by urbansqueeze | Jul 6, 2021 | US
Plus Self-Care Ideas to Help You Care for Your Mental Health
Life can get hectic and many of us have so many responsibilities. It can be easy to put your personal needs aside and focus on taking care of others or getting all of your tasks done. However, this can lead to burnout, stress, anxiety and even health issues. This is why self-care plays such a pivotal role in your physical and mental health.
The Benefits of Self-Care
Self-care isn’t just about pampering yourself. It’s about taking a holistic approach to your health and well-being. Self-care helps you destress, relax, rest and live in the moment. It can revitalize you and help you better manage future stress. Here are the benefits you can enjoy when you practice self-care:
Boost Your Physical Health: Self-care often triggers what is known as the “relaxation response.” It’s the counterpart to the fight-or-flight response. By routinely practicing relaxing self-care, you can help your body respond to stress better. How does this help your physical health? Chronic stress can have physical effects on your body, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, weight gain, stomach ulcers and more. By caring for your mental health, you are in turn caring for your physical health!
Improve Your Mental Health: Neglecting your own needs can lead to general feelings of unhappiness. If left unchecked over longer periods of time, it can lead to low self-esteem, feelings of resentment, anxiety, chronic stress and other negative feelings and emotions. By caring for your mental health, you are showing yourself and others that you value yourself. This can help contribute to long-term feelings of overall well-being and increased self-esteem.
Stress Relief and Management: Taking breaks is good! Balancing your leisure time and your responsibilities helps in a couple of ways. First, you are giving your body and mind a break which can relieve current stresses. Practicing self-care generates soothing feelings that help put you more at ease. Second, you are also learning to manage your time better, helping you better manage future stress, especially if you are taking the step of scheduling your “me time” (something you should do to make your self-care a routine).
Our Top 5 Favorite Self-Care Techniques
Now that you understand the amazing benefits of self-care, let’s take a look at our top 5 favorite ways to get in a little “me time.”
1 | Get a Massage: Massage is a relaxation technique for your mind and your body. It helps ease muscle tension, improve your circulation and improve mental clarity.
2 | Get a Facial: Feeling good can also stem from positive feelings about your physical appearance. Taking time to pamper your skin can zap acne (which can be inflamed by stress) and leave you feeling relaxed.
3 | Nourish Your Body and Mind: What goes into your body matters and that is why it is key that you properly nourish your body and mind. Eating nutrient dense foods and cutting back on sugars and bad fats is essential. You can also give your diet a boost with IV Infusion Therapy. It’s effective at delivering the nutrients your body and mind crave because they are directly administered into the bloodstream, making the nutrients available for immediate use by your body.
4 | Schedule Social Time: Self-care doesn’t have to be done alone. Maintaining your social connections is an essential part of self-care. So carve out time for your family and friends by going out to eat, seeing a movie or staying in for a game night!
5 | Talk to Someone: Caring for ourselves also means knowing when you need to seek help. It’s okay to not always feel okay. Remember to reach out and talk with someone you trust when depression gets you down.
We’re Here to Help!
The US Wellness Collective believes in a holistic approach to your health and well-being. We offer a range of services guaranteed to pamper you and help you look and feel better! Contact us today to learn about our wide variety of customizable services that will have you feeling more relaxed, happier and healthier!
by urbansqueeze | Jun 29, 2021 | US
9 Tips for Healthy, Dewey Skin in a Dry Climate
Dry climates can be tough on the complexion and lead to some serious dryness year round, but especially in the warmer months. Not only that, but dry climates can exaggerate the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines as well as rough skin texture. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your skin and combat that dryness.
Stay Hydrated
Rule #1, when you are lacking water within your body, the likelihood of your aging signs are much higher. When you are not drinking enough H2O your body is pulling that extra moisture from your skin; think of your skin as a plant, not enough water means wilting leaves and flowers. To know your body’s optimal hydration is a simple calculation; divide your weight in half and intake that number in ounces daily (ex. 150lbs/2 = 75oz/day). Another option to help with signs of aging skin is using a humidifier to put a little moisture back into the air. Your skin will thank you, looking more supple and full.
Use a Gentle Cleanser
Be sure to use a gentle cleanser to remove the grime and dead skin cells from your face. Try a low pH cleanser to keep your skin balanced and hydrated. Cleansers with a high pH can actually dry out your skin even more.
Get a Boost with a Serum
Boost the moisture in your skin with an antioxidant or hyaluronic acid serum. Be sure to apply it to your face while your skin is still damp for the ultimate lock in of moisture.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
Get a great moisturizer that will replenish your skin’s moisture. However, avoid humectant-only moisturizers. These moisturizers pull moisture from the air to feed to your skin, but when there is little to no moisture in the air, these creams won’t do you much good. Instead, choose an oil-based moisturizer or one with essential fatty acids. Don’t forget to use a good cream or lotion on the rest of your body as well! Book an office visit with us so our experts can provide you with options best suited to your skin’s needs.
Use Sunscreen
Many dry climates are sunny year round and some are even high altitude, leaving you vulnerable to sunburns all year long. Be sure to use a sunscreen or a moisturizer with sunscreen to protect your skin. Invest in a good high-SPF sunscreen (30+). If you are outside enjoying the sun, be sure to reapply throughout the day. Don’t forget to apply to the tops of your ears, the back of your neck and other other places that are often missed in sunscreen application.
Exfoliate
The lack of humidity can leave skin looking dull and lead to the buildup of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. Exfoliating your skin one to two times per week can reveal fresh, glowing skin underneath and help keep your pores from becoming clogged. Choose a light exfoliator that won’t irritate your skin and be sure to not over-exfoliate.
Mask It Up
Soak up some more moisture by using a face mask once a week. Choose a mask that delivers extra moisture and follow the directions on the back. When you take off the mask, pat in the extra serum to get the full benefit, then lock it in with your daily or nightly serums and moisturizer.
Don’t Forget Lip Balm!
Did you know the first sign of dehydration is chapped lips?! Seriously, avoid chapped and dry lips by drinking plenty of water and applying lip balm throughout the day, until no longer needed. In fact, if you use lip balm too often your lips no longer produce it’s natural layer of oil causing you to have to use it more often than needed.
Get a Facial!
Get a facial once a month. Skin cell turnover happens once about every 28 days and getting a facial regularly can help remove dead skin cells, replenish moisture, reduce pore sizes and even help with fine lines and wrinkles. Your skin will be healthy and glowing all year long!
Here at the US Wellness Collective, we know that no two people are alike so we offer fully customized facials to fit your skincare needs and goals. Our licensed estheticians will have you looking and feeling your best with our 30 or 60 minute facials. Book your appointment today!
by urbansqueeze | Jun 22, 2021 | US
5 Tips to Help you Look and Feel Younger, Including Hydration and Cryoskin!
Everyone gets cellulite at some point in their life. And while it is completely normal, it isn’t something we all enjoy seeing on our own bodies. Cellulite often appears around the hips, thighs and the buttocks. It is caused by fat deposits under the skin pushing up toward the surface, creating that uneven or dimpled texture.
Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to get rid of cellulite and smooth the appearance of your skin. Here are our favorite tips to help you look and feel younger.
Exercise Regularly
A slow metabolism can increase the amount or the severity of cellulite. To kick your metabolism into high gear, exercise regularly. Not only does it help your overall health, but it can help destroy fat cells that cause the appearance of cellulite.
Eat Healthy
Just like regular exercise, a healthy diet can help you manage and destroy fat. Make sure you are eating nutrient dense foods, like veggies and salmon, to give your body the fuel it needs to get through the day. Also, cut back on sugars and bad fats that will just make you gain weight and won’t give you the energy your body craves.
Stay Hydrated
Being dehydrated depletes your skin’s volume and can make cellulite that you do have more visible. So keep sipping on that water all day to keep your skin healthy and youthful!
Boost Your Metabolism with IV Infusion Therapy
Jumpstart your metabolism with one of our Infusion Therapies, like our Detox/Weight Loss IV or our Lipo B IM Injection. The premium quality compounds in our Detox/Weight Loss IV are designed to help you feel more energized, burn fat, boost your metabolism and provide your body the nutrients it needs for optimal wellness. Our Lipo B IM Injection is a supplement designed to help reduce excess fats from specific areas of the body. Each individual component of this injection has a lipotropic effect, which is believed to work synergistically in getting rid of body fat!
Enjoy the Benefits of Cryoskin
Cryoskin is changing the way we look at weight loss and plastic surgery! If you are experiencing stubborn cellulite, this revolutionary treatment offers a painless and convenient way to effectively reduce fat cells and increase collagen production, which gives your skin youthful volume and a glowy complexion. Cryoskin applies very cold temperatures to specific areas of your body. This then causes a process known as apoptosis, which tears down fat cells and increases blood flow, resulting in weight loss and skin toning!
Look and Feel Younger Today!
Here at the US Wellness Collective, we believe in a holistic approach to weight loss and cellulite reduction. If you are ready to lose some of that stubborn fat and cellulite, we offer many different treatments to help you no matter where you are in your weight loss journey. We offer nutrition and health management services with the Detox/Weight Loss IV and Lipo B IM injections administered by our very own RN! We also offer Cryoskin services, including croytoning, cryoskin fat and cryofacials.
Book your appointment today!
by urbansqueeze | Jun 15, 2021 | US
The Benefits of Massage for Relieving and Reducing Pain, Including Chronic Pain Conditions
Massage is a great way to relax the muscles and can leave you feeling refreshed. It used to be considered an indulgence, but now studies have shown that therapeutic massage is a way to legitimately reduce pain.
How It Helps Relieve Pain
Massage helps relieve pain through several mechanisms. These include:
- Relaxing painful muscles, tendons and joints
- Decreasing tension
- Relieving stress and anxiety (which have been shown to increase pain)
- And can possibly help to “close the pain gate” by stimulating competing nerve fibers and impeding pain messages to and from the brain.
Therapeutic massage has actually become an active area of research, studying its effect on pain in the back, hands, neck, knees and other areas of the body. A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice showed a reduction in hand pain and an increased grip strength among people who had four weekly hand massage sessions and did self-massage at home. It also showed that participants slept better and had less anxiety and depression. Massage has also been shown to help with chronic pain as well.
Types of Massage Therapy for Pain Relief
A variety of massage types can be used to treat pain and chronic pain. These include:
- Sports Massage
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Remedial Massage
- Therapeutic Massage
- Myofascial Release
It is important to note that massage does not have to be painful to be helpful. Some people may find some forms of massage, like deep tissue, painful. For example, people with certain chronic pain conditions, such as Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, may only be able to tolerate light pressure. So be sure to discuss with your massage therapist if you prefer a lighter touch, firm pressure or hard pressure.
The Benefits of Receiving Massage for Pain Relief
We’ve looked at how massage can help relieve pain, but let’s dive a little deeper into the benefits of massage therapy for pain relief. There are other benefits to massage besides reducing or relieving pain.
One of the other benefits is an increased range of movement. When you receive a massage, it increases blood flow to the treated areas, causing the muscle temperature to rise. This in turn helps to relax and loosen muscles helping you have greater range of movement. When range of movement is increased through a reduction in muscle tension and tightness, pain is also reduced!
Massage also helps to increase relaxation both physically and mentally. By physically relaxing the muscles, you’ll experience a reduction in pain and the restriction of movement. By emotionally relaxing you, you can experience a decrease in stress and anxiety while increasing positive hormones such as endorphins. Stress and anxiety have been shown to have negative physical effects on the body, not just our mental health.
Finally, massage helps to relieve muscle tightness. Muscle tightness can restrict our mobility and can cause further pain. Relieving that tightness by increasing blood flow improves tissue elasticity and thus, reduces pain and restriction of movement that can cause further pain and damage.
Massage at the US Wellness Collective
We believe in a holistic approach to your health, treating your mind, body and soul! We also believe in a fully customized approach to massage therapy because no two individuals are alike! We offer a blend of unique massage techniques to leave you feeling relaxed and more pain free, including these specialities that you can incorporate into your session:
- AromaTouch Technique
- Reiki
- Reflexology
- Cupping
- Hot Stone
- TMJ
Book your appointment today! We offer sessions from 30 minutes long to 120 minutes long.
by urbansqueeze | May 25, 2021 | US
The Optimal Diet for Weight Loss Plus How to Boost the Nutrients Your Body Craves!
There are a lot of things that can affect our weight and nutrition is one of them. Poor nutrition can keep us from losing weight despite exercise and it can also make us gain weight. While everyone is unique and responds to different types of diets, there is one constant for everyone: nutrient dense foods give you the nutrition and energy you need without weighing you down.
Start With a Healthy Diet
Weight loss is achieved through a combination of burning calories through exercise while also eating a healthier diet. When we eat healthier foods, your body gets what it needs, meaning you’ll also cut down on the snack attacks. Here are some general guidelines to optimize your diet for weight loss.
- Calories count, so cut back on them when you want to lose weight
- Portions matter; overeating can pack on the pounds, but undereating can put your body into survival mode. Make sure you eat the right portion size for you.
- Eat nutrient dense foods such as:
- Fresh fruits and veggies (try adding kale or avocado to that fruit smoothie for a boost of nutrients or snack on apples instead of cheese and crackers, but don’t top that broccoli with cheese or you’ll cancel out the iron and fiber it provides with too much bad fat)
- Brown rice (which offers more nutrients than white rice)
- Protein rich, unprocessed meats (keep red meat to a minimum)
- Salmon (which is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids that are good for you)
- Nuts (which are rich in protein and fiber and can help you feel fuller)
- Limit carbs, which are harder to burn off than other more nutritious foods
- Cut back on sugar, which offers no nutritional value and are high in calories
- Cut back on salt, which can cause bloating
- Keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum (studies have shown that light to moderate drinkers and non-drinkers gain less weight over time than those who drink more)
Nutrition and Weight Loss Services
Everyone is different and that means different diets will work for different people. To truly understand what your body needs to increase weight loss or just keep off unwanted pounds, work with our specialist who can help you manage your nutrition and weight. At The Wellness Collective, we offer nutrition and health management services to help you tailor your diet to your specific goals and needs.
Boost Your Nutrients and Metabolism
Besides our nutrition and health management services, The Urban Squeeze Wellness Collective offers several homeopathic weight loss options that boost the nutrients your body craves and gives your metabolism the jump start it needs to boost your weight loss efforts. Our very own RN is now offering these weight loss solutions along with other holistic medical beauty treatments to get you looking and feeling your best! Our newest treatments include:
- Weight Loss IV: This IV therapy treatment is designed to kickstart your metabolism and help you feel more energized by providing your body the nutrients it needs for optimal wellness and performance.
- Lipo B IM Injection: A supplement used to reduce excessive fats from specific areas on the body and has been shown to benefit in the removal of fats from the liver.
- Cryoskin Fat: If you are looking to reduce stubborn fat, this revolutionary non-invasive treatment permanently destroys fat cells through a process known as cryolipolysis.
- Zyto Therapy: This FDA approved biometric system measures the body’s energetic responses to help determine the best wellness options for each unique individual. This amazing weight loss treatment includes body composition, weight management, detoxification support, digestive health, hormone and endocrine support, immune support, mental and emotional support, metabolic health support, pain management and series symptom relief.
Start Working Toward the New You Today!
At The Wellness Collective, we believe in a holistic approach. While we’ll always be known for our relaxing massages and amazing facials, we also believe in helping you achieve all of your health and beauty goals! Are you ready to start working toward a healthier, happier you? Contact us today to learn more about our weight loss services.
by urbansqueeze | May 18, 2021 | US
What Each Service has to Offer and Who Benefits from Them
If you have ever experienced pain, soreness or stiffness of your muscles, you have probably considered massage therapy (particularly deep tissue massage) or myofascial release to help ease the pain. Both are hands-on techniques that help to manipulate the muscles and fascia (the connective tissues in your muscles) to help ease pain and increase mobility.
Both deep tissue massage and myofascial release can help treat a variety of conditions and symptoms including:
- Back and neck pain
- Migraines
- Scoliosis
- Shoulder pain or frozen shoulder
- Sleep disorders and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Slow metabolism
- Allergies and Asthma
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Disc Herniation
- Acid reflux/GERD
So What’s the Difference?
There are some differences between the two. General massage therapy involves stroking and kneading motions. Often, lotions and oils are used to make it easy for the massage therapist to slide their hands over your skin. Massage is ideal for anyone with tension or tired muscles that is caused by exercise, sleeping in an odd position or just daily stress. Massage sessions normally last between 30 and 120 minutes and often the entire body is worked. The sessions are very relaxing for both body and mind.
Myofascial release therapy can be done by a bodywork massage therapist in conjunction with a massage session; however, it can also be done by a physical therapist. Myofascial is ideal for people who are experiencing persistent pain in one part of the body or another. These sessions involve a specialized technique to targeted areas which helps to release the restriction in the connective tissue, increasing your range of motion. When done by a physical therapist, these sessions generally target the problem area and the sessions are not meant to be relaxing like a massage.
Who Benefits from Each Technique?
Massage therapy is great for everyday stress buildup or if you get a kink from sleeping in a funny position. It not only helps release tension in your muscles, but it can help to calm your mind. Massage is meant to be more of a holistic approach to releasing tension in the body and mind. In fact, massage therapy has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, making it ideal for people prone to the physical and mental effects of daily stress.
Myofascial release is perfect for those experiencing persistent pain in a particular spot that doesn’t dissipate after icing and rest. It is especially great for athletes who have experienced damage or trauma to the muscle tissue or for those who are recovering from an accident. The process is meant to help bring back your range of motion to the affected area.
Ease Your Pain and Soreness
Here at The US Wellness Collective, we offer customized massage to fit your specific massage therapy goals. We go the extra mile to make sure you feel relaxed and refreshed during and after each session. We offer sessions ranging from 30 minutes to 120 minutes. You can also bump your massage up a notch by incorporating one of the many specialties we offer, including myofascial release! Book your appointment today and we’ll knead your knots, soreness and stress away!
