Luxury Spas - What is Safe

What was a high end luxury is now common place. Luxurious spa packages are commonly given as gifts certificates. I am talking about a heath spa where you are be given those wonderful massages, facials, pedicures, body wraps and salt glows.

Some spas are giving a series of injections that are suppose to melt away your fat. Lipotherapy. Lipotherapy (also known as LipoDissolve, which is a combination of two drugs phosphatidylcholie and deoxycholate) is the term for fat melting injections which seems to have originated in Brazil, but is not approved for the United States according to the FDA.

The FDA states that it does not melt fat as the name suggests. They have sent warning letters to spas to stop giving the injections and they are trying to regulate the two websites in Brazil that sell this product. It is advertised for men and women to get rid of 1 inch of fat with each treatment, and typically you would require 2-4 treatments. It sounds great to get rid of those saddlebags, cellulite, lipomas, and help retraction. It can be used on the face and body. One reason the FDA hasn’t approved this medication is there are several other products in the injection beside the two drugs, such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts. Certainly to be safe, go enjoy you message or pedicure, but opt for safety with regard to a medication that hasn’t been thoroughly tested and different companies could be using different ingredients.

There has been a lot of research recently on the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and the research is revealing wonderful benefits. The secret behind the diet is Olive Oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is produced without the use of chemicals or heat, so they contain photochemicals that are usually lost in the process. The Spanish have found adding nuts adds even more benefits, and you will ultimately live a longer life. The diet has been shown to lower the risk of asthma and allergies in children, and it may lessen the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes, cancer and depression. Last month a study came out that found the Mediterranean diet also increases fertility.

One study was focused on individuals that already had metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of risk factors occurring together that increase the risk for developing heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. The researchers studied how the study group was affected by a diet rich in phenol compounds. They identified almost 100 genes whose inflammatory activity is dampened by the consumption of the extra virgin olive oil. The conclusion was that several of the repressed genes are typically involved in a pro-inflammatory process which suggests that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells. Another great find was this may unlock the key to suppressing the breast cancer gene. One in eight American women gets breast cancer. It is the leading cause of death for women after lung cancer. Dr Javier Menendez from the Catalan Institute of Oncology said, “Our findings reveal for the first time that all major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress over expression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells.”

Addictions aren’t only limited to drugs, alcohol and gambling. Indoor tanning has become the latest addiction. An addiction is any compulsive behavior, especially those that result a chemical change in the brain. Tanning beds are so popular that you can find them in any town spa or salon and many people have them in their homes. A poll was done at a Northeastern university and out of 421 students; almost 70% of the 229 students who admitted they used tanning beds met the criteria of addiction. Furthermore, they found that these particular students were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and had an increased use of alcohol, marijuana and other addictive substances.

Beside the psychological addiction to tanning beds there are the health concerns for skin cancer. The amount of UVA light emitted in a tanning bed is 3 times greater than sunlight. Although people think tanning beds give them a healthier look, the tan is actually sun damage; the skin’s reaction to the UVA rays cause the body to produce more melanin, which is a pigment that darkens the skin. In time, this will lead to premature aging in the skin and in some cases cause skin cancer. Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide. The World Health Organization classifies tanning beds that emit UVA rays as “carcinogenic to humans” – which places them in the agency's highest cancer-risk category. That category includes things like radon gas, plutonium, radium, tobacco and the hepatitis B virus. I have never tried a tanning bed as I am not supposed to get much sun since I have lupus but this information would convince me to stay away from them. Funny, I have always thought Florida's Governor Crist must use one, as I’ve never seen him when he didn’t have a perfect tan.

When the Flowers of April are blooming and allergy season takes off, there is always a surge in deer ticks, particularly on the East coast with southern Maine south to Maryland being a higher risk area. Lyme disease is transmitted by these ticks. The ticks tend to hibernate in the winter but become active as the weather warms.  In times of mild winters the ticks are more plentiful.  Lyme disease symptoms include: fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash.  The rash tends to be a circular red patch kind of like a bulls-eye.  If this disease isn’t treated it can spread to joints, heart and the nervous system.   It is rarely fatal, but patients must be treated with antibiotics, the earlier the better. This disease is under diagnosed and just simply overlooked as the initial symptoms could fit the pattern of many diseases.  If left untreated, patients may suffer severe symptoms which are often diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, or multiple sclerosis.

To keep these insects away from you in the summer, don’t wear heavily scented soaps or perfumes, wear light neutral colors instead of bright ones. You can spot ticks more easily with the light colors. Wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt when possible. Always wear socks and shoes. Wear a hat for extra protection. Avoid areas that are too heavily wooded or bushy. Treat camping gear, clothes and shoes with permethrin which will repeal the insects. At home, don’t leave standing water in containers. Keep garbage cans covered. If you find non-chemical methods aren’t working you may need an insect repellent. Make sure it is stored away from children. For safety reasons, use one that contains active ingredients that have been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and it will have an EPA registration number on it. It can be sprayed on the skin but not on the face

In summary, these are some of the newest findings on the heath scene. The idea is to keep you updated and healthy by knowing the latest information. There is a massive amount of research being done around the world every day, and we are learning how to live longer, healthier lives. Diet is obviously being studied like never before so there is always new information available. I wish you all a long healthy life.

The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.