What are your Health and Fitness
Secrets?
First off, I would like to thank you for reaching out and inviting me to be a guest on your Blog
@SPAItGirl. I prepared for you and your audience some useful information that can help you change or improve some areas in your lives.
So let’s get started;
As a Certified Natural Health Practitioner, I strongly believe that Health starts within ourselves by having a Positive Mind and maintaining a Healthy Gut. These two areas of our bodies work interchangeable. I always tell my clients to remember this phrase: “ A Positive Mind combined with a Healthy Body equals a Confident Self-Image”. A big component of feeling and being healthy is to maintain Inflammation levels down within the body which contributes to rapid break down of healthy tissues causing oxidative stress which leads to pre-mature aging on the skin and low energy levels in the body.
As far as Nutrition, I limit my intake of carbohydrates and focus more on eating Protein“power food for the brain” and lots of greens and fresh fruits. Especially when I have peaks of high performance and productivity and my levels of stress tend to rise up. I drink lots of water to keep me hydrated and energetic, usually about 1 ½ litres daily and about 3 litres the days I work out. I supplement my diet with a daily intake of Probiotics, Omega 3’s and Chlorella tablets. Chlorella is an amazing detoxifier. If you have not tried it before, I highly recommend it. After about 3 months of daily intake, you will notice a dramatic change and improvement in your skin, hair, nails and energy levels. Your body will thank you for it!
As for Fitness, I love doing activities like Hot Yoga, Spinning, Cross Fit classes so I can sweat out all the toxins, stretch out all my muscles to reduce tension, tightness and mental stress. A few years back, I was hooked on Cardio-Kickboxing and it was an amazing work-out. After three years of training at my local gym, the owner of the fitness club ended up recruiting me to teach a class for about 25 members. That was a lot of fun and I will highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get into top shape to look lean, toned and feel strong. At home, I also enjoy working out to Jillian Michaels fitness DVDs.
How
do you Live an Active Life?
I like doing different things so I can always keep learning and take myself out of my “comfort zone”. I enjoy having different life experiences and meeting new people. Hobbies are also very important, they keep your mind sharp and active. Right now, I am working towards my Masters Diploma on Skin Care through the International Dermal Institute.
I am also putting together some ideas for an upcoming book that I am writing about “Skin Care Health and Body Image Consulting” to be published next year 2014. The book will be dedicated to a few amazing people who have mentored me and have had a great influence in my journey and success doing what I love to do. I am also planning of bringing out my own Skin Care Line System into the market in the next couple of years.
What’s
your Best Lifestyle Tips?
Developing good “habits” is very essential. Even if it’s something small and simple like taking off your make-up before going to bed every night. If you are looking for results or changes in any area of your life, you must develop good habits, be committed to it over and beyond 100% and have perseverance.
For instance, anybody trying to improve his or her “skin condition” concerning wrinkles, dehydration, pigmentation, sensitivity and acne, requires that they must seek advice from a Professional Skin Expert. In my case, I will customize a skin care system to Treat, Prevent and Correct the client’s main concern and recommend a product purchase between 3 to 5 products to take home for daily use day and night. I would also encourage a follow up with a series of professional grade skin care treatments at the spa or clinic to enhance the efficacy of her home care routine and products.
In about three months, depending on the severity of the skin condition, the client will see dramatic results in the look, feel and texture of her skin. I highly encourage that when the time comes that you decide to take care of your skin concerns, that you see your treatment and product purchase as an investment into the Health of your skin.
I also encourage you to look into “Cosmeceutical” product ingredients such as; peptides, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, retinol, lactic acid, antioxidants (A,C,E,B5) , salicylic acid and SPF coverage prior to purchasing your products. Consult with your skin therapist to get a proper skin analysis to determine which ingredients and treatments work best with your skin condition to get the best results.
And to kickstart their own skin care regime, they can visit my
BLOG and subscribe to my FREE “Monthly Beauty Skin Care System Series”.
How
do you create your own Happiness?
Happiness starts within“YOU” !
It’s a manifestation of Thoughts, Feelings, Habits and one’s Self-Image. The challenge is whether you let yourself, people or outside influences affect your own natural state of bliss.
My rule of thumb; the amount of control and momentum you give into negative or positive circumstances and emotions will define how your day goes, how you feel and how you see yourself.
Everything in life follows a pattern and is congruent with what you see, feel and do. So, if you are feeling angry, depressed, stressed and frustrated or any other way for that matter, I would encourage you to ask yourself this question: Is this Attitude helping me become a Better person so I can reach my Goals and Dreams? Once you learn to be aware of that state you can easily transform your day, yourself and your life around.
What
are your Favourite Relaxation Things to do?
I enjoy going for long walks, meditating and doing hypnosis a few times a week. This helps me focus, clear my mind and create new ideas. Once a week, I listen to a 90 minute mediation that focuses on clearing your energy centers called “Chakras”. I like it because there are times when I experience lucid dreaming.
Other techniques I have learnt; is being in the “Zone”, being present in the “Now” moment, having full “Awareness” and being “Grateful” on a daily basis. This helps me become more relaxed, grounded, connected and empathetic towards others.
What’s
your Feel Good Tips?
I have a list of “Affirmations” that I practice on a daily basis to keep me on a positive note. And I like to follow both male and female leaders in different industries to uplift me and encourage me in positive and empowering ways. I also attend a few seminars a year on Personal Development, Marketing and Business with amazing and successful coaches in these industries.
What’s
your Favourite Skincare Products to use?
My daily skin care regime changes depending on the season so I do not particular stick to a specific skin care system. What works for me is a combination of active hydrating, antibacterial and calming Cosmeceutical ingredients. If you are not familiar with the term “Cosmeceuticals” , it is a blend of the best Botanicals, Essential Oils and natural Active Ingredients taken from mother’s nature pharmacy, combined with the best of scientific research to create synergistic medical grade formulations and skin care systems to deliver the best results in skin care health.
Of course, I am a big fan of “anti-aging” products. My go to Hero active ingredients are; peptides, retinol, ceramides, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid.
My daily skin care products are the use of lactic acid cleanser, hydrating toner, rice bran exfoliant, anti-aging serum, hydrating moisturizer, pearl powder primer, tinted BB Cream with SPF protection and eye cream. Yes, it is quite a few of products, but the trick is on the “layering” and application of them on the skin. The amount of product applied on top of each layer is key to achieve skin that looks and feels healthy, radiant and flawless. Your skin will thank you for it!
What
are your Favourite Things Right now?
Nothing in particular. But, I am currently catching up on my book-reading as well as writing up the content for a new upcoming online Web Store in the new year. As of last month, I launched a new
FaceBook Page called “BeautyDivaGlam”, aimed at Today’s Modern Busy Woman.
The online community is to offer women in their 30’s the Expert Education, Tools, Cosmetics, Skin Care and Body Products that offer solutions and health benefits to Treat, Prevent and Correct skin conditions such as wrinkles, sensitivity, pigmentation, dehydration and acne as well as other body concerns and issues.
I want to guide them so they have the knowledge and confidence to apply techniques so they can experience transformational results. And can easily incorporate a skin or body care system routine and lifestyle plan into their busy schedules that allows them to look and feel their best at all times.
On a lighter note, I recently started volunteering my spare time helping out at the local pet store in my neighbourhood, where I look after cats and kittens that are awaiting to be adopted. I love animals. I think everyone should own a pet. Having a Pet can really change your life and bring lots of happiness, love and memories into your life. I will like to create a Cat Care Foundation and open up a shelter for stray cats and dogs sometime in the future.
What
is your Favourite SPA Treatment?
I have a few. But I love when my Massage or Facial treatment includes and has a combination of Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Indian Head Massage because they offer immediate therapeutic benefits and lasting results. I also love Reiki and Rain Drop Therapy.
When I perform a skin or body treatment on my clients, I always like to incorporate one of the above or a combination, depending on the client’s needs and mood at the time.
As a Therapist, my philosophy is that as long as your therapist performs the work with “intention” and is looking at making that “shift” within the person’s body and state of mind, then any treatment chosen by the client will give him or her the healing that they need. So, it is a good thing to shop around for therapists, treatments, clinics and spas or at the least use the good old way word of mouth personal referrals if you are not very experienced in this area.
What’s your Favourite Spa to
Visit?
One of the places I like to visit, is this women’s local water spa called “Body Blitz”. It offers a detoxifying and restorative treatment of a one hour water circuit consisting of emerging yourself into three different pools; a warm dead Sea Salt, a hot Epsom Salt and cold plunge pool then into an aromatherapy steam room and lastly inside an infrared sauna. I also love their tasty and refreshing fruit smoothies. It’s fun because you can get a buch of girlfriends together and have an awesome time.
In Toronto, we have a fantastic wide range of high end spas that offer luxurious skin and body treatments from around the world. Once a month I will be posting an open invite on my Blog and FaceBook Event Calendar to a weekend Spa Retreat or a one day event visit to a local Spa or Beauty Bar for some pampering. Details of the event, members, location and services will be posted and blogged before, during and after. So, Ladies, sign up if you are looking to meet new friends, network and have a good time, it will be lots of fun! For more information; visit my
Blog or
FaceBook Page Calendar.
What’s
your Favourite Travel Destination & Why?
I love anywhere where there is a beautiful beach with great history, food, entertainment and local people. Glad that you asked that because that is something I need to start planning for next year 2014. At this point so far, I will be going away next year in March for a few days to Las Vegas for my Birthday! And as the saying goes; “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”.
What is your Favourite Mantra
for SPA people?
Right now the World and Ourselves are going through a phase of massive change at so many different levels. We are adopting and creating new ways of living and healing ourselves so we can live longer and happier lives. Therefore, I think the “focus” should be on leading by example and spreading the word about our own personal experiences, transformations and accomplishments in our own lives to others who are seeking the same in their own lives. At the end, is all about sharing and making the world a better and happier place for everyone!
