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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2010)
Page 6 'ri’c tJu rtlan h (.Observer May 19, 2010 H E A LTH M ATT E RS Right Choices Have Big Impact by L arry L ucas They say in life that it’s the small things that mean the most: making a friend laugh, seeing a child’s first steps or spending quality time with loved ones. The same is tme for your health. Making the right “small” choices can have a big impact. But we tend to underestim ate these “sm all” things when it comes to our per sonal health - like choosing water instead o f soda to drink. This can be especially dangerous for men in our community who are at a higher risk for chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease. I’ve lived with high blood pres sure for more than 20 years, but 1 help keep my heart healthy by try ing to make the right small choices, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, visiting my doctor for regular check-ups, choosing an apple instead o f a cookie and taking my medicines as prescribed. It might not seem like it in the moment ofdecision, but making the right small choices can add up to a big impact in curbing the risk of heart disease and stroke and allow ing you to live a longer, healthier life. These small steps are particu larly vital for African Americans - consider that men in our community are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than our white male Achieve flawless skin by summertime W inning the battle ag ain st blemishes, fine lines, and dull skin isn’t easy— but with hot sum m er days loom ing, foundation, blush, and cover-up w o n ’t be the stead fast com panions they were in w in ter and spring. To avoid a m elt dow n ( lite r a lly ) , lig h te n up: J e a n in e D o w n ie , M D , o f M ontclair, New Jersey, says the s u re s t p a th to a b r ig h te r , sm oother, and clearer complexion is to take proper care o f it. Here, the best ways to get your skin in shape for summer. counterparts, according to the Cen ters for Disease Control and Pre vention. Obesity and high blood pressure play a big role in contribut ing to our poor heart health. African Americans are nearly two times more likely to have high blood pressure than other groups, and African American men specifically are 5 percent more likely to be obese, according to the CDC. Not taking care o f your heart can lead to more than heart attacks; it can also lead to stroke. According to the Mayo Clinic, stroke is one o f the leading - yet preventable - threats to m en’s health and, if not treated immediately, can cause blind ness, paralysis, memory loss and even death. It’s important to pay F a B living W/ REBEKAH STAR four times a week (oilier, more acne- prone skin can exfoliate more of ten). “ Look for scrubs that con tain spherical, pliable m icrobeads v e rs u s g ra in s w ith ro u g h , scratchy edges to avoid irrita tion,” she says. Go for Multitasking Serums Next, Downie says to use a pow erful m ultitasking serum. Her go to: Vivite Vibrance Therapy (“ It’s stronger than over the counter products, and only sold in doc to rs’ offices”). The gel contains Use a Gentle Exfoliating natural antioxidants such as lico Cleanser rice, m ulberry, grape, and green The first step to achieving per tea to brighte fection, says Downie, is to chem i n, even skin tone, and protect cally slough dead skin cells with a against free radical damage— plus daily glycolic cleanser, followed soy and retinol to build collagen, with a physical exfoliator up to and glycolic acid to exfoliate. “A lot o f my patients use the product twice a day— once in the m orning and once at night, while others only apply it in the evening,” says Downie, who points out that the retinol in the product may cause sensitive skin types to become m ore susceptible to the su n ’s UV rays. An effective yet less potent drugstore alternative to Vivite, says Downie, is the new Aveeno A geless Vitality, which sim ilarly sm ooths, brightens, and perfects. Iflum inosity is your main goal, Avon also has a new product on the m arket— the Avon Anew Clinical Luminosity Pro Brighten ing Serum (available May 1) exfo liates and brightens skin, and con tains a patented am ino acid that attention to the symptoms and get help immediately if you experience numbness on one side o f your body or have trouble seeing, walking or speaking. Men sometimes get a bad rap for treating their cars better than their bodies - not doing routine mainte nance and only addressing a prob lem when it’sa major one. I’ll admit, I ’ve been guilty o f this, too, but this can be a dangerous way to live. Regular check-ups can help catch the causes o f stroke - such as high blood pressure - before it’s too late, and detect other diseases like can cer while they are in the early stages and easier to treat. It’s important that we make time to do the small things in order to inhibits pigm ent production. Try a Chemical Peel or Laser Treatment F o r e x tra b rig h te n in g and sm oothing pow er, a series o f chem ical peels could be the an swer: “Chem ical peels are great for getting rid o f dark spots and a c n e ,” says D ow nie, a d d in g , “They also help with overall exfo liation.” Downie favors glycolic acid peels (also known as alpha hydroxy acid peels) and salicylic acid peels (beta hydroxy peels) “because they work with every skin type to improve texture, tone, acne, and fine lines.” To lengthen the time in between peels at your derm atologist’s office, Downie suggests using an at-hom e chem i cal peels, Downie says m any o f her patients request a pre-sum m er laser treatm ent In fact, the de mand for laser resurfacing is at an all-tim e high, according to the Am erican Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, whose 2008 sta tistics revealed it to be the fifth prevent bigger problems from af fecting our health - including tak ing medicines as your doctor pre scribes them , without skipping doses or forgetting about refills. For patients who need help ac cessing their prescription medicines to manage chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the Part nership for Prescription Assistance is available to help. For five years, PPA has helped connect 6.5 million patients in need to programs that provide either free or nearly free medicines. For more information, patients can call 1-888-4PPA-NOW or visit pparx.org. Larry Lucas is a vice president fo r Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers o f America. m ost com m on non-surgical pro cedure perform ed in the U.S. W hile la sin g w ith F rax el or G entleLA SE isn ’t alw ays neces sary, Downie says for those w ish ing to nix their freckles, it’s a must (no fading cream will work). Don’t Skimp on SPF No m atter what cleansers, se rums, or treatm ents you may em ploy, how ever, Downie says the most important tip for perfect skin is to apply an SPF 30 m oisturizer or sunscreen, especially if y o u ’re u sin g p ro d u c ts th a t c o n ta in re tin o id s . “ Y ou sh o u ld w ear sunblock every day, rain or shine, January through D ecem ber,” she says, “Or else you could end up w ith m ore hyperp ig m en tatio n , darker patches, and deeper fine lines.” For m ore inform ation and tips on achieving a flaw less com plexion visit our Facebook Page “FaB Living w/Rebekah Star” and post your questions and com ments. Until next week, Live Fabu lously! Honor the past to inform the future! Join us Thursday, May 27th 5:30 - 7:30 pm For a If you have work experi healthcare or customer servi is the place you’ve dreamt King School Celebration: Past, Present,A Future! Spread the word to Highlond/King AlumnH CareOregon ws at www. and click on careers Event will feature student work performances, honoring of our history d alumni, King School Choir, socializing and food1 Cdl5O3-916-6155 for more mformaton
