Zumba!

I’d heard a lot about Zumba, from the advertisements on TV to the seemingly overnight explosion of people talking about it on Facebook, and now the appearance of a class at my local gym. The curiosity was too much – I had to go and see what the fuss was about, and of course to join in the ‘Cardio Party!’

So I grabbed a girlfriend and we both went off to see if Zumba really did live up to the hype. I can officially say – it did! We went on a Tuesday night, and it was very busy. I’d estimate there were probably about 70 people there.

We went to the class in Warwick, however there’s Zumba available all over Perth (log on to http://www.danzaloca.com to find a class near you). There is also Zumba Gold, a low impact class for people recovering from injuries or the elderly. Danza Loca run 66 classes across Perth and more are opening up all the time so you are bound to find one nearby! It costs $10 per class, and you get a 20% discount when buying a 10 lesson card.

Zumba is marketed as being suitable for all ages, which I think is a really big point of difference from other classes that do not advertise this fact.

As our instructor -Tass – walked in… I thought “If that’s the sort of body you get from Zumba, then I will definitely be coming back!”. Tass started the class with a bit of a pep talk about what to expect from Zumba and an overview of the moves that we’d be doing during the class. It’s a mix of meringue, salsa, cha cha and – which sounded really exciting as I’ve got a dance background and always wanted to try something a bit more exotic than jazz! Tass explained the importance of enjoying the class and getting into the moves – his motto seemed to be “free your mind, and your ass will follow!” and it dawned on me what we were in for.

The music started and we launched into the first routine, which was fantastic and definitely broke everyone into a sweat. The class then hit full pace and we were jumping, shimmying, meringue-ing and (most of all) laughing all the way through. The entire class is set to a soundtrack, featuring some songs that I recognised and some that I did not. This was great as it really helped to maintain the energy in the class, and Tass didn’t really need to shout out instructions as he was up on a stage at the front demonstrating.

The best part for me was how easy it was to pick up the moves, there were some people there who were Zumba experts, and some Zumba first-timers, like me.

The main focus of Zumba is the cardio aspect of it, however there is lots of oblique twisting as well, which I found to be quite beneficial and I was definitely sore the next morning.

The class goes for 55 minutes – there’s 10 minutes of warm up and explanation, then 40 minutes of actual Zumba-ing. This is more than enough to get you feeling like you’ve had a great workout! At the end, there was a 5 minute cool down and stretch, which was also done to the Zumba music.

I left feeling energised but not exhausted as is often the case after a fitness class. I would highly recommend Zumba, although it’s popped up really quickly it’s definitely not one of the fad classes that we’ve all seen come and go. It’s a great hour class, grab your friends and make an evening of it!

Review by Amy S., Zumba convert!

Website: http://www.danzaloca.com
Facebook: Look up – Zumba with Danza Loca
Email: maestro@danzaloca.com
Phone: 0402092900

Be well,

xoxo

Heath Daly & Emma Gilbert

On Sunday I attended a public lecture (Cost: $15) held at La Tropicana cafe in Fremantle, it’s a lovely setting for a talk and holds a mish-mash of chairs, cushions & health interested folk.

Heath Daly, our charismatic host, runs The Raw Kitchen Cafe & Smoothie Shop in the Freo markets, as well as being a practicing naturopath, homeopath & former lecturer at the Australian College of Natural Medicine! We’re in good hands here.

As is the case when you stumble upon someone with a profound passion for something, I found myself effortlessly absorbing everything Heath had to say as he passed on his knowledge during our captivating and inspiring, yet never evangelical, hour and a half lecture.

These were the topics covered:

- The mineral deficiency causing a major public health concern in Australia (Iodine!)
- Raw seaweed and why it’s the number 1 supplement for the modern age
- The single best way to increase energy (and it isn’t a supplement or exercise!) (Sleep 10 hours a night, go with your circadian rhythms ie. wake up before the sun, sleep before midnight)
- The best immune booster known to science (Vitamin D / sunshine!)
- The power of groups – Introducing the Detox Train (This will be covered more in the next lecture)

The other big tip he gave us was to drink 2 glasses of water ever morning upon waking to clear out toxins & refresh the brain. I did that this morning and I have to say I do feel more ‘alert’ than usual, but of course I’ll do it for a few days to see if I really notice a difference

I seriously enjoyed Heath’s lecture and so did the other 30 or so attendees from what I could tell!

There will be many future lectures & I’ll definitely be there. If you are interested please contact heathdaly@gmail.com for more info & upcoming session dates

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Disclaimer: Talk about knickers & bikini lines ahead. You have been warned!

So! I’ve wanted to try permanent hair reduction/removal for quite some time now, I’m tired of shaving, & waxing is a recipe for ingrown hairs! I was lucky enough to organise a complimentary bikini line SPL (Square Pulsed Light) session at my local Hairfree Centre in Booragoon & if you read on, there’s a special deal in it for you too if you decide to try it out!

There’s a lot of information about IPL / SPL hair removal, which I wont go into here as I’m not an expert, but I recommend you read the following information if you are interested in exactly what goes on during permanent hair reduction:

♥ What is SPL?
♥ FAQ’S

I’m asked to fill out a fairly detailed form on my medical history & skin type, as well as sign a disclaimer. Marissa Pica, the owner of Hairfree Booragoon, is my qualified therapist and shows me into the room where the treatment will take place.

She runs through how the machine works, the life cycle of the hair and why it takes a series of treatments to become ‘hair free’, as well as answering any questions I have & leaves me to prepare (ie. get down to my knickers!)

The treatment room is pleasant enough, with a radio playing (for distraction from the imminent pain, or so I thought), lots of towels and very clean – with a sheet of soft paper on the bed to keep things hygienic.

There is a lolly to be enjoyed & a pair of protective glasses as the Square Pulsed Light can damage eyesight, I close my eyes during the treatment as well to be safe!

The machine hums pretty loudly and I have to admit it makes me a bit nervous.

Marissa draws some lines in white chalk on my body to indicate the boundaries of where we will be removing hair, applies a cool gel all over the areas to be treated (the same stuff they use for ultrasounds) & I prepare myself for my first ‘shot’ of the SPL machine…

It is so much less painful than I expected! In fact, it really only feels like the slightest ‘prickle’ for each shot, 30 seconds on each side of the bikini line and it’s all over! I’m lucky as I have very fair skin & dark hair, which is optimal for SPL, so I think this added to the ease of the treatment.

Afterwards I’m shown the baby wipes, tea tree moisturiser & tissues if I need them & left to re-dress.

I’m booked in again for 6 weeks time, the hairs should begin to fall out within 3-14 days and it’s recommended that you shave any area you’re having treated the day before you come in. No waxing or sun exposure prior / after the treatment either.

I’m really excited about the prospect of being bikini ready with no effort during Summer & the thought of banishing ingrowns forever fills me with COMPLETE JOY!

Now, back to you!

If you’d like to try SPL on ANY area of the body at Hairfree Centre Booragoon, mention ‘Wellness WA’ to receive 50% off your first treatment!!

That’s a pretty special offer, if you’re interested in the extended bikini treatment which I had, it is $95, so you’d receive 50% off that.

Please note the offer is available at the Booragoon centre only

SPL is suitable for use on almost all areas including: lip, chin, neck, underarms, brazilian, bikini line, legs, back, abdomen, chest, buttocks & about 1/3 of their clients are men.

I’ll continue updating about my experiences as I have more sessions, in the meantime if you have any questions please leave them in the comments & I’ll do my best to help you!

Hairfree Garden City

Riseley Corporate Centre
Suite 7/135 RIseley Street
Booragoon WA

Ph: 1300 669 767

E: gardencityhairfree@gmail.com

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Thalgo Extreme Comfort Cream was first recommended to me by my sister who referred to it as a ‘miracle cream’. Now, I’m pretty cynical at the best of times (especially when I hear that overused ‘miracle’ word) but I’m a big fan of moisturizers and an even bigger fan of the discount that she was going to get me, so I gave it a shot. It retails for around $87 a pop, but you can get it for $65.25 (www.getprice.com.au) which you might think is pretty expensive for 50ml, HOWEVER, take it from me…it is definitely worth spending your hard earned on.

Allow me to go into more detail, this is one of those ‘a little goes a long way’ kind of products and from the very first time you use it you really do get the sense that the good people at Thalgo have packed as much stuff in there as possible. Now, what I refer to as ‘stuff’ Thalgo calls ‘Omega 3 and 6 and restructuring oils’ but you could tell me that ‘whales tears’ and ‘the sneeze of a wizard’ were in there and I would believe that too.

The point is the repairing ability of this product is like nothing else that I have ever used. It’s quite a thick cream (which I really like even thought I know that’s not to everyone’s taste) and it’s really hard working. For example if I have a month where I switch to a cheaper moisturizer and then switch back to the comfort cream I notice the difference in about two days. My skin feels more even in tone, is less prone to breakouts, is smoother, softer and better hydrated for a longer period of time… everything you want your skin to be.

Now – once when I was espousing the virtues of this moisturizer, a friend of mine had two very good arguments that may have crossed your mind, so I will recount this conversation for you now:

Her: What do you mean fewer breakouts? It’s not a cleanser…that’s impossible.

Me: Yeah but if I put it on first in the morning (under makeup) then it acts as a really good barrier between my skin and any makeup which stops my pores from clogging.

This has no scientific proof it just seems to make sense to me. And…

Her: I HATE thick moisturizers in the evening you feel all sticky before you go to bed and in the morning you look all shiny.

Me: Stop putting so much on.

Case closed. Seriously, try this stuff because the only thing it is missing is an SPF…and a wizard’s sneeze.

Web: http://www.thalgo.com.au

If you would like to go in and buy some Thalgo Extreme Comfort Cream in person you can get it at:

Le Beau Day Spa (Kardinya) Phone: (08) 9331 1122

Duncraig Beauty Centre (Marri Road, Duncraig) Phone: (08) 9447 8860

The Beauty Gallery (Woodvale) Phone: 08 9309 5677

Review by Adriane, 25, upcoming actress extraordinaire, likes plump skin & jam donuts.

Be well,

xoxo

I don’t think I’ve posted this recipe before, and I’ve had a truck load of people wanting to dip their toes into the wonderful world of these murky looking smoothies!

Green smoothies are one of a few things that make me feel on top of the world, full of energy & song. I cannot recommend them highly enough! Don’t be fooled by their sour looking appearance, they are actually pretty sweet and taste just like a regular berry / fruit smoothie (minus the milk!).

So, without further interference from me, here is a super basic recipe for a green smoothie from which all other recipes of mine stem from!

♥ 1/2 x cup of apple juice
♥ 1 x cup of water
♥ 1-2 x cups of washed, fresh baby spinach (you don’t generally want to use regular spinach as the taste is bitter / stronger)
♥ 1 x decent sized banana or 2 x small bananas
♥ 1/2-1 x cup of frozen fruit (your choice: blueberries, mango, raspberries… they’re all good!)

Get all that whizzing around in your blender and soon you’ll be be a convert, I 99.9% guarantee it.

If you would like some extra tips for experts, check out this Vogue Forum Green Smoothies thread for inspiration galore!

Let me know if you decide to try a green smoothie, otherwise you can come round to my joint and I’ll whip you one up PERSONALLY! Probably not actually, but I have converted a fair few skeptics this way!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Juice Beauty- The Organic Solution

Most of us know the benefits of eating organic food such as less exposure to harmful pesticides and chemicals, but what about skincare? When you think that your skin absorbs up to 64% of what you put on it you probably want healthy ingredients in your skincare too. I’ve gradually been getting rid of as many nasty chemicals in my life, everything from cleaning products to shower gel has been changed and that’s when I stumbled upon a brand called “Juice Beauty”.

Juice Beauty was created in California by Karen Behnke a wellness entrepreneur whose mission was to create authentic organic beauty solutions to people worldwide. Juice Beauty contains no parabens, propylene, butylenes glycol, petroleum, sulphates, artificial dye and fragrances. What the brand does do, is contain is high grade certified organic ingredients, support local organic farmers, use solar power, and package its products using recyclable products and soy ink.

I’ve been using two products from the Juice Beauty range, the Cleansing Gel and the Nutrient Moisturiser.

The Cleansing Gel contains cherry and lemon juice both full of potent antioxidants, alpha hydroxy acids and vitamins A, B and C. This is combined with soothing sugar and coconut to gently remove impurities whilst protecting the skins natural barriers. This cleanser is suited to skins that are oily/combination, a great summer cleanser if you are prone to an oily T-zone like my skin. The cleanser has a light citrus smell which for some may take a little getting used to.

After cleansing I smooth on some Nutrient Moisturiser, a jar full of certified organic grape juice, vitamin rich carrot extract and nourishing essential fatty acids. This cream although designed for dry/mature skins actually works really well with my skin which is prone to dehydration in the cooler months. It’s rich in antioxidants and hyalauronic acid which nourishes and protects skin. Once warmed in hands and applied to skin, it is absorbed immediately for fresh, hydrated skin.

I only have one negative with Juice Beauty, it’s made in the US and not in Australia. Now if only I can find a comparable company in Australia! My search continues…

Reviewed by Hannah.

http://www.juicebeauty.com

Available at selected David Jones stores and online retailers.

Be well,

xoxo

♥ hehe ♥

Roll up, roll up (they were pretty tasty snacks yes? albeit terrible for young teeth!) welcome to my array of interesting beauty & health related links that I have dutifully collected over the past week so that I can share them with you, my loving reader, just in time for the countdown to the weekend!

♥ Beauty Q&A with Annette of Wellness WA – that would be me

♥ OPI’s revolutionary iPhone application! – ever wondered what a particular shade would look like on your nails, but found those plastic nail doo-dads in the beauty section too difficult? ME TOO. With this iPhone application, while it doesn’t use a picture of your actual hand, you can adjust the skin tone and nail of the image & test out every single OPI colour to determine whether or not it’s what you’re looking for, before forking out for it!!! How great is that?! A: Prettydamngreat.

♥ Iz you a salon playa? – musings on the pros & cons of being non-monogamous with your salon.

♥ Healthy Tipping Point- okay, I love this blog. An American 25 year old documents her marathon bike riding adventures & vegetarian cooking. Very inspiring stuff.

♥ Be Genki May Ritual – Be Genki is a wonderful product company / website / blog / inspiration station & this ‘May Ritual’ has some great advice, make sure you check this one.

♥ Warm Sunny Salad – our friend Heather puts together a visually magnificent salad to nourish you & your tastebuds.

♥ Additive Free Kids Parties! – psychotic children no more, calm them down without compromising on taste with this handy cookbook by two local mums.

♥ Blush Day Spa Facebook Page – these guys have been known to give away free treatments and incredible specials on Facebook at random times during the week!! Last week they were offering free massages to the first few commenters!

♥ White Bean Bruschetta – can’t wait to make this yummy variation on a definite favourite.

♥ How much to spend on keeping up appearances? – an interesting look at how much & why we spend on looking good for our careers.

It’s a wrap! Have wonderful Friday’s everyone

Be well,

Annette

xoxo