Prep your body for spring

As the harshness of winter gives way to spring, daffodils appear along the sidewalk, cherry blossoms open, and the start of a new season reveals itself. While sunshine and warmer weather uplifts the spirit, these transitional periods can also be disruptive and can require us to devote additional care to our bodies. Incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet is the first step in facilitating healing and strengthening your body’s defenses from the inside out. Below are a few of our nutritional favorites for reducing inflammation this Spring:

• Flax seed oil is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are incredible for reducing inflammation. This oil is six times richer in omega 3 fatty acids than most fish oils. Try drizzling some over your next salad, adding a spoonful to a smoothie, or sprinkling flax seeds in soup, oatmeal, or yogurt.
• Walnuts are chock-full of healthy fats—65 percent by weight, in fact—which makes them an energy-dense food that will satisfy you for longer periods than other snacks. A high source of polyunsaturated fats, walnuts are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of omega 3 ALA.
• Spinach is a great source of vitamins A, C, K, manganese, zinc, and selenium. It contains flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that protect against disease and fight free radical damage, making it one of the best foods for strengthening the immune system.
• Turmeric is the current darling and with good reason. It's a great source of the chemical curcumin, which has been shown to decrease swelling and inflammation. It's great for gut inflammation, joint issues, and skin redness. Use fresh root or powered turmeric in stirfries, add to a latte, or make golden milk: heat up coconut or almond milk on the stove and add grated turmeric and ginger, a cinnamon stick, ground black pepper, and a sweetener of choice. Simmer for 10 minutes and enjoy this healing beverage.

(photo: recipes.sparkpeople.com)

5 ways that bone broth rocks your body

 

Craving something nourishing that will boost your immune system and help you look younger?

Look no further than bone broth.

Bone broth is another superfood to add to your list. It’s an excellent source of nutrients, amino acids, gelatin, and collagen. This nutrient complex supports healthy hair, skin, nails, and joints, as well as reduces inflammation in the gut. It’s easy to incorporate bone broth into your daily life: drink it straight, swap out water for bone broth when cooking grains, or use it as a soup base.

Let’s break down all the ways that bone broth rocks your body:

1. It improves skin elasticity. Bone broth is full of collagen and some studies have show that ingesting collagen can improve elasticity and minimize fine lines.
2. It helps you sleep better. Bone broth is chock full of nutritious amino acids, such as glycine, which may improve sleep and prevent fatigue.
3. It’s good for your gut. Just a cup of bone broth each day can improve leaky gut syndrome and all sorts of digestive issues. Gelatin in the broth helps shore up the intestinal lining, fight food allergies, and help with the growth of probiotics. Bone broth can treat or minimize diarrhea and constipation as well.
4. It builds up the immune system. Bone broth is loaded with minerals and amino acids that can strengthen your immune system.
5. It eases joint pain and increases bone strength. Bone broth contains glucosamine, gelatin, and other nutritional benefits that can treat joint pain and even help to prevent osteoarthritis. Phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium from the broth's bones help your own bones stay healthy and strong.

You can buy bone broth at grocery stores like Whole Foods but for instructions on how to make your own turkey bone broth, check out this post at Nourished Kitchen.

(Photo: nourishedkitchen.com)

 

Good fats = good skin. The power of GLA

Last week, we talked about the importance of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Now, let’s turn our attention toward Omega 6 fatty acids. Linoleic acid is the primary Omega 6, and while the average American diet gets plenty of Omega 6s—through poultry and eggs, for instance—we don’t always get enough of the extra-awesome Omega 6 called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). In addition to having the power to fight everything from asthma to rheumatoid arthritis, it also helps reduce inflammation and combat eczema and dermatitis.

The best sources of GLA include:

• Borage oil: Borage Oil supplements are the best way to up your GLA intake. The seeds of the borage plant (pictured) is the richest source of this powerful acid.
• Hemp oil: Of all the vegetable oils available, hemp oil contains the highest amount of GLA. While it shouldn’t be used for cooking (it has a high amount of unsaturated fats), add it to a salad or drizzle it over grains or veggies to punch up the flavor.
• Spirulina: Mix spirulina powder into smoothies, sprinkle it on a salad, or use it to zest up your grains.

Other Omega 6-rich foods to incorporate into your diet:

• Avocado: Avocado is not only great for your body, it’s great for your palate. This rich vegetable can be sliced into salads, mashed into a fresh guacamole, or even folded into an omelet.
• Seeds & nuts: Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of a stirfry or salad to add some Omega 6-packed crunch. Other nuts and seeds rich in Omega 6s include pine nuts, pistachios, raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds.
• Vegetable oils: These oils, including corn, safflower, sunflower, and grapeseed, are rich in linoleic acid but read labels carefully as many oils are refined and lose nutrients in the process.
• Grass-fed butter: Grass-fed cows produce milk fat with a 1:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 1, making it a great balanced choice for butter-lovers.

While consuming too much Omega 6 fatty acids can prove unhealthy, make strategic choices so you are reaching for the healthiest sources of GLA. Your clear, even complexion will thank you.

(photo: loghouseplants.com)

Improve Your Skin Through the Power of Omega 3s

Omega 3 fatty acids—ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)—are often touted for their many benefits, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing inflammation, preventing depression, and improving skin health. They are great for the skin because they protect it from the sun, reduce inflammation and the appearance of fine lines, and keep your skin hydrated.

Here are just a few of our favorite food sources of this essential fatty acid:

• Salmon: Oily, fatty fish are one of the best sources of Omega 3s, and salmon’s at the top of the list, preferably wild Alaskan salmon. Add this—or Artic char, mackerel, sardines, halibut, oysters—into frequent meal rotation.
• Cod liver oil: Your mom was onto something when she forced you to swallow a spoonful of this potent oil. Taken as an oil or in a capsule, cod liver oil also contains skin-saving vitamins A & D.
• Flax seed: A rockstar when it comes to the Omega 3 fatty acid ALA, flaxseed is six times richer in Omega 3 fatty acids than most fish oils! Add flaxseed oil to your smoothies or salad dressing, and try sprinkling flaxseeds on your yogurt or oatmeal.
• Walnuts: After flaxseed and chia seeds, walnuts are the best nut in terms of essential fatty acids, which translate into hydrated skin and shiny hair.
• Spinach: Whether fresh, frozen or canned, spinach is a powerhouse when it comes to Omega 3s. Arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, pinto beans and kidney beans are also great vegetarian sources of Omega 3s.

Suddenly, we’re craving salmon with a spinach salad studded with walnuts and dressed with flaxseed oil… We digress. The point is, there are loads of foods with high levels of Omega 3s. Seek out your favorites and incorporate them into your diet for glowing, hydrated skin.

(photo: walnuts.org)

Jill's back...for a little while

Jill's back from the Netherlands for a visit, and she wants to see you! Join us on Thursday, July 11th for a party to welcome Jill home, hear about her European adventures and to celebrate the magic that is Jill Bucy Skincare! Stop by the spa any time between 4-6:30 to see Jill and enjoy light snacks and drinks. Additionally, there will be a 10-percent discount offered on products during the party. We'd love to see you there!

But that's not all! You can schedule an appointment with Jill, who will be back for a limited time in the spa on: July 9, 11, 16, 18 and 23. Call 206.283.9295 or email [email protected] to schedule your appointment! Spaces are filling quickly so call today!

“Jill Bucy changed my life.”

We have a client who continues to tell us how much Jill has inspired her to change her life. We asked her to write a guest post and were inspired ourselves by her story. Here it is:

Jill Bucy changed my life.

I’m not kidding. She improved my skincare and my complexion, certainly. Anyone who has gone to her can claim the same.

But Jill inspired me to be a healthier person, to improve my appearance from the inside out, to address inflammation in my system. I can’t express what a huge deal this is.

See, I’ve had GI problems for twenty years. I’ve downed barium to figure out why I burp so much. I had an endoscopy to check out ongoing acid reflux. I’ve elevated the head of my bed, I’ve taken two Prilosec a day. The best I’ve been able to do is manage the pain and chalk up my gut issues to stress.

And then, about a year ago, while getting a facial from Jill, we got to talking about inflammation, diet, green powder, and alkalizing the digestive track. Suddenly, a lightbulb went on. Aha, if I clean up my system and start eating better and more mindfully, I might alleviate my problems and improve my skin.

So I started reading, chewing through books like The pH Miracle and Ultraprevention. I asked my GP for certain blood tests to check stuff like my magnesium levels. I started taking digestive enzymes, probiotics, and a boatload of supplements. And I made myself a green-powder smoothie every morning.

I won’t say I was cured after a week. But now, a year later, by following a few guidelines (see below), I’ve lost twenty pounds and get compliments nearly every day about how fantastic I look. Someone told me just today that I look very serene. I think my skin now has a glow, not from the occasional facial (although that helps), but from good living and eating. I don’t diet, but I’ve changed my diet. And my body continues to thank me every day. And I thank Jill for that.

A few tips I’ve incorporated into my life:

• Buy unprocessed, raw, whole food whenever possible
• Add in raw foods, seeds and nuts whenever possible (chop chard or kale and add it to soup, for instance)
• Take Omega-3 fish oil and Omega-6 borage or black current seed oil supplements, as well as other supplements, digestive enzymes, and probiotics
• Try to drink a smoothie with green powder every day
• When traveling, bring fruit, raw almonds, and trail mix to snack on. Airports contain virtually no food that’s unprocessed
• Dry brush your skin vigorously before you shower; it helps to eliminate toxins
• Minimize or eliminate coffee, sugar*, soda, red meat
• If you’re going to eat ice cream, look for a few ingredients as possible (Snoqualmie Gourmet and Hagen Daaz 5, for example)
• Brew a pitcher of iced tea at night and try to drink it the next day (it’s a good way to stay hydrated)
• Chuck all the old salad dressings in your refrigerator door. It’s very easy to make your own dressing
• Stir fries and fajitas are a staple, as they are quick and healthy
• Don’t count calories; focus instead on the quality and kind of food you are putting in your mouth

*When thinking of sugar, remember that any starch—potato, bread, pasta, baked good, etc.—turns into sugar (i.e. glucose) in the body. Try to keep your starch/sugar intake to a minimum at each meal. I sweeten tea with stevia.

How do you stay healthy? What tips have you picked up from Jill?

(photo: live-green-smoothie-diet.com)

Bill Clinton and the alkaline way

We’ve been singing the praises of an alkaline diet, and now Bill Clinton is too! Check out his interview with Wolf Blitzer, where he describes his dramatic weight loss through an alkaline-friendly diet, which has the capacity to heal the body and turn around heart disease.

Have you discovered the wonders of an alkaline diet? Eating foods that alkalize your system like green drinks, raw vegetables, and nuts, and avoiding acid-producing foods like meat, sugar, and processed foods can drastically change your health and your weight. Jill has long been an advocate of an alkaline lifestyle and we carry P. Jentschura products in the studio that will help to alkalize your system. From MorgenStund porridge to Wurzelkraft plant granules to treat your system internally to copper body brushes and AlkaBath to promote elimination of toxins, the products have quickly become key to many of our clients' wellness plans. One client has lost 15 pounds since October by changing her diet and incorporating P. Jentschura into her daily regimen. Come in and see what all the buzz is about!

(photo: vegsource.com)

 

 

 

Celebrating the season

  A good—nay, great—time was had by all during our annual Holiday Benefit and Party. We loved taking a pause out of our busy schedules to mingle with our clients, who sipped on kir royales, munched on some sinfully good cheese, and snapped up armfuls of their favorite products, booked services, and purchased gift certificates during the evening. The energy was high as we drew tickets for gift baskets of our favorite products. And the MarQueen Hotel joined in the festivities, donating two gift certificates for the drawing. They opened up a conference room and guest room just down the hall, and offered hors d'oeuvres to our guests (we were partial to the stuffed dates on endive). 

Thanks to you, we filled three large boxes with food items for Northwest Harvest. We hope our event helped set you on a path of good cheer for the rest of the month. We know we're still buoyed up after spending time with all of you, perhaps the best gift of all.

Joyeux Noël!

Join us for our annual holiday benefit

’Tis the season to celebrate the season of goodwill! Join us in the studio on December 8 for our annual holiday benefit, supporting Northwest Harvest.

And as a thank you to our dear clients, if you book your next appointment at this event, we will offer 20-percent off your next service and on products and gift certificates purchased this evening (jewelry not included).

During the evening, we will also raffle off gift baskets filled with our favorite products and two gift certificates for the MarQueen Hotel's Grand Suite. 

Feel free to invite your friends. We look forward to seeing you!

When: Wed., Dec. 8, 4–8pm

Where: The MarQueen Hotel, 600 Queen Anne Ave. N (unfortunately for this evening, complimentary valet parking will not be available)

Special request: Please bring a non-perishable food item for Northwest Harvest

Please RSVP here. 

(Check out our photos from last year's soiree.)

 

Working the WurzelKraft

We’ve been swapping ideas in the studio about ways to spice up our food with P. Jentschura WurzelKraft. In case you haven’t heard, WurzelKraft is a mix of granules from 100 different plants to give you a broad spectrum of nutrition on a daily basis. Just three teaspoons a day can help alkalize your system and increase your energy.

There are two types of WurzelKraft—a fruity and an aromatic version (with lower fruit content). We have really embraced the fruity and are using it in the following ways:

• Sprinkled on apple slices, applesauce, or pudding
• Sprinkled on oatmeal or MorgenStund
• Added to green drinks and keifer
• Folded into smoothies
• Spread on honey toast

How are you rocking the WurzelKraft?  We’d love to know how you’re incorporating it into your life!

(Photo: p-jentschura.com)