Artificial Sweeteners

It has come to my attention that many people don’t actually know what they are putting into their bodies. As an attempt to solve America’s obesity problem, many people are exercising more and eating better… so we think! In fact, many of us don’t research all the foods that we consume and instead look for easy way out of weight loss by letting marketing and branding decide what we eat. What do you mean? Well, when you go to the grocery store, a lot of products are now saying “Low- Carb”, or “No Sugar Added”, or “Lowered Sodium”. Branders package items so consumers believe they need foods that has a limited amount of carbohydrates, no sugar and lower sodium. But marketers aren’t your medical doctor! Niether am I, but I do like researching! So before you pick up your next DIET drink, take a look at what you’re really consuming.

Instead of exercising more and eating right, people believe that consuming a product with the word “DIET” on the label will make it healthier, therefore, easier to lose weight. True? Fat chance. As a gradation requirement for my Mass Communication degree at Cal State East Bay, I took a Women’s Studies class. Part of the curriculum included a chapter on nutrition, eating disorders and dieting which coincided with the artificial food boom. Our course book was Our Bodies, Ourselves by The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective which is a great reference for anything women have questions about. In that book, I discovered that for some reason, people in our society love fake sugars! Splenda (sucralose), Nutrasweet (aspartame), Sweet N’ Low (saccharin) have become a marketer’s dream as our country become larger. Artificial sugars are categorized as “sweeteners” because they have a sweet taste; but they are artificial! How good can that be? So, let’s figure out what artificial sugars are made of.

Found on the website called Truth About Splenda, sucralose is chemical compound of chlorine molecules that have been added to sucrose to produce a chemical reaction with harsh chemicals. The artificial chlorinated sweetener is manufactured in a chemical plant in Alabama and is in no way considered a natural product. The site states, “While the FDA has ruled that the chemical compound sucralose is not in itself toxic, there is no question that it is unnatural and is a highly-processed chemical artificial sweetener that depends on the presence of chlorine for its intense sweetness.” Need a comparison? Sugar, or sucrose, is from sugar beets or sugar cane is found naturally – not in a lab.

Don’t get confused! Although sucrose (sugar) and sucralose (artificial sweetener) sound similar, they are produced very differently!

Although they have been approved by the FDA, no one is sure of the long-term effects fake sugars have on the body. The FDA actually stated possible side-effects from using Splenda as lowered white blood cell count, enlarged liver and kidneys, decreased fetal body weight, and reduced growth rate.

When I researched these fake sugars, I came across an interesting fact. The reason artificial sweeteners are low-calorie is because the body cannot metabolize them. (Ok, to me this is a big deal! If my body cannot process something I’m consumign, that is not a good sign!) Some of you might think that this is no big deal but let’s put it in perspective:

SUGAR
- Yes, real sugar contains more calories but a calorie is a unit of energy. So although sodas contain “empty calories” because they provide little nutrition but contain a lot of calories, your body can STILL process out the sugar!
- Sugar is all natural, grown from the earth, and has been safely consumed by humans for thousands of years.
- Sugar is low in cost.
- Sugar has NO bad aftertaste.

ARTIFICIAL SUGARS
- Fake sugars are unable to be metabolized by the body because they are made of synthetic chemicals.
- Certain artificial sugars can cause diarrhea in large amounts (sugar alcohols and tagatose) and like MSG, they can possibly cause headaches.
- In 1977, the FDA showed that saccharin caused cancer of the bladder, skin, ovaries, and other organs in lab rats.
- Artificial sugars are not natural.
- Artificial sugars are more expensive than regular sugar!

Ultimately, everyone makes their own decisions about what they consume. But just because the label says “DIET” or “NO SUGAR ADDED!” does not mean it is better for you. I admit, there is no long-term research on the effects of fake sugars and possible dangers; however, real sugar has been safely used by human for over 2,000 years. I’ll tell you that every time I see someone walking out of Costco with a big pack of Splenda, I cringe. I hate knowing that people think this stuff is ok and that artificial sweetener companies are content that they could be sending people some expensive medical bills in the future. However, if only a handle full of people change their lives because of the research done in this article, I’ll be a happier person.

Here are my tips to be artificial-free plus a few more:
- Say goodbye to the regular AND diet sodas from your life. It may be hard now, but you’ll be glad you did later!
- Only buy juice that says “100% Juice”.
- Avoid buying anything that says “diet”, “sugar free”, “no sugar added”. If in doubt, read the label before you put the item in your shopping cart. No one can give you a ticket for parking your cart while you read the ingredients on a nutrition label.
- Finally, and I know I’m a little bias on this, but exercise your butt off! As a competitive swimmer, I joke with my teammates that if I feel comfortable at the end of my practice or race then I’m not working hard enough. It takes a lot of self-motivation but you have to learn to get out of your comfort zone – that’s the only way you’ll see and feel a difference.

Check Out These Websites!
Truth About Splenda
Our Bodies, Ourselves
Simply Beautiful Body Wraps

Vicki Espiritu
Marketing Manager

Do Body Wraps Work?

Do body wraps work? Sometimes it is hard to find the truth – and the skinny –behind the wraps. There are many types of body wraps to choose between these days and most of us have heard of crazy wraps that make us sweat. So are there healthy body wraps out there? Let’s look at different wraps to see if body wraps work!

First, there are saran wraps that enclose the body in cellophane to reduce inches. I’m sorry, does this sound healthy? No! This is an extremely dangerous process! Saran wraps literally suffocate the skin and prohibits the natural exchange of oxygen to the skin. Yikes! We are humans that need oxygen so let’s not deprive ourselves of it. So, saran wraps are not even close to working wonders for the body – in fact, it is just the opposite.

Other “hot” body wraps do not work because they involve lying in uncomfortably warm blankets to “sweat-out” the inches, which is the equivalent to sitting in a sauna. I know, I know. I’m sure a bunch of you sit in the sauna after working out at the gym or at spas so what’s the problem with this? Again, these are not healthy for the body. “Hot” wraps, and saunas while on the subject, cause people to lose vital body fluids needed to function. This equation equals dehydration – a serious health concern that people are actually hospitalized for.

According to Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FAAEM, at MedicineNet.com, “Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in.” People lose water by doing everyday things, even involuntary tasks such as breathing, sweating to cool the body, and through urination and bowel movements, so people need to replace this water by drinking a significant amount of water each day (par. 2).

Dehydration does not sound like a positive way to get inch loss! So the question: Do these body wraps work? The answer: No, not in any “healthy” or “natural” way, that is.

However, those who are looking for a safe, all-natural process that does work can find a light at the end of the metaphorical body wrap tunnel! There is a process that uses trace minerals to help people lose inches, get rid of cellulite and tighten skin. According to Trace Minerals Research, trace minerals are minerals that the body needs a certain, amount of to function healthily (minerals like iron, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, chromium, selenium, and zinc) (par. 4). Body wraps that use these trace minerals are incredibly beneficial for people even just to increase mineral intake. (It is estimated by Trace Minerals Research that 90 percent of Americans have a mineral deficiency) (par. 1).

Here is how the body wraps work:
First of all, trace mineral body wraps require certain wraps, or bandages, which are porous and make it easy for the skin to breathe while being wrapped. The bandages are similar to ACE sport bandages. The permeable material allows oxygen to be exchanged through the skin which is extremely important since the skin is the body’s largest organ. The bandages soak in mineral solution thoroughly before being tightly applied to the body for compaction of the fat cells. Fat cells hold many impurities like alcohol, pollution and cigarette smoke, excess medications, and fake sugars (sucralose, aspartame, etc.).

I’m going to stop you right there. I can hear the rebuttals now: My diet soda has 0 calories. That means it’s better than regular! … WRONG! Diet drinks are worse for you because the body cannot recognize the chemical so it never gets processed all the way out!

Think about this too: The next time you pick up a Sweet N Low packet, look at the back and read the cancer warning. Fake sugars have been proven to cause cancer in lab rats. Just think what that will do to us humans if the sweeteners never get processed out!

Let’s continue! Through circulation, the trace minerals enter the body’s fat cells to exchange for the impurities that may have entered the body over the past months or years.

Once a person is wrapped in the bandages, they need to perform very light movement to keep the blood and circulation moving constantly in the body in order for the body wrap to work. The movement increases the exchange that occurs between the trace minerals and impurities. Mineral solution is constantly reapplied to the body and bandages which also increases hydration. Ahh, yes, hydration is good, right? The impurities are pulled out through the pores and discarded. Through the replacement of impurities for minerals, the tight pressure of the bandages forces the fat cells to shrink in size and encourage inch loss, reduce the appearance of cellulite and tighten the skin.

This type of mineral body wrap actually has a cooling-effect which makes it virtually impossible to overheat and become dehydrated.

Need proof that these body wraps work? Salons that offer this type of mineral wrap measure clients before and after to prove that the body wraps work. Proof can be visible by evaluation of certain body parts or by slipping on any normally tight clothing – the clothing should be looser! The best part, though, is that these trace minerals stay in the body to work continually for up to two days for further amazing results.

So do body wraps work? After evaluating saran and “hot” body wraps, the importance of keeping body fluids, and understanding trace mineral body wraps, the choice is clear. Maybe being wrapped up like something from the blockbuster hit, The Mummy, doesn’t sound like a bad way to detox, lose inches and cellulite, and tighten up loose skin. Do trace mineral body wraps sound goofy? Sure. Are they safe? Of course. Do these body wraps work? YES!

Works Cited

“Dehydration.” 2009. MedicineNet. 20 Feb. 2009
“Trace Minerals Story.” Trace Minerals Research. 20 Feb. 2009

For more information, check out Simply Beautiful Body Wraps

- Vicki Espiritu
Marketing Manager

TV Air Dates!

Check out our newest Body Beautiful segment online at localshows.kron4.com.dnnmax.com/LocalShows/BodyBeautiful/tabid/69/Default.aspx

Also be sure to see us on Kron 4’s “Best of the Bay” on the following dates:
- Tuesday, February 3rd @ 1:30 p.m.
- Sunday, February 8th @ 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, February 12th @ 1:30 p.m.

REMEMBER! Valentine’s Day is coming up so make sure to book your appointments now for body wraps, waxings and facials to reserve your time spot!

Best of the Bay

Happy 2009!  

We hope everyone is having a great New Year so far and continue to in the upcoming months.  Simply Beautiful had a great December and we are planning on kicking off January the right way!  So keep us in mind when you are getting ready for your spring vacations, attire or just to continue those New Year’s Resolutions!

Simply Beautiful will be featured on the popular show “Best of the Bay” on KRON4!  This segment gives viewers an inside look at the amazing services offered at the salon and beautiful shots of both the San Ramon and Milpitas locations.  The exact air date is undetermined but is definitely hitting the airways in February so keep your eye out!

Salon owner, Michele, has also be invited back to KRON4’s “Body Beautiful” which will air on Monday, January 19th at 11:00 a.m.  This time the entire 30 minute segment will feature only Simply Beautiful so viewers can call and ask questions for the full show!  Tune in – we would love to hear from you!

Latina Magazine!

The wraps done at Simply Beautiful are now featured in the December issue of Latina magazine with Eva Mendes on the cover.  This accurate account is written by the magazine’s Beauty Director, Angelique Serrano, as she lost 13 inches in her first body wrap!

New This Week!

The Holidays Made Simple!

For the first time this holiday season, Simply Beautiful has put together pre-packaged gifts for your shopping convenience.  Gifts include a Body Wrap, $60 product/upgrade/esthetician service certificate, and a unique product all packaged in a beautiful box ready to take home.  Reduce your shopping stress this year by picking one of these reasonably priced giftboxes for your loved ones – or keep it for yourself!

Congratulations Traci!

We are pleased and excited to announce that our Salon Manager, Traci, is getting married on Wednesday, November 19th at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco to her long-time boyfriend, Angelo!  All of us at Simply Beautiful are happy for them to say their vows at this gorgeous, intimate ceremony with their closest family and friends.

Welcome back Vicki! 

After an absolutely perfect wedding on October 18th, Vicki and her new husband, Brian, spent their relaxing two week Honeymoon in Hawaii and are so excited to start their new life together back in the Bay Area.  She reports that everything was exceptional at her wedding on October 18th.  It was truly the happiest and best moment of her life!

As their favorite holiday, they look forward to spending their first Christmas together as a newlywed couple.

New This Week!

We were recently published in the magazine Redbook!  This issue featuring Diane Lane on the cover includes an excerpt about the Suddenly Slender body wrap and a Spanx-like material (which we also use and sell at the salon!).  Check it out!

We are also very excited to announce that Vicki is getting married this Saturday, October 18th to the love of her life, Brian!  After being together for over 4 years and engaged for 1 year and 4 months, they are definitely ready to tie the knot and relax on their Honeymoon in Hawaii for 2 weeks!  We at Simply Beautiful could not be happier for her and the long awaited marriage for Brian and Vicki.

Weclome Adriana!

We are happy to report that one of our estheticians, Crystal, had her first baby on September 19th at 9:52 a.m.!  After an extremely short labor, Crystal gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Adriana Wednesday Soppit at Valley Care Hospital in Pleasanton.

Adriana wanted to get out! Her plan to sprint out of the womb left Crystal with her doctor’s only option for a natural childbirth as she was too far along for an epidural. Adriana also refused waiting the extra two weeks for the predicted due date of October 4th. Even though it was extremely painful, Crystal said that recovering from her this first labor was a breeze and was glad it ended up happening the way it did.  The whole thing was quite and experience for everyone, including Crystal’s husband, Barry who was amazed at the physical pain childbirth has on a woman.  However, Barry got the best birthday present as Adriana and he share the same birthday!

Adriana was born 6 pounds 6 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Mommy and baby are both healthy, happy and adjusting well to the new situation.

The Brazillian Wax

What in the world possesses us to remove our bottoms in front of a stranger, have hot wax smoothed over our most sensitive area and have it ripped off a few seconds later in excruciating pain, all by nothing more than our own personal desire to get a Brazilian wax? Everyone has a different reason for why they get a Brazilian wax (convenience, less irritation than shaving, etc) but what’s the real process and the difference between a bikini wax and Brazilian wax. For some of the timid out there, let’s fill you in on the process.

1) Your friendly and licensed esthetician will allow you to dress out of your clothes in a private room. She will most likely give you something to wear or drape over yourself so you are not sitting and waiting uncomfortably.

2) The esthetician will apply some sort of product, like oil or talcum powder, to the skin so the wax will remove hair – not layers of skin.

Note: If the hair is longer than ¼ inch, expect you esthetician to trim the hair down so it is easier to wax.

3) Now the fun part starts. Hot wax is smoothed over a section of hair to be removed and allowed to cool for a few seconds. There are different types of wax popular for a Brazilian: strip and hard wax. Strip wax is what is used, for the most part, for eyebrow waxing and also used in that infamous waxing scene of the hit movie 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hard wax, on the other hand, hardens without the need of a strip and is pulled off when it has cooled enough to change from a liquid form to a solid (this is Chemistry at its best!). Many people prefer hard wax to strip wax but it is a personal preference. You may want to ask when you make an appointment what type of wax will be used for your own knowledge before you go in.

4) The removal: The strip/wax is pulled in the direction opposite of the hair growth in one swift, pain-free motion… Ok, so maybe not pain-free but won’t it look and feel nice when you’re done? Some people say to take an aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before to handle the pain, but you can live without it. Really, it’s not too bad.

5) This process is continued until you are as smooth as a baby’s bottom from front to back.

Note: It is very important that you make a note if the esthetician is double-dipping their stick. This is very unsanitary and can cause many bacterial infections.

6) Tweezers are used to remove any hairs that tried to escape the goopy wax. Some think this is the most tedious and painful part so beware.

7) Finally, soothing lotion or oil is applied to help with redness, irritation and ingrown hairs… Whew!

So that’s it! You’re done. I know it might not have been fun, but it’s like going to the gynecologist: You are forced by yourself to go and afterward, even though you hated it, you are glad you went for your personal well-being. Plus you only have to go back every 3 to 4 weeks.

Now I know you’re wondering the difference between a Brazilian wax and a bikini. Well, the Brazilian has a few options. You can have your esthetician remove everything from everywhere, or they can leave what many call a “landing strip” or a little vertical strip of hair in the front which will be trimmed. Estheticians can get creative by giving the remaining hair a design, such as a heart. A bikini wax, however, removes hair that follows the panty line. According to some estheticians, once you go past a certain point in the front it is considered a Brazilian so you may want to ask your particular esthetician where their boundaries are.

You are now a well-educated, informed individual about Brazilian waxing so go out and have fun getting waxed! And remember to thank your esthetician no matter how painful the session is – they are just doing their job.

Vicki Taylor

– Marketing Manager

Fall into Cellulite Removal

Do you ever feel like you cannot get a grasp on the seasons of the year? By the time we get used to Summer, swim suits and hanging out by the pool, then the Fall season comes speeding up forcing us to cover-up our toned bodies that we worked so hard for. The fact of the matter is that every three months we have to buy a new wardrobe and filter out the clothes we won’t see for another year.

So now that Summer is just about over, we know that in about six more months those more revealing clothes are going to come out of the boxes in closet, which also means CELLULITE! It so convenient to put on the long pants and shirts that cover us up all Fall and Winter but it is so challenging to remove the cellulite. So let’s remove it for good!

Cellulite removal is difficult so it is important to know why. There are three components to why cellulite happens: 1) Waste, 2) Water Retention and 3) Poor Circulation. This vicious cycle starts with waste, or impurities, that clog and pollute our bodies. These are things like medications, sugar-free foods, smoke, pollution, alcohol, and preservatives. Basically, these are pollutants that your body cannot filter out naturally. Secondly, water retention is an imbalance of fluids which is regulated by hormones, sodium and your kidneys. For example, if salty foods are consumed in excess, then your blood becomes saltier as well. This forces cells to pull water out to dilute the blood. Finally, poor circulation is a direct result of a lack of oxygen to the cells. Low oxygen decreases fat burning around the cellulite. In essence, cellulite is waste- and water-logged cells with no oxygen, making cellulite removal a definite challenge.

During the Fall and Winter we pile on the clothes and sometimes some pounds with warming comfort food and holiday sweets and treats. This also means the impurities build up around the holidays. Even if you hit the gym everyday you might not removal all your cellulite (This is why you see the fittest of people with the cellulite dimples on their legs and thighs.) So to survive in the cold seasons this year, remove those impurities and avoid the foods that create cellulite, especially artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, etc. If you’re going to have a soda, don’t do the diet. Your body can actually process the real sugar out – the fake stuff just gets stored in the body. Also drink plenty of water and avoid the high sodium foods. And lastly, get your exercise and you will easily fall into cellulite removal.

Vicki Taylor

- Marketing Manager