Good news! The dark days of winter are receding — in fact, we’ve added almost an hour of daylight since Dec. 31. With the lengthening daylight comes a degree of relief for those who suffer from a touch of the winter blues, also known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). While some battle these symptoms chemically with prescription pills or alcohol, I encourage my patients to chase the blues away with healthier options.

My prescription: try a combination of these side-effect-free ways to help beat the winter blues:

1. Let there be light.

For us light-deprived northern hemispherians, I recommend installing full-spectrum light bulbs at home, to help mimic the benefits of sunshine. Beaming high-quality full-spectrum light indoors is essential when adequate natural sunlight is in short supply. The full-spectrum bulb benefits? Better sleep, improved concentration, mental clarity and mood, plus a tougher immune system — so let the faux sun shine in! Full spectrum bulbs can be found at most hardware stores and www.gaiam.com.

Studies show that cruciferous vegetables protect against Cancer.

Despite the name, cruciferous vegetables have nothing to do with religion. Actually, they are simply the category of vegetables that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. According to the science know-it-alls, these little veggies neutralize dangerous breakdown products of estrogen that promote cancer growth.

Not only that ­– they contain I3C (indole-3-carbinol). It’s recommended that if you want to restore youthful hormone balance, make sure to obtain enough I3C by eating these types of vegetables, or if you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, get a hold of some good supplements.

Here’s how it works: there are two types of estrogen metabolite, one is good, but the other is bad. The good one is called 2-hydroxyestrone and the bad one is 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone. The latter promotes breast cancer and other cancers. So, if your body obtains 2-hydroxyestrone, your risk of cancer decreases; if contains 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone, your risk of cancer increases.

A recent article in The New York Times about the negative effects of Botox by Dominique Browning entitled Mirror: The Case for Laugh Lines is not an exception.

Ironically, while I was reading the argument on the subject of manipulated appearances, I became distracted by same page ads promoting similar procedures. Apparently, Ms. Browning’s passionate manifesto about Botox’s impact on self image did not stop advertisers from promoting common cosmetic procedures.  The irony of the ad placements was difficult to overlook, as the article discussed how Botox could not only taint the self image, but wear on personal relationships as well.

In recent years, Botox has steadily become a more common term than we could anticipate.   Media and bloggers alike do not let go of the topic: people all over the country, from middle-agers to middle school students can all recognize the word “Botox.”  It seems that, like many fads and scandals prompted by one or two horror stories, this cosmetic procedure obtained a stigma that it does not necessarily deserve.

Do the physicians really Freeze Smiles with Botox?

Susan C
Chicago
May 28th, 2011
4:00 pm

At 61, I think the issue that drives beauty is the spirit or life force within – letting that escape to express the inner person we are is the answer – that makes beauty and passion and life. When I see these women with the “frozen” features all that goes through my mind is how vain they are, how foolish they are for believing that wearing a mask will make you look younger and better – it doesn’t – it makes women look stupid and vapid. I lose my interest in listening to them or watching them because I think they are very foolish. I would love to have my face and body skin go back to the way it was in my 30’s and 40’s – is there some way for scientists to make products that address the loss of collagen in older skin to bring back its freshness and glow? So we can look like who we are – not like the frozen zombies we see on TV and in the movies? I would bet there could be good money in that – I know there could be good money in that –

Funny how this is a tougher subject to broach than almost any other. We find ourselves recalibrating the intimacy of friendships. While once we may have been close enough to share personal tales of broken hearts or fears of going broke, we are unable to visit the issue of the broken self-image.

And that’s what this must be about. We gaze in the mirror, and we loathe the evidence of aging. It is, surely, a change. It is even frightening. Mortality heaves into view. So does unemployment — for women. There seems to be a double standard about aging and leadership.

What is so different about male menopause?  Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Is it also from Mars? 

She runs for Botox, he gets a new car. She is wearing provocative outfits, he is pumping iron at the gym, starts roller skating and takes flying lessons. She speaks about her hot flash to her friend, and he feels down because of his lack of sexual drive. The difference – he keeps it to himself. They are both 50 years old, but they perceive aging differently. It might be that men are from Mars but their testosterone imbalance is a very common earthy condition.

I have so many patients that share stories behind the closed door, their symptoms of menopause and andropause and I am glad that because of the high tech times we live in plus a good treatment protocol, we can help. Yes, we can.

Of course, it is your body and you may decide to deal with it, but my opinion is that if you can live better, then why not?

If you are over 45 man