Grand Beauty Spa owner Carmen Lee-Sargeant

As we all celebrate the welcoming of 2011, traditionally we all start the New Year with new goals that have to do with our well being.

Have Your Set Goals?

I would like to personally share some of my own goals, and I hope to inspire you to make and keep your own.  It has to become a daily thing like nourishing ourselves with healthy food to maintain our weight and to eat for beautiful hair & skin.  Make some “me time” to fit in a yoga or workout routine whether it be at a studio or at home (face it we all know what our bodies need by now)!  Commit to at least one or two days a week, that way it is not so overwhelming.  When you look back at it you can say I did something great for my health.

Ask yourself, do you do that now?

Here are My Goals and Suggestions

Being a working mom myself, nutrition is probably the most challenging.  Keep it simple.  Calorie count and choose foods from the food pyramid.  I keep one on my fridge.  It reminds me what foods to choose on a daily basis and to eat the actual serving size.

Don’t forget to count your calories.  Be sure to find nutritional foods that work towards your individual health, beauty, and anti-aging needs.

One thing I have done for years is juicing every morning with kale, Swiss chard, parsley, carrots, celery, and apples.  It’s what I do to ensure a youthful glow, healthy hair, skin & nails, and a cleaner body. Mentally, juicing gets my diet off to the right start everyday and keeps my immune system from ever going down.

Find something for you that kicks off your well being everyday.

 Treat yourself to at least one luxury a month, but chances are if you are reading this letter you already do!

The Grand Beauty Spa’s Goals

I hope my words help encourage you to take a moment to think about your life this 2011 and make it a healthy, happy, and abundant year.  The Grand makes its New Year goals to provide a standard mark for the most advanced beauty treatments in a calm, serene, and beautiful setting.

We look forward to bringing you the best beauty events from Thalgo, Kerastase, Shu Uemura and more for you to enjoy, learn, and discover.  Check out events this January inculding a workshop on learning how to transform your eye make-up.

We also invite you to become a Grand Beautiful Member so your “me time” is secured, and you’ll get to enjoy special member pricing and benefits.

In closing, please remember to take care of you and plan something you have always wanted to do this year.  The Grand looks forward to continuing to provide the best spa treatments and beauty services for you.

Happy New Year!
Carmen

Dr. Thomas M. Taylor Medical Director, Grand Beauty Spa

Q & A with Thomas M. Taylor, M.D.

Q: What do you do with dry, flaky skin?

A: ….cold, windy and dry weather during the winter months will cause your skin to be flaky and dry.

I suggest unscented white soaps or cleansers followed with unscented rich creams or lotions while the skin is still wet. Gentle exfolliation daily with…. or a mild scrub with …… will help remove the flaky skin without causing excessive irritation.

If the scaliness persists, the problem may be related to a primary skin problem such as perioral dermatitis, rosacea, keratosis pilaris or seborrheic dermatitis.

Some these skin problems occurs when normal skin proteins that your makes plug the hair follicles.  Gentle cleansing by massaging with nylon mesh sponge will soften the skin and remove the dead scaly skin. For sensitive skin, products will need to unscented to prevent excessive redness.

Some suggested products from the Grand Beauty Spa: Softness Exfoliator for Sensitive Skin by Thalgo, Moisture Quenching Mask by Thalgo, Freshness Exfoliator for Regular Skin by Thalgo

Q: What do I eat to make my skin look great?

A: What you eat is extremely important in maintaining a healty glow and softness to your skin. Foods like green vegetables, carrots, beets, citrus fruits and blueberries/cranberries are natural sources  of anti-oxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D .

Anti-oxidants will prevent and repair collagen and elastin lost which comes from sun exposure and environment toxins. Fish oils are great sources of vitamin A. For those who do not want to eat fish daily, omega-3 fish oil dietary supplement is great source to help your skin reverse and repair collagen and elastin damage.

Drink plenty of water. Water is important in daily metobolism of collagen and elastin fibers. Lack of water will make your skin appear dry, saggy and aged.

Consider: Anti-Aging Supplements by Thalgo

Q: What keeps your skin looking young?

A: ….sun protection, sun protection , sun protection! Excessive sun exposure, gravitational forces, cigarette smoke and excessive alcohol intake will break collagen and elastic fibers.

The first sign of this damage will be fine wrinkles around your eyes and lips. Daily sun screen application, wide brem hats when exposed to the sun for long periods of time and avoidance of mid-day sun are important in reducing the damage from UV radiation.

But if the damage has already been done, products that contain retinoids( retinol, retinoic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, hyaluronic acid, salycyclic) will help regenerate collagen and fibrin production.  These products act as humectants attracting water and penetrating into the dermis helping to repair the damage done to your  skin. With regular of use of these products, the normal skin repair mechanism will return give your skin that youthful beautiful glow.

Grand Beauty Spa suggested products: Skin Perfecting Care Resurfacing Kit by Thalgo, Wrinkle Control Mask by Thalgo

~ Grand Beauty Spa Medical Director Dr. Anne Hermann

As the excitement of your News Years Resolutions to get healthy and loose weight are turning into hard work, you will need some tools to Stay On Track. Here are 6 ways you can beat the February Diet Doldrums.

1. Prepare:
Bring food with you when you know you will be out of the house for more than three or four hours. If you get caught without food, have a contingency snack with you at all times, such as nuts or a protein bar in your purse or bag.

2. Do not dine hungry:
I often see people who will skip a meal because they know that they will be eating a larger meal later in the day. The problem with this, is that by the time you get to the restaurant or event, you are famished. Its much more difficult to make good food choices when you are starving. Always eat on a schedule of every three to four hours, even if you know you will be having a larger meal one day.

3. Remember, cheating is not the end of the diet:
If you lapse off the food plan, don’t worry, just get back on track as soon as you can. Don’t let weeks or months of healthy eating go down the drain because you went off your plan for a day or a weekend. If you get back on the plan as soon as possible, you will be surprised at how little damage was done.

4. Mix it up:
Get creative with your menu. Add new fruits, veggies and spices. You wouldn’t eat the same thing every day normally, so don’t eat the same thing every day on your diet either. Enjoy!

5. Make time:
One of the biggest reasons people do not exercise, is that they don’t have time. Look at your schedule and make time to work out or walk, the same way you would an appointment. Once you have committed to the time, start slow. You will get stronger and faster as long as you exercise consistently.

6. Enlist support:
It helps to diet with a friend or family member. You can exercise together and cook together. Even if you do not have a weight loss ‘partner’, get people who care about you involved. Some people don’t like to tell others they are dieting because they don’t want to disappoint others if they fail. If you make your diet public, you will be much more motivated to stick to it, and you will be surprised by how much encouragement you get.

We’re here to help you avoid the February Diet Doldrums. You can learn more about our “4 Weeks To A New You” Package here, or request an appointment for a consultation if you would like.

What do you do to avoid the February Diet Doldrums?

A note from our Owner:

Bid farewell to 2009 as we mark the end of the first decade of the 21st century and start a new decade in 2010. It’s a New Year – is it time for a New You?

As we all search for new inspirations to keep our spark lit, set your New Year goals for yourself beginning with you. For just 60 contemplative minutes turn off your computer, cell phone and the noise of the world around you. Find a quiet place around nature, preferably one you can look out at the trees and sky and reflect on the lessons you learned over the last decade. Think about your vision for this new decade. Challenge yourself on the tough stuff and savor the good stuff. Consider changing up diet and exercise routines to create the New You in 2010 (Read Dr. Hermann’s article on “4 Weeks to a New You”).

At The Grand Beauty Spa, we will strive to continue provide the most innovative beauty treatments offered in the industry and create a special safe haven to take care of you. Our monthly specials, information, tips and packages are geared toward making spa lifestyle part of your life. Plan a spa visit in conjunction with your exercise and diet plan. Incorporate our infrared sauna and steam room – it is like a visit to the gym. (Did you know that just 30 minutes in our infrared sauna burns 500 calories?) Use The Grand Beauty Spa as a motivator to keep your wellness goals on track.

Don’t forget to Enter to Win our “10 Visits, 10 Years Younger” contest! Now that’s a way to kick off your New Year, New You plan for 2010!

New Year New You Suggestions:

Learn about our “4 Weeks To A New You “detox program. Set up a visit with one of our spa therapist to discuss a renewal beauty program.
Consult with one of our beauty stylist to find your best look and find out if you’re a candidate to try the revolutionary INOA non ammonia hair color. (Learn more about INOA non ammonia color here. We’re proud to be one of just a few Salons Spa’s in West Central Florida that offers INOA).

Our promise is to take care of you. Set your New Year resolution by setting yourself first.

Grand Beauty Spa Owner
Carmen Lee-Sargeant

Are you feeling sluggish? Do You Have Puffy Eyes? Are You Just Plain Tired?

After a month of consuming more sugar, fat and alcohol, sleeping poorly and travel, its time to clean out our systems. The benefits of detoxifying our system are:

• Once we are not eating sugar and fat for a week, we don’t crave them as much.
• Once these foods are out of our system, we will feel less sluggish and more motivated to exercise
• After following the program, most people will loose at least 2 pounds the first week.
• If you continue on the program, you are on your way to reaching your goal weight.

Here is the Grand Beauty Spa “4 Weeks to A New You” plan:

Commit to the visiting the Grand once per week for four weeks.

1st  Visit: (3 hour)

Complete required paperwork and receive a consultation where we will review your health goals, perform a physical exam and order bloodwork if indicated.  Dr. Hermann will work out the best food plan for you. The food plan can be designed with regular food items or with food that can be purchased at the office.  You will receive all natural vitamins and supplements that curb your appetite and a vitamin and amino acid injection that help break down fat.  This injection will be repeated each week for a month.  After your consultation, enjoy 1/2 hour in the infrared sauna (infrared sauna burns over 700 calories in 30 minutes), followed by a mud wrap to draw out toxins from your skin.

Second visit: (2.75 hr)
1 hr with Dietitian Lea Russell for your weigh in and metabolic testing (machine that tells you how many calories you burn in a day), nutrition counseling and your fat burning shot.  Then enjoy the steam room/sauna for 1/2 hour, followed by a  mud wrap.

Third visit: (2.0 hr)
Review blood work, weigh-in and nutrition counseling with Dr. Hermann. Receive your fat burning injection.  Enjoy our steam room and sauna, followed by a mud wrap.

Fourth visit: (2.25 hr)

Visit with the Nutritionist and receive your fat burning shot.  Enjoy our steam room and sauna, followed by a facial.

Learn more about our “4 Weeks To A New You” Package here, or request an appointment.

What do you think – are you ready for “4 Weeks to A New You?”

Personal Beauty Tips –

When it comes to personal beauty, your skin is the largest organ and first point of contact with the world. Taking care of your skin is perhaps the most important daily ritual in personal beauty. That means more that applying cream to your face. It’s a holistic process involving eating right, exercising and living healthfully. Illness, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and alcohol abuse will sooner or later show up as dull, lifeless skin, acne or dark circle under eyes and a waxy complexion.

Going through detox will not help you lose weight but “sweating it out” will forced constriction and dilation of blood vessels. This happens when you go into and out of the heat, releasing the chemical nitric oxide. Detoxing means you will cleanse your body from the foods that you no longer wish to eat. Your body will “reject” the next fried chicken or burrito…

Europeans have always known the benefits of detoxification.  I remember when I was little girl in Poland my mother would apply Chinese Cupping therapy to my back when I didn’t fell good to accelerate the sweating that I already had from running a fever. I was not allowed to leave my bed until I stopped the perspiration process. I remember that I was always fine next day and there was almost never a need to take antibiotics. Chinese Cupping therapy is a wonderful addition to any massage treatment. Massage treatments increase the circulation and aid in removal of the toxins from our body.

The DETOX PROGRAM at Grand involves the use of Infrared sauna and a cold shower as well as 5 to 10 min in the steam  room. They are free of charge with your treatment and should be done preferably before your facial, body wrap or massage. Which treatment and how many will depend on your individual needs and will be decided at the time of your consultation with your therapist and our on site Doctor (board certified in nutrition) who will help you achieve long satisfying  weight loss.

Let me also add that 30 min session in our infrared sauna burns up to 700 calories. Infrared heat is simply a form of energy that heats your body directly without having to heat you. It penetrates and warms deeply increasing circulation and heart rate which eventually leads to burning calories. achieving safe and long lasting weight loss.

By taking good care of ourselves we reacquaint ourselves with our natural being and allowing our inner beauty to shine through.

What do you think?

In 2010 I  wish you success in achieving your goals, but also lots of joy, clarity and abundance.

Namaste
Ella Gorecka

~ Dr. Anne Herman, Grand Beauty Spa Anti-Aging Medical Director

By keeping our immune system strong, we can ward off illness.  This season we all want to avoid the flu.  All year long a strong immune system fights off cancer cells and keeps us healthy.  Here are 10 ways to boost our natural defences.

1.    Avoid simple sugars as much as possible. This includes those sweet treats and desserts but also the white flour and refined grain products that turn into sugar quickly. Studies have shown that refined sugars can suppress your immune system for hours after ingested.

2.    Eat multiple servings of colorful fruits and vegetables high in vitamins C, A and phytonutrients that supports the immune system. Choose more leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower), peppers, sweet potatoes and squashes. Garlic and onions offer wide spectrum antimicrobial properties. Aim for 3-4 servings of fruits and 5 + servings of vegetables.

3.    Get sufficient sleep! We all know sleep restores and heals the body. Without adequate sleep, optimal immune function is next to impossible! Aim for 7-8 hours a night

4.    Get regular exercise. Mild to moderate exercise (for approximately 30-45 minutes) helps boost immune system.

5.    Vitamin D3: Adequate vitamin D status is critical for optimal immune function and this cannot be achieved without supplementation during the winter months. It is best to get your levels of 25 OH vitamin D checked for accurate dosing.

6.    Vitamin C: The role of vitamin C in supporting the immune system has long been known. Take 500-1,000mg through out the day with meals and snacks.

7.    Zinc citrate: You can take an additional supplement or consume more foods high in this powerful immune supporting nutrient. Oysters and pumpkin seeds are the best food sources.

8.    Probiotics: A healthy gut flora supports a healthy gut, a major barrier against pathogens and integral to the immune system. Look for brands that offer several species of good bacteria and contain at least 5-10 billion organisms per capsule.

10.    Beta Glucans and Mushroom Extracts: Much research has shown that these compounds up regulate the function of the innate immune system. This part of your immune system is the first line of defense against viruses and bacteria. It helps your white blood cells bind to and kill viruses and bacteria. Patients with autoimmune diseases should not take this.