Health & Fitness Archives - A Side of Sweet

My Lasik Eye Surgery and PRK Surgery Experience

This year I had a two-step procedure of Lasik eye surgery followed by PRK eye surgery to correct me from -10.0 to 20/15 (better than perfect) vision. Here’s my experience.

I’ve had terrible vision for as long as I can remember.

I got my first pair of glasses in kindergarten. By fourth grade, my eyes were so bad I was impaired without glasses. I was in ballet at the time and my eye doctor signed off on my first pair of contacts because I couldn’t dance with glasses.

At the beginning of this year, my vision was -10.0 in both eyes. To put that in context, you are considered legally blind if your prescription is -2.5.

Click through for more about my patient experience having PRK and Lasik eye surgery. This is a long one, so buckle your seatbelt…… Read More »

In Case You Missed It July + Where We’re Eating in San Francisco

Where to eat in San Francisco – July edition, plus some more happenings at A Side of Sweet that you might have missed!

Michael Minna Michelin Star Restaurant Review San Francisco, CA One of the highlights of the month was dinner at Michael Mina restaurant in downtown San Francisco. This Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant absolutely blew me away with the uniqueness – and deliciousness of its food. Often fancy restaurants will feature things on the plate that are just to show off but don’t contribute to how good the dish tastes. This was not the case with Michael Mina. Everything was thoughtfully done and beautiful. Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in San Francisco. See more photos of my meal below!

But wait, there’s more!… Read More »

Sea Kayaking Sausalito, CA

Try Sea Kayaking in Sausalito to explore the San Francisco Bay Area in a new way. Seeing Sausalito’s charming house boat village from the water is definitely a highlight.

One of the best things about living in San Francisco is the amazing access to nature we have here. We’ve done plenty of hiking, and some epic roadtrips, but no exploring via the sea. A friend recommended sea kayaking as a great way to gain a new perspective of our home.

We checked out Sea Trek in Sausalito to get started. Their friendly staff set us up with a ‘sit on top’ kayak. Sit on top kayaks are self-bailing, safe and user friendly. This made it fairly easy to navigate around Richardson bay, while still getting a great upper body workout. Sea Trek also offer stand up paddle boards and traditional kayaks, as well as lessons on both…. Read More »

How Often to Change Running Shoes

Wondering how often to change running shoes? Here are a few tips for how many miles or kilometers you can run before changing out athletic shoes for a new pair!

When was the last time you changed your running shoes?

Typically, running shoes need to be changed every 400-600 miles. You should change your shoes more often if you have a larger build, run frequently on pavement, or have a heavier foot strike. If you run in a minimalist shoe or a racing flat, you should also change your shoes earlier.

First and foremost though, it’s important to listen to your body. When my knees start to hurt after a run and my stride starts to become heavier, I know my shoes are overdue for change. Don’t ignore those new little aches and pains!

With my busy schedule, keeping track of the miles on my running shoes isn’t necessarily a priority. To make this a little bit easier, here’s an easy hack to remind yourself when to change them.

Hiking Black Sands Beach

Black Sands Beach in the Marin Headlands is a short drive from San Francisco. It’s easily accessible with a short hike. It’s also a great place for a picnic!

Our recent trip to South Africa re-lit the adventure bug in Pat and I. Jet lag be darned, we decided to take advantage of a day off and the gorgeous San Francisco ‘winter’ weather and spend a day hiking outside of Marin.

Marin is about a 15 minute drive from San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. Things that make the area awesome – epic coastal trails, Golden Gate Bridge views and a stunning black sand beach that is easily-accessible with a short hike. Despite its proximity to San Francisco, Black Sands Beach is very secluded and usually isn’t too busy…. Read More »

My Goals for 2016

I love taking time in January to reflect about everything that I accomplished the previous year and also to make plans for the coming year. It’s good to focus on both what you’re proud of and also think of a few things to work on!

Looking back on 2015, I think I made great strides in taking care of myself. A lot of people ask how I balance being a physician full time with also being a blogger almost full time! Honestly, my biggest secret is prioritizing my health. I could never pack so much into a day if I didn’t get 8 hours of sleep in true comfort and some exercise regularly.

Here are a few more things I want to continue doing well, and a few goals for things to do better!… Read More »