Sublime

more than skin deep

2011-06-16T09:56:00.001-07:00

The beauty industry is big business, with new products hitting the market every day.

While topical solutions may have benefits, the deeper results occur when you incorporate diet with exercise into your daily routine.

According to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there is strong evidence that both Vitamin C and fatty acids (Omega 3-6-9) reduce the signs of aging and promote overall better health.

The report states, “Higher intakes of Vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates are associated with better skin-aging appearance. Promoting healthy dietary behaviors may have additional benefit for skin appearance in addition to other health outcomes in the population”*

omega-3 fatty acids, zinc: found in fatty fish, seafood, flaxseed oil and nuts

Increasing your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids can help calm and moisturize your skin as well as help prevent premature aging. Zinc helps to metabolize testosterone, which decreases sebum production and aids in the prevention of acne. Zinc is also found to assist in new cell production, which lends to that overall healthy glow.

Other natural sources for Omega-3 fatty acids are found in poultry, eggs, most vegetable oils, cereals, whole-grain breads and acai berries. A study published in the Journal of Lipid Research also found EPA’s (fish oils) to be effective to preventing photoaging as well as treating aging skin when used topically. **

vitamin c: found in citrus fruits

Vitamin C aids in the production of collagen which is essential to firm, healthy skin. Sun exposure and natural aging causes collagen to break down which results in lax and sagging skin. Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant, which helps to stabilize free radicals, which can cause premature aging. Vitamin C is excellent both topically and as a food source for long term, healthy looking skin.

red and green vegetables:

Red and green vegetables contain Vitamin A and beta-carotene. If you want a quick pick-me-up for your skin, vegetables such as spinach, carrots and kale are excellent sources. Spinach is also an excellent source of iron but should be consumed with citrus rich in vitamin C for optimal absorption.

For probiotics, Dr. Dundas recommends Metagenics Ultraflora as it boosts the immune system and helps with the absorption of nutrients.

a beautiful skin smoothie:

Click here for the recipe

sources:

* Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women - Maeve C Cosgrove, Oscar H Franco, Stewart P Granger, Peter G Murray, and Andrew E Mayes

** Photoprotective and anti-skin-aging effects of eicosapentaenoic acid in human skin in vivo

A Beautiful Skin Smoothie

2011-05-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Smoothies are excellent, tasty ways to give your body and your skin an instant boost. One of my favourite skin boosting smoothie recipes is as follows. Please feel free to alter to suit your own personal taste:

In a blender mix the following

two oranges or two cups of fresh orange juice (source of vitamin C)
half a banana (potassium and vitamin C)
one cup of cooked spinach (source of iron)
one cup of fresh carrots (source of beta-Carotine)
one scoop of protein powder or one cup of greek low-fat yoghurt (source of protein)
1/2 a cup of soy milk
a tablespoon of hemp seed (a source of protein and fatty acids)

If it is pre-workout, I may use brewed green tea that has been chilled rather than soy milk as it gives an extra boost of energy and the caffeine assists in muscle building.
The protein powder is also optional.

Exercise best anti-aging treatment, study suggests

2011-02-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Exercise best anti-aging treatment, study suggests

Rejuvenate Those Waning Resolutions!

2011-01-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

We all awaken to the New Year full of firm resolve and lofty aspirations – to exercise more, watch TV less, lose that lingering last 10 pounds. But by the 1st of February, the vast majority of these resolutions find themselves on the ‘Maybe Next Year’ list.

Let’s be honest: if you’re already feeling maxed out…if you wake up as tired as when you went to bed…if your digestive system and appetite are out of whack, what are the chances your best intentions will stick? In many cases, these feelings of malaise are caused by a buildup of toxins from the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the off-gassing materials where we work and play. Detoxification is a great way to optimize your energy and put you in the right state of body and mind to vigorously pursue a healthier, happier lifestyle.

While many people try their luck with the ‘Detox Diets’ broadly available on the web and through health food retailers, I prefer a gentle Detox program that doesn’t shock the body but simply assists in the process of eliminating toxins. Afterward, most people notice increased energy, clearer skin, improved digestion…even weight loss.

METAGENICS™

As part of a program customized to your specific needs, Sublime uses Metagenics – a line nutritional supplements formulated according to published scientific studies in nutrigenomics. We always use the UltraClear protein powder and AdvaClear pills with your diet. Use of additional supplements will depend on patient history, evidence of heavy metal toxicity and so on.

NEEM HEALING WRAP WITH SUNDÃRI FORMULATIONS

During your Detox, it’s wise to support your body with other health modalities that reduce cortisol levels and help your circulation and lymph systems clear toxins. This Ayurvedic-inspired wrap layers healing and cleansing ingredients to purify your skin in stages. A soothing foot massage is followed by a full-body exfoliation with Neem and Date Seed Body Exfoliator. An aromatic oil massage follows, stimulating lymphatic drainage and circulation. Finally, a nourishing Neem and Green Tea Cleansing Mask and a hydrating Neem and Blood Orange Body Lotion help repair proteins and rebuild collagen levels in damaged skin.

MEDITATION

To become more ‘connected’ to your body and deal calmly with anything that feels uncomfortable during Detox (such as the effects of eliminating caffeine), this is a good time to learn and practice the ancient art of meditation. Sublime’s experienced practitioners can teach you techniques to breathe effectively, release stress and ‘just be’.

Immune Boosting - Reduce Stress

2010-12-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

We all know, ’tis the season to be jolly. Unfortunately, with the heightened, often unmanageable
demands of the holiday season, ’tis more often the season to be stressed out.

And so begins the season’s vicious cycle: stress spikes your cortisol levels, which depletes
your immune system and drains your energy . This swings the door wide open for colds,
influenza and ailments far more serious to let themselves in and spoil your festivities.

According to a paper published by the The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
on Stress and Wound Healing, a study conducted on medical students demonstrated a remarkable decrease in the rate of healing when under stress.*

In a sample of 11 dental students, mucosal punch biopsy wounds placed in the hard palate healed an average of 40% more slowly during an examination period than during a vacation period, which was rated as subjectively less stressful by participants [18]. This effect was remarkably reliable: every student in the study healed more slowly during exams than during vacation.

The Healing Power of Touch:

Beyond providing a quiet reprieve from the mayhem of the Christmas malls, massage has
been scientifically proven to restore the immune system by promoting lymphatic drainage
and decreasing cortisol production. Using aromatic oils and soothing lotions, massaging hands can ease away stress, anxiety and tension while relieving sore muscles.

Healing Touch:

Healing Touch is an energy therapy that uses gentle hand techniques thought to help re-pattern your energy field and accelerate healing of the body, mind, and spirit. The goal is to purposefully use the energetic interaction between you and the Healing Touch practitioner to restore harmony to your energy system.
This process balances and realigns energy flow that has been disrupted by stress, pain, or illness. It eliminates blockages in the energy field so that you are in an optimal state for healing to occur. It is safe for all ages and works in harmony with standard medical care.

iTouch Signature Massage:

A Sublime exclusive, this restorative treatment integrates energy balancing and various massage and
bodywork techniques customized to your specific needs. Our massage therapist will focus on
harmonizing the body, mind and spirit as a whole.

Reiki:

Reiki is an ancient and sacred Japanese healing art that creates a deeply meditative and healing experience for body, mind, and spirit. This energy balancing technique attunes the energy flow within the body and allows for ones natural healing processes to occur. It improves the body’s flow of Chi through energy pathways called chakras and meridians.

Chakra Balancing:

The body is made of many integral parts that are designed to be self-correcting. Its job is to maintain balance and the free-flow of energy. Chakras are an energetic gateway – like the power stations of our body, bringing it to life, and keeping it healthy. Each chakra is associated with different parts of us and they need to be in balance for us to feel good.

There are seven major chakras connected to and a part of the body. They have the ability to receive, assimilate and transmit energy. Balancing your chakra will release tension and fatigue, leaving you feeling refreshed and more connected.Please wear loose fitting athletic clothing for your comfort during this session.

Nutrition for Immune Boosting and Optimum Health:

Staying healthy in this day and age can be difficult and is often confusing. This consultation is
designed to give you sound, medically supported nutrition advice tailored to your individual needs
and lifestyle requirements. Topics include appropriate food choices and supplements, easy ways to
eat well, and food combinations suitable for your highest well being.

It is important to manage your stress levels throughout the year as it affects every aspect of your life and your health. Please laugh, love and relax this holiday season and peace be with you and yours in the New Year.

The Team at Sublime

*source: Stress and Wound Healing - Lisa M. Christian,abd Jennifer E. Graham, David A. Padgett,Ronald Glaser, and Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaserbcea Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio

A Renewable Energy Source - Energy is the Essence of Life

2010-12-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

It is known as qi in traditional Chinese medicine, ki in the Japanese Kampo system, and doshas in Ayurvedic medicine. It is referred to as prana, orgone, odic force, mana and homeopathic resonance. Across cultures, across centuries, these names have evolved to describe the complex energy systems or life forces intrinsic to each of us – that feeling, not always visible to the eye, which shines bright or dims with the ebb and flow of life.

These subtle energy systems can be bruised by factors such as emotional trauma, toxins, prolonged stress, poor nutrition and physical injury. The resulting signs emerge as visible physical or emotional illnesses. Yet given the right attention, these same life forces can be naturally powerful healing and preventative/wellness tool.

For Dr. Kathryn Dundas, MD, CCFP – who combines both ancient and modern approaches in her medical practice, the focus on energy is so fundamental to treating the mind, body and spirit that she has made it a cornerstone within Sublime Wellness.

“Why would you ignore the practices that societies throughout the world have honed over thousands of years to help people? To dismiss techniques that may be foreign to western medicine but have proven effective time and again simply does not make sense to me. At Sublime, we draw on various traditions such as reiki, meditation and healing touch as a means of restoring or enhancing a person’s energy.”

“It’s widely acknowledged that we are electrical beings; however, people are skeptical of the systems that carry the energy and the notion of energy healing,” adds Dundas. “Yet, they’ll recognize the benefits of acupuncture, which is an ancient treatment developed by the Chinese to encourage the energy flow. We’re simply pushing ahead, integrating other modalities in treating the energy systems of the human body.”

While the language varies throughout the world, practitioners agree on eight energy systems affecting your body and mind. These systems, long recognized by energy healers, have recently been substantiated by electromagnetic measurements. While the names may seem exotic, the concepts behind them make sense.

Look at the meridians, for instance, involving 14 tangible channels that form the body’s “energy bloodstream.” These energy pathways affect every organ and every physiological system. When the meridian’s energy is enhanced or disrupted, the system it feeds is influenced for better or worse. Those same pathways are directly linked to hundreds of small reservoirs of heat and electromagnetic energy that lie just under the skins surface.

Alternatively, your aura is seen as a two-way conduit allowing energy from the environment to reach your chakras (concentrated centers of energy) and outward from your chakras to the environment. Research, conducted at UCLA”s Energy Fields Laboratory, comparing aura readings with neurophysiological measures showed a direct correlation between energy practitioner readings and wave patterns detected by electrodes on oberservation points on the skins surface.

For Dr. Dundas and Sublime, energy work is a critical aspect of how you choose to live in your body’s journey…whether that involves a high profile career or a quiet, private life at home. Whether the focus is on healing, restoring or enhancing your life forces, it is all about how you choose To Be.

Sublime Wellness Website

Dr. Kathryn Dundas - Sublime Wellness

Smooth Shapes at Sublime

2010-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Sublime is excited to announce that it is the first and only spa in Canada to carry Smooth Shapes, a proven method for the treatment of cellulite. Treatments will begin mid-September and bookings may be taken for immediately. Please call if you have questions or would like details on treatments and pricing.

Smooth Shapes Video

Welcome Mike Cayen to Sublime!

2010-07-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

Registered Massage Therapist & Reikimaster/Teacher
Michael is a Registered Massage Therapist with over 2200 hours training and 15 years experience in alternative healthcare. He is also an accomplished Usui Reiki Master/Teacher from the increasingly popular field of body energy work.

He has worked with a wide variety of clients from every walk of life and in venues including the Banff Springs, which is largest resort spa in Banff, private rehab work in the US for retired athletes and the young rising stars of our own Canadian Olympic athletes in Canmore, Alberta.

The time I have spent working with elite athletes from all over North America developing soft tissue rehab and therapy techniques has been especially rewarding. Based on the unique world of high altitude athletics and combined with more focus on it’s effects on the Lymphatic System, I have had a great deal of successful over the past five years.

Whether you are a world class tri-athlete, weekend warrior or a mom getting back into shape after having a baby, Mike looks forward to helping you along your path to a healthy mind and body.

Mike Cayen

Aura-Soma

2010-07-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Aura-Soma in a phrase is “color therapy for the soul”.

As many people presume, we are not born a blank canvas upon which others paint the story of our lives, rather we are born a beautiful work of art with a very clear purpose, and we spend our lifetime searching and refining that purpose through experience, assimilation, and growth.

The earlier we can figure out what we choose to achieve in this life time, the easier it is to stay on the path and understand our gift to ourselves and the world as a whole. The Aura Soma system is an incredible modality for drawing out ones purpose and expression of it. It is a gentle way to learn the intricacies of our personalities, our challenges, and our soul characteristics.

It can help to answer some of the big questions we all seem to arrive at in our lifetimes….why do I repeat behaviors that result in challenge, why do I surround myself with personalities I find difficult to deal with, how can I tap into that inner wisdom we all have to make the journey peaceful and rewarding.

The system was created in England by a highly intuitive, blind woman by the name of Vicky Wall. It is practiced around the world and is truly a gift to experience.
For more information you can check the website http://www.aura-soma.net/

If you would like to book an Aura-Soma reading, please contact Sublime at
403-295-3355