How exercising promotes holistic health

Image source: nytimes.com

People get into exercising for a number of reasons. Regardless of their reasons, they all aim to become better for themselves and the people around them. Exercise promises to promote improvement in one’s physical, emotional, and mental health.

While weight isn’t the only basis for being fit, it does say a lot about a person’s health. Any form of exercise, be it through regular playing a sport or following a gym program, can keep one’s weight in check. Proper and regular exercise can help prevent weight gain or help in maintaining weight loss. Doctors may advise their patients to exercise regularly to ward off serious health conditions and diseases.

Individuals who need an emotional lift also turn to exercise to boost their mood. Some head to the gym to blow off some steam after a stressful day at work. After a gym session, people may also feel better about their appearance, boosting their confidence and improving their self-esteem. Exercising helps increase productivity, too. While it may seem counterintuitive, regular exercise promotes energy boost as it delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues and helps one’s cardiovascular system work more efficiently.

Image source: nbcnews.com

Exercising inspires and motivates an individual to do more and be more. Once exercising becomes a habit, it changes the way a person sees life. Perspectives are changed, and one’s view of the world becomes broader and sounder. It teaches an individual about patience and discipline, encouraging hard work in everything one will get their hands into. Through exercise, every day is a chance to be better and to become an inspiration to many.

Dr. Tup Ingram is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon based in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Yale University for undergraduate studies, graduating cum laude with a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy. When he’s not busy with work, he enjoys flying, scuba diving, and exercising. Visit this blog for similar updates.

How scuba diving cleanses one’s soul and mental being

Image source: Pixabay.com 

From a close encounter with marine life to the therapeutic effects of the ocean and the outdoors, scuba diving offers a wealth of benefits for mental wellness. Whether one is a recreational beginner or an experienced deep sea diver that does it for work, these benefits aren’t to be ignored.

Stress relief Modern life is fraught with challenge at school or work, and the never-ending mission to win or get ahead of others. Scuba diving is an effective stress relief where breathing slowly and deeply while diving incites a calm and relaxed state while the diver concentrates on the underwater world, not life’s problems. This helps reduce stress and balance the nervous system.

Image source: Pixabay.com  

Travel and socialization Diving is an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and build or become part of a community. The experiences made underwater lead to conversations and a bond that can last a long time. Traveling to warm climates to dive is also a great way to experience new cultures, have fun, and soak in some sun for its mental benefits.

Mindfulness and being present in the moment With its focus on natural navigation, scuba diving heightens one’s presence in and observation of specific moments. It comes easy for divers to observe the most important rule in mindfulness, which is to observe, not judge. In highly concentrating, too, they are lost in time, feeling the happiness that the experience affords, and puts the past, the future, and their problems behind.

Tup Ingram, M.D. is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, currently holding practice in Nashville, Tennessee. When he’s not busy with work, he enjoys flying, scuba diving, and exercising. Learn more about his passions on this page.

Some benefits of a tummy tuck

Image source: sanctuarycosmeticcenter.com

The number of people undergoing a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty has grown significantly over the years.  Between the year 2000 and 2014 alone, tummy tuck procedures in the U.S. rose 87%, based on statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 

The procedure entails tightening muscles and doing away with loose skin and fat from the abdominal area.  It often complements the now-popular mommy makeover set of procedures that aid women in recovering their figures after giving birth. 

While a tummy tuck offers a lot of aesthetic benefits, it likewise provides sound medical and health advantages.  For one, the procedure helps patients improve posture and abdominal tone, especially after a series of pregnancies or severe weight loss.  Weak muscles are tightened to support the spine more durably, while excess fat deposits are removed to flatten the abdomen.

Image source: womenfitness.net

Tummy tucks also offer relief from ventral hernia, wherein the abdominal tissue or intestine starts to push past the abdominal wall.  This condition may follow an appendectomy or a Caesarian section.  An abdominoplasty likewise aids in dealing with stress urinary incontinence or SUI, which may develop in women after giving birth.  Here, the bladder has been weakened and tends to empty itself when one coughs, sneezes, laughs, or exerts effort in general.

With a tummy tuck, fully healed patients will notice that doing exercises is now more tolerable, helping them recover their interest in activities like walking, running, gym routines, and even aerobics.  This is because those weak abs have now been strengthened and excess skin that impedes movement has been done away with.

Tup Ingram, M.D. is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon. He completed his residencies in general and plastic surgery in the Southwestern Medical Center and took various fellowships abroad. More reads on cosmetic surgery procedures here. 

How To Save Money When Scuba Diving

Image source: belizeprodivecenter.com

There are a lot of great hobbies out there that are just hard to get into simply because of cost. For example, surfing is probably one of the most fun water activities. However, you’ll need to travel to a beach where there are decent waves, rent a surfboard, hire an instructor, and repeat this for several months until you can surf on your own. By that time, you’d have to purchase your own surfboard.

The same argument can be said about scuba diving. From getting your PADI license to completing your gear, it all costs so much. If you want to get into scuba diving but don’t want to empty your bank account, here are some helpful tips on saving money when scuba diving.

Live-aboard trips can save you a lot of money in terms of accommodations. You’ll spend more time in the water and be able to reach several dive destinations in one trip. Just make sure you’re fine sleeping on a boat.

Image source: liveaboard-thailand.asia

Shore diving can also save you a lot of money as you don’t require a boat for the trip. All you need is a car and a good spot to start. This is best if you’re diving with another person as going solo can be risky.

Lastly, go to Southeast Asia if you want more cost effective dives. Prices here are cheap and the locations are amazing.

Tup Ingram, M.D. attended Yale University and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics and Physics. He is also a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, focusing his practice on reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. For more insightful reads on scuba diving, visit this blog.

A nutrition guide for patients who have undergone facial surgery

For patients who have undergone facial surgery, nutrition is an extremely significant aspect of the recovery process. To minimize health issues and quicken the recovery period, it is highly recommended that patients stick to the types of food that they can intake. 

Image source: entuk.org

Let’s start with fiber. What many patients who have had facial surgery don’t say out loud is the constipated feeling they feel after the procedure. Fibrous food can help facilitate bowel movement. Even during the recovery process, patients may have some digestive issues due to the prescribed meds. Fruits and vegetables can ease the digestive system during this time. 

Protein-rich food, on the other hand, has a very different role to play from its fibrous counterpart. During the recovery process, protein acts as a healing agent for the muscle and skin. Food like chicken, lean meat, eggs, and fish can all shorten the recovery time. Avoid fried food though, since it makes the skin itch. 

Of course, to fully recover, and recover the right way, patients should not skimp on vitamins and minerals. There are several vitamins patients can and should take. With regards to minerals, patients should look for those with selenium, zinc, and calcium. 

Image source: nuts.com

Tup Ingram, M.D., is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has worked with various nonprofit organizations such as Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, and Doctors Without Borders. For similar articles, click here.

Simple Age Guide To Cosmetic Surgery

Unlike regular medical surgery, elective surgery such as those used for cosmetic purposes has age recommendations. And the age recommendations for these elective surgeries vary depending on what they are for. Not only do these differ in terms of age, but there are also periods in one’s life where the procedure is best to be had. Here is a simple guide to the age recommendations of cosmetic procedures.

Image source: pixabay.com

The recommended age for cosmetic breast surgery is 18 and above. By this age, a woman’s breasts would have developed, and thus they would be able to tell if they fell that their breasts are underdeveloped. Options for cosmetic breast surgery include breast augmentation, uplift, and reduction. 

Another age where one could consider cosmetic breast surgery is after they hit 30. The reason for this includes loss of volume after pregnancy or significant weight loss. 

While there is no age limit, most surgeons have a minimum age of 17 or 18 when it comes to liposuction if there is no existing medical condition. For teenagers who are conscious about their image but have yet to reach this age, doctors would suggest seeking counseling first until they reach the right age. 

Similarly to cosmetic breast surgery, rhinoplasty is a procedure best done after the patient has reached 18 years of age. This is to ensure that their nose is fully grown.

Image source: pixabay.com

Tup Ingram, M.D., attended Yale University and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics and Physics. After his undergraduate studies, he moved to Dallas, Texas, and completed his medical studies and residencies in general and plastic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. For more on Dr. Ingram’s work and interests, click here.

How Operation Smile Improves Lives Each Year

Founded in 1982 by Dr. William Pagee Jr. and his wife, Kathy Magee, Operation Smile is one of the biggest and most active medical nonprofit organizations in the world. Its mission mainly revolves around cleft lip and palate repair surgeries and raising awareness with regards to these conditions.

Image source: catalog.operationsmile.org

Children (and adults) with cleft lip and palate can suffer serious health conditions. They can develop hearing problems, ear infections, have difficulty latching during breastfeeding, and many more. They can also suffer from social problems due to their appearance and difficulties in speaking.

An Operation Smile surgical mission begins with an examination by medical volunteers to ensure the patient is healthy enough to undergo the procedure. Before the medical procedure, the patients undergo therapeutic play with certified child life specialists to walk them through the changes that will happen after the surgery. Lastly, the procedure takes place. In the surgery, surgeons carefully stitch the patient’s upper lip together, layer by layer.

Image source: donateaphoto.com

Operation Smile has performed over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults in over 30 countries around the world. It also has a program called World Care Program where it brings patients with extraordinary craniofacial conditions to its headquarters in Virginia to receive treatment.

Tup Ingram, M.D., is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, with his practice focusing on reconstruction and cosmetic surgery, except craniofacial surgery. In the past, he had worked with Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and the Viennese Opera Ball of New York City. For more insightful reads, click here.

The Top Medical Reasons To Undergo Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures people undergo as it can correct or enhance the shape of the nose by modifying the bone or the cartilage. However, many people also undergo the procedure for medical reasons. Below are some of them: 

Image source: Menshealth.de

To correct a cleft lip or a cleft palate 

Having a cleft lip or a cleft palate could be difficult especially for a child. People with a cleft lip or a cleft palate may find it hard to eat and breathe properly; thus, a cleft lip surgery, along with rhinoplasty, is performed to correct the defect. 

To prevent nasal inflammation and chronic allergies 

Though not necessarily a birth defect, having a deviated nasal septum can worsen a person's reaction to nasal allergies to the point of nasal inflammation. This situation not only leads to discomfort but can also affect breathing, cause nausea, and hinder productivity. To alleviate the severe reactions, a rhinoplasty might be necessary. 

To repair facial damage due to injury or trauma 

Burns or injuries on the face may require a medical rhinoplasty to repair the bone structure that has been affected. Broken noses, for example, may require a rhinoplasty to prevent sinus pressure and other nasal conditions that could cause discomfort. 

Functional rhinoplasty can be a necessary procedure that can help relieve some conditions in people. While most people see the procedure as a way to improve their looks, for others, it is a necessary step to ensure their health.

Image source: Guardian.co.uk

Tup Ingram, M.D., is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, focusing his practice on reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. He completed his residencies in general and plastic surgery in the Southwestern Medical Center and took many fellowships abroad to further hone his skills in his chosen field. Visit this page for updates.

Why Support Doctors Without Borders?

There are plenty of medical charities to support in one’s locality and around the world.  But why should one donate to Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)?  This global charity group seeks to deliver emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, as well as exclusion from health care.  MSF was formed in 1971 when amid the Paris upheavals of May 1968, a group of young doctors in France decided to try and help victims of wars and major disasters.

When Doctors Without Borders started, it had 300 volunteers made up of doctors, nurses, and other staff, including its 13 founding doctors and journalists.  Its first mission was to the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, where an earthquake in 1972 had destroyed most of the city and killed anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 people.

Image source: Doctors Without Borders 

The mission was to be highly organized and serve “not just [as] doctors pitching up with few drugs in a plastic bag and not enough to work with.”  The organization claims that 89 cents of every dollar supports the program, with the goal of operating efficiently and minimizing fundraising and administrative costs.

When one donates money to Doctors Without Borders, it allows the aid workers to save lives around the world through different basic necessities.  Thirty-five dollars can provide two high-energy meals a day to 200 children, while $50 can provide vaccinations for 50 people against measles, meningitis, polio, or other deadly epidemics.

Image source: Doctors Without Borders

Two hundred fifty dollars can provide a sterilization kit for syringes and needles in mobile vaccination campaigns, while $1000 can already offer emergency medical supplies to help 5,000 disaster victims for an entire month.

Tup Ingram, M.D., is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon based in Nashville, Tennessee. He had worked with various nonprofit organizations such as Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, and Doctors Without Borders. For similar articles, click here.

Five health benefits of scuba diving

It’s not sheer enjoyment or adrenaline rush that one can get from scuba diving. Here are some leading health benefits that the sport or hobby can offer to virtually everyone.

Image source: Pixabay.com 

Increased strength and flexibility

As one moves through the water during a dive, muscles tend to work harder due to the resistant of the water as well as the current. The more one dives and swims, the more these muscles lengthen, become stronger, and develop both endurance and flexibility.

Deep breathing

As slow, deep breathing is crucial to optimize air consumption and bottom time during scuba diving, one develops a calm attitude and reduces the risk of a lung expansion injury and mucus buildup, potentially helping in conditions such as asthma.

Stress relief

Think of it as breathing during meditation: slow, deep breathing that induces a relaxed state. This, alongside the fact that the diver focuses on the underwater surroundings instead of life’s daily pressures, helps reduce stress and balances the nervous system.

Lowered blood pressure

First diving into the water might make one’s blood pressure spike temporarily and slightly due to the excitement. Once warmed up, one may find reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure. If one has high blood pressure, though, the doctor needs to be informed.

Water’s healing properties

What would it feel like to be back in the womb of one’s mother, feeling secure and immersed in well-being? Diving allows the body to calm down and, instead of fighting against the current, surrender and be one with the underwater environment.

Image source: Pixabay.com  

Tup Ingram, M.D. is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon who enjoys scuba diving, exercising, and flying in his downtime. For similar reads, click here.