A new year is always an opportune time to switch up your routine and create fresh healthcare goals. I personally start each new year by assessing how I treat my skin, what I put in my body, and how I use my body. Then I examine what sort of minimal changes I can make to support better health. I encourage my patients to assess their own behaviors in the interest of achieving optimal results, and I do my best to help them achieve their skin and health goals through the varied services I provide within my practice. Inspiring others is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling parts of my job.
A great starting point for personal evaluation is diet. I typically eat well during the week, but don’t always have time to prepare my own meals. Thankfully, pre-prepared healthy meals with lots of protein, veggies, and healthy fats from Andy’s Local Market in San Rafael, Whole Foods, or United Market keep me nourished and full of energy for my 10- to 12-hour clinical days. On weekends, I love to chop vegetables, and I eat the rainbow as much as I can. In the summer, I make a mean gazpacho. In colder months, I’m known for my spaghetti sauce, spicy chili, and gourmet salads.
Photo Credit: Amelia Plumb Photography
Move Your Body
For exercise, I move my body every single day to maintain physical health. I’m proud to have surpassed 1,600 Pure Barre classes last year—my non-negotiable Monday-to-Friday 6 a.m. “me time.” Keeping strong and maintaining physical endurance enables me to work long days in the operating room without being at risk for physical injury. Surgery is a physically demanding profession; many surgeons suffer cervical spine degeneration or joint injuries in their middle-aged years. By keeping my core strong and muscles toned, I never max out at work. Exercise also helps me to reflect, to focus, and to regroup or work through challenges. I’m grateful that my well-exercised body allows me to be a surgeon.
Get Glowing Skin
We all know that beauty is more than skin deep, yet healthy and glowing skin certainly elevates our image. I encourage my patients to adopt a personal skin care routine. My own routine includes medical-grade products. In the morning, I cleanse with SkinCeuticals® LHA cleansing gel for oily skin, followed by Phloretin CF antioxidant gel.
My foundation serves as sun protection and my Colorescience® SPF 50 pigmented loose powder provides added UV protection while treating shiny T-zone areas. At night, I use the MakeUp Eraser microfiber towel and SkinCeuticals Simply Clean exfoliating gel to wash off oils and makeup. To promote healthy cellular turnover, I use Skinbetter Science’s AlphaRet Overnight Cream, which is gentler than other retinol/tretinoin creams, followed by Neocutis Lumière illuminating eye cream and Latisse® eyelash lengthening treatment. (Did you know that you can also apply Latisse to your eyebrows?)
Family Time
Finally, while I give my patients 100 percent of my time, energy, and attention at work, my family keeps me grounded and helps me to recharge. My husband is my biggest champion, enabling me to work hard and focus on my patients and my business while he handles most things at home. Each night, I’m honored to help my twin daughters with their homework, and I love making school lunches for my girls. It’s a small way I can ensure they are also staying healthy and eating nutritious food to nurture their developing tween brains.
For 2023, I hope that you, dear reader, learn to honor your body and all it does for you, and to respect and nurture your health. By reflecting upon what brings you joy and helps you to recharge, health becomes an achievable goal.