The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

weight gain

Your Guide to Staying Well in the Winter

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Whether it’s below-freezing temperatures, rising respiratory illnesses or dangerous driving conditions, the winter season can provide unique health challenges. Here’s how you and your family can stay well throughout the season.

Exercise, but with Caution

It’s important to maintain healthy habits, such as a balanced diet and regular exercise, throughout the year. Working out – especially outside – wards off winter weight gain and gives you energy, and there are many enjoyable outdoor activities to choose from, such as ice skating, cross-country skiing or even walking. Just 10 minutes of outdoor aerobic exercise boosts the endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which improves mood and decreases the risk of seasonal affective disorder.

There are a few things to watch for with outdoor winter workouts, however. One early symptom of hypothermia, or low body temperature, is shivering, which can progress to slurred speech, decreased coordination, and confusion. Frostbite is injury caused by freezing, resulting in the loss of feeling and color of the nose, ears, fingers, and toes. And dehydration is an issue far too many overlook during the winter. The key is to drink water before, during, and after exercise, because while you might not sweat as much in the winter, you are still evaporating water.

Protect Your Heart

While it’s important to stay active, those with heart disease or other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, a history of smoking, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease are advised to avoid shoveling, explains Dr. Gabriela Grasa, cardiologist with White Plains Hospital Physician Associates. Cold weather makes the arteries constrict and increases the blood’s ability to clot. The cold, combined with activity that may increase blood pressure – like shoveling snow and following it with a cup of hot caffeinated coffee to warm up afterward – could trigger a cardiac event.

Upgrade Your Skincare Routine

Lighter moisturizers may not be enough to protect your skin from winter’s harsh conditions, so consider switching to creams, balms or oils, advises Dr. Anisha Kumar, Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at White Plains Hospital. Look for facial cleansers that say “gentle” and “moisturizing” on the bottle, and avoid those that contain alcohol, as this can dry out your skin. If you have very dry skin, minimize use of exfoliants containing glycolic acid or retinol or use them only every other day. The sun’s UV rays can cause just as much damage to your skin in the winter as in the summer, especially if you are skiing, so it’s important to wear sunscreen every day.

Boost Your Immunity

As we spend more time indoors, the spread of viruses such as the flu, COVID-19 and RSV tends to increase. Consult with your physician about which vaccinations are right for you: a new RSV vaccine is now available for select groups. There are plenty of additional protective measures you can take to boost your immunity, says Dr. Michael Finkelstein, Internal Medicine physician at Scarsdale Medical Group. Wash your hands regularly, avoid smoking, get plenty of sleep, and eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Vitamin C, found in most fruits and vegetables, helps heal wounds and repair and maintain healthy bones, teeth, skin and cartilage. Zinc can help control infections by slowing down the immune response and preventing runaway inflammation. Garlic has antibiotic properties that are effective in fighting a range of bacteria, fungi and viruses. However, anyone with a persistent cough, pain or other abnormal symptom should see their physician as soon as possible.

Stay Safe on the Road–and at Home

Winter weather can create hazardous driving conditions, so use caution when driving on snowy, slushy or icy pavement. If you start to skid, take your foot off the gas, then steer in the direction of the skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane. Keep an emergency kit in your car that includes a portable cell phone charger, blankets, jumper cables, a flashlight, batteries, a first-aid kit, non-perishable snacks, bottled water and a bag of salt, sand or cat litter for traction.

Heat your home safely by keeping your fireplace and/or furnace well-maintained. Make sure your chimney is in good condition and free of debris before using your fireplace. Have your gas furnace serviced regularly and install a carbon monoxide detector as a secondary safety measure.

The winter needn’t be an overly stressful time–as long as you keep health and safety top of mind. With the right attitude and proper precautions, you and your family can enjoy the best the season has to offer.

Need a physician? Call 914-849-MyMD to find the right provider for your needs.

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

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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.”

Learning to Love My Dad Bod

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So apparently having a Dad Bod is now a “thing.” You can certainly Google the term or drop it in a conversation. Most likely someone will chuckle and refer to a loved one who can be described as such. A Dad Bod, essentially, is a physique of middle-age that can been described as masculine, reasonably muscular and slightly overweight. What is intriguing and, counter-intuitive, are the positive connotations almost universally associated with this common and easy to achieve body type. Putting aside years of denial, I’m prepared to admit to having a Dad Bod but also to realizing that the concept is some kind of odd societal rationalization that is in reality just vaguely insulting to men and women.

Personally, I’ve had my weight fluctuate over the years for many reasons. I can say, first hand, that being too thin or too heavy can be really unpleasant. Of course, I’d like to be as fit-looking as possible but eventually one realizes that certain physical ideals may never be fully achieved. For me, probably the best personal state of my body is to be a few pounds heavier than I’d actually like to be. Aesthetically, believe me, this is not a thrilling state of existence but with maturity (Ha!) I’ve realized that the way I look is secondary to being as healthy a person as I can reasonably manage. What’s particularly galling about the Dad Bod movement is that while I’m strenuously trying to accept myself, it somehow makes this effort more difficult by making me feel slightly patronized by an entire culture.

I’d love to be writing this as an exotically rare middle-aged Dad with wash-board abs, 20:20 vision and a fast metabolism but I most definitely have to check none-of-the-above on those. From that super-fit perspective, I imagine it would be so easy to be enthusiastically supportive about the Dad Bod thing precisely because I wouldn’t be stuck in one. However, living in this body, as I must, I refuse to smile politely if someone wants to essentially say that the very same body I am regularly struggling to learn to accept is now, (drumroll please) objectively attractive. I just don’t buy it. There is some kind of passive-aggressive condescension connected with the embracing of Dad Bods.

As for the female members of our culture, I can only imagine how they must feel about the acceptance and celebration of Dad Bods. It’s something of a cliché but I’ve heard women confirm the difficulty in dealing with their own aging process in comparison to men. You know, men become more distinguished, the lines on their face only add character, etc. This is a societal reality. Look at movie stars. Clooney & Pitt will be leading men for decades to come because they’re perceived as only getting better looking as they age. Leading ladies of the movies hit the age of 40 and abruptly must decide between character parts, plastic surgery or professional oblivion.

Why is there no female version of the Dad Bod? The closest thing I can think of is Mom Jeans and that association is quite the opposite of the now sexy Dad Bod. Why are we, culturally, not prepared to embrace women with a female version of the Dad Bod as universally attractive? Obviously, in 2018, there’s still a lot of work to be done on gender roles in society. If Dad Bods are, presumably, built upon men who have worked hard professionally and, perhaps, parented as well, then why aren’t women afforded the same leeway in how their bodies evolve? Especially considering how child-birth can affect one’s physical being. It just doesn’t seem fair.

I suppose what really irks me with the whole Dad Bod phenomenon is the reality of analyzing someone’s physical appearance and imparting a judgement upon that particular bodily state. There is an impermanence of one’s physicality that is just a fact of human existence. I question why we assume that being kind about chubby Dads is any more appropriate than telling a woman she looks sexy or criticizing someone for being too fat or thin.

Don’t get me wrong. I know attaching the Dad Bod moniker to a middle-aged gentleman is essentially a way of saying we love you just the way you are. That’s a great lesson. We should all learn to love acceptingly as best we can. However, as a reluctant member of the Dad Bod club, I implore you to think about what you are actually saying when you label your slightly corpulent loved one as such. Might I suggest a karaoke dedication of Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are” instead? Just not Dad Bod. Please.