Dr. Deepa Verma is double board-certified in family medicine and integrative holistic medicine. She graduated magna cum laude from The College of NJ and is a graduate of Rutgers Medical School in New Jersey (formerly known as Robert Wood Johnson Medical School). Dr. Verma completed her family medicine residency at Somerset Medical Center and was elected chief resident. She founded Synergistiq Integrative Health, her private practice, in 2013, during a very challenging time in her life.
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When we look at where we are now compared to 100 years ago, or even 25 years ago, we have come a very long way. With advancements in science to technology to medicine, mankind is making great strides in the realm of longevity, and our knowledge of the past, future and present is growing by leaps and bounds. Think about it, where would we be without smartphones for example? The world and all it has to offer is in the palm of our hands and at our fingertips, quite literally. You perhaps cannot imagine what we did before the advent of such great technology. Since the last decade or so, we have been witnessing and experiencing countless fads and trends in the fields of wellness and anti-aging. I do not particularly like the word anti-aging, as it confers a negative message that one should not embrace or enjoy aging. I prefer the term, optimal aging.
Integrative medicine encompasses inner and outer beauty and synergy of the mind-body-spirit, as it is proactive and preventative medicine, not reactive. Here are some of my personal favorite wellness and optimal aging trends that I offer in my unique practice. Always remember this, you don’t have to be better than everyone else, you just have to be better than you have ever been. Being a global faculty speaker for the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) and a medical consultant for the local news, my true passion and mission are to serve people as a physician and spread the wealth of health.
Aesthetics
What I offer in my practice run the gamut from facial rejuvenation to body sculpting. My most popular services are RF micro-needling, laser skin resurfacing, hyaluronic acid fillers, neuromodulators, diamond glow facials, PDO threads, and non-invasive body sculpting. The recent additions of truSculpt flex and truSculpt ID by Cutera, better known as truBody, is my recipe for skin tightening, fat burning and muscle sculpting. I call it the triple threat. Non-invasive and non-surgical aesthetics is a burgeoning billion-dollar industry. These are easy lunchtime procedures that require virtually no downtime. This is where we are headed. People want convenience and ease.
Plant-based diet and intermittent fasting
This may not be just a trend, but a belief system that will be firmly ensconced in mainstream nutrition. Whether you are against animal cruelty and violence or not, this goes way beyond that. Plant-based nutrition and intermittent fasting will dominate the wellness world for a long time to come. The ideas that chronic disease processes can be prevented and reversed, weight can be lost, thyroid-adrenal-hormonal balance can be restored, gut health and immunity can be boosted, are enough to convince the most carnivorous eater to give it a try. The buzzword recently has been intermittent fasting, an ancient Ayurvedic practice that allows the body to down the aging process while allowing to cleanse the body from the inside out, leading to anti-inflammatory effects internally and radiant skin externally. Plant based nutrition along with intermittent fasting is here to stay.
Telomeres and gut health
These two hot topics in medicine deserve their own categories, but they are too good not to combine. When we talk about optimal aging and longevity, these are it. Telomeres, simplistically put, are protective caps on the end of DNA. Preserving telomere function may not only help with longevity, but evidence may show protection from cancer and other chronic diseases. Almost two decades ago, the Human Genome Project allowed modern medicine to tap into our genetics, by shedding light that genes are responsible to 10-20 percent of our health, and that lifestyle factors are the most influential predictors of our health destiny. And this is where our microbiome comes into play—the trillions of microbes including bacterial gut flora, are as unique to each of us as our fingerprints, and influenced greatly by diet, toxin exposure, medications and lifestyle choices. The gut is termed the “second brain,” and produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter that prevents depression. Autoimmune, cardiovascular, metabolic and neuropsychiatric disease stem from poor gut health.
Exosomes and IV therapy
Exosomes are chemical messengers from stem cells that are used for everything from aesthetics to chronic pain to autoimmune disease and more. They help to generate new cell growth and restore youthfulness. IV therapy is a huge player in regenerative medicine as well. Vitamin cocktails and electrolyte replacement are so mainstream now because everyone realizes how powerful they can be to restore balance in the body. There are literally thousands of IV mixtures that can be concocted to suit personal needs and medical conditions.
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Cannabis
Though marijuana may be considered by many to be an illegal drug, it is known to help with everything from anxiety to sleep to inflammation to cancer to optimal aging; it is being infused in foods and skincare. You won’t want to miss out learning more about the wonders of this sacred plant, as it is deemed in ancient Hindu texts. One of my many goals as a lecturer and licensed medical marijuana prescriber is to dispel the myths of cannabis and trace its astonishing history over thousands of years.
Yoga and meditation
Yoga and meditation are two ancient disciplines that have their humble origins in India, several thousand years ago. And now they are global trends and the way of life for many. The benefits of yoga pervade mind-body-spirit, and impart the knowledge of self-control, while going hand in hand with meditation. They transcend into the realms of finding inner peace and positivity. Meditation is a great way to escape the immense stressors of modern-day life.
My 4 pillars of a sound mind and body are simple. Clean diet, restorative sleep, exercise, stress reduction. Following these pillars will impart a sense of awareness on the journey to wellness of the mind-body-spirit.
