Tag Youth

Taking Youth For Granted – Part 2

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young-woman-feels-bad-about-eating-junk-food-smaller

Though there are plenty of young people who are fitness-conscious and practice healthy eating habits, there are also many who tempt fate by eating poorly, avoiding exercise and physcial activity, and who party every weekend. When I am at fitness events, I tend to see the fit people, but as a doctor, I see the individuals who don’t know how to take care of their bodies. As an example, I remember seeing one patient who, at the age of 20, was disgusted with herself, and who begged me to give her some advice on how to get in shape quickly and easily. She was about 20 pounds overweight, and it was obvious that she didn’t exercise at all. Her skin was dull and peppered with acne, and her eyes were bloodshot.

I was in the midst of giving the patient general recommendations on eating healthy and getting regular exercise, when she interrupted me. “Ummm, excuse me doc, but I’m not gonna stop eating at Burger King! It’s my daily stop for dinner, and it’s right by my work, so I can just pick it up and eat it in the car before I get home.” I was so stunned that I had to clarify the frequency of her visits with her to make sure I heard her right. Yes, she would visit the Burger King drive-thru every single night after she finished work, and would wolf down a burger in the car because she was always famished from not eating all day. Then she would go home and eat chips while sitting in front of the television. When I told her how unhealthy her eating habits were, she stated, “I don’t see what the big deal is anyway. I mean, I hate vegetables and all that healthy crap other people eat. Besides, I’m young, so it doesn’t even matter!”

That patient wasn’t the only one I have seen who refused to eat right and exercise, but she was particularly stubborn and set in her ways. She walked into that office not wanting me to truly help her, but instead wanted me to give her a prescription for a diet pill so that she could slim down for bikini season. I shook my head and told her that I don’t believe in them, and that I would not give her a prescription, whereupon she hopped off the examination table and said, “Whatever. I thought you were supposed to help people with weight loss shit, but I guess not. See ya.”

When I see young people eating all kinds of crap on a consistent basis, it saddens me, because I know that poor eating habits will have consequences on their health. Nine times out of ten, those same people will hit the clubs on the weekends and go on drinking binges. Some of them don’t even wait until the weekend to get their party on. I can guarantee that people who adopt atrocious habits like these will show signs of age much faster, and will put themselves at a much greater risk for developing diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer. Though they may think that their youthfulness protects them, they usually will get a wicked surprise down the line when disease processes begin to rear their ugly heads.

If you want to optimize your health for the long term, make sure to consume healthy food options the majority of the time, limit alcohol consumption, don’t smoke, and get plenty of regular exercise. Those measures can serve as the best insurance policy for wellness as you get older.

Taking Youth For Granted – Part 1

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stupid

There’s a saying I used to hear quite frequently when I was a teenager, which was, “Youth is wasted on the young.” What’s funny is that I can’t remember who used to say it, but I heard it enough times that it seeded in my brain as part of my belief system as I got older. The feeling of being invincible, and the illusion that time is limitless, can fool youngsters into thinking that all the opportunities which they are flooded with will always be there. They may be too busy having fun and partying to build a foundation for the future. Though I had enough common sense to keep myself out of trouble most of the time when I was younger, I had moments when I would do something foolish or rash, and in those moments, I would jeopardize my own chances of success. However, despite the times I stumbled, I was able to accomplish more than the average young adult, so perhaps youth wasn’t completely wasted on someone like me.

I have come across some very disciplined young adults who were able to explore and develop their talents without trudging into the muck of ambivalence and laziness. They were obviously encouraged by parents and educators to formulate dreams and pursue related goals. These impressive overachievers definitely didn’t waste their youth, but have transformed their vibrant energy, passion, and creativity into lofty achievements. They also have shown a tendency to create a real impact on others through their ingenuity, their compassion, and their drive, and by doing so, have become leaders who will leave a true legacy.

There’s an odd and delicate balance which young people are challenged to figure out. Though they are encouraged to grab life by the horns and go for it, they are also expected to have the sense to pace themselves and stick to the straight and narrow course during a time when distractions and temptations abound. It’s no mystery why some twenty-somethings may find themselves in a situation in which they have to repair their finances, become centered, and undo all the damage which playing or partying too much can create. I know I wouldn’t want to be a youngster again, and I certainly wouldn’t want to experience my youth in this day and age.

The best advice I can give to someone who is young is to BUILD FOR THE FUTURE. Sure, it can be fun to party on the weekends and hobnob with the movers and shakers in the social media world, but make sure you are working towards goals which enable you to grow as a person, which ensure financial stability for the future, and which give you a platform on which you can impact the world. Make sure that you are doing things that your parents can be proud of, and which your future children won’t be embarrassed by. Everything you do has some sort of impact, even if that impact is only on yourself.

Most Hot Women DON’T Go Out And Party All The Time

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legggggsI am sure there are plenty of hot women who enjoy going out for a night on the town almost every night. I am also sure that in all of these cases, these young ladies are riding on a fast train to nowhere because all they do is waste their time and energy hitting the social scene to inflate their following on social media, stroking their tender egos and taking advantage of affluent men who are lusting after them.

Those aren’t the gals I am talking about.

There are TONS of hot women of all ages out there who thankfully have the common sense to realize how much more valuable their minds are, who are genuine and who aren’t afraid of rolling up their sleeves and working diligently to achieve their own goals. These are the women I am referring to, and I am fortunate enough to call many of these women my friends. What may surprise you is that many of my fellow hot gal pals don’t frequent nightclubs or have a full dating rotation in place. Like me, many of them would rather stay at home and work on their projects than to go to a bar or nightclub and engage in alcohol consumption and small talk with people they really aren’t interested in.

For those of you who might think that I go out on the weekends, let me bust that myth. A night out for me is a very rare event indeed, and it isn’t because I have agoraphobia or don’t like seeing my friends. Most of the time, I have a ton of work to do in the evenings, such as developing blog posts like this one, writing up client plans, researching articles which I submit to numerous sites, etc. There are times when I would like to go out and do something fun like go to the movie theater, grab a cheat meal, or visit a friend, but my weekends are not characterized by wearing a snug minidress and towering heels and making an idiot out of myself in public. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but that is NOT my idea of a good time.

The problem with being a smart, aware, genuine hot woman is that sometimes she is seen as TOO good of a catch, so men avoid asking her out. Many of my beautiful female friends fit this description, and a few of them complain about it. Another issue with being a gorgeous woman who is accessible through social media channels is that the creeps tend to surface, often becoming the only guys who ask these ladies out. Often the propositions aren’t for true dates, but are for hookups, fetish fulfillment and other bizarre requests. It is sad to see how much disrespect beautiful women deal with, and it is no wonder that many women bury themselves in their work to avoid such distressing situations.

Chances are that you won’t see a bunch of “out on the town slut” pics on a woman’s social media profile if she is a woman of substance. Even if you see hot modeling photos on a woman’s profile, that shouldn’t be interpreted as an invitation to be a creep and disrespect her. NO female should ever have to deal with the derogatory comments and attitude which lesser evolved males seem to get great pleasure out of displaying. I honestly worry about the girls who foolishly ride the party wave, because once that ocean dries up, they will not have any foundation upon which to build a secure life. Also, chronic drinking and sleep deprivation ages these poor gals so that they end up looking like they were dragged down the street. In the meantime, my empowered and beautiful friends and I will enjoy the fruits of our intellectual efforts while aging gracefully.

Maybe I AM A Vampire…

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I have spent my entire adult life never looking like my chronological age, so I am accustomed to people scratching their heads when I reveal my age. When I was 20, I could pass for a teenager, and when I was 30, people thought I was 20 or 21. As the number of years I logged began to creep up more, I noticed slight shifts and changes, such as the loss of the very full cheeks and deep dimples I had when I was younger (the dimples are still there, just not as deep). Yet my appearance still belied my age, and for that I am truly grateful.
Me at 18
What blows my mind is that people now regularly guess my age to be roughly 15 years less than what it actually is. Does this mean I am looking younger as I age? Since we are our own worst critics, I will admit that I see the skin sagging and annoying grey hairs that no one else really seems to notice or pay attention to, so my perception is that I am aging just fine. But then I get a glimpse of what other people might see when I am perusing images from a recent photo shoot. When I look at my face, I don’t have the furrowed lines and flaccid skin that I often see in patients, many of whom are younger than me. Yes, I have had a touch of filler, but not a lot. I don’t undergo any intense skin treatments, nor do I take any super supplements. When I use topical skincare products, they are usually pretty basic, with my current lineup consisting of Vitamin C serum, hyaluronic acid/zinc serum, and a light oil-free moisturizer. I don’t slather any exotic creams on my face, and I certainly have never had any type of facial surgery.Me at 31

I have reviewed images from several years ago when I began competing versus now, and I honestly think I look even younger now. I work out like a beast regularly and do not slack on my routine. I eat clean meals which are balanced and chock full of alkalinizing vegetables and fruits. In addition, I take lots of natural supplements on a daily basis to optimize my nutrition and gain the protective effects of the substances in my regimen.

I have great genetic stock from my Japanese mother and a Hungarian father, so who knows? Maybe there IS vampire blood in me!

Botox Treatments Are NOT An Urgent Issue

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injectables and faceWhile I appreciate the aesthetic benefits and self-confidence boost that injectables treatments confer upon the people who undergo them, I get very annoyed by the sense of urgency which some people adopt when it’s time to get treated again. I am not kidding you when I say I have had patients contact me asking for Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, Belotero, or Radiesse with a hint of desperation in their voices, as if it was a matter of life or death in getting a treatment lined up immediately.

In a way it makes perfect sense because these non-surgical fixes are a cost-effective way to smooth lines and furrows and restore lost volume. When the clock is turned back the first time and a new patient sees the results of injectables treatments, it’s a wonderful reveal which causes the patient to see himself or herself differently. The neurotoxins (Botox, Dysport and Xeomin) yield effects which last from 3 to 6 months, with muscle function gradually returning over time, along with the corresponding lines and wrinkles. Fillers have greater longevity and dissipate from 6 months to two years after the treatment is performed. The dissipation tends to be gradual, not sudden.

So when I have patients calling the office, calling me or texting me, insisting that they MUST come in IMMEDIATELY for treatment, I almost want to ask, “Where’s the fire?” Sometimes the request is on such short notice that I cannot accommodate it, which sometimes upsets the patient greatly. The response from the patient goes something like, “But I need it NOW! You need to do this for me. I’m sure you can find time in your schedule to stay late or somehow accommodate me.”

Such treatments are NEVER an emergency, and your face isn’t going to fall if you don’t get shot up with neurotoxin or filler immediately. Trust me on this!

When Your Age Doesn’t Match Who You Are

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Jane Fonda 2013I never really believed that age discrimination existed until I was edged out of certain opportunities simply by virtue of how many years I have been on the planet. Is our society so shallow and youth obsessed that a chronological marker will be be so easily and quickly used to omit people from the mix? This seems so off-kilter in our aging population.

Recently Jane Fonda was recently seen on the red carpet looking absolutely dazzling at the ripe old age of 75. Yet all the haters had to comment on how she had work done. Honestly, who CARES if she had work done? She looks incredible. What people choose to have in the way of surgical intervention is their business and if it boosts their self-confidence, then I am all for it. It certainly does not look like Jane Fonda cares one bit about being a so-called senior citizen.

Ask me how old I feel on a daily basis and I will tell you that I honestly feel like I am about 31 or 32. I do NOT feel my age at all. Thanks to decent genetics, clean food, and regular exercise, I also don’t look anywhere close to my age. So please do not judge me on the basis of what shows on my driver’s license. That is just plain shallow.