Full of Fiber!
You may have heard your doctor, nurse practitioner or nutritionist recommend that you eat more fiber. But why? What is all the fuss about? Let’s take a look at what fiber is and why it’s good for you. (more…)
Meditation to Relax Before and After Surgery
I am a surgeon and I understand that you may be anxious, nervous and hesitant about your upcoming surgery. Anxiety, however, causes your blood pressure and heart rate to increase, lowers your threshold for pain, and agitates your nervous system. I have a prescription for that. It’s called meditation and breath work. As a vascular surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center who is also a devoted yoga practitioner, I have seen many patients benefit from meditation as a part of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative healing work.
Do you remember what your Mama told you when you were nervous? “Take a deep breath, relax, focus and it will all feel better.” Mama knows best because that is an accurate description of meditation!
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word that refers to breath work and is an essential and important part of meditation. Prana refers to that life force that is within us all and moves as the breath. When patients are comfortably and kindly ushered into a gentle space where they can engage in their breath, they experience a significant drop in their feelings of stress, nervousness, anxiety and pain.
Here’s how to meditate:
* Find a comfortable, quiet seat.
* Close your eyes and clear the chatter in your mind. Center center your mind and turn inward.
* Find a soothing mantra to repeat to yourself. Try, “I am relaxed and calm. I trust my surgeon. I see a life where I am strong and healthy.”
* As you repeat your mantra, breathe in deeply to a count of 8. Hold the breath in for a count of 2. Exhale to a count of 8.
* When your mind returns to distracting, fearful or anxious thoughts, simply say “hello” to them briefly and then refocus on the quiet meditative power of your breath.
Meditation is something everyone can do, regardless of what surgical procedure they have had or are about to undergo. You don’t need to be an expert or an accomplished yogi to practice meditation. Even if you find it challenging to quiet your mind, the practice will be helpful to you as you heal and in your everyday life.
Jennifer Svahn, MD, FACS is an attending vascular surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center and registered yoga teacher.Food for Beautiful Eyes
You probably have heard that carrots are good for your eyes. You may have also heard that putting teabags or cucumbers on your eyes helps soothe puffy eyes or dark circles. Food can do even more for your eyes when you eat the right things! Beautiful eyes can be as easy as a stroll through the grocery store.
The key to outer beauty really starts with what you put in your body. In fact, when you eat well, you’ll notice that your eyes are the first to show improvement. Let’s take a stroll through the grocery store.
First stop, the produce section
Notice all the bright colors of the vegetables and fruit. They are nature’s pharmacy and are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Key food for beautiful eyes are those high in antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as those high in the minerals selenium and zinc. Other lesser know antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, will help to protect the retina and skin around your eyes from dangerous overexpose to the sun’s UV radiation.
Eat 2 to 4 servings of raw fruit or vegetables per day, especially carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, bell peppers, papaya, mangos, oranges and berries. Raw fruits and vegetable retain full antioxidant strength and the brighter the produce the better. If you want to cook your veggies, sauté them lightly in Vitamin-E-rich olive oil.
Next, the bakery!
As you move to the back of the grocery store, you’ll see the bakery. Zero in on the whole-grain breads, which are chockfull of zinc and selenium. The section may have also have nuts. Pick up some almonds and walnuts, which are rich in powerful antioxidants and are very nutritious.
Off to the meat and fish section.
Stick to lean meats, which provide Vitamin A, zinc and selenium. Try to eat more fish, which is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin E. Smaller and fatty fish are the healthiest.
Now comes the dairy section.
Make sure to pick up some low-fat milk, cheese and eggs, all of which contain vitamin A, selenium and zinc.
Avoid!
The main beauty zappers are caffeine, alcohol, salt and cigarettes. Caffeine in drinks like coffee, soda and energy drinks affect your sleep patterns so you don’t get your 7 to 8 hour of beauty rest. If you need caffeine to get through the day, try green tea since it also s antioxidants.
Salt and alcohol make you to retain fluid and cause puffy eyes. Smoking will promote crow’s feet and wrinkles around your eyes.
Beautiful eyes are as easy as walking around the perimeter of the grocery store. Avoid the middle aisles or at least walk cautiously. Eat across the rainbow of whole foods and at the end of the rainbow you will have beautiful and healthy eyes!