Health & Wellness Guide
Health and Wellness have always been regarded as essential and an ongoing high priority. But, in these uncertain times when we’re navigating an unprecedented “new normal,” concerns about health and wellness have intensified exponentially. In this special section, health experts weigh in on a wide range of topics from staying heart healthy to boosting your immune system to managing stress.
Successfully Treating Cardiac Emergencies
When every second counts….the brand-new, state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab, part of the Seema Boesky Heart Center at Northern Westchester Hospital will provide advanced lifesaving treatment close to home.
Q: What is a cardiac catheterization lab?
A: It is a special hospital procedure room where cardiac specialists, also called interventional cardiologists, diagnose and treat coronary artery disease, such as various types of heart attack. They use tiny flexible tubes (catheters) to access the heart and coronary (heart) blood vessels and remove the blockages within arteries that usually cause heart problems. Whenever any portion of the heart lacks adequate blood flow, there is a real danger of cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function leading to death. In the event of a heart attack, opening an artery to restore blood flow within 90 minutes of first medical contact results in the best outcomes.
Q: What must happen within those 90 minutes?
A: As digitized moving images are used to diagnose the cardiovascular issue, multiple supports are often provided to the critically ill patient. The catheterization procedure is then used to eliminate the blockage.
Q: What cardiovascular conditions will be treated?
A: Primarily coronary artery disease. This spectrum of conditions includes:
• Chronic stable angina: You feel a heaviness in the chest when running.
• Angina with unstable symptoms: You experience heart pain at rest or with minimal exertion that continues to get worse.
• Acute coronary syndrome: You are about to have a heart attack, and as I often put it, “feel pain from brushing your teeth.”
• Heart attack: This ranges from a small heart attack caused by blockage or narrowing in a branch of an artery causing chest discomfort to a massive heart attack when the heart fails to pump blood.
• Congestive heart failure: Your heart can’t pump blood sufficiently; fluid backs up into the lungs. Picture an overflowing sink.
Q: How will these conditions be diagnosed and treated?
A: A diagnostic procedure provides a “movie” of the heart and coronary arteries revealing any blockages. Treatment usually involves a catheter carrying a tiny balloon that inflates within the blocked area, pushing open the artery. Next, a tiny stainless steel coil (a stent) is placed as scaffolding to keep the artery open. The balloon is removed; the stent remains in place.
Q: What will distinguish Northern Westchester Hospital’s cath lab from others?
A: The new lab is an extension of Lenox Hill Hospital’s nationally renowned cardiac services program, ranked by Healthgrades among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for overall cardiac services for six years straight. This connection means you and your loved ones will receive care from some of the nation’s top cardiac physicians, all extensively trained in high-risk cases. The lab is open 24/7, 365 days to handle all cardiac emergencies.
Visit nwhc.net/heart to learn about cardiac care in your community.
Carl. D. Reimers, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Northern Westchester Hospital
Mount Kisco, NY
Maximize Your Health & Immunity Through Nutrition
Cutting-edge nutrition to reclaim your health, vitality, and life.
Q: Are there steps I can take to maximize my immunity?
A: There are several important steps you can take to strengthen your immune system. First of all, No Smoking! Getting adequate sleep is essential, which means a minimum of five consecutive hours with no interruption. Remove your cell phone and electronic gadgets from the bedroom for a restorative sleep. You should undertake a variety of exercises to maximize immunity and health. These include brisk walking or running, Zumba, functional exercises, strength training, etc. Improve your diet by eliminating refined sugar and oils, such as canola and safflower oil, that weaken immunity. Remove dairy products to reduce phlegm and mucous in the lungs, brain, sinuses, and GI tract. Avoid gluten, which can cause systemic inflammation, i.e., in the gut and the brain. Leftover food should be consumed within 48 hours (24 hours for animal protein) to avoid the microscopic mold that is produced and is undetectable to the naked eye. Use relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing to help minimize stress, which burdens the immune system.
Q: Are there other ways to boost your immune system?
A: Eating organic foods puts less stress on the immune and digestive systems. 70% of our immune system is in the gut. Minimize alcohol, which stresses the liver, one of the body’s primary detox organs. Too much coffee shrinks the adrenal glands that support our stress response. Avoid spraying your lawn with pesticides or herbicides that are toxic when inhaled or absorbed into the pores of your skin. Therapeutic mud/clay packing is a highly effective way to detox toxins from the body. Clay packing also restores the electrical circuits of the body.
Q: Are there any supplements that can be helpful in guarding against COVID-19?
A: Yes, there are several powerful supplements. I work with clients individually to recommend specific supplements for each person’s unique needs. Nutritional supplements are vital for everyone. Specifically, Vitamin D3 is one of the most critical supplements to strengthen the immune system, especially the lungs.
Q: Which foods are most helpful in building up your immune system?
A: There are many foods that can be included in your diet to help protect you against viruses, particularly COVID-19. For example, berries and berry powders provide antioxidants. The Omega 3s in wild-caught fresh fish helps reduce inflammation and the beta-carotene in yams nourishes the lungs.
Q: How does dental health fit into your overall health?
A: There is no substitute for going to the dentist regularly and keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Dental conditions, such as infections, decay, or any metal fillings should be addressed immediately to prevent a serious drain on your immune system. No supplements can replace good dental care. Choose a dentist who utilizes lasers in procedures for the thorough removal of all oral bacteria.
The Khader Center
4 Smith Avenue
Mount Kisco, NY
914.242.0124
www.DinaKhader.com
Lose Weight Safely, Effectively
Q. What types of weight loss services do you provide?
A: BodyMorphMD is a complete medical weight-loss practice, which promotes wellness from a medical and aesthetic perspective. Our goal is to provide a full spectrum of services using non-surgical approaches, with minimal or no downtime or side effects.
Q: What are examples of some of the weight-loss methods you use?
A: Our Concierge Nutritional Service is simple, practical, and individualized based on each patient’s lifestyle. Orbera, an FDA approved non-surgical intragastric bariatric procedure, places a balloon in the stomach via an upper endoscopy that’s removed in six months. Among our innovative and ingenious technologies, Emsculpt, through revolutionary HIFEM technology, burns fat and builds muscles, resulting in a stronger core and sculpted physique. Emtone, the gold standard in skin tightening, reduces cellulite through radio frequency emitting heat up to 111 degrees F. Our IV Therapy delivers nutrients (pure vitamins, amino acids, trace elements) directly into the bloodstream for immediate vigor and nourishment at the cellular level.
Q: What benefits can patients expect?
A: The success of our patients is the measure of our success. Patients come to us after trying all forms of weight-loss efforts. Our programs result in a healthier lifestyle, normalization of their metabolic profile, increased confidence, and a more positive outlook on life.
Body Morph MD Medical Weight Loss Services
550 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 103 • Harrison, NY
1086 N Broadway, Suite 50 • Yonkers, NY
914.953.2955
@bodymorphmd
www.bodymorphmd.com
Keeping Women Healthy & Safe
Q: Why should I choose ColumbiaDoctors Scarsdale for my pregnancy or well-woman care?
A: We provide the top-quality care patients expect from Columbia University physicians, right here in Westchester. Patients receive individualized, high-touch care from an all-female group of physicians in a safe and comfortable setting, and enjoy access to the resources and multidisciplinary expertise of our world-class medical center.
Q: What services does ColumbiaDoctors Scarsdale offer?
A: We offer mothers-to-be care ranging from pregnancy planning and prenatal examinations to an array of sophisticated screening and diagnostic procedures to monitor the baby’s health and development, as well as monitor the mother’s condition to identify and treat any complications. Our patients deliver close to home, at New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, in Bronxville. Our full range of gynecologic services include well-woman care and annual exams, fertility treatment, care for women undergoing menopause, and treatment for such conditions as abnormal Pap smears, menstrual disorders, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, and urogynecologic conditions.
Q: How is ColumbiaDoctors Scarsdale ensuring that patients stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Your safety and well-being are of the highest importance. We have expanded safety measures and policies to minimize risk, including expanding our telehealth offerings, and we schedule in-person visits when appropriate. Many of these changes will also make your care experience even smoother and more efficient than before.
ColumbiaDoctors Scarsdale
696 White Plains Road • Vernon Hills Shopping Center
Scarsdale, NY
914.723.7000
www.columbiaobgyn.org/scarsdale
Boost Your Immune System
Q: What health benefits can be experienced from your treatments?
A: During these challenging times and related health concerns, Salt + Sweat’s innovative treatments and technologies can strengthen your body significantly. Salt room therapy: Relax and breathe deeply as dry microparticles of pharmaceutical-grade salt penetrate deep into the lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Benefits: an immunity boost. Infrared sauna cabins: A full-body experience heats your body, detoxifies boosts your immune system, and calms your nervous system. Benefits: pain relief, skin purification, cell health, and improved circulation. Ballancer Pro: Lymphatic drainage releases body toxins. Benefits: tissue revitalization and oxygenation to reduce swelling, accelerate recover, and relieve pain. Body Sculpting: EMSculpt fully remodels the muscular structure. Benefits: improved strength.
Salt + Sweat Wellness
14C Rye Ridge Plaza
Rye Brook, NY
914.305.5374
www.saltandsweat.com
Staying in the Moment
Q: How can you stay centered during this challenging time?
A: We try to honor what we are feeling each day or even each moment. It is important to understand that our feelings and moods are not fixed and will inevitably fluctuate during this time. We need reminders to be gentle with ourselves – having hard, challenging days are to be expected. It’s important to put down our phones and be present. Sometimes it is not about doing something, it’s simply communicating what you are feeling so that everyone is aware and can offer you space, while teaching our children to do the same. We also value our morning rituals, which include movement and meditation. Having a quiet moment just for you, before the family awakes, offers an important moment of self-care that can keep you grounded throughout the day.
The Well Center
430 Bedford Road, UnitRT22, Suite 203
Armonk, NY
914.219.8877
www.thewellcenter.com
