Evanston Woman Magazine

DR. DEANA LABROSSE

SPECIALIZES IN DRY EYE SYNDROME

PHOTO BY ANNETTE PATKO

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FROM THE EDITOR

VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 6

CONTENTS

A

pril is women’s eye health month, and to celebrate Evanston Woman has joined with Dr. Deana LaBrosse, eye expert, optometrist, and owner of Evanston Eye Wellness located on the Main-Dempster mile. Dr. LaBrosse specializes in dry eye syndrome which is caused by a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. Consequences of dry eye syndrome range from subtle but constant eye irritation to significant inflammation and even scarring of the front surface of the eye. As we grow older and seasons change, factors associated with dry eye syndrome become more prevalent especially during spring and more so in women versus men. If you or a loved is suffering with dry eye syndrome, please visit our friends at Evanston Eye Wellness and let Dr. LaBrosse and her team help you achieve better vision health.

When I met these two remarkable ladies, Judith Florendo and Suzanne Badillo I never knew that pelvic therapy existed. Combining over 35 years of experience in pelvic and musculoskeletal health along with community outreach and education, Link Physical Therapy opened to empower individuals to regain control of their physicality and improve their quality of life.

4

FEATURES

4 Dr. Deana LaBrosse Shares her Passion for Eye Care “ I am passionate about helping my patients as an optometrist! There are so many aspects to eye health and vision, and each patient presents a new and unique story.

It is extremely rewarding to help individuals achieve and preserve the gift of sight each day.”

DEPARTMENTS 2 Wellness Spring Detox with Dr. Josie Tenore 6 Page & Plate Explore one of the Best Venues in Town 8 Small Business Profile Meet Two Therapist Who Specialize in Pelvic Therapy, Judy Florendo and Suzanne Badillo with Link Physical Therapy

Hats off to Dozika Restaurant located off Dempster and Chicago Ave. Food blogger, Laura Scherb with Page and Plate walks you through this quaint and upbeat venue that has been serving locals for many years. It is one of my all time favorite happy hour spots featuring half-off sushi and wine. You can not go wrong.

I would like to invite you to join me at this year’s Dry Eye Event where you can turn your tears of pain into tears of joy on April 19th from 5:30PM-8PM at Evanston Eye Wellness.

Free dry eye screening along with other health and wellness products for both your skin and eyes. Bring a friend and the first 25 patrons will receive a free gift! See you there!

This issue is dedicated to Dana Pearl. Dana, thank you for believing in Evanston Woman, and touching the lives of so many through your services as an ambassador for Curt’s Cafe and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce.

Editor-in-chief Linda Del Bosque Editor Kasimu Godfrey Photography Annette Patko - Bordeaux Studio Graphic Designer Maribel Lopez Advertising Office 847-722-5654

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Cheers!

WELLNESS

Spring Detox Intermittent Fasting for Longevity

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hh, Spring is upon us. In my practice this is about the time I see an influx of patients with a renewed sense of purpose and boost of willpower, seeking out options to detox, reset and refresh. I’m excited to have found a new solution specific to increasing longevity, which beautifully resets the body … and the timing couldn’t be better.

For years, researchers and physicians have searched to uncover the key to longevity, although the answer has been an elusive one. Today, sick care has exploded with the rampant increase in brain, gut and autoimmune diseases. So, how do we create optimal health, increase vitality, boost physical and metabolic function, and ignite passion to live the best possible life? By taking control and keeping in the know. There is new research that is shedding encouraging light on longevity.

The researchers at the Longevity Institute in San Francisco, headed by Dr. Valter Longo have uncovered the secret: eat less and fast (withhold food). Dr Longo’s team has been studying “what keeps cells young” rather than investigating disease and disease management. The research started by traveling to Southern Italy and Japan where it is common place for people to live well into their 100’s, completely lucid and without any evidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer or any of the chronic debilitating diseases that plague North Americans. The question that was asked was “what do these populations have in common?” And the answer was twofold: 1) they ate a low calorie, mainly plant based, diet; and 2) they routinely fasted, mainly for religious reasons.

As a result of these observations, Dr Longo’s group studied the effects of fasting. What they discovered was truly amazing… withholding food for 5 days and then resuming a light diet on day 6 was associated with improvements in blood chemistry (cholesterol, glucose, insulin), lower total body fat and less visceral fat (internal fat around the heart, lungs and in the liver). Most importantly when the body consumes food again, it stimulates the production of stem cells. These stem cells then circulate through the body and are responsible for healing and repair.

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BY JOSIE TENORE, M.D. The team then developed a protocol with specific food that mimics fasting. The protocol for longevity involves following a five day “fast” (with food) once per month for three months. For maximum stem cell stimulation, this program should be followed every four weeks. The recommendations thereafter are dependent on many factors including the presence of medical problems, general diet and exercise activity. [Patients will ask is this similar to a “juice fast”, and my answer is “no” – juice fasts do not yield the same health benefits, and can actually be harmful for health.]

What I love about this program is that it mimics fasting, so you are not starving yourself. It’s easy to follow and provides a number of proven benefits: stem cell-based rejuvenation (which counters biological aging), optimized glucose and cholesterol levels, abdominal fat loss, improved energy levels and softer, healthier-looking skin. As with any fast or detox program, it’s always best to seek a provider that specializes in functional medicine who is knowledgeable in the science of fasting, and can help you determine the best option based on your current health profile.

So looping back to the beginning. How does one avoid becoming a “sick”statistic? FIRST, understand that you have control. LEARN and partner with functional care specialists that will guide you. BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE - take small, consistent steps to enact positive lifestyle changes.

Stay Well & Beautiful!

Sincerely Yours, Dr. Josie Tenore

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COMPREHENSIVE, SUSTAINABLE, LIFESTYLE.

I really enjoy owning my own business. It was anxious about the risks involved in working for myself and the responsibility of providing income for staff. Now that I am two years in, I wish I had done it sooner.

Ultimately, I have total control of the process and products that I offer, which is so important to helping my patients achieve their best visual result.

In addition, I have the flexibility to make my own schedule and to be available to my kids.

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MEET DR. Expert DEANAon Dry LABROSSE, O.D. Eye Syndrome at Evanston Eye Wellness

BY CHRISTINE WOLF

I

n 2016, waiting for her daughter to finish a lesson at Guitar Works, Dr. Deana LaBrosse, O.D., spied a blue “for rent” sign in a window across the street.

LaBrosse, named “Young Optometrist of the Year” in 2008, describes her approach as nontraditional, believing most patients benefit from a more natural approach.

“I’d always loved the idea of owning a neighborhood business,” says LaBrosse, owner of Evanston Eye Wellness Inc. at 716 Main Street. “And I knew immediately: that was home.”

“Most doctors recommend artificial tears or prescribe medical options that work for a small fraction of people. I look at the person as a whole – and at the tear film in parts.”

“Now that I’m two years in, I wish I’d done it sooner. Ultimately, I have total control of the process and products to help patients achieve their best visual result.” She also appreciates the flexibility to make her own schedule, and to be available for her two daughters.

Evaluating a patient’s unique symptoms, LaBrosse sometimes recommends lifestyle changes, nutritional supplementation, or a review of all products used on the face and eyes. She offers in-office treatments and a “dry eye shop” from which patients can purchase approved nutrition supplements, eye washes, and other dry eye specific products. Invested in novel technology to aid in disease detection and prevention, LaBrosse offers unique treatment options like MiBo Thermaflo and BlephEx Microbleharoexfoliation.

LaBrosse grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, then spent two years as chemist before entering the field of optometry. She gravitated toward the dry eye niche while observing patients’ frustrations – and because she suffered from the condition herself.

Prior to opening her practice, Dr. LaBrosse was Chief Optometrist of The Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, working with patients from birth to age 19. She currently operates a mobile clinic exclusively serving patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She began developing her dry eye protocol while working with a surgical practice specializing in glaucoma. Dissatisfied with clinical results from “traditional” dry eye treatments – like artificial tears and medications such as Restasis – LaBrosse continuously observed how medications caused negative side effects.

“I’m passionate about helping my patients. There are so many aspects to eye health and vision. Each one presents a new and unique story. It’s rewarding to help individuals achieve and preserve the gift of sight each day.”

LaBrosse, a specialist in dry eye disease management, was somewhat anxious about the risks involved in working for herself, and the responsibility of providing income for staff.

E VA N S TO N W O M A N . C O M 5

Best Little Venue in Town DOZIKA PAN ASIAN

BY LAURA SCHERB

O

n the corner of Dempster and Chicago, surrounded by charming shops and wide sidewalks, Pon Weeraprajule and her husband maintain Dozika, a Japanese and pan Asian fusion restaurant.

After moving to Chicago from New Orleans, Weeraprajule chose Evanston because “it’s such a nice city.” At the time, said Weeraprajule, there were only two other Japanese restaurants in town, and they thought they could give the town an exciting new option – especially with the fusion they planned to serve. Weeraprajule spent time working in Japanese, sushi, and Thai restaurants before opening Dozika, and her husband is a Thai food recipe developer. Between the two of them, the menu at Dozika is wide-ranging and uniquely appealing and the love of food is tangible.

Dozika truly is a family labor of love; Weeraprajule worked in the kitchen throughout her pregnancy, and says that her now 12-year- old daughter has been raised in Dozika’s warm interior. “I’ve raised her in the back here,” laughed Weeraprajule. “Customers who have been coming in since before she was born know her now because the restaurant is such a family place.” Though the hours are long, often from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, Weeraprajule said that she has gotten used to that and has learned to use small breaks throughout the day to relax and run errands.

Weeraprajule is a part of the Main-Dempster Mile, and says that mouth-to- mouth advertising has been their staple since they opened in Evanston. Dozika relies on neighbors to come out and support small and locally-owned businesses, and Weeraprajule and her family do the same as often as they can.

Weeraprajule said she’s always adapting her menu based on the trends, noting that she added ramen to the menu a year or two ago after noticing that it was becoming a trendy eat, especially in Chicago. “We’re always looking around and seeing what other people 6 E VA N S TO N W O M A N . C O M

are doing,” she said. “If we’re staying the same all the time, that’s not good.”

After our chat, Weeraprajule was called back to her kitchen – her husband is back in Thailand, and she can’t step away for long. But before she left me alone, she placed in front of me a plate of sushi, a steaming bowl of crispy and soft noodles (“This is our most popular!”), and a mason jar of fresh, homemade ginger ale.

All of the food was wonderful, of course, cooked with love and infused with flavors that are familiar yet slightly tweaked. The homemade ginger ale was the unexpected but perfect pairing for the fresh, spicy sushi and the crunchy noodles with creamy curry, topped with cilantro and red onion for an extra crunch. With every bite of the coconut yellow curry sauce, I understood what Weeraprajule had told me only minutes earlier about her style of fusion and why it’s so delicious. “You have to understand the ingredients and the story of the food, from the beginning until the plate,” she said, miming using a mortar and pestle to grind spices to make a curry paste. “You have to know every step and everything that goes in the dish.”

The more I ate, the more obvious it was that Weeraprajule understands food intimately, and that Evanston is lucky to have her and Dozika as a part of the community.

Dozika is located at 601 Dempster Street and opens at 11 a.m. for both eating in and takeout. pageandplate.com

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E

verything changed for Pradeep K. Berry on February 28, 2015.

That was the day his wife of forty-one years, Constance A. “Connie” Berry, died. He’s been mourning ever since, and seeks to cope with his loss in this tribute to his beloved spouse.

In My Connie, he celebrates their love-a love that would have would have never happened if he hadn’t left India to go the United States. He only had seven dollars at the time, and he could not have dreamed that he’d meet a beautiful, intelligent, American wife.

The author’s family embraced Connie as soon as they realized she was polite, smart, and selfmade. In short order, she became the star of the family.

Berry lovingly describes Connie’s qualities, character, and ethics as well as her professional career. He observes that even though he’s been in tremendous pain since she died, he would have never had such a long and happy marriage if he and Connie had not loved each other so much.

Connie and Pradeep, both consider themselves as two bodies and one soul. Now, Pradeep is hoping that they will be again two bodies and one should in the next life.

Join the author as he shares lessons on enjoying a happy marriage and honors the woman who made his dreams come true. His only hope is to make some difference in other women’s loves and hose their husband can make a difference in their lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pradeep K. Berry is an executive senior management consultant in banking and finance who has conducted viability studies of thousands of diversified companies to determine whether to loan them money for working capital, mergers and acquisitions, crisis management and investment banking. He plans to write another book focusing on his life, his professional career and his wife’s professional achievement as well.

Buy the book today: Amazon

E VA N S TO N W O M A N . C O M 7

Judy Florendo & Suzanne Badillo, created Link Physical Therapy to change the future of pelvic health.

D

ancing. Walking. Sitting. Childbirth.

Sex. Bladder/Bowel function. These all involve one main body region – the pelvic region. As research and medicine have advanced, the importance of this region and common conditions that affect the pelvis over the lifespan have become a significant focal point, specifically for two physical therapists, Judy Florendo and Suzanne Badillo, who created Link Physical Therapy to change the future of pelvic health.

Judith Florendo has been in Evanston for over 35 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology along with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Physical Therapy from UIC. Florendo then completed her doctoral work in physical therapy at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in 2011. Florendo began her professional life as a clinician at a city hospital subsequently becoming director of the physical therapy department. She became immersed in acute/wound care, geriatric health, sports medicine, orthopedics and occupational health which created the foundation for the future Florendo has created today. As the 1990s came to an end, Florendo returned to her first hospital and created an inpatient exercise program for high risk pregnancy and an outpatient physical therapy service program that was merged with an OB/GYN practice. She found her calling to treat and teach pelvic health and later opened Florendo Physical Therapy in 2000 in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. She developed a strong reputation in the medical community in the area of chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor disorders.

Last year, a casual conversation with a colleague and friend, Suzanne Badillo, became a plan and business partnership producing Link Physical Therapy which opened in September.

Suzanne Badillo is a native Evanstonian who went to St. Scholastica Academy and then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she received a Sociology degree with a specialization in Gender, Race, Class and Ethnicity. Badillo received her degree in physical therapy at University of Illinois at Chicago and began her career at the former

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Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) treating various patients with symptoms that ranged from orthopedic to neurological, of varying in their complexity. After her first few years, Badillo became intrigued with her pregnant patients who were experiencing debilitating back and pelvic pain. Many of them thought it was normal part of pregnancy, but Badillo proved to them via physical therapy that back or pelvic pain can be and should be successfully treated. She then began pursuing further education in this area and completed a fellowship at the Rehabilitation Institute, allowing Badilllo to become certified in pelvic physical therapy (CAPP-PT) and board certified in women’s health physical therapy (WCS) from the American Physical Therapy Association. She spent the last 9 years of her career at RIC as the Clinical Program Director of Women’s Health Rehabilitation before creating Link PT with Judith Florendo.

At Link Physical Therapy, Florendo and Badillo focus on the total person, while individualizing all treatment and care based on each client’s unique needs, goals, and lifestyle. Their practice specializes in recognizing “links” in the body to help diagnose and treat each condition. Florendo and Badillo use the term “link” to refer to the connections in the body, such as how one’s back or hip pain may be linked with a pelvic floor condition, or how one’s childbirth history is often linked with musculoskeletal issues years later. They believe that the identification of these issues help to create a treatment plan for lasting success for their clients. Florendo and Badillo both are passionate about this as they have witnessed the remarkable ways specialized physical therapy can stop the negative, potentially long term, repercussions that accompany pelvic pain and pelvic floor conditions, empowering women (and men) to return to an active, full life.

Badillo and Florendo enjoy living in Evanston with their families. Badillo and her husband stay busy with her 3 young children, Jackson, Lexi, and Isaiah. Florendo and her husband enjoy the company of their boxer, Milo in their free time. Florendo also enjoys Brazilian music and samba whenever possible.

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