San Diego Weight Loss Center Launches New Blog

SAN DIEGO, CA, March 30, 2013 (Press-News.org) Pura Vida (http://www.puravida-md.com), a healthy aging and aesthetics clinic, offers patients solutions for growing older gracefully as well as a comprehensive website dedicated to patient education and weight loss in San Diego. With the addition of blog posts to their site, Pura Vida hopes to reach a wider audience, as well as disseminate the latest information on medical aesthetics, hormone replacement therapy, weight loss and other issues related to healthy aging.

"We're very excited to establish another way of connecting with our patients," says Howard Rappaport, executive director of Pura Vida. "Blog posts open up a new level of discussion about healthy aging, and that's very important to those of us here at Pura Vida."

Healthy aging is the science of studying the natural hormone shifts that occur with age, and treating the negative symptoms of those changes through a combination of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), nutrition and lifestyle changes in order to bring patients back to optimum health.

"Most people don't realize that great health doesn't exist in a vacuum," explains Mr. Rappaport. "Pills and prescriptions just treat symptoms; whole body health focuses instead on eliminating those underlying imbalances so their symptoms resolve naturally."

Men and women both undergo periods of hormonal changes as they age. For women, this time is known as menopause. Signified by the ending of their menstruation cycle, menopause is accompanied by drastic changes in hormone production. Men also experience hormonal changes, beginning with a decline in testosterone production during their 30s, and continuing on through later age. This process is called andropause.

Both men and women may experience a wide range of symptoms due to these hormonal changes, including mood swings, concentration problems, low energy, changes in sex drive and sexual function and weight gain.

The medical team at Pura Vida works together to create individualized treatment plans for each patient. Treatment includes a combination BHRT to help resolve underlying hormonal imbalances and nutritional guidance to address potential deficiencies that may be contributing to these symptoms, including excess weight.

For a new approach toward weight loss, the Pura Vida specialists in San Diego recommend the hCG diet for patients along with other therapies. This approach combines injections of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) to facilitate weight loss and encourage healthier weight distribution, while simultaneously following an extremely low-calorie diet under medical supervision. The hCG diet consists of four phases, and is intended to reset the body's metabolic rate to create lasting results.

"Healthy aging is about feeling positive about entering the next phase of your life, and it's hard to do that if you feel terrible all the time," says Rappaport. "With your body in balance again, you'll experience a renewed focus and zest for life."

In addition to treating the physiological signs of aging, Pura Vida also provides a selection of aesthetic services designed to help patients' reflections better match their newfound energy levels.

"It's amazing what a minimally invasive procedure like BOTOX can do for your self-esteem," says Rappaport. "It's so gratifying when such small changes can make a world of difference in your confidence levels."

BOTOX Cosmetic is an injection that paralyzes the muscle groups responsible for creating dynamic facial wrinkles. Without the continual muscle movement, wrinkles fade from the face. Other aesthetic treatments available from Pura Vida include injectable fillers, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing and medical-grade skin care lines.

Utilizing the latest medical research in aging, hormone therapy and integrative medicine, Pura Vida (http://www.puravida-md.com) is a healthy aging and aesthetics clinic that utilizes advancements in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and nutrition to treat health issues holistically, integrating all elements involved to work in concert to create optimal health. With two offices located in San Diego and Encinitas, Pura Vida's network of physicians has helped hundreds of patients achieve optimum health through nutrition guidance and comprehensive, individualized plans.