Shaving Made Easy

Shaving Made Easy

By Myrna Beardshear,
Director of Spa & Wellness

Have a warm shower or bath and allow your skin to soften from the moisture. Shaving dry skin will inevitably result in cuts.

With the exception of the fragrance, all over-the-counter shaving creams are formulated the same. If you want an extra luxurious experience, invest in creams from the Whish collection. Not only to the smell and feel good but they are vitamin fortified and moisturize and condition your skin while you shave. (They sell wonderful ladies shaving brushes with their collection, making your shaving experience fun and luxurious!)

Make sure you are using a good razor with multi blades and that you change cartridges on a regular basis. A dull blade will lead to cuts and nicks.

Exfoliate your skin before shaving. Getting ride of the dead skin before shavings helps to prevent your razor from clogging and you get a closer shave.

Finish with one of the Whish after shave products, especially formulated for women. They take care of preventing those after shave bumps and prevent ingrown hairs

How to Avoid Overheating in the Summer Sun

How to Avoid Overheating in the Summer Sun

By John Ibach,
Director of Outdoor Recreation

In our desert environment the summer months are hot. Those of us who live here are accustomed to taking the necessary precautions against heat exposure.

When you arrive at Red Mountain one of the first things you will be told is to drink plenty of fluids while you are here. Each morning as we prepare for a hike, the guides will ask if you have your water bottles full and ready to go. Other precautions again heat exposure include a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and 30 SPF sun block.

Heat-related emergencies can occur as a result of fluid and electrolyte (salts) loss through heavy sweating. Loss of fluid and electrolytes can begin to produce painful spasms of skeletal muscles usually in the legs and abdomen. Body temperature is usually normal, and the skin is moist. Over time, the victim loses fluid through sweating, which decreases the blood volume. Blood flow to the skin increases, reducing blood flow to the vital organs. Because the circulatory system is affected, the person goes into mild shock. At this point the victims body temperature will usually be normal or below normal.

Other signs and symptoms include:

• Cool, moist, pail or ashen skin. (Skin may be red in the early stage, immediately after exertion.)
• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness and weakness
• Exhaustion

In this stage, heat-related illness can usually be reversed with prompt care. Often the victim feels better after resting in a cooler place and drinking cool water.

We want you to enjoy your stay with us and want you to take the steps necessary to prevent heat-related illnesses. Stay safe!

Healthy Detox

Healthy Detox

By Dr. Brad Crump, Health Services Manager

There are a myriad of plans and programs that health minded individuals seek out in order to “detoxify” the body. Many are based firmly in the science of detoxification and others well, not so much. Ultimately there is one goal in mind and that is to remove foreign and potentially harmful substances from the body.

Any good detoxification program always begins with proper nutrition. There are no exceptions. The following nutritional guidelines should be part of any detoxification program:

• Whole foods. It is important to eliminate all refined and processed foods. Whole foods contain vital nutrients required for optimal liver function.
• Eliminate all foods that have the highest inflammatory or allergenic potential. An abbreviated list would include the elimination of all dairy, gluten containing foods such as wheat, rye and barley and, of course, all refined foods (which notoriously contain gluten), soy and soy containing foods, red meat, shellfish and caffeine and alcohol.
• Lots of water.

Anyone is a candidate for a good nutritionally based detoxification program. Given the state of our environment and our many exposures, a detoxification program should be done at least once per year and for a full month.

Care would be given with those who have health issues, but, in general, there is nothing that would preclude anyone from participation.

The benefits of detoxification are extensive. They usually include weight loss, improved sleep, increased energy and decreased hormonal symptoms seen with menopausal women. Most will see an improvement in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Overall, a proper detoxification program will improve overall health, decreased health risks and general sense of well being.

Weight Loss Tip: Eat Enough Food

Weight Loss Tip: Eat Enough Food

Don’t under eat – many weight loss programs cut calories too much.

Have a test done to determine your basal or resting metabolic rate- then make sure that your low calorie diet doesn’t go below this number. This can either be a bioimpedance analysis or a resting energy expenditure test because this is the bare minimum amount that your body needs to support basic functions. If neither of those tests is available to you, search for internet sites that estimate basal metabolic rate according to height, weight, age and gender.

The bioimpedance analysis measures lean body mass and fat mass – a basal metabolic rate is determined by the pounds of metabolically active tissue you have.

A resting energy expenditure test is done to measure the oxygen utilized and carbon dioxide produced during a sample time frame when you are at rest.

Get into the Pool: Aqua Workout

Get into the Pool: Aqua Workout

By Kim Watters,
Fitness Manager

Upper body Conditioning
(1 minute at 80 percent of your maximum effort)

All upper body exercises should be performed with the shoulders under the water. You may have to hinge forward at the hips to keep the shoulders under and maintain balance. This allows the exercise to be completed using the full range of motion at the joint.

One minute of water strengthening exercise is equal to 12 repetitions of land exercise

Bicep Curls
Start with straight elbows and palms up, bend the elbows with power, using the force of the water for resistance. As you straighten your elbow turn you palms inward (slicing the water).

Tricep Press
Start with elbows bent and palms down, straighten elbows with power. As you bend the elbows slice the water leading with the thumbs.

Lat Push Down
Start with arms out to the side in a letter T shape. Push down through the water with power, lining the wrists, elbows and shoulders up in to vertical lines. As you bring your arms up into a letter T shape, slice the water leading with the thumbs.

Deltoid Lift
Start with the arms in vertical lines palms facing in. Lift the arms up towards the surface with power (pushing the water with the back of the hand). Keep the arms and hands under the water. As you bring your arms back into vertical lines, slice the water, leading with the pinky fingers.

Chest Press
Start with one leg forward in a lunge position, and both arms open in a letter T shape, thumbs up. Push both arms forward until the wrists, elbows and shoulder joints line up. As you bring your arms back into the letter T shape slice the water, leading with the pinky fingers.

Upper Back Press
Start with the other leg forward, both arms in front of you, palms facing in (thumbs up) and the arm joints lined up.

Rotator Cuff Push
Bend both elbows at a 90 degree angle and the palms facing each other. Keep the upper arm bones glued to the rib cage. Rotate inwardly from the elbow and then rotate outwardly from the elbow. Alternate the hand that is on top, use power in both directions.

Here is some additional information to help you maintain, and improve upon your water work outs. It was a pleasure working with you, call me if you have any questions.

www.waterworkout.com is a good place to find equipment, DVD’s, and music.
www.powermusic.com is a good place to find music and DVD’s
Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) is the group that certifies water instructors.

De-Frizz Your Hair: Spa at Home

De-Frizz Your Hair: Spa at Home

Does the dry, winter air make your hair a frizzy mess? The natural recipe below from Healing Lifestyles is sure to give you beautiful locks.

Ingredients
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil
1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

• Mash banana very well with a fork or spoon. Add sunflower oil and lime juice. Mix until well-blended.
• Thirty minutes before your shower, massage the mixture into dry hair and scalp and comb through to distribute it evenly.
• After a half hour, shampoo out the mixture using a mild shampoo, rinse thoroughly, then enjoy your hair's healthy sheen.

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Servings: 12

Ingredients:
1/2 eggplant, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp. olive oil
½ onion, diced
1 1/3 tsp. garlic, minced
¾ green bell pepper, diced
14 oz. canned tomatoes
10 oz. red ripe tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/3 tsp. cumin powder
1 1/3 tsp. oregano powder
1 1/3 tsp. basil powder
2/3 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 tsp. fennel seed
3 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/2 cup pinto or anasazi beans, cooked
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, cooked
1 3/4 tbsp. dill, fresh chopped
2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Peel and dice eggplant.
2. Place in a perforated pan and sprinkle with kosher salt.
3. Let stand for 1 hour and pat dry.
4. Preheat a soup pot or tilt skillet; add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
5. Saute the eggplant, onions, garlic and green pepper until tender.
6. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Yes, Sweat the Small Stuff

Yes, Sweat the Small Stuff

By Dr. Brad Crump, Health Services Manager

A healthy and effective detoxification program involves many supportive strategies from nutrition and supplementation to stress management and reducing our environmental exposures. One area that is sometimes overlooked is the importance and benefit of sweating.

Sweating helps to support the function of our nervous system, lowers stress, helps to remove harmful chemicals such as pesticides and even heavy metals through the skin, can support healthy blood sugar levels and can, of course, help us burn more calories and support metabolic rate.

The best ways to support healthy detoxification through sweating should include exercise, saunas or steam bath as well as infrared sauna. These are safe and convenient ways to support healthy elimination of toxins. They can also be very relaxing!