The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Advertorials

Expert Advice for Relieving Today’s Increased Eye Strain

by

How to Relieve Eye-Related Discomforts Especially During this Period of So Much Additional Screen Time

By Dr. Janet Woo

Many of my friends and family have been asking me what to do about the fatigue and dry eyes that have occurred this past month. Let me begin by saying that digital electronic use will naturally decrease your blink rate. When you are engaged and reading something, you end up staring. This decrease in blink rate will result in an increase in the rate of incomplete blinks. Your top lid doesn’t go all the way down to meet the bottom. When this occurs, the pool of tears that lay at the bottom doesn’t get washed up over the eye to wet it properly by the top lid. This inaction leads to tear film instability and dryness results. There is an eye exercise for this.

Blink exercise:
1. Close your eyes completely with the top lid meeting the bottom. Count 1- 1 thousand and 2 one thousand, then open your eyes.
2. Repeat step one.
3. Squeeze your lids together for a count of 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand.
4. Open your eyes.

There are also Blink Training Apps available to download, but if you put a sticky note that says BLINK on the side of your monitor, it’s less “screen” time.

Eye Designs
ADVERTISEMENT

DIRECT air vents blowing in your face will also dry your eyes. Forced hot air heating systems can become problematic, if you are near a vent. Air conditioning vents should also be directed away from your face. Don’t forget ceiling fans too. There are small desk top humidifiers that also can help keep the humidity levels comfortable in your workspace during cold weather. Properly clean after each use.

Set up your work space so that your eyes are looking downward at the screen. Standing desks are great if you are mobile, keep a pad under your feet and the screen is slightly lower than your direct view. When you look upward the eyes become enlarged and expose more of the surface to, you guessed it, drying out. Individuals wearing progressives (multifocals) will also suffer from fatigue with computer screens at eye level because the straight ahead position is meant for distance viewing not intermediate where your screen is. You will end up tilting your chin to catch the sweet spot located lower. You will tire from trying to clear up the view and staring will dry out your eyes.

It is also important to keep well hydrated and that means drinking 8-10 glasses of water/day. I advise my patients to keep a very large container filled with water and make sure it is finished before bedtime. Coffee and highly caffeinated beverages are diuretics and you will end up losing water.

Smoking can also exacerbate dry eyes and those individuals that wear contact lenses know that well.

Contact lens wear and increased screen time will undoubtedly end up with reduced wearing time. That is because the contacts need the water to stay wet and comfortable. The blink exercise or discontinued contact lens wear, using artificial tears formulated for contact lenses will also help with the discomfort. I read somewhere that more people are wearing their glasses because it “makes them look smarter” during the online conference calls. Our patients look fantastic in their eye glasses.

What else can you do to help your dry eyes? Warm (touch to your wrist to test warmth) compresses, light lid massage in the shower (eyes closed, look up and gently, rub your lid margins where the lashes attach to the lid), lid scrubs to remove debris like skin flakes trapped at the base of your lashes (blepharitis), omega 3 fatty acids (triglyceride form of fish oil) about 2-3,000 mg/day- check with your physician for contraindications and artificial tears properly dropped into the eye. Many people miss.

Some of you may have fatigue and dry eyes as a result of simple eye strain with all the near tasks required these past few weeks. A thorough eye exam to eliminate any tear film/meibomian gland dysfunction/lid margin issues as well as a proper refraction and prescription for appropriate lenses ie. progressive, office lenses, computer/reading lenses is in order. Until then, physical/social distance in public, face covering, disinfecting surfaces and hand washing for 20 seconds will help to keep you healthy.

Dr. Janet Woo is an Optometrist and Nutritionist who can be reached via Eye Designs Armonk.

Eye Designs Armonk: 575 Main Street Armonk, NY 10504 W 914.273.7337  mobile 203.554.2084

At the Eye Designs of Armonk 20-Year Anniversary Party

College Planning in a Time of Coronavirus

by

Alan Sheptin at his 1979 graduation from Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York.

By Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP

 We’re all stuck indoors, save the occasional trip to the supermarket, bike ride or walk. The malls are closed. The museums are shuttered. Vacations are a memory for now.

For those of you whose children are sophomores and juniors, college planning is taking on a whole new meaning. Those Spring Break college road trips are now couch surfing. The College Board has cancelled all exams through July 2020. Will the ACT will follow suit? AP exams will be open book and 45 minutes long. Regents and final exams are cancelled.

So, now what? Topic by topic, let’s explore what’s going on and what your students should be doing during this newfound reality.

College Visits

What’s going on: Almost every college and university in the United States (and abroad, too!) have shifted to e-learning. For the foreseeable future, colleges have suspended campus visits and information sessions.

What you can do: For schools that are of interest, go to the college’s admissions page to see when virtual admission talks and tours take place. Connect socially with the school using any (or all) of the media offered. Feel free to reach out to the admissions officer for your region and ask any questions you have. If you have a specific academic interest, send an email to the department chair. The silver lining to all this is that all the college students are home. Find an alum of your local high school that attends a school you want to learn about and make your own informal, personalized information session! Bottom line: continue to do research and make yourself known to the admission folks.

A great website: Youvisit.com has virtual tours of hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide.

SATs, ACTs, Subject Tests:

What’s going on  – SAT and Subject Tests: The College Board has cancelled all its testing through July 2020. It does plan to resume live testing in August with additional testing dates in the Fall, should that be possible. If not, the SAT will be offered digitally. There has been no word on Subject Tests, but I would expect them to start in August, too.

What’s going on – ACT: As of this writing, the ACT still plans to offer the exam in June. However, I think that will change soon.  The ACT will be offering single subject online testing starting in September; however, I think that it will migrate to offering the full test online at that time as well, also with expanded live testing, if possible.

What’s going on – colleges’ responses: We have seen many colleges and universities become temporarily test optional. This may last for only one year or indefinitely. Time will tell.

What you should know: Test optional means that: test optional. Since schools evaluate students holistically (they look at the “whole student,” not just a single parameter), strong scores can only help. Some schools, such as the Ivies and some large state universities have not yet forsaken testing.

What you can do: If your child has been preparing for the SAT or ACT, stay the course. Your child should avoid backpedaling. Remember – a good score can only help your case.

Community Service, Research, Summer Study and Extracurriculars

What’s Going On: Since schools are closed, some clubs are running virtually. Some research may be doable, but more on the humanities or non-lab sciences. On-campus college programs have migrated to virtual media.

What you can do: We predict that the colleges will be asking the classes of 2021 and 2022 what they did, outside of academics, during this pandemic. Students can still stand out! If your child likes languages, duolingo is an inexpensive, fun way to try a new language (I’m working on Hungarian. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever undertaken!). Outlier.org enables students to take Calculus 1 or Psych 1 through the University of Pittsburgh and coursera offers many free or low-cost courses. Athletes can find daily workout videos. And volunteering can take on a whole new realm: teensgive, UN online volunteering and translators without borders are some interesting ways of giving back. The more creative your child can get, so much the better.

Being cooped up is not fun. It’s trying on everyone’s nerves. What’s most challenging is that we have no idea where the light is at the end of the tunnel. However, it need not be a deterrent. By thinking outside the box and being clever, your child can make this COVID-19 nightmare into a growing, learning experience.

Do you want to know more? Please feel free to reach out to us at 914-232-3743, or via email at alan@sheptin.com.

Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP, founder of the Sheptin Tutoring Group in Chappaqua, is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Sheptin Tutoring, in partnership with Athena College Advisors, is offering a meeting on Tuesday April 21 from 8 – 9 PM: “College planning in a time of COVID-19.” Please call Sheptin Tutoring Group at 914-232-3743 if you wish to join the meeting.

 

 

 

Spring into a Healthier You at Dr. Briones Medical Weight Loss Center

by

When Dr. Maria Briones started working with orthopedic patients at Burke Rehabilitation Center in 1999, she noticed that many of her patients’ problems, from arthritis of the knees and hips to broken bones, resulted from carrying extra weight. Much of the natural wear and tear on people’s joints and the need for joint replacement surgery was, according to Briones, exacerbated by excessive weight.

“Losing all the weight can be a lifesaver for these patients with knee and hip problems who use canes to walk,” says Briones, who opened her Medical Weight Loss Center, a Mt. Kisco-based medical weight loss facility in 2007. Briones partners with her patients, motivating them, and investing in their weight loss success.

Individualized Plan for Patients

Briones focuses on whole body health. She works with her patients to set up goals and plans. She identifies any medical causes of weight gain and designs a manageable weight loss reduction program for her patients. She creates individualized nutrition plans, vitamin and supplement regimens, and professionally designed, customized exercise plans. If necessary, she provides FDA-approved appetite suppressants and hormone replacement therapy. 

Most importantly, Briones helps her patients develop a long-term wellness plan, teaching her patients how to maintain their weight loss and offering ongoing support whenever they need it. Her plans are adaptable to the changing needs of her patients. “My patients feel like I am a friend,” says Briones, who credits her warm relationships with her patients for much of her success.

Former Pound Ridge resident Nancy Farkas, who spent three years as Dr. Farkas’s patient, whole-heartedly agrees that Briones’s close relationships with her patients is key to their success. “Dr. B is wonderful to speak with, she’s inspirational. We had a wonderful relationship.” Farkas, who saw Briones approximately once a week, was impressed with the detailed yet flexible program that Briones built for her. “I followed her specific schedule and her careful instructions, and that was a huge thing for me.”

Briones has lived in Westchester for over 25 years, spending the past 15 years in Chappaqua. “This is a great place to raise a family.” She started her career as an internist. Born in Spain and raised in Nicaragua, Briones attended medical school in Costa Rica before coming to the United States.

Long-Term Relationships with Patients

“People tend to stay with me,” says Briones, who has significant client retention and a high percentage of success. She believes that feeling good about yourself is key to staying healthy. That is why Briones encourages her patients to take steps to ensure that they do not look older than they feel.

In addition to weight loss therapy, Briones offers non-surgical weight loss solutions, including cellulite treatments, Cool Sculpting, and Lipo Light Therapy. She started adding cosmetic procedures, like Botox and Ultherapy as well as other anti-aging, skin tightening, and skin rejuvenation therapies. These cosmetic procedures are designed to help patients maintain their youthful radiance.

Briones works with two certified medical assistants, both of whom help with everything from interacting with patients to taking vital signs. “Her staff is so helpful,” says Farkas, who believes that everyone at the Medical Weight Loss Center goes out of their way to “act in your best interest and to motivate you to stick with the program.”

Briones encourages everyone to try to be their best self. “Don’t be afraid to make a change in your life. It’s always better to try. Anything is possible.”

Spotlight on Adina Olan-Ellick: Owner of Breathe, a Yoga and Pilates Studio in the Heart of Chappaqua

by

It was a chance encounter on a cruise ship that ultimately steered Adina Olan-Ellick on a new career path. Adina, owner of the newly relocated Breathe, a yoga and Pilates studio in downtown Chappaqua was on a family vacation for a relative’s birthday and by the time she embarked on the ship all of the exercise classes were filled up. “The only thing left to sign up for was Pilates, so we did it every day,” she recalls. Adina, an almost 25-year resident of Chappaqua had always been athletic and was more of a self-proclaimed cardio addict. “I ran, did cardio kickboxing, aerobics, you name it,” she says during our interview on a chilly afternoon just steps away from her sunlight-filled studio in the heart of Chappaqua.

A Passion for Pilates

Something about Pilates and the mind/body connection coupled with the intentional movements resonated with her. Upon returning to Chappaqua she hired a private Pilates instructor to teach her at home before her three young children woke up and before her commute to her cardboard converting company in Long Island City. That private instructor, sensing Adina’s passion for the exercise encouraged her to pursue Pilates certification. She did taking weekend classes from beginner mat certification all the way through advanced system which took several years. She also trained with renowned physical therapist Dr. Abby Ellsworth in Scarsdale, author of seminal books on Pilates instruction, yoga and physical therapy. It wasn’t easy while maintaining a full-time job with young kids but Adina likes to “have a lot on her plate.”

Her job at the cardboard warehouse and in a male-dominated field entailed a lot of interaction with factory workers which was challenging. A hair-raising incident at work though convinced her that long-term her career there wasn’t sustainable and downright dangerous. “I was six months pregnant with my younger daughter and it was pay day and I had a lot of cash on me,” she recounts. Two men tried to steal her bag. Adina’s quick-thinking saved her as she hid under a truck until help arrived.

“They never got the cash,” she laughs later in the interview and I can’t help but wonder if her strength, flexibility and quick reaction time may be attributed to her Pilates practice.

Changing Careers

Flash forward a couple of years later and Adina was asked to participate in a Pilates DVD with Ellsworth. The filming took place over several days. “It was the first time that I was alone in a hotel room by myself and had time to really think.” She finally had her true a-ha moment and called her husband, an insurance and commercial lawyer and asked for his help in closing her business. She wanted to pursue Pilates instruction full-time and spend more time with her family.

She initially started teaching part-time in Scarsdale with Ellsworth but decided to ask for a job at the Pilates Center of Westchester, the former Breathe location. Adina asked the owner to give her a try. She was reluctant at first but she begged her for a Sunday morning class and then Adina ultimately asked her friends to participate.

After teaching there for many years, the former studio owner decided move to Arizona. Adina bought the studio a decade ago changing its name to Breathe, adding yoga classes following advice from her yoga-loving husband.

Knowledgeable Instructors: A Hallmark of Breathe

Adina has always prided herself on hiring highly knowledgeable instructors who have a strong sense of anatomy. “I have clients that had very low flexibility when they came here and now they can function pain-free in their daily lives. This method works.”

Both Pilates and yoga are forms of exercise with no age limits. Breathe even has a 92-year-old client. “A lot of people come to the studio after an injury or in conjunction with physical therapy,” explains Adina. Her old studio was up a flight of stairs so when the now defunct Hall of Scoops spot became available, she leased it.

The new studio features almost 40 Pilates and yoga classes a week, fitness apparel, grab-and-go food items from Rye Ridge’s Organic Pharmer plus F-factor, a fiber-based diet program.

“Sometimes a client will say they tried Pilates at their gym and got hurt. I wonder how can an instructor watch your form with 50 students in a mat class?” asks Adina. That is why she limits Pilates tower classes to seven students.

On the Horizon

And it’s that personalized attention that have earned the studio praise. “I’ve seen Chappaqua have its ups and downs,” she observes but with the new streetscape and additional retailers opening up recently, she hopes it is on an upswing. In addition to offering private yoga lessons, tower workshops and outdoor seating, Adina hopes to foster a sense of community at Breathe. Her studio also offers Pilates certification for students who want to teach there in the future. With a loyal fan base at Breathe, that future certainly looks bright.

Breathe is located at 14 South Greeley Avenue. For additional information, visit yoga-pilates-chappaqua.com.

Sowing the Seeds of Love!

by

BY BETH RORDAM

It is a good time to be an Acupuncturist.  Medicare has announced that it will now provide Acupuncture as a required benefit.  Although none of us would ever want to live in a world without modern medical advances, Acupuncture points to another way to view healing and now we have the research to prove it. The western viewpoint sees the body mechanistically as a series of chemical and physical reactions, Chinese medicine looks at the human condition as primarily energetic. We exist as a spiritual, emotional and lastly as a physical entity. All of the Acupuncture points heal at multiple levels. We never have to choose. We can treat it all. 

Ear Seeds or auricular Acupressure is a wonderful way to acquaint yourself with this most ancient healing modality and best of all… NO NEEDLES!! During our Ear Seed Clinic we will teach you everything you need to know to use this simple self care technique on your friends and family. It is a wonderful time slow down, center yourself, connect and heal.

There seems to be a never-ending pattern of fear and conflict that has us all in it’s grip these days. The questions of this age are only going to get more complex not less. Authoritarian structures that use fear to control and limit will never provide the real solutions we desire. It is apparent to most of us that humanity needs to move in the direction of love and connection or witness a world torn apart by fear and violence. It is this connection of love between souls that is the true healing energy of the body, what the ancients called Chi.  Come Saturday 5 p.m., share your love, connect with others, enhance your natural immune system and build bridges of love instead of walls of fear. This is true healing.