| COLD PLUNGES
Cold plunges (cold water immersion) offer several potential physical and mental health benefits, primarily by triggering the body’s stress response and promoting circulation.
Key positives include:
Physical Health Benefits
· Reduced Muscle Soreness and Inflammation: Athletes frequently use cold plunges to alleviate post-exercise muscle soreness and reduce swelling. The cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which helps reduce blood flow to the area, minimizing inflammation and pain.
· Improved Circulation: The body’s response to cold exposure involves the constriction and subsequent dilation of blood vessels (vasoconstriction and vasodilation), which can enhance overall blood circulation over time. This process efficiently delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
· Faster Cool Down: Cold water immersion is an effective way to quickly lower core body temperature after strenuous exercise or in hot conditions, helping to prevent overheating.
· Boosted Immune Function: Regular, short-term cold exposure may lead to an increase in the number of circulating immune cells and can stimulate the immune system, potentially making the body more resilient to illness.
· Increased Metabolism: The body works to maintain its core temperature in cold water, which activates brown adipose tissue (brown fat) and can temporarily increase the metabolic rate, burning more calories.
· Potential Pain Relief: Cold water can have a numbing effect on nerves, providing short-term relief from acute and chronic pain.
Mental Health Benefits
· Mood Enhancement and Alertness: Cold exposure triggers the release of “feel-good” hormones and neurotransmitters like endorphins, adrenaline, and dopamine, which can improve mood, increase energy levels, and enhance mental clarity and alertness.
· Stress Reduction and Resilience: Regularly engaging in the controlled stress of a cold plunge can help build mental toughness and teach the body and mind to manage stress more effectively in other life situations.
· Improved Sleep Quality: Some research suggests that regular cold water immersion may help improve sleep quality.
· Sense of Accomplishment: Successfully completing a cold plunge can provide a significant sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, contributing to overall mental well-being.
Important Considerations
While the benefits are promising, research is ongoing, and more large-scale studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects. Individuals with pre-existing heart conditions or high blood pressure should consult a healthcare professional before trying cold plunges due to the potential for cardiac stress.
-Pamela Paul, WSJ, Gemini
| LA DOLCE VITA, JOIE DE VIVRE:
Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro, Thanksgiving Sides
(This is the episode on TV) |
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| www.barefootcontessa.com to get all her Thanksgiving recipes!
Some of the dishes she makes are not healthy but just delicious. I have made her mushroom & leek bread pudding. Loved it, and so did others. In this episode, she also shows how to make cranberry & fruit compote, homemade gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts, haricot verts & hazelnuts, celery root & apple puree, mashed potatoes four ways, roasted beet, butternut squash & apple salad, and root vegetable gratin.
Her celebrity guests make red cabbage with pomegranates, collard greens, and sweet potato pudding.
Check it out! |
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SKIN CARE SPECIAL:

For the month of November, anyone who leaves a Google Review will be entered in a drawing to win skin care products with a value of over $700! We greatly appreciate your valuable feedback. There are three ways to leave a review:
· Click here: McKenna Peter J MD – Google Maps and scroll down to the “Write A Review” button.
· Scan the following QR code: |
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| · Search “Dr. Peter McKenna” in Google, click “Rate and Review on Google,” and then leave your rating/review.
Let us know you’ve done this at the office: call 513-793-5772, or email us at Elizabeth@mckennamd.com. We’ll select a winner on December 1. |
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| Monthly payment plans for surgeries, skincare, and injectables through CareCredit. Call us for details. Currently, there is no interest on 6-month plans. |
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| TESTIMONIAL:
“The kindness and care you receive at Dr. McKenna’s office is top-notch! They are truly the best you would want taking care of you!” D.R. |
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| McKenna Cosmetic Surgery Center | 513.793.5772 |10577 Montgomery Road | Cincinnati, OH 45242 |
| 30+ Years of Improving Lives
A Cincinnati Magazine “Top Doc” since 1998
Allergan Top 500 Physician
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And now a Luminary (expert) for Endymed RF Fractional Treatments
(I do write all the emails and have done so since 2007. -PJM) |
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