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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
Boosting Immunity
NOW MORE THAN EVER, THE STRENGTH OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
BY RAMONA SAVISS
FROM GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP AND STAYING hydrated to eating nutrient-dense superfoods—we’ve all heard about ways to bolster immunity. We spoke with some local experts for their best advice on caring for and protecting your immune system.
“Supporting immunity is your best medicine against any sort of virus,” says culinary alchemist, reiki master, chef, and Pasadena native Serena Poon. “Daily support and doing things on a regular basis, as opposed to having a problem and now you’re going to add vitamin C, allows your body to do what it’s designed to do. You need the right fuel for your physical body and you need rest because that’s when your body heals.”
Kreation Organic Juicery owner Marjan Sarshar echoes Poon’s advice: “Boosting your immunity has a lot to do with your diet, keeping the body hydrated, staying active, and getting enough sleep,” she says. “But it also has a lot to do with what’s going on in your mind. You can have green juice, salads, and bone broth every day, but if you’re constantly stressed and not being kind to yourself, you won’t feel well.”
Poon explains that stress causes an in ammatory response in our bodies, and recommends eating alkalizing foods. “Stress causes in ammation and it weakens our immune system,” she says. “High levels of stress are no di erent than eating in ammatory foods and not getting any sleep. You can’t ght things as well in a ght-or ight system.”
“Food and nutrition are the foundations of supporting immunity—making sure people are getting fresh, organic, live foods, with the least amount of pesticides and chemicals,” says Clement Lee, NMD, founder of Optimal Health & Wellness in Pasadena.
For patients who are under high stress and de cient in nutrients and minerals, Lee suggests IV drips. “It’s a very quick, immediate boost of nutrients to strengthen the immune system,” he says. Lee customizes a protocol for each patient, whether delivering immune-boosting vitamins through IV drips, oral supplementation, injections, ozone treatments, or even lasers that use light and “colors to wake up di erent parts of your immune cells.”
While nutrition is an easy way to strengthen your immune system, it can be challenging to eat all the fruits and vegetables needed in a day. “With coldpressed juicing, every drop of liquid is extracted from the fruits and vegetables while retaining their raw, nutritious properties and avors,” says Sarshar, who oversees 19 Kreation locations, including one in Pasadena. “Each juice we produce contains 3 to 5 pounds of produce in every single bottle. We have targeted tonic shots focused on supporting the immune system, with ingredients like ginger and turmeric, which are also included in our soups and bone broths.”
Poon agrees that high-quality, nutrient-dense foods are important to supporting immunity, though she acknowledges that always having these foods on hand can be di cult. “If you don’t have access to fresh juices or smoothies, raw or dehydrated superfoods are important,” she says—such as Just Add Water, a nutritionally dense powdered beverage that Poon created. Regularly maintaining a strong immune system, she says, “gives your body the tools to do what it is designed to do—heal and protect itself.”
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
Sleep
DITCH THE SNOOZE BUTTON AND GET BETTER SLEEP WITH THESE HELPFUL TIPS AND TRICKS.
BY RAMONA SAVISS
SLEEP IS AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR WHEN IT COMES to staying healthy. Our experts weigh in with helpful guidelines on how to optimize your rest.
“The rst thing that people need to know about sleep is that it’s one of the most important things to take care of your health, in addition to diet and exercise,” says Jennifer Martin, PhD, professor of medicine at UCLA, who studies sleep disorders and serves on the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “It’s hard to rank them, but when people aren’t sleeping well, they crave more junk food and more calories and when people are sleep deprived they don’t benefit as much from exercise.”
In order to get good sleep, she says, have a consistent schedule. “If you get up at the same time every day it’s sending a message to your body about what should happen the next day,” she says. Waking up at the same time every day doesn’t have to be exact, though it should be within the same one-hour window— even on weekends. “Based on what we know about circadian rhythms, it’s about what time you start your day, biologically, because our internal clock wakes up.” Martin suggests sunlight exposure in the morning, which signals the brain to stop producing melatonin.
Michael Breus, PhD, known as The Sleep Doctor, also believes in waking up at a consistent time to support your circadian rhythm, which is one of his ve main things to know about sleep. Another one? The importance of exercise. “It makes it very di cult to sleep if you are not active,” he says. While movement is important, don’t do it too close to bedtime as it raises core body temperature. Breus suggests that you stop exercise four hours before bed. He adds that ca eine and alcohol a ect sleep: “Stop ca eine by 2 p.m.,” and have your last sip of alcohol no later than three hours before you go to bed. Alcohol, he says, “obliterates your beauty (restorative) sleep.” Inherently, sleep is dehydrating. You lose a “full liter every night from just the humidity of your breath,” Breus notes. “You’re basically a raisin when you wake up.” He advises that you drink 15 ounces of water when you wake up.
Breus works with brands such as Hästens, the world’s oldest bed brand, currently in three locations around Southern California. He also partners with Utah’s Amangiri for a Sleep Retreat—a three-day program with lectures and personal sleep monitoring by Breus himself.
Karen Gordon, LAc, DAOM, MATCM, of BEAM Wellness, a holistic acupuncture clinic in Pasadena, echoes Martin on the bene ts of sunlight. “Make sure you’re getting enough sunlight—vitamin D is very important for sleep,” she says. Gordon, who specializes in acupuncture and Eastern medicine, also believes that “everything is tied to stress,” including sleep issues. A holistic approach to sleep deprivation looks at your liver, spleen, heart, and kidney for root causes. “If your liver is stagnated you won’t be able to fall asleep at night,” she says. “You want to be in bed by 10:30 p.m.— we want to be in deep sleep 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. so that the liver can do its job properly and you feel well rested.” As
Jennifer Martin, PhD ”
for it being hard to get out of bed, “it’s the spleen.” If you’re always fatigued, Gordon says, it’s the kidneys. She helps patients get good sleep through breathwork, prayer, meditation, nutrition, and acupuncture, among other things. “The body wants to be in homeostasis,” she says, and to achieve that, sleep is fundamental.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
Choosing a Hospital
WITH SO MANY QUALITY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN THE REGION, DECIDING ON THE BEST OPTION FOR YOURSELF OR A LOVED ONE CAN BE OVERWHELMING. HERE’S WHAT TO LOOK FOR, STRAIGHT FROM LEADERS OF THE AREA’S TOP-RANKED HOSPITALS.
BY SARA SMOLA
BALA CHANDRASEKHAR
MD, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, METHODIST HOSPITAL OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ARCADIA
1. Consult with your personal physician: The choice of a hospital will depend on where your physician or specialist has hospital privileges to admit patients. So, you rst need to nd a good doctor who has privileges at a hospital in the specialty where you need care, such as obstetrics, orthopedics, or cancer. Talk with your primary care physician or prospective surgeon about which hospital is best to meet your health care needs. 2. Know what your insurance covers: Understanding what your medical insurance covers is essential, including where you will be hospitalized should you need surgery. For example, if you plan to start a family in the coming year, you may want to switch your insurance plan to one that includes a hospital specializing in obstetrics. At open-enrollment time, it’s de nitely good to know which hospitals are in your insurance plan’s hospital network as well as the physician specialists a liated with your plan. 3. Review hospital ratings: Here are two reputable ratings sites to use when evaluating the hospital that’s best for you. Hospital Compare, medicare.gov/care-compare, o ers comparisons of hospitals based on government surveys of patient experience; and The Joint Commission, qualitycheck.org, reviews, inspects, and accredits most US hospitals.
CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY
ADMINISTRATOR, SHRINERS FOR CHILDREN MEDICAL CENTER, PASADENA
1. Quality of care: When researching providers/hospitals, review their evidence-based outcomes for quality of care. In this era of COVID, safety is associated with quality. Research what safety precautions are in place. 2. Patient and family centered: Search for a provider/ hospital that believes in patient- and family-centered care. When doing your research, ask yourself whether they seem to treat patients and families as partners in care. 3. Access: Find a provider/hospital that will accommodate your needs in terms of availability, location, and times that services are o ered.
LORI J. MORGAN
MD, MBA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL
1. Services: When considering a hospital, rst nd out its specialties and range of services. For example, Huntington is certi ed as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, a Cardiac Center, the San Gabriel Valley’s only Level II Trauma Center, and our region’s highest-acuity level neonatal intensive care unit. 2. Reputation and designations: Look for designations such as the Magnet Recognition Program, which is the highest national honor for the professional nursing practice. 3. Location: Finally, you ideally want a hospital that is near you, so your family members can easily visit and support you during your stay and recovery.
ALICE ISSAI
MBA, PRESIDENT, ADVENTIST HEALTH GLENDALE
1. Quality: The No. 1 thing to consider is the quality of care provided. There are several organizations, such as The Leapfrog Group and U.S. News & World Report, that compile quality and safety data and report in easy-to-understand grades or rankings. Consumers can use these to better understand how a particular hospital performs. 2. Expertise: I’d also consider the depth of service and expertise o ered by a hospital. You want to be in a one-stopshop environment where you’re not limited in your care or have to be sent to another location for additional services. 3. Word of mouth: You can always rely on your family, friends, and neighbors. These are people already in your corner, so ask them where they get their care and how they feel about it.
STEPHANIE HALL
MD, MHA, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, KECK HOSPITAL OF USC AND USC NORRIS CANCER HOSPITAL
1. Patient satisfaction: Look for a hospital that performs well in patient-reported satisfaction. Look particularly at the results on whether others have ranked the hospital with a high score on “willingness to recommend.” This is a good indicator of the overall perceptions of care received while an inpatient. 2. Accreditations: Check for hospital accreditations and certi cations in the specialty of interest. First look for the general accreditation status of a hospital. Then look for specialty accreditation or certi cation. This tells you that the doctors and the hospital have worked together to meet strict and usually higher standards for a particular specialty. 3. In network: If you’re concerned with managing cost, then your rst step is to know what hospitals are in network for your insurance. Choosing an in-network hospital will reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. 4. Pick sources wisely: Don’t be too swayed by reviews on social media platforms—they can be misleading.
KRISTINA VOSS
MD, USC ROSKI EYE INSTITUTE, KECK MEDICINE OF USC
How does eye health affect the rest of the body?
Eye health in many circumstances reflects whole-body health. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and tobacco use are common causes for eye disease and are the most easily modifiable risk factors. Take control by leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
Routine eye exams are recommended for everyone age 40 and older. You should see an ophthalmologist sooner if you have any symptoms or have known family history of eye disease at an earlier age.
During the pandemic, many of us are spending more time staring at screens. What, if any, are the harmful effects of blue light from tech devices?
Fortunately, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that screens, particularly the blue light from screens, is harmful. Blue light research has been conducted as there was concern that this could lead to damage to the retina (macular degeneration) and/or eye strain. However, to date, all our evidence suggests that there are no harmful effects. A little-known fact is that you get more blue light from the sun than you do from a screen! So, save your money on buying blue light–filtering glasses and buy a pair of sunglasses instead.
How can one combat the effects of heavy screen usage?
I recommend that you take breaks from screen time because, as we all know, it does cause strain. The most common reason for the strain is that you are forcing your eyes to focus for prolonged periods of time. The next most common reason is dryness. It has been proven that when we stare at screens, we blink less often and this amounts to dryness, which can be very uncomfortable. I recommend taking a short break every 20 minutes. During this break, try to get up and stare out at something in the distance. You can also try using artificial tear drops.
VICTORIA L. TSENG
MD, PHD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN RESIDENCE, UCLA DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, DOHENY AND STEIN EYE INSTITUTES
What preventive measures can people take to protect their eyes from damage?
It is always a good idea to get routine eye exams at least once every few years to make sure there are no early signs of chronic eye diseases, and also to check for a need for glasses or contact lenses. Second, when outside in UV light, it is advisable to wear sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV damage. UV damage has been linked to eye conditions such as cataracts (lens clouding) and pterygium (growth on the conjunctiva, or outside layer of the eye). Third, just as smoking is harmful everywhere else in the body, cigarette smoke is also harmful to the eye. Studies have shown that cigarette smoke accelerates the formation of cataracts and contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Finally, when engaging in contact sports or working with construction or tools, it is always important to wear eye protection. As ophthalmologists, a common consultation we get from the emergency room is for blinding eye injuries that may have been preventable with eye protection.
Yes, it is still a good idea to get routine eye exams. In adults, several chronic eye conditions may lead to permanent vision loss if not detected and treated in the early stages. Examples of these conditions include glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve) and age-related macular degeneration (deposits in the retina, or back layer of the eye). Additionally, people who are diabetic can develop damage to the retina, which could lead to temporary or permanent vision loss if not detected and treated in a timely manner. In kids, there may be a need for glasses that is not immediately apparent to parents. If glasses are not prescribed and worn when needed, kids may develop a condition called amblyopia, where vision does not develop properly during critical years in childhood, leading to permanent visual impairment.
With summer approaching, what are the risks of prolonged exposure to sunlight?
Sunlight contains UV rays, which can cause damage to the eyes. UV light can increase the risk of cataracts, pterygium, and other eye conditions. You can reduce UV exposure to the eyes by wearing sunglasses while outdoors. Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays provide protection for the spectrum of UV light. Additionally, polarized sunglasses can help in brightly lit conditions to reduce glare and eyestrain.
A littleknown fact is that you get more blue light from the sun than you do from a screen! ” Kristins Voss, MD
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
TMS
TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION IS AN EFFECTIVE, NONINVASIVE WAY TO COMBAT DEPRESSION.
BY RAMONA SAVISS
KATARZYNA BIALASIEWICZ/ENVATO ELEMENTS COULD TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS) be the right way to go for people who are living with depression? Our experts weigh in.
“Depression is something that has reached such a critical point in terms of severity in the US,” says Torie Sepah, MD, a clinical psychiatrist at Pasadena Neuropsychiatry & TMS Center. She says that while antidepressant medications are only about 30% e ective, with the combination of “deep TMS and medication you have an almost 70% response rate and a 60% remission rate.”
So, what is TMS exactly? It’s a way to stimulate the brain transcranially that is not invasive and does not include radiation or anesthesia. The technology was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008 and TMS machines hit the market in 2009.
“We’re targeting an area of the brain that’s typically underactive in depression—we are stimulating and exercising that part of the brain [through magnetic currents] and causing the neurons to re up,” says Todd Hutton, MD, medical director of SoCal TMS. “Typically, we will treat people ve days a week for six to eight weeks, which equates to 30 to 40 treatments. Each treatment might take 30 minutes, during which you’re awake and alert, no medication is needed, and you could listen to music or watch TV.”
Over at the Pasadena location of UCLA TMS, Medical Director Jonathan Lee, MD, says treatments can range from “three minutes a day to 37.5 minutes a day according to FDA protocols, ve days a week for six weeks.” TMS patients are typically seated in a comfortable chair, often in a semi-reclined position as a magnet is placed on their head by a technician. Lee adds that UCLA TMS has Net ix in all clinic suites.
Daily doses of energy into targeted brain cells feels like tapping on the head, and while the experts say it could be uncomfortable, the more you do it the easier it becomes. “We can also control the amount of power in each treatment and make it tolerable,” Hutton says.
Side e ects include possible discomfort and headaches, and in more rare cases it could cause seizures, typically in people who are abusing drugs or alcohol. The results, however, could also be life changing.
“There are areas of the brain that are associated with mood and we know with depression these areas tend to be signi cantly underactive, and with this treatment we can see that they’ve been re-sorted,” Hutton explains. High rates of e cacy have expanded TMS as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and smoking cessation.
“I think TMS o ers hope for those people who have done the evidence-based treatments— cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy—all the di erent rst-, second-, and third-tier medications, and they’re left scratching their heads,” Lee says, noting that treatments for depression don’t have to work exclusive of one another. With the use of TMS, he says, “many of the people we see seem to get back their lives.”
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT
Hair Loss
COULD THE PANDEMIC BE TO BLAME FOR THE EXTRA HAIR YOU’RE SHEDDING IN THE SHOWER?
BY NING CHAO
FROM FRAZZLED NERVES TO EXTRA pounds, the pandemic’s physical side e ects can be pervasive, even if you never tested positive for COVID-19.
Perhaps it’s all that time spent self-scrutinizing on Zoom, or boredom-inspired scalp inspections, but a common complaint lately is hair loss, according to Paul J. McAndrews, MD, USC Keck School of Medicine clinical professor of dermatology, whose Pasadena and Beverly Hills practices specialize in hair restoration. He’s seen a spike in cases over the past year, not due to the usual cause of permanent thinning (androgenic alopecia, aka male- or female-pattern hair loss) but from a temporary condition.
“The pandemic can cause psychological trauma, which can lead to telogen e uvium, where you’re shedding more than the normal 100 to 150 strands a day,” explains McAndrews, who lists wider parts and slimmer ponytails as telltale signs of extra fallout. Yes, losing up to 150 hairs a day is normal. And if you haven’t washed your hair for three days, that means you may see 450 casualties when you do shampoo.
For those infected with COVID, one-third will experience hair loss, estimates Harklinikken (Danish for “hair clinic”) Founder Lars Skjoth, who has helped European and Middle Eastern royalty—and most recently a very vocal Ricki Lake—reverse thinning since the ’90s.
“It’s important to note that many people have been severely impacted by the pandemic on a personal and emotional level prior to getting the virus,” Skjoth explains. “So when individuals do get sick, they may be hit harder than if things had been normal up to that point.” The more severe the symptoms, the more likely telogen e uvium will kick in, as it often does following traumatic events such as severe illness, childbirth, or even medication changes.
But why are we noticing more hair loss now, when the surge is months behind us? McAndrews explains that telogen e uvium shedding starts a few months after the trauma, and although it typically lasts only a few months, the longer your hair, the more time it takes for new hairs to catch up in length.
Thankfully, Harklinikken’s Extract hair-growth treatment ($88) can be enriched with new, nutrient-dense compounds that target stress-related de ciencies to speed things up. Since each bottle of Extract is custom blended to a client’s particular needs, Skjoth’s nimble team can tweak the formula in response to the times. Users have reported noticeable results as quickly as one to two months. Skjoth will be opening a new Beverly Hills Harklinikken agship on Burton Way in June. Hopefully more of us will start the road to full recovery this summer as well (in person Harklinikken consultations cost $175; virtual appointments are $49).
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