Other Individual Services Include
Body Composition Analysis – Electrodes are placed on the hand and foot and a painless electrical current runs through the body. As electrical resistance is different in body fat than lean tissue, body fat and muscle percentages can be determined. Body composition is very important in health and aging. It is not necessary to be overweight to have a problem with body composition. Anyone who has gone through yo-yo dieting is likely to have an abnormal body composition. Hydration status is also determined along with basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn at rest).
Metabolic Rate Testing – Unlike the metabolic rate calculated on the body composition test (which is predicted based on how much muscle is present), this measures your actual metabolic rate by determining how much oxygen you breathe in and how much carbon dioxide you breathe out. If your measured metabolic rate is less than the predicted rate based on muscle mass this may indicate a metabolic problem. This test is performed while you rest comfortably in our recliner wearing a special mask.
Exercise Metabolism Testing (VO2) – This test measures how many calories you are burning at different heart rates to determine your personal target heart rates for fat burning and aerobic fitness. It also measures what percentage of the calories you use are from fat, and what percentage from carbohydrates. It is performed on our treadmill using the same mask as the metabolic rate test. You will start walking at a comfortable pace and gradually increase the pace or incline to increase your heart rate. You may stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable or if you feel the workload is becoming too hard. The results are used to design a personalized exercise program to suit your specific goals. It is also useful for people who have reached a plateau in their workouts or for athletes like runners and triathletes looking to improve their times. This test takes approximately 20 minutes. You should plan to wear comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear.
Anti-oxidant scan – This scanner measures the amount of beta carotene in your tissues (a common anti-oxidant vitamin plentiful in orange vegetables like carrots). It is an estimate of whether or not you are getting enough anti-oxidants in your diet. Generally people who eat well and take multivitamins score better than those with poor nutrition habits, however, everyone is biochemically unique and has different needs for anti-oxidants. Some health conditions can cause anti-oxidants to be utilized at a greater rate, as does vigorous exercise such as long distance running. This test is used to help motivate people to realize that they really “are what they eat”. It is also a screening tool – if there are any concerns, more specific anti-oxidant blood testing may be ordered. This test takes approximately 10 minutes.
Waist-to-Hip ratio – More important than body mass index (weight for height), this measure of where you are carrying body fat predicts risk for heart disease and other common chronic conditions. Men and women who are “apple” shaped (tend to gain weight around the middle) are at increased risk for health problems due to weight compared with those who are “pear” shaped (tend to carry their weight on their hips/thighs).
Customized Nutrition Counseling – Our nutrition recommendations are based on the Mediterranean diet which is proven in many studies to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. It was investigated because people in Mediterranean countries who eat this way tend to live longer. This is not a low carb or low fat diet, it is not a fad. It is intended to be a permanent way of eating and is plentiful in delicious foods like salmon, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and olive oil. These foods have many proven benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. People generally feel better and lose weight on this program, even if they are not restricting calories
Follow up visits with nutritional support counselor - we provide ongoing support and education to help you stick to your new eating habits and maximize your success. There is no additional charge for follow up appointments with our nutritional counselor.
Customized Exercise prescription – In addition to the exercise metabolism test, your strength and flexibility will also be evaluated. The physician and exercise physiologist work together to determine fitness recommendations for you. These are based on your medical concerns, exercise testing, and lifestyle. You may choose to do some personal training with us, work out at the gym where you have a membership, or in your own home. Your fitness program will reflect your preference. We are careful to base the recommendations on the individual to maximize success.
Follow up visits with our exercise physiologists - We provide ongoing support and motivation to help you stick to your program. As you progress, the program recommendations will be changed to allow for variety and continued progress. You may choose to do some personal training with us (cost not included in program fee, but offered at a discounted rate) or periodically return to be retested and get new recommendations.
Weight loss – For those wishing a more structured weight loss program, we offer more frequent weigh ins and body composition testing to ensure fat loss (and not muscle loss). Your nutritional and exercise recommendations will reflect your weight loss goals. We will also monitor metabolic rate, as this can slow with “dieting” which contributes to the dangerous cycle of yo-yo dieting. Different meal replacement plans are available to help make things easier for those who are busy, and we can recommend supplements that may help. We make sure that you are achieving weight loss the healthy, permanent way!
Stress Management – For those looking for some help with managing the stress in their life, we offer private coaching in breathing techniques and guided imagery. These sessions will teach you the tools to be able to use these modalities on your own, whenever needed. It is estimated that 90% of visits to doctors offices are in some way stress-related. This is something that almost everyone could benefit from.
“Functional Age” Assessment – This state-of-the-art technology is available in only a very few offices in the country. A computerized test measures 12 biomarkers of aging including concentration, reaction time, numeric memory, visual memory, hearing, lung function, grip strength and more. Your scores are used to calculate your “functional age”; you may be 55 but have a functional age of only 48. A comprehensive report is generated which explains the meaning of each test and gives recommendations for improvement. These can be used to help generate a plan for keeping your mental acuity sharp. For example, an accountant would tend to score well in numeric memory because they have used that area of their brain regularly over many years. They may benefit from some kind of visual exercise, such as painting or drawing, that exercises different areas of the brain. This test does not diagnose Alzheimers or dementia.
Nutritional Supplements - Currently, nutritional supplements including vitamins are not regulated by the FDA. This means that there are no inspections of facilities or analyses of products to ensure that what is on the label is in the bottle (and that there is nothing else in the bottle that is not listed on the label – lead and mercury. for example, can be contaminants in natural products). We have carefully looked at the products available and chosen our recommended supplements. These products are:
- Independently tested by third parties
- Free from impurities
- Contain the highest quality ingredients
As a service to our members we make these products available at greatly discounted prices.
Resource Information – We keep on top of the medical research in the areas of hormone replacement, nutritional medicine, metabolism, and preventive medicine. We pass along the latest information to you, and give you our take on the news you are hearing in the media. We have a monthly newsletter, postings on our website and make ourselves available if you have questions about something you have heard. We are your source for information about wellness.
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