased academic performance. Children who were physically active were found to have larger gray matter volumes in areas of the brain associated with cognitive control and memory. Moving their bodies not only helped grow their muscles, but it appeared that it also helped physically grow their brains.

In another study, British researchers evaluated more than 10,000 subjects aged 35-55, and graded their physical activity as either low, medium or high. Sedentary individuals were more likely to display poor cognitive performance. Those with low physical activity also had diminished capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations than their more active counterparts.

Don’t be disappointed if getting in a thirty minute workout doesn’t automatically improve your daily Wordle score, though. Exercise doesn’t directly make you smarter or better able to focus, but it does optimize your brain for learning and focus by increasing brainderived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF.

BDNF is a protein that supports the growth, maturation and maintenance of your neurons. It allows you to make new connections and learn new material. It stimulates neurogenesis; the cell growth necessary to develop the brain in childhood and slow the aging process later in life. In addition, BDNF is found in regions of the brain that control eating, drinking and bodyweight, and it likely contributes to the management of these functions.

As you age, levels of BDNF decrease, which appears to cause shrinkage of gray matter and reductions in the number of synapses. This leads not only to a smaller brain, but learning and forming memories becomes harder, as well.

Changes in levels of BDNF also occur with psychological disease. Depression and anxiety correlate with lower BDNF levels, while antidepressant medications may increase its expression and reverse shrinkage of the hippocampus. Part of the mechanism of how antidepressants work may actually be due to the fact that they elevate BDNF. A 2019 study found associations between low BDNF, anxiety, and binge drinking; indicating that those with lower BDNF levels may be more likely to suffer from alcoholism.

Alzheimer’s and dementia patients have severely low BDNF, and some scientists think that boosting BDNF levels could help preserve their brain function. Other evidence suggests the

higher your BDNF, the lower your risk is for developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Cannabinoids, like THC found in marijuana, temporarily increase BDNF levels in people who don’t regularly use it. The same effects aren’t seen in chronic users, however. Some studies have shown that regular marijuana use could have the opposite effect; it may directly decrease BDNF levels. For this reason, regular, long term use of marijuana may not only diminish memory and cognition, but it may also exacerbate or stimulate an earlier onset of psychological disease in vulnerable populations.

Clearly, higher levels of BDNF is something you want to encourage when it comes to maintaining healthy brain function. Decreasing stress is one important element to preserving BDNF, so prioritizing healthy sleep patterns while avoiding processed foods, excess sugar and alcohol are all important. In fact, all the healthy behaviors you already know that are important for preventing metabolic disease apply to maintaining healthy brain function, too, because obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are all associated with lower BDNF levels. Of course, this includes exercise.

One bout of exercise creates an immediate response to BDNF levels, but results are even better with regular exercise. Intense aerobic exercise (really getting that heart rate up) appears to be the most effective type of movement for increasing BDNF, but resistance training and high intensity interval training have also been shown to positively affect it. Even moderate movement like standing and fidgeting can supercharge mental circuits and sharpen thinking skills, so if you’re stuck behind a desk most of the day, simply standing up while working can increase your mental performance.

The environment in which you exercise seems to be just as important as the exercise itself when it comes to its effects on BDNF. Multiple studies have found that unlike people who exercise in clean air, those who exercise in polluted environments (such as jogging or cycling near heavy traffic) don’t experience the increase in BDNF levels that would otherwise accompany physical activity. Unfortunately, indoor environments are often even more polluted than the outdoors because of the chemicals present in the recirculating air. In a perfect world, you’d be able to regularly get out in a wooded environment to enjoy movement in the fresh air. Clearly, this isn’t always an option, but you can check the air quality index on your weather app before heading out. Prioritize going outside to move on days when the air quality is good, and on days it isn’t, stick with the gym for some resistance training.

Exercise prescriptions aren’t going away. There is still no magic pill that’ll create physical or mental wellness in sedentary populations. Eating unprocessed foods and moving your body regularly are the lynchpin for attaining and maintaining your health. For maintaining brain function as you age, movement becomes even more important. Word puzzles and other cognitive challenges are great for keeping those mental gears spinning, but without physical movement to boost BDNF levels, you’re missing out on a key ingredient in maintaining a youthful brain.

WaterView Casino and Hotel Voted #1 in Vicksburg, MS

Local Casino and Hotel Works Diligently to Provide an Award Winning Experience

WATERVIEW CASINO & HOTEL IN VICKSBURG is continuing our tradition of continuous improvement. The latest change is to our already awesome gaming floor. We’re expanding our conveniently located lobby slots area with some of the newest and hottest slot games available. There will even be a brand new service bar will be nearby to make sure you’re served your favorite beverages without a long wait. This new gaming space is set to open on April 1, so be one of the first to see it in its sparkling splendor!

While you’re here, check out the completely renovated hotel. It’s bright and fresh, welcoming and relaxing all at the same time. You’re going to love it! Your experience begins in our beautiful new lobby. It’s so bright and welcoming! Every room has been updated with new tile flooring, fresh new beds and fixtures, and a lighter color palette to help you find your happy place. If you’re looking for maximum relaxation, be sure to ask for one of our riverside suites, complete with a jetted tub and some of the best views of the Mississippi you’ll find at any price!

If you are hungry after your short drive, The Lucky Bean is open and waiting for your order! Now located in our former buffet space, our friendly staff is ready to serve. (Literally!) Starting with the allnew breakfast menu, going right into our award-winning Blue Plate special, all the way to a cooked-to-order steak or half rack of ribs, there’s something for everyone at The Lucky Bean. Now, we offer a variety of desserts and an array of beverages to make your meal all it can be.

Our recently updated MYEDGE club makes it even easier to earn more and better rewards for playing at WaterView. It takes fewer points than ever before to move up from Blue to the Black card and added benefits all mean you’ll get more for your buck. Your MYEDGE card is your ticket to more FreePlay, more free food and hotel stays, our weekend promotions, gift events, live entertainment, and so much more. Use your card the whole time, every time you play to get all our MYEDGE club membership has to offer. There’s never been a better time to be a MYEDGE member! WaterView has so much to offer: the best selection of slot games in town, brand new electronic table games in addition to live games played with our friendly & experienced dealers, a super SportsBook with both live and 24-hour kiosk betting, fun promotions, a freshly renovated hotel and great food! There really isn’t any good reason not to come see why WaterView was voted Best Casino, Best Hotel, and Best Blue Plate special by the readers of The Vicksburg Post in their annual Best of the Best contest. Visit us soon to see what’s new for yourself!

Is Shoulder Pain Keeping You Down?

The North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic

MOST PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED DAILY ACTIVITIES such as getting dressed, brushing one’s hair, or putting groceries away. If you have lost full use of your shoulder, then you know firsthand how devastating it is to have to rely on others for simple tasks. You may feel helpless as shoulder pain and loss of motion can cause you to lose your independence.

The good news is that there are treatment options that may reduce shoulder pain and allow you to regain your freedom. One option is reverse shoulder replacement surgery. The Zimmer Biomet Comprehensive Reverse Shoulder System provides a solution for those who suffer from severe shoulder pain and loss of strength and movement.

Why Does My Shoulder Hurt? The shoulder is a ball and socket joint that is made up of mainly two bones. The ball portion of the joint is part of the upper arm bone (humerus). The socket portion is part of the shoulder blade. The ball fits into the socket and is held in place by a series of muscles known as the rotator cuff, allowing the shoulder to move. In a healthy shoulder, this movement of the ball and socket is painless. Over time, wear and tear or injury to the shoulder can result in significant pain and loss of movement.

Treatments: Depending on the extent and cause of the shoulder damage, I provide a variety of treatments, including oral medications, injections, and physical therapy. When those treatments are no longer effective, I can help you determine if it’s time to consider reverse shoulder replacement surgery.

What is Reverse Shoulder Replacement? In a traditional shoulder replacement, the parts of the shoulder that have “worn out” are replaced with new parts that have the ability to function smoothly. The same is true with reverse shoulder replacement, except that the part of the arm bone and shoulder blade that serve as the ball and socket are reversed. In reverse shoulder surgery, the “ball” is attached to the shoulder blade, and the “socket” is attached to the upper arm.

How Will I Know If I Should Have Reverse Shoulder Replacement?

I will perform a thorough examination of the shoulder. This will include testing the muscles and tendons to determine how much strength and range of movement you have. In addition, I will perform X-rays, CT scans, and/or an MRI to help further assess the condition of your shoulder joint to determine if you are a candidate for reverse shoulder replacement surgery.

About Dr. deGravelle: Since completing my Upper Extremity Fellowship and starting my practice here in Monroe, I have performed close to 1,000 of these surgeries. I provide same day surgery in an outpatient setting, generally taking me 15-20 minutes to complete. Patients are able to start therapy the first day following the procedure and progress quickly, with few functional limitations. The sky is the limit!

Sublative RF Dermal Rejuvenation

Lose Your Skinhibitions

WHAT IS SUBLATIVE RF? Sublative RF Dermal Rejuvenation is a bipolar radiofrequency technology that ablates the skin in a grid-like fashion. Sublative is proven to help correct skin surface issues such as moderate to severe acne scarring, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, decrease pore visibility, correct hyperpigmentation, and improve the appearance of stretch marks.

HOW LONG DOES THE TREATMENT

TAKE? Depending on the area being treated, Sublative RF treatments can take 30 minutes or less.

IS SUBLATIVE RF SAFE? Sublative RF is a safe treatment for any part of the body including the face, around the eyes, the abdomen, and torso.

DOES IT HURT? Mild discomfort is expected, but the treatment is not considered painful. Patients report feeling a sensation of heat, like a sunburn.

WHEN WILL I SEE RESULTS? Results after a Sublative RF treatment are seen with 7-14 days; however, individual results may vary. Maximum results will be approximately one month after the third treatment. And, Sublative RF just got enhanced. Results may be enhanced with the use of ZO Skinhealth Brightalive Serum or Firming Serum. These serums are specifically designed for treatments such as Sublative RF to penetrate the area and maximize results. Currently, if you book a Sublative RF treatment this month at The Woman’s Clinic you receive the added service of Brightalive Serum Accelerated or Firming Serum Accelerated applied to your skin after the treatment.

HOW LONG DO RESULTS LAST?

Results from the Sublative RF treatment can be seen for years after treatment. Results can be maintained by diligent use of sunscreen, avoiding direct sun exposure, and maintenance of a good skincare routine at home with ZO Skin Health or another medical grade skin care.

IS THERE ANY DOWNTIME? Yes. You should plan for 3-5 days of healing after a treatment. Most patients choose to complete the treatment near the end of the week, so they have the weekend to recover. Healing times can vary from patient to patient. Makeup can be reapplied as soon as four hours after treatment.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS ARE

NECESSARY? This answer varies. Results can be seen after a single treatment, but typically a series of three is recommended to achieve best results. Patients with deeper imperfections may require additional treatments which may be purchased individually.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS

OR RISKS? Like any medical procedure, the treatment carries some risk. The normal side effects of the Sublative RF treatment are redness, swelling, rough texture, and micro scabbing. These side effects usually resolve within the healing timeframe of 3-5 days.

WHO IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR SUBLATIVE TREATMENTS?

The Sublative RF treatment is not safe for those with certain health problems. It is not recommended for those with recent sun or tanning bed exposure. Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have pacemakers are not a candidate for treatment. All our cosmetic consultations are free, so you can always schedule an appointment to see if this therapy is right for you.

Patient Finds Relief at Delta Vein Care

Following a Brief Procedure, Patient is Finally Pain-Free

BARBARA HOUSTON, A VERY active person, began dreading nighttime leg pain several years ago.

“I could not sleep because the pain in my legs and feet were so significant. My legs also felt extremely heavy. And, I would experience Restless Leg Syndrome (the urge to constantly move one’s legs),” she said. “I decided it was time to seek help.”

The Monroe native visited Dr. Bart Liles at the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana, home of Delta Vein Care, where she immediately felt welcome and reassured.

“After my ultrasound, Dr. Liles immediately told me what the problem was: the valves in my veins were no longer working properly. Then he explained how he would address my pain. He was so kind and upfront about everything. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I had so much hope after our first meeting, and that meant everything to me.”

Barbara underwent three procedures— over three months—to treat vein reflux, which occurs when veins cease to circulate blood properly. Dr. Liles treated her with radiofrequency energy, which he inserted through a small incision in the vein. This technique effectively heats and damages the vein wall, closing the varicose vein. Her experience after the first procedure, which lasted less than an hour, was “nothing like she anticipated,” she said. “I didn’t have any pain after any of the procedures. In fact, I returned to work the very next day.” Barbara, who worked in radiology for more than 42 years, spent much of her career on her feet all day, which contributes to vein reflux. Barbara vividly remembers her first night following the first procedure. “I was pain-free for the first time in years. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was given my life back. I knew I could once again live a normal existence.”

The stark contrast of her life before and after the vein treatments led Barbara to joke with Dr. Liles. “I told Dr. Liles that I should be his spokesperson for this procedure because I had such incredible results. I want people to know about this option; I want them to know you don’t have to simply live with this kind of pain.”

Barbara encourages those with leg heaviness or leg and feet cramping to visit Delta Vein Care at the Surgery Clinic. “Dr. Liles and his staff are truly incredible; they are professional and kind, and I appreciate them so much. They immediately answered each and every question. The experience changed my life.”

Leg vein disorders can impact how we feel and, most significantly: harm our long-term health. Please read about Delta Vein Care’s minimally invasive procedures, all of which last about one hour and allow our patients to resume normal activities the same day. Visit: surgeryclinicnela.com/delta/

In addition to Dr. Liles, the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana is home to surgeons Dr. Walter Sartor, Dr. Patrick Smith, and Dr. Mohamed Bakeer. Contact the clinic today with your questions about general surgery, vein care procedures, and weight loss surgery.

Nostalgic Holidays

Celebrate Each Day

article by Cindy G. Foust

Well, here we all are readers, on the cusp of the great holiday… April Fools’ Day. Question is does anyone really observe April Fools’ Day anymore? I never hear anyone talk about a great joke they played, so I guess it’s kind of one of those holidays that has just lost its luster. But there was this one time, when Scott and I first got married, that I changed out the sugar in the sugar bowl he used for coffee and filled it up with salt, and that went over really well. Then another time on April Fools’, me and my two sisters (it always sounds better to have a “team” of culprits) put a plastic spider on the handle of the mailbox, you know, to play a simple prank on the mail carrier. Well, I don’t think she really observed this holiday either, because she wrote a sort of ugly note to my parents and said she was deathly afraid of spiders and she was sick with panic and fear when she pulled up to our mailbox and it made her almost quit her job. That was kind of terrible. Oh, and we sort of got in trouble. I’ve just never really had good luck trying to observe this specific holiday, and my memories, well, they are kind of bad, so I just let this day come and go without much fanfare.

But Easter on the other hand, another holiday on the calendar for this month, now I could fill the pages of this magazine with my Easter memories. I usually promise our readers that I will write my “next month’s column” on something really exciting like cool ideas for dying your eggs. But I kind of lied, because I don’t really think anyone wants to read about how to Tye-Dye your eggs or how to dye them “economically” by submerging them in coffee. What in the world? How about just using some (stinky) vinegar and a few PAAS tablets or some food color like normal Easteronians? Oh the memories that last sentence conjures up for me. Let me be clear, for those that need to be brought up to speed with my column... we are a holiday family, rich with traditions, so if I let my mind just wander a bit, I can get nostalgic on you pretty quick. In my family, Easter was no different than the other holidays, and traditions have always been strict, like having the Easter Egg Hunt at my grandmother’s house. For years, we dyed eggs after lunch, and the older family members hid them, probably several times before the day was over. As everyone sat around peeling eggs and salting them before we ate them (quite frankly, that memory kind of grosses me out now, but then it was ritual and we didn’t deviate from ritual), the little ones (or me when I was little) would walk around and crack eggs (boiled of course) on everyone’s heads. Ah yes, precious memories…how they linger.

As time quickly passed, as it always does, us “littles” began hiding them for the younger kids. But if I wanted to give you one of my top “five” favorite holiday memories it would have to be the year me and my two sisters were getting ready to hide the eggs, and my late sister, Angel, disappeared on us. We waited and waited and waited... and we finally decided to just start hiding the eggs, because the younger kids were screaming. Off we went, ready to play the Easter Bunny, getting the 500 eggs hid, and still no Angel. Where in the world? Somebody finally let the little ones out and we are all in the front yard watching the craziness that ensues, when suddenly, without warning, we look down the hill and we see this 6’2 Easter bunny hopping down the “bunny trail.” Except it wasn’t just any Easter bunny, it was the “Michael Jackson” Easter bunny. You heard me right, Angel had snuck home (my parent’s lived right next door to my grandparents), and dressed up like her then idol, Michael Jackson (readers, don’t judge, we probably all agree he had a very strange and quacky lifestyle, but most of us have loved us some Billie Jean or some Thriller, right?) Yes, Angel hopped right through the yard, in her homemade costume, complete with sequined glove and high topped Converse, and moonwalked her way into my top five holiday memories. Those were the days. Fast forward in the time machine with me and I find myself writing about my memories for my readers, and wondering, what are some of yours? Does your family have traditions and rituals that you do every year? You can’t read my column and not know that I am going to always share some my Edith Bunker stories with my readers, and most of the time, in every column, there will be some sort of anecdote to remind us how

important our memories are. And for me, holidays give us opportunities to start new traditions, or participate and enhance old ones.

We lost my grandmother, Bitsy, 7 years ago, and some of our rich Easter traditions have changed and look a little different, but have they really? I mean, the most important thing is that we are all still together, eating good food, dying eggs and still hiding eggs. I’ve been doing some reflecting these past few days, which never bodes well for my readers, but the reflection comes from some rather anxious weeks I have lived through. Oh, I’m totally fine, friends, I just got back from Houston and had an “all clear, doing great, go live your life” visit. On our drive home, the gratitude I felt was so heavy I rode most of the way home in tears. I’ve written before in previous columns about the humble experience of visiting a hospital like MD Anderson. I texted one of my good friends, Heather, after I left, and told her that the one thing spending a few days there will do, is remind you to be grateful for the able bodied healthy person you are. Even if you have to go for a routine check-up.

This mindset is sending me all which of ways in my feelings (I am fairly confident that last sentence is a grammatical nightmare, but it’s how I’m feeling, readers), especially when my gratitude mindset meets my nostalgic memory mindset. As I sit in my big comfy chair this morning, enjoying the quiet of this space, I think about how things have really changed in my life, over the past 5 years.

The loss of family and friends, a pandemic, a breast cancer “episode,” all of which are heavy and let’s just say it, hard. It’s easy to get in the lane of focusing on all that hard stuff and letting it control our focus. I am definitely sitting here with my hand raised high in the sky because that has been me. I think we also lose sight of the fact that our “littles” even if they are “biggles” (I totally made that word up but I’m loving the way it works in this column) are feeding off what they are seeing and feeling from us. Can anyone else raise their hand to that, as well?

My children are grown (24) and nearly grown (16) and they sense everything I feel. No matter their age, our children want to see us happy, healthy and positive, and as hard as it is sometimes to stay that way all the time, it’s important I think for them to see us at least trying. Right? Life is a gift and as cliché as it sounds, we should be soaking it all in… squeezing the life out of every second we are privileged to have. Rather than sitting in that lane with all the heavy, we should be focusing on the all the positive things in our life… a clean bill a health, a job we love, friends we adore, family you are fortunate to have. If anyone else finds themselves in the “dredge” with me let’s start with the upcoming holidays and show that dredge the door. Instead of Elvis, I’ve even been thinking of dressing up like Dolly Parton and singing Islands in the Stream for our biggles. That’s a joke, heck, my kids probably don’t even know who the Dolly Parton is! And since our littles are biggles now, instead of hiding eggs, I might just organize a Scavenger Hunt (this will probably go over great with my husband when the kids are running through our flower beds, but he didn’t divorce me over the salt in the sugar bowl, so maybe my marriage will remain intact after this, too.)

Let’s go readers, take a little time and create some special plans, or work at strengthening the traditions you already have in place. Heck, even consider asking your kids what they want to do. Just shuck the dredge and move your families into a dredgless (another made up word) wonderful, memory filled season. My hope is that it will be filled with wonderful, quality time with your family, good food, great old (or new) traditions and maybe even a few Cadbury eggs. Cindy G. Foust is a wife, mom, author and blogger. You can find her blog at the alphabetmom.com for weekly columns about home life, parenting, small business stories and insight with a smidgen of literacy. Give her a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram.

JLM Spring Market

On the weekend of March 11th - March 13th, the Monroe Civic Center was once again transformed into a bright and cheerful space full of vendors for the Junior League of Monroe’s 24th Annual Spring Market. This annual event was sponsored by Origin Bank and allows the community to shop with a purpose to support the League’s projects and programs for women and children at risk. On Friday morning, patrons enjoyed the Shop ’Til You Drop event, sponsored by The Mulhearn Corporation. There was early shopping with champagne brunch, door prizes and music by The Phantom Four. On Friday night, everyone showed up for the always popular Girls Just Want to Have Fun event, sponsored by Progressive Bank. There was extended shopping until 9 p.m. with food from Thurman’s, Market-ritas from Iron Cactus and music by Clara McBroom. Vendors ranged from local clothing boutiques to home decor, bath products, jewelry, candles and more. The Junior League of Monroe is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Spring Market serves as their largest fundraiser.

1

4

7 2 3

5 6

8

10

13 11

14 On the BayouScene

1 Kinsley and Erin Foster 2 Ashley Norred and Allison Davis 3 Alexus and Demetria Charleston 4 Anna Varnado, Chelsea Babineaux and

Jamie Johnson 5 Christie Ouchley and Toya Hubbard 6 Dodie Langley and Nadine Fares 7 Kyle and Ainslea Snellenberger and Avery Kea 8 Beth Vetrano, Evan Thurston and Jennie Wallace 9 Melissa LaCas and Tiffney Rome 10 LaWanda Elliott and Kristie Harrison 11 Morgan Eppinette and Whitley Johnson 12 Mary Earl and Morgan Johnston 13 Mandi Wilson, Lyndsi Logue and Kelsey Rose 14 Mary Claire Malloy, Crystal Malloy and Caitlyn

Malloy 15 Mary Copeland, Sheleka Barnett and Tish Doyle 16 Jennifer Routon, Robby Compton and Lissy

Compton

15 16

More Residents Welcomed Home This Month

Assisted Living & Memory Care Apartments

THE LONG-AWAITED TIME HAS ARRIVED AS move-in residents fill the apartment homes in the new Phase II assisted living and memory care buildings. The city block campus in Monroe’s Garden District is abuzz with even more residents moving in, and more staff stepping into their roles. The professional staff expansion includes an LPN, a dietician, a new activities director, fitness instructors, and additional on-site managers –all for the purpose of enhancing the daily experiences in their residents’ lifestyles.

All assisted living residents in Phase I & Phase II now enjoy dining together in the bright, spacious community dining area with an adjoining chef-inspired gourmet kitchen providing three daily meals and snacks. Memory Care residents have an exclusive window-lined dining area that is conducive to their comfort and security, adjacent to the beautifully landscaped inner courtyard.

Daily activity amenities abound, featuring the ever-popular beauty/ barber shop, exercise classes led by local NextLevel Health & Fitness, garden & courtyard walkways, an art studio, and elegant gathering & activity areas. Each apartment provides a mounted TV, personal refrigerator & microwave oven, Wi-Fi connections, and cable TV with all utilities included.

The well-liked shared endeavors such as musical entertainment, movies & games, birthday parties, themed events, church activities, and more are hosted in the gracious atrium gathering space in the original vintage-inspired building. There will also be shopping excursions, and complimentary transportation is provided for medical visits. A physician is on call 24/7, and pharmacy consultation/delivery is offered as well.

There are one-bedroom & two-bedroom assisted living apartments in both Phase I and Phase II buildings, as well as one-bedroom apartments in the Phase II Memory Care building. The Memory Care services include all the expected amenities along with an individualized plan of care to maximize quality of life for your loved one. Full accreditation and a certified staff ensure proper attention for residents in this building.

The unparalleled comfort, convenience, location and amenities of The Gardens At Georgia Tucker assure residents of an environment that can truly be called home. You can hear for yourself from some of the residents expressing their contentment when you visit GeorgiaTucker. com to view testimonial videos and comments.

For the best in gracious assisted living, take a closer look at The Gardens at Georgia Tucker. Reservations and lease deposits are being accepted now for the remaining Phase II assisted living and memory care apartments. Please call 318-538-0040 to schedule a tour appointment. The administration staff will be pleased to show you around, answer any questions, and provide leasing & lifestyle information for you or for a loved one. Visit GeorgiaTucker.com for more details.

Mojo for Midlife?

Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement

BY JUDY WAGONER

HAS YOUR MOJO GONE OUT the window? Mother Nature plays a dirty trick on men and women. Just as we begin to enjoy our lives as empty-nesters, our lives often change overnight as we cope with night sweats, ballooning weight, aching joints, low libido, and fuzzy thinking associated with menopause and andropause. What’s happening? Hormone levels are plummeting and wreaking havoc in our bodies! As a woman, you are used to being at the mercy of your hormones. It’s been the story of your life. It all began with your first period. If you experienced pregnancy, your world was really turned upside down. As you approach menopause, the changes can be even more severe. This is when your reproductive system is preparing to shut down. The changes in hormone levels can be significant, causing troublesome symptoms. While not as disruptive as menopause, men’s sex hormones are also declining at mid-life. The difference is their decline in hormones is not as sharp and sudden as a woman’s. They may feel small dips in their energy level, stamina, mental function, libido, and sense of well being. Men as young as 25 to 30 years in age are presenting with low levels of testosterone, which was not the case 10 or 20 years ago. This is possibly a result of environmental toxins.

The good news is you don’t have to suffer and resign yourself to the infirmities of advancing age. The solution is to replace your lost hormones with human identical hormones, which are available to both men and women.

Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as those produced by the body. They look identical to your own hormones, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, growth hormone, and insulin. They’re taken from natural sources, such as soybeans or yams, and are more easily absorbed by the body than other types of hormone replacement.

They come in the form of creams, pellets, pills, injections, and patches. Professional Laser Center has been prescribing bioidentical hormone replacement for over 10 years now and our clients love it. Pellets are our most requested form of hormone replacement for both women and men. The tiny pellets are placed just under the skin in the upper quadrant of the hip, where they slowly release a stable, steady dose of testosterone and/or estrogen over the course of three to six months. The procedure takes about 20 minutes to perform and there is little to no pain or downtime. Our Nurse Practitioner, Elizabeth Hoskins, is a member of the A4M, the world’s largest Integrative Medicine organization, which focuses on the proper dosing of these hormones. Dosing is one of the most important factors in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement. “The dose makes the poison.” If not properly dosed, your hormones will not be balanced. When our levels are unbalanced, the communication between our cells is interrupted and major, negative changes can occur in the body.

Human identical hormones can change your life! It is your MOST POWERFUL WEAPON in the war on aging. What are you waiting for?

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 318-361-9066. For a list all of our services, please visit our website at www. professionallaser.com.