HEALTH & WELLNESS

Keeping Fit During the Holidays

By Anya Sebastian

As we look forward to the upcoming holidays, our attention is focused on the good times that lie ahead. When it comes to the festive foods, our inclination is to indulge—even over-indulge—in the once-a-year goodies, regardless of the impact on our health. Studies suggest that the average weight gain for Americans, from Thanksgiving to New Year, is 5 pounds, with most people expecting to gain weight during that time.

All is not lost, however. There ARE ways to enjoy your favorite treats without packing on the pounds. Here are some of the things nutritionists recommend for keeping control of your weight during the holidays, while still enjoying those end-ofthe-year celebrations.

First of all, skipping breakfast and/or lunch before heading out to a holiday party or dinner may sound like a good idea, but if you arrive hungry, you are likely to eat more. It is much better to eat a well-balanced breakfast and maybe have a protein shake, or a light snack, a few hours before the event.

Staying well hydrated is key. Drinking enough water is commonly overlooked during the holidays, and it is easy to mistake thirst for hunger. Something else to bear in mind is that not being fully hydrated when drinking alcohol, can lead you to consume more than you otherwise would, resulting in a bad hangover the following day. So do remember to drink water throughout the day, and combine your alcohol intake with glasses of water as well.

If you are preparing a holiday meal, classic dishes can be tweaked to cut down on empty calories. Healthy sweet potatoes are a good substitute for regular mashed potatoes, and vanilla yogurt can serve as a topping for puddings and pies, instead of sugary whipped cream. And do beware of eating out of obligation, tradition, or just habit. Hanging out by the food table at parties is likely to result in eating more, just because it’s there.

Last, but not least, try to take note of your hunger level, and remember that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach that it’s full. Eating slowly, and waiting a few minutes before reaching for second helpings, is therefore a good idea.

As for dieting, cast all thoughts of that aside during this time. Chances are, you won’t keep to it anyway and once you go off the rails, the temptation to go ahead and eat whatever you want can be irresistible. There’s always next year, and it is better to focus on maintaining weight, rather than losing it. And if you do end up with a couple of extra pounds, that’s no big deal. It is holiday time after all!

THE SANTA FE SKIN INSTITUTE

When it comes to your skin, have you ever wondered about the natural process of aging? Did you know that sun exposure, stress, lifestyle choices among other factors can take their toll? These factors cause your skin to look aged through thinning, blotches, blemishes, fine lines, premature wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, acne, and dull skin. Fortunately for Santa Fe, we offer our patients expert advice on steps you can take to slow down the skin aging process.

With proper care and attention, you can prevent premature aging. At the Santa Fe Skin Institute, we help transform your skin, slow down the aging process, and provide you with individualized treatment options designed to maintain, renew, and promote young healthy skin.

We recommend three main steps that will benefit patients in maintaining a healthy, glowing skin as well as slow down the aging process.

The first step in the process is a healthy, daily skincare routine. There are three essential elements of to a basic skincare routine include including a cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF. Once you have mastered the basic routine, adding an antioxidant serum and retinol will continue to rejuvenate your skin and help fight the signs of aging. Our medical estheticians at the Santa Fe Skin Institute offer complimentary consults to help you begin journey towards healthy skin.

For those living in our beautiful Santa Fe, SPF is vital. I remind my patients that 90% of your skin age signs are caused by the sun. This highlights the importance of daily SPF use, even during winter months. At the Santa Fe Skin Institute, we offer an assortment of SPFs for all skin types. Our experts can examine your skin and pair you with appropriate product to suit your needs.

The second step to maintaining healthy skin and to prevent aging is Botox. Repeated muscle contractions from frowning, squinting, or raising eyebrows cause skin to furrow and fold. This process gradually results in the formation of facial lines.

Botox works beneath the surface and temporarily reduces the underlying muscle activity that causes moderate to severe frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines. Preventative Botox is a non-invasive treatment that can help prevent future fine lines and wrinkles before they begin. This proactive treatment helps to limit muscle movement to only what is necessary and helps

prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. This is more advantageous than the need to take corrective action once lines and wrinkles are established. It should be noted that although individualized treatment can last three (3) to six (6) months, results can be seen within two (2) weeks.

The third step in slowing the skin aging process is microneedling with radio frequency (RF). Scarlet RF Microneedling is a safe, non-invasive procedure that stimulates the renewal of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in your skin. The use of micro-needling with RF will tighten your skin, enhance skin texture, and smooth wrinkle and fine lines. Agnes RF is another procedure that utilizes radio frequency energy to pinpoint and isolate the problem area(s). These unique treatments are both sold at the Santa Fe Skin Institute in packages to optimize results.

These three steps will help you develop and maintain healthy glowing skin, while slowing down the aging process. In addition, I often recommend protecting your investment. You can do this through Signature Facials, Aquafirme Facials, and Chemical Peels. Our skilled Estheticians will customize a treatment plan that will compliment and ensure continued success with your various skin procedures. All treatment plans at the Santa Fe Skin Institute are customized to fit your specific needs. Our medical professionals offer complimentary consults to review a plan that would work for your skin and allow you to be the best version of yourself!

THE SANTA FE SKIN INSTITUTE 530 Harkle Rd. Suite A 505.772.0564 santafeskin.com

NIZHONI DENIPAH, MD

Head and Neck Surgeon

JARED SEIBERT, MD

Head and Neck Surgeon

DENTAL IMPLANTS EXPLAINED

Crown

Abutment

Implant

As an oral surgeon, I diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions involving the head, neck and jaw, but my most requested procedure is for dental implants.

This is not really surprising, since an estimated 120 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth, while 36 million are missing all their teeth in the upper or lower jaw. This can not only cause practical problems, such as difficulty chewing and potential bone loss, but it can also have an emotional impact, undermining people’s self-confidence and inhibiting their ability to smile.

Dental implants offer a natural looking and permanent solution, which, if taken good care of, can last a lifetime. They also improve dental health, because the implant post fuses with the jaw bone, which not only creates a strong anchor, but also acts to prevent future bone loss.

A single dental implant is composed of three parts: the post, the abutment, and the crown. The post is made of medicalgrade titanium and is surgically implanted into the jaw bone. Over time, the post fuses with the bone to create a strong foundation for the rest of the implant. The crown is the visible part of the implant, custom-made to blend in naturally with the surrounding teeth. The abutment piece connects the post with the crown.

The process always begins with a consultation to discuss your individual needs and devise a personal treatment plan. Diagnostic images may also be taken at this time. I will then explain the procedure in detail, including your options for anesthesia, so that you know exactly what to expect. This is also the time for me to address any questions or concerns you may have. On the day of your surgery, once the anesthetic has taken effect, the dental implant post will be inserted into the jaw bone and the site will be sealed with sutures. The whole procedure usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes for a single implant and may take longer for multiple implants. If you elect to undergo intravenous sedation for your procedure, you will rest comfortably in our surgical suite as you recover, before your designated driver takes you home.

The healing process takes several weeks to complete as the implant gradually integrates with your jaw bone, and you may receive a temporary crown to wear during that time. Most patients find that they are able to resume normal activities after just a few days. The abutment will be added when sufficient healing has occurred. Once the dental implant has successfully fused with the jaw bone, a permanent, custom-made crown will be put in place and your treatment will then be complete.

Most people are good candidates for dental implants, including those in their late teens, who may have lost a tooth in an accident. The fact that they look, feel and function just like natural teeth, inevitably improves the quality of life and that is, for me, the most gratifying outcome.

BRETT SCHOW, DDS,

BOARD CERTIFIED ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEON

BONÍTA MEDICAL CENTER 1700 Hospital Drive, Santa Fe 505.988.2121 bonitamedical.com

By Wolf Schneider

I GOT MINE

JOHN NICHOLS OFFERS THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIS LITERARY LIFE

He arrived in Taos in 1969. John Nichols was 29 then, intent on furthering his career as a writer and adamant about pursuing his left-leaning socio-political ideology. In the decades since, he’s worked with film legends like Robert Redford and Costa-Gavras, prolifically written novels and screenplays, devotedly hiked New Mexico’s mountains, raised chickens and goats along with a family, travelled to LA, Paris, and New York for meetings, and always insisted he would not work for extended periods anywhere but Taos. It’s all here in his ironically witty, revealing memoir I Got Mine.

Nichols has led a life both earthy and transcendent. On the one hand, he has repaired irrigation ditches, gotten rid of skunks from under the floorboards, and serviced outhouses (he’ll tell you how). On the other, he’s collaborated with Hollywood heavyweights while working on the screenplays for Missing and The Milagro Beanfield War, the latter based on his own novel. Zeroing in on Hollywood’s excesses brings the humor to anecdotes like his recounting of a studio pitch meeting with Costa-Gavras where they gathered with “eight tanned moguls wearing Armani suits in a room whose windows offered a 360-degree view of the greater Los Angeles area.” As Nichols recalls it, “Costa says, `I vant to make picture about science and human values in twentieth century.’” Then the international filmmaker tosses to Nichols who improvises, planning how “I’d schmooze with nuclear physicists in Los Alamos near my Taos home, do much research and many interviews, and Costa and I would come up with something brilliant.” It worked for the moment.

A Taoseño for more than five decades now, Nichols is still creating into his eighties. He writes every night. Health troubles (he’s had plenty) be damned; he keeps moving forward. Like they advised him back in college cross-country training where everyone was fleetfooted, “It’s the mind that runs the race.” He’s one of the good guys. And he knows New Mexico better than most.

John Nichols