Innovative Muscle Strengthening Solutions that Elevate Confidence with Dr. Sarah Akhunji

In this episode, the incredible Dr. Sarah Akhunji, reveals her innovative solutions for strengthening muscles to help build confidence and enhance individuals quality of life. Through her passion for health, wellness, and caring for others, Dr. Sarah aims to empower and inspire all listeners on their journey to improved well-being. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for enhancing both your physical strength and self-assurance.

Tone by MD https://tonebymd.com/

Physician Moms https://physicianmoms.org/

Transcript

Theresa Cesare: 0:07

hey guys. Welcome to Heart to Talk the podcast. I am the host and creator Theresa Cesare My intention for this podcast is to deliver to you wisdom, inspiration, and consciousness. Through solo episodes and conversations amongst insightful people. It is my greatest honor to bring to you talks that come from the. Welcome listeners to another powerful episode of Heart to Talk. Today we have truly an exceptional guest with us, Dr. Sarah Acunji, a dear friend who I've known for so long. Dr. Sarah is a Distinguished Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician. We're With a fellowship in integrative medicine she serves as the medical director of care coordination at banner and is a partner at an integrative micro practice toned by MD specializing in a non invasive treatment for a condition that many are too shy or embarrassed to talk about beyond her medical expertise, she has teamed up with Dr. Lisa Stone King to launch a skincare line called Physicians Moms. I must mention that Sarah is also a devoted mother to a beautiful daughter. So without further ado, welcome girl.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 1:20

Thank you so much for having me on today. I really appreciate it.

Theresa Cesare: 1:24

Dr. Sarah what inspired you to get into medicine?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 1:29

I think, you know, I'm a third generation physician. My grandfather was a physician. My father was, it feels a little bit like, the family business, but really health and wellness and caring for others. That's been sort of the foundation of how I was raised and it was my natural inclination to really want to go into medicine for myself and For my sister and, sort of give back that way. So, I was born in Ireland, spent my youth in California, and then came here for residency at the University of Arizona. I completed my internal medicine residency there in 2006. went on to do, some, Training in aesthetics with Botox and fillers in 2007 and, went on to do an integrative medicine fellowship at the university, in 2012. so now I consider myself a local after all these years.

Theresa Cesare: 2:26

That's incredible. So listeners, I got the chance to have coffee at her beautiful innovative micro practice tone by MD. Girl, tell us about that.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 2:39

So I will tell you that if you had asked me a few years ago if I ever had any intentions of really starting my own little practice I would have said no that's not where my mindset was I just wasn't quite there yet. And it was something about hitting 50 and Realizing that there are some different issues that I would like some solutions to Four that we don't typically talk about. I wanted to build something that I would actually use that My mother would use that my sister would use that my friends would use and so the idea of this practice was um That was really the concept Behind it is if I would use it if I see a need for it, I will bring it forward Otherwise, I don't want to include it and that's why it's micro. It doesn't cover everything You But it's meant to add things as I see the need come up and as you know, I have friends tell me well Hey, what about this? I'm having an issue with this. How are you going to address it? What can you do? Tone by MD in particular, you know My first machine that I have in there is called the M cella and it is a machine that treats urinary incontinence It's an issue. That's mil 19 million women in the United States have Deal with it. We don't talk about it 5 out of 10 women never get it medically addressed at all Just not very common and I see my mom, you know every day she's with me and I never thought to ask her if this was an issue for her. So, about two years ago, she was visiting my younger sister, who's an endocrinologist, in, Phoenix. And she said, oh, I'm going to put my, I'm going to put mom on this machine, you realize, called the MCELA, because you realize she gets up a couple times a night, to use the restroom. And no, I honestly had never thought about it and I said fine, no big deal My mom uses it She calls me up the next day and says oh my god I slept through the entire night without having to get up and it doesn't sound like a big deal but if you've been doing it for Decades having to get up to have that change where you're allowed restful sleep how it impacts your Your next day the following days is huge So, you know, she completed her treatments. It was three weeks twice a week All she had to do was basically sit in a chair and Continued to have the same improvements same benefits If she knew she needed to use the restroom and she had that urge she was actually able to hold it so she wasn't having to use Like she was not using those incontinence pads, which are bulky and bothersome. And again, even though I'm her daughter, I'm a physician. I never thought to ask her about how inconvenient that is. And if there's something we can actually do about it. So that was incredible, but I thought, you know, okay, that's one person. Is this one off or is this, Going to be beneficial for other people I haven't had a problem really with urinary incontinence on a regular basis, but if you have children, You're getting older. Definitely. There's a weakness in your pelvic floor muscles. And so I wasn't jumping on a trampoline. And I, you know, if I sneezed or I was laughing a lot, definitely I would clinch because you just don't know exactly how that totally and so as women, we all joke about that as if, okay, this is just, something normal that we have to accept. But the thing is, it's not really true. And up until my mom trying this device, I didn't realize there's an alternative. That you could try that's non invasive nurse surgery And it really strengthening your core Not only are you getting the benefits of? Not having to, urinate so frequently being able to have, some sort of control, but it also helps with their sexual health benefits as well. And just strengthening the core muscles actually helps with balance too. So that's how I sort of came into the realm of this coming onto my radar. And I decided to just go ahead and Buy the machine, open up a little practice, because I really wanted it to be available, to everyone who might need it, and really that included almost all of my girlfriends.

Theresa Cesare: 7:39

Wow. to know that there's an incredible solution to something that doesn't feel so sexy, but I swear the way you have it laid out is sexy because it's non invasive. It's. Very modern. And it's just so incredible. So to anyone listening, like if you're dealing with this or, you know, anybody share this episode, you've got to get in touch with Dr. Sarah, because this is a life changing solution. Do you want to add anything to that?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 8:07

So I would say that, the sexual component is huge too. Out of all the women that have urinary incontinence issues, about 50 percent even more have issues with sexual dysfunction too. And the way the MCELEN machine actually works, it's a high intensity focused electromagnetic stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles. So what happens is within these six treatments, That pelvic floor muscle is thickening. We see the results on ultrasound. So they've actually monitored to see how it thickens. So with the increased blood flow, there's also tightening, of all those muscles. There are women who don't actually use it just for, incontinence. They're using it for sexual health because the increased blood flow keeps the muscles healthy and strong. And so there's a dual benefit. Also works for men. 25 to 43 percent of men, between the ages of their 30s and 50s have issues with incontinence as well and erectile dysfunction This machine actually it can help with both those things for men as well. So I think that that's you know a huge benefit as well I love that your clothes stay on. I love that it's 28 minutes, twice a week for three weeks. Not painful. You walk in and walk out. So it can be during your lunch break. It's really easy. And we do sessions by appointment, only so we can sort of tailor it to a time that's convenient. Another benefit that I like to throw in is something called our brain tap machine and That is a headset that uses light and sound Technology to help you get into a meditative state I find that when you're stuck on a chair for 28 minutes, it might get boring you know an option is to watch you know a show but You Since you are there, I think it can be helpful to sort of zone out and just really get into a good state to help, you focus on, what is happening to your body. The fact that your body is getting stronger, but also with the brain tap, you can choose what you want to work on. So it can work on anxiety. It can work on procrastination. It can work on, Weight loss even so there are lots of different programs Available on the brain tap machine, and I really do leave it to My client and my patients what it is. They want to work on. But really there are hundreds of programs. So While you are captive for those 28 minutes twice a week for the three weeks You can actually work on something else and I like to just sort of throw that in as a bonus Yes So that, when you walk out, you are really feeling better than how you came in.

Theresa Cesare: 11:02

I love it. Like brain health and sexual health, confidence, right? You basically contribute to elevating people's confidence.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 11:11

Yes, absolutely. And I mean, when you think about urinary incontinence, it is limiting. It does affect your relationships, it affects how mobile you are even, how comfortable you are in your own body, in your own clothes. It just affects so many different aspects of your life and There are other solutions. There is surgery. There's pelvic physiotherapy, but that's invasive. And I like that, although we've got these really good options, here's another really good option that might bring more people in the door to try and find a solution because they may not want surgery yet and they may not want something, you know, intravaginal, you know, to help. I think this brings in, different people who would feel more comfortable trying some, something else, you know, people like me, people like my mom, people like my girlfriends and even my guy friends, you know, it's just, it's for everybody who would be comfortable coming in and giving it a try. And I think anytime you're trying to strengthen muscle, it's a good thing.

Theresa Cesare: 12:21

I love, love it so much. Now, speaking of strengthening muscle, isn't there another incredible device you have? Do I even call it a device? A piece of technology that you use and who would benefit from it? Sure. So

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 12:36

yes, I do. So I have another machine uses the same kind of technology, high, high intensity focused electromagnetic contractions. And this is called the total tone body. And you can use that for your arms, your thighs, your calves, your abs. And the goal again is intense contractions in a limited amount of time, to really strengthen and tone your muscles. So it's perfect for someone who hasn't been to the gym, but wants to get into the gym, to build that confidence and some baseline strength. And you pick a part of your body that you would like to work on. So really your choice. And it's once a week, four weeks, more if you want it, but you know, four weeks is what the studies show have been helpful. It's perfect for people who have sort of hit that, that line where they feel like, gosh, I would like to push it a little bit further. And I just, Can't seem to get that cut that I want and this machine is perfect for that person too You've done all you can and you want to push it just a little bit further tone just a little bit more people that are using with Gobi and Ozempic and Manjaro. there is loss of muscle with these really amazing medications that really help with blood sugar control and with weight loss. They're amazing, but there are some problems with that. Loss of muscle is definitely there. So, these devices that we have can definitely help, strengthen your muscles and maybe sort of balance out the effects, the, you know, muscle breakdown that comes with these machines. it's one of my favorites It lived in my house for many many many months because I didn't want to give it up. So again, I decided time to share it because I vetted it. It worked for me. I could get behind it. And, again, that's really the goal. whether it's the MCELA, whether it's a total tone body, even the brain tap, these are things that I can recommend because I use them all.

Theresa Cesare: 14:39

That being said, how can we find you to utilize these machines to get an appointment with you? What's the best way? Sure.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 14:48

So I have a website, www. tonebymd. com and, our information's on there. There is a scheduling portal, but there's also a phone number. You can email me so we can figure out about time, and we can discuss if this is something that really is an option for you or if you'd just like to come in and take a peek and see, see what's in our little clinic.

Theresa Cesare: 15:11

I love that. And I'll be sure to drop that in the show notes, So do you have any tips,

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 15:17

so, you know, there definitely is a benefit for doing your key goals. There is a reason why we tell. You know, we've been told by our physicians to do them. They are definitely helpful. And so, you know doing a set of 10 kegels, At least three times a day or some people do it while they're driving So at a stoplight they just quickly do a couple kegels and that's how they get them in I think that that's really beneficial I I think that even if somebody does emsella with me where there it's like more than 10, 000 contractions in that 30 minutes. Clearly we can't replicate that physically, but Kegels can definitely, keep that benefit going. the other thing I didn't really mention is there is, a neurological connection to that gets a little lazy when you have urinary incontinence. Another benefit of This machine is that it wakes up. That connection. So, I've heard from a lot of my clients is that they're recognizing that they can do a better Kegel as if they have better control of the muscle. They're more aware because they've been made aware by this whole pelvic floor contracting. Avoiding caffeine too late. You know, things that are natural diuretics. If you notice you get up a lot at night, stop drinking a little bit sooner. Just so you're just not, you don't have to get up, as often. General tips, I think, mind and body, it's connected. There's no way to get healthy unless you're focusing on both things. My other tip would be breath work. I do four, seven, eight breathing, you know. Take a deep breath in for four seconds, hold for seven, exhale for eight. I just do even just a cycle of three. I start my day with that. If I find that I'm anxious, I do that and it really does, balance me out. So I think simple things, if I had two tips, it would be do your Kegels. They actually work for men and women both. and do the breath work. I think that's a good start to the day. It's a good way to tackle when you're stressed out, which is pretty normal. I find it helps me go to sleep even. So, those would be my two takeaways,

Theresa Cesare: 17:34

I love it. And I'm implementing right away as we're doing Kegels right now. Okay. So the last thing before I dive into the closing questions, You have developed this incredible skincare in collaboration with Dr. Lisa Stone King, whom I know she's super awesome. Can you tell us the why behind it and the how we can get it? Sure.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 17:55

Sure. So this is one of my favorites too. Again, I use it. a few years ago, dr. Lisa Stone King and I were at a beach volleyball tournament. Both of our daughters were, in high school. They were in the 10th grade. We were out in Huntington beach and they were playing out in the sun and it was Ours in the sun. So as we were seated there, we were looking at their sunblock bottles and we couldn't believe the ingredients in them and we were concerned because they had it on their faces. They had it all over their bodies. And we started to have conversations about, well, can we actually do this better. so our daughters are, well, I should say our kids were our inspiration for wanting to do better. And we started, to work with a company to actually try and develop something that would be a better product, a safer product. We decided to go, with mineral based skincare, less side effects, less chances of allergies. And historically, the problem with mineral sunscreen that makes no one want to use it is that chalky sort of residue, on your skin. So we tried lots of different formulas before we came to, a tinted formula and a sheer formula that, We were, our kids were willing to use, we really loved it, it was so moisturizing, in fact it takes the place of my morning moisturizer, after like a vitamin C serum, so that was it. So, Dr. Stoneking and I, we decided this is something that's really important to us, our kids need it, we needed a better choice, and, So we have just released our, our sunblock.

Theresa Cesare: 19:34

That is so amazing. Oh, so inspiring. So the sunblock we could also get when we visit you Yes. Right at to MD or online?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 19:43

Yes. So that would be www.physicianmoms.org.

Theresa Cesare: 19:49

Awesome. And I'll drop that in the show notes as well. Thank you so much. I'm like, I don't know if I call you Sarah or Dr. Sarah, both would be like, you're here.

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 19:58

I like Sarah. You're so

Theresa Cesare: 20:00

chill. I'd be like, if I'm a doctor, I'm like everyone, you better call me doctor. Oh, I love it. Okay. And what, what are your patients usually call you? Dr. Sarah. all right, Dr. Sarah. And to close up this episode, I'm going to ask you the first question. What is your favorite quote?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 20:18

Okay. So my favorite quote is by Dr. Tiarona Lodog. And she is a integrative medicine expert and she said, health is more than the absence of disease. It's a dynamic state of balance and vitality.

Theresa Cesare: 20:35

I love that quote. Thank you. Next question. What is your favorite book?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 20:40

Okay. So my favorite book, is something that I've used for probably, like 10 years. It's called a hundred ways to happiness. It's by dr timothy sharp and there they are just a few pages, um on a hundred different ideas on little reminders really to Keep happy whether it's to take a deep breath or to look outside and find your favorite plant a reminder to call a friend that might need you. So It's little tips that are doable little chunks that can really set you into your day in the right way with the good attitude. And so I find if I wake up in the morning and i'm a little bit ambivalent about my day I just sort of open it up and I read what he has to say so I like it It's practical they're little bite sized Tidbits of advice that sort of set me on the right path for my day.

Theresa Cesare: 21:36

I love it. I'm adding that to my list and next, what is your mission

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 21:42

so my mission really is about empowerment. It's something that I'm working on for myself that I work on every day to just try and do things just a little bit better to reinforce the things that I'm doing well, even if it's something I don't have to change, but also to spread that to the people around me, to my friends and family, to my clients, to my patients, to everyone concept of, Taking control of your health to not to wait for somebody to tell you what to do to look into the things that you can do for yourself. You are the captain of your own ship. It is. Your body, no one is as invested as you and my job, I feel is to really spread that, don't let anybody else sort of guide your vessel, take good information from the places that, you can get it and incorporate it into your life, whatever it is that actually works for you.

Theresa Cesare: 22:43

I love that so much. So powerful in the last question. Do you have a favorite affirmation to stay empowered and to maintain a strong mindset?

Dr. Sara Akhunji: 22:55

Everything I need is inside of me. I, I love that. I think it just makes me feel like I can be resilient. If I don't have the answers, I can find it. It keeps me hopeful, it keeps me happy, it, helps me appreciate the things in my life that I have,

Theresa Cesare: 23:17

Thank you so much for tuning into this episode. Please download, rate, subscribe, and share this podcast. Also, be sure to visit my theresacesare.com to check out my inspirational merch, connect to my social accounts, and much more may you continue to be filled with wisdom, inspiration, and consciousness. Otherwise, friends, I will be back in two weeks for another episode of Heart to