Guinot Acti-Rides Featured in Spa Finder Magazine

We love Guinot products. And here’s yet another reason why. Guinot’s Acti-Rides Flash Wrinkle Eraser System was recently featured in the January 2011 edition of Spa Finder Magazine.

Acti-Rides Flash was developed by Guinot’s world-renowned research team of dermatologists, biologists and chemists. The product contains an exclusive active ingredient complex, proprietary to Guinot, called Derm Liss which is comprised of: Hyaluronic Acid – to improve cutaneous suppleness and elasticity and restore moisture, and Dynalift – which forms a firming and enveloping film over the skin’s surface for a micro-lifting effect.
Over time, skin tends to lose its youthful appearance, often appearing tired and drawn. Fine lines and wrinkles form on foreheads, near the eyes, around the mouth, etc due to the slacking of the epidermis and loss of support from the basal layer. Acti-Rides Flash restores the skin’s suppleness by supporting the dermis underneath the wrinkle. Using the pen applicator, pressure is applied to each side of the wrinkle, causing the connective tissue under the wrinkle to furrow and move. As a result of this movement, the loose basal layer is lifted, filling in the wrinkle from within and lifting the skin on the surface, lending for a more youthful appearance. Acti Rides Flash’s active ingredients also stimulate the production of elastic fibers, restoring density to the dermal layer and reinforcing the network of elastic fibers.

Acti-Rides Flash’s pen applicator, with 3 dermo-balls, is especially important in the smoothing process. The first dermo-ball stimulates the dermis, targeting the wrinkle in the lower skin layers and physically erasing the wrinkle in the skin’s surface. The two other dermo-balls help the active ingredients from the serum optimally penetrate the skin, thus restoring density to the dermis and boosting the skin’s level of elasticity.

It is recommended to use Acti-Rides Flash daily and apply to main facial wrinkles, working in an upward direction over the frown lines, over the crow’s feet and along the smile lines. That said, in only 2 minutes, you should notice that wrinkles are visibly erased and your face should look smoother and more youthful.

Acti-Rides is available at Seasons – The Spa. $60.

For more information about two new age-defying skincare treatments from Guinot, check out this article from fashionqanda.com.

Confession #15: A Gift For You, A Gift For Me

You know, the hardest part about Christmas shopping is focus. Five little letters. F – O – C – U – S.

Why are five little letters so difficult?

5. It’s the sights. I find myself with a headache at the end of a day of Christmas shopping. Never fails. I’m so busy looking at things and reading signs my eyes hurt. I’m trying so hard to find the good deal, the perfect gift, something they’ll love and wouldn’t buy for themselves. By the end of a 5-hour spree on a Saturday afternoon, I’m at maximum exhaustion.

4. It’s the sounds. I find myself overwhelmed with the noise of indoor shopping. Fourteen years of living in sunny Phoenix spoiled me to beautiful outdoor malls, brisk air, and no roar of the mall in my ears. But alas, in lovely Louisiana, the reality of outdoor shopping is difficult with all of our rainy days. And my ears pay the price of hydration. I love being home. I love a rainy day. But I am not a fan of a noisy mall at Christmas!

3. It’s the smells. You know, shoppers beware. At Christmas time, stores know how to get us…they cook and offer samples. Or they light the Christmas candles…all of them. You are surrounded by clouds of pine, cinnamon, and fudge. If you weren’t hungry when you started shopping, you are now! Stomach growls. Churns. Grumbles. You are going to have to feed it sooner or later.

2. It’s the list. Agony. The list. I definitely do better when shopping with the list. I carefully list possible options for each person on my list. But the problem with that scenario is that you are faced with choices under pressure. You could get little Heather some American Girl furniture and clothes to go with her doll. But what if she’d rather have a hula-hoop. Both are on my list. But how will I decide with the pressure of a pressing crowd around me?

1. But the number one difficulty in maintaining focus during Christmas shopping. It’s me! For every one gift I see for a person on my list (that I can no longer see because my eyes are crossed, my nose is burning, and my ears are plugged), I find 10 things that I’d like to buy for myself. Ugh. Isn’t that just the worst part of human nature? I don’t want to think about shopping for myself. But I just can’t help it. That adorable jacket would be so cute for the staff Christmas party. Oh, those earrings would look divine with the jacket. And the shoes…I haven’t bought shoes for myself in…well, I can’t remember. And even better, IT’S ALL ON SALE.

It is absolutely maddening to me. My goal every year is to complete my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. That way I avoid the hustle and bustle and I save my eyes, ears, and nose from jumping off my face during a 5-hour mall adventure. But most importantly, it keeps me away from the great deals and temptation to come home with extra bags full of goodies for myself.

While I have great hopes of being done early, the truth of the matter is that my children have birthdays in November and December, further complicating Drewett life at end-of-year. While working THE LIST and buying gifts for friends and family, I must also space out the my kiddos’ gifts so that they are not so spoiled by January that I’m convinced they are from another planet. And, sometimes, the birthday planning foils my Christmas shopping just as I get geared up to complete it. Ugh.

Good news, though. I’m almost done with THE LIST. And as I write this, it’s not yet Thanksgiving. I think that’s a breakthrough. I do it this way to save my sanity…and my eyes, ears, and nose.

But, there’s one more reason I shop early.

More than anything, I want to truly soak up and enjoy the Christmas season. Advent is a wonderful time of the year as we celebrate and anticipate the coming of the Christ child. I want to enjoy the Christmas Cantata at church (mom-in-law and dad-in-law both sing in the choir). I want to enjoy the Christmas program my adorable kindergartener will be presenting at school (she’s singing “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” and her top two teeth are wiggly). I want to feel festive (and not exhausted) for all the gala celebrations here and there.

And, I want to give myself and my family the gift of peace on earth. Yes. Peace on earth. I can’t give the kind of Peace on Earth that only a Saviour can bring. But I CAN give a little peace on earth to my family. Because when momma is stressed out about Christmas shopping, there is no peace.

To all my fellow shoppers, if you’re not done with your shopping yet, take heart. There’s always next year. And you can start shopping for next year on January 1, 2011. There will be lots of sales. And you’ll need even more focus! Good luck. Merry Christmas. And Happy New Year.

Confession #14: Memories of Trees and Roots

My people have deep roots. And because both of my children were born in Scottsdale, Arizona, a long way from those deep roots, I am trying to share with them, when time allows, some of their heritage. Labor Day served as an opportune moment to dig into the root system of our family tree.

Not only is Labor Day a day to celebrate the American worker (that’s me), it is also a great time to be with family. And a special member of my family had a birthday that day. To celebrate this wonderful occasion, my son, my daughter and a few other family members headed north to pay him a surprise visit.

Where north, you ask? Well, my roots, on my dad’s side of the family, are in Shongaloo. A small town about 8 miles south of the Arkansas/Louisiana line, it is here that some of my earliest and most precious childhood memories were made.

I remember learning to drive…at age six…sitting in my grandmother’s lap…all the way to the country store. And yes, I would roll over and die if my almost six-year-old were in her grandmother’s lap driving today! But my grandmother had a sense of adventure! So off we went. I sat in her lap peering over the steering wheel. My foot sat on top of hers, her foot an extension of mine as I pressed on the gas and break pedals. My first driving experience was a little less than a straight drive. And it was fabulous! I don’t have any idea what I might have purchased at the country store once we arrived. But I will never forget the drive there and back!

I remember climbing my first tree. At her house, there were many wonderful and climbable (is that a word?) trees. My cousins and I would spend the whole morning out in the trees imagining that we were escaping some great danger. Donnie, Keith, Alyssa and I, even though our regular lives were quite different, always found a common enemy to avoid up in those trees.

I remember learning about the circle of life…birth, death, and everything in between. In the country, you can’t escape the circle of life. I loved helping my grandmother gather eggs from the chicken coop. I also remember watching my grandmother grab a chicken by the neck, swing it around with arm fully extended and chicken in hand, until there was suddenly a headless body running frenetically around the yard and only a chicken head left in her hand. Even though it was quite a sight for this little girl to watch, I knew how much I enjoyed that fried chicken the next day at lunch, and I certainly learned to appreciate the work it took to prepare that wonderful meal.

I remember learning to express my inner creativity. You name it, we could make a pie out of it…a mud pie that is. My grandmother let us set up an outdoor “kitchen” complete with loads of dirt and water, and tons of pie plates. We had no fear of being dirty. When we were done, she’d wash us off with a water hose. Our pies would “bake” in the sun while her real homemade pie baked in the kitchen. Following an afternoon “nap” watching her favorite soaps, we’d pretend to eat the mud pie followed quickly with eating the real pie, and chased by an ice cold glass of milk fresh that morning from the cow.

I remember mowing miles and miles of grass. My grandmother and I would saddle up on the riding lawn mower, she with her wide-brimmed straw hat and me hanging on tight for the ride. She had acres of grass to mow. It seemed like millions of acres at the time. Now I know it was probably more like one.

All those memories are precious to me. They collectively make me who I am. I wish there were some way to funnel all my memories in to my kids. But since that’s just not going to work, I will settle for filling their minds with as many of my precious memories as possible while taking them to the very spot those great memories occurred.

And so, on Labor Day, the memories flowed. But not only did they hear tales of years gone by, we made new memories that will be unique to them. They celebrated a birthday, laughed at my uncle’s jokes, played with DeeDee – the weiner dog, and saw all the landmarks of my childhood, like the grass that had to be mowed, the trees I climbed and the country store I drove to. My daughter laughed til she cried thinking that her momma drove that far. And then, of course, she wanted to try it. She didn’t get to drive that day, but her Daddy has been known to put her in his lap, just like my grandmother did me, and let her drive around the neighborhood. I’m sure my neighbors will now be keeping a closer eye on who is actually driving the Drewett vehicles!

So my thoughts following Labor Day led to one big question. What will be the memories that collectively make my children into adults?

The hardest part of being a parent, other than the crisis situations that interrupt our busy routines, is deciding how to parent with purpose. It’s easy to muddle through parenthood reacting to this situation or that one. Well, maybe not easy, But taking pause to plan your parenting is a lofty goal I’ve made every attempt towards, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

My hope is to parent children who live with purpose and integrity, who serve others before themselves, and who place great value on people, not things.

But with both of my children now being school-aged, and my husband and I being working parents, that valuable teaching time is diminishing every year. My challenge is to creatively and effectively use the time we have to develop their character as we create a few memories of our own.

I worry about my children’s probably over-planned lives, a side-effect of a parent’s busy-ness combined with the complications of modern day life. It looks like this: wake kids up, feed kids, get kids dressed, deliver kids at school, work all day, pick up kids, take kids to piano lessons, drop kids at tennis, monitor kids homework, eat, do laundry, brush teeth, and go to bed. What ever happened to playing outside, riding your bike, and crawfishing in the creek behind your house? Oh wait, those are my memories. My world was vastly different than theirs. I treasure my childhood memories. I’m reminded, however, that my memories are what make me unique. Their memories will make them unique.

I have no great miracle solutions for parenting here, but the most wonderful moments seem to be the unplanned ones. And where the grey areas of parenting exist, there is prayer on my part and mercy on God’s part that will cover them.

In the meantime, I find myself resting under my family tree of memories, sitting on a root that has presented itself above ground. I look up and see sunshine twinkling through the leaves. The whisper of the wind and the smell of outdoors returns to my mind images of days gone by. Those memories are magical. They take me back to precious times. They give me comfort. They make me smile. Even laugh.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Glynn. I’ll be back next Labor Day to “surprise” you again, and most importantly, to make a few more memories under my family tree. In the meantime, I love you, DeeDee (the weiner dog) and Aunt Dolores. Thanks for being two of my biggest fans. And thanks for a beautiful day of memories. My kids will treasure them, and so will I.

Confession #13: What I Learned During Summer Vacation

Do you remember the first day of school? It seemed like every year, in a new classroom with a new teacher, the same old question came up.

The question was always a derivative of these: summer activities, summer learning, what I did, what my family did, vacation destinations, etc. Sometimes the question involved an essay. I always enjoyed the essay. My husband? Not so much. Not an essayist. A great storyteller in person, for sure. But I am definitely the English-minded one of our family and he is solidly the math/science guy.

Putting pen to paper and developing the line of the the summer tale was, I think, an activity we all enjoyed, but at the same time, dreaded. It was great to tell of your summer travels and hope they sounded more interesting than those of the child in the neighboring desk. But jumpstarting the brain into putting all those sentences together on the first day of school was, well, let’s just say it required coffee but I was too young to drink coffee.

As the summer winds down, once again I put pen to paper. Well, actually, I put fingers to keyboard. And the tale begins. What have I learned during summer vacation?

Honestly, the learning comes from the parenting. As mom to two precious kids aged 11 and 5, I dare say that I learn more from them than they learn from me. Don’t get me wrong. I love a great teaching moment with my kids when chance offers me an opportunity to share a pearl of wisdom that hopefully lasts a lifetime. But by and large, this summer I have done the learning and my babes have done the teaching. So my back-to-school essay will be entitled “What I’ve Learned From My Kids This Summer.”

1. Dream Big. We’ve heard it before. It has come out of my mouth a million times. But it’s watching the big dreams unfold that is inspiring. My son has played baseball since he was three. There’s nothing cuter than the tee ball pile-up. All the little kids run for the ball and have more fun making a pile than actually catching the ball. Every year for the last eight years, springtime means evenings at the ballpark, lawn chairs, extended conversations with other moms in between our kids’ at-bats, siblings playing, and dads coaching. It’s a springtime ritual that I’ve grown to love. Well this spring ended on a high note. After a super-exciting season in which our team (Drewett + Brenden Architecture) placed 1st for the league and 3rd in the season-ending tournament, Langdon was selected to play on the 11 year-old All-Star team. He was so honored to have earned a coveted spot among this group of boys. Our summer of All-Star practice and tournaments was like dessert over and over — SWEET! He’s now planning how he’ll practice and prepare for next year’s baseball season. The All-Star team finished third in the state. But the best part was the smile on my boy’s face when the big dream became reality.
2. Laugh More. I’m a pretty serious and focused person. Yes, I have a sense of humor. And I married the funniest person I’ve ever met. But being as goal-oriented as I am, I tend to get lost inside of my focus and forget to enjoy the life I’m living. My daughter is the cure for that. Every day, she reminds me that laughing is a key part of life. Dinnertime has become a ritual of the same old jokes told in slightly different ways. She’s just young enough that she thinks her knock-knock jokes are funny even when they don’t make sense. All we can do is laugh. And kids say the darndest things (wasn’t that a TV show?). Here was our conversation last night. Me: Oh, Reagan, you’re sleeping with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Reagan: Yes, mom. They got married  yesterday. Me: Oh, that’s wonderful. Are they going to have a bunch of little mouse babies? Reagan: Well, Minnie is only pregnant on Thursdays. [I’m laughing all over again.]
3. Pray Daily. The economic fall-out of the last two years has been devastating for so many. I’m thankful to be in Louisiana where we seem to be so insulated from the national economic woes (but certainly not those of hurricanes and oil spills).  And my heart aches for Arizona, where we spent 14 years living life with wonderful friends and family. Arizona has felt the impact of the Great Recession so severely that the state currently operates on 70% of it’s 2006 income. It drives me to pray daily for those who are suffering. I’ve always said that it’s the valleys in life that help us appreciate and give thanks for the mountains. The tough times remind me that I am not in control. And I am thankful for the One that is. Praying daily reminds me that my life remains in the capable hands of a creator who made something from nothing. Every night after prayers, the Drewett family shares one or two things for which they are thankful that day. Hearing those sweet words from the lips of my babies is another reminder of the many blessings, undeserved, that God has heaped into our lives.
4. Play Outside. You know, southern girls don’t sweat, they glisten. I’m not a big fan of glistening. Once I get the hair done and the makeup just right, I’m done for the day. A redo is not on my agenda. But the kids entice me to join their fun. One Sunday afternoon this summer, the Drewett family got dressed and headed to the tennis courts. Yes, it was terribly hot. But ice water poured on your head will cool you down quickly. Our afternoon swatting at tennis balls and mostly chasing the ones we missed was a much-needed and long-remembered family bonding. We all got some much needed Vitamin D from the sun we soaked up, and the exercise was great for the body and the soul. I was gently reminded on this day that any girl can get motivated for anything (even 95 degree heat and impending sweat) if she has the right outfit. There’s just nothing cuter than a tennis skirt.

I’m sure there’s more learning to come. I think a lot about how to be a good parent. I consider constantly what my actions are teaching my children. But this summer, it seems that their actions were the defining part of my summer. They reminded me to live. And to enjoy. And to be thankful. And to soak up the sun.

And that, my friends, completes my essay on “What I Learned During Summer Vacation.” I wonder if Mrs. Barmore (my fifth grade teacher) would give me an A?

(The above article was published in The Minute Magazine, August/September edition).

Confession #12: Social Media, Apples, and Trees.

I know one thing for sure — I am my father’s child. I’ve heard the phrase “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” my whole life. And now, I know it to be true.

My dad was the original computer nerd. When my family moved from Ruston to Baton Rouge in 1983 for my dad’s return to school, he knew he would be writing the oh-so-long dissertation, a requirement for earning a doctorate degree. The dissertation is a massive research paper and, in pre-computer days, one big pain to type and re-type! As a result, my family became owners of one of the first home computers.

My dad encouraged me to “figure things out” on the computer. In those days, there wasn’t a lot to understand. A home computer primarly functioned as a fancy typewriter, allowing the user to make edits to a document and save them. When you are writing a book (e.g. a dissertation) or even a history paper (me – while in high school), you can see how this would come in handy!

My familiarity and comfort with computers has grown as the computer age has blossomed. And now, I seem to be the resident guru with my friends and family on computers, software and the application of technology to your lifestyle. My hunger for technology-as-applied-to-life began with a smartphone (a phone that can receive emails), followed by an iPhone (emails, internet, and lots of great tools and games called apps), and, most recently, a MacBookPro (Apple’s version of the laptop).

And so my friends, today’s column is for my friends who didn’t have a visionary, computer geek dad who saw the benefits of technology. Today’s lesson? Social media can make life simpler, more connected, and more informed. How? You’ve heard of the world wide web (www). Social media is becoming THE web ON the world wide web. Social media creates the connections that bind people and businesses together online.

Facebook. Fun? Useful? Yes. It’s that and much more. The most fun I’ve had on a computer in the last 25 years has been on Facebook. Facebook is like a class reunion, email, the newspaper, and your long-lost best friend all rolled into one. It’s a fantastic place to find people and become reaquainted. I found one of my best friends from elementary school, whom I had not seen in over 25 years. We’ve had a blast catching up with each other and seeing pictures of our kids — all through Facebook.

But Facebook is much more than just friends. Facebook is news. Facebook is news about your favorite businesses. The Minute Magazine is on Facebook (they’re giving away free tickets to Sci-Port). Seasons, where I serve as marketing director, is also on Facebook. Seasons and The Minute Magazine use their fan pages to create a conversation between business and consumer. On the Seasons page, you’ll find links to health & wellness articles, information about our services, information about local events that we support, special offers and discounts only available to Facebook fans, previews of upcoming specials, and much more. Even if you’ve never been to Seasons, check us out. You’ll learn a lot about health and wellness just by reading the many articles we post.

If you are nervous about jumping into the world of Facebook or any other social media for that matter, start simple. Visit Facebook, set up your account using an email address, and go straight to the Help Center. Stay there. Read about privacy settings and much more. Don’t do anything else on Facebook until you spend a little time learning about it. Then you can join the over 400 million people who are already using it.

Twitter. Twitter’s usefulness is growing by leaps and bounds. It has become my primary source for news. Posting a comment on twitter is called a “tweet”. Tweets must be 140 characters or less. So Twitter is comprised of little short messages to those who “follow” you.

Here’s an example of a “tweet” I posted this week: Coming soon to @seasonswc, Sunlighten Infrared Sauna. Watch @theellenshow TODAY to find out more about it! I posted this tweet to let my followers know the breaking news — a segment of The Ellen Show that day would be devoted to the Sunlighten Infrared Sauna which Seasons – The Spa is scheduled to receive in August of 2010.

If you are looking for breaking news, Twitter is THE place to find it. (Today that included the death of actor Gary Coleman). You can follow stars (Ashton Kutcher @aplusk has nearly 5 million followers). You can follow events like the Squire Creek LA Peach Festival. And you can even follow me, Dr. Goodyear, AND Seasons.

Foursquare. One of the most interesting and new forms of social media, Foursquare, is predicted by the social media/marketing community to be the next big thing. By “checking in” at your destinations around town, you can know where your friends are and what they’re up to. Today, I know that my friend Sarah was at Seasons – The Spa because she checked in on Foursquare and Blair was at Seasons Wellness Clinic. Many businesses, including favorite coffee spot Starbucks as well as Seasons, are already offering promotions via Foursquare. So check it out. You might get a free coffee or $5 off your next massage!

YouTube. By now, I think everyone with access to a computer has watched a video on YouTube. But did you ever think of YouTube as a tool? It has become a great place to research information on that blender you wanted to purchase or even a destination for vacation. Try it. At Seasons, we use our YouTube channel to give additional information about our services and also link to news reports about services such as food sensitivity testing. You can find Seasons on YouTube by clicking here.

Diigo. Diigo is one of my favorite social media services. It allows the user to bookmark anything interesting online. You can then share those bookmarks with your friends, your family, your co-workers, or any other group or list that you want to create.

So, for example, let’s say you are researching a trip to the San Juan Islands. You find 10 articles and/or videos that are interesting and you want your spouse and your kids to read them to help you determine your vacation itinerary. You can save each of those with just a click to your Diigo account. At the end of the day, Diigo will send an email to anyone on your group list with a summary and link to each of those 10 articles. You might have your spouse, your teenage son, and your mother-in-law on that list. And now, they can easily read all the same information about your possible vacation itinerary. Cool, isn’t it? I just love Diigo!

Diigo also monitors the most popular bookmarked spots on the web. One article I discovered has helped me plan summer activities for my kids. It was entitled “The Best Online Games for Gifted Kids.” I would never have found this article had it not been for my use of Diigo.

How do I use Diigo? Go to the Seasons Diigo Page by clicking here. You’ll find a list of health and wellness articles. Seasons offers its Diigo list as a service to the general public and we will continue to bookmark articles that we think are pertinent to today’s health and wellness conversation. Follow along. You will definitely learn something!

The apple and the tree.

While there are dozens of other social media sites out there, these are the most popular and most useful that I’ve found. If you are nervous about privacy issues, don’t fret. The great thing about all types of social media is that you don’t have to be friends with anyone you don’t want. Your privacy is always yours as long as you hang on to it!

You know, I wish my dad were around to see all of the latest advancements in computers and the information available to us. But, sadly, he died seven years ago.

He would have loved Facebook and, by now, would have more friends than I do on his Facebook page. He would be using Diigo to send me interesting links and info about education, his passion. He would be experimenting with Twitter and it’s usefulness. He would Check-In at my house on Foursquare. And if he had an iPhone, he would have been giddy with excitement. A computer/phone in his hands? And only the size of his palm?

One thing is for certain: I’m pretty sure he’s smiling at me from heaven. His encouragement of my interest in technology was worthwhile, trendsetting, and invaluable to my future.

Thanks, Daddy, for giving me curiousity and courage, and for making sure that this apple fell very close to your tree!

-Adapted from Confessions of a Hormonal Woman, a bi-monthly column published in The Minute Magazine and written by Elizabeth Haynes Drewett.

Social Media, Medicine, and a Great Story!

At Seasons, we love social media. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, You Tube — they are all great tools to help us communicate with our patients/clients and for our patients/clients to communicate with us. Seasons has been using social media for well over a year. That process began with a blog-based website, introduced over two years ago.

While this approach to communicating in the medical industry is rare, it is working. Case in point? Watch this video which tells a great story about a woman who had a misdiagnosed wrist injury. Twitter helped her find a correct diagnosis and then treatment and recovery from her injury.

Our thoughts? This is super cool and we will continue to use social media to interact and educate our patients and clients about the pursuit of wellness!

Confession #11: Goals, Progress And A Non-Runner’s Venture Into The Running World

I’m a big fan of goal-setting. My mother cultivated this idea in my brain from childhood. She always said, “Elizabeth, you’ll always do better if you are shooting for a goal.”

So from my earliest remembrances, I have had a goal. And it’s when I haven’t had a goal in mind that my life becomes a little derailed. When my mom notices my derailment, she will always ask, “So what’s your goal?” Sometimes I had no answer.

One thing I love about getting older is gaining wisdom. And I now truly appreciate the wisdom of my mother’s words. And in November of last year, I decided to set a goal. When spring rolled around in 2010, I wanted to wear the clothes that stayed in the back of the closet last year. However, one thing I’ve learned about myself over the years is that I cannot diet. It won’t last. For me, it’s about a healthy lifestyle.

I am a healthy eater. But the big issue for me (and most women my age) is the exercise issue. I love to walk. But it just wasn’t enough. I have always wanted to be a runner (there’s nothing more beautiful than a lean runner’s body) but one ache from a knee was all I needed to quit.

And then….the opportunity arose to have THE GOAL.

I am on the advisory council for Healthy Woman at Northern LA Medical Center in Ruston, Louisiana. During a meeting with the Healthy Woman Coordinator, Audrey Buskirk, we were brainstorming ideas to help women become more educated on being healthy. With the new year rapidly approaching (our meeting was in November 2009), we were seeking to create some sort of event or series of events that would help motivate women to pursue their fitness and nutrition resolutions they might make at the beginning of the new year. You know. THE RESOLUTION. I think I have made that resolution every year for the last 20 years. The lose weight resolution. Ugh. I said it out loud. I HATE the words lose weight.

And so, the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge was born. Who knew it would end up changing my life. The one thing I’d been looking for was THE GOAL — a reason to take that first step. As I worked on putting together tools for women to become healthier such as nutrition presentations (by Valerie Costanza, RD, and staff member at Seasons) and customized fitness programs (by Sharon Jackson, CPT and owner of Sharon’s Slammin’ Boot Camps), I found myself in therapy. Yes. What I was creating for others would end up helping me as much or even more than those who have attended!

The Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge began in January with a kickoff party. Every good event begins and ends with a party, right? Then every three weeks was another session which included healthy food (with recipe cards for each menu item), and a nutrition and fitness presentation. As I write this column, I am preparing for the fourth and final wellness session. However, the real life-changer of the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge is the final event — a fitness goal for me and all my friends — the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge 5K Run/Walk.

One of my greatest pet peeves in the whole world is a hypocrite — say one thing, do another. And so my own hypocrisy immediately convicted me. I CANNOT RUN A 5K. I cannot even run to my mailbox.

There you go. The beginning of the journey.

And here I am. The non-runner. I now own my first pair of running shoes purchased from Sport Spectrum in Shreveport. I love that place! Great customer service! They even watch how you walk to make sure that you are fit with the proper pair of shoes. I bought 2 running outfits. Every girl needs the right outfit for the occasion! And I downloaded the Couch-to-5K running program for my iPod. If you’ve never run before, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this program. In 9 weeks, you can go from couch potato to running a 5K.

It hasn’t been easy. I have had to make myself get out of my warm , cozy bed and run in 27 degree weather. I have posted my running status on Facebook to force myself into accountability. And it’s working. It’s not an overnight-wake-up-the-next-morning-and-your-skinny sort of solution. It’s a life change. And that’s what it takes for a 40-something to be healthy into her 50’s, 60’s, and beyond.

I WILL RUN that 5K on Saturday, April 24th. (Actually, since I’m in charge of the race, I may have to run it the afternoon before so I can work during the race!) I may lay down on the ground after I cross the finish line, but I will cross the finish line.

If you can’t run, then come join us and walk. The point is this: everyone needs a goal. I know. My mother said so! And just for the record, I AM wearing one of those outfits that hung in the back of the closet last spring. Oh happy day!

Click here for more information about the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge 5K Run/Walk, Saturday, April 24, Lincoln Parish Park, Ruston, LA at 8 a.m.  Train Hard. Live Well.

Confession #10: Inspired by Courage

Note: This confession has nothing to do with health or any of my usual topics. But it does have a thing or two to do with WELLNESS. Being inspired can surely lead to a healthier mental existence, don’t you think? This confession was featured in the February/March edition of The Minute Magazine.

Writing topics don’t always come easy. I’m always looking for inspiration. Sometimes I use the calendar. I’m writing this column in January, so there are the typical New Year topics: resolutions, weight loss, save more, spend less. But none of those inspired me to write.

So what has inspired me lately? Well, there are lots of things that might provide a moment of happiness: a good story, a good song, a good joke, a good hair day (don’t laugh…you know it’s true), finding the perfect shirt on the 75% off rack (better yet the perfect pair of shoes and the perfect handbag to match), the perfect shade of lipstick. But if we evaluate the truthfulness of an inspiration, I find that many inspirations just fizzle out. We’ll disregard those and say that maybe they weren’t truly inspirational. They were just happy moments.

True inspiration is rare. And the times that we are truly inspired cause life to look differently the next day. They are the kinds of inspirations that stick with the soul long after the moment passes. I have had true inspiration at various junctions in life. Each time, that inspiration has moved me to a new place in my heart. Two of those moments came recently. One was at the movie theater. The other was sitting at my desk.

Movie theater inspiration

My son turned 11 on December 16. His birthday usually falls during the last week of school, so it’s always a tough time to plan a party due to the chaos of class parties, Christmas shopping, and holiday insanity. So each year for the last 4 years, instead of a big party, my son and I opt for a movie day with friends as his birthday celebration. This year, Nicholas, Henry, Austin, Langdon (my son), and I had lunch and hit the theater to see the latest, greatest movie.

Because I had a crew of 11-year old boys, the movie du jour was The Blind Side – a football movie, or so I thought. While I enjoyed the movie, I was unprepared for the inspiration that poured over me as I watched the unfolding story destined to become a classic.

The movie is set in Memphis, Tennessee, a city which I think embodies the soul of the south. The look and feel of the movie were very familiar to me as a native southerner. It gave a piercing glimpse into the darkest parts of American culture – the poverty and abandonment that many children in “that part of town” deal with on a daily basis. That poverty and neglect was then contrasted with the private school-attending, BMW-driving lifestyle of the Touhy family.

The great inspiration of this movie was the courage of its characters. They were real people stepping out of their comfort zones and embracing the plight of others, no matter the cost. Sean and Leigh Ann Touhy had courage when they asked Michael Oher, a virtually homeless African-American teenager who attended their children’s private school on a scholarship, to stay the night on their living room couch because he had no place to go. And Michael Oher had the courage to work hard, think and learn when he must have been overwhelmed by his new circumstances of living with the Touhy family. There was even courage to be found in the Touhy children. Collins Touhy, the older daughter of the Touhy family, had courage to embrace Michael Oher as a sibling, even though he was a different race and not her brother by blood. Imagine the sneers of her peers she must have endured.

Michael Oher played football and eventually graduated from that private school. He went on to play college football at the University of Mississippi (even making the honor roll) and later became the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft.

The Blind Side is an amazing story on so many levels. The happy ending certainly helps. But in this case, it was the heart-felt courage to step outside of normalcy and into the realm of persecution that stayed with me after the movie. Their internal character proved a more powerful force than the criticism and persecution of others. Now that is inspiring. And that is courage.

Courage is a wonderful thing. We know it when we see it. But what exactly is courage? And where does it come from? By definition, courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the overwhelming presence of bravery.

No one can have courage without heart. It’s when our heart can’t bear the current conditions around us that courage wells up inside of us and explodes into action. For the Touhy family, courage was defined by crossing racial and socio-economic barriers and helping a young man who needed an opportunity and a whole lot of unconditional love. For Michael Oher, courage was defined by hard work against seemingly insurmountable odds as he regained years of education that had been lost due to his unstable home life. He also courageously dropped the internal walls that surely had became a fortress around his heart and let a family love him. And in return, he loved them back.

For Michael Oher, courage was overcoming himself and his situation. And I think that is where we begin to see the true meaning of courage. When we overcome ourselves and our situation or obstacle – whatever that might be – we have shown courage.

Following my afternoon at the movies with my boy and his buddies and two hours of free-flowing tears (“when you’re a parent, you’ll understand,” I said to him), I knew that courage inspired me.

You Tube inspiration.

I was working at my desk earlier this week and received an email. In the email was a link to a YouTube video. The message from my friend was this: “This video motivated me this Sunday morning. The only thing that limits us is ourselves.”

Intrigued, I clicked the link. The next thing I knew, I was watching a humble cell-phone salesman shuffle onto a stage in front of three judges and a huge audience. This man, when asked what he was going to do, said, “I’m going to sing opera.” Eyes rolling, the three judges waited with the look of am-I-going-to-fall-out-of-my-chair-laughing-or-is-he-going-to-be-good on their faces.

The music began and he opened his mouth to sing. The sound that emerged from his humble lips brought me to tears within a matter of seconds. This humble man was motivated to enter a talent contest with the hope of saving he and his wife from the brink of bankruptcy. He seemingly had no self-confidence yet stood in front of those judges, those television cameras, and an at-times-hostile crowd and sang his heart out.

His courage moved me. He overcame himself. He overcame his circumstances. Courage welled up inside of him and gushed out of his mouth with abandon. And what a great performance it was. Paul Potts has become a YouTube sensation, with over 74 million hits on that video of his initial audition for Britain’s Got Talent. His first album went multiplatinum. He has just released his second album.

I love happy endings. But happy endings are endings. Courage, on the other hand, stays with us. So my question is this: when was the last time you overcame your personal insecurities and stepped out in courage to change your life or someone else’s?  We are surrounded by opportunities to be courageous. But our heart must be open and our ears listening. We need to see the needs of others and act when the heart is moved.

February is the month of the heart (it’s Valentine’s Day) and March is the beginning of renewal (it’s spring time). So it seems the right time to start fresh with the heart. Be inspiring. Have courage.

• To watch Paul Potts amazing audition for Britain’s Got Talent, click here.

• To see the movie The Blind Side, catch it at your local theater. If it’s not showing at your theater anymore, don’t hesitate to rent or buy it when it become available. It’s a must-see movie.

Confession #9: C’mon girls! Let’s do this!

It’s here. 2010. For the xxth time, I have made that New Year’s resolution. You know the one. To lose the extra that’s following you around on your backside.

Seasons, in collaboration with Northern Louisiana Medical Center’s Healthy Woman and Sharon Jackson’s Slammin’ Boot Camp, is bringing you the tools you need to accomplish the goal you resolve every New Year. But we’re not going to say the “d” word. This isn’t about a diet. We’re going to do this the right way. We are going to pursue WELLNESS. Do you hear me? Wellness. That means make good food choices. And that means get off your booty and get busy!

With some great seminars from Sharon Jackson, CPT (that’s certified personal trainer), and Valerie Costanza, RD (that’s Registered Dietician), we are going to gain the knowledge, the tools, the motivation, and the inspiration to do this together.

The kickoff party is coming up soon…Tuesday, January 12, 2010 from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Community Trust Bank Community Room. It’s in the rear of the CTB Financial Center located at 1511 N. Trenton St. in Ruston. Look for the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge signs and you’ll find it! At the kickoff party, we’ll learn the ropes of what we’re about to undertake. You need to let us know you’re coming. So register by calling 318-255-3223.

We’ll hear from Sharon and Valerie and from wellness advocate and local physician, Dr. Nathan Goodyear. There will be yummy, HEALTHY food for all to munch on and tons of fabulous door prizes (for everything from Botox to Best Buy). Sharon will even be doing some baseline measuring and weighing if you are interested in tracking your progress throughout this journey.

You’ll leave armed with a fitness training guide to begin a running/walking program to prepare for our final event – the Fitness Challenge – to be held Saturday, April 28. Sharon has put together a day-by-day training regimen to help guide you towards running a 5K. And in addition, Sharon will be hosting weekend group runs to prepare for this event most every weekend until April 28. I love Sharon Jackson! And you will, too!

In addition, you’ll take home recipes from every event and a nutrition guide from each event. Valerie is going to teach us how to make better choices when we cook, grocery shop, and meal plan.

So what are you waiting for? I have NEVER been a runner…I’ve always been a walking treadmill kind of girl. So if I can do this, you can too! And it will be much more fun if we do it together.

So…c’mon girls! Let’s do this!

For more information about the Healthy Woman Wellness Challenge, click here.

Confession #8: Hair Today. Gone Tomorrow.

I love a good birthday card. Maxine cards are my favorites — you know, the little old lady with the purple hair. I even have some Maxine slippers with purple hair that my sister-in-law gave me when I turned 40. My kids think they are hilarious. 

Well, I found another hilarious birthday card at the Beehive the other day. I just have to share it with you. It’s not a Maxine card, but it shares the same sarcastic view of life-as-an-aging-woman. “These aren’t chin hairs…they’re stray eyebrows!” is the comment on the front of the card. Those words are decoratively written on a sign held by an obviously-more-mature-but-trying-to-look-younger lady wearing a sash that says “Miss Optimistic.” Inside the card are the words “Happy Birthday to an ageless beauty.”

What is ageless beauty? And how about those stray eyebrows? I’ll save the ageless beauty column for a rainy day, but sister, we are going to talk about those stray eyebrows.

One of the most difficult parts of growing older is hair. And hair is one of those outside garnishments which envelopes the self-esteem of every self-respecting, card-carrying Southern woman! You know, we already have the challenges of heat and humidity around here. But there are also internal challenges that wreak havoc on our pursuit of a “good hair day”.

Did you know that hormones, the body’s communication system, can greatly affect your hair? Two years ago, I was suffering from a great amount of hair loss due to an undiscovered thyroid issue. Handfuls of hair, I’m telling you! Clean out my hairbrush every day kind of hair loss. And to make matters worse, I was growing hair in places I didn’t want it — my ears, my face, my chin, etc.! That was due to an elevated testosterone level. After having my hormones tested and discovering how out-of-whack my hormone levels were, I tried bioidentical hormones, achieved a better hormone balance and the hair started staying on my head instead of jumping off my head and into my hairbrush! Plus, the random hair growth in unwanted places decreased dramatically!

So why am I bringing up a subject we’d rather not talk about? Especially in the holiday/New Year issue of The Minute Magazine? Well, here’s my answer. ‘Tis the season! We’ve got to look good for our holiday parties. And then there’s that whole issue of “New Year/New You” for 2010. With holidays and New Year resolutions approaching, there’s no time like the present to talk about hair!

Hair Tip #1: Hormone Balance

It doesn’t matter what you do, if you don’t solve your body’s mysteries, you will just have to continually deal with this problem. So let’s start with hormone testing. If your doctor doesn’t test hormones, then find one who does. And make sure that you are retested on a periodic basis. Hormones can become unbalanced again due to stress or other events in your body. So this is a constant monitoring process. You and your doctor should have an ongoing dialogue about your hormone levels. And moms, this can affect your teenagers, too. As their hormones fluctuate, hair growth can result. Hormone testing can  be beneficial for teenagers, too.

Hair Tip #2: Waxing

Waxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root cause. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, bikini area, legs, arms, back, abdomen and feet. New hairs will not grow back in the waxed area for two to eight weeks. I’ve used this method of hair removal since I was a teenager for my brows and lip. It works well, is relatively inexpensive, and available at most salons.

Hair Tip #3: Waxing with Epilar Treatment

This treatment begins with waxing, followed by application of an inhibitor gel and an activator gel. This treatment works on all skin and hair types and can be used on all body parts. The procedure targets hair follicles left empty after waxing, specifically hairs that are active and in the growth phase. Epilar application will also increase the intervals for depilation and leave skin smooth and soft between treatments. I haven’t personally tried this, but I know it is very effective for women who might have a lot of hair on their cheeks and would just prefer to have smoother skin.

Hair Tip #4: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

FDA approved for permanent hair reduction, intense pulsed light is fast and very effective in eliminating large areas of unwanted hair. Light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair and converted to heat in the follicle. The heat damages the follicle and disables it from growing new hair. IPL is excellent for areas such as the lip, under arms, or even the bikini area. This treatment lasts only 10 to 15 minutes, works best on darker hair, and is usually recommended in a series of four to six treatments. I have had IPL treatments under my arms. And yes, I rarely have to shave there anymore. This is truly one of my small joys in life! No more itchy, scratchy, five-o’clock shadow in my pits!

Hair Tip #5: Electrolysis

FDA approved for permanent hair removal, electrolysis is a procedure in which individual follicles are destroyed with chemical or heat energy. The hair is then removed with tweezers. Once the follicle is destroyed, it can never reproduce hair. Electrolysis can only be performed by a Licensed Electrologist. Electrolysis works on all hair and skin colors and is great for small areas that can’t be treated with IPL like ears, eyebrows, and for white-blonde, red or gray hair. Many factors influence hair growth, so the number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from an area will vary. Treatments typically occur once a week and last 15 minutes to one hour. Electrolysis is on my list of things to do. I’d like to never again see a hair on my big toe again! Can anyone relate to that? This is also great for those “stray eyebrow hairs” that show up on your chin!

Whew! That’s it. Five tips for hair! And none of them involved cutting, highlighting, styling, weaving, extensions, horse shampoo, or other strange products. While this conversation has been geared towards my lady friends, it applies to our men as well. The ear hair that you would like to see disappear from your honey’s ears (this will help him actually hear the honey-do list you so lovingly give him) can be permanently gone, not to mention the nose hair. I do recommend that you LOVINGLY and DELICATELY talk to your honey about getting his coiffure in order PRIOR to the company’s Christmas party! After all, guys are as sensitive about their hair as we girls are. They just use fewer products — hair gels, straighteners, hairspray, to name a few. This is the moment when you can educate your man about hair removal. And after you make your own appointment, make him an appointment, too!

So if you, like me, would like to reduce or eliminate the hair issues in your life, then join me on the appointment calendar at my favorite two places for hair reduction and removal: Seasons – The Spa and Seasons Medical Aesthetics in association with It’s Permanent. You can find Seasons – The Spa at 1809 Northpointe Lane, Suite 202 in Ruston, LA. You can find Seasons Medical Aesthetics in association with It’s Permanent in Monroe at 1033 N. 6th Street. And to make an appointment or get more information about any of these procedures, contact our Ruston office at 318-255-1155 or in Monroe at 318-340-1778. In the meantime, girls, let’s put our best hair (and hair removed) forward!

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