Welcome to the holiday season 2011! Yes, it is here, ready or not.  I know I find it really tempting to slip into some bad food choices during this time.  But instead of feeling guilty, I enjoy in moderation. Here’s a good article I came across on Zest.com.  Hope this inspires you too. Also, check out the link to the BEST-EVER-BODY-BY-CHRISTMAS WORKOUT at the end it looks good.

Happy Holidays!

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10 ways to beat Christmas weight gain

Keep down your Christmas calorie count with these 10 strategies to keep you on track without skipping the festive fun

Go easy on the mincies!

Planning to minimise the weight gain this Christmas? Get your strategies in place to cope with festive temptation. Try these tips from the British Dietetic Association (BDA), the professional association for registered dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

1. Plan ahead: Eating out later on? Plan a day of smaller meals beforehand and avoid between-meal treats.

2. Chocolate boxes: Never have more than one box of chocolates open at a time, and keep unopened boxes out of sight. They won’t go off: stagger them over the next few months if necessary.

3. At the Christmas buffet: Do not hover by the buffet table. Make your selection then step away from the table. Think about what you’re putting on your plate – make it one portion and do not make repeat visits. Choose a smaller dessert-sized plate, and avoid the high saturated fat offerings like sausage rolls and quiche; instead load up on fruit, skinless chicken and vegetable crudités.

4. At work: If everyone brings in Christmas goodies to share, make your contribution festive satsumas, and EAT THEM rather than the high-calorie communal chocolate and mince pies.

5. At the supermarket: Make a shopping list and stick to it. Avoid the aisles of temptation and make your Christmas snacks plain popcorn, pretzels, and vegetable crudités with a low fat dip.

6. The bird: Turkey is a great source of protein and a low fat meat. Most of the fat that is present in a cooked turkey will be found in the skin. So don’t eat the skin. Simples!

7. Perfect portions. Even on Christmas Day, when turkey, stuffing, chipolatas and bacon rolls are begging to be eaten, make sure vegetables take up one third of the space on your dinner plate. If you’re in charge of cooking, steam veg where possible or use only a small amount of water. Brussels sprouts, peas and carrots can all be served unbuttered. Use the veg water for gravy and any leftover vegetables in a delicious soup to help fill you up and keep down the calorie count in the days after Christmas.

8. Healthy options: Want to keep the calories down even further? Try dry roasting potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet or use an oil spray instead of smothering them in goose fat. You can also make gravy using vegetable stock instead of meat juices, accompanied by a fruit-based stuffing; make bread sauce from low fat milk.

9. Bottoms down: Who doesn’t drink more at Christmas? At the very least, steer clear of sweet cocktails and creamy liqueurs. Have a glass of water after every alcoholic drink to keep down the calorie count – it also has the benefit of leaving you with a clearer head the next morning.

10. Pie wise: The average mince pie contains around 250 calories and that’s before you’ve added cream or brandy butter. Can’t resist this Chrstmas treat? Always remove the lid to cut its calorie-count.

For more information about healthy weight loss, visit the BDA website.

Try the best ever body by Christmas workout

Are you needing a quick way to find relief from shoulder tension? If yes, than this video is great for you.  This yoga instructor has some simple and fast ways to get those shoulders feeling amazing.  Another way for you to continue your shoulder relief is to come get a massage.  Massage not only relieves tensions in the body, but it also re-nourishes your soul.  Every month we run a massage special, so click here to see details on July’s “Free Yourself” Massage Special! Take action and call today to schedule your spa-escape.

Raw Chocolate Smoothie
high in antioxidants and a great energizing brain food!

1 handful of raw nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts)
1 or 2 banana’s frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons ground golden flax meal or flax seed oil
1 heaping tablespoon of raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon of maca or mesquite powder
2 tablespoons of agave nectar

Add a handful of goji berries, a tablespoon of hempseed for additional protein and nutrients.

Add a little bit of water and blend well until nuts are blended completely. Then slowly add water and ice until blender is full. Serve fresh!

This is a high protein, high mineral drink that is 100% nutrient dense. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

**RECIPE found on http://www.rawkmyworld.com/raw-food-recipes.php

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I absolutely LOVE working out! And even better, I like it when it’s quick and effective.  This is a fun routine I found on Fitness Magazine’s website.  Try it out at least once and see how you feel! Let’s keep each other motivated for 2011.

Check out our January Special for a simple 10 Day cleanse with our Weight Loss Package, click here for more info!

Click Here to connect to the Celebrity Workout video.

Christmas Tree Lighting in NYC

The holidays are incredibly fun & exciting.  Yet sometimes in our business of getting everything just perfect it can become overly stressful.  It’s a type of good stress but can turn into harmful overload.  So here are quick 5 easy tips on how to keep your holiday season stress free.

1) Take time for yourself each week

This can be remembering to enjoy your weekly massage, taking time to read a book you like, or going to your prayer group for at least an hour each week.  Or go ahead and take a nice dip in the hot-tub or bath tub.  Why not give a gift to yourself?  By doing this, you can help keep your emotional tank full.

2) Create a special date with your friends

Feel free to get creative with this tip.  Make a date with your best friend or friends and take time to gather at someone’s home for a cup of tea or house decorating.  It’s fun to be together with your friends and actually enjoy the simple pleasures of the holiday season.  The loving time we spend with others and the way we feel with them is what we’ll remember in our memories.

3) Make shopping simple and Buy Spa Gift Certificates

Most people absolutely LOVE receiving gift certificates to their favorite spa experiences!  So if you know someone loves facials, saunas, spa days or even tons of massages, hook them up with that special time.  It will not only benefit them, but also the people who surround them.  And it’s very easy to buy.  You can buy our Instant Gift Certificates online by clicking here.

4) Remember to take deep, full breaths

If you find yourself holding your breath or feeling tense, take 5 seconds to exhale fully.  Let go of all the breath in your lungs.  When you can’t let any more air out, your inhale will naturally flow in.  Allow this inhale to truly fill you up.  Not just physically filling you up, but also emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  Feel the lightness of spirit that begins to flow through you.  This is being present in the moment.

5) Tell the people that you love, that you love them

These words can be the BEST gift that someone has been waiting to hear. Taking the time to actually say, “I love you” has a profound effect on us.   We love to hear it, we love to feel it, and isn’t this what we want to feel during this joyous season anyways?  So begin to share this true gift of love, by saying it, showing it and feeling your heart overflowing with the peace and love of this beautiful time.

I hope these 5 tips help you to really savor this season of light.  May you and yours be blessed always.  And may this holiday season be joyful, bright and full of love for you.  Thank you for being in our lives and sharing your lovely self with this world.

Dr. Mark Hyman knows what he’s talking about! Now, I believe in holistic practices as well as combining Western medicine as needed.  This man knows how to combine the two.  He understands the stresses of Emergency Room Medicine as well as getting people well through empowering food choices, exercise and discovering imbalances needing to be corrected. He was the Co-Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Wellness Center for years.

The book I’m reading now is called UltraMetabolism.  Through scientific research as well as seeing the results through clients’ lives, Dr. Hyman is helping educate people on the overall picture of their health.  He treats the person, NOT just the illness.  He has a strong belief and scientific backing on a science called NUTRIGENOMICS.  Nutrogenomics –the science of how food talks to our genes.  Regarding metabolism, this means that our bodies can burn fat or decrease fat depending on the choices of food and nutrients we put in our bodies.  It’s very simple in theory and can be simple in practice, if most of us will just do it.

The details are in the book, so please read it–Ultrametabolism,  especially if weight loss has been an issue for you.  He really sheds light on a lot of myths about weight loss and sure ways of helping you to safely lose weight. A lot of what he says is in line with our cleanse and detoxification programs.  Please call me if you need guidance.

Just as a highlight to you, here are things that we agree with Dr. Hyman

FOOD TO AVOID FOR LIFE:

Any products with~

• Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, cyclamate, neotame, sucralose, etc.
• Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, malitol, xylitol, can cause gas/intestinal upset
• Artificial fats such as olestra
• Artificial colorings or dyes (FD&C Yellow #5, #3, etc.)
• Perservatives such as BHA & BHT
• Bromated vegetable oil (BVO), toxic additive
• Heptyl Paraben (a perservative in beer and noncarbonated drinks)
• Hydrogenated starch hydrolase (sweetener)
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (flavor enhancer)
• Monosodium Glutamate (also under many other hidden names, caused overstimulating of brain activity)
• Proply gallate
• Potassium Bromate
• Sodium nitrite and Sodium nitrate (linked to cancer)
• Sulfites (linked to headaches and severe allergic reactions).

This was all on page 229 of Ultrametabolism.  Please check this book out or others by Dr. Hyman, and learn about how to empower yourself with the food that you eat.  Food is your ally, when you make the BEST choices.  A good rule of thumb is to eat the foods that don’t have labels, like fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc).

More details are in his book and his other new books as well.  He’s a forerunner in the new movement of Functional Medicine.  Learn from him.  And contact me with any questions or if your looking for better balance in your life.  This is what we do…helping people increase their energy and QUALITY of LIFE, following similar programs.  If you know it’s your time for change, call me today!

My 10 Day Cleanse ended yesterday and I feel proud to have completed this cleanse. Also, I feel naturally satisfied, happy, content.  Meaning my life feels like its more rich, more full, more real.  Everything from the flavor of food  to a hug from a friend is just BETTER!

This feeling is why I LOVE the seasonal cleanses.  They take a short period of time to help me re-center not only my body, but my mind and spirit as well.

Just to add some cherries on top, here are some GREAT results from my 10-Day cleanse:

• I lost 3.5% Body Fat in 10-Days on this cleanse
• My meditations are more clear and connected than ever
• I’m able to feel really present with people, not obsessing about the future nor past
• My favorite pair of jeans is fitting looser!

This is a simple way to re-set the brain, palate and body.  If you’re needing a re-set, this is a powerful way to do it.  I hope your start to Fall, is as refreshing as this.  Enjoy the colors changing and may we be able to shed that which doesn’t serve us any longer.

OK, so today is the 2nd day of the liquid cleanse, basically the Master Cleanse concoction and continuing with M’Lis’ Detox, Cleanse & Fiber herbs.  Find instructions for the cleanse by clicking here. My first day, yesterday was pretty tiring.  I was in a state of feeling quite lethargic. But I took it as a sign to rest & take it easy! So, I received the most wonderful massage from a friend.  Also, I spent quality time with my husband.  All in all really working the resting and relaxing effect.

Today, I woke up replenished & feeling more alive! Just what I needed.  I’m ready to be with my amazing clients and being present in each moment. Thank you to the Universe for all the GOOD!!

Cleanse & Refresh

Autumn will be official this week, so here at the spa we are doing our seasonal cleanse as well.  Nature is shedding her beautiful leaves & preparing for winter.  This is when little critters also start finding warm places to make a new home.  Just as in nature, a seasonal cleanse will keep our internal organs refreshed & clean.  Therefore, with fresh & clean insides we won’t be the host for unwanted parasites or other critters.

This 10-Day cleanse that we started is sooo simple! For the 1st two days we’ll be eating vegetarian, clean alive foods.  We’re also including 3 herbs: Cleanse, Detox & Fiber to help clean our blood, tissues & lymph.  I’ll tell you more about days 3-5 when we get there!!  Let me know if you’d like to join us on this refreshing journey.

Peace & health!

As I was checking out the raw food website www.sunfood.com, I came across this interesting article from Dr. Ariel Policano.  For all you ladies, here’s some great info from another female-health lover.  This list is absolutely do-able & enjoyable!

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Top 10 Foods For Women’s Health

by Dr. Ariel Policano

As a leading naturopathic physician with a special focus on women’s health, Dr. Policano has over 15 years of experience using raw foods and superfoods to treat a wide variety of conditions. Having worked with health afflictions ranging from fatigue to breast cancer, she has crafted a definitive list of foods toemphasize in your diet for hormonal health, vibrant skin and healthy heart and bones:

1) Raw Chocolate
• Improves mood by increasing serotonin and other positive brain chemicals.
• Contains magnesium — good for heart health, insomnia, bone density, hormonal balance.
• High in Vitamin C and electrolytes.
• High in antioxidants — slower aging, disease prevention.

2) Maca
• Incredible hormone regulation from the top down — works from pituitary gland.
• Adrenal support for strong, steady energy.
• Thyroid support for healthy metabolism.
• Reproductive support — Balances hormones and reduces hot flashes.
• Libido support.
• Rich in B Vitamins.

3) Flax Seed
• Excellent raw materials for creation of health reproductive hormones.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Good for healthy colon.
• Lignans improve hormonal balance.
• High “electron” food — gives you energy and optimal cellular health.
• Possible anti-cancer properties written about by Johanna Budwig.

4) Sprouts
• Very nutrient dense.
• High protein.
• Good source of trace minerals.
• Broccoli sprouts have anti-cancer properties.
• Alkalinizing — improves metabolism.
• Satisfies nutritional needs — reduces appetite.

5) Kombucha
• Supports excellent digestive health.
• Improves healthy gut bacteria that helps with production of serotonin, good mood hormone.
• Rich in enzymes — helps energize the entire body, all organs, hormones and neurotransmitters.
• Rich in vitamin B-Complex.
• Alkalinizing — improves metabolism.
• Has been used by some women as a part of a breast cancer treatment plan.

6) Goji Berries
• Very high in antioxidants.
• High in Vitamin C.
• Complete protein containing all essential amino acids.
• Contains factors for human growth hormone.
• Rich in polysaccharide sugars for healthy immune system.

7) Coconut
• Anti-bacterial.
• Anti-fungal.
• Anti-viral.
• Healthy source of saturated fats.
• Rich in electrolytes.
• Alkalinizing — improves metabolism.
• Increases energy.

8) Marine Phytoplankton
• Rich in chlorophyll.
• Alkalinizing — improves metabolism.
• Cleansing.
• Vegan source of EPA and DHA.
• Many different carotenoids means strong antioxidant support.
• Virtually all trace minerals in marine phytoplankton.
• Great for balancing blood sugar.
• Good for weight loss — satisfied nutritionally, not as hungry.
• Energy improvement.

9) Hemp Seed
• Complete protein.
• Omega 3 and Omega 6 present in healthy ratio.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Raw materials for healthy hormones!
• Contain chlorophyll for nourishment and cleansing.

10) Sea Vegetables
• Thyroid health.
• Breast health.
• Weight loss.
• Cancer protection.
• High mineral content good for blood sugar, focus and creativity.

Dr. Ariel Policano is a leading naturopathic physician with a special focus on women’s health, promoted through her Women Go Raw Health Tours. With over 15 years of experience using raw foods and superfoods to treat conditions that range from fatigue and menopause to cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

Contact Dr. Policano:

• Email: doctorariel@gmail.com
• Phone: 520-577-5422