A Healthy Approach to a More Beautiful You!

The staff at the Women’s Center knows true beauty begins on the inside and we believe that beauty should be as beneficial to your body as it is boosting to your confidence. It isn’t enough to enhance your physical appearance if your overall health isn’t in its best condition. We refer to our philosophy of overall health and vitality as "Healthy Beauty", the healthiest approach possible to a more beautiful you!

Our patients are encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle, which will contribute to maintaining or even improving their surgical results. We offer post-operative incentives such as complimentary sessions with a personal trainer or nutritionist, as well as pre-operative mammograms before breast surgery.

Below are some basic guidelines for beginning an exercise and healthy eating program:

Before beginning resistance training it is best to get advice from an exercise trainer.

Virtually any activity that safely stretches muscles or burns calories contributes to fitness. Everyday tasks, such as house or yard work, carrying groceries and walking the dog are all exercise in disguise!

• Workouts don't have to be "work." Follow children's lead and burn calories through play. Throw a frisbee, shoot some hoops, go dancing, build a snowman, ride a bike!
• Make exercise a social activity. Invite a friend to walk through an historic neighborhood, take a class together or plant a garden!
• Work out at work! Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Resistance training, whether with free weights, machines or calisthenics, strengthens muscles, helps maintain good posture, and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
• Yoga, and other stretching exercises, increase flexibility and can be done at all levels. At work, take a stretch to relieve tense muscles.
  

Patients are encouraged to include a sensible diet with regular exercise into their lifestyle. When starting a new program, have patience! It usually takes about six months for eating well and exercising to become a habit. Effective weight management is not necessarily changing the things about our bodies we do not like, but taking responsibility for our health and well-being.

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to fight dehydration and improve skin's appearance.
• Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to send a signal that you are full.
• Switch to skim or low-fat milk to get all of the calcium and nutrition without the fat of whole milk.
• When ordering from a menu, choose entrees that are grilled or broiled, instead of fried. Select fruit or low-fat yogurt for dessert. If the meal is too large, take some home!
• On vacation, avoid packing on extra pounds by incorporating biking, hiking, swimming or walking into your holiday plans.
• To control portion size, serve snacks on a plate instead of eating straight from the box.
• Make healthful snacks a family habit. Keep carrots, celery, yogurt and other low-fat, nutritious snacks ready to eat in the refrigerator.
• Vitamins and nutritional supplements can round out your diet. Although vitamins should not replace food, they can help regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy, and assist in forming bone and tissue.