Can you duplicate the experience of “The Biggest Loser” without trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels standing over you, ordering you to do one more rep or push-up?

NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group and Reveille, LLC announced today that The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is now open for business. This destination resort and spa, which is located in Ivins, Utah, has become the newest addition to a growing list of The Biggest Loser health and fitness products that are dedicated to helping people adopt a healthy, “Biggest Loser” lifestyle. The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge will offer guests a comprehensive weight-loss experience that focuses on exercise, healthy nutrition and education, similar to what the contestants on NBC’s hit weight loss series “The Biggest Loser” experience during their time on the Biggest Loser Ranch. The announcement was made by Kim Niemi, Senior Vice President, NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group, and Mark Koops, Managing Director, Co-Head of Domestic Television for Reveille.

Guests at The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge are offered a minimum one-week weight loss program, but they are welcome to stay as many weeks as they wish. The average day consists of at least six hours of physical exercise, which includes a wide variety of aerobic alternatives from hiking in the majestic Snow Canyon State Park, to swimming, to kickboxing, to mat pilates. There is an emphasis on exercise and movement, but the weight-loss resort is also focused on helping people change their lives through education. The fitness program and education series are designed to prepare guests to begin a new, healthier way of living when they leave the resort and the goal is to allow guests to experience the same sort of structured and nurturing environment as the contestants on “The Biggest Loser.”

“Becoming the exclusive resort for NBC’s hit reality series is a natural fit,” said Renee Jarvis, Marketing Director for The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge. “Our philosophies are the same in that we offer a unique weight-loss opportunity in a calorie controlled and structured environment with motivation from professional fitness experts.”

“The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is an exciting and truly unique addition to ‘The Biggest Loser’ product line,” said Niemi. “So many viewers have watched contestants change their lives and bodies over the years and now they have an opportunity to try it themselves at this incredible resort and spa. We are really proud to be able to offer The Biggest Loser at Fitness Ridge to the public and we look forward to helping viewers at home make changes in their own lives with this spa.”

“This incredible new venture finally allows us to give so many more people access to world class education and facilities to get started on the path to a new healthy lifestyle,” said Koops. “The program offers incredible diversity in training and activity, so whether it’s taking off those final 10 pounds or kick-starting a new change, our fans will now be able to do it with the same level of commitment and quality that our contestants benefit from.”

The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge offers a comprehensive health and fitness experience for its guests. During their stay, guests are treated to three delicious meals a day, prepared by a trained, on-site chef and dietician. The low-fat, low-calorie meals are prepared with an emphasis on creativity and flavor. The total calorie intake is limited to 1200 per day. The delicious offerings include spinach and roasted red pepper frittatas for breakfast, couscous stuffed peppers with white bean and vegetable soup for lunch, and chicken breast with roasted root vegetables for dinner. Dessert is always served, including everyone’s favorite chocolate covered strawberries. Guests also learn how to prepare meals in a flavorful, low calorie way through on-site meal-preparation classes. Guests are offered a wide variety of aerobic activities including step toning and ball works as well as dance and core strengthening classes. In all, there are 20 different classes offered on the rotating schedule.

The weight-loss resort also focuses on training guests in adopting a new way of living, cooking, eating and staying fit. Guests have access to on-site licensed professionals, including a registered dietician and licensed counselor. These experts instruct guests how to approach meal planning and how to best recognize habits such as emotional and intuitive eating. Following the daily fitness schedule, guests are encouraged to relax and pamper themselves in the resort’s full-service salons. All services are geared toward relieving tension and restoring energy, balance and focus.

About The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge

The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge provides one of the most affordable, calorie-controlled, structured programs in the weight-loss spa industry. Designed to give lasting results, guests will experience a boot-camp style program that features incredible hiking, stimulating cardio and stretch classes, delectable, low-calorie spa cuisine and practical education on how to live a “Biggest Loser” lifestyle. Fitness Ridge began in 2002 as collaboration between Tami Clark, Michelle Kelsch and Cameron Kelsch, three experienced entrepreneurs dedicated to health and wellness. Located on 10 acres in southern Utah, just minutes from Snow Canyon State Park, The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is surrounded by incredible scenery of majestic red bluffs, towering vermillion sandstone and black lava rock. It is a unique resort destination and a perfect place to reclaim your health. For more information, please visit www.biggestloserresort.com.

About The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser returned for an eighth season on NBC, September 15, 2009 (Tuesdays from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). The first reality series where everybody “loses,” The Biggest Loser challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Hosted by Alison Sweeney (Days of our Lives), the series provides the contestants with challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until the final contestant remains to claim the title of “the biggest loser.” Each team works out under the supervision of professional trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. The Biggest Loser is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions.

Beyond the U.S. where more than 100 episodes of the show have aired, The Biggest Loser has become a worldwide hit appearing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. Since its debut in 2004, The Biggest Loser has grown to become a standalone health and lifestyle brand by developing tools and products inspired by the show and approved by its doctors and experts. Anchored by the online, subscription-based extension of the show, Biggestloserclub.com, The Biggest Loser Meal Plan, The New York Times best-selling books series, best-selling fitness DVD series, a line of appliances, fitness equipment, protein supplements and countless other health and lifestyle based products, The Biggest Loser consumer products program has generated over $50 million in spending with presence at more than 25,000 major retailers to date. The Biggest Loser was recognized as a top brand of the year in Advertising Age’s 2008 Marketing 50. Check out www.biggestloser.com for more information.

About NBC Universal Television DVD, Music, and Consumer Products Group

NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. NBC Universal Television DVD, Music, and Consumer Products Group manages all global ancillary television business endeavors for the NBC Universal Television Group, including third-party home entertainment distribution, consumer products, musical soundtracks, special markets projects and the NBC Universal Online Store.

Reveille

Reveille is a leading independent television studio with a major presence in scripted and unscripted television and digital entertainment, and a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers. Reveille’s scripted entertainment programming includes “The Office” and “Kath and Kim” (NBC), “Ugly Betty” (ABC) and “The Tudors” (Showtime). The company’s roster of highly successful reality programming includes “The Biggest Loser”, “American Gladiators”, and “Nashville Star” (NBC), “30 Days” (FX), “Parental Control” (MTV) and many more. Through its distribution arm, ShineReveille International, Reveille distributes its extensive library of high-quality programming, along with a broad array of programming acquired from independent producers and U.S. networks, to more than 150 countries. Reveille is part of the Shine Group, one of the world’s foremost multinational entertainment and drama companies. The Shine Group also includes UK independent producers Kudos, Princess, Dragonfly and Shine TV.

Utah Spa, Weight Loss Fitness Ridge

Celebrities Call Anushka Blau The Cellulite Exorcist, And Here She Reveals Tips For Getting Rid Of The Dreaded Dimples…

SUCH is Anushka Blau’s success in dealing with the unsightly dimpling which plagues up to 98 per cent of women, that New York’s models and socialites call her the cellulite exorcist.

America’s leading authority on the dreaded orange peel effect has come up with a series of nutritional advice, exercises, therapies and products which she says can visibly reduce cellulite on anyone.

As the 64 year-old points out, it is a condition which affects nearly every woman in the world, whether supermodel or grandmother.

She said: “I was a teenager when I began to wonder why it was that I had a great waist and a nice shape, but had all this dimpling on my behind.

“At the time nobody could give me an answer to it and that really planted a seed in my mind.

“From then on I always wanted to know more about it, especially when I discovered that it will affect between 90 and 98 per cent of women in their lifetime.”

According to Anushka, some of the main causes of cellulite include genetics, puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

She also says that birth control pills can increase the problem, as can medical conditions such as thyroid and water retention.

But the main cause of dimpling, she says, is what women eat.

She said: “What we put in our mouths, combined with our fast lives, has a major influence on our cellulite – especially the more refined carbohydrates and processed food a woman eats as the body doesn’t know what else to do with this except store it as fat.

“Then a lot of women lead an incredibly busy life, eat up a storm at night time and then vegetate, which doesn’t help.

“Plus they do also have weaker connective tissue than men, which means that as we mature we get laxity.

“But my advice to any woman who wants to try and combat cellulite is to start with the basics, which means good nutrition.

That is the most important thing you can change because when women eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods, it simply goes straight to the bum and thighs.

“That doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself, what I am talking about is a rule of thumb.”

Anushka recommends that women eat five times a day as this keeps the metabolism ticking over and to try and eliminate fried foods, animal fats and artificial sugars from their diet.

Instead she advices women to eat lots of fibrous foods such as lentils, vegetables with the skin left on and dried fruits, plus protein as that is essential for collagen production.

She recommends eating some kind of lean meat with every meal and also points to eggs as these contain minerals and “cellulite stopping” lecithin.

Anushka adds that body brushing, massage and exercise, especially her own exercises which are shown on her website, are all crucial in combating the dimpling on bums and thighs.

Certain products, in particularly her own such as the Cellulite Censored Liposerum, can also have a great effect, especially when combined with body brushing and exfoliation. Anushka suggests women try Folidea stockings, which help break down cellulite as you move, and MBT shoes, which increase muscle activity when walking.

Many of her New York clients also opt for the high technology beauty treatments she can offer, such as the Smooth Shapes, an FDA device, which combines laser and light energy with surface skin rollers and a vacuuming action.

She said: “This treatment really is amazing as the laser light restores collagen and boost circulation.

“Others are designed to focus on detox and lymphatic drainage. If someone comes to me for these, I usually develop a course for them based on their own needs as cellulite is a very individual thing.

“And while I will never say that I can get rid of cellulite, I will say that all my clients have a visible improvement.

“By treating the cellulite many women also lose a substantial amount of inches from their legs as well, even if they were not overweight as such to begin with.

“To women trying to tackle their cellulite on their own, I would tell them not to expect miracles and to be patient, building up their new habits bit by bit.

“Once they start seeing a difference, then they will be more encouraged to do more.

“Also, one of the best things for me is to see the increased self-confidence women have once their cellulite has improved and, as we all know, that has such a huge knock-on effect on every other area of their lives.”

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Cellulite Treatment, Cellulite Wrap, Spa Experience, Weight Loss Cellulite reduction, smoothshapes

 

Almost a year ago I was mindlessly stuck in traffic on the freeway in rush hour hoping to get anywhere else and I caught the end of the “call now” signal on the radio and grabbed my cell phone. Hoping to win concert tickets or a restaurant gift certificate, I ended up being caller #10 and won something I had never heard of: a body wrap. After looking up the spa’s website, the featured wrap that I had won—all $120 worth—is not a dehydrating wrap that makes you lose water weight, but one that is supposed to wrap away your inches, tighten your cellulite, and infuse your body with nutrients. Although still skeptical, it was free so I made an appointment. Little did I know wraps are sweeping the nation as a natural way to tone your body and give your mind and skin a confidence boost.

Herbal body wraps may seem superficial but they have actually been used for decades for uses like releasing muscle tension and providing a calming effect and some massage therapy technicians are also trained in the art of the body wrap. Some body wraps are clay or mud and act as more of a strengthening mask for the body to soften the skin and reduce swelling, blemishes, rough patches, redness, or inflammation. However, most of the body wraps being offered today are full of herbs and extracts aimed at filling the skin with nutrients and pulling out the toxins for a refreshing feel.

My wrap is the latter; long cloth strips dipped in warm water and nutrients applied tightly to the body. Hundreds of women flock to these places looking for that miracle inch loss that still allows them to eat anything and skip the walking groups during their lunch hour. Not knowing what to expect, I walked in with a bathing suit under my clothes, no makeup, and dirty pulled-back hair, hoping to see more of the same. Instead I was met with women in their 30s and 40s wearing stilettos and designer clothes in the middle of the day, faces full of makeup, waiting to get their cellulite squished.

I was escorted behind a curtain with a girl who could have been in high school and she took my measurements, assured me that I would lose ten inches over the next hour, and started wrapping me like a mummy. I was doused with more water and nutrients after all the bandages were applied and my feet, hands, and hair were bagged with shower caps held on by rubber bands—in order to “catch” the toxin-filled water that will be seeping out of my skin.

The real catch to the healing power of the wrap is exercise. In order for the wrap to be most beneficial, you can barely move but are placed on a walking machine to move your legs, with the option to use a trampoline. Every fifteen minutes your name is called to get doused with more nutrients and aside from feeling like a mummy trapped in an aquarium—almost immediately after you start moving the bags start to fill with water that swishes around your hands and feet constantly—you stop being cold for a few seconds. For a whole hour you are asked to move without stopping except for the re-dousing periods and if you can get past the fact that your fingers feel like raisins maybe you can enjoy the movie put on for your entertainment and motivation. I got to watch most of My Cousin Vinny which was a treat because I had not seen it in a while, but as soon as I was unwrapped and I could breathe I felt like I had spent the day at a water park, as this body treatment is definitely not attractive and I did not feel sexy.

With a guarantee of ten inches of loss, my caretaker measured me again and unfortunately I had only lost just over six inches across my entire body. My caretaker assured me that as I was younger than the demographic the wraps appeal to and I also do not have the ideal body type for this treatment to work efficiently. The guarantee held up and because my first wrap was already free due to the radio station, I received another free wrap. The good news is that I was sent home with an empty stomach and a big bottle of water and—to my surprise—a new level of confidence. I was supposed to keep losing throughout the weekend and did not notice a huge change or great inch loss anywhere specific except that my fresh-from-the-dryer jeans were not as snug and my smile was a little bigger.

I have yet to go back for my second complimentary wrap because I am waiting for a special occasion to use it; however, I will be trying yet again to wrap away my unwanted inches. It is good to remember that natural herbal body wraps use minerals and amino acids but are not a mixture of fairy dust and magical weight loss cures. I now believe that herbal body wraps are a bit of liquid courage poured into the skin and soaked up like a sponge eagerly hoping the patient goes back into the world with a brighter smile, a higher head, and a body that exudes happiness and pride.

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Body Wrap, Weight Loss Body Wraps, Weight Loss

 

Purchase the Book

When you use Dr. Phil’s 7 keys, you begin to: rid yourself of wrong thinking, heal yourself of emotions standing in the way of a healthy relationship with food, create a no-fail environment, shape your eating behavior into what you need for lifetime weight control, get real about nutritional choices that worked to your detriment, change your priorities to include exercise, and plug into a circle of support for encouragement and accountability. In short, you are changing how you’re living.

 

Key #1: Right Thinking

Lay aside self-defeating, invalid mindsets that do not work. They have the power to keep you from making different choices or developing new behaviors. Too often, we let these negative notions go unchallenged, and we act as though they were true. You must monitor what you’re thinking and challenge whether it is true. If it’s not working, replace it with thinking that works.

• Do You Have Faulty Thinking?
• Challenge Your Faulty Thinking
• What’s Your Weight Locus of Control?
• The Challengers’ Internal Dialogues
• Keep an Online Diary

Key #2: Healing Feelings

Overcome emotional overeating by managing inappropriate reactions to stress; solving problems rather than dwelling on them; changing self-defeating thoughts, since more often than not, feelings follow thoughts; gaining closure on unfinished emotional business; and learning new ways to cope without resorting to food.

• Are You an Emotional Eater?
• The Challengers Work to Gain Emotional Control

Key #3: A No-Fail Environment

Design your world so that you can’t help but succeed. This involves removing temptations to eat and rearranging your schedule in order to avoid or minimize triggers to overeat.

• Take a Personal Environment Audit
• The Challengers Unlock The Door to External Control.

Key #4: Mastery Over Food and Impulse Eating

There’s only one reason why you haven’t changed the bad stuff in your life. You’re getting something out of it. I’m not saying that you’re getting something healthy or positive, but people do not continue in situations, attitudes or actions that do not give them a payoff. This key helps you identify those payoffs, unplug from them, and replace bad habits with healthy behavior.

 

Key #5: High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition

To lose weight, you must choose foods that support good behavioral control over your eating, that is, high-response cost, high-yield foods, organized into a moderate, balanced, calorie-controlled plan to ensure weight loss.

• What Should You Be Eating?
• A 7-Day Meal Plan
• The Rapid Start Plan
• The Challengers Master Key #5

Key #6: Intentional Exercise

Prioritize regular exercise into your life most days of the week — walking, jogging, aerobic dance classes, yoga, playing a sport, or lifting weights. Exercise does more than simply burn calories; it changes your self-perception so you stop labeling yourself as a couch potato.

• More About Key #6
• Robert Reames’ Training Tips
• A Sample Exercise Program for Beginners
• Take Dr. Phil’s Exercise Audit
• Keep a Workout Diary
• The Challengers’ Fitness Competition

Key #7: Your Circle of Support

Surround yourself with supportive, like-minded people who want you to lose weight and succeed at your health and fitness efforts.

• Dr. Phil’s Social Support Audit
• Circle of Support Do’s and Dont’s
• Find a Local Support Group
• The Challengers Struggle to Find Support

 

Start changing your life today! Read The Ultimate Weight Solution and The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide and master the keys to weight loss success.

Dr Phil, Weight Loss

Cal-a-Vie
Vista, California

Some think of Cal-a-Vie as a weight-loss resort, but it’s actually a first-class spa. The cozy antiques-filled setting north of San Diego lets you feel like you’re in the French countryside, right down to the 400-year-old meditation chapel brought stone-by-stone from Dijon.

Cal-a-Vie has five staff members per guest, the highest ratio of any spa on our list. The spa’s experts will sift through your goals and give you a card detailing your daily activities and spa treatments (though you can opt out of them or choose alternates). Your meals—balanced servings of lean proteins, whole grains, and fresh seasonal vegetables—arrive portioned to your prescribed calorie count. If your tummy grumbles and your muscles ache, simply swap your cardio-kickboxing class for tai chi or ask your consultant to add 300 calories to your diet. “That flexibility means you won’t feel deprived,” judge Gelula says.
Don’t miss: The early morning hikes. The area is called Vista for good reason.

Cost: $7,395 per week, per person, including all treatments. Three nights cost $3,595.

California Day Spas

CA Day Spas, California Spas, Destination Spa, Spas, Weight Loss

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Exercising and indulgence

IF YOU GO
The Bella Vita Retreat is in the Ocean Sands Resort & Spa, 1350 N Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach. Numerous packages are available. One week (six nights) at the Bella Boot Camp, including hotel room, three meals a day, fitness classes, nutrition analysis, body composition and $200 spa credit, is $2,495 single occupancy, $1,895 double; three-night camps are $1,595 single, $995 double. 954-590-1022

The Red Door Lifestyle Spa is at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa in Weston. The Signature Spa Experience described in the story is $272, plus tip. Through Sept. 30, the Spa Girlfriends’ Getaway costs $187 per person, double occupancy and includes a 50-minute massage or facial, manicure and pedicure, make-up lesson, two days of fitness classes and two days of spa facilities. 954-349-5500

POMPANO BEACH –
We’re on the roof of a beach hotel that looks like a cruise ship, its angled bow jutting toward the Atlantic Ocean. Puffy clouds dot the sky, and a pleasant breeze cools the morning air. So serene.
”KICK! KICK! KICK!” bellows our leader, thrusting her sneakered foot sideways and up to shoulder height, in time to the beat pulsing from an iPod. “Hands up! Protect your face! Visualize someone you want to HIT!”
We’re sweating. We’re kicking. We’re visualizing. Oh, yes, we are visualizing.
This is cardio kickboxing, the second of what will be five hours of exercise in one day at the Bella Boot Camp, part of the Bella Vita Retreat at Ocean Sands Resort & Spas in Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale. Between beach runs, cardio, Pilates, weight lifting and yoga come healthy meals, spa treatments and powerful camaraderie among the boot campers, here to lose weight or get fit, mind and body.

Bella Boot Camp is intense, but it’s an example of the trend toward spa and wellness getaways that offer more than beauty treatments. Bella and another South Florida retreat we visited on a recent weekend, the Red Door Lifestyle Spa in Weston, have offerings for men and couples, but most of the clientele are women.

Spa and wellness trips are a huge part of another major travel trend, the so-called ”girlfriends getaway.” The number of women-only travel companies has more than quadrupled since 2000, offering everything from yoga retreats in Aspen to knitting trips to Scotland. There’s even a new show devoted to the trend, All-Girl Getaways, on the Fine Living Network.

The beauty pun intended of spa and fitness trips is that they can be accomplished across town, across the state or across the world. Even if your budget is stretched, you might be able to swing a nearby spa day without staying at the hotel.

Wherever you go, it’s worth your time to research not only your destination, but also to decide what you want to get out of your getaway.

DAY 1: BOOT CAMP

After scoping out the possibilities via the Internet and telephone, my friend Wilma and I decided on a two-day, two-stop tour in South Florida. Driveable, but far enough to feel like a real getaway.

The retreat resides in the 89-room Ocean Sands Resort & Spa, which in addition to spa and gym facilities, boasts an ocean view from each room, a lovely pool and good food, both healthy and indulgent. All handy if your travel partner can’t seem to equate ”boot camp” and “vacation.”
Wilma strolled the beach, enjoyed a pedicure in a spa with an ocean view, took a nap and caught up with her magazines in a suite with two balconies and 180-degree views of the Atlantic.

She slept through the start of my boot camp day: a 7 a.m. Pilates class. Although there were five campers in residence, only two were in class, the rest preferring beach walks or sleep.
What a difference from the jam-packed classes at my local gym. Our teacher, Felicity, gently and promptly corrected our form, explaining each stretching and strengthening move.

After an hour, I felt taller. Three days later, I could still feel my abs every time I sneezed.
Next up was breakfast in the sunny dining room. Told we were boot campers, the waitress snatched away the regular menus in mock horror. No eggs Benedict for us. But the poached egg, whole wheat toast and fresh fruit left us feeling virtuous as no Hollandaise ever could.

The real killer of the day was two hours on the hotel roof with the deceptively gentle-looking Camille. For the hour of cardio kickboxing there were only two of us me and Aya Imaida, 37, a Japanese TV reporter who told me later she’d gained 20 pounds since starting a stint in Washington, D.C. I couldn’t see where she was hiding it.
After we’d kicked, punched and jogged our way through an hour, two more campers joined us for an hour of core-strengthening exercises on those big inflatable balls.
A shower and change of clothes later, we headed to the poolside bar for our calorie-counted spa lunches. Bridget McNamara, 57, from St. Lucia, was spending a week here with her friend Elizabeth Minors, 58, of Antigua. They’ve been taking fitness vacations, usually in England, away from their careers in the travel industry for years.
”Not necessarily to lose weight,” explained the slender Bridget, ‘but for `me’ time. It’s selfish and quite essential, I think.”

Both women praised the facilities, instruction and healthy-but-delicious food at Bella Boot Camp, and said they’d recommend it to others. But they’d prefer a place with fewer distractions — they skipped a few classes to go shopping.

Joy Hepburn, 45, a massage therapist from New Jersey with three sons, came to boot camp on her own. “When I go away with friends or family, I spend all my time taking care of them. This is a vacation I can go on alone, and meet a group of really cool, interesting women.”
All five of us were in the gym for the final two classes of the day, weight training followed by the most rigorous stretching routine I had never imagined.
”We’re really not about spa, we’re about fitness,” retreat director Margot Rutigliano, 32, explained to me earlier in the day. “We added the spa component in because it’s beneficial for muscle relaxation and stress reduction. Our focus is to get people to move.”

Last year, 350 people came through the boot camp program, which is limited to 10 a week, she said. Many campers stay a week or two (a woman can expect to lose 3 to 7 pounds in a week, depending on her weight and dedication). But I found a shorter visit can jump-start a lagging fitness routine. After five hours of exercise in one day, an hour a day at home looks entirely reasonable.
Like all our instructors, Rutigliano, 32, is fit, but not a stick figure.
”You need to be healthy and strong,” she said, “not skinny.”

DAY 2: PAMPERED

Our next stop was the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure in Weston, home of the Red Door Lifestyle Spa. The hotel and spa got a $110-million facelift a few years ago, and it shows.

Overwhelmed by the dozens of spa treatments at the Red Door (phyto-organic hydrating wrap, anyone?), we went for the half-day Signature Spa Experience.
At 48,000 square feet, this is the largest Red Door spa in Elizabeth Arden’s chain of 31 day and resort spas. You can get lost here, and we were grateful for the many black-uniformed attendants patiently guiding us around. Yet it manages to feel intimate and posh, with an Asian aesthetic.
Newcomers should stick with basic treatments to start, and then branch out, advises sales and marketing manager Melissa Fronstin.
”I think people first and foremost do come for the pampering, but it’s really all about wellness,” she said. The Red Door does offer fitness classes, on land and in the pool, but we managed to overlook that, heading directly to the changing room, lavish showers and plush white robes. We lounged in a sky-lighted tea room to await our treatments.

First up was the massage. I climbed up on the (heated) table and told my therapist I’d had a tough workout. So she concentrated her considerable efforts where I needed them most, upping the pressure when I requested it. The aromatherapy oils she used I detected lavender, cloves and who knows what else helped me relax even more, as did the many hot towels she draped across me as she worked. In an hour, Nicole had ironed out shoulder knots and a lower-back ache I’d considered permanent residents of my body.

Normally I like spa treatments that don’t involve talking. But when I met the aesthetician who would do my facial, I wanted information. Her skin was simply magnificent and she’s got 20 years on me. Barbara worked for an hour, steaming, cleaning, masking, massaging, assuring me I was really in fine shape, but yes, there were a few little things I could be doing.

Skin plumped and glowing, it was off to a manicure in the salon, which had the atmosphere of a slumber party. We’d landed in the midst of a half-dozen local women getting gorgeous for a big night out, and their festive mood was infectious. The half-day ended with a makeup lesson. Our teachers were paragons of patience, as two women peered over the shoulder of a friend, declaring that no, that eye shadow shade just wasn’t doing quite what it should. (To my surprise, there was no pressure to buy products; what the therapists recommend is discreetly placed in a basket at the front desk, where you are free to ignore it or splurge madly.)
Our only complaint was that we tried to cram too much into our half-day. We got off schedule when some of our services ran a bit overtime, and couldn’t have the leisurely poolside lunch or soak in the tempting spa tub we’d hoped for. Lesson learned for our next visit.

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BODY WRAPS: Lewiston spa treatment can reduce inches

Instant gratification. It’s something we all strive for but seldom are able to achieve — especially when it comes to our bodies.

But it’s exactly what Margie Mokhiber offers at her Slender Inspirations Cellulite Treatment Inch Loss and Detox Program at D’Amore Salon & Day Spa in Lewiston.

Of the three wraps offered by Mokhiber, two are meant to help women lose inches and get rid of unsightly cellulite.

The Ayurvedic Seaweed Herbal Wrap is for women who want to lose inches, while the Sea Clay with Aloe Vera Herbal Wrap is for those who are already at their weight goal but want to tighten their skin.

But although the wraps might offer instant results, Mokhiber warns that keeping those extra inches off is up to the customer.

“You can’t just go back to your old ways. The wraps work, but I always try to tell my customers about proper nutrition and exercise. The thing is, seeing the instant results is such a motivator, they just want to keep going,” Mokhiber said.

The wraps don’t dehydrate, but instead rid the body of toxins. In fact, Mokhiber urges her customers to drink a lot of water both before and after treatments.

A certified nutritional consultant, Mokhiber knows the importance of proper diet and exercise and said that her wraps are not a substitute for either.

Mokhiber began offering the wraps at D’Amore Salon about a month ago, and business has grown ever since.

“I started in my house trying out different formulas on five of my ‘guinea pig’ friends. It took me a little while to get the formulas right, but now they work perfectly,” Mokhiber said.

One of those friends is Rebecca Dowsey, who was in the salon for her second seaweed wrap in as many days. With her first wrap she lost 7 1/2 inches, and the second took off 5 1/4 inches.

“The wraps are just great. I was one of Margie’s ‘guinea pigs’ and once she got the formula right, it was amazing. You can see the results as soon as the wraps come off — plus your skin feels really soft,” Dowsey said.

The wraps stay on an hour, so customers should plan on staying at the salon for about an hour and half. First-timers take a little longer because they have to fill out a detailed personal information chart. After that, Mokhiber measures the client at several spots over her body so that progress can be charted.

The, it’s on with the wraps, which are actually Ace bandages soaked in a special warm solution before being wrapped completely around the body. Then customers put on a sauna suit and plastic zip-per bags on their feet and wait an hour before the wraps are removed and more measurements are taken.

“When you’re wrapped, you look just like a mummy. The sauna suit keeps you warm because after a while, the solution cools down and you’d be really cold without the suit,” Mokhiber said.

The suit also helps drum up a lot of business.

“When people see my customers out in the salon with those suits on, they ask what’s going on, and that’s how I’ve been getting a lot of new business,” Mokhiber said.

That’s exactly what happened with Lesa Saffen of Youngstown, who was in the salon getting her hair cut when she spotted one of Mokhiber’s suit-clad clients.

Since then, she’s had two seaweed wraps, a week apart, and is pleased with the results.

“After the first wrap, I lost six inches. When I got home and put on my jeans, I could really feel the difference. After that, I was afraid I would regress and put the inches back on, but I didn’t. The wraps just make you feel so good and upbeat, it’s amazing,” Saffen said.

Cheryl Mathes of Lewiston was also in the salon when she spotted one of the clients and decided to try the clay wrap since she didn’t really need to lose inches but wanted to firm up.

The sea clay wraps tighten and tone and can diminish cellulite. But Mathes saw an extra benefit.

“My first wrap, I was lucky and I lost four inches. After that, I didn’t expect to take any more inches off, but so far, I’ve taken off 10 altogether. It’s an added bonus. I’ve been working out, and it also helps with sore muscles. It leaves my skin feeling great,” Mathes said.

Mokhiber said the clay, which is painted on the body before the wraps are applied, tightens the skin while the aloe detoxifies. Clients are also asked to exfoliate with a dry brush, which is available for purchase at the salon, before the treatments and are asked not to shower right before the wrap or six to eight hours afterward. Lotions also should not be used because they clog the pores and inhibit the detoxifying process.

While the wraps offer “instant results,” Mokhiber would like to see all of her clients use them as a jump start to a healthier lifestyle.

“I always try to give people advice on staying fit in the long term, with diet and lifestyle changes. I also tell everyone we have to love ourselves and be realistic about our goals. That’s the most important thing,” Mokhiber said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Detoxifying, inch-reducing and firming body wraps

WHERE: Slender Inspirations Cellulite Treatment Inch Loss & Detox Program at D’Amore Salon & Day Spa, 705 Center St., Suite 2, Lewiston, NY

WHEN: The salon is open from Tuesday through Saturday, with spa services offered Monday by appointment only.

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Michigan Day Spas • Michigan Resort Spas • Michigan Medical Spas

They’ve got you covered from head to toe.

Connie Kraska and her daughter, Colleen Kraska, have opened a unique combination business at the Sommer Breeze Salon and Day Spa.

 

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Connie’s enterprise is called Soak Away the Pounds, offering what she calls “the strongest foot-detox system available today.” It’s an ionic detoxification bath for the feet that she says results in weight loss, pain relief and increased energy.

Colleen, meanwhile, is a Hollywood-trained makeup artist who has opened a business called Makeup by Colleen K. She offers makeup services for pretty much any occasion: weddings, proms, photo shoots, Halloween and more.

“I have a marketing background, and I had done a lot of marketing for health products,” Connie Kraska said. “I was looking for something new that I might be able to get into, and then I discovered Soak Away the Pounds. I had gotten a bad infection from a cat bite, and I discovered the detox system. It was sort of unpolished at the time, but now it’s stronger and a lot more effective.”

She said the foot bath works by drawing out toxins, cellular waste and pollutants from the body. Connie Kraska said the Soak Away the Pounds method has grown in popularity after she was featured demonstrating it on Fox TV affiliates in Dallas, Indianapolis and Detroit.

“Everybody’s a little skeptical coming in, but at one place, they had four of the producers from the station soak their feet during the broadcast, to see what would happen,” she said. “They could actually see the water changing color as the toxins were drawn out of their body. It even got a little chunky.”

Connie Kraska charges $25 for a 45-minute session, and she said most customers come in every week or two.

“A lot of people come in because it’s effective at helping them lose weight, and some people come in because it helps with their arthritis and things like that,” she said.

As for Colleen Kraska’s makeup business, she said she decided to start Makeup by Colleen K after moving back to Michigan from California last year.

She received her training in both states and graduated from the elite Studio Makeup Academy in Hollywood, where she studied film, TV and studio makeup techniques. She also studied at Amy Ward’s Media Makeup School in Hollywood.

“We had lots of models and actors coming in,” Colleen Kraska said. “I ended up working on a lot of films out there — student films, short films, a little of everything.”

Since moving back to Michigan, she has continued her film career, working on some local productions. But most of her makeup work in these parts has been weddings, homecomings, proms and special occasions like that.

“Sometimes they’ll come here, but usually, I’ll meet them at their house or the wedding location or wherever they want, and I’ll do all their makeup there,” Colleen Kraska said.

She has also spent some time giving makeup tips to others, including a seminar she gave for the Livingston County Photography Group.

“That was fun,” Colleen Kraska said. “I basically showed them how to work with a model, to make their subject look as good as possible.”

She said that doing makeup for a living is something she’s dreamed about for a long time.

“I always did makeup, ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “I always thought that it would be cool to be able to wake up every morning and do somebody’s makeup that day.”

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Doctor With A Heart for Others Making Arizona Healthier One Patient at a Time

Armed with a true passion for helping people achieve optimum health, Dr. Suzanne Bentz, the founder of Red Mountain Family Medicine and the new luxurious Red Mountain Med Spa, is helping Arizonans with everything from sinus infections, high blood pressure and diabetes, to premature aging and even obesity. In the last 14 years she has helped her patients lose over 100,000 pounds of un-healthy weight. Dr. Suzanne Bentz is making Arizona a healthier and more beautiful place one patient at a time.

 

With her always-smiling face, caring heart and positive outlook on life, Dr. Bentz, or she likes to be called, Dr. Suzanne, has invited us to learn more about her and the people she cares for. Please join us as we look into the life of one of Arizona’s top medical providers.

 

A Doctor To All

As the owner and Medical Director of both Red Mountain Family Medicine and The Red Mountain Med Spa, Dr Bentz personally oversees the care for all of her patients at both practices- which are conveniently located next to each other in the Greenfield Professional plaza in northeast Mesa. Dr. Bentz is board certified in Family Practice, where she received her medical degree from the University of Health Sciences at North Texas State University in 1991.  She founded Red Mountain Family Medicine in 1994 and in 2007 opened the luxurious Red Mountain Med Spa.  Dr. Bentz is pleased to practice with five Nurse Practitioners to provide personalized, quality care to all her patients.

 

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Dr. Bentz now lives in northeast Mesa, along with her loving husband, her three wonderful children and their two jack russell terriers. Together they enjoy boating, traveling, volunteering, and just about any out-door watersports that this beautiful state offers.

 

Helping Others Win By Losing… Pounds That Is

Dr. Bentz has helped over 1,000 patients lose unhealthy pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Statistically her patients lose an average of one pound per day. Many of her patients have lost over 100 lbs and have successfully avoided gastric bypass surgery. She is Board certified in Bariatric Medicine, which deals with the treatment of Obesity and related diseases and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Bariatric Medicine. Dr Bentz has a special interest in medical weight loss (she has personally been successful in overcoming weight issues herself) and strongly believes that the Physician is the most qualified person to assist a patient with losing weight.

 

Let There Be Youth & Beauty For All

Dr Bentz is excited to share her knowledge and expertise with her patients to help them preserve a youthful, ageless appearance. Dr Bentz has received advanced training in Aesthetics and the use of Lasers. She is awarded Silver injector status with Allergan, the makers of Botox for her experience in using Botox for Facial rejuvenation.

 

About the NEW Red Mountain Med Spa

Dr. Bentz has a philosophy that encompasses a healthy lifestyle and approach to preventative medicine. The best way to avoid illness and aging is to prevent it in the first place with a commitment to healthy living.  From this philosophy, the Red Mountain Med Spa was created, and offers patients everything expected in a cosmetic med spa and a traditional day spa, such as medically supervised weight loss, Lipo Dissolve, chemical peels, facials, massage, Botox and other skin rejuvenating services.

 

Designed For Relaxation & Renewal

At Red Mountain Med Spa tranquility is embedded into the very foundation. The soothing water wall, the essence of natural fragrant oils and the pleasant harmony of sounds will invoke your senses and send you in to the realm of relaxation and renewal. The Spa Menu was designed to pamper, enhance and relax all visiting guests. The architectural layout and design theme was carefully planned using Feng Shui- an ancient Chinese philosophy concerned with understanding the relationships between nature and ourselves so that one might live in harmony within their environment. It is also related to the equally sensible notion that one’s life is deeply affected by the physical and emotional surroundings.  Red Mountain Med Spa has created an environment where patients can experience their spa treatment as well as enrich themselves in stress-free and beautiful spa environment.

 

Avid Supporter Of The Community

In addition, Red Mountain Family Practice and Red Mountain Med Spa regularly sponsors numerous local charities for abused women and children and is an avid supporter of the local community.

 

It is not every day that you see a doctor and entrepreneur with a heart to serve others and a passion for success. We hope that this testimony will inspire you and those you know and love to take their health to the next level.

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