Category Archives: Health and Wellness

Can’t Sleep? Try a Sleep Buddy!

November 8, 2013 DS Leave a comment

Couple’s Feet in Bed — Image by © Radius Images/Corbis

Having trouble sleeping? You aren’t alone! More than a third of US adults do not get enough sleep. Insufficient rest doesn’t just make you tired – it has many other associated health risks. If you are looking to improve your quality of life and sleep, then try resting both your mind AND body!

Getting enough sleep is an important component of reducing stress and tackling the day’s challenges. If you are sharing your bed with a companion, chances are you may think his or her presence can be disruptive to your “beauty sleep.” Worry not! As long as it isn’t snoring or sleep apnea waking you up, then sharing your bed is actually beneficial! Of course, if it is sleep apnea (a disruption of breathing) you should seek treatment. Those with allergies, deviated septums, enlarged turbinates or chronic sinus disease can all benefit from a doctor’s attention. Whether through traditional or endoscopic surgery, fixing sleep apnea and snoring problems will ensure a more peaceful slumber.

However, if you find yourself waking up often — or just do not feel energized in the morning! — consider getting a sleeping buddy! Research shows that the “love hormone,” oxytocin, is released in greater quantities when your nighttime habits include cuddling. Oxytocin not only has physical benefits – it reduces stress, decreases blood pressure, and promotes healing – but it increases our feelings of affection for healthy relationships.

Why is this? Well, we are social creatures! Having a “protector” nearby increases sleep neurotransmitters, and it is these chemical signals that help foster a good night’s rest. So, to be the most outwardly beautiful and healthy person you can be (heaven forbid you have the face of sleep deprivation!), start with ensuring long-term health through good sleeping habits. Just don’t let your sleeping buddy hog the sheets!

Health and Wellness

4 Minutes is ALL it takes!

July 18, 2013 DS Leave a comment

Do you wake up in the morning thinking you just don’t have the time for the gym before you go to work? Do you tend to pass on your evening workout to have dinner or drinks with friends? If an hour at the gym seems impossible, then good news is here! All it takes is 4 minutes of a blood pumping workout at your target heart rate to get more than just “happy” endorphins. The lifestyle that you lead is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy body and mind. How you treat your body—the nutrition you give it, the regular maintenance you keep for it, and the care you take with it—will not only be reflected in your external appearance, but will also shape the way you feel inside.

It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Stress management techniques including sleep and regular, moderate exercise, maintaining healthy relationships, taking care to eat a balanced diet, and quitting smoking are all key parts of Dr. Yagoda’s integrative beauty and overall health philosophy. Four minutes of intense exercise at your target heart rate will provide the full benefits of an extended workout. Four minutes! Then, you can relax, have dinner and drinks… because you’re all done!

Health and Wellness

10 Surprising Facts About Stress

April 2, 2013 DS Leave a comment

In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by stress and have negative thoughts when things don’t go as planned. The good news is that there are numerous techniques you can use to combat stress. Did you know that smiling is an antidote to stress? Or that bringing your dog to work can boost employee satisfaction and lower stress levels? To honor National Stress Awareness Month, we’d like to explore the impact stress has in our lives by taking a look at these 10 interesting new findings that have been discovered over the past year.

Dr. Yagoda recommends incorporating a variety of stress reduction techniques in your lifestyle to manage your stress, including meditation, yoga, ample and restful sleep, biofeedback, a healthy diet, and moderate exercise. As a facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, she offers her patients a full spectrum of treatment options for optimal health and wellness. Providing an integrated approach-to beauty, aesthetics, ear, nose, throat, voice, and facial medicine – Dr. Yagoda understands the importance of uniting mind-body connections with traditional medicine and surgery for optimal health, beauty and wellness.

Health and Wellness

Drinking Coffee Not Only Keeps You Awake Longer, But May Also Keep You Alive Longer!

March 28, 2013 DS Leave a comment

If sipping on a hot cup of coffee in the morning is one of your simple pleasures, you’ll be happy to learn that coffee may also add years to your life. People who live on the Greek Island of Ikaria are known for their long life expectancies, and researchers have been studying the islanders to learn the reason why.

According to a recent reportpublished in the New York Times, one explanation may be the coffee they drink. This boiled coffee appears to produce antioxidants and they found that the older islanders who drank the boiled coffee had better functioning endothelial cells (cells line the interior surface of blood vessels throughout the circulatory system).

However, it is important to note that coffee is only one factor that may be contributing to the islanders’ longevity. Researchers plan to conduct further studies to discover how the island’s water, minerals and air quality might also be playing a role.

Health and Wellness, Myth or Medical Miracle

Chewing Gum Enhances Concentration

March 13, 2013 DS Leave a comment

Myth or Medical Miracle?

Medical miracle! Chewing gum can serve as a quick breath freshener and some types can even clean your teeth. However, you may be surprised to learn that chewing gum can boost your concentration and improve memory. According to a new study published in the British Journal of Psychology, chewing gum can help you focus on tasks that require continuous monitoring over a long period of time

Researchers conducted a health-related memory test that involved listening to a list of numbers read aloud in random order. Participants were scored on how accurately and quickly they were able to recall a specific number sequence. One group chewed gum during this test. Results indicated that the participants who chewed gum had a faster reaction time and a better recall of the numbers compared to those who did not chew gum.

Health and Wellness

Researchers Raise Their Glasses to the ‘Red wine pill’

March 11, 2013 DS Leave a comment

In European countries like France, red wine consumption is much higher than in many other parts of the world. The phenomenon known as the ‘French Paradox’ has astounded the medical world, because despite having diets high in fat, the French have a 42% lower occurrence of heart disease compared to Americans. For years, scientists studied this phenomenon and found that the secret behind this paradox lies in the antioxidant resveratrol, which is most commonly found in grapes and red wine.

Although red wine’s antioxidants may have anti-cancer properties, scientists say that you would likely need to drink 100 glasses a day to see a clinical benefit. Understandably, that is not possible. But what if you could reap the benefits of red wine by simply taking a pill?

According to a recent study, researchers say they have figured out that resveratrol functions to activate an anti-aging enzyme, which could trigger proteins that regenerate cells. Can a pill be taken as preventive medicine to improve the body’s defense system against aging and disease? Or is this the newest anti-aging hype?

Health and Wellness

Make the Right Decision By (Sometimes) Tapping Into Your Intuition

March 5, 2013 DS Leave a comment

When should you follow your intuition? That inner voice that nudges you when you’re torn between two choices can help in some cases, but in certain situations deliberation has proven to be more effective. To make the best decision, when should you tap into your intuition and when should you apply logic to make a decision?

According to some scientists, intuition is a series of cognitive processes that happens very quickly, enabling you to come up with a decision instantly. In a matter of seconds, your brain takes in all of the information about the present situation, compares it to similar situations in the past, and uses that to make the decision. Essentially, that “gut feeling” is typically a fast heartbeat or a knot in your stomach, as opposed to a conscious thought. Intuition can be a valuable tool when you are already knowledgeable about the present situation. For instance, your immediate judgment about a sports game is more likely to be accurate if you’ve spent some time on the court or field.

So in which situations is deliberation more effective than intuition? Researchers found that when it comes to activities, such as playing chess, deliberation may be a more useful approach. Chess players normally take a few minutes to make a decision and the players who think longer about their decision end up making stronger moves compared to ones they were initially going to choose.

Despite the strategy a person uses to make a decision, many experts agree it is not necessarily about whether our gut feelings are “right” or “wrong,” but rather how to consider all of our thoughts and emotions when making an important decision. While you may not be able to make the right decision in every situation, you can always learn from these experiences and use that knowledge to make better decisions going forward.

Dr. Yagoda’s intuition has been regularly praised by patients and peers. She is a warm, caring detail-oriented doctor who provides her patients with a full spectrum of treatment options to ensure optimal health and wellness.

Health and Wellness

Should the “Eat at Your Own Risk of Addiction and Obesity” Attitude Still Prevail with Junk Food?

February 25, 2013 DS Leave a comment

Junk food is undoubtedly linked to childhood obesity, yet big corporations market to children who are least aware of and least able to control the components of a healthy diet. These children, are most susceptible to junk food addiction and its inherent medical risks.

Because we are in the midst of an increasing worldwide obesity health epidemic, and decreasing available funds for healthcare spending, some suggest that the government step in to regulate the junk food industry. Should major companies should be required to stop advertising to children and to place warning labels on junk food, similar to the regulations imposed in the tobacco industry? Or, should the “buyer beware/eat at your own risk” attitude still prevail? What do you think? We want to know!

Health and Wellness

Did you know…a healthy diet likely promotes restful sleep?

February 22, 2013 DS Leave a comment

Want to increase your odds of a peaceful slumber? According to a recent study, the food you eat is linked to how well you sleep.

Researchers found that poor sleep affects the hormones that control hunger and appetite, which can lead to unhealthy food choices. Interestingly, the people who slept 7-8 hours each night ate the largest variety of food and nutrients, and the people who slept 6 hours or less consumed the lowest variety of food and nutrients. So the next time you go grocery store, you may want to consider adding “super foods” to your shopping cart.

Dr. Yagoda can diagnosis the causes of restless sleep and sleep disorders. Cure your sleeping troubles and call our NYC office today for a consultation!

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Myth or Medical Miracle?