Qsymia – Medical Weight Loss Miracle

Food & Home Magazine – Santa Barbara – Summer 2014

By Cynthia Grancourt – Freelance Health & Beauty Writer

Obesity is no laughing matter. In the United States, obesity rates have doubled since the 1970’s (National Center for Health Statistics, 2009). And presently more than two thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. This extends to our children as well. About a quarter of 2-5 year olds and one-third of school-age children (including adolescents) are overweight or obese. The obesity epidemic lends itself to other, far more dangerous diseases including diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. This is costly, as obesity accounts for one out of every ten deaths in America and drains our society of $223 billion per year in medical expenses.
Luckily, there is a solution: A Medical Weight Loss Program that involves the latest FDA approved drug for weight loss, called Qsymia (pronounced cue-SIM-ee-uh), approved in July of 2012. It’s been over thirteen years since the last time a weight loss drug was approved (with the exception of Belviq which was approved within thirty days of Qsymia). With the obesity epidemic reaching staggering proportions, the nation was waiting with bated breath for a new FDA approved solution to this enormous problem.

It’s been almost two years since Qsymia was approved by the FDA, so how is it doing? Clinical studies have shown that patients taking Qsymia have achieved significant results, far superior to that of any other prescriptive treatment. The added benefits of a Medical Weight Loss Program using Qsymia are that a physician supervises the program, regular weigh-ins occur to track progress, the patient directly receives medically supervised support and the best benefit of all: trackable, measurable results. Off with the old, on with the new!

Dr. Kathleen Griffin, Medical Director of The G Spa shares, “In the 10 years that I have been using Qsymia or its generic equivalent, I never cease to be amazed at how well it can work.  For some patients it is nothing short of a minor miracle. Patients are able to ‘leave food on their plates’, who once had to have 2-3 helpings in order to feel full.  Obsessing about food often ceases. Craving for carbohydrates stops and desire for protein begins; all with two pills that together lower blood pressure and lower blood sugar. Of course, there are some patients who cannot tolerate this combination, but for those who can, it is often a wonder drug.”

While a Medical Weight Loss Program may not be for everyone, it does provide a safe, supported and structured way to lose weight that has a little extra oomph to help those that may need a boost in their powers of self-control.  And with all the added sugar to over 80% of the 600,000 food items we have here in America (see Katie Couric’s new Documentary, “Fed Up”), it appears that we may be thankful for a little extra help. Long live, Qsymia!

Cosmetic Laser – A Magic Wand

Food & Home Magazine – Santa Barbara – Spring 2014

By Cynthia Grancourt – Freelance Health & Beauty Writer

As the Aesthetic Industry grows exponentially in it’s sophisticated sorcery, Cosmetic Laser is taking the lead as the most promising and most advanced of all treatment options available.  By now you’ve heard whisperings in the news regarding all the multi-faceted uses for lasers such as advanced weaponry in our military and scientific applications such as nuclear fusion, but lasers have a powerful capacity to heal and restore as well as destroy.  Lasers are used for eye surgery and general surgery, restoring hair loss, tooth whitening, and our focus here, aesthetic applications.

Laser has come a long way since it’s invention in 1958 and the advancements and implications for cosmetic uses are staggering.  Take three of the top-of-the-line lasers, for instance, available now by Cynosure, the Precision TX, the RevLite SI and the Elite MPX.  Between these three systems, you can even your skin tone and correct your complexion with the Yag laser or IPL, remove your tattoos, tighten your skin, remove brown spots and remove body hair from, well, anywhere. You can also do a LazerLift neck lift purely with lasers, no scalpels, with no scarring and minimal downtime!  With one fell swoop, one can “wave the magic wand” with laser and see a tremendous improvement and result with an almost photoshop effect.  The wizards of aesthetic wonder have worked diligently to provide us with state-of-the-art solutions to our aesthetic challenges in a safe, quick, easy and virtually painless way.

Dr. Griffin, Medical Director of The G Spa, Santa Barbara, uses all three of these Cynosure lasers in her practice and notes, “We have been admirably impressed with the results, speed and versatility of these three lasers.  While I acquired the Revlite SI principally for tattoo removal, we have found it to do a remarkable job at skin rejuvenation and tightening, an effect we were not expecting!”

As a child, watching the sci-fi black and white movies on Saturday morning, such as “War of the World’s”, it seemed incredulous to me in my child’s mind to fathom that lasers would actually become such an integral part of our everyday life with so many uses ranging from medical to military to scientific to commercial.   But it’s true!  The future has firmly arrived and just in time (for me at least!).  We can be thankful for the multiplicity of ways that lasers serve us all and as far as beauty is concerned, Cosmetic Laser truly is the magic wand.

The Elixir of Well-Being

Food & Home Magazine – Santa Barbara – Summer 2013

By Cynthia Grancourt – Freelance Health & Beauty Writer

Nothing feels quite so decadently luxurious as a facial. That’s just how it is. If you’ve ever had one, you know exactly what I mean. Maybe it’s the cleansing, which feels so different when a professional is washing your face and gently massaging it. Maybe it’s the Clarisonic cleansing, the vibrating brush gliding gently over your skin. Maybe it’s feeling of the steam blowing ever so gently on your face, which makes you feel as if you are suspended in time. Perhaps it’s the microdermabrasion, which polishes your skin as soft and smooth as a shiny new stone. It might be the Venus Freeze, which feels like a warm stone massage relaxing you even deeper. Or the cool mask afterward, soothing your skin and causing you to feel alive and radiant. Whatever it is, whether one of these things, or a combination of all of the above, one thing is for certain, it is luxury incarnate.

There is so much variety in choosing a facial, too. Some of the components in a facial remain the same; most facials have an initial cleansing, a steam, extractions and a cleansing at the end, but it’s the juicy caramel center of the facial that is creatively changeable and malleable. The center of the facial can be filled with a 24K gold mask, a caviar mask, a cranberry mask or a collagen seaweed mask. It can be filled with an illuminating peel or a radio frequency device, such as the Venus Freeze. These choices are what make the monthly facial fresh and alive with possibilities.

Not to mention all of the wonderful benefits there are when you make a facial a regular part of your skin care regimen.  As Dr. Kathleen Griffin of The G Spa says, “A monthly facial is not only the foundation for maintaining good skin care, but can also be remarkably therapeutic for overall wellness.  I highly recommend it on a regular basis!”  From deep cleansing to gently coaxing pores open for extractions, to gentle massage and skin tightening masks, facials are the elixir of well-being for that most gazed upon center of attraction, your beautiful, fresh face.