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SPA INDEX NEWS / JULY 11, 2001
ISSN: 1533-6417
WWW.SPAINDEX.COM
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IN THIS ISSUE
Our Sponsor for this Issue: LiFizz
Effervescent Vitamins
Spa Index Spotlights: Vive le France! Celebrating Bastille Day
Spa Cuisine: Heart Seed Bed and Breakfast and Spa; Green Mountain at Fox Run;
Low-Fat French Onion Soup
Spa at Home: Lavender Hand and Foot Wash
Spa Index Treatment Education: French Manicures and Vichy Showers
Spa Specials and Deals: LaSource, LeSPORT (Grenada and St. Lucia), Paris Las
Vegas Resort (NV), Banyan Tree Bintan (Thailand)
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OUR SPONSOR FOR THIS ISSUE
LiFizz Effervescent Vitamins were developed for those who have difficulty
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an entire line of vitamins formed into large discs (think of it as a tasty
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LiFizz are numerous -- no upset stomach, no bitter aftertaste, and sugar free
natural fruit flavors. The Physician's Desk Reference indicates that only 15% of
the nutritional benefits of pill-form vitamins are absorbed into the system,
while LiFizz Effervescent form tablets will give you an 85% absorption rate. You
can choose from eight different fruit flavors of differing tablets, including
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Echinacea+C+Zinc. The official vitamin of the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour,
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SPA INDEX SPOTLIGHTS: Viva La France!
On July 14, 2001, France will celebrate "la Fête de la Fédération" or, "Bastille
Day." Bastille Day celebrates the 1789 attack on the French prison, the
Bastille, by the people in Paris discontent with King Louis XVI. The uprising of
the people and the destruction of the Bastille was the first expression of the
French right to self-determination, and paved the way to a parliamentary regime
and later to revolution. One year later, on the anniversary of the prison's
storming, delegates from all over the country traveled to Paris to celebrate the
Fête de la Fédération and to proclaim allegiance to a single national community.
Bastille Day was declared a national holiday in 1880.
Today, just as we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, the memory of the
storming of the Bastille invokes in French people a great feeling of patriotism
to one national republic. In France, July 14 will be a day of celebration, where
one can find festivities such as a military parade down the Champs-Elysées,
music, and gatherings at bistros and cafés. At night, fireworks will cascade
over the City of Lights and throughout the country, and the people of France
will once again reflect upon the principles of democracy instituted by the
French Revolution.
Vive le France! (Long Live France) Spa Index is happy to bring you just a little
bit of Bastille Day.
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BON APPETIT! SPA CUISINE:
HEART SEED BED & BREAKFAST AND SPA
From the HEART SEED BED & BREAKFAST AND SPA, in Santa Fe, NM, we bring you a
recipe for FRENCH TOAST a la ORANGE. The Heart Seed offers spectacular mountain
views and breathtaking sunsets. Located on seventy acres in the Ortiz Mountains
only twenty-five miles south of Santa Fe and one hour from the airport in
Albuquerque, the Heart Seed B&B and Spa provides a relaxing setting for
experiencing the tranquil beauty of the high desert. It is situated on the
scenic and historic Turquoise Trail near the village of Los Cerrillos and the
popular artist's colony of Madrid.
The grounds include a large shaded deck, outdoor hot tub, meditation garden,
labyrinth, common room, library, hiking and mountain biking trails, a telescope
for star gazing, and great bird watching.
The Spa offers nurturing Swedish and Deep Tissue massage, Energy Balancing
integrating Craniosacral, Acupressure and Polarity, Salt Glows, Aromatherapy,
detoxifying Cellulite Wraps, and Thai Massage. All body work sessions are
provided by licensed practitioners skilled in the latest techniques for reducing
stress, relieving pain, and relaxing the mind, body, and spirit.
The Heart Seed's quiet and congenial atmosphere offers a refreshing respite for
the traveler, a relaxing and romantic getaway, and an ideal setting for deep
healing and rejuvenation
Heart Seed Bed & Breakfast and Spa
P.O. Box 6019
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502
(505) 471-7026
HEART SEED'S FRENCH TOAST a la ORANGE
6 to 8 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons of grated orange rind
10 to 12 slices of good French bread
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla
2 Tablespoons of butter
Beat the eggs, orange juice, milk, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Dip the
bread into the mixture and place in a baking dish or cake pan. Cover firmly with
plastic wrap and place overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator
about 30 minutes before serving. Fry in melted butter until golden brown on both
sides. Serve with pure maple syrup.
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BON APPETIT! SPA CUISINE:
GREEN MOUNTAIN AT FOX RUN
For those of you who prefer a little maple flavoring, from Green Mountain at Fox
Run, we bring you another recipe for this breakfast favorite. Green Mountain at
Fox Run is a women's retreat for healthy living without dieting, offering long
term weight loss and fitness strategies for women seeking an alternative to a
traditional diet and fitness program or health spa. Visit
www.fitwoman.com, for more information.
GREEN MOUNTAIN AT FOX RUN ORANGE-MAPLE FRENCH TOAST
4 slices (8 slices Ciabatta or French bread)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 tablespoon Vermont maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon orange juice, if desired
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
4 slices bread or 8 slices Ciabatta or French bread
Vermont maple syrup, yogurt or fresh berries
Mix eggs, milk, maple syrup, orange peel, orange juice and cinnamon in medium
bowl. Pour mixture into rectangular glass baking dish, 11 x 7 x 1 1/2 inches.
Coat both sides of bread slices with egg mixture; soak until saturated. Spray
griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Cook bread slices
about 2 minutes; turn. Cook about 2 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serve
with Vermont maple syrup, yogurt or fresh berries.
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BON APPETIT! SPA CUISINE:
LOW-FAT FRENCH ONION SOUP
From www.Women.Com comes this lower fat version of a classic favorite.
LOW FAT FRENCH ONION SOUP
2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons dry sherry, dry wine or nonalcoholic wine
4 cups beef broth, defatted
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 slices baguette or 4 slices French bread, toasted
4 ounces reduced-fat Jarlsberg cheese, cut into 4 slices, or 1 cup (4 ounces)
finely shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
Sliced green onion tops (optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the onions and sherry or wine. Cook and stir until
the onions are tender. Add the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil,
then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
Meanwhile, place the bread slices on a cookie sheet. If necessary, cut the
cheese slices in half to fit the bread. Place the cheese on top of the bread.
Broil just until the cheese melts. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and float
the bread on top of each. If desired, sprinkle with the green onion tops.
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SPA AT HOME
The south of France, or Provence, is known for it's breathtakingly beautiful
fields of lavender, a fragrant floral herb native to the Mediterranean region.
It was popular with the Greeks and the Romans for scenting their soaps and
bathing water, and was also used for embalming, repelling insects, and for
cooking. At times it was believed to be an aphrodisiac for attracting lovers. It
was even thought that lavender could repel lovers by sprinkling lavender water
on the head. More recently, in the early 20th century, lavender was a favorite
for curing headaches and disinfecting sick rooms, was popular for soothing sore
throats and calming nerves, and was used for toothaches, muscle aches and
stomach aches. In short, there were very few situations where lavender was not a
part of the recommended cure. Today, we use lavender for many of the same
reasons. Lavender is known to be a mild sedative. It has healing properties
proven by scientific studies. its sweet fragrance and lasting aroma has uses
from the kitchen to the barnyard, from home decorating to practical
home-remedies.
SPA INDEX LAVENDER HAND AND FOOT WASH
Use this wash to relieve red and inflamed hands and feet.
1/2 cup dried Lavender Flowers
1/2 cup finely chopped Fresh Sage
2 cups of water
8 drops of Lavender Oil
In a saucepan, combine lavender flowers, sage and water. Simmer, covered, on low
heat for 20 minutes. Strain mixture through cheesecloth and let cool. Discard
the solids, retain the liquid. Add Lavender Oil, shake to emulsify, and then
apply to hands and feet with a soft wash cloth or cotton pads. Repeat as
necessary, or desired. To purchase Lavender Oil, visit our glossary at the
website and click through to our Essential Oils index.
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SPA INDEX TREATMENT EDUCATION
FRENCH MANICURES
What exactly is a French Manicure and what makes it French?
The French Manicure as we know it is credited to Hollywood make up artist Jeff
Pink, who was asked by a movie producer to come up with a nail colour that would
coordinate with the infinite costume changes that his leading lady had to endure
through the film. The French manicure today has become the most asked for beauty
look for nails since the days that Chanel's Vamp ruled the emery boards. Jeff
received his inspiration when attending fashion shows in Paris, when he noted
that the models used white pencil under the tips of their nails to give them a
clean and natural look that went with every colour and style. Jeff then
developed the coordinating polishes to duplicate this look, and that's how the
French manicure came to be. It's not so much a French treatment, as simply
"French inspired."
Many spa facilities offer French Manicures. To try the treatment at home, you
can find any number of kits which include everything you need to duplicate the
look at a fraction of the cost, but treat yourself at least once to a
professional job. For a manicure that we personally consider to be the
best thing you can do for your hands, you ought to try a high gloss buffing with
essential oils restored to your nails, which outshines any faux nail treatment
and ultimately restores or maintains your nails in a true style that is far more
beautiful than any faux treatment. The best system available, in our opinion, is
NAILBUFFS by Taras, available online at
www.nailbuffs.com. You can also read a review of NAILBUFFS at our
Newsletter for December 5, 2001 (see archives). Très magnifique!
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SPA INDEX TREATMENT EDUCATION
VICHY SPA TREATMENTS
Many spa facilities claim that without Vichy Treatments available, a spa "isn't
really a spa."
Situated in the heart of France in the Auvergne mountainous region, Vichy is the
French city with the most thermal spa sources of the region. For almost 2000
years, Vichy waters have been famous for their beneficial virtues. Thermal Spa
treatment became increasingly popular in the 19th Century under the influence of
Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. At that time, the town of Vichy and its
Thermal Spa were renovated and became "the second Paris.”
The Vichy Shower, originating in France and named for the treatments to be found
in Vichy, consists of a wet treatment table with a five to seven head shower
system. Imagine lying face down and having warm water massage you like rain
falling from the sky. This therapeutic use of water is a wonderful way to
relieve stress, improve circulation and hydrate the skin. While lying
horizontally, your back, neck and shoulders are treated to an invigorating high
pressure hot water massage, followed by a rainfall mist from the Vichy's
pressure shower system. A wonderful complement to body treatments, such as wraps
and salt scrubs.
Vichy Shower Treatments can range from a 15 minute shower-only massage priced at
$20.00, to a body treatment with shower massage for 50 minutes at $85.00.
One word of caution: You typically get your hair wet. Be sure to schedule a hair
salon treatment right afterward.
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