The Spa on Green Street

Friday, April 9, 2010 at 12:00 pm. tune in to a remarkable show on F.M 89.1 WBCX,”Embracing Health” with Ricardo Boye, N.D. Ricardo will be discussing valuable nutritional and exercise information with his guest host, Teryl Worster. They will be discussing various nutrition and fitness myths and bringing to light new and current studies in the field of exercise and nutrition. This will surely be a show packed with valuable tips and starting points, helping their listeners to create a new and practical approach to weight- loss and long term health. If you are unable to tune in to this show live, we will post it on our website with a list of archived shows or you can stream the show live on the internet  through the 89.1 WBCX F.M. website . If you have any questions that you would like addressed on the air, please feel free to post your questions on the blog and Ricardo may be able to address it during a future show. Also feel free to post any questions you may have relative to the upcoming show on Nutrition and Exercise Myths and we will be happy to resopnd to your questions. Enjoy the show!

Terri Karycki

March 28th, 2010 at 3:46 pm edit

Feeling Alive!

I feel great!! I have to share my story. I’ve been overweight most of my life – in the last 20 years to the tune of 100+ pounds overweight (after quitting smoking). As a child, I was never able to do much physical activity. My “event” in track and field day in elementary school was walking while balancing a book on my head without dropping it! Sad, huh? (But I was really good at it – ha!!) I started coming to The Spa a couple years ago with a really messed up shoulder that Sonya has rehabilitated very well for me. Then I started working with Ricardo for nutrition and weight loss. I had lost almost 50 pounds over the past two years and was “stuck.” Everything pointed to exercising my body to be able to lose the rest, but I still resisted. At one of the many FREE meetings at The Spa a couple months ago, I won a FREE fitness evaluation with Teryl Worster and eventually she talked me into starting a personal training program with her. You mean the kid with the book on her head???!!! That’s the one! After only 8 sessions with Teryl, I have advanced from the bands to the TRX (what a blast – who knew!!), lost 6 pounds of fat and many inches (not sure of the number), gained muscle mass, lowered my BMI, gained strength and energy, and am feeling alive! All these years I didn’t know that being fat was stealing my life (because it took all the energy I had to be fat!!). If you’re someone who never was able to do physical activity (by the way, that book-balancing thing really doesn’t count), please let me encourage you to talk to Teryl because if she can help me, I know she can help you! At 53, I know the best is yet to come and I’m thankful for ALL my friends at The Spa on Green Street and The Body Sanctuary for helping me in my journey to becoming healthy and fit enough to enjoy the rest of the ride!! Love you guys!

As promised, your complimentary e-Booklet of our Fitness in the Round recipes can be found on the top right of the blog screen under “Recipes”. All these recipes have been designed to be chock full of nutrients and fantastic flavor while being realistic to prepare for the home chef du jour! This blog is a perfect place to swap recipes and ideas with other like-minded foodies so please post your comments, questions and recipes today! We will keep the culinary tips coming, and stay tuned for more information on upcoming Culinary Wellness classes & seminars.

Oftentimes when it comes to achieving some desired outcome in our lives, we are forced to break up common routines that we have set up for ourselves in our daily living simply due to the fact that those routines are conspiring to give us the results of who we are today.  If we want something different, if we want to be someone different, then we simply have to do things differently to obtain that desired goal.  Thus, the interplay between our actions and our behaviors becomes an extremely critical component in achieving success. 

In reading through an interesting book on psychology, Control Theory, by renowned psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser, I came across an interesting perspective on the matter of behavior.  He mentions that all behavior is made up of three components: what we do, what we think, and what we feel.  He goes on to say that these elements actually come from inside of us and are not, as most people believe, a response to things and people around us.  Isn’t it true that we tend to justify our actions and behaviors based on what’s happening around us?  Right now I am in the process of studying for the state falconry exam to obtain a license to practice falconry here in Georgia, and for various ‘reasons’, I have stalled on that process – thinking , feeling – that I have been too busy with too many pressing responsibilities at home and at work.  Well the book came to mind, and the resolution came from a simple moment’s reflection on whether or not I had let how I was feeling about my current responsibilities (home and work) take over how I felt about my goal to practice falconry.   

It’s always helpful to have a bit of honest reflection.  If you get off track, do you think and feel that other people or other circumstances are causing you to veer off course, to cause you to behave in a way that isn’t in line with your goals?  That if it wasn’t for that person or that particular situation at work, you’d easily do the right thing, eat the right foods, do your workout?  Well if you’ve seen any of the Austin Power’s movies, think of him simply telling you,

“Oh, behave!” click here

One of the best methods to get our behaviors and our actions to line up constructively is to undergo a simple process of goal setting.  I’d like to share with you a step by step plan that I have found to be helpful in this regard, and this will become more necessary if the end goal requires long-term consistency and effort, such as the noble aspirations of greater health, fitness and improved body composition.  Stay tuned for my next post as I will describe this plan in detail. 

Are there challenges you are going to face in achieving these goals?  You better believe it, so let’s see how best we can encourage positivity in what we think, feel and do!

Just as we open our windows and let the fresh spring air into our homes as we deep clean and reorganize, spring is also an optimal time to do a bit of “spring cleaning” within our bodies.  A seasonal detox can rid our bodies of the accumulation of the toxins we ingest directly and indirectly from various sources such as processed foods and even the air we breathe.  There are many different means by which to assist the body’s natural detoxification processes.  Even a small step can have a large impact on our health and overall vitality.  You may have heard of juice fasts or body cleanse programs, but may not know where to start.

If you would some guidance in the detox process, our Naturopath and Clinical Nutrition Counselor, Ricardo Boye, can determine which detox programs would be best for your unique needs and health concerns.  You may contact the Front Desk to schedule a Wellness Assessment.

Other simple ways to enhance your spring detox:

-Relax in our Private Far Infrared Sauna. “Because infrared penetrates safely and comfortably up to 3 inches inside your body, even your deep tissues and organs are stimulated, meaning you perspire. Hard to reach impurities are eliminated through your skin using lower, comfortable temperatures.” Dr. Toshiko Yamazaki, M.D. owns a clinic in Japan where she has done extensive research on the therapeutic uses of far infrared. In her book, “The Science of Far-Infrared Therapies“, she explains that one of the reasons FIR (Far-Infrared) has beneficial results in a variety of illnesses is the ability of FIR waves to remove toxins, which are often at the core of many health problems.  One session in a far infrared sauna also burns approximately 500 calories!

-Have a massage after your sauna session.  Many people are familiar with the ability of massage therapy to increase circulation, stimulate lymphatic drainage, and alleviate the accumulation of lactic acid within the muscles.  These benefits are further enhanced by having a sauna session prior to your massage.

-If you are considering juicing or a juice fast, we offer “Blender Bottles” which allow you to add protein or vegetable concentrate powders such as our all natural Whey Protein, Metabolic Matrix, or Greening Power powder to juice, water, or milk to mix up a delicious power-packed smoothie in seconds without having to rely on your blender.

-Our Body Glow treatment not only offers full body exfoliation perfect for sloughing off dull winter skin, but also includes time under a specially designed steam canopy which encourages detoxification with the use of steam infused with organic herbs such as lavender, marshmallow, and chamomile.  You may also add the Steamy Wonderful treatment to any massage or facial for additional detoxification benefits.

-Get Moving!  Exercise increases circulation and lymphatic function.  Spring is the perfect time to get outside and get moving.  You may find you have renewed energy in the spring which makes this season the perfect time to get started on a new fitness program.  Schedule a Complimentary Fitness Consultation with Teryl Worster, our Fitness Director, to determine how to best meet your fitness goals. Enjoy the benefits of Spring and the support from our staff here at The Spa on Green Street.