Treat the Inner and Outer You with Facial Reflexology

- by Bethany Cox, LMT & Certified Facial Reflexologist.

Medicine, cosmetics and massage: three ever-changing aspects of wellness are finally wrapped into one treatment method – Facial Reflexology.

The term “reflexology” refers to a process of stimulating reflexes in specific parts of the body by manipulating points on the hands, feet, and face, for the purpose of creating and maintaining homeostasis, or balance, within the body. Facial Reflexology, as the term states, is a homeopathic face treatment for this very purpose. It stems from ancient oriental and Indian techniques coupled with modern neuro-anatomy to create a relaxing and productive compliment to modern medicine.

Whether you’re suffering from a chronic disease or crow’s feet, Facial Reflexology is a wonderful, relaxing face and scalp treatment that can not only polish the outside appearance, but also treat the root cause of your current health issues. The cure is found in the balance of the body’s energy flow. When your body is in homeostasis, you look and feel your best. Facial Reflexology is the calm, comfortable step to a better, brighter and more beautiful you!

I was recently given the opportunity to travel to Denver for an eight day course of four intense Facial Reflexology modules taught by Lone Sorensen, the originator of these specific treatments. During that week we were taught not only the 7-step treatment plan, but also about the physiology and anatomical make-up of the human body. It was an amazing experience to learn from someone who is so dedicated and passionate about her work and how she pours her heart and soul into helping improve the quality of life for her clients all over the world. Her enthusiasm was contagious!

At Seasons – The Spa, we are excited to add Facial Reflexology  to our wonderful menu of services.  If you are interested in finding out more about Facial Reflexology or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our certified facial reflexologists, please call us at 318.255.1155. Facial Reflexology is available Monday – Friday in our Ruston location.

Excessive Sweating? We Can Help!

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a common disorder that effects millions of people. Without treatment, excessive sweating can be uncontrollable and unanticipated. Often times, people who suffer from Hyperhidrosis will modify their lifestyle and wardrobe to conceal their condition.

This disorder can be embarrassing and cause withdrawal from social settings, physical activity and even relationships. The good news is, Hyperhidrosis is treatable. Fortunately with advances in medicine, you have many options to treat excessive sweating of the hands, feet, face and underarms.

At Seasons – The Spa, we offer a treatment for excessive underarm sweating using a minimally invasive procedure. With little to no downtime, results will appear in as little as 5 days. Although not a permanent solution, you will see results for as long as 9 months. Break free from the barriers of Hyperhidrosis and start living life!

Preparing for your Hyperhidrosis Treatment:

• Shave your underarms
• Abstain from using over-the-counter deodorants or antiperspirants for 24 hours prior to treatment.
• Avoid exercise, hot beverages or any situation that may cause you to sweat for 1 hour prior to treatment.

For more information about treating Hyprhidrosis, please call Seasons – The Spa at 318.255.1155.

The Cure for PMS?

The truth is, all women are created differently. I guess we don’t fully grasp that concept until we begin to mature. Some of us are built to play basketball. Others of us are meant to sing and dance. Regardless, our bodies are uniquely fashioned, both inside and out.

Being a woman can be tough sometimes; especially when we experience “that time of the month.” The bloating, headaches, fatigue, cramping, mood swings…all seem to put our productivity on hold. I, personally, have had to deal with these symptoms in full-force every month. Menstrual cramps seem to be the worst! In the past, they have put such a strain on my body that I would have to leave work, class, appointments, etc. And I have tried every remedy in the book: Advil, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Midol, heat, naps, exercise…nothing worked! I thought I would just have to push through every month. Oh, the joys of womanhood!

When we received our first shipment of Sprayology here at Seasons, I was not sure what to think. I had grown up taking pills for pain. How effective was a homeopathic oral spray going to be? Nothing else had worked, so why would this? So I tried the PMS Support. At the beginning of my cycle, I sprayed it whenever I started to feel any cramping. Two sprays under the tongue, and in 3 minutes…gone! During that weekend, I sprayed 5-6 times daily and experienced NO cramping, NO mood swings, NO bloating, NO headaches, and was able to stay active! What a relief to finally find a safe, natural product that actually fulfills its purpose!

Now, I carry PMS Support with me everywhere. During my cycle, I am able to keep up with my busy schedule and never miss a beat! A bottle of PMS Support lasts for months, is FDA approved, and is safe to spray every 15 minutes until symptoms are relieved.

If you are like me and have tried everything, then you need to try one more product…PMS Support. Sprayology products are available at Seasons in Ruston.

Relieves common symptoms of PMS including:

• cramps
• emotional fluctuations
• fluid retention
• irregular menstruation

Recommended for those who want a natural option for fast relief of pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms.

PRODUCT BENEFITS

The therapeutic benefits of the ingredients described below are from clinical evidence reported in the major homeopathic materia medicas accepted throughout the world.

SYMPTOMS RELIEVED

Cramps

• Cimicifuga (Blacksnake Root, Black Cohosh) – relieves uterine cramps
• Mag Phos (Magnesium Phosphate Dibasic) – provides natural pain relief; relieves lower abdominal cramps
• Cuprum Met (Copper) – relieves cramps
• Chamomilla (Chamomile) – eases strong menstrual cramps and lessens nipple tenderness
• Oophorinum (Ovarian extract) – relieves ovarian pain and helps prevent ovarian cyst formation

Emotional fluctuations

• Ignatia (St. Ignatius’ bean) – eases stress, nervousness, irritability and sadness
• Cuprum Met (Copper) – helps to calm fears
• Platinum Met (Platinum) – calms anxiety
• Chamomilla (Chamomile) – promotes calmness; eases restlessness

Fluid retention

• Apis Mel (Honey Bee) – reduces the accumulation of fluid in the tissues
• Sepia (Cuttlefish) – reduces bloated stomach

Irregular menstruation

• Cimicifuga (Blacksnake Root, Black Cohosh) – helps regulate the menstrual cycle
• Ignatia (St. Ignatius’ bean) – normalize early or light menstruation
• Mag Phos (Magnesium Phosphate) – helps prevent irregular menstrual cycle
• Thuja Occ (Tree of Life) – treatment to restore menstrual cycle regularity
• Kali Iod (Potassium Iodine) – normalizes late menstrual cycle; normalizes heavy menstrual cycle

For more information about this and other Sprayology products, contact Seasons at 318-255-1155.

Wellness Open House

The staff at Seasons would like to invite the public to wine and dine with them at their Wellness Open House from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 21. Guests can take a tour of Seasons’ new location at beautiful Northpointe Office Park in Ruston, learn about the many new services they now offer, and help raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

On hand will be Seasons’ friendly and highly-trained aestheticians Lisa Best and Joy Smith, massage therapists Bethany Cox and Aaron Jennings, RNs Susan McWhorter, Jennifer Johnson, and Amanda Williams, registered dietitian Valerie Costanza, nurse practitioner Anna Stephens, as well as board-certified and fellowship trained Metabolic Specialist Dr. Nathan Goodyear. In addition to the entire Seasons staff, representatives from respected companies such as Guinot, Xymogen, Allergan, Sprayology, and more will attend.

Guests can freely make their way through Seasons Wellness Center and Seasons — The Spa by following the event maps available at the door. They’ll find stations set up throughout the facility where they can test Seasons’ products and services, ask questions and learn more about what Seasons has to offer.
With the purchase of a gift card during the event and during the entire month of October, the business will donate 10 percent of the total to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Gift wrapping is complimentary.

Purchasing a gift card or just simply making a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure at this event enters guests into a drawing to win a Seasons Spa Package featuring Smooth Shapes. The lucky winner will say good-bye to cellulite with this pain-free treatment that uses dynamic laser and light energy to tighten and smooth skin. The Smooth Shapes treatment also regenerates collagen, improves circulation, and restores metabolic processes. The package includes a series of eight treatments and is valued at $2,000. Additional door prizes will also be awarded.

So, save the date, get a babysitter, and come join us for a fun event for a good cause.

Toxic World

We live in a toxic world. There is no denying it. And concern over our exposure to toxins as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Coast are voiced to me on a daily basis.

Oil, however, is not the only toxin to which we can be exposed. Pesticides, insecticides, phthalates, and heavy metals are all toxins. Even prescription medicines are a source of toxins. Prescription drugs and their side effects are the third leading cause of death. They deplete us of vitamins and minerals and block metabolic pathways, the body’s internal communication highway. Vitamins, minerals, and even bioidentical hormones, if in excess, can be toxic to our bodies. The key is balance. When the body’s chemistry is balanced, then the body is able to work at its designed optimal level.

It’s obvious from the oil spill that toxins are a big issue. But what about reversing the damage done by toxins? Can it be done? Detoxification is a hot topic these days. The word toxin comes from the Greek word toxikon meaning arrow poison. This term was first introduced to medicine by Dr. Ludwig Briegger in 1888. Dr. Briegger determined that toxins equal poison to our body.

The idea of detoxification, however, goes back even further than the introduction of toxins to the medical vocabulary. It goes back to the creation of man. Every cell in our body performs detoxification. The most prominent detoxification organs are the liver, kidneys, and skin.

The idea of body cleansing (detoxification) goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. They understood that the body cannot continue to receive loads of toxins without eliminating them from the body. Remember, this was an Ancient Civilization, not yet exposed to the toxic world in which we currently live.

With the rise of modern civilization and Western medicine, physicians disregarded the idea of detoxification early in the 20^th century. However, the body of evidence supporting detoxification remains unchanged. Evidence supports the fact that we are exposed to many toxins and these toxins accumulate and overwhelm our God-given detoxification systems.

The oil spill impact. Let’s talk about the immediate and future affects of the oil spill. What can we expect as a result of this toxic exposure? We can expect a significant impact in three areas: water, food, and air.

Water. The impact on the waster is already evident in the large “dead zones” resulting from clouds of methane gas in the Gulf waters. Eventually, the impact will spread to the Gulf’s tributaries as well as our drinking water.

Food. The impact on our food is not yet determined. But we can already see the impact on the cost of Gulf seafood. Based on our current knowledge of mercury toxicity and the fish industry, it is also reasonable to extrapolate that their will be some kind of effects from the oil on seafood from the Gulf and its contributory waters.

Air. The impact on the air is not yet determined. But if we look at the increased risk of lung disease in the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean-up crews, we can assume there might be similar issues with clean-up crews of the BP Horizon oil spill. Suspicious evidence is already appearing in the crops of the lower Gulf Coast states.

The immediate impact on the Gulf region’s wildlife is evident to all. Look to the long-term impact on wildlife in Alaska for clues as to what the Gulf Coast region may face for years to come.

What if the cure is worse than the disease? Cleaning the oil spill with chemical dispersants may be worse than letting Mother Nature clean up the mess all on her own. Let’s look at the long-term results of cleanup for another oil spill.

The 1978 oil spill off the cost of Normandy was cleaned up two different ways due to the large size of the spill and the economic impact of the spill area. Some areas of the oil spill were treated with chemical dispersants, while others were left untreated. The untreated areas had recovered in five years. Yes, you read that correctly. The ecosystems of the untreated oil spill areas returned to normal in just five years. Now here’s the really interesting part. The areas treated with chemical dispersants are STILL recovering. What if that’s the case with the chemical dispersant-treated areas in the Gulf? Oil is a biological compound and will be consumed by bacteria — though the time frame may be long.

Now here’s the real kicker. The chemical dispersant used in the Gulf oil spill is the same used in the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 and was banned in England. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s been banned. But BP (which stands for British Petroleum) used it to clean up the oil spill. Ironic, isn’t it. It was banned in England, but is it okay for us?

Here’s a frightening fact: no person directly associated with the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill is still alive today. In fact, the average age of death was 51. From that, I think it’s safe to say that the toxic exposure that Gulf Coast residents are receiving is not safe for the body.

In 20 years, we will look back and know the long-term effects of this toxic exposure. We will know what diseases developed and what the secondary effects were on our drinking water and our crops. If we are already toxic from everyday exposure to chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc., then what will be the result of the added toxins from the Gulf oil spill?

The bottom line? We should not wait. We need to detoxify our bodies. Toxins, whether man-made or man-induced, were not intended to be inside our bodies. It doesn’t take a Ph.D., M.D., D.O. (just fill in your letters) to understand that. It is just common sense.

We need to support the God-created detoxification systems already present in our bodies with proper cleansing, targeted nutrition, conscientious reduction of our exposure to toxins, and, when needed, medically-supervised detoxification programs.

Dr. Goodyear is a board certified and fellowship-trained Metabolic Specialist.

Spray Your Way to Good Health!

Every morning you have a routine: take a shower, get dressed, brush your teeth, fix your hair, eat breakfast, take your medicine, AND..try to swallow 7 huge vitamins that you can barely get down. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to be able to just spray your vitamins? Well, now you can! The solution: Sprayology.

This all-natural product is homeopathic, has ZERO side-effects, and can be used for a variety of reasons. Some of the sprays that we have found to be most popular are Stress Relief, SleepEase, AllergEase, and Diet Power. Don’t just limit yourself to those, come by to check out the complete line of products at Seasons – The Spa in Northpointe Office Park in Ruston.

Hormones And Their Effects On The Body

People ask me all the time for more information about hormones and why we need them. Hormones are the communication tools of the body. They deliver messages. So here is a list of a few hormones and what they contribute to your body.

Estrogen

• Protects against osteoporosis, heart disease, memory loss, colon cancer, incontinence and tooth loss
• Enhances sleep, emotional well-being, mental acuity and focus, memory, attention span, communication ability, vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell, digestion, libido and skin tone.
• Relieves menopausal symptoms and depression
• Increases tolerance to pain

Progesterone

• Has a calming effect and enhances mood
• Regulates fluid balance
• Increases blood sugar, thyroid function and mineral balance
• Relieves menopausal symptoms
• Decreases risk of endometrial cancer and may help protect against breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease
• Protects against osteoporosis and heart disease

Testosterone

• Builds muscles and promotes muscle tone
• Increases energy and libido
• Enhances sense of well-being
• Helps strengthen bone

DHEA

• Helps protect against heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, memory loss, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis
• Can increase and enhance energy levels, libido, memory and immunity
• Protects against the effects of stress
• Aids weight loss and healing of burns
• Helps to prevent wrinkles and dry eyes

Cortisol

• Helps in responding and coping with stress, trauma, and infection
• Increases energy and metabolism
• Helps regulate blood pressure
• Enhances the integrity of blood vessels
• Reduces allergic and inflammatory response

Balance of each of these hormones is a key element of optimal health and absence of disease. Proper testing, a customized treatment plan for out-of-balance hormone levels, and follow-up testing are all important for achieving healthy hormone levels in your body. For more information about metabolic testing at Seasons, contact our office at 318-255-3223 (Ruston) or 318-387-2828 (Monroe).

From the Doctor’s Desk: Salivary Hormone Testing Backed by Science

Testing hormones through saliva is backed by science. But don’t take my word for it. In fact, it is well supported in the medical literature and is the right thing to do.  Below are links to several abstracts regarding salivary hormone testing. Read them for yourself and learn about the science behind this form of hormone testing.

• Belkien LD, Bordt J, Moller P, Hano R, Nieschlag E. Estradiol in saliva for monitoring follicular stimulation in an in vitro fertilization program. Fertil Steril 1985;44:322.
• Bolaji II, Tallon DF, O’Dwyer E, Fottrell PF. Assessment of bioavailability of oral micronized progesterone using a salivary progesterone enzymeimmunoassay. Gynecol Endocrinol 1993;7:101-110.
• Campbell BC, Ellison PT. Menstrual variation in salivary testosterone among regularly cycling women. Horm Res 1992;37:132-136.
• Aardal-Eriksson E, Karlberg BE, Holm AC. Salivary cortisol- and alternative to serum cortisol determinations in dynamic function tests. Clin Chem Lab Med 1998;36:215-222.

These articles are published in well-respected journals; and if you notice, they are not recent.  Salivary testing of hormones has been well published in the medical literature for some time now.

Here are a few quotes from these studies:

• “…salivary cortisol may be used as an alternative parameter in dynamic endocrine tests.”
• “…assessment of ovarian function…can be performed precisely with the saliva estradiol assay.”
• “…saliva collection has provided the medical and research community with an excellent medium for the monitoring of plasma steroid levels.”

Nowhere else in medicine do we blindly treat people without assessing a baseline and post treatment level(s). Balance is the key; not one individual hormone. Unfortunately, the medical field is very slow to learn and change.

From the Doctor’s Desk: Health and Wellness Defined

Definitions.

Health can best be defined as the absence of disease.  Wellness is best defined as the existence of positive health.  So health and wellness can be best defined as the absence of disease in the presence of positive health.

Why the focus on health and wellness these days? I think modern medicine gets a failing grade. Obesity is epidemic in the American culture today. One of my patients knew that her weight was not healthy. However, her previous physician told her that she should learn to live with her new heavier weight and maybe the weight would level out. That statement haunted her and led her to find a physician who offered her more hope and solutions.

Health and wellness cannot be achieved through a traditional, allopathic (Western modern medicine) medical approach. Why? Western modern medicine (we’ll call it traditional for our purposes) uses a disease-focused model utilizing pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals block biochemical reactions, produce mitochondrial toxins, and deplete important nutrients. There is no positive health there.

In fact, the 4^th – 6^th leading cause of death is from prescription drugs (Mol Aspects Med. 2005 Aug-Oct;26(4-5):363-78). In contrast, functional medicine is a health and wellness model utilizing natural substances found in the body to enhance cellular processes. A health and wellness model looks to work with the body, to facilitate metabolic reactions and optimize physiologic function (The principles of metabolic therapy for heart disease. Heart, Lung and Circulation 2003; 12:S55-S62).

In some ways, the two are complementary; but in many ways, the two are not. I am not advocating a boycott of traditional medicine. In fact, I still practice some traditional medicine when disease exists.

The key is this — does disease exist or not?  If disease doesn’t exist, and health and wellness or health restoration is your goal, then a functional or integrative approach is the way to go to facilitate and optimize physiologic function.

So, what is a functional medicine approach?  To help define functional medicine, let’s look at a few examples.

The traditional medicine approach.

Metformin or Glucophage is a well-recognized drug used to treat diabetes.  Metformin works to improve insulin sensitivity and thus facilitate glucose uptake inside the cells.  Type II Diabetes is marked by very poor insulin sensitivity and thus blood sugar rises.  Traditional medicine prescribes Metformin to provide a 13% improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Remember, pharmaceuticals block biochemical reactions.  Metformin reduces folic acid and vitamin B12 and can elevate homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine levels increase blood clot risk (this is one of the ways that birth control pills increase blood clot risk).  Diabetics and those with insulin resistance are already at an increased risk of blood clots. Can you see how the treatment is piling on in this situation?

The functional medicine approach.

Let’s contrast that with a functional medicine approach. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant today. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in heart failure, myocardial dysfunction, sudden cardiac death, and is required for normal insulin release and glucose control.  Remember the 13% for metformin? Higher vitamin D levels resulted in a 60% improvement in insulin sensitivity (Chiu K., et al., “hypovitaminosis D is associated with insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction,” Amer Jour Clin Nutr  2004).

Remember, functional medicine works with and facilitates the body’s functions. Vitamin D does not block any biochemical reactions, nor does it interfere with any. Thus, there is no negative effect comparable to Metformin. Now, too much of a good thing can be a problem. Too much Vitamin D can elevate calcium. Because of this, Vitamin D should be prescribed under the watchful eye of a physician.

Why do I do what I do?

Amazing results — as naturally as possible. This is why I practice functional medicine. This is why I created Seasons. A health and wellness model, through functional medicine, works with the body to enhance and optimize physiologic function.  Health and health restoration can only be achieved by working with the body. Let’s get out of the way and let the body heal itself.

From The Doctor’s Desk: Wellness Is Not Band-Aid Medicine

So you wake up one day and you have symptoms. You select a doctor, make an appointment, recite your symptom list, receive a diagnosis, get a prescription, take the prescription and hope that the prescription gets rid of the symptoms.

But the question is this: Are you well?

Symptom relief medicine is great, but it is reactive medicine. I call this band-aid medicine. Just throw a band-aid on it in 5-10 minutes and ignore the real underlying cause. You can relieve symptoms with band-aids, but if the cause is left unchecked (usually an imbalance of some sort), then disease will be the result.

I like to use symptoms as clues to finding the cause. I call it proactive medicine. Symptoms are the result of imbalance. Disease is the result of ignoring the symptoms. It is a progressive cycle: imbalance, symptoms, disease.

Balance is the key.  As I said above, symptoms are the result of imbalance. Medicine today has lost site of this. In the fast pace of the typical doctor’s office (even mine many years ago), all we have time for is symptom focus and treatment. There is no time for focus on cause.

You don’t have to look to far to see the importance of balance.  Look at our bodies.  They are all about balance:  two eyes, two ears, two legs…you get the picture.  This balance is by design. We should not lose sight of the fact that symptoms are the body crying out for help.

Symptoms reveal imbalances, and the imbalances can be quite diverse. They can include hormones: Estrogen/Progesterone, Thyroid/Cortisol, Growth Hormone/Cortisol, just to name a few. But imbalances can involve more than just our hormones. Neurotransmitters can be imbalanced. Have you ever heard of anxiety or depression? Neurotransmitters involve serotinin, glutamic acid, and nor-epinephrine just to name a few.  And no, anxiety and/or depression are not the result of a SSRI deficiency.

Even Fats can be imbalanced.  Everybody has heard of Omega 3.  Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory, they lower cholesterol and are good for the skin. But have you heard of Omega 6 fats. Omega 6’s are pro-inflammatory. Americans have excessive Omega 6’s in our high processed diets. The typical American diet is 24 to 1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3. A healthy ratio should be 3 to 1.

Symptoms are the body’s way of asking for help. Let’s start listening.

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