Most people do not need an extra zinc supplement if they’re taking a multivitamin. Most get enough with meat or fortified cereals. Zinc increases your immune system. Some people take too much zinc.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, so you can’t excrete through your urine. So watch out for taking too much Vitamin C because you can develop toxicity, which can result in blurred vision. Another thought, we may see more low Vitamin D levels because we put SPF in everything. If you’re not getting at least 20 minutes of sunlight, you might need a Vitamin D supplement.

Sauna is known to decrease blood pressure and reduce joint stiffness. If you have a respiratory issue, make sure you add water, people with respiratory issues do better in a steam room.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Meredith McKinnie interviews Northeast Louisiana health and beauty experts to answer readers’ questions.

When clients complain about weight loss over 40, I think first about the thyroid, particularly in this area. I ask clients when they last had a thyroid panel and/ or lipid panel. You must request these tests through your primary care physician, and it is simple lab work that can tell us dieticians what you should be eating for your body type. At this age, body knowledge becomes super important, as everyone needs something different. Any eating regimen should be tailored to your specific needs, and with these results, dieticians can customize a diet just for you. Everyone needs something different.

Yes, a probiotic boosts your immune system, decreases inflammation and allergies. I take mine in the morning, but some take them at night so it doesn’t interact with other medication. Make sure to get your doctor’s approval.

Gradually easing into a cold shower is beneficial but not quite noticeable until 14 days of consistent, working up to 5 minutes. These can also decrease inflammation. The cold temperature lowers the core temperature of your body which triggers the burning of brown fat(deep fat that everyone wants gone).

Red light therapy is known for stimulating the collagen production in your skin. Many women do it because they want to decrease the fine lines in the face. It can also increase blood circulation which helps heal wounds.

Some people just have thinner hair that has a tendency to be damaged easier. I always ask people, are you experiencing an amount of thinness, brittleness, hair problems you haven’t been dealing with your whole life? If it’s newly-noticed damage or thinning, it can definitely be health related. Many people don’t realize how our hair depends upon our overall health. Hormonal issues, medication, diet, stress, all those things that we don’t think about, can impact hair health. Pregnancy is another important factor.

To promote hair health, first get the opinion of a hair care professional. Professional products, those recommended to you by a hair care professional and purchased through a hair care professional or online, help immensely. Trust hair care professionals. If they say, “I don’t think you should color or style your hair,” then listen. They know what they’re talking about. If you are using other products, stay away from those with sulfates and phthalates because they are harsh on your hair and strip too much of your natural oils, leaving hair dry and brittle. One of the easiest changes is to avoid overwashing. If you wash immediately when you see oil, it’s probably too soon. I would suggest washing every 3-5 days, perhaps once a week if you have thick hair. Just like everything else in our bodies, your scalp knows what to produce for your hair. We should be training our scalp to get less oily by going longer between washes to get that natural production of oily which is the best treatment for your hair. Plus, when we wash, we typically dry and style our hair, adding unnecessary heat and product damage making the problem worse. If you don’t overwash, poor hair health is usually a result of hormonal changes or thyroid issues.

Melasma is a chronic, often recurring skin condition that occurs most commonly in women as blotchy dark discoloration on the face, especially on the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. Estrogen, ultraviolet sun exposure and inflammation trigger melanocytes in the skin to produce excess pigment. While there is no cure for melasma, skin care products with antioxidants, hydroquinone and TXA can help treat and suppress this hyperpigmentation. In my dermatology practice (Hopkins Dermatology), we provide an advanced laser procedure known as “ Green Toning’’ to break up and remove the unwanted pigment while protecting the normal pigment, so this is safe for all skin types. A combination treatment and maintenance plan with daily use of sunscreen and antioxidants works best for long term improvement.

Dark spots on the hands are caused by long term sun exposure and genetics. Daily use of sunscreen and avoiding UV exposure, especially through the car window, can help prevent these unwanted dark spots. For those who already have these visible signs of aging and UV damage, I offer treatment with a combination of skin lightening

“Estrogen, ultraviolet sun products such as Neova DNA repair exposure and inflammation trigger melanocytes in the skin to complex and my own EX:Correct wipes along produce excess pigment.” with IPL laser treatments or laser resurfacing to erase these unwanted dark spots for both men and women.

~ WENDY NEWSOM

By clean beauty products, I assume we’re talking about organic products. It’s important to know that organic is a buzzword in marketing and often isn’t accurate. The drawback on truly organic product lines is that the shelf life is so short, sometimes only 3 months. Here at Spa Nouvelle, I often suggest the Jane Iredale line to clients who prefer natural products, which can be found locally with Dr. Saidi Sowma at Derma MediQ.

You must do your research on clean beauty products, and it can be overwhelming. There are so many product lines out there. I would suggest you start by arranging a consultation with an aesthetician. When I do consults, I want to understand your skin type to suggest the best products for you. You may think you are one skin type, but it can change over time. Hormonal shifts can take our skin from dry to oily or vice versa. If you travel, just using a different water can result in a breakout, as can weather changes. Drinking water is imperative as it flushes the system. Maintaining a relationship with a dermatologist and/or aesthetician is the key to long term skin care results.

For breakfast, I typically make stuff at home, sometimes the day before. Egg bites are a personal favorite. I start by putting sauteed veggies in a muffin pan and then pouring scrambled eggs over the veggies. I bake for about 15-20, and then I have little quiches that are great reheated or even cold - convenient to grab on-the-go. Egg bites are a great way to use leftover dinner stuff - meat, veggies, etc. Since it’s already cooked, you can just throw it in some egg bites or a frittata. It feels like a “new” meal, and then you don’t waste anything.

Sometimes, I will also eat half an avocado for the healthy fats. Avocados help keep me feeling full. Another recent obsession is jammy eggs (Google it!). They’re not quite hard boiled eggs which I will mix with tomato or avocado and keep in the fridge.

For lunch I love packing a salad in a jar, especially when I travel. I take a mason jar, pour my dressing in the bottom, then layer in my veggies that won’t get soggy (avocado, cucumber, olive) and then top with leafy greens. I also prefer some type of crunch - either sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. I frequently grab those pouches with tuna or salmon and mix it in to the salad. The salmon in olive oil packet is a personal favorite.

If you’d rather grab some local healthy options, Fiesta Nutrition on 18th Street in Monroe has multiple options, as does Newks in Monroe and For His Temple in West Monroe. Staying conscious of what you eat and playing with textures is key to keeping healthy food interesting and satisfying.

Typically when I hear people say they want to start running, it’s because they’ve never run consistently before. The key is to start slow and set small, realistic goals to avoid getting injured. That goal might be a 5K race or to lose a few pounds. Plan to run only a couple of days a week and the rest. Rest is just as important as running. And by rest, I mean active recovery, taking a walk or stretching or practicing yoga on off days. Focus on less intensive activity on rest days, moving without running. Also, start by learning the basics, like how to stretch beforehand or how to breathe correctly while running. You can find tutorial videos on YouTube.

Although they’re typically willing to help beginners, running groups are usually populated by more experienced runners. So, if you’re just starting out, maybe find a partner and try a jog/walk combo - run one minute and walk for two minutes for 20-30 minutes total. Check how you feel over the next couple of days. Perhaps your body can take on more, or perhaps you should pull back a little. Once you can run 2-3 miles without stopping, then try reaching out to a running group.

Here at The Louisiana Center for Women’s Health, we use filler in different areas, like the cheeks, to help with a lift along the jawline. We offer some products from Skinceuticals and ZO to help with lifting the skin. We also offer fraction laser skin resurfacing which addresses sagging jowls. Some other services that we don’t offer but can be found locally are radiofrequency microneedling and threads.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF Botox by now, but there are so many misconceptions. When we have questions, we go to Claire, RN at The Woman’s Clinic to get answers. Here are some questions we had:

A: No. Your facial muscles will be relaxed just enough to soften the lines that make you look tired. You will look just like yourself, only refreshed and more youthful.

A: That is the most common question about Botox. I always assess each area by getting the patient to make a lot of expressions. I will then map it out and calculate the number of units before mixing and injecting. There can be a wide range depending on the area(s) injected and the amount needed per area. This is not something I can do over the phone or without seeing you in person.

A: With more than 16 years of experience, Botox was the first FDA-approved treatment to temporarily smooth moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet lines, and frown lines between the eyes. It has a proven track record of safety. I will discuss with you any medications or conditions you may have which may contraindicate or pose risks for you.

A: Patients usually start seeing results in just a few days, but it can take up to two weeks for it to take full effect. For that reason, we don’t recommend touchups before two weeks.

A: It lasts approximately 4 months. The needles are very small, but they are needles. Most patients feel a little pinch and sting.

A: Yes. Even though our title is The Woman’s Clinic, we see males for BioTE pellet therapy, Botox, Body

A: If the patient is coming for the first time, we may spend a little more time talking and answering questions. Generally, each patient is in and out within about 30 minutes.

A: If you want to maintain the look, you will need to get injections approximately three times per year. If you stop, you will go back to looking exactly as you did prior to injections.

A: Yes. Membership is free, and you will get points that convert to dollars. You will also be able to scan our Alle Flash in the office for additional savings.

A: We certainly do!

A: Yes! Botox will be $11/unit through the end of January 2023.

A: Call 318-388-4030 and select Option 3. This is my direct line and bypasses the operator. I do aesthetic procedures only, so I can usually get you in within the week.

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA Monroe recently named the first official, committee-based round of recipients from The ULM Opportunity Fund. Seven projects were funded after a review process conducted by the Opportunity Fund Committee.

The 2022-2023 ULM Opportunity Fund recipients:

Dr. Allen Parrish, Assistant Professor of Music, will receive $5,500 to conduct a Community Brass Band Seminar to train area high school and college student musicians to create successful New Orleans-style brass bands.

Dr. Jeremy Bell, Assistant Professor of Education, will receive $8,500 for his SciMAT Lab project. SciMAT stands for science, math, and assistive technology. The project will be a state-of-the-art laboratory providing students in multiple programs with access to assistive technology materials.

Veronee, Assistant Professors of Music, will receive $2,200 to offset travel costs for students to attend the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference, the largest conference of its kind in the United States.

Dr. Jennifer Hoh, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, will receive approximately $16,000 for LEARN – Louisiana Educational Awareness for Rescue Needs. Dr. Hoh and her colleagues from the ULM College of Pharmacy will implement this program in high schools across the state. The program will engage students in preparedness training to help them recognize serious events and prevent them from becoming life-threatening.

Dr. William G. McCown, Professor of Psychology, will receive $2,985 to purchase hardware and software to create a Behavioral Research Lab for online and off-campus students. The lab will allow these students to design their own faculty-sponsored research projects.

Dr. Darrion Flunder-Jenkins, Assistant Professor of Precision Agriculture and Unmanned Aircraft System Management, will receive $4,165 to continue the Sky Breakers Drone Workshop which is offered to our region’s middle and high school students. The workshop covers the fundamentals of drone flight operations and the application of drones in various industries.

Dr. Leigh N. Hersey, Assistant Professor of Political Science, will receive $6,680 to continue the Women Take FLIGHT (Fostering Leadership to Increase Growth in Higher-ed Teams) program. The multidisciplinary project facilitates a university-wide, non-supervisory mentoring program for all faculty and staff, the Warhawk Women Read book club, and a variety of professional development workshops and socials; upcoming for spring are a research forum and a women in sports event.

The ULM Opportunity Fund, founded in 2020, assists students, faculty, and staff in generating positive change in the University and regional communities. ULM President Dr. Ronald Berry, joined by his wife, Dr. Christine Berry, started the fund with a personal commitment of $100,000. Due to the fundraising efforts of the ULM Foundation, the Opportunity Fund has grown to over $500,000.

The ULM Opportunity Fund will award funds for projects each year. The funded projects are selected by the Opportunity Fund committee after a review process.

in Ruston, Louisiana is proud to announce that they were chosen as one of the 2022-2023 Jazz & Heritage Presenting Recipients as a part of the Community Partnership Grant from The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Over 500 applicants in the Community Partnership Grant program are receiving a total of $1.4 million in funding.

Thursday, December 8th, Parterre hosted their Holiday Sip & Shop event from 5:00-7:00. This evening was filled with delicious hors d’oeuvres and great cocktails while the customers mingled and found some great holiday gifts!

The University of Louisiana Monroe signed a memorandum of understanding with The Chennault Aviation and Military Museum on December 9th. This collaboration provides ULM students with vital service-learning experiences in which they can increase their knowledge while advancing a local legacy. Collaborative projects described in the MOU include consultation on building projects with the ULM Construction Management program, student picnics hosted at CAMM Aviation Park, student internships, the collection of oral histories, and assisting with museum curation. The agreement is established for five years, at which point it will be re-evaluated and potentially renewed for an additional five years.