Heart Healthy Comfort Foods

With the weather getting colder, we look forward to heading home to warm comfort food after a long day of work. Luckily, when it comes to preventing heart disease through diet, there’s a lot you can do…and EAT! Thanks to the editors of Eating Well magazine, we’ve tracked down easy comfort food recipes, lightened to make them a better choice for your heart while keeping traditional flavors intact. From Dark Fudgy Brownies to healthy Oven-Fried Fish & Chips and Corn & Broccoli Calzones, check out the following Website for a variety of recipes to get you through the winter:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/heart_healthy_comfort_food_recipes?slide=1#leaderboardad

 

 

Give Thanks to Being Spider Vein Free!

This Thanksgiving, why not give thanks to having spider vein-free legs? Spider veins are typically found among women and, in addition, feeder veins found deeper in the skin also lead to discomfort, causing many women to not only seek spider vein removal for cosmetic reasons, but for comfort purposes as well.

Where do spider veins come from? Spider veins come from reticular veins, often called feeder veins, found deeper within the skin. They form a network of additional blue and green colored veins, giving a marbled appearance under the skin’s surface. Although they are difficult to see from the surface, it is still highly important to remove feeder veins during any procedure to prevent further expansion and networking of veins.

At Reno Vein Clinic we provide a top spider vein removal program, utilizing Sclerotherapy, a proven micro-injection procedure. During the hour-long procedure, we treat unwanted visible spider veins in addition to deep feeder veins to prevent future growth.

 Stop by or give us a call at 775-329-3100 to schedule a free consultation today.

Fall Skin Care Tips

As the weather gets colder, now is the time to take a few extra steps to help ensure your skin stays soft and radiant through harsher weather. Don’t have time to stop in for one of our facial treatments or peels? We have you covered with a few fun facial tips from BellaSugar.  Take a peek at the below tips and common foods to help you look and feel your best:

•  Green Tea — Full of antioxidants and helpful for reducing redness, rinsing your face in cool green tea is a great way to gently soothe skin.
• Avocado — An excellent moisturizer, avocado is great as a face mask, mashed up in hair or for using just about anywhere that needs a little extra hydration.
• Oatmeal — For a fast-acting soother, look no further than oatmeal, which has major anti-inflammatory properties. You can drop it in the bath, slather it on your face, or even use it as a gentle scrub.
• Lemon — The acid in this fruit can whiten nails, give your hair natural-looking highlights, and help slough off dry, flaky skin.
• Olive Oil — This kitchen staple is great for hydrating hair and smoothing dry spots on skin.
• Sugar — There’s no sweeter natural exfoliant. Mix this with a little olive, almond, or apricot oil for a great lip and body scrub.
• Honey — This natural antimicrobial also soothes and draws moisture into skin. Use it in masks or as a spot treatment.

To read the full article, visit http://www.bellasugar.com/Natural-Beauty-Foods-Work-20062312. For more information on Reno Vein Clinic’s top skin and laser treatments, visit http://renoveinclinic.com/skincare/.

 

Rejuvenate before the holidays hit!

Did you know we offer top notch skin and laser treatments in addition to our vein procedures? Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays hit, take some time out for yourself and indulge in one of our enhanced skin rejuvenation treatments or micro peels. Here is a quick look at some of our skin and laser treatments:

 La Roche Posay Micro Peel: Instantly improving skin’s texture, this peel utilizes dermaplaning, a manual exfoliation of the skin. Freeing skin of dead cellular layers, the peel also reduces the appearance of brown spots and fine lines. Selenium-rich thermal spring water found in the heart of France runs through all La Roche Posay’s skincare products, making for a unique and pleasant peel.  Selenium is a powerful anti-oxidant, protecting cells from oxidative stress (a cause of skin-aging). The element is used to treat numerous skin problems and help rejuvenate skin. 

BioMedic MicroPeel:  A perfect solution while on the go this season, this quick 15-minute exfoliating peel is a three-step process and requires no recovery time. The treatment utilizes moderate strength glycolic acid (a crystalline solid used in various skincare products) to improve skin appearance and condition. The procedure stimulates cellular turnover, leaving you with beautiful skin almost instantly.

 Enhanced Skin Rejuvenation: Enhanced Skin Rejuvenation treats fine wrinkles and sun-damaged skin. Patients with photo-damage and photo-aging often benefit from the procedure. This treatment specifically helps address sun damage, wrinkles, photo-aging, lentigines and facial telangiectasia, vascular and pigment irregularities.

 For more information or to check out skin treatment products by La-Roche Possay, visit http://renoveinclinic.com/skincare/.

 

Get to Know Your Reno Vein Clinic Doctors

Get to know Dr. John Daake, board certified by the American Board of Phlebology. Nationally recognized with more than 25 years of vascular surgery experience, Dr. Daake joined the Reno Vein Clinic after moving from Missouri. In his native Saint Louis, Missouri, he established a vein treatment clinic, “Knot in Vein”, that focused his knowledge and expertise on problems related to varicose and spider veins.

Here at Reno Vein Clinic, Dr. Daake’s work involves using a comprehensive treatment called Prorejuvenation, developed at the Clinic. The unique program emphasizes several key elements in the overall management of venous and vascular skin disorders, using modern techniques to provide safe treatments and positive outcomes.

A graduate of Princeton University and Saint Louis University School of Medicine, he is a Fellow at American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Venous Association, Washoe County Medical Society, American College of Phlebology and Nevada State Medical Association.

For more information on Dr. Daake, visit www.RenoVeinClinic.com.

 

 

Stay Spider Vein Free This Fall!

Just because colder weather is upon us and it’s almost time to start digging out pants and jeans, covering up doesn’t mean spider veins will disappear. In addition to looking unsightly, spider and varicose veins can pose health problems, so never let them go unnoticed or untreated.

Dr. Robert Merchant and Dr. John Daake not only treat the unsightly surface spider veins, but also the feeders that actually feed them. Treating the feeders means treating the source of the problem. We encourage our patients to take a look at our Website for treatment options to discover what suits them best. Here’s a quick look at our options:

• ClosureFast / Radiofrequency Closure: Treating varicose veins, this FDA approved procedure provides exceptional results. The one and a half hour surgery is performed under “twilight anesthesia” or a minimal sedation.  The minimally invasive walk in/walk out procedure allows patients to resume normal activity quickly and we recommend taking just one day off work following the surgery.
• Ambulatory Micro Phlebectomy: Performed separately or in conjunction with the RadioFrequency Closure treatment, this procedure surgically removes large varicose veins through micro-incisions near the surface of the skin, leaving a remarkable effect.
• Foam Sclerotherapy: Treating unwanted spider veins, this non-operative treatment uses micro-injection technology through small needles using an FDA approved solution. Compression hoses are required to be worn after the treatment and normal activities can resume immediately. To complete the sclerotherapy effectively, it usually takes two to four treatments, six weeks apart. What’s great is this approach treats hand, facial, leg and chest veins. 

Cholesterol: Foods to Lower Your Numbers

Having concerns about high cholesterol? A major risk factor leading to heart conditions, disease and strokes, cholesterol can often run in families. On the bright side, we can help manage cholesterol, starting with the foods we put in our bodies. Here’s a quick look at some tasty and functional foods recommended by the Mayo Clinic to help manage cholesterol numbers and keep us healthy and feeling our best.

• Oatmeal, Bran and Fiber-Rich Foods: Containing soluble fiber, these foods help lower “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.
• Fish & Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Heart healthy because of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, fish can help lower blood pressure and reduce risks of blood clots. High levels are found in mackerel, trout, salmon, halibut, tuna, trout and more.
• Walnuts, Almonds and Other Nuts: Helping reduce cholesterol, nuts are rich in good, fatty acids which also help keep blood vessels healthy. Doctors recommend eating a handful of nuts per day such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts – all helping reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Olive Oil: Containing a blend of antioxidants, olive oil helps lower cholesterol, while leaving “good” cholesterol untouched. The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day in place of other fats in your diet to receive its heart-healthy benefits.

For details and more information, check out the full article at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002.

 

 

 

Importance of Treating Varicose Veins

Spot a spider or varicose vein that looks like it may need treatment? Rather than letting it go and second guessing yourself, we highly recommend having veins looked at to determine any necessary treatment. Although many people with varicose veins do not develop complications, it is impossible to determine a vein’s outcome. While the size of a vein is not related to complications, the duration of the vein is. The following are situations that may arise if left untreated:

 

• Superficial Thrombophlebitis – In this condition, the varicose vein is inflamed and tender. A clot is usually present in the vein.
• Bleeding – Even with minor trauma, the varicose vein may be associated with bleeding. Because the vein is under high pressure, the bleeding can be quite profuse.
• Venous Eczema – The skin around the vein may become dry and very itchy.
• Venous Pigmentation – This is brown staining of the skin around the ankle. It is due to the leakage of small amount of blood from the veins into the skin.
• Venous Ulceration – This is the formation of ulcers at the ankle.

 

If you notice the development of varicose or spider veins, please contact us for a free consultation. Visit our Website at www.RenoVeinClinic.com or call us at 775-329-3100.

Walk and Jog Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life

Need motivation to get off the couch and get your heart pumping? Taking part in easy, aerobic exercises every day can help you live a longer, healthier life. Simple routines such as walking, jogging, biking or swimming affects your heart, lungs and blood flow. Still need motivation to get moving? Courtesy of the Mayo Clinic, we dug up some of our favorite reasons to get active and start working towards a long and healthy life!

• Build Stamina: Initially, aerobic exercising may make you tired in the short term. But over a longer period of time, you will enjoy increased stamina and energy and reduced fatigue.
• Ward off Illnesses: Exercising helps activate your immune system, leaving you less susceptible to viral illnesses such as a cold or flu.
• Reduce Health Risks: One of the ultimate benefits, aerobic exercises can help reduce your risk of many health conditions including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and certain cancers. Exercising can also reduce the chance of subsequent heart attacks.
• Keep Arteries Clear: Aerobic exercise boosts your high-density lipoprotein (or “good” cholesterol) and helps lower your low-density lipoprotein (or “bad” cholesterol). The result includes less buildup of plaque in your arteries.
• Strengthen Your Heart: A stronger heart doesn’t need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more effectively to all parts in your body. Aerobic exercises are a great way to work towards a healthier heart.
• Boost Your Mood: Aerobic exercising can pull you out of a slump, reduce tension and promote relaxation.

Are you Likely to Develop Varicose or Spider Veins?

While many people may have the same odds of getting varicose or spider veins, there are several factors that can increase a person’s chances of developing these veins. Factors can include:

• Increasing Age
• Having family members who have had vein problems or being born with weak vein valves
• Changes in hormones. This occurs during puberty and menopause. In addition, taking birth control or medicines containing estrogen and progesterone can increase the risk of developing spider or varicose veins.
• Pregnancy.  During this time, there is a large increase in the amount of blood in the body which can cause veins to enlarge. The expanding uterus also puts pressure on veins. Varicose veins normally improve within three months after delivery. However, an increasing number of abnormal veins usually appear with each additional pregnancy.
• Obesity, leg injury and prolonged periods of time standing
• Sun exposure. This can cause spider veins on the cheeks or nose of a fair-skinned person.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, visit us at www.RenoVeinClinic.com or call us at 775-329-3100.