CELLULITE: You can do something about it!

Regardless of your age or weight do you remember the first time you took a backward glance in a mirror and saw a dimple or heaven forbid dimples on the back of your arm or thigh or sprinkled across your bottom? The first day cellulite becomes a personal issue is memorable. Up to 90% of women and a small population of men have had this experience. Some shrug and try to forget about it and some try to attack it with vigorous spot exercise.

The term was first used in France in the 1920s and began appearing in English language publications in the late 1960s, the earliest reference in Vogue magazine, "Like a swift migrating fish the word cellulite has suddenly crossed the Atlantic."

Hormones play a dominant role in the formation of cellulite. Estrogen may be the most important hormone to initiate and aggravate cellulite. Other possible culprits are insulin, catecholamines, adrenaline, thyroid hormones and prolactin. All are believed to accelerated cellulite.

An Ally McBeel episode shows an exchange between Ally and her current lover about a nude portrait he has done of her. At first glance she is thrilled and flattered by his effort. Cue music. She notices that he has enhanced her posterior with texture. Her facial expression goes from delight to horror as she says, “Is that cellulite?” He naively replies, “Yes, it adds character.” While character is an excellent thing to strive for the presence of cellulite is not the step to achieve it.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a dimple-free butt and thighs? As we pass puberty our bodies tend to develop cellulite. Cellulite is fat that gets trapped between fibers that connect your muscles to your skin. The fibers are like stitching on a down quilt - cellulite puffs out between them; the more fat you have between fibers, the more visible your cellulite becomes. Cellulite stores in the hips, thighs, and butt in preparation for childbearing and it causes fat cells to stick together to create the dimply effect of cellulite.

Because you have cellulite it doesn't mean that you're fat. Regardless of your weight the presence of cellulite is an indication of toxicity. You can minimize toxicity with some simple lifestyle changes:

•Drink lots of water with lemon juice throughout the day to prevent water retention and flush the liver - a culprit in cellulite formation.
•Minimize intake of fried and processed foods; pass on the Big Macs. Processed foods interfere with digestion, blood circulation and lymph drainage. Sluggish circulation and drainage prevent sufficient waste and toxin elimination. Lymph builds up and makes cellulite appear worse.
•Eat greens; fill up on cellulite busting vegetables: asparagus, a great diuretic, celery, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, parsley, green peppers, and root veggies like turnips and parsnips. These foods nourish the liver and have a detoxifying effect on the body.
•Eat apples; an apple a day can keep cellulite away. The pectin found in apples (and carrots) is an important phytochemical that strengthens the immune and detoxification systems of the body.
•Exercise; it helps by increasing lymph flow. In addition, weight lifting builds more muscle, making the skin overlying your hips and thighs more taut. The tighter your skin, the less obvious the cellulite is.
• See you Spa Professional; your spa professional has massage treatments to minimize the appearance of cellulite and to further your commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Stay current with your spa’s news and stay current with the many ways they can improve your health and appearance.

The New Beauty Aesthetic

Not so long ago a woman of thirty was advised not to show her upper arms. Heels were traded in for lace ups with squat heels. Bosoms were covered and hair was sprayed into an inch of its life. Simultaneously Hollywood raced through the glamour girl phase followed by the androgynous waif. Somehow those two styles merged into the trend of recent years of women starving to maintain rail thin frames while supporting huge obviously unnatural breasts. The message sent was stay young or be put on the shelf and with rare exception that is what happened.

Sad to say Hollywood has set beauty trends and remedies since the days of silent films. As actresses acquired pouty lips, cat's eyes, tucked tummies and lifted brows average women emulated the styles and subjected themselves to similar plastic surgeries. Decades of women with drum tight, artificial visages is happily waning.

Today we fear the look of artificiality and instead want to look our personal best. We prefer to have someone say, “She looks good” rather than “I wonder how old she is”. Judith Sills psychologist and author said, “There's a changing aesthetic. To look as young as possible is unrealistic; to look as good as possible is a healthy goal.”


Being healthy and your best at any age is a process of good choices. Simple everyday steps like clean skin that is well moisturized and protected from the sun are the basis of a healthy face. Thirty minutes of daily exercise oils joints and maximizes agility. Attention to the care of hands and feet improves circulation and helps you to present yourself as someone who takes care of herself, regardless of age.

Many advances have been made in skincare products in the last five years. Talk to your spa professional to ensure that the products you are using are the best for you at this time of your life. She can help you make the best choices to look good. Healthy is beautiful® at any age.

What Makes a Face

What makes a face? Symmetry! Well balanced features are considered as the base components of an attractive face. The best surgery free way to improve our facial appearance is well shaped brows. Sounds easy, right? In theory we should be able to stand in front of a mirror and shape our own eyebrows to perfection.

Sorry to say this is a myth. Why? Because who among us sees his or her face as a work of art. Who among us knows with certainty the right shape, starting point, balance, thickness, or ending point for the best brows for our own face?

Michelangelo said that when he sculpted he began with a raw hunk of marble and the sculpture told him what to chip away. Professionals who shape brows to perfection are artists who can see the right brow for the right face before they begin to shape it. Just as you ask friends “who cut your hair?” ask friends who shaped their brows. You will find an artist who can enhance your appearance at a reasonable fee and in a relatively quick time.

If you have tried to shape your own brows and been unsuccessful be patient as your artist takes corrective steps. Dependent on how enthusiastic you were in your attempts it might take several visits to get your brows into the best shape.


When you go to a new hairdresser it may take a few visits to achieve a result that both you and your professional agree is optimum, the same is true of brow shaping. Once you have achieved the perfect shape for your face you can leave your office for lunch, have your brows done, see the best you looking back at you and still have time to pick up a sandwich.

A Spa Vacation

School is back in session. Family life is ramping up. We find ourselves in run mode trying to accommodate all of the demands on our time. We long to get away. Many things can get in the way of the desire to escape. Sitters for the kids, someone to walk the dog and finances are all hurdles to an imagined oasis. The effort to plan a getaway can be enough to discourage the steps necessary to put together an itinerary.

It doesn't have to be that complicated. You can give yourself a break and book a treat right in your own backyard. We are blessed to live in a community rich in resources that can take you out of the day-to-day rat race that is “normal” to a resort of your own making.

You may not be able to get away for a few weeks, but if you are lucky enough to have trusted family members or friends to care for children and pets, book a night at a local inn, have a lovely dinner and spend the next day at the spa to create your own appointment plan with your spa professional. If an overnight is out of the question treat yourself to a day at the spa, on your own or with your partner. Book a day of appointments; enjoy a massage, a facial and a manicure/pedicure and go home refreshed.

When you take care of yourself you are better able to care for others. A day of self pampering can fuel you to get back to “normal” with renewed energy and calm. Remember it doesn't have to be complex you can stay in your own backyard and still get refreshed.

Pedicures are more than relaxing…

Summer is winding down. Our thoughts are turning to fall, sweaters, and close toed shoes. Some of you may have booked what you think of as your last pedicure for the summer. But do not put pedicures on the shelf with your sandals. We abuse our feet daily; men take 7192 steps and women take 5210 step per day.

An average person, with an average stride who lives to the age of 80 will walk about 108,000 miles. Often we wear shoes that are uncomfortable or wrong for the job at hand. Calluses build on our feet that can cause imbalances and negative impact on our posture. When you have calluses on your feet they cause uneven pressure when you walk or stand for extended periods of time and this leads to foot pain. Over long nails can become ingrown and heels can become cracked and dry.

A professional pedicure includes exfoliation to removal dead skin and smooth calluses, and massage to stimulate blood flow and increase your relaxation response. A pedicure also includes trimming the nails and grooming the cuticles. Nail color (polish) is a secondary benefit and may be skipped. Women often forgo polish in the winter months to give their nails time to breath and so that they will better accept needed moisture in the dry weather. But in warm weather pretty toe color is icing on the cake!

The health benefits of pedicures are not imagined. Once foot care was viewed as a luxury for women; however the health benefits are not gender specific. Everyone deserves an hour to relax, be pampered and to take good care of their feet.

Intimidation

“To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it seems so.”
Sir Walter Scott.

Young parents, business people and retirees alike juggle multiple demands from families, work and commitments to others. As they keep the many responsibilities they have in balance, they often forget their own well-being.

The thought of a manicure, facial or massage sounds lovely, but the thought of actually making an appointment at a spa can feel selfish or intimidating. We forget that to treat ourselves can create personal balance. The more personal balance we have the more easily we can fulfill our commitments to others.

Sometimes, because an experience is new to us, we feel wary of the unknown. We worry that we will be out of place or perhaps we will do something we shouldn’t. If you are considering a spa visit, put those thoughts out of your mind. Spas are owned and staffed by professionals. Their goal is to provide a safe, healthy and sedate environment. To ensure that you have the most positive experience possible, spa staff will ask you questions about your personal comfort level as regards the service scheduled. Expect to leave your spa relaxed and recharged. The most onerous schedule is less daunting when you feel your best.

Make an hour or two commitment that is for you, alone. By doing so you can take care of yourself as well as you take care of others. At the same time you are modeling a healthy example for your children. It is important that you be your best so that you can do your best.

To Everything There is a Season

Summer is bounty. We expect to pick up great bouquets and sugar sweet corn. As summer turns to fall we know that tomatoes will still be bountiful but that they will not be as luscious as they were at the height of the season. All natural things have a time.

To be in harmony with nature we live more flavorful and self-sustaining lives. We strive to cook and eat by season. We avoid processed foods and products. We want our toothpaste, hand cream and beauty regimen to consist of natural oils and botanicals. We understand that what we put on our bodies is as important as what we put in our bodies.

But we may not understand that natural beauty products, like summer’s bounty, have a peak season. Reputable leaders in the field of natural skin care, like Dr. Hauschka, date each product in their line to ensure that you are aware of the optimum period of usage. Be sure to check the usage date on the products you choose and to use them during the period defined as their peak.

The most delicious meals are often comprised of elements of the season. Foods cooked and eaten in their prime nourish the body. Natural skin care used when its ingredients are at their peak nurtures your skin.