Pink Slime....ewwwww

When we turn our televisions on after a long day of work, and begin the daily process of de-stressing our bodies and minds as we unwind, usually many of us turn on the news, and ironically it can cause us more stress. Health is a common issue that arises throughout many news articles, where it seems as if every month there is an epidemic sweeping the nation or an outbreak of a super bug that is threatening our population. Lately, there has been talk about a substance in our meat called “pink slime” which is said to be a beef filler in order to achieve the “finely textured beef” these companies promise. In this avecinia health update blog, we will be discuss what “pink slime” is and whether it can cause us real harm!

To set the record straight, "pink slime" is not unsafe. That doesn’t mean it’s exactly safe or good for you either. This filler byproduct is made by running scraps from meat cuttings through a processor that removes the fat from the trimmings. The beef is usually treated with ammonia to kill bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella, a process that has been a subject of suspicion and debate despite claims that it is harmless. According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and public health at New York University, the substance is safe but still raises issues, “It is not dangerous at all. The question is whether it’s socially acceptable,” says Ms. Nestle. “Humans don’t usually eat byproducts. Just because it’s safe doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.” The issue raised is not the question whether this product is safe or not, but whether labels should disclose that the product contains “pink slime” and then consumers would be able to decide for themselves if they’d wish to purchase it or not. "Pink slime" is found in retail ground beef, low-fat hotdogs, lunch meat, beef sticks, pepperoni, frozen entrees, meatballs, and canned foods. Until early this year, fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King used the filler in their beef products.

"Pink slim" isn’t an immediate risk, and there are no proven side effects from eating products that contain it (but eating a lot of processed foods can have its own detrimental health effects). This is definitely a reminder of how very important it is to know exactly what we are putting in our mouths. Reading labels on food products is a must and always try to choose organic products over processed. Hopefully this recent controversy has been a wake-up call to the reality of what these food industries are capable of. Take control of what you eat and be sure to ask your primary care provider, such as the doctors and health experts at avecinia wellness center, for any tips and useful suggestion on how to improve your diet for the best.

This blog was written by Dania Abdul-Resoul, an intern at avecinia wellness center.  Dania is a pre-physical therapy student at Cal State Fresno.


For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page and follow avecinia on twitter . avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com.We look forward to meeting you!

Beauty Isn't Just Skin Deep!

What is between 16 and 21 feet,  hosts up to 50 million different living organisms and some parts regenerate every 27 days?  Your skin! 

Your skin is one of your most vital organs. It protects your inner organs from radiation, bacteria, and other harmful agent.  It reflects your physiological and psychological health, and can be the difference between a bad day, a good day and a great day.

The two most common skin problems, acne (both pubescent and adult) and sun damage/aging (wrinkles, discoloration, sunspots, cancer) have been around since the beginning of time. So have various skin protection and healing remedies.  Ancient Egyptians used soaps made from animal oil, vegetable oil and salts.  Fenugreek was used to create soothing face masks and Cleopatra used to bathe in milk to help exfoliate and rejuvenate her skin.  In ancient Greece, masks of honey were used to treat acne. Today, you can buy or make many of these ancient remedies or turn on the television to see the latest therapy.

What causes Acne?

Acne is a part of the normal pubescent experience. Some teens exhibit more acne than others because their body is creating more of the oils that trap bacteria (P.Acnes) residing in hair follicles in the skin.   This trapped bacteria continues to grow and produces the pimples, blackheads and whiteheads.  In much the same way, almost 50% of adult women and 25% of adult men experience acne as well.  A hormonal change, such as when starting a birth control pill, hormone imbalance due to stress and/or poor nutrition, or other factors are usually related to an increase in acne.  It’s important to remember though that there is no direct relationship between the food you eat and acne.  However, because the skin is the bodies largest organ, eating well keeps your skin healthy, just like any other organ.

Treating Acne!

Having acne can be stressful, treating it doesn’t have to be.  Once the root cause of acne is identified, treating it can be as simple as following the right plan for you.  Because acne starts by bacteria being collected deep in hair follicle roots, it’s important that any acne treatment utilized is able to penetrate deeply into the skin to get to this bacteria.   The next important step is to help the skin control how much oil is produced/applied and trapped on the skin.  The sebaceous glands produce oil and overactive ones produce more.  In some cases, certain cosmetics include excess oil that is then trapped in follicles as well.  A good cleanser can help control how much oil is present on the skins surface and how much gets trapped in the hair follicles.  However, you don’t want  a cleanser that simply over dries your skin. Oils are essential to helping your skin look and feel healthy.

I look too old for my age!

If acne isn’t the issue but skin discoloration, sunspots and the appearance of fine lines and the development of wrinkles has you looking and feeling older than you are, then you may need something to help heal your skin.   If you spend a lot of time in sun, like to tan (outdoors or in a sun tanning bed), live in an area with poor air quality or a lot of pollution or smoke, free radicals associated with these environmental factors accelerate the skin’s aging process.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that attack nearby stable molecules to steal their electrons.  By stealing electrons, they create more unstable molecules, thus, for example in your skin, break down the collagen in your skin that normally gives you that youthful resilience.  Normally your body can develop anti-oxidants to help control free radicals but when excessive environmental factors overwhelm your system, your body needs help. 

Nature to the rescue!

One effective, natural way to battle excessive free radicals and the damage they cause is using Vitamin C.  Not only is Vitamin C a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, it is crucial to the production of collagen and therefore helps produce collagen where it has broken down. 

Sure you can eat a lot of Oranges to get your Vitamin C, but in order to effectively treat and reverse the breakdown of collagen and its effects on the skin, you have to be able to apply Vitamin C directly to the skin and let it be absorbed.  The best type of Vitamin C for this is stabilized ascorbic acid (you can tell how stable a Vitamin C serum is by seeing how quickly it oxidizes or becomes brown and crusty near the containers opening).  Serums can come in concentrations from 5% to 20%, with 5% being ideal for sensitive areas and 20% being the most effective at reducing brown spots, discoloration, fine lines and other signs of damage caused by free radicals.

How can avecinia wellness center help you?

We have developed two new services to help you address acne or the early signs of aging:

“Clear” is a combination therapy designed to diagnose and treat the cause of Acne.  We start with a 30 minute consultation session to understand your diet and nutrition habits and determine whether their might be an hormonal issue to address.  Then you get a combination treatment of 3 Obagi Radiance Treatments and a 3 month supply of Obagi Clenziderm Acne Treatment.  The Radiance and Clenziderm treatment work together to cleanse your skin of dead skin and bacteria and get you back on track to clear, smooth skin.  

“Glow” is a combination therapy designed to refresh and revitalize your skin. We start with 3 Obagi Radiance peels and a 20% Obagi Professional-C Serum.  Obagi’s Professional- C  Serum is rated by Allure as a “Beauty Best Buy” and is consistently rated as one of the best Vitamin C Serums available.  Obagi’s Professional C-Serum is specifically designed to be more stable and penetrate deeper into your skin to help reduce the visible and not so visible signs of aging.  The “Glow” package also comes with Obagi’s new SPF 50 sun protection moisturizer to help you protect your new, refreshed skin.  The sun screen protects you from both UVA and UVB particles as the Professional C Serum corrects damage caused by free radicals and repairs collagen.

Call us today to come in and find out what may work best for you!  Starting a healthy skin care regimen now can get you the healthy, beautiful skin you want before the summer!

Visit our website at www.avecinia.com to see our prices and our sales.  Call us today to make an appointment and be ready for a beautiful new you for the summer! This article was reviewed by Dr. Unaiza Hayat, MD.


For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!

The Basics to Weight Loss

The Basics to Weight loss
It takes a lot of effort and commitment to make healthier lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to eating habits and exercise. It is best to ease into new habits slowly. Overtime, this healthy lifestyle will help you look and feel better, not to mention have a healthier heart. A good place to start is with what you eat!

A well-balanced diet is one that delivers an adequate amount of calories while providing the maximum amount of nutrients. The body breaks down food to release energy and this process is called metabolism. Excess calories, more than your body uses, will be stored as body fat. An increased activity results in an increased metabolism. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. With decreased activity, increased food intake or both, your body will continue to store energy as fat, causing weight gain.
What to do
To lose weight, your intake of calories must be less than your body uses. A pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. To lose 1 pound of fat per week, you have to either eat 500 fewer calories or burn off 500 calories by exercise per day. A combination of the two is the best way to achieve this goal: cut 250 calories from your diet and exercise enough to burn off 250 calories. A healthy amount of weight loss is no more than 2 pounds per week.

Most people benefit if they eat small, frequent meals (about 5 to 6 meals) throughout the day, eating about every 2 to 3 hours. Eating breakfast is important and do not skip meals. Skipping meals may cause you to feel too hungry and overeat later in the day.
What not to do
Avoid fad diets. Most offer short-term changes and can lead to rebound weight gain. To get started on weight loss, keep a record of what you eat and how much exercise you get each day. You will be surprised on your habits. Find an eating plan and exercise regimen that works for you and slowly get comfortable with positive habits. Remember, good health comes from long-term effort and commitment.
Food choices
Eat a variety of colorful, nutrient rich fruits and vegetables. Frozen vegetable can offer a cost-effective choice without sacrificing nutrients.

Since fiber often makes you feel full, include an adequate amount of fiber in your diet. Fiber can be found in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruit, nuts and bran flakes.

Eat three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy daily. Milk, yogurt and cheese are good sources of calcium and Vitamin D.

Think of meat as a side dish. The serving size should be equivalent to the size of your palm or a deck of cards. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid consuming foods high in saturated and trans fats. These may cause in increase in LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and increase your risk in heart disease.

Remember that some fats are beneficial to your overall health. These “good” fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in nuts, fish and low- or nonfat dairy products.

Avoid foods that are referred to as “empty calories.” These foods add lots of calories to your diet without having much nutritional benefit. Examples include soda, fruit drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened tea and flavored or sweetened milk.

Canned foods tend to be high in sodium, so buy reduced-sodium or no-added-salt versions. Thoroughly rinsing canned beans can reduce the sodium content by 40%.
Healthy Tips on Dining Out
•Ask about low-fat choices
•Avoid fried appetizers or creamy soups
•Avoid high-fat items on salad such as cheese, bacon bits, croutons, chopped egg, olives and creamy dressing
•Make substitutions like steam vegetables, instead of french fries
•Ask for all butter, dressings and sauces to be left on the side; either omit or control how much you use
•Make sure your entrée is broiled, grilled, baked, steamed or poached instead of fried
•Order fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert instead of cake, ice cream or pie
•Removes the skin off poultry or visible fat from meat




For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!