Author Archives: Calvin Lee, MD

About Calvin Lee, MD

Dr. Calvin Lee is a surgeon, acupuncturist, vein specialist, and cosmetic injector. He works with his wife Dr. Tammy Wu, plastic surgeon, at Surgical Artistry which they founded in 2006 in Modesto, CA.

Developing new Habits of being Vegan – diet

I had my reasons in 2012 for wanting to become vegan.  My main reason at the time was for health reasons.  I was overweight, and I had incredibly horrible blood pressure – as a doctor, it’s embarrassing to find out that I had the worst blood pressure I’ve ever seen in a walking person and it was strange that I was still alive.  I kept checking my blood pressure in denial thinking that perhaps the equipment was broken.  I registered blood pressure of 180/110 regularly back then.  My other doctor colleagues thought I was exaggerating or concerned that I was going to get a stroke any minute.  Now after changing my dietary habits, it’s more like 130/80 – still not perfect, but a big improvement. You may have other reasons for becoming a plant based eater, like another family members wants to try it or perhaps it’s compassion to animals.  Later in my journey, which started for health, it became more of a concern for reducing my footprint on earth and realizing that I can survive without animal foods.

Some tips I have for you on how to make the transition to a plant based or even a healthier diet.

1. Make it physically easy to eat healthier.  Move some of the unhealthy foods to lower or higher shelves.  Make it easy to reach for the healthy alternatives.  Have fruit cut up and available more often than candy.  Or better yet, give the food you don’t want to your enemies.

2. Spend time each day to educate yourself about healthier eating.  There’s so much information out there for free on the internet.  Sometimes it’s confusing.  I do like www.nutritionfacts.org as a great starting point.

3. Reflect each day on how you did for your eating habits, and commit to trying to do better each day.  Forgive yourself if you slip from time to time.

4. Decide for yourself what are your reasons for having a plant based diet.

5. Visualize your goals.

6. Tell others about your goals – so they can help hold you accountable.

7. Surround yourself with like minded people – people who are vegan perhaps.  After all, perhaps we’re the “average” of our social surroundings.  Or find a Vegan facebook group for example.

8. Stick to the plan of eating plant based for 2 months.  It takes about 2 months to create or change a habit. It may start as an experiment, and later it becomes a routine and a way of life.

Best wishes on your journey, and I hope I could be of some service to you.

Calvin Lee, MD

Botox injector Surgeon

Becoming Vegan

I was a huge meat eater, I was a big twinkie and Coca Cola eater too.  I used a New Year’s resolution to catapult myself into a healthier diet.  I went cold turkey from meat and dairy as my method and really limited my Coke (drinking) habits. Changing what I ate is akin to changing my habits.  When looking at changing habits, one can also consider doing it gradually, but when doing that, it’s good to have clear plans and deadlines.  But in many respects, everything we do can be considered a step whether small or big and there is always another level.  For me my plan back in 2012 was to be completely vegan (no animal products including no eggs, milk or honey) at home, and sometimes allow for eggs, milk or honey when out of the house so that I don’t create a fuss with restaurants or friends.

When I made the drastic change from steak and pizza to a vegan diet. I allowed myself to eat as much as I wanted (and it’s pretty much the same way now), and I noticed some changes in myself.  In the first 2 months, I felt cravings for meat, milk, cheese, etc. But gradually, I noticed that my taste buds changed.  I was able to taste more subtleties in vegan food I was eating.  After about 3 months, I no longer felt like I had a need for steak and pizza – perhaps it’s like breaking an addiction.  In fact, it was around that time, I started thinking differently about the meat, it became more like “animal flesh” – just something that didn’t sit easily with me.  And also twinkies became too sweet for new taste buds.  It is interesting that taste buds do change!  I loved experiencing a “new” palette of flavors to enjoy – perhaps all these flavors had been dampened by my previous eating choices.

I had my reasons in 2012 for wanting to become vegan.  My main reason at the time was for health reasons.  I was overweight, and I had incredibly horrible blood pressure – as a doctor, it’s embarrassing to find out that I had the worst blood pressure I’ve ever seen in a walking person and it was strange that I was still alive.  I kept checking my blood pressure in denial thinking that perhaps the equipment was broken.  I registered blood pressure of 180/110 regularly back then.  My other doctor colleagues thought I was exaggerating or concerned that I was going to get a stroke any minute.  Now after changing my dietary habits, it’s more like 130/80 – still not perfect, but a big improvement. You may have other reasons for becoming a plant based eater, like another family members wants to try it or perhaps it’s compassion to animals.  Later in my journey, which started for health, it became more of a concern for reducing my footprint on earth and for compassion to animals.

More to come…

Meanwhile, consider visiting my Botox injection page. That’s what I do for work.

Different types of Hernias

Our new team member at Surgical Artistry, Hannah, did some studying regarding hernias, and this is what she wrote:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Wu operating together on a hernia.

Different Types of Hernias

Inguinal Hernias– The most common type of hernia. They occur in the inguinal canal. Inguinal hernias develop when abdominal tissue such as intestine or omentum, protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles and fascia. They do not improve on their own and can lead to life threatening complications.

Ventral Hernias– This is a hernia that appears at the site of a previous surgery incision. These can appear weeks, months, or even years after surgery and can be very small or very large and complex. If this hernia widens, it can be very difficult to repair. These have a high recurrence rate.

Femoral Hernias– Like the inguinal hernia, femoral hernias also appear in the groin area. These are common in women, but can also appear in men. These are usually the result of a pregnancy, or childbirth. A weakness in the lower groin allows the intestinal sac to drop into the femoral canal. Early repair is strongly advised for this type of hernia, as severe complications such as incarceration and strangulation are common.

Umbilical Hernias– Occur near or on the bellybutton or naval, which has a natural weakness from the blood vessels of the umbilical cord. In adults, umbilical hernias often do not resolve and will progressively worsen over time. This type of hernia is often caused by abdominal pressure due to being overweight, excessive coughing, or pregnancy.

Epigastric Hernia– These occur due to a weakness, gap, or opening in the muscles or tendons of the upper abdominal wall, on a line between the breast bone and the naval or umbilicus.

Hiatal Hernias– These are slightly different from other hernias because they are a weakness or opening in the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. These hernias cause reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, which can lead to heartburn, pain, and erosion of the esophagus.

Spigelian Hernia– A rare type of hernia in the spigelian fascia, lateral to the rectus abdominis muscles.

Obturator Hernia– A rare type of hernia that occurs in the pelvic floor. Much more common in women, especially elderly women. It is said that obturator hernias can be caused by pregnancy, which leads to lax pelvis muscles.

Other Hernia Terms

Strangulated – Squeezing the blood supply

Incarcerated- The hernia is not reducible

Reducible- The hernia can be pushed back without surgery

Summary of my nutrition talk to runners

  • Use weight as a guide to hydration

–I’m ok with 1 lb weight loss after running

  • Hydrate with water and/or fluids with some salt in it like coconut water or apple juice.

–And Yes, you can be on a liquid diet while running, you do not need to eat solids while running

  • Some people are heavy salt sweaters.
  • I’m ok with running on fasted state (empty) but well hydrated for up to 1 hour
  • Everyone is different and nutrition is complex, and talking about nutrition is akin to religion or politics. It’s not always one size fits all, and even as our own personal health changes, our diet needs changes. So it’s not one size fits all at all times.
  • The world of nutrition research is complicated by people with agendas.
  • I choose for my own health, plants and the associated carbohydrates with whole plants: legumes, grains, potatoes, rice, fruits.
  • I choose blender over juicer for fiber. We all need lots of fiber.
  • B12 is made by anaerobic bacteria. We need B12.
  • All plants have protein even rice.
  • Just a fun fact: 1 calorie of broccoli has more protein than 1 calorie of steak.
  • Yes, athletes need more protein, but they also need for calories. By naturally eating more calories, we will naturally make up for it in protein.
  • We were made to eat plants more so than cats. Cats have protein taste receptors on their tongues but they can’t taste carbohydrates.

Nutrition lecture for runners was given 2/11/17 at Doctors Hospital in Manteca, California.

Most doctors don’t get a Nutrition course?

Let me explain why:

But we get courses in the groundwork that explains nutrition: BIOCHEMISTRY

I was in medical school 20 years ago

I got my MD degree about 20 years ago, and we did have a fundamental course in nutrition but it wasn’t a heavy weight course as I remembered it, but important enough for me to feel that at least I could say that I’m one of the few doctors maybe?? that got a nutrition course.

Biochemistry is the mother of Nutrition

I know a lot of nutrition focused doctors around the world frequently quote that most doctors don’t get a nutrition course. That is probably true, however, it’s not the whole truth. Because, all doctors I know get several courses on BIOCHEMISTRY which is the MOTHER of Nutrition. Biochemistry is the groundwork for which helps us understand how our bodies work and how our bodies interact with nutrition. And there’s biochemistry of what happens when things go wrong like CANCER.  If nutrition were a course, it would be bundled into biochemistry. We all studied the biochemistry of humans, animals, bacteria, viruses, and plants. I think back when we were in medical school, I have a feeling that the very smart doctors who were in charge of our medical education probably felt that nutrition was somehow influenced too strongly by businesses and probably felt it wise to just teach us the basics of how to evaluate nutritional claims. Now that’s wiser than cramming down our throats some information that would change from time to time as we search for the truth. I believe that search swings like a pendulum around what is the truth or the “best practice.” So we’ll go from one wild extreme to the other and back and forth sometimes.

Smart doctor colleagues love biochemistry

Many smart doctors I know even have degrees in Biochemistry such as my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu – plastic surgeon, and Dr. Monica Wood – orthopedic hand surgeon.

As doctors and medical professionals, we should all embrace our biochemistry roots and apply it to nutrition

I have had a renewed interest in Nutrition and have had this interest for the past 7-8 years as I decided to transition myself to a vegan diet. But most of that interest comes from our skills in evaluating medical studies – which is a skill I was supposed to learn in medical school, and balancing that with the understanding and reviewing of the subject of biochemistry – which is the chemistry of life. I believe that my other physician colleagues in Modesto and in the world have similar interests especially as we come more and more to the conclusion that some of the best medicines come from nature. Even BOTOX comes from nature.