It is finally possible to achieve professional-like results when using at-home skin care and hair removal products. The best results are experienced when consumers employ novel technologies similar to what dermatologists and plastic surgeons utilize in the office.

Professional quality technologies are now available for all consumers. The major areas where these are used revolve around hair removal, treatment of acne and rejuvenation of aging skin.

There are three main hair removal devices include:

• No!No! – employs a patented thermal heating element called Thermicon. This technology slows down the actively growing cells of the hair follicle
• The Silk’n™- a broad-spectrum light source similar to an IPL (intense pulsed light)
• Tria – diode laser technology

All three employ lower energies than those available in the doctor’s office. Many are FDA-approved and when used for longer periods of time (up to eight -12 weeks) have produced in clinically proven studies, up to 50-60 percent long-term hair removal. Results are almost comparable to what dermatologists are able to achieve in office settings, using higher power, more expensive technologies. The safety and efficacy of these at-home technologies has been proven in many scientific studies through published literature.

For at home acne treatment, there are the Zeno™ and ThermaClear®, which employ heat elements. Under development is the No!No! skin device, which uses a broad-spectrum light heat pulsing technology similar and comparable to what is used in the dermatologist’s office. These three at-home acne treatments help reduce acne forming bacteria, decrease inflammation on the skin and temporarily shrink sebaceous glands.

Ongoing FDA and published studies show similar efficacy with at-home acne treatments as to what can be achieved in the office setting, utilizing topical acne antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, retinoic acid derivative as well in some cases as oral antibiotics.

Anti-aging rejuvenation technologies are also in the exploration stage. Studies are on going using red light LED sources.

There are three exciting ways for consumers to safely treat themselves at home with technologies that deliver near comparable professional results for hair removal, acne treatment and photorejuvenation. The key difference is that at home technology requires longer treatment time intervals.

Q: Is frozen yogurt a good summer treat? It tastes so good, can it really be that good for me?

A: Not necessarily.  As you said, it is a treat so you should treat it that way.  Many times it can actually pack in more calories and sugar than regular ice cream, especially if you opt for a bigger size because, why not? It’s low-fat isn’t it?

The frozen yogurt industry surged in the 1980s and early-1990s when Americans decided to completely cut fat out of their diets. This trend leveled off as a result of other fad diets such as the low-carb craze and products emerging on the marketplace. However, frozen yogurt is making a major comeback and everywhere you turn there is a Tasti D-Lite or TCBY.  Sure, it can be lower in fat than ice cream (before toppings!) but here are some helpful hints to make sure frozen yogurt is not packing on the pounds.

1) Frozen yogurt should not be a meal. It is not nutrient-dense and usually contains half of the calcium and less protein than you would get in a serving of yogurt from the dairy aisle.
Average non fat vanilla yogurt (6 oz): 8 grams protein and 250 mg calcium
Average frozen yogurt (6 oz): 5 grams protein and 100 mg calcium

2) Most frozen yogurts have zero grams of fiber. Therefore, if you eat it for lunch, you’ll be feeling ravenous in a few hours and your “healthy lunch” will have been a waste of calories. An average 16 oz (large) vanilla frozen yogurt with a side of granola contains about 500 calories, 10 g fat, and about 70 g carbohydrates! Instead, you could have eaten a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with an apple for half the carbohydrates (more fiber), higher quality protein, and more satiety until dinner.

3) Watch the toppings. While the yogurt may be non-fat, it does not mean adding crumbled Oreos will not have an effect on your waistline. Choosing Gummi bears and fruit with syrup doubles the sugar content of your yogurt, while granola and chocolate chips hike up your saturated fat intake. If you get a topping, stick to a regular serving of fresh fruit or dry nuts for some healthy fiber and protein.

4) Beware of portions. Many times, the serving size of the cup is much less than the actual amount of the fro-yo they dish out. Ask how many ounces are in a cup and tell them not to overfill. This way, you can keep track of how much you’re actually eating.

The bottom line is: When you do choose frozen yogurt, have it as a small-sized snack and choose healthier toppings.  We searched the country for the best frozen treat and found it at a small, but rapidly expanding chain in Connecticut. Gofer Ice Cream currently has three stores in Darien, Greenwich, and Stamford. They created a soft-serve, non-fat Gofer-Lite which, besides from being delicious contains 11 g fiber per 4 oz serving! I definitely approve this ‘ice cream’!

*My Favorites
Serving sizes below are for ½ cup or 4 oz. Notice, a small size cup is usually larger than 4 oz and the actual cup size served at each place varies, even within a chain.

*Keep in mind that a small weighs in at about triple these amounts! SO, if you’re craving Frogurt for a snack, ask them not to fill the cup over the brim.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Last week, I hosted a charity art auction in the Hamptons to benefit United Cerebral Palsy.  In addition to raising funds, this event helped spread the word about what can be done to prevent birth defects.  As the father of three, I know there is nothing more wonderful than a healthy new baby, but unfortunately, not all babies are born that way.   

The good news is that today, there are things that pregnant moms can do to increase their chances for a normal, healthy little one and that means carrying their baby to term.  Pre-term, low-weight babies (PLWB) who are born before their time are at much higher risk for a wide variety of mild to severe health problems because they have not had time to fully mature.  These include everything from minor developmental and motor disorders to cerebral palsy and other problems, some of which can be fatal. 

Most pregnant women know that smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use are risk factors that science has shown contributes to PLWB.  Recently researchers have cited a new culprit –periodontal disease.   Studies show that pregnant women with this condition (which is the technical name for gum disease) are seven times more likely to have a baby that is born too early.   It is thought that periodontal disease

1) Stop using any oral care products that contain harmful chemicals or are alcohol and/or detergent based.

2) Eat healthy with an emphasis on natural foods that have alkalizing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich properties like salmon, blueberries and other fruits and vegetables.

3) Reduce stress, which can negatively impact both the mouth and body.

4) Exercise regularly, which will help improve circulation, strengthen the 

With 3-year-old Caylee Anthony missing for more than two months, her mother Casey is being bailed out of jail for $500,000 by Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla.

Padilla says his motive is to use his many years of experience tracking down criminals to learn enough from Casey to find the little girl.

It isn’t surprising that Padilla’s quest has captured the imagination of the media.  His name is now known from coast-to-coast. The drama of a black-hatted, toothpick chewing cowboy riding into town to break open a case that police haven’t been able to crack sounds like a made-for-TV movie, or maybe the launch of a reality TV series.

The trouble is that the drama now unfolding according to Padilla’s script is encroaching on a very real investigation. And it feels like entertainment eclipsing truth, clouding the search for Caylee, rather than focusing it.

This is a particularly unwelcome event in the context of searching for a little girl who we pray could still be alive. Because successful investigations require an obsessive commitment to separating fact from fantasy, in a quest for the truth. And that pure motivation can be contaminated by a desire to court an audience and maintain their interest.

As a forensic psychiatrist I worry that Casey Anthony will be less motivated to tell authorities what she really knows about the disappearance of her toddler once she is free to take center stage outside a prison, in the public eye.  For someone who has the ability to spin tall tales in service to self-preservation, perhaps without feeling guilt, the making of a 24-hour-a-day TV drama out of a real tragedy could free her to fictionalize even more. It could embolden her to conclude that nothing has genuine meaning in the context of this story—not the suffering of her daughter, nor the call of her own conscience.

Sometimes the truth emerges because the world seems to be dark and unyielding without it, as it must have seemed to Anthony before Padilla rode into town. Now, the days can speed by like a DVD spinning, projecting images that have little to do with reality, other than providing a refuge from it.

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com.

Stress may actually play a role in whether or not your allergies will be tolerable or very bad! Researchers from Ohio State University Medical Center reported “stress and anxiety make a big difference” in terms of how we respond when allergies attack. 

The study evaluated the link between the severity of allergy symptoms and how much stress a person has.  Those allergy sufferers, who were much stressed, were four times more likely to test positive for allergies!
Remember, greater amounts of anxiety are physically linked to an increased production of “stress hormones.”

 Dr. Ronald Glaser, a researcher from Ohio State University, thought these chemicals released when stressed may be to blame for delayed allergic reactions.

As we approach the height of the summer and early fall allergy season, the message is to try and reduce excess stress. You can also learn anti-anxiety and coping strategies to improve your emotional well-being – and your allergies!

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Many people over the age of 50 have been watching the Olympics from their couches, resigned to be voyeurs, thinking they are too old to exercise themselves. But a study from Stanford University published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests we may all be much better off watching the Olympics from our treadmills. This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that moderate exercise prolongs life, and decreases your risk of many diseases.

This study is unique because it looks at the positive effects of exercise on the elderly, at a time of life when many have already given up, believing (wrongly), that the damage has been done. Five hundred runners were tracked for more than 20 years. They averaged four hours of running per week at the beginning, just more than an hour per week by the end of 20 years.  It turned out the elderly runners were half as likely to die prematurely from heart attacks, cancer, neurological disease including strokes, infections, and other causes than the non-runners.

Perhaps even more interestingly, there was no evidence that the patients in the study suffered from more arthritis or needed more knee replacements than non-runners. This is an important finding for aging people who insist they shouldn’t exercise because it will wear down their joints.

The study is limited because it is observational and does not prove that it is actually the running that kept the patients alive longer. Other lifestyle factors may have contributed to longevity. People who run also tend to have better diets, better mood, better sleep habits, all factors that can decrease stress and influence lifespan, especially when combined with exercise.

But there is little doubt that exercise is good for you. It lowers stress, improves circulation, and decreases pressure on the heart. Some common questions my elderly patients ask me:

Q – If I start running tomorrow, will it help?
A - It is never too late to start running. It won’t help much right away, but the benefits accrue over several weeks.

Q – What about my knees and my back? If I’m overweight, won’t it hurt them?
A – You should check with your physician first. If he or she clears you, you should start slow and build up. I advise running on soft surfaces. You can be monitored for signs of arthritis, and the Stanford study suggests no increase over non-runners.

Q – Do I have to run? Can’t I do something else that doesn’t hurt as much?
A – Swimming, elliptical, Nordic track, rowing machines, and bicycles are all good cardiovascular exercise which decrease pressure on the heart while improving circulation to the vital organs of the body. Each can be just as effective exercise as running and may be better tolerated in certain cases.

Marc Siegel MD is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a Fox News Medical Contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of False Alarm: the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear (Wiley 2005) and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic (Wiley 2006). Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

My favorite lunch at a diner is a Greek salad. But did you know that a Greek salad can pack as much as 600 calories and 50 grams of fat due to all the feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves and olive oil? Most people think they’re doing their body right by ordering a salad, but this one can be a disaster if you’re not careful.  That’s why I love making this low-cal version at home.  You can even pair it with a can of tuna or grilled chicken for added protein—either way, it’s a delicious meal in itself. 

Dressing Ingredients:
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp fresh chopped garlic
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried dill weed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad ingredients:
• 3 large plum tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 red onion, peeled, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, oregano and dill weed until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the salad ingredients, minus the cheese. Toss with dressing.
3. Sprinkle cheese over the top and serve.

Serves 6

Nutritional Contents
Per Serving:   225 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein, 20 g total fat, 5 g sat fat, 411 mg sodium

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Dear Dr. Yvonne,
Does a woman run the risk of falling in love with me when we’re just having casual sex?
-Marty

Dear Marty,
While not a general rule, research shows that sex does promote bonding. Although people don’t plan on or want to fall in love from casual sex, they may since such intimacy triggers hormones that have a romantic effect. Dopamine spikes with orgasm, changing the threshold of your ability to falling in love. Orgasm also floods your brain with oxytocin and vasopressin, chemicals associated with attachment. Furthermore, if a man is depositing his seminal fluid in a female partner, he’s giving her a dose of the chemicals needed for sex drive, attachment and romantic love. This increases her chance of falling head over heels.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

Resist the behaviors that keep the pain buried

None of us want to feel pain.

 That’s why we are all very adept at finding habits and behaviors that keep our minds from focusing on it. These habits and behaviors are called because we hide behind them, and use them as barriers against sadness, anger, disappointment or painful memories.

Some shield strategies are very obvious. Some are much more subtle. Some of the most common shield strategies include:

– Overspending
– Constantly arguing with your husband, wife, or partner
– Obsessive dieting or exercise
– Sexual indiscretions or sexual addiction
– Pornography addiction
– Gambling
– Overeating
– Obsessing over romantic relationships
– Alcohol, drugs and/or cigarettes

     The common denominator of all these shield strategies is that they cover up the truth. They soothe us, and let us feel that for now, everything is OK. But once their intoxicating or anesthetizing effects have worn off, we are left with the same pain we sought to mask.

Step Three is about finally breaking that cycle. It is about telling yourself that the temporary pleasure, thrills, and boosts in self-esteem that you get from shield strategies are no longer enough for you. It is about clearing away temporary balms and short-sighted feel-good strategies so you can prepare for real growth. It is about recognizing that you are stronger than you believed, and knowing you don’t need to hide from your truths.

It might help to imagine that beyond the shield you’re holding up is a mirror. You can’t see the mirror because the shield is in the way. But the mirror is capable of reflecting who you are and where you’ve been, going all the way back to your earliest years.

Now envision that in order to start seeing in the mirror, you have to start putting down the shield. You don’t have to drop it all at once, but you have to begin to lower it, slowly.
As long as you’re holding a shield, you are living in fear. When you put the shield down, you’re starting to live the truth.

The first thing you want to do is to identify your shield. It might be very obvious, perhaps something from the list above, and it may be the reason you were motivated to visit LivingtheTruth.com in the first place.

Having trouble identifying your shield strategies? Think about anything you do repeatedly that tends to powerfully shift your focus away from yourself and what you truly value and care about. Maybe office or family gossip has you on the phone late into the night or interferes with your daily activities. Perhaps you’ve taken to obsessing about the clutter in your house as a way of forgetting about the clutter in your head. Perhaps it is yo-yo dieting or a tumultuous relationship or the cigarette in your hand (all shield strategies) that distracts you from the underlying, emotional questions you could be answering right now. And answering them would free you to live a much more powerful future.

You may want to write down a few ideas about what your shield is, and come back to the question a few times over the course of a day. Whenever you find yourself thinking about something you don’t want to do, or a challenge that you don’t want to face, make a note of what you reach for. It may be a drink or a cigarette or the controls to a video game. It might even be a behavior that seems “healthy” – like a vow to climb every peak on the eastern seaboard before age

Be sure to record your shield strategies on your MyTruth page size: Once you identify a shield strategy, it’s time to oppose it. It would be wonderful if a two-pack-a-day smoker or an alcoholic were to quit right now. But that isn’t realistic for most people. Living the truth starts with simply paying attention to your shield strategies more than before, noticing how often you use them, and beginning to resist them. If you’re too hard on yourself – I’m so heavy that I just can’t even begin to diet; I’m so heartbroken that I will never stop thinking about him; I’m so far behind in my career that I have to work day and night or I’ll never catch up – you run the risk of giving yourself reasons to stop before you begin.

Make your changes small and manageable. Even simple changes, like throwing out one type of food you tend to binge on, taking a walk instead of reading an old lover’s email again, or changing one section of your resume instead of playing another computer game, are steps in the right direction of self-discipline, self-esteem and genuine self-improvement.

Remember that it isn’t supposed to feel good when you start using anti-shield strategies. The fact that you feel anxious or depressed or irritable when you leave an obsessive relationship, or stop binging on sweets is a sign that you’re detoxing. You’re discovering the art of spending time with yourself. The more you can put down your shield, the harder it gets for your mind’s defense mechanisms to muster forces against the truth.

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com.

Questions always arise as to what is the newest and greatest filler and whether it is possible with these new fillers to erase the lines of time.  Evolence is a new porcine or pig-based collagen that has been recently released by the Food and Drug Administration.  It has been researched initially in Europe and Israel and is now available throughout the world, including the United States. 

            It is derived from a pig or porcine source, which is felt to have very, very low allergic potential and is new and exciting because it has unique characteristics that separate it from other fillers available on the market.  Studies in the United States show that it has comparable longevity to the hyaluronic acid derivatives such as Restylane and Juvederm lasting six months.  However, studies in Europe have suggested that this filler may have longevity up to 12 months.   The reason this product lasts somewhat longer than the hyaluronic acid derivatives is felt to be secondary to its unique way of linking the strands of the collagen molecule together.  It has a very unique patented technology called Glycomatrix™, which is responsible for the unique structural characteristics and longevity noted with this new and unique filler.    It also has excellent flow characteristics, which again give it a very smooth and natural appearance and also gives the face excellent structural integrity.

            The question comes up as to who is the best candidate to use this unique filler.  Anyone with deep folds on the face, along the cheek folds or along the marionette lines or for fine lines on the upper or lower lip or for localized volume replacement on the face, would be appropriate candidates for using this new and unique filler product.

            Its safety has been shown to be remarkable in multiple studies and requires no skin testing.  A second generation filler called Evolence Breeze is now under investigation, which can be used for shaping and molding the lip naturally.  We have yet another exciting new filler with unique characteristics.  Evolence is truly the rebirth of the collagen molecule.

Dr. Neil Sadick is one of the most renowned dermatologists and researchers whose multiple discoveries have strongly influenced and transformed the future of dermatology. He is a Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and President of the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation. Dr. Sadick is author, or co-author, of more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has contributed more than 75 chapters of medical books. Read more at www.sadickdermatology.com