Carmella Sebastian, M.D., M.S., Senior Medical Director of Clinical Client Solutions at Florida Blue, spoke on the importance of sex, sleep and sanity for women’s wellness on September 24 with My Hope Chest at the Pinellas Park Florida Blue Center.
“Let’s talk a little about this deviled egg,” said “Dr. Carm,” who opened the talk with her secret recipe – adding bacon and chipotle mayo for “a little kick” – for the deviled eggs offered at the event. “Slash the carbohydrates, embrace the protein,” she said.
Growing up, Dr. Cam said she tried every possible weight loss plan. Her current passion, however, is the Mediterranean diet, inspired by her old-world Italian mother who employed traditional, simple methods of healthy living, calling “laughter is the best medicine.”
The Sex, Sleep and Sanity Wellness Whisperer workshop focused on three essentials of health that every person should know, according to Dr. Carm.
The first among health essentials, she said, is sleep. “Lack of sleep affects every tissue in our body,” she said, and may cause, among other issues, weight gain, diabetes, ADHD symptoms, cognitive decline and a weaker immune system.
Sanity, the second essential, is the opposite of stress, said Dr. Carm, adding that stress causes 75 percent of doctor visits. Chronic stress, she said, may result in, among other issues, increased blood pressure, body toxicity, sleep deprivation and heart disease. Stress may be reduced by focusing on breathing and filtering the stress level, according to Dr. Carm.
Sex, the third essential, is the best exercise, according to Dr. Carm. “Instead of doing the elliptical for 30 minutes, do a striptease and sex and lose the same amount of calories,” she said. Sex elevates mood and raises self-esteem, improves skin, calms and facilitates sleep, said Dr. Carm, adding that it may also reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers.
Sex, Sleep and Sanity: Three Essentials for Women’s Wellness was hosted by My Hope Chest and led by Alisa Savoretti, founder of the national organization funding reconstruction surgery for uninsured survivors of breast cancer. My Hope Chest is dedicated to “helping women that feel disfigured and need reconstruction surgery” and “taking a woman from despair to a beautiful body,” said Savoretti. My Hope Chest invites everyone to the 3rd Annual Hope Floats on BRA DAY October 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Clearwater Beach Hyatt Regency. For more information and fundraising events, visit myhopechest.org.
