A new health survey by Consumer Reports reveals that waiting for the doctor is the number one complaint among patients. But patients can beat the waiting room blues by following these five easy tips from prominent U.S. hair restoration physician Dr. Alan Bauman.

Seeing the doctor may be nerve-racking for some, but it's not seeing the doctor that irks patients most of all.

According to a new health survey by Consumer Reports, waiting too long in the waiting room is the number one complaint patients have about their doctors. About 25-percent of patients complained they waited 30 minutes or longer.

"Patients may want to ask their doctors if e-mail is an option so they can avoid unnecessary office visits," says Alan J. Bauman, M.D., a prominent hair restoration physician and founder of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton, Florida. "After all, the best way to reduce your waiting time is to avoid the waiting room altogether. But that aside, there are several other strategies a patient can use to get fast-tracked at the doctor's office, such as arriving early or making morning appointments."

Dr. Bauman offers these five "insider" tips on how to reduce your stay in the waiting room:

(1) Mornings are Better: Your odds of getting old in the waiting room increase the later you go. So, if you don't want to wake up early, be prepared to wait. Afternoons in a doctor's office are busy times. Between late patients, difficult cases and tired doctors, the later in the day you go, the longer you'll wait.

Like shoes, women can never have too many handbags! And again like shoes, with proper care, you can have them for a long time. Here’s how to keep them looking like new:

Leather – moisturize it with a leather conditioning cream. Remember its skin, so it doesn’t need sprays. And if it gets wet, simply dab with wetness away. Ever notice how bag handles and straps can look worn? Well they often collect residue from lotions which ten to discolor and age them. So it’s good to handle bags with clean hands.

Suede – Invest in a suede brush. They will work some magic, but try cover for storage.

Fabric – This tend to go through the rigors, and they collect dust. Use a lint roller to dust bag and cover it for storage.

Patent Leather – Do not store light and dark patent leather together. This might cause discoloration. Clean using a piece of cheesecloth dampened with white vinegar and rub. Wife off with a clean piece of cloth.

It’s real country style cooking. The kind you get when you’re in Jamaica and you go to visit your grandmother in the country. The kind you get when you stop at a Jerk pan on the streets while driving from Kingston. But when Jamaica is too far and grandma’s house is nowhere in sight – you can get it at Negril Grill n Jerk in West Palm Beach.

The menu at Negril Grill n Jerk takes the Out of Many, One People philosophy out of Jamaica and incorporates Jamaican Chinese and Indian items on the menu. However, there is a Trinidadian employee who does the roti skins, while the meats/fillers are made by the Jamaican staff.

According to proprietor Sevan Campbell, “oxtail, jerk chicken and jerk pork are the best sellers here.” I had a chance to sample the oxtail and jerk chicken dishes and I do understand why people would file in daily to get lunch or dinner. The oxtail was soft, well-seasoned and melted in my mouth. And, I didn’t have to remove excess fat from the meat – and for that I’m grateful.

The jerk chicken was very tender, succulent seasoned mild for those who don’t like spicy and spicy for those who do. Sevan is among few who can boast that their jerk chicken is actually done on a grill.

“The grill makes a lot of difference – as it’s mostly the steam that cooks it. People don’t have the facility for jerk chicken and it needs to be on the grill,” he said.

From Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan, young Hollywood stars seem to be imploding. Spears and others are routinely photographed carrying sugar and fat-laden coffee drinks and lunching at fast food joints. No doubt a host of issues may be at work, but one thing is clear -- the toxic diet of many celebrities can cause big problems. Bestselling author and television food expert, Dr. Timothy Brantley explains how eating habits can influence the chemicals in your brain -- impacting your state of mind and even your behavior.

As a researcher using naturopathic principles, Dr. Brantley has taught his methods of naturally curing illness and restoring physical and emotional health to thousands of people, including well-known celebrities. According to Dr. Brantley, the brain communicates by chemical substances passed from one cell to another. These chemical neurotransmitters are created in the brain from the food we consume. You may be able to better balance your mood by knowing which "mood foods" to avoid and which to incorporate into your diet.

BAD MOOD FOODS

Greasy Fast Food
Fast food is loaded with unhealthy fat and refined table salt. That burger can linger in your stomach for a long time and can zap your energy for hours to come.

Caffeine
That Mochaccino, loaded with caffeine and extra whip cream, starts an emotional rollercoaster. Caffeine can be addictive, altering brain chemistry in a way similar to amphetamines, often triggering irritability and agitation.

Alcohol
According to press reports Britney Spears may have indulged in Margaritas prior to her infamous MTV VMA thumbs-down performance. Connect the dots - alcohol is a sedative that can cause dehydration, muscle weakness and inability to focus.

There are about 21 million children and adults living with diabetes in the United States and there are some 54 million people at risk, according to the latest statistics from the American Diabetes Association.

Unfortunately, scientists still have not found a cure, but treatment is available and should be taken advantage of. This month is Diabetes Month and focus is being placed on diabetics and their care.

Family nurse practitioner and diabetes educator Shawna V. Charles, operator of The Diabetic Place in Davie has been in the business for 26 years. She describes diabetes as when the body isn’t able to break down sugar. Diabetes is broken down in two types - Type 1 – insulin dependent and Type 2 – non-insulin dependent both of which can occur in adults and children.

At the Diabetic Place which has been in operation for two months, Charles and her team of experts offer a one-stop care center for diabetics. They specialize in preventive care and screenings and offer the services of a podiatrist, optometrist, nutritionist and fitness expert – all necessary for diabetics to maintain good health. Besides the Baptist Hospital in Miami, there is no other one-stop diabetic center in Florida.

According to Charles, the idea of having all the services in one place came about because “I would refer them to the podiatrist, optometrist and nutritionist, I decided to have all these people in one place.” That way, patients can get the care they need without having to travel to different places and make several appointments.

She said knowing that you are predisposed to the condition and making simple lifestyle changes can “take 10 years off of developing the disease.” Sadly, however, because people can ignore signs like excessive tiredness and thirst, frequent urination, significant weight loss or attribute them to something else, there are many people walking around with the disease without knowing. By the time some people are diagnosed, there is already extensive damage.