What a year!

What a year!  My goodness it's been a bit full on - and we are now half way thru it with the shortest day of the year already passed by.  We now look upwards towards Spring and Summer - although, I must say, this has been the most pleasant Winter so far....I wonder what's around the corner!?

As we are supposedly in the middle of Winter right now, I wanted to encourage you all to take a close look at your skin and I want to make sure that your looking after it 100%!
Here at Refresh Beauty Therapy, we take skin seriously and we love seeing our clients happy and their skin looking hydrated.  So today, we are giving mention to my favourite product in the world - Janesce Perfecting Gel.   This bottle of liquid gold, is like nothing that I have ever used before.  It is a light rose-fresh humidifying gel for enhancing the moisture levels of the skin (by 4 times!).  Because its an extreme hydrator, it pumps up fine lines and wrinkles - and as its so light in texture, its fantastic as an intensive eye treatment.  Your skin is left feeling incredibly soft and smooth and is left looking dewy (not greasy) and beautiful.  I cannot speak highly enough of this amazing product and I love the results I have had with it.  And after the journey's this year has bought me - I need to look soft and dewy!! 
Thanks Perfecting Gel!

NZ Retail: $91.50
               30ml
               Morning or Night application

2010

Ah - the thought of a new year....does it scare us or excite us?  
Me?  

I am ready to say farewell to 2010 and am looking forward to the joy's of a new year.  
As a business, we want to continue to grow our Refresh clientele, improve our service and steam closer to our goal of re-building the shop.
As a wife - I want to be more patient, more understanding and I want to fall more in love with my husband.
As a friend - I want to be more faithful, a lot more generous and a lot more giving of my time.
For my body - I want to gain back the fitness I have now lost (due to my broken leg) and I want to de-stress more this year - have a massage once in a while, maybe even a facial!  (Believe it or not, owning a salon doesn't mean you're pampered every day!) And of course - I want to shift this weight that has plagued me all year.

2010 does have it's good memories - my gorgeous nephew was born, Bon Jovi rocked the stage and our little business survived.  But it has many memories that were lessons not to be forgotten and memories not wanting to be relived.

2011 - the year of hope?
2011 - the year of grace?
2011 - the year of joy and peace.
I welcome you 2011!

We are what we eat....

Confession...I just ate something, that I never eat.  It was mighty tasty at the time and enjoyable with a friend, but half an hour later, I am paying the price for my lusty taste buds!

I all of sudden feel exhausted - lethargic and tired.  I want to crawl into my bed and go to sleep for the afternoon.  I never feel like this when I partake in my normal healthy lunch of salad and tuna or brown rice salad.  I can say without a doubt, that I always feel uplifted, light and energetic after a good, low bad fat, non saturated or trans fat meal.

But not today....

Today I have reminded myself why I don't eat high fat foods, take aways, cheese or bread!
I wonder how my stomach will re-remind me tomorrow morning...I know for sure it will tell me off VERY well!

Its a funny thing food - it seems to entice us with what we think we need or what we think we want to taste - and then it stabs us in the back (or stomach!) and lets us know that we need to make wise choices and not let the lust of food win all the time!! 

So tonight I will make my penance for my body and will chose to eat something that will delight my stomach and leave me feeling much happier on the inside.  And, I will leave the pizza eating to those who are much more brave than I...

Lucky break

Well, I decided to end this year with a bang and break my left ankle.  I haven't had a broken bone ever in my life, so this is a very new experience for me!!  I have often wondered how one may feel when they have a limb that they can't use and it makes me appreciate my legs a whole lot more.  I have been one of the not so lucky ones, when it comes to beautiful legs....it is the one thing I have always wanted and the one thing I notice on women.  But now, imperfect as they are, I realise that they work and they take me places.  I think I will look at these pin's of mine with new respect and thankfulness!
So as I sit in my cast, leg slightly alleviated, I wonder what can I do internally to speed the healing process up, and I am delighted to find that one of the bottles of vitamins that has been rattling around in the bottom of my bag is perfect!
Vitamin D and Calcium are vital in the building up of, repairing of and maintaining the health of bones.  Calcium needs Vitamin D to help us absorb it into our bodies and also Vitamin D supplementation can cut the risk of bone fractures by as much as 20 percent.
I take Vitamin D in the form of Chlorella - which is also used as an internal cleanser and detoxifer. I also take Vitamin D in the source of sitting in the sun for 10-15 minutes a day - this is something that delights me and relaxes me.  Something that we all need this time of the year!!

A season of hope

So I meet a lady today - a new lady - I had a new experience, I went to "counseling".  Now this is something that I think that every American does - goes to see a 'shrink'...I didn't feel like she was a shrink, rather more just a really nice lady to talk to.  Its something that I have always thought would be a good thing to do - as often, ones friends get sick of hearing about the same thing!  So off I went...feeling slightly nervous.
It turned out to be quite fine actually - I didn't cry - happy about that. I felt like I was droning on and thought my voice sounded quite mono-tone...I don't normally talk that much, I prefer to listen.
But she left me with some wonderful words..."This is a season of hope and an extremely exciting time of your life".  I needed to hear that - I needed reassurance that life wasn't that hard and that there are blessings in so many things, even if we can't see them.
So, re booked for next week.  Will see what comes out then!

My question to you, is, what is your picture or image of hope?
These are mine...

Chlorine - are you good for me?

As part of our fitness, eat right plight, I have joined the local swimming pool.  I was once a very strong swimmer, synchronized swimmer and water polo player - now, I am slightly rounded and unable to sink.
So off to pools I went - I have missed it over the years, and have always enjoyed the feeling of my body in the water.  I have been surprised at how many lengths I do and I must say, I do pop out the odd synchro move just for fun (I am a judge for the Bay and I help coach, so I need to remember just how hard it is!!).
But - my skin is suffering.  I get out of the pool and feel very tight all over.  I think my nose is even peeling - it concerns me how much chlorine they stick in the pools.  
So - is there anything good in chlorine???  
Chlorine is typical of a number of nutrients, harmful in some forms and doses but essential for life in others.  We get our dietary needs from common salt, so providing our salt intake is correct, then our chlorine intake should be adequate.
The role of chlorine in our body is:
Assists in the digestion of food
Helps maintain health of our lymph system
Helps maintain correct acidity of our blood
Helps maintain correct action of the liver

The role for my skin..?  NOTHING! Its' fine internally but not externally.  No matter how much I soak my skin or cover it in lotion - the smell is still there lingering...drying me out.  I refuse to use soap or anything with SLS in it, so it's left resting on my skin all day.  But, the swimming - at this stage - is worth it (swimmers bodies are quite lovely) and i will continue to soak my face and lather my body in O'la Tropical Organics on my way to a fitter, tighter me!

Oats...Horse food!?

 

Oats - common horse food or 'fodder' but it is one of my favorite foods and something that I eat everyday without fail.  There is something about hot porridge in the Winter and bircher in the Summer.  

Now, horse food or not, oats are FULL of goodness and nutrients!  Something our Grandmothers may not have told us, but we were made to eat them anyway.

Oats are rich in Thiamine (B1), Iron and dietary fiber. Fiber is useful in dropping cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.  Whole oats are also the only source of an anti-oxidant compounds called avenathramides which help to protect the circulatory system.  They also help to control blood sugar levels and may even help to stimulate the immune system to fight off bacterial infections.

So - old fashioned, or not - this little beauty of a food source is one for everyone of every age, shape and size!  

We recommend soaking your oats anything from 10 mins to overnight - this helps to release the goodness out of the oats, and makes it easier for the stomach to break down.  Don't add sugar folks - if anything at all, add honey.  

I often have mine with a couple pieces of seasonal fruit and of course a 1TBS of Bestow Beauty oil (www.bestowbeauty.co.nz) - YUMMY!  It fills me, gives me energy and keeps me going throughout the morning.

Going back to toast or muesli now for breakfast, is something that I cannot see happening!!

Eat oats and enjoy!