Education

Well, Vancouver is back to its sedate self! It was astounding how the very next day after the closing ceremonies, it was as though the Olympics and all the people were just a dream. They were gone, it was over in a flash.

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about post-Olympic blues, Vancouverites were high on the energy of it all, and the sudden switch back to routine had some people feeling down. Where did all the fun go? And yet there are still more people who are happy to get back into routine. Two to three weeks of partying had taken its toll on their bodies, and it was time to get back to the gym and eating right.

When I’m not feeling my best, I tend to increase my exercise, eat better and then boost it all with infrared sauna sessions. In as little as 30 minutes, I can burn up to 600 calories while sweating out toxins and relaxing my muscles. Post infrared sessions, I often feel hungry, but also very mellow, like I’ve just had a really great work out.

I wouldn’t necessarily promote the infrared sauna as a weight loss tool Anna and Christina’s Beauty Call (A W Network Series), did a feature on our infrared sauna. Anna and Christina had a sauna session everyday for 7 days. Afterwards they had both lost around 2 pounds. Hardly a weight loss miracle, but, I imagine that relieving their bodies of excess toxins and muscular strain would have had a tremendous benefit to their energy and immunity.

So if you’re feeling the need for a post-Olympic purge, I’d suggest a little time out in an infrared sauna. On a side note- here’s an interesting article from the Globe and Mail about how the Olympics has influences Canadians’ fitness levels: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/on-the-podium-sure-but-not-off-the-couch/article1496774/

This beautiful Vancouver summer we’ve been having has brought lots of opportunities for fun; longer sun filled days can sometimes mean less sleep, more activity and perhaps a few more indulgences in the food and beverage department.  

Whenever I’ve partaken a little too much, or I’ve gotten off track with my exercise routine, I can definitely feel it. My body sends out signals in the form of aches and pains- it’s an unfortunate reminder that I’m human and need to take some time out.

First things first- I book in for a some RMT massage and infrared sauna therapy. 

An infrared sauna differs from traditional saunas and steam facilities in that it uses infrared light, an invisible part of the light spectrum to trigger blood circulation.  Traditional saunas and steam rooms use heat energy which warms up the air around the body, eventually increasing circulation and sweating. This process takes some time and it can be uncomfortable for most people to stay in a sauna or steam room for more than 10 minutes as it becomes hard to breathe the hot air. Infrared light penetrates the skin by about 4mm. This creates a rapid increase in circulation to the muscles and connective tissues, triggering sweating and detoxification. Because the infrared light is not heating up the air, it is much easier to breathe and people can remain in the sauna comfortably for anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes, thus enhancing the detoxification process. It is purported that up to 600 calories are burned within a 30 minute infrared sauna session. Yes please!

After 25 minutes, I’m feeling deeply relaxed- the endorphins have kicked in, my muscles are warmed up and ready for some deep tissue massage. This massage technique targets deeper muscles- which can be painful, but the release of tension, chronic pain and lactic acid from the muscle tissues makes it worth any discomfort. 

To support further internal detoxification, I’ve used the GliSODin Advanced Detoxification Formula.  It’s a two week detox program that does not require any change in diet.  Unlike other detox supplements which have people running to the washroom- GliSODin’s formula does not contain laxatives or bulking agents and focuses on chelating metals and toxins to eliminate them from our system while providing the immune support and age prevention properties of superoxide dismutase.

So, in the end I’ve learned I can still have my fun this summer,… I’m just equipped with some damage control techniques!

http://www.sprucebodylab.com/services/infrared.php

http://www.sprucebodylab.com/services/rmt.php

http://www.sprucebodylab.com/products/glisodinskin.php

Holiday Spirit

So we’re hosting a shopping event this Monday, December 8th from 6-9pm.  Amongst all the great deals, one thing that I’m very excited about for this event is that we’re asking for donations to the Vancouver Food Bank.  Everyone that brings a donation will be entered to win a package of six, 25 minutes infrared sauna sessions.

Office Christmas parties being cancelled has been an unfortunate reality with the recent economic down turn. We’ve been fortunate to still able to celebrate with the Spruce team this year.  Usually we do a gift exchange, but in the spirit of gratitude and giving back this year we’re taking a charitable approach and asking our team to bring a donation to the food bank or socks for the ‘Sox in the City’ sock drive.  This is a local charity campaign run by Vancouver Coastal Health that I read about in the Courier this week. Sox in the City helps maintain the foot health of Vancouver’s homeless by warming up their feet with a salt bath, bandaging cuts and blisters and giving them a pair of new and more importantly, dry socks.  

To learn more about this cause, check out: http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=030239c5-acd8-4977-8002-06edc6c26772

The concept of a body wrap has always been an alluring and romantic ideal representation of ’spa’ to me. I envision entering the treatment as my usual (perhaps tired and stressed) self and exiting entirely renewed and refreshed. That is the very essence of detoxification. To purify and cleanse, not only physically, but mentally as well.

That being said, I think that the ‘body wrap’ is an oft misunderstood and unappreciated element of the spa. With a myriad of choices and fads to follow, it’s no wonder that spa-goers aren’t sure of what to partake in, let alone whether or not they really need it. The recent consumer trend seems to be moving away from the traditional “inch loss” and “cellulite reduction” marketing, as people are more educated about the reality of these ineffective methods. The trend is now moving towards supporting optimal health.

I think that in Vancouver, we’re fortunate to have a culture that has a health-based foundation which has led to more sophisticated choices for maintaining optimal health. So, like our Eurpean counterparts, we’re making detoxification a part of our lifestyle and not so much an aesthetic choice.

Why Detox?

Toxins accumulate in our bodies for many reasons. Stress, pollution, lack of exercise and poor nutrition create an accumulation of toxins that our body is unable to fully process without a little help. When we’re toxic we can experience fatigue, head aches, general aches and pains as well as mental sluggishness. Not to mention that we have more oxidative stress in our system.  This oxidative stress leads to the degradation of healthy cells in our body, which contributes to the aging process. And for a culture obsessed with age-prevention, detoxification programs offer us an opportunity to help our body defend itself from the aging process.

Ways to Detox

• infrared sauna therapy This technology has been around for over 42 years and is exceptional for eliminating toxins from the system by activating circulation and perspiration. It is purported that you can burn up to 600 calories in the sauna within a 30 minute session.  I’ve found that the sauna not only cleanses my body, but my mind as well.  I get deeply relaxed and I feel like endorphins have been released, giving me that post-work out euphoria.
• body treatments Ingredients like fresh sea weeds and glacial clay have a direct link to our blood plasma (ie: our skin recognizes them and invites them in) and have been proven to eliminate toxins while replenishing the body with nutrients such as minerals, vitamins and amino acids.  In addition to the health benefits of purifying our skin, these treatments also improve us on an aesthetic level. Smoothing away dry rough skin cells and hydrating the epidermis reveals fresh and youthful skin. I know that I always feel like a new person from head to toe after a body treatment.