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Beneath the Surface of Anti-Aging:

Q&A with Dr. Anna Baker are once again confronted with the passage of time and its effect on our bodies. The grooves, furrows, lines, droops and wrinkles in our faces are reminders that age is inevitable—and none of us are exempt.

However, while we cannot rewind the ant, youthful appearance that once greeted us in the mirror. I’m not talking about those “quick fix” potions in the cosmetic aisle filled with artificial, chemical additives we can barely pronounce. These claim to transform us back into our younger selves, but their results are short-lived, and their ingredient lists can be toxic.

On the contrary, I’m referring to a natural and sustainable alternative that not only reclaims the vibrance of youth, but probes beneath the surface to rejuvenate skin cells, retighten facial muscles and create long-term results.

So how is all of this possible? Enter: Dr. Anna Baker, an inventor, engineer, Doctor of Oriental Medicine and the founder of two anti-aging modalities—Faces by Dr. Anna and Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna. She has also been named Sarasota’s favorite anti-aging practitioner, and it was an honor to speak with her for this month’s “Com-

by Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer

As another year draws to a close, we

clock, we can restore the same fresh, radi-

munity Spotlight.” Natural Awakenings: What occurs in the skin’s aging process, both on the surface and at the cellular depth, and why are most mainstream skincare products or services unable to achieve sustainable anti-aging results? Dr. Anna: The cosmetic industry refers to “skin aging” as a person grows older, but it is more a function of muscles beneath the skin losing their tone. Those who do resistance training on the body will understand that muscles are held at both ends on the skeletal bones, so that exercise can tighten them which makes the toned muscles smaller.

However, facial muscles cannot be exercised because they are held at just one end on the skull. The other end is held by the skin which is elastic and, therefore, impossible to use for resistance. The first indicators of muscle aging start in a person’s mid-twenties. These changes are difficult to see because, as the muscles begin to lose their tone, they expand and puff out which causes the face to grow fuller.

This continues in the thirties until enough tone has diminished that, as the forties approach, the face starts to become longer and flatter. Then as a person reaches their fifties, the changes are noticeable as the face widens and flattens even more. By this time, the cheeks will lose fullness and droop into the jawline, and the jowls will start to appear. The muscles continue losing their tone in the sixties, seventies and beyond which causes a progression of more lines, folds and wrinkles in face.

This process is like when a balloon deflates. When a person is young, they have a small, tight, inflated balloon. However, as they age and lose muscle “air,” their balloon becomes longer, flatter and rippled from the deflation.

The reason that mainstream antiaging products do not yield sustainable results is because they use chemicals which micro-burn the skin. The body then sends collagen and other repair products to heal this burn damage which puffs the area out temporarily, making the user think their fine lines and wrinkles are gone. But when the body heals, the repair chemicals are removed, and those lines or wrinkles return—sometimes deeper than before the treatment. Some of these products are applied daily, so the micro-damage never has a chance to heal, leading to the potential of skin cancer after long-term use.

Doctors warn against sunburns due to the cancer risk, but too often, they will damage the skin with a host of treatments like chemical peels, laser surfacing, microdermabrasion, intense pulse light (IPL), micro-needling and the list continues. All of these treatments work temporarily just until the damage is healed.

NA: Will you describe how your acupuncture facelift technique works, the results it can deliver and what differentiates it from other anti-aging procedures? Dr. Anna: Faces by Dr. Anna is an acupuncture facelift technique that I invented which retightens the muscles back from their natural progression of aging over a series of treatments. The muscles are retightened by 12 small, hair-thin needles placed on the scalp and neck in muscle attachment groups. I then use a special quantum-level manipulation which causes the muscles to retighten in small additive steps through the course of each treatment.

Patients can choose how far back they want to reverse the aging, so to help with that decision, I show them photographed results that accurately depict the beforeand-after process of this technique. When a patient reaches a level they want to maintain, the aging does not stop; however, only one treatment is required every 18 months to maintain the lift. This result is unique among all the other non-surgical techniques.

The method of acupuncture facelift done by other practitioners just inserts needles on the cheeks to puff them out with micro-damage, and this has to be performed monthly. That form of treatment cannot be used on any other areas of the face and neck, but my procedure retightens

NA: Now on a similar note, will you describe your Pearl Cream skincare line, what ingredients it contains, the results it can deliver, and what differentiates this product from other variations currently on the market? Dr. Anna: Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna achieves the exact same muscle retightening outcomes as my acupuncture facelift—it’s just a slower, more gradual process. Pearls have been used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years to heal and rebuild the skin muscle after injuries or burns. They were also used as an ancient beauty secret of the Chinese empresses.

Pearls are formed when an oyster sucks in grit or parasites. Its shell lining then secretes a mixture of amino acids and micro-particles of shell which three dimensionally encapsulate the intruder and build successive layers until a pearl is created. In humans, the same three dimensional action of these amino acids can be used to retighten muscles and densify bones.

Pearl creams are still manufactured in China, but they contain preservatives for shelf life. I discovered that preservatives kill the amino acids and prevent them from tightening muscles, so Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna is made from pearls, Chinese herbs and a Vitamin E oil mixture with no preservatives. There are different mixtures of Chinese herbs for each product in my line, tailored for women, men, sports performance and pain management.

NA: Will you summarize your professional background and how you became not only an alternative medicine practitioner, but also the inventor of these unique, results-driven skincare products and services? Dr. Anna: For 12 years, I worked at Boeing in Seattle as a research and development (R&D) engineer. I was an inventor and received 21 patents for my work in materials similar to the tiles used on space shuttles. However, I became sensitized to the chemicals I worked near and, therefore, had to leave that profession. At this point, I returned to school and became a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. After establishing my Sarasota practice in 1998, I then trained in acupuncture facelift, but the method I studied was both impractical and did not yield results for a neck lift. So I invented my own three dimensional muscle tightening acupuncture face and neck lift process which offered such unique results that I started to rigorously document it with photos. I now have a database of over 700 images of patients from 28 to 96 years old. Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna was invented in 2009 after my patients and I suffered an allergic reaction to a batch of pearl cream from China. My R&D background made it possible to start working on my own pearl cream. Because of my own chemical sensitivity, I made it without any preservatives or chemicals. I was shocked to discover the muscle retightening properties of these pearl amino acids when I documented the results. The Pearl Cream muscle retightening mirrored the exact result as my acupuncture facelift—the only difference being the process took longer. I then tested this cream on a group of 84 volunteers, and the photographed results showed that I had something unique. When a person discontinues their use of the cream, the results still last for a minimum of six months before any tightening whatsoever is lost. The Chinese herbs in the Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna brighten the complexion and remove toxins from the skin. The micro-particles of shell give it an SPF of 10. The cream is an excellent moisturizer, and there is also a body lotion formula for those hard-to-tighten areas such as the upper arms and inner thighs. It is also ideal for crepey skin and to rebuild muscles on the back of the hands—an area will often reveal age more so than the face. I tell people that I am an engineer, not a marketer. I refuse to sell a product or service that does not work. Moreover, as a woman, I am tired of seeing “before-and-after results” of beauty products shown with artificial lighting, makeup enhancements and Photoshop tricks. My results are meticulously controlled and scientifically documented. People can consult with me and observe for themselves what results are possible through a series of comparison images.

NA: What measures have you taken, both in your practice and in your Pearl Cream store, to ensure the health and safety of clients during this COVID-19 pandemic? Dr. Anna: I have implemented the following health and safety practices for my acupuncture facelift clients. Each patient waits in the car until I come out and take their temperature. Masks are then worn both entering and exiting the office. I have also installed a ventilation system in my acupuncture treatment rooms. The patient lays under an exhaust fan powered suction hose that pulls all breath droplets out the window. The patient can remove their mask during a procedure, and the treatment room is sanitized after each patient leaves.

At the Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna store, everyone is also required to wear a mask. We provide social distancing markers and touchless payment solutions. In addition, customers can utilize curbside pickup or have a purchase shipped to their home address if they would rather not come into the store.

Thank you, Dr. Anna, for this relentless commitment to a safe, healthy, vibrant and youthful looking Sarasota community!

The Pearl Cream by Dr. Anna store is located at 2721 Mall Drive, Sarasota. Its hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 941-924-2723 or 941-921-2662. To view before-and-after photos of Dr. Anna’s results, visit FacesByDrAnna.com and PearlCreamByDrAnna.com.

Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer is the Managing Editor of Natural Awakenings Sarasota–Manatee. She also works as a freelance writer, blogger and social media marketer. Her personal blog HealthBeAHippie. Wordpress.com features tips for embracing an active, nutritious, balanced and empowered lifestyle.

Foot Pain Solutions

by Eric Winder, DC

Feet are the body’s foundation. We depend on them so heavily, in fact, that persistent foot pain can quickly become a lifestyle challenge. Performing daily tasks can seem impossible if intense foot pain is involved. Let’s explore some of the main causes of foot pain and the solutions that can provide relief.

The types of foot pain range from plantar fasciitis or metatarsalgia to Achilles tendonitis or Morton’s neuroma. Some painful feet are arthritic, and others might be painful due to chronic ankle sprain. These are all different problems, but they share one element in common—the inability to handle the normal forces we subject our feet to daily. Causes of this failure include shoes, prior injury, and hereditary problems such as flat feet or high arches.

As many people are aware, the wrong type of shoe can cause foot problems. Long-term wear of high heels often leads to bunions, hammer toes and fallen arches. In addition, slip-on shoes frequently cause toe clenching to keep them from slipping off which can lead to plantar fasciitis. What many people do not know, however, is that just wearing shoes of any kind for a whole lifetime can lead to foot problems.

Three Causes of Foot Pain

Three research studies in different parts of the world that compared barefoot-living villagers with shoe-wearing relatives in cities showed that people who live barefoot have almost no structural foot problems. It turns out that walking barefoot uses more muscular strength in the lower leg which helps to maintain support from tendons that attach from those muscles to the foot. It also stands to reason that people who are inactive or sedentary could be more prone to foot problems due to insufficient strength in their lower leg muscles.

Another significant problem for many is past trauma to either the leg or foot. Physical injury can leave residual stiffening and distortion in the connective tissue called fascia. This can, in turn, cause muscular imbalance and weakness that leads to pain—whether it is in the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot, the pad at the ball of the foot, or the tendon attachment at the back of the heel. In the specific case of chronic ankle sprain, the original injury can cause the ankle to remain weak, so that a person might repeatedly turn their ankle and reinjure it.

Of course, for some people the only cause of their foot pain is they inherited flat feet or abnormally high arches, either of which can lead to extra stress on the foot. With hereditary flat feet, the foot never develops a full arch, so the spring action that the arch of the foot normally provides is diminished. With less spring, there is less protection of the foot from the stresses of walking, running, jumping and standing.

You might think that people with high arches would have opposite issues from flat feet, but actually, a high arch tends to be more rigid (and less springy) than a regularly shaped arch which places more stress on the feet when they are bearing weight. In the end, both problems tend to create arch pain.

Answers to Foot Pain

When we look at solutions to foot pain, we should start again with shoes (or the alternative of not wearing shoes at all). While growing up barefoot can be beneficial for your feet, barefoot living will not necessarily help someone who has worn shoes all their life. First, it takes time to build the leg strength to tolerate barefoot walking. A second issue is the hard surfaces that most people tend to live on today. Wood or tile floors, cement sidewalks and asphalt roads are not materials which feet are naturally built for.

For someone who has foot pain, walking on hard surfaces will likely exacerbate the discomfort. While there are some instances where barefoot walking is helpful— such as on sand or soft earth—most people need shoes for support and protection. The real solution is to wear the type of shoe that will benefit your feet.

While choosing the correct shoe can involve many considerations, certain basic features are important. The arch should roughly match the shape of your foot. Most people should have at least moderate arch support. People with flat feet should not use too much arch support, although a slight amount is important. Those with high arches usually benefit from a fuller arch support. In many high arch cases, a shoe that is otherwise well built might need either supplemental support or replacement of the built-in support with a more robust arch insert.

Shoes with a sole that is too rigid do not encourage as much leg muscle activity. An ideal shoe must allow flexibility where the toes bend up with also some back and forth twist at the arch. Also, the heel cup should align vertically and not tilt inward. Otherwise the shoe will encourage pronation of the foot and, therefore, foot pain in the long run.

Fascia and Feet

As already mentioned, past physical trauma can leave changes in the fascia (connective tissue) that lead to pain. Manual therapy treatments that release fascia restrictions can help restore muscular balance and joint stability, and this can relieve foot pain. Fascia release is a focus of my practice, and I have helped many

people experience relief from foot pain with this type of treatment. In addition to releasing restrictions of the foot tissues, it is also important to release restrictions in the lower legs, thighs and even hips to restore foot function.

It is important to emphasize how much fascia can be involved with foot pain. Even when there are physical changes to the foot such as bunions or arthritis, much of the pain is often caused by fascia distortion. Stiffening of this connective tissue can alter muscle tension and joint stability which often contributes to structural changes like bunions and arthritis.

Treating these restrictions can relieve pain, even though it usually cannot reverse the structural change. Those with naturally high or low arches could develop restrictions in fascia more easily, due to greater stress on their feet. Wearing proper shoes with the right arch supports is critical for these people. When necessary, custom orthotic inserts can be relieving, and fascia release therapy is almost always helpful.

Every case of foot pain is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Understanding proper shoe type and arch support is important. In many cases, expert help with fascia release therapy and specific exercise programs make all the difference in achieving pain relief. For those afflicted with pain in the feet, I recommend seeking out a healthcare practitioner experienced in all of the above issues.

With the COVID-19 crisis, our evening programs have moved online. You are invited to attend a Zoom webinar on Foot Pain on November 17, 6:30 p.m. You will learn in-depth about causes and treatments for foot pain including important home care. You will also find out more about fascia, why it is important and how fascia problems are involved with foot pain. Dr. Eric Winder will discuss case examples and hold a Q&A session following the presentation. Visit GentleBay.com to register for the webinar.

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A Firsthand Account of COVID-19 Exposure and Recovery from

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Suite J | Sarasota, FL 34233 Ph 941.929.9355 www.harveycenter.com by Fred Harvey, MD

My office staff recently weathered a Integrative Medicine is about preventing chronic illness before it begins by maintaining your optimum health. The Harvey Center oers patient centered care which leads to better overall wellness COVID-19 exposure, and through traditional, alternative, preventive & holistic treatments. Schedule your telehealth appointment or in-o ce consultation with Dr. Fred Harvey today! thankfully, all those impacted are healthy once again. On September 26, two staff members attended a family Listen to Dr. Fred Harvey on WMNF radio 88.5FM bi-weekly radio show “Health & Nutrition" Mondays 10-11am. birthday party outdoors. We Taking your calls and email questions on November 9th and 23rd Phone 813-239-9663 or dj@wmnf.org discovered shortly thereafter on SeptemNovember’s Supplement Special: ber 30, that some of their extended family Vitamins C, D3 and Zinc 20% o! members had tested positive for COVID-19. Immediately, we applied CDC protocols. We stopped all face-to-face patient contact, and all staff members in my office were tested. We underwent both the antibody testing and the nasal viral testing. We performed contact tracing and notified everyone, both patients and vendors, that had been in the office those two days.

Five days after that outdoor family gathering, my receptionist (and interestingly, the youngest staff member) developed symptoms on October 1. She awoke with a severe headache which persisted for four days. She had a terrible sore throat and mild nasal congestion. She never experienced a fever, cough, or loss of taste and smell.

She had been on a preventive regimen of Drainage homeopathic drops, Zinc, Vitamin C and Beta Glucan prior to contracting COVID-19. This protocol was advised to her during a physician consultation, but please do consult with your own medical practitioner before starting any kind of treatment to find the course that is safest and most effective for you.

My whole team immediately went into quarantine for 10–14 days and worked remotely. The staff rallied office communications, while physically distancing, as my office manager delivered the supplements and positive encouragement to our sick team member’s doorstep. When the rest of us tested negative on a repeat test after eight days, we ended the quarantine after 10 days and returned to the office.

We all felt the added emotional pressure from quarantine, and I am grateful for such a dedicated team. Experiencing COVID-19 was scary for our staff member because the unknown progression of varied symptoms leaves a patient with uncertainty of what to expect. She was isolated alone without a caregiver which made the entire ordeal even more difficult too. I felt it was important to share our story. We are grateful for her resilience and full recovery—and for the rest of us being spared infection including our patients, customers and vendors.

Wear Your Mask. Wash Your Hands. Watch Your Distance.

Please reach out if we can support your family with wellness recommendations or ship premium supplements to you. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine at 941-929-9355. The Harvey Center is located at 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Suite J, Sarasota.

THE HARVEY CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Suite J | Sarasota, FL 34233 Ph 941.929.9355 www.harveycenter.com

Integrative Medicine is about preventing chronic illness before it begins by maintaining your optimum health. The Harvey Center oers patient centered care which leads to better overall wellness through traditional, alternative, preventive & holistic treatments. Schedule your telehealth appointment or in-o ce consultation with Dr. Fred Harvey today!

Listen to Dr. Fred Harvey on WMNF radio 88.5FM bi-weekly radio show “Health & Nutrition" Mondays 10-11am. Taking your calls and email questions on November 9th and 23rd Phone 813-239-9663 or dj@wmnf.org November’s Supplement Special: Vitamins C, D3 and Zinc 20% o!

From Exhausted to Ironman Acupuncturist

by Dr. Cynthia Clark

It’s 3:40 a.m. I have bleary eyes. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I grab a protein drink and morning supplements. I pull on my shoes, do my pre-workout routine and head out on my run. I stumble along an early morning trail, determined to complete my mileage before my company meeting at 8 a.m. I almost make it, call in at 8:00, and slide into the office at 8:07. Thanks to Zoom for making all of this possible.

It’s 7:00 p.m. I’m hungry. All I can think of is pizza and beer. I arrive home after work and a recovery training session where I train specific nerves to re-engage, so that my weight is equally distributed on both sides, and my right knee works properly. A friend shows up with a gift delivery of apples, pineapple and melons. After a snack of an apple and gluten-free bread with almond butter, and I’ve applied moisturizers and liniments to all appropriate areas of my body, I’m on my bike. It’s dusk, so I’m trying to keep the insects out of my mouth and eyes as I bike off into the night. I am so grateful for Legacy trail which makes night riding safe.

Why on earth would I do this? Is it even healthy? I’m training for a race that is long—a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, then followed by a 26.2 mile marathon. I’ve never run a marathon before and won’t have run one before race day. My triathlon friends tell me to just keep moving—whatever I do, don’t stop.

Sitting down with one of my most respected healer colleagues, she asks me the obvious question: “Why are you doing this? Why put yourself through so much?” She’s not even referring to the sacrifices of time with loved ones. The answer that surfaces is this: “It’s my experience that either adversity pursues us, or we pursue it.” She nods sagely, then responds in her lovely Russian accent, “I get it,” and we move on.

Since my earliest days as a student in clinic, the most difficult cases found me. The chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia were always on my schedule. And somehow, even in those earliest days, I tended to see progress. It was frustrating for me that it was so slow—I wanted results fast. But my clients were often satisfied that improvements were being made. They were tired of being sick and tired, but until then, couldn’t find what worked.

As I moved through graduate school, I was careful to maintain a nutritious diet. I became a certified personal trainer mainly to keep myself on track. I knew if I had to teach fitness, then I would do it. However, by the end of four intense years of constant study, I was depleted. Then, by the time I moved halfway across the country, sold 90% of my belongings, and started my acupuncture clinic, I was absolutely exhausted.

Even though I was motivated and passionate about what I was doing in life, I also struggled to remain coherent and awake. A one mile run would leave me tired for days, and I would often take two or three catnaps each day. Not to mention, I was newly married and had no sex drive. It was embarrassing and demoralizing. I felt like a hypocrite.

Luckily—and that’s how the best outcomes have always manifested for me, through divine gifts from the Universe—I had enrolled in a training class that would change my life. While I am a constant student, graduating with an additional certification as an Applied Clinical Nutritionist, this class would teach me how to interpret the signals from my body in order to identify what I needed. Within two days of that class, I started to see a light again, and within two weeks, I felt 80% like my old self. This was my introduction to applied kinesiology and Nutrition Response Testing. I have used this system ever since, both personally and professionally, and I have seen hundreds of lives transform in the process, just like mine.

It’s been a journey. Just four years ago, a friend I knew who competed in ultra marathons encouraged me to stretch myself. I blurted out, “I could never do that. There’s no way I could do this kind of exercise before work. My adrenals are too tired.” But here I am now, testing myself, learning daily, experimenting with various supplements, techniques and diet types to understand how to be the kind of friend to my body that it is to me.

This year, it’s happened during a time of uncertainty—almost every Ironman race in the world has been cancelled in 2020. I was determined to complete my race no matter what: if not on November 7 in Panama City, then I would have done it here in Sarasota. Fortunately, the race is on, and I’m eternally grateful that I have the opportunity to participate in a year when so many have put their dreams and goals on hold.

Optimal health is a journey, and it’s one that can be easy to quit. Why am I doing this? To test my own theories. To test my integrity, to strengthen my grit and character. To become more relentless, so I can be just as relentless in my clients’ health journeys as I am in my own. If you have low energy, pain, fatigue or weakness, my practice can help. As I always point out, “You didn’t come this far to only come this far.”

Dr. Cynthia Clark, Acupuncture Physician, Applied Clinical Nutritionist and President of Longevity Wellness. For 14 years, she has sought out the best teachers in all parts of the globe. As an engineer turned acupuncturist, she passionately pursues what works. She condenses and consolidates and makes that material available to you in simple formats, so you don’t have to travel the globe in order to find the best results. She addresses the whole person: physical, emotional, mental, energetic and spiritual through her private practice and full team at Longevity Wellness. To schedule a time to chat with her, visit CallTheDoctorToday.com.