Wellness

Category

  1. Home
  2. Archive by Category "Wellness"

Archives

It’s the New Year and many of us are feeling the pain of our evil Holiday ways.  And when I say Holiday, I mean the time between raiding your child’s Halloween booty to nursing a New Year’s hang-over with greasy fries and the hair-of-the-dog. That’s easily 8-9 weeks of turning a blind eye to the fact that over-eating and drinking lead to weight gain, bloating and feeling like that dead Christmas tree you just dragged to the curb.

MELISSA IN MOTION

When you’re the one that takes care of everyone else in your life and never gets around to taking care of yourself, try Motion by Melissa.

Melissa Weinberg’s mantra is “a body in motion stays in motion.” This certified personal trainer and former Junior Olympian rhythmic gymnast’s Find Your Motion Package is designed to help you discover the type of fitness and wellness lifestyle that will keep you on the path of motion for the long-term. It consists of one 60-minute wellness coaching session to set your optimal wellness in motion and ten 60-minute personal training sessions, incorporating a fusion of methods (strength training, cardio, Pilates, barre, yoga, etc.) customized to your unique needs, body, preferences, and motion. Mention this article and receive 10% off the package. www.motionmelissa.com


MEDITATION

When your only stress-busters are eating, shopping, drinking and binging on early episodes of The Gilmore Girls, try Meditation Classes with George Hofmann.

Queen Village meditation teacher George Hoffman, believes that “Meditation is about awareness and focus as much as it is about quiet.” George, a student of Jon Kabot-Zinn,
will be teaching a stress-busting, four-week Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation starting February 2nd at Mama’s Wellness Joint, 11th and Pine Streets. ‘Practice’ makes perfect? No! Practice makes a Practice and one of George’s goals is for you to find a method of meditation that you can take home and practice regularly. www.mamaswellnessjoint.com ($75 for the 4 class series)

RUN FOR HELP

When your New Year’s Resolutions include both getting in shape and volunteering, try Students Run Philly Style

Lace up your running shoes and be prepared for some hard training and a rewarding experience.  Students Run Philly Style is a local non-profit whose mission is to invest in our youth’s long term well-being by building resilience through distance running. Volunteers provide adult mentorship and help motivate and train students for major area races, like the Broad Street Run.  What if you were able to train for and complete the Philadelphia Marathon and at the same time, provide much needed support, leadership and attention to our city’s youth? Sign up and find out how! www.studentsrunphilly.org


INNER/OUTER HEALTH

When you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, go see Dr. Orimenko at Live Well Holistic Health Center.

Refreshed and renewed vs. aches and pains you’ve learned to live with? Pick the first by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Martin Orimenko’s at his Wellness Center in Ardmore.  Dr. Martin, a Naturopath, Nutritionist and Holistic Chiropractor customizes a dietary and natural supplement based cleanse program to improve your digestion, increase your energy and boost your metabolism.  For the long-term healing process, Dr. Martin combines a number of therapeutic modalities (including gentle chiropractic, kiniesiology, ayurveda, and acupressure) to accelerate your healing and to optimize your health. First-time consultation is free. Live Well Holistic Health is located at16 East Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore. www.livewellholistichealth.com


YOGA POWER

When you’ve fallen off your mat because you’re not inspired by your Yoga practice anymore, try Ashtanga classes at Roots Philly Yoga.

Maybe it’s time to look beyond the 4 corners of your yoga mat. Check out Roots Philly Yoga for a total body workout that will bring your body, mind and even your spirit back to balance. Roots’ signature Ashtanga-Vinyasa yoga style is accessible for beginners, and challenging for the advanced practitioner all at the same time. RPY offers a variety of class times and is reasonably priced. Your purse strings and your hamstrings will thank you! New Student special: 3 classes for $25 or $99 for 2 months unlimited yoga when you become an annual member. Roots Philly Yoga is located at 925 Spring Garden Street.  www.rootsphillyyoga.com

off comments
|

SUNWARRIOR, A HAND’S DOWN, PROTEIN SHAKE WINNER!

A few weeks ago, Sunwarrior sent me a collection of its raw, all natural, vegan protein shakes and ‘boosters*” to try out.  Here’s what I found.

I am a seasoned veteran of protein shakes, smoothies and juicing.  My considerations when putting together the perfect shake in order of importance are: taste, ingredients and performance.  No, scratch that, it’s nutrition, low carb and quick prep time.  Or is it low-carb, quick prep time and high protein?

Equally important is the need for a shake that can fuel a workout, a packed work schedule and a very, very long day.  When I’m crunched for time, protein smoothies are a boon.

I exercise 5 days a week, I’m Vegan, and I’m over scheduled: kids, own a business, and manage a  busy household.  I’m also creeping toward 50 with a slowed-down metabolism and a penchant for insulin resistance.  After some recent blood work, my doctor recommended lower carb meals. Meals with high protein and low-carbs can be tricky for Vegans.

The protein in Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend is derived from peas, raw cranberry and raw hemp and with a low carb count of 2g’s and 19g’s of protein per serving. Sunwarrior has a system of products that can be used alone or can be added to one another to create your perfect nutritional cocktail*. Their full line of offerings are also gluten free, non GMO and soy free.  Worth noting, raw cranberry is known to reduce cellulite.  Just saying!

I started this morning, post-workout, with a Vanilla Warrior Blend shake with unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, frozen blackberries and a hit of the Activated Sprouted Bio-Fermented Barley Powder Booster.  I was staring down a 7 hour stretch of back to back clients and knew that lunch may or may not be on the horizon.  I wanted to see if Sunwarrior’s Barley powder was in fact, “The Ultimate Slow Burning Carb.”

 

Happy to say, my energy and mood remained high, and I didn’t feel hungry, even though I wasn’t able to stop for lunch until a good 6 hours later.

I’m giving it a high mark for taste: not chalky but smooth, like an actual milk-shake.  It’s quite yummy AND my 2 girls loved the chocolate shake even though it’s ‘healthy,’ God forbid!

* Sunwarrior’s Boosters include: Liquid Light – Pulvic Acid; Immune Shield; Activated Barley and Vitamin Mineral Rush

off comments
|

So many of our clients at juju are vexed by the frizz. The key to de-frizzing is two-fold, nourishing and re-hydrating the hair coupled with the right products.

HERE ARE MY GO-TO PRODUCTS THAT REALLY WORK!

Start with a DRY SHAMPOO. Over shampooing will dry out the hair, and dry hair, especially on curly girls, will cause The Dreaded Frizz.

I recommend shampooing no more than 3 times a week and using a dry shampoo on off days.  Just sprinkle if it’s in powder form or spray for liquid form, a small amount at the hairline and crown, and work through from roots to ends.  Cocoa Tinted Dry Shampoo by Sevi is a best seller at my salon.

 


LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS are great for long lasting frizz and fly-away control and can also act as a styling product. Apply leave-in conditioner on towel dried hair, mid-shaft to ends. My clients and I love Hamadi’s Shea Leave-in Conditioner. It’s perfect for those who like to air-dry their hair.

Note: watch out for de-frizzing curl cremes that contain petroleum derived silicones for shine.  After time, this ingredient will dry out the hair and make your frizz worse!

ALOE BASED STYLING GELS

Aloe not only moisturizes the hair, reducing frizz potential, it provides hold and style.  Apply to towel dried hair, midshaft to ends. Try mixing it with your leave-in conditioner for extra thick or frizz-prone hair. I like MGA’s Styling Gel because of its lightness and versatility.

Pure Aloe helps the hair retain water and moisture, re-balances pH levels in the hair and scalp and promotes hair growth!

FINISHING POMADE  Dab a very small amount of a finishing paste or pomade on dried and styled hair to reduce frizz’s ‘Halo effect.’ John Masters Organics’ Pomade with olive and castor oils, really fights frizz and can be used on all hair types.

Make sure you look for the USDA Certified Organic Label and show your support for organic farms and processors.

off comments
|

In The Emerald City, Sustainability Is Second Nature

I just returned from a quick vacation in Jet City, as they also call it, where I visited a good friend and native Seattlelite.  Jen did a stint in Philadelphia: Law School, law firm, then high-tailed it out of here and back to Seattle as soon as she could.  Who could blame her, it’s a gorgeous and breathtaking city.  Waterways everywhere, great restaurants, a dozen neighborhoods with charm and character, the REI flagship store…

Seattle is now in a statewide drought emergency.  And, abnormally high temperatures have only made the problem worse.

Yet, I saw lots of ‘greening’ in that town. It’s a city where long-standing sustainable practices are a way of life.  Here are 5 examples that really stood out.

Bicycles Between all the bikes, waterways and legalized marijuana, you might think you’re in Amsterdam!  Seattle launched its bike share program earlier this year and almost everyone has a commuter bike it seems.  There’s designated bike lanes, bike paths and there’s too many bike shops to count.

canComposting In 2014, Seattle passed a mandatory Composting Ordinance wherein homes and businesses can no longer put food items in the trash.  Did you know that 33 million tons of food makes its way into landfill each year? “Every ton of food wasted results in 3.8 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.” endfoodwastenow.org. You can see why my friend says they take this very seriously, policing and ticketing without a second thought. In addition, only 2 bags of regular garbage is allowed per household per week.

playgroundParks and Recreation Seattle boasts 400 parks and open areas for sport, entertainment and good old picnics! For a city known for its rainy days and chilly months, there’s certainly a lot of outdoor activity going on.

Grasscycling Yep.  Nothing escapes this city’s composting craze.  Not even the blades of grass! Recycled grass turns into natural fertilizer.  Homeowners use modern mulching lawn mowers and the city utilizes massive mulching techniques to keep those 400 parks thriving.  Sustainable reasons for promoting this practice include reducing the need for pesticides, as grass is a natural fertilizer, and cutting back on the growing grass’s watering needs.

seattle-bag-banNo Plastic Bags Allowed I love this law!  Why oh why don’t we do this in Philadelphia? Seattle’s plastic bag ban was enacted in 2012.  In addition, retail stores must charge 5 cents for every fully recycled paper bag they give to you.  This prohibition makes so much sense and hopefully other ‘one-use’ items will follow suit.

Have you visited Seattle and noticed its progressive and sustainable ways?  Let me know your 5 if I haven’t highlighted them here!

off comments
|

It’s spring, soon to be summer, and that means we’re outdoors again with fresh air and sunshine!  Though we should be wearing sunscreen all year long (ahem), many of us only think about it when the sun is out and the weather is warm.

Before you slather and go, consider this: many members of the medical community believe that  ingredients found in conventional sunscreens are causing hormonal disruption, thyroid alteration, endometiosis in women and may in fact contribute to cancerous tumor growth.*  There is an active debate among researchers as to whether or not these ingredients, specifically Oxybenzone and Octinoxat, are highly toxic or innocuous.  Why wait for the results?  There over 100 effective sunscreens out there that do not contain these ingredients.

And remember, your skin is your largest organ and capable of absorbing a percentage of what we put on it.  Follow these tips and you’ll be able to make the healthy choice when it comes to skin protection:

DO choose a natural, mineral based sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide because they provide strong sun protection with few health concerns.

DO use a sunscreen that gives both UVB and UVA protection. Did you know that the term SPF only refers to protection from UVB rays, the rays that cause sunburns? Make sure your sunscreen also protects you from the harmful UVA rays that penetrate deep into our skin causing all sorts of mischief!

DO apply sunscreen liberally and repeatedly during sun exposure to achieve the product’s SPF rating.

DO add tinted UV-protective film to your car’s side and rear windows since UVA penetrates glass.

DON’T buy or use any sunscreen containing Oxybenzone, Octinoxate or artificial fragrances.  Stay clear of retinyl palmitate too, a form of Vitamin A, which may speed up the growth of skin tumors and lesions, according to FDA studies.

DON’T rely solely on sunscreen.  DO wear a hat, UV blocking sunglasses and a ‘Rashguard.’ Sun Protection clothes provide greater total UVA/UVB sun protection than typical summer clothing or a typical 30 SPF sunscreen.

DON’T use sunscreen powders or wipes.  These delivery methods have been proven to be ineffective.

DON’T use a sunscreen with an SPF higher than 50.  Sky-high SPFs give a false sense of greater sun protection and can tempt you to stay in the sun too long.

My Picks for Best and Safest Sunscreens: All Terrain TerraSport SPF 30, Badger Sunscreen SPF 30, Kiss My Face Kids’ Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, Juice Beauty SPF 30 and Supergoop Everyday SPF 30.

* See The Environmental Working Group’s The Trouble with Sunscreens, 2014, www.ewg.org

 

off comments
|

3 Best Practices For A Mid-Winter Detox

1. Get Organic Coconut Oil Buy, use, repeat. Best winter related uses include hair care and skin care – just slather it on liberally for instant, super-charged moisturizing;  boosted immune system – its lauric acid fights viruses and bacterias;  proper digestion and regulated metabolism – Holidays, VDay, Fat Tuesday, enough said. A teaspoon or two a day taken orally is an overall health booster.

2. Eat Maitake Mushrooms In short winter days, less sun exposure equals less vitamin D.  Though a vitamin D supplement helps, a tastier way to get your D is by eating some ‘hen of the woods’ or Maitake mushrooms.  1 cup of raw maitake mushrooms contains 786 international units of vitamin D, which is more than the daily intake recommendation for healthy adult men and women. Fyi, mushrooms are the only vegetable that contains Vitamin D. Bonus Points for sauteing in Coconut Oil!

3. Meditate Considering a Meditation Practice? Now’s the time to start.  The benefits of a regular meditation practice can include lessened anxiety, better sleep, mental clarity, more energy and yes, it can beat back those Winter Blues. Check out our First Spring Wellness Workshop on Mindfulness Meditation on March 2nd to learn more about starting or strengthening your personal Practice.  Space is limited, call 215-238-6080 to register.

off comments
|