Canyon Ranch (Arizona)
Best Nutrition Tips

How do you resist the relentless marketing for junk food, fast food and processed food? Seek out reliable information and reinforcement for your healthy eating habits - that's how. Here are five top tips from nutritionists.

1. Be Smart, Snack Healthy
Studies have shown that when subjects included a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon that contained protein they were able to perform 30 to 40% better on verbal reasoning tests! So if you're looking for an advantage in school or at work, look no further than your backpack or purse. Three easy alternatives: A handful of almonds and a piece of fruit; an ounce of cheese and apple slices; a hard-boiled egg and some carrot sticks. Not only will you maximize your brain-power, these balanced snacks will keep you from becoming ravenous before mealtime. One key to healthy weight is never to let yourself get so hungry that you lose control.

2. Involve the Family in Trying New Things
When you try a new healthy recipe, have your kids help in the preparation -hanging out in the kitchen, they're likely to sample foods they might resist trying in a more formal setting. They'll also feel some ownership for the meal. Then, at the table, have the whole family rate the recipe on a scale of 1 to 5. Start a discussion of what is best about it and include everyone - what about the flavor, the texture, eye appeal, etc.? If everyone agrees that it was great, keep it in the mix; if not, don't make it again. You and your kids will eat more mindfully, really think about what you're eating, and reinforce a healthy relationship with food. As a bonus, you'll be talking with each other!

3. Make a Healthy Meal in Minutes
A black bean or chicken burrito on a corn tortilla with salsa and guacamole is a nutrient-dense meal chock full of antioxidants including lycopene in the tomatoes, lutein and zeaxanthein in the avocado, and lots of flavonoids, fiber, and protein in the beans. To speed up prep, base your burritos on well-rinsed canned beans or pre-cooked chicken breast (available at many delis and grocery stores), prepared salsa and guacamole. If you have a few more minutes and the ingredients on hand, fancy up your creation with a sprinkling of grated cheese or a dollop of plain yogurt, chopped fresh tomatoes and lettuce, a few chopped olives - whatever you and your family like best. Serve warm or cold - delicious!

4. Look Younger with Pomegranates
Pomegranate juice is a gorgeous color, and it can help keep you gorgeous, too. Try adding some unsweetened pomegranate juice to your smoothie and reap the benefits of its potent antioxidants - more than most other fruits. Did you know that the ellagic acid in pomegranates helps protect your skin's collagen layer from damage - better known as wrinkles?

5. Go Heavy on the Salad, Easy on the Dressing
Most salad dressings are mostly fat, and the calories they add to an otherwise wonderfully healthy salad add up fast. If you have weight issues, salad dressing may be part of the problem. Consider cutting the amount of dressing you use in half. After a few weeks, consider cutting it in half again. Gradual changes are always the easiest to maintain.

www.canyonranch.com
(800) 742-9000

The Oaks at Ojai (California)
What's Reiki?

There is an endless variety in types of massage and bodywork, but the one that generates the most questions is Reiki. In Reiki, the practitioner conducts a "Universal Energy" like an antenna conducts a radio signal. The Japanese character Rei has many meanings, one of which is "Higher Self." Ki is similar to the Chinese Chi or the Sanskrit Prana. It is a universal life energy that sustains and surrounds all living beings. For those unfamiliar with Eastern healing traditions, it may be helpful to think of Reiki energy as coming from the Divine, or even like the Force in Star Wars! Unlike many other energy techniques, the Reiki practitioner does not "read" the person's body or diagnose any spiritual, emotional or physical conditions. She doesn't even direct the energy to specific areas - the recipient's body uses the energy as it sees fit. As the Rei character suggests, your "Higher Self" knows best!

During a Reiki session, the practitioner places his or her hands on the recipient's body or in the air just above and holds each position for a period of time. Both people are still and quiet (unless you have questions) as the energy transfers from the environment through the practitioner and into the recipient. People seek out Reiki to soothe anxiety and depression, heal emotional or physical wounds or illnesses or simply find a deep sense of relaxation. Many nurses are being trained in Reiki for use in hospitals to speed healing after surgery, help patients maintain emotional balance and minimize pain. Reiki treatment can be received alone, or in combination with other bodywork.

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

Canyon Ranch (Massachusetts)
More Benefits of Sleep

How many hours did you get last night? Eight is great, but you might need even more to reach your peak. Two new studies of widely divergent populations add to the growing evidence that plenty of sleep is a key to optimum performance.

Researchers at Stanford talked seven college football players into committing to 10 hours a night, and documented that they got it most nights for several months. At the end of that time, the players reported feeling less tired and had improved their performance on a number of physical measures. Most impressively, they had taken an average of a tenth of a second off their times in the 40-yard dash. As one commentator noted, a tenth of a second is hugely significant to an elite athlete, and it appears that the improvement was fully attributable to extra rest. Many of the good effects of adequate sleep are subjective and hard to measure; nothing could be more exactly quantifiable, though, than running times.

Another study - of small children beginning in babyhood - found that children in households with set bedtimes and well-established evening routines did six to seven percent better on pre-reading and pre-math skills tests than children whose bedtimes were casual. In addition, lack of adequate sleep or poor sleep is strongly associated with attention deficit disorder - tired children are jittery children who can't concentrate.

In our over-revved, late-night culture, it's important to note that there is no known substitute for sleep - and the military has poured untold millions into trying to find one. Humans can successfully adapt to many less-than-optimal conditions, but not to prolonged sleep deprivation -sleep, like exercise, is a non-negotiable necessity for health and longevity.

So whether you aspire to play in the NFL or just do well in kindergarten, the moral is the same - turn off the TV or computer and get to bed on time.

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

Red Mountain Spa (Utah)
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.

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!

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