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Putting Off Putting On Weight
This is the time of the year when we hardly have time for all that we need to do. Even our lists have lists to remind us to shop, wrap, write, and go to all the places we need to be. No time to watch your weight, you say. No way.
A brand new book by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet Parties and Holiday Cookbook, provides food for thought about sailing through the holidays with your clothes fitting as well as they did before all the celebrating began. With more than 21 million South Beach diet books in print, it remains America’s number one diet, one to which many celebrities are dedicated.
Most of us have learned the hard way that depriving oneself of food doesn’t work. It only leads to feeling sorry for yourself and binge eating. "Depriving yourself of delicious foods is a thing of the past," affirms Agatston. "We’ve moved beyond the low-fat-versus-low-carb debates to a broad consensus of expert opinion regarding the principals of healthy eating."
The consensus is that you can celebrate any party or holiday without guilt. Instead of depriving yourself, lighten your load. Switch to a lower-calorie version of the same foods. If everyone orders pizza, request low-fat cheese and a thin crust, which still tastes good enough to stave off envy. Learn to "order but switch" — request light sour cream, light ice cream, light cottage cheese, and light yogurt, and use lower-calorie salad dressings and unsweetened fruit.
Three excellent rules for holiday eating come from Ken Fujioka, MD, director of nutrition and metabolic research at the Center for Weight Management at Scripps Clinic. He advises, "During holiday time, weigh yourself daily so you know which way your weight is going, make every effort to keep your exercise program on track, and don’t starve so you can eat more at holiday meals. It doesn’t work."
When it comes to drinks, add some low-calorie seltzer, tonic water, lemonade, or cranberry juice to your glass. Drink light beer — icy cold — to make you forget that you’re not drinking the heavy stuff. Forego the good stiff drink that can diminish your incentive to watch your waistline.
If you’re finding the war can be lonely, team up with a partner. Food is often served in such massive amounts, so why not first share a salad and then share an entrèe? Buffets can really damage your resolve. You take a little of this and a little of that and viola — your individual plate looks like it’s serving a family of four. If you’re feeling really hungry, help yourself to a large serving on a small plate. Remember, it takes our brains 20 minutes to figure out that our stomachs are full.
Similarly, you can also trick your brain by eating slowly, a good practice for dessert. If everyone else is having a sweet end to the meal, make yours a cup of berries, the fruits that are lowest in caloric content. Eat the berries slowly, just a few at a time, and they’ll last longer than anyone’s apple pie a la mode.
Executive chef Thomas Connell at the Ritz Carlton, South Beach says to lighten the load with healthy foods. "As a chef, I not only want my food to be delicious, but also healthy. This is true whether I am cooking for myself or preparing a full holiday menu. It’s easy to cook healthy for any occasion."
— Ruth S. Jacobowitz
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Skinsational’s Signature Line
Skinsational Skin and Body Spa of Carlsbad recently debuted a signature line of aromatherapy-based skin care products. Infused with botanical and herbal nutrients, the line includes an assortment of bath and body products, facial cleansers, toners, masks, exfoliants, treatment creams, and serums designed to combat the effects of environment and age. Key offerings include a Lavender Cleansing Milk (perfect for winter’s drier air), C Factor Crème (loaded with vitamin C to trigger the production of collagen and prevent the breakdown of skin cells), and a Multi-Enzyme Smoothing Peel (an exfoliant that contains natural pumpkin extract and pineapple and papaya enzymes to promote silkier, more radiant skin), just to name a few. (760/434-8118, www.skinsationalspa.com) — Jane Shiomi
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’Tis The Season To Smile
The shoes — Italian leather, so shiny you can see your reflection. The sharp three-piece suit — it’s turning heads even at the opera. You could be a model, but there’s just one problem — your teeth are as yellow as a school bus. If you have an aversion to smiling, perhaps from too many years of drinking coffee or smoking, consider some quick and painless smile-enhancement dental procedures this holiday season. Some can be done in one day (bleaching); others can take two weeks (veneers). Here is what five San Diego-area smile-enhancement specialists recommend:
Robert Rees, DDS of La Jolla Smile offers a teeth-brightening holiday special (call for details). The regular rate is $650 and takes roughly 90 minutes, assuming the patient has had a recent cleaning. "It doesn’t matter how white your teeth are if you have red puffy gums," says Rees. (858/454-6181, www.lajollasmile.com)
Martin Abelar, DDS, of Aesthetic Dentistry of La Jolla recommends combining in-office whitening with cosmetic re-contouring to reshape chips and worn enamel. "There’s also the traditional way of doing veneers," says Abelar. "But that takes three to six weeks; that’s a full smile makeover." (858/457-7994, www.keepsmilingsandiego.com)
"The first and foremost thing one should do to enhance their smile," says David Eshom, DDS "is to get a bleaching if it’s been at least three years since the last bleaching." Eshom says he performs smile makeovers in a minimally-invasive way using lasers, veneers, and technology. "Procedures are way less invasive than just five years ago," he says. (858/455-9151, www.eshomdds.com)
Shervin Erfani, DMD of Da Vinci Dental Arts believes your smile is the gateway to your heart. "Teeth have the capability to improve your facial features. By positioning ones’ teeth properly, we can brighten up their face, we can plump up their lips, we can get rid of creases at on the upper lip, creases and foldings at the corners of the mouth, and get rid of jowls around the lower jaw line and at times even the second chin." (760/942-0800, www.erfanidmd.com)
"Start with a good cleaning," says Carolyn White, DDS. If you have spaces or rotated teeth, consider porcelain veneers. "They are like contact lenses that act like instant orthodontics," she says. (858/558-8590, www.lajollasmiledesign.com) — Judd Handler
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SK Sanctuary’s New Offerings
It’s true, summer is long gone. But that’s no reason to pass up a great tan or a relaxing facial. La Jolla’s SK Sanctuary now offers two new revolutionary treatments to keep your skin glowing all year long. SunFX is a ten-minute airbrush tanning treatment utilizing a 100 percent natural ultra-bronze solution that saturates the skin with proteins, minerals, aloe vera, and purified water. The blend leaves out the potentially harmful chemicals, perfumes, and artificial preservatives that many similar self-tanning treatments contain. The tan appears immediately after application, and darkens over the following 12 hours, typically lasting for five to seven days. Fire and Ice, a two-part therapeutic facial, is designed to resurface and smooth the skin. The first component is a resurfacing masque made with the natural heat of citric and lactic acids, retinol, and antioxidants that serves to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by exfoliating and removing dead skin cells. The second masque, created using the cooling properties of aloe vera and green tea extracts, rejuvenates the skin and encourages cellular renewal. The Fire and Ice facial, a $125 treatment, takes about 30 minutes. (858/459-2400, www.sk-sanctuary.com)
— Rina Van Orden
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