Here are five foods to cut back on with the years, according to Huffington Post:

1. Salt: It raises blood pressure and that strains the heart, arteries, brain and kidneys, which can result in strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease. So keep the shaker at bay and watch for foods that hide it, such as processed meats, cheeses, pizza and frozen food.

2. Bacon: Not only is it salty, but bacon and certain other foods containing COX-2 enzymes can contribute to arthritis and joint inflammation. Others high in the enzyme include other meats, egg yolks, corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean and cottonseed oil, margarine and most fried foods.

3. Third helpings of wine: Sure, moderate wine drinking is good for the heart, but half a bottle nightly isn’t moderate. The National Institutes of Health defines light-to-moderate alcohol as two to seven drinks per week. Heavier drinking can damage the heart and liver.

4. Sugar: Too much sugar can pack on the pounds, but it also can lead to diabetes, which can trigger other problems such as kidney damage, nerve damage and cardiovascular disease.

5. Soda: If the sugar entry didn’t provide reason enough to avoid this one, consider these hard numbers: a can of soda has about 150 calories and 40 grams of carbohydrates. . The American Diabetes Association recommends that people limit their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages to help prevent diabetes. Energy and sports drinks can have similar amounts, too. Drink water instead.

Source: Huffington Post

Most of us know that many fruits and vegetables are grown using pesticides. But, you might ask, which ones are most likely to contain them? Here, according to the nonprofit advocacy organization the Environmental Working Group, are a dozen fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides, according to a Huffington Post article.

The group looked at 48 kinds of fruits and vegetables and noted that 67 percent of what they sampled contained pesticide residues even after washing. Options? Organic is one, of course. Another factor to consider, the group says, is that the health benefits of consuming these foods can outweigh the risk of exposure. See the group’s guides to the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” here.

1. Apples: 99 percent of apples sample had at least one pesticide residue.

2. Strawberries

3. Grapes

4. Celery

5. Peaches

6. Spinach

7. Sweet bell peppers

8. Nectarines (imported): Every sample tested positive.

9. Cucumber

10. Potatoes: Potatoes had significantly higher total weight of pesticides compared with other foods.

11. Cherry tomatoes

12. Hot peppers

Source: Huffington Post

A walk down the sunscreen aisle presents a sea of choices, so which is the best one for you? It depends, Health magazine says, on how much exposure to the sun your get. Here are some recommendations:

Limited exposure to sun: If you work in an office without windows and only get a few rays on the way to work or on forays to the park, try a mineral powder containing titanium dioxide, the magazine’s expert says. It blocks UV rays but comes without the trouble of putting on a cream sunscreen.

More sun: If most of your sun exposure comes during your drive to work or about town in the car, use a regular moisturizer with SPF but also utilize a broad-spectrum sun stick for the cheeks and arm, which are getting additional rays.

Out regularly: Say you spend a couple hours in the sun at the nursery or park. Put on a moisturizing SPF 30 lotion but also apply a mineral-based sunscreen all over the body. Your calves are particularly susceptible to overexposure, and a common spot for melanoma.

Source: Health magazine

Here are four common myths, according to the folks at oprah.com.

1. Muscles will wither: Many people see a reduction in muscle mass after age 40, but a 2012 Canadian study found that active adults didn’t lose it but that couch potatoes did. The type of exercise didn’t matter, they said, with both aerobic exercise and weight lifting having the same effect.

2. Brain cells will stop developing: Exercise can recharge and strengthen the brain, according to growing evidence. Older mice using a running wheel were found to have many more brain cells than mice that didn’t use one. And a recent National Institute on Aging found that mice using a running wheel could master and remember a task better than sedentary mice. Humans that walk briskly three times a week have also been found to increase the memory-containing parts of their brains as well.

3. Bones will shrink: Osteoporosis, the thinning of bones, is one of the biggest threats to bone health. Researchers, again using mice, recently concluded that stem cells in mice that exercised would generate new bone mass, but that those stem cells turned to fat in sedentary mice.

4. It’s too late to start exercising: No matter their earlier exercise habits – or lack thereof – a study of 13,500 women found that activity in middle age significantly raises the likelihood of aging without a chronic disease or cognitive or physical impairments. So get a move on.

Source: Oprah.com

But there are ways to overcome the creases and turn back the clock. Juvederm® is a non-surgical treatment that can soften wrinkles or fine lines and increase on volume of the lips and minimize deep folds and wrinkles and in the brow, forehead or smile. Depending on the area undergoing treatment, the effects of the injectable gel filler can last as long as a year.

Made of a complex sugar substance that is naturally occurring, Juvederm® is compatible with the body, which means that no testing is required before beginning treatment. The filler is suitable for all skin tones and types and tones. It comes in different formulations, with a lighter solution use for softening slighter or superficial wrinkles, while the denser solution form fills out lips or the deep folders and wrinkles often found in the brow or forehead.

The treatments can be administered during brief office visits at Kansas Surgical Arts, with a local anesthetic used before the injection occurs. As opposed to other injectable fillers, Juvederm® brings less swelling and pain. We provide free consultations about treatment options, so call us today at (316) 927-4087 to set one up.

Here are five foods, snacks and drinks that health.com reports can help keep a smile on your face.

1.    Sugarless gum: It stimulates the output of saliva, which removes acids made by bacteria, and washes teeth in calcium and phosphate, which strengthen bone. Mint flavors may be better though, as citric ones may slightly harm the teeth.
2.    Water: It washes acid and sugar off the teeth and, in most cities, contains protective fluoride.
3.    Dairy: Milk and other products contain calcium, which is key to healthy teeth. Cheese and other dairy products have a protein called casein, which some research suggests can repair and stabilize tooth enamel.
4.    High-fiber foods: Leafy greens and other foods high in fiber spur digestion and proper cholesterol levels, and they require a lot of chewing, which washes the teeth and generates saliva.
5.    Strawberries: The berries have malic acid, a natural enamel whitener. You can even make your own home whitener by crushing strawberries into pulp, mixing them baking soda and spreading them on your teeth. After five minutes, brush off the mixture and then floss to get out those seeds.

Source: health.com

Here are the facts on some common beauty “blunders,” according to a lengthier article at health.com.

Not cleaning brushes often: Makeup brushes can harbor bacteria and cause breakouts. Clean wet brushes, such as for concealers or foundation, every three to four days with a gentle face wash. Dry brushes used for powders can be cleaned once a week.

Popping pimples: Don’t squeeze those zits with your fingernails, as that can make the blemish look worse while spreading bacteria. Instead, clean it with a warm cloth and gently use tissue covered clean fingertips to apply even pressure. Then use an antibacterial skin product.

Not washing your face at night: This one isn’t as bad as we’ve been led to believe (though don’t do it all the time). Sleeping with the makeup on can cause inflammation around your eyelids, though. If you’re looking for a quick clean, try a cleansing wipe.

Not base- or top-coating nails: It can take a long time to apply four layers of nail polish, so if you must skip one, bypass the base coat – though your nails will chip quicker. Or consider one-step polish that has top and base coats built in.

Blow-drying or ironing daily: If your hair isn’t being damaged or damaged to start with, you are probably fine using heat to style every day. And use a spray that protects from heat, and set that dryer on the lowest setting and the iron on medium.

Source: health.com

Age spots and other pigment issues can happen in any place containing good amounts of melanin, which gives our skin its color. Arms, the face, hands, legs and elsewhere can all harbor lots of melanin, which can result from aging, excessive exposure to the sun, or genetics. At Kansas Surgical Arts, we have multiple, fast-recovery approaches for these skin problems.

The Harmony®XL Laser is one of our primary tools. It sends brief pulses of laser light at the spots, breaking up affected cells by warming the melanin that they contain. With time, the body purges the lasered skin cells and produces healthy new ones in their place. Over several office visits, a more even skin tone will develop. One advantage of the HarmonyXL is that the treatment can be used on people of any skin color. Usually, four to six treatments are are required, with each taking about 20 minutes.

Laser treatments are just one of many techniques offered at Kansas Surgical Arts. Consultations are free, so call today at (316) 927-4087 to arrange one.

A patient can be sure they are receiving authentic Botox if they:

• See a doctor who purchases Botox directly from Allergan or one of its authorized distributors. Kansas Surgical Arts uses only Botox made by Allergan, the only producer licensed by the FDA to sell in the cosmetic treatment in the United States.
• Ask to see the package and vial of Botox to be used during treatment.
• Look for the U.S. license number on the package.
• A “Botox log and a holographic image saying “Allergan” are visible on the vial (roll the vial in good light to see image).

Patients visiting Kansas Surgical Arts and other reputable practices can be assured that the Botox used is the genuine product instead of a counterfeit or compromised one, and that it has been made, stored and transported according to procedures that ensure the Botox’s highest quality is maintained.

Kansas Surgical Arts offers Botox treatments to minimize facial lines without surgery, as well as number of other cosmetic treatments. Free consultations are available; call (316) 927-4087 to arrange one.

Source: botoxcosmetic.com

The research, reported online in the journal “Psychology and Aging” and detailed by livescience.com, found that older Germans with a more pessimistic outlook tended to live healthier and longer lives than fellow Germans with more optimistic views.

“Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade,” researcher Frieder Lang of Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg said. “Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety precautions.”

His research team examined a decade’s worth of results, covering 1993 to 2003, a yearly survey of tens of thousands of Germans ages 18 to 96. Participants reported on their health as well as on how satisfied they expected to be in five years.

Among participants 65 and older, 43 percent underestimated how satisfied they’d be in five years, while 32 percent overestimated and 25 percent made accurate predictions.

Among those overestimating, there was a 9.5 percent increase in the chance a respondent would report a disability and a 10 percent increase in the likelihood the person would be dead five years later.

Source: livescience.com