Body Wraps...Do they work?

Do you have unwanted cellulite, or are you wanting to drop a few inches and looking for the way to go about it? What do you do? I can answer this for you in 2 words..."body wrap!" What is body wrapping and how does it work? Most women I talk to always want to know if they will notice a difference? I've often wondered that myself until recently, a coworker went in for a body wrap and was excited to see how many inches she dropped in a matter of hours! She was so pleased with the terrific results that she bought a package to go back for repeat visits to pamper herself.

Let's face it, we women love to get pampered but rarely ever take the time to pamper ourselves. We get caught in the hustle and bustle of family, work, and everything else that we often neglect ourselves. As a younger mother when my children were young I never did anything for "me" because I was too busy playing the role of mommy and wife. In society today, we tend to have a new spin or outlook (if you will) and finally us moms are making "me" time! Going to the spa or salon for a body wrap will make you feel so much better, and it is relaxing for a few hours. Every woman needs to feel good!

Many spas and salons offer a process called “body wrapping.” This procedure claims to remove inches from the waist, thighs, hips or other parts of the body. Tell me,...who doesn't think that sounds amazing? The process includes the use of special wraps or clothing and can sometimes be used with special lotions or creams that are applied to the skin. Customers are usually told that they can lose “inches” as opposed to pounds and that fat will melt away bringing about a loss of inches in about an hour. One of the claims is that wrapping will work because cellulite is “water logged fatty tissue.”

What do these wraps consist of?

Most medical experts agree that such treatment will cause a loss of inches and perhaps pounds due to profuse perspiration. But the reductions are temporary. The fluid is soon replaced by drinking or eating.

Remember, rapid and excessive fluid loss is potentially dangerous because it can bring on severe dehydration and can upset the balance of important electrolytes in the body. Reputable spas are aware of any potential hazards such as this, so do your homework and select a spa with a good reputation.

Some people have tried using “plastic wrap” as body wrap material. In fact, that was a very popular practice several decades ago.

Body wrapping has evolved since those days, becoming much more sophisticated. Prices for a body wrap range anywhere from $40 an hour up to as much as several thousand dollars at some of the upscale spas.

Some advertising claims that body wrapping will eliminate, or at the least reduce, cellulite but we’ll leave that up to you to determine. What we can tell you is that visiting a spa or salon for body wrapping may be a wonderfully rejuvenating experience, leaving you rested, relaxed and refreshed.

Isn't it about time you did something for you?

Help to achieve inch loss, cellulite reduction and improves appearance of skin tone.
Using a unique blend of essential oils and the traditional method of bandage compression, the treatment removes toxins from the fatty tissue and creates a loss of inches around the body contours.The results could mean that you drop a dress size!! If the surface of the skin is bumpy and uneven from cellulite, the contour wrap will smooth out the skins surface and dramatically improve its appearance. This can be a great confidence booster for you to show your legs off in the summer.

How long does it last?

This is up to you. If you follow the after care and advice given to you from your therapist, the inch loss can last up to 28 days. The quicker you put the toxins back into your diet the quicker the inches creep back on. Healthy eating will result in a longer lasting inch loss. It is a myth that if you have a glass of water after the treatment, you put the inches back on.

What should I expect?

Expect to wear a bikini so the treatment can be applied to the whole body

Expect that you may not be able to have the treatment due to contra-indications-please consult your therapists before booking

Expect to follow strict after care advice at home after the treatment

Prepare to be wrapped in bandages and to relax for one hour

Please shower before coming to the clinic for this treatment.

The therapist will carry out skin brushing to prepare your skin for this treatment

Burning Calories....Shedding Inches and Pounds

If I've said it a thousand times I'll say it again....Avoid “fad” diets! They don't help, in fact you will probably put all the weight back on plus additional weight.  If you don’t believe me, ask your doctor about these: negative calorie diets, extremely low calorie diets, low carb diets, and any other type of “fad” diet that is unbalanced and so unhealthy.

Changing your diet should be a matter of wanting and choosing a healthier life style. Do research on foods and what they have in them, or have a sister like I do who is a molecular biologist. Every time I used to put something in my mouth she would say to me "Michele, do you want to know what that stuff is made of?"...then she would proceed to make a face and roll her eyes funny. It made me wonder what really was in the crap I was eating? I honestly had no idea. My suggestion....Learn all you can about different foods and nutrition. The more you know the easier it is to implement healthy nutrition in your diet.

Pretty much anything you do will help you burn calories. This includes walking up and down your own stairs, vacuuming the floors, running errands to the store or moderate play with your pet. Most of us want to know to burn the calories more efficiently, and how to burn more calories overall.

It’s important to reiterate that we burn calories at virtually all times, and you can choose other activities to increase calorie burn. Increasing the amount of time you walk anywhere will help you burn more calories. For instance, taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator will be a better method for using up calories. Parking  a distance from stores or your office  gives you another chance to burn some more calories.

Here are 20 easy tips to help you begin to curve the appetite, cut calories, and burn fat! You'll feel better and your body will thank you!

1.

Substitute fruit purees for butter or margarine. They are easy to prepare in a food processor and will significantly reduce calories and fat.

2.

Cheese is good for you, but the fat is not. Try this: Zap cheese in the microwave and drain off grease.

3.

Exercising before you eat just makes you hungrier. Exercise AFTER eating when the body has to work harder to digest food.

4.

Don’t eat while watching television. You can become so engrossed in your program that don’t realize how much you are eating...or if you do, like I do, use the thigh master. It works I have dropped 6 inches from my waist and thighs in  2 weeks.

5.

Too many people skip breakfast. Eat in the morning when the body burns more calories. I never did this before and once I started I was able to eat more and burn the calories just the same as if I didn't eat, plus, your body needs energy and without it and a lot of fluids you'll dehydrate and your metabolism will get all out of whack!

6.

Water mixed with fructose suppresses appetite better than glucose with water or diet drinks. Drink a glass of orange juice one half to one hour before a meal.

7.

Avoid trans fatty acids. Use olive, corn or canola oil when cooking.

8.

Switch from whole to skim milk. All the nutrients are there without the fat. Okay, at least cut back to low fat!

9.

Limit yourself to just four egg yolks a week.

10.

Trim all fat from meats before cooking. You’ll be amazed at how much you reduce your fat intake if you take this one small step.

11.

Eliminate fried foods. Do we need to say why? Hello fatty thighs and buttocks!

12.

Cream sauces like alfredo and hollandaise are loaded with fat. Use tomato based sauces instead of cream. If you have to have the creamy sauces, limit your intake!

13.

Use lemon juice or low sodium soy sauce for flavor. BACKOFF the SALT! Sooooo bad for you and your sodium level will go through the roof!

14.

Don’t skip meals. When you do, you eat more at your next meal and usually eat the wrong foods.

15.

Read labels – Don't you want to know what your putting into your mouth? This means check fat, sugar and carb content.

16.

Stop buying on impulse. NEVER EVER EVER shop for groceries without a list!

17.

Avoid shopping when you are hungry – eat first! This is where 58% of the unwanted calories come from.

18.

Shop for groceries once a week and only buy from your prepared list. Not only will you keep your waistline trim, but your wallet too!

19.

Head directly to the fruit and vegetable aisles when you enter the grocery store. Fill up your basket in these aisles and you’ll be less likely to buy binge food.

20.

If you have a local “farmers market” where you can buy your fruits and veggies off the truck, by all means do so. They’ll be fresher and tastier. I loveeee fresh veggies....and farmers markets are the best!