Absolutely!   The most important thing you can do to prevent or treat adult-onset diabetes is to eat a low-glycemic diet and moderate your caloric intake.  The glycemic index is a measure of how rapidly a food will enter the bloodstream.  Sugar has a glycemic index of 100, as it would rapidly enter the bloodstream and cause a flood of glucose and insulin to rise in your system. We want the opposite to occur.  We want foods that will slowly enter the bloodstream and cause a very mild increase in insulin.  Insulin, when high, can drive your appetite, and cause cravings for more refined food products.  This can lead into a vicious cycle of weight gain and finally a development of adult-onset diabetes.   The low-glycemic index foods typically have more fiber and more nutrients and will more slowly enter the bloodstream.   An example of low-glycemic foods includes most proteins, many vegetables, as well as whole grain products such as kiwi, bran, brown rice, etc. Knowing the glycemic index can be extremely helpful in helping choose which foods are the best to eat.  We always want to avoid processed, packaged, sugars that are high in trans-fats, corn syrup and sugars.  These will most definitely lead you down the path toward diabetes.  Using whole foods that are organic and simply prepared is probably the best way to go.

Vitamin supplements are very important in optimal health, however, there are many things you have to take into consideration before purchasing your vitamins; first, the quality of the vitamin.   Studies have shown that many vitamins have been found to have contamination, especially herbs from India or China have been found to have contamination with lead and other heavy metals.   Vitamins are not regulated the same way that pharmaceutical medications are.  Therefore, you have to find a company that produces vitamins at a very high quality.   These supplements are typically found through doctors’ offices, chiropractors’ offices, and compounding pharmacies.   The quality of the supplement is the key to your success.   Additionally, knowing which vitamin you need, this can be analyzed in a urine test or blood test to see if you are deficient in any vitamins, or any vitamins that you need in more than average levels.   This is the most precise way to determine your vitamin needs.  By reviewing your medical history, we can also help determine which vitamins that would likely be beneficial to your health.

The ideal way to lose weight, is to gradually lose weight in a sensible fashion over a moderate period of time.  Crash diets never work because a lot of the weight loss is actually water and muscle, and then when weight is regained, it is typically regained as fat.  It is a vicious cycle, and one we try to break.  I typically recommend a modified Mediterranean diet for patients trying to lose weight.  This type of diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, lean protein; and low in grains and dairy products.  This has been studied and shown to be one of the healthiest and most effective ways to lose weight.  I also like to incorporate medical foods which are specialized protein shakes into this regimen, as it can accelerate the weight loss product and weight loss process, and supply important key nutrients in protein to patients trying to lose weight.   If you have to lose a significant amount of weight, 100 pounds or more, typically you will have excess skin following the weight loss.  If the excess skin is severe, it is often treated by a plastic surgeon, however, for most patients losing 20 to 30 pounds, the skin typically shrinks back down.

Rhinoplasty is often medically approved when there is a breathing issue or the nose has a functional problem. There are many times when this is the case, for example, a patient who has broken their nose has a deviated nasal septum, weak nasal valves or often sometimes when the nose is severely crooked. This would be determined during the consultation but would be covered under those circumstances.