Lake Austin Spa Resort (Texas)
Eating Locally

You may have heard of the 100 mile diet, an attempt to eat food grown within a 100 mile radius of your home. The thousands of miles that our produce travels contributes to environmental damage and global warming. Also, food grown in countries outside the US could have been treated with chemicals that are now outlawed here, like DDT. The 100 mile diet may not be feasible for your area, but eating more locally grown food has many advantages.

Locally grown food is sure to be fresher than similar food found in supermarkets. When you buy lettuce or tomatoes at a farmer's market it is often picked that day or the day before. Supermarket lettuce may be seven to ten days old or older. The salad mix greens (even the organic ones) are usually washed in a chlorine bath to kill germs. Tomatoes were probably picked green and ripened with gases. Local market farmers will allow tomatoes to ripen on the plant much longer and ripen naturally without chemical treatment. Those tomatoes just taste better.

Local farmers grow what tastes best, not what will ship best. You will find heirloom plants grown for their beautiful color and flavor and many more varieties than in the local market. One of our local farms in Austin, Boggy Creek Farms, often grows more than 15 different kinds of lettuce and has a wonderful large green eggplant that was a family heirloom seed from one of their friends. You won't find that particular eggplant in any seed catalog or store.

Buying from local markets keeps us eating in season. You won't find lettuce in the summer in Texas gardens, but we can have great cucumber salads and basil and tomato salads. Why buy lettuce from California when you can eat like that? Many varieties of lettuce and greens are easy to grow all winter here. Choose from bok choy, Swiss chard, sorrel, collards, kale, turnip and mustard greens and you will never get bored with the selection and flavor of fresh cooked greens all winter.

To find local markets, check out CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and farm stands in your area or for more information on eating locally, you can perform a search on the following web sites:

http://www.localharvest.org
http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com
http://www.eatwellguide.org
http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets

www.lakeaustin.com
(800)847-5637
info@lakeaustin.com

Canyon Ranch (Massachusetts)
Healthy Living for Couples

"Don't go without a buddy!" That frequent reminder of childhood is good advice at any age. Whether it's swimming in the ocean or riding life's currents, buddies watch out for one another. If you're half of a couple, the buddy system can be your pathway to a healthier life. The likelihood of staying on track and just showing up increases when you're committed to a buddy.

It can be tough to keep yourself motivated day after day, in the face of uncooperative weather, moods and the other million details of life. It's even harder if you're living with someone who's not on the same track. Many areas of life could be pleasanter and more rewarding if you and your partner agree to live healthier together. Your chances of success improve when you combine a personal sense of dedication along with mutual commitment to provide support for a healthy lifestyle.

Maybe you're feeling it's time for some change. You know what you'd like to do - exercise more, eat better, stress less - but you're bound to face challenges. You might decide not to exercise today because it's pouring outside and splashing to the gym just too much effort. Or you stop at a fast-food place because you're in a rush - what else can you do? Maybe you'll wind up watching TV all night, when you really meant to take a walk after dinner. Even your 10-minute meditation has bitten the dust. When you forget to exercise, you're more likely to remember the cookies and ice cream, too. Your partner can help with all of that, if you've agreed to support each other in reaching your healthy living goals.

So where do you start? Honest communication, respectful negotiation and practical goal-setting can get you on a shared path. Then keep track, acknowledge success, cheer each other on every day.

At the gym, on the trail.
The buddy system helps you get out of your chair and get moving. If you promise to work out with your mate, you're less likely to back out at the last minute. When you plan a hike or schedule time on the tennis court, you won't want to let your partner down. And when one of you feels sluggish, the other can be the booster. Your combined energy and commitment raises the shared bar.

Look for fun and different ways to exercise, too. Explore new running or walking paths, join teams, enter competitions, raise money for charities. Become part of a community interested in the same goals. Enjoying these positive experiences together enhances your relationship in many ways.

At the table.
How can you eat healthy when the person you live with subsists on cheeseburgers, chips and donuts? Talk it over. You're not trying to deprive anyone of anything. The idea is that you support each other in eating well. Once you decide together to improve the household eating habits, things can progress quickly.

Shopping well is more than half the battle. Go to the farmers' market together and find wholesome foods you both like. Stock your pantry by consensus, limiting the nutrition-free temptations and keeping plenty of healthy favorites on hand. Look through cookbooks for healthy versions of meals you both enjoy. Take a cooking class together. Dining out as a health-minded couple can be helpful; since restaurant portions are often twice as much as you need, you can easily share a dinner, halving the calorie count and the bill.

In real life.
When you agree on a smoke-free lifestyle, moderation in food and alcohol, and choosing active pastimes rather than sedentary ones, you can make it all happen. Together you can choose activities, places and people that support your goals, avoiding situations that might derail you. You'll be each other's safety zone and can create new lifestyle patterns that reduce stress and incorporate habits that keep you fit, joyful and in charge.

Tips for keeping on a healthier track:

• Strive to encourage, not criticize.
• Set periodic goals and celebrate milestones.
• Put your shared workouts and active outings on a shared calendar.
• Choose vacations and weekend activities that are fun, active and help keep you on track.
• Try something new together - scuba diving, ballroom dancing, rock-climbing or volleyball, for instance. When you find something you both love, it will be easy to stick with it.
• Let each other know when you notice progress and results.
• Commit to a varied fitness program, including weight exercises, outdoor activities and indoor classes. Consider team sports and active hobbies and interests.
• Invite friends for bowling, tennis, cycling, after-dinner walks and picnicking. Think creatively to add fun to ordinary days.
• Check local newspapers for noncompetitive community events that encourage teamwork and group support.
• Make a promise to each other to stay healthy and happy together. You'll be glad you did.

www.canyonranch.com
(800) 742-9000
(413) 637-4100

Red Mountain Spa (Utah)
Nutrition & Fitness for Autumn
By Kathy Egan, RD, Nutritionist

Cooler temperatures and school busses stir pleasant memories. For many of us, autumn is associated with heartier foods and, for families with young children, a more structured lifestyle to accommodate school activities. Often, memories from childhood are so deeply ingrained that, as adults, we still feel the drive to organize and "nest" in the fall. This can be wonderful motivation to renew a healthy routine. While spring and summer fitness programs have an appearance-oriented drive, fall regimes appeal to our more grounded desire to have good health and contentment with ourselves.

Harvest time brings hearty root vegetable, bean and grain meals to the table. While an underlying fear of consuming carbohydrate foods still exists for many, most consumers have found a sense of balance by choosing high fiber complex carbohydrate foods in correct amounts. Beans, such as kidney beans, chick peas, edamame and lentils provide lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. Root vegetables and winter squashes can pack a powerful nutrient punch as well. Orange vegetables like yams, sweet potato and butternut squash are loaded with beta carotene which is a powerful antioxidant. The sweet taste of these foods also helps curb cravings for refined carbohydrates. Of course, what would fall be without hot cereal for breakfast? Oatmeal, quinoa, kasha are all wonderful grains which provide long lasting energy for raking leaves, winterizing projects or cool fall hikes. Carbohydrate foods are the body's preferred source of energy for physical activity; include them in your daily meal plan.

Take advantage of the structure and routine of fall; use it as a time to get into a steady pattern of regular exercise. Remember when you were a kid and your good school work was displayed on the refrigerator? Try putting a calendar on the refrigerator and giving yourself a gold star for every bout of exercise, successful food day or other fitness accomplishment (really!). You will be surprised at how motivating a simple pat on the back is! And, with Thanksgiving only 12 weeks away, it's not too early to think of the fall season fitness as protection against the next season's holiday weight gain. Autumn brings us home, helps us focus and warms the heart. It's a good time to take all that warm, loving energy and re-invest in health and vitality.

www.redmountainspa.com
(800)407-3002 (435)673-4905

Green Mountain at Fox Run (Vermont)
Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Would you run out of fingers, and maybe even toes, if you used them to count your tries at adopting a healthy lifestyle? Many of us would. The reason? Often it's that we need to change how we try to make changes. How we make the journey, not whether we always reach our exact goals, determines our success. And how we make the journey is really about our ability to support ourselves along the way, instead of falling back into judgmental and self-defeating ways of thinking and doing.

If you're thinking about making another run at a healthy lifestyle, consider these steps along the way.

Get real. Whether we're trying to start eating healthier or become more physically active, the first step is to be clear about our goals...and clear whether they are something we can achieve. For example, if you currently walk once a week, and you begin to strive for five, what's the chance you'll get there regularly? Immediately trying to fit four extra workouts into your busy week may leave you struggling. Instead, think about an initial goal of walking twice a week. Small increases --'baby steps' -- build on success. As you feel good about your ability to do one extra walk, you'll see your motivation ratchet up for another, 'til you reach that higher goal.

Get committed. We're talking about energy and dedication to find healthy behaviors that work for you. Which of these statements sounds like you? "I'll try to walk twice a week," or "I'm committed to walking twice a week." It's much easier to shrug off the former promise to yourself. If it doesn't feel right to say you're committed to something, explore why. Is the goal you've set really right for you?

Give up 'shoulds.' A tangle of beliefs and thoughts about what we 'should' do or where we 'should' be with our fitness and health can threaten our ability to find what's right for us. Refuse to follow the latest and greatest new diet. Make peace with your body size, and buy a flattering outfit for that important event rather than trying to lose weight to fit into an old favorite. You may still be able to improve your fitness, but you don't have to put feeling good on hold until you do.

Get assertive. Does everyone around you have opinions about what's best for you? Exercise your right to make your own choices. That also means putting yourself first. If you don't make it a priority to care for yourself, you won't be at your best in caring for others either.

Reward yourself. Build your self image as a winner by acknowledging and celebrating your small successes with ways that are meaningful to you. It's all about feeling good and keeping yourself going.

Remind yourself. Whether it's remembering to eat lunch, or getting in that two-mile walk, add your new behaviors to your 'to do' list. When you check them off as done, you'll also give yourself an extra boost of satisfaction.

Seek support. Support is one of the key predictors of success at lifestyle change. Buddy up with friends or family to accomplish your goals, read inspirational books or success stories. Join support groups, or seek the help of a qualified therapist or counselor if needed.

Remember: While it may seem to take a lot of work when we first start making healthy lifestyle changes, they become second nature after a while. So hang in there with your new positive behaviors. Soon, they'll just be the way you do things.

www.fitwoman.com
(800)448-8106 (802) 228-8885
info@fitwoman.com

Red Mountain Spa (Utah)
Apples - Fruit Of The Gods
Myrna Beardshear, Director of Spa, Fitness, & Health Services

Author-naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man."

Apart from milk and honey, fruit is nature's only pleasure laden natural food. Apples have been associated with love, beauty, luck, health, comfort, pleasure, wisdom, temptation, sensuality, sexuality, virility and fertility.

In Greek mythology, Gaia, or Mother Earth, presented a tree with golden apples to Zeus and his bride Hera on their wedding day. Guarded by Ladon, a serpent who never slept, the apple tree was in the garden of the Hesperides, daughters of the Evening Star. These golden apples became involved with many tales of love, bribery and temptation ranging from the abduction of Helen of Troy to the defeat and marriage of Atlanta. The sexual and romantic connotations of the apple were reasons why apples came as dessert at the end of the meal. They not only did they taste wonderful but they were good for digestion and were regarded as a transitional aphrodisiac. They were a vital part of the pleasure gardens of the wealthy throughout the world, even with the knowledge that eating them may lead one to a life of chaos and destruction.

Cultivation of the apple, a member of the rose family, has been a part of rural life since the tenth century B.C., when it was first domesticated in the Near East. From there it traveled to ancient Rome, where apple trees were grown and prized for their fruit. It is believed that the Romans took cultivated apples with them into England when they conquered the country and apple-growing became common in England and many other parts of Europe

Around 1629, both the seeds of apples and the trees themselves were brought to America from England, by immigrants to the New World. Early settlers were required by law to plant apple orchards to establish the ownership of their homesteads. The cultivated varieties of apples gradually spread from the Atlantic coast to the west. Native Americans took seeds of these apples into the wilderness and planted them in their villages. John Chapman - who became known as "Johnny Appleseed" - also helped to spread apple growing in America. He carried apple seeds with him wherever he went, and planted them in thinly settled parts of the country. Today there are more than 7,500 varieties of apples growing worldwide, 2,500 of them in the United States alone. Each apple variety has its own unique flavor, and best uses.

My father was a true believer in the adage about an apple a day but now there's real science to back it up. The skin of the fruit is rich in antioxidants, in particular quercetin.

Each apple has nearly four grams of fiber in its crisp, white flesh - more than a bowl of oatmeal. This is delivered in the soluble form of pectin, (lowers cholesterol, steadies blood sugar levels) and insoluble (mostly in the peel) roughage that aid in digestion and elimination. Besides the lack of pesticides, organically grown varieties of apples have higher levels of fiber, vitamin C. and phytonutrients as well as better texture and flavor.

Quick Apple Facts:

• No artificial coloring
• Contains less than 1 gram of fat
• Has almost no sodium
• Is high in complex carbohydrates
• Contains cellulose.
• Contains the soluble fiber, pectin
• Supplies vitamin C
• Supplies potassium
• Contains the trace mineral, boron
• Has only 81 calories
• Has other vital nutrients, including:
  • calcium,
  • iron,
  • carotenoids, such as Vitamin A,
  • thiamin,
  • magnesium
  • phosphorus

The apple has a surprisingly longstanding role in homegrown beauty regimens. It contains malic acid which is a natural alpha hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates, smoothes and brightens the complexion. The fiber-rich pectin in the fruit has skin-soothing, restorative properties.

References:
1.Great Moments in Apple History - Mitch Lynd, Mid West Apple Improvement Association
2.U.S.Apple Association

www.redmountainspa.com
(800)407-3002 (435)673-4905

The Oaks at Ojai (California)
Fall for These Trim Secrets
By Sheila Cluff

Have you seen the cartoon showing people putting on jackets and sweaters, saying "Phew, glad swimsuit season is over!" The time for skimpy clothing is over, but who says you have to add fall and winter inches and pounds.

Fall and winter are wonderful times to get going with a fit and trim body because then you can please yourself to no end when spring and summer arrive, and the return of skimpy clothes comes along. Here are some tips.

*Fall into the habit to stay active. This fall it's easy to linger longer after the alarm screams, but try this. Set the time for fifteen minutes earlier and as you're waiting for the shower water to get hot or the coffee to drip through the maker, run in place for ten minutes, or until you're tried. Do some "push aways" by standing about 2 feet from the counter, making your body board stiff and pretending you're doing push ups. Start with as many as you can comfortable accomplish and add another set of ten each day.

*Fall for activities you'll love. Sure you can golf, plan for holiday events, cheer at football games and stir up kettles of soup, but after this take a hike (or bike or swim). And try some new and different activities, maybe things you've been longing to try since you were a kid or teen. A friend called me recently to say, "We're going to take ballroom dancing classes!" She and her spouse had signed up through their college and the classes where definitely for beginners. Last year it was fencing and the fall before that they tried rock climbing. She told me, "Some couples settle into fall, eating more and gaining weight. But with activities we spice up our lives and they always make fall and winter something we really anticipate."

*Fall for a fall or winter vacation. Choose a balmy spot, and if that doesn't keep you eating for a trim body nothing will. I love cruises and there's always one that makes me dust off my swimsuit and sundresses. A weekend get away at a spa could be the right prescription too. Whatever resort or spa you choose, include a facial and perhaps a nutritional consultation to keep you and your pretty face feeling great.

*Fall in love with your body. How do you do that if it's not perfect? First, listen up. We humans are not perfect, but we're just right. Reconsider the things you're secretly telling yourself about being too old, too plump, too saggy to wear certain fitness clothing or try new activities. Rather, dress comfortably and start slowly. Surround yourself with people who support you.

*Fall in love with walking. Enlist a family member, friend, colleague or your family's dog in a daily walking program. It's dependable, smart and portable. When traveling, talk with hotel staffers before you set out in unknown neighborhoods or use the hotel's treadmill or pool.

*Fall for plenty of treats. If weight loss isn't a goal, but strength and endurance are then food treats are just the ticket. Otherwise, a novel you've been dying to read, a pedicure, a make up make over, or a night out for a play, poetry reading or movie will fit the bill.

*Fall for the sun. You don't have to fly to Hawaii or the Bahamas to catch some rays, rather get out doors during lunch or sit near the window when working. People who feel moody or blue during fall report that these things can help, as can discussing this disorder that affects hormone production with your physician. The most potent time for sun? Before 1 PM.

*Fall for herbs. This time a year, high-fat foods tempt even the most determined dieter. Rather than adding sauces or dressings all over foods, switch to sprinkling on herbs and spices. You can carry small shakers of dried herb powders in your purse and when you travel tuck them into a zipper plastic bag and pack them in a suitcase. But switching from heavy ranch-style salad dressing to lemon and lots of herbs on a salad, you'll save enough calories to have a small serving of dessert or "bank" that savings for a bigger treat later in the week. Go to a gourmet food store to try out the varieties; the selection is nearly endless.

*Fall in love with what you're eating. Make time to sit at a table and before you take a bite of your meal, look at the food as a means to nourish your body. Here's a tip for fall: Be aware that fat free or "lite" on a label doesn't mean that the food is low in calories. I remember recently when one of my favorite childhood treats suddenly became lower in calories. Did you guess it? The company could say this because they'd made the cookie smaller. Fall in love with reading labels. It's time to fall in love with your body this fall, and keep it fit for life.

www.oaksspa.com
(800)753-6257
info@oaksspa.com

Canyon Ranch (Arizona)
Conquering Fear with EMDR

Your heart races, palms sweat and your breathing becomes rapid. Your eyes dart around for the nearest exit. This nightmare continues for another half hour as you wait on the runway for your plane to take off.

Sound familiar? You're not alone. People suffer from a multitude of fears that can disrupt their lives. There is help, though. From post-traumatic stress disorder to fear of flying, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy offers help.

The beginning
California psychologist Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR in the late 1980s. One day, as she recalled a traumatic incident, her eyes began darting back and forth rapidly. Afterward, she noticed that the anxiety and stress she typically experienced when she thought about the painful incident were gone. She went on to try this simple therapy with others, and found that it helped them, too.

EMDR was originally developed as a treatment for trauma, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder. Over the years, practitioners have expanded the uses of EMDR, and currently use it to treat phobias, anxiety, disturbing memories and self-defeating beliefs, as well. It can also be used to enhance performance and to ease some disease symptoms.

Based on the observation that specific experiences from the past can continue to trigger emotion in the present, EMDR works by desensitizing you to the intensity of the memory and helps you reprocess the event's influence over your life.

The eyes have it
Psychologists are quick to point out that not everyone who experiences a trauma suffers from PTSD: In fact, most of us are able to process most of life's traumas successfully. Sometimes, though, memories of painful experiences get "stuck," resulting in unresolved memories. These memories stay in the hippocampus, the area of the brain where incoming sensation is transferred to memory. The hippocampus' close relationship to the amygdala, the fear center, contributes to the tendency to link traumatic events to anxiety severe enough to disrupt rational thought.

EMDR's methods seem unconventional at first, but it works. Therapy typically begins with the patient identifying a distressing memory or situation, with the therapist assisting in identifying the "negative cognition" - the painful thoughts and emotions - that, over time, have become attached to the memory.

At the same time, the patient focuses on following the therapist's hand as it waves rapidly. These swift, lateral eye movements free up memory, and allowing negative beliefs to be converted to positive ones, often with minimal guidance from the therapist.

EMDR is not just remembering, it's a reworking of the attitudes and beliefs built around a memory or thought. Once we desensitize, we have to reverse the negative thought patterns. That's where the reprocessing part comes in.

Why does it work?
No one knows for sure, but the eye movements may stimulate communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. One clue is that the eye movement patterns during treatment are similar to those that occur during rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep is associated with dreaming, the process through which the brain stores memories and works through the day's events.

There seems to be something about bilateral stimulation that activates the brain's hemispheres. The right hemisphere is where the trauma resides, whereas the sense of self, language and rational thought reside in the left. By integrating the right and left hemispheres EMDR helps activate healing. After a session or course of EMDR, the brain is able to "handle" the memory.

Regardless of how the process actually works, before-and-after neuroimages of patients have shown that after EMDR, there is less activity in the amygdala - less emotion - when the target memory is evoked.

And that can be a huge relief.

www.canyonranch.com
(800) 742-9000

Red Mountain Spa (Utah)
Fall Into Fitness
Kim Watters, Fitness Manager

Fall into fitness, as you seek out passion, adventure and fun.
First look for activities in your area that are new to you, or just plain fun:
Belly Dancing, Pickle Ball, Salsa classes, Hiking in unfamiliar areas, Tai Chi, Water Aerobics, Swim lessons, Rock climbing, Yoga, Swing dancing, Pilates, Kick ball with your kids or as a group of adults. The list goes on and on.

Or just Google- Fun Activities for Exercise and you will find a plethora of goings-on.

Second, choose a different activity to do 3-5 days a week for two weeks.

Next, narrow it down to activities you really enjoy, and can feel passionate about.

Move your body (cardiovascular)3-5 times a week for 20-60 minutes for optimal health benefits. If you are de-conditioned, workout for 20 minutes, if you are able. Then increase your time when possible, up to 60 minutes. Remember, you won't stick with it, if you aren't having fun.

For Strength Conditioning, a general rule is to try to reach fatigue, (get the muscles tired) within 8-12 repetitions, and to work all major muscles for a balanced workout.

www.redmountainspa.com
(800)407-3002 (435)673-4905