The Future of Wellness is Super Cold

In my blog travels, I’m always on the lookout for the latest trends, hot spot, fun food, hit book, or awesome home décor. I was on FaceBook recently and my friend Doug was checking in to a place in Avalon, New Jersey called Orange Cryo Wellness. There are locations in Conshohoken and Northern Liberties, too.

Since I was headed to the island, I decided to try it out, and Bar, who is running the shop and Courtney, who also works there, they helped me understand the science of Cryo Wellness.

Watch me explain Cryo!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG-tGOzFooQ

I had been hanging out and sunning myself on the beach since finally warm weather arrived, and when it came time for my appointment- I got nervous. Go into a freezing cold tank of ..what exactly?

The treatment boasts better sleep, tighter, firmer skin, anti-aging benefits, easier recovery from injuries and hangover, and burns hundreds of calories per 3 minute session.

Athletes use this therapy for recovering sore muscles, and a lot like an ice pack- but this is whole body dry, cold air.

In the warm tones of the shop on Dune Drive, a few blocks from the beach, Orange Cryo’s manager Barb showed me the tank, and I began to strip down and suit up- you must be completely dry, and hope into your waffle-weave robe, then put on socks and Crocs to protect my feet.

I was pretty nervous, but Barb and Courtney explained it well, and Courtney got in to show me how it’s done. She was shaking with cold, but then it was over and she felt great!

In I go- I'm freezing!
https://youtu.be/SB2wwlmBabE

The Orange Cryo Wellness was born from Whole Body Cryo Therapy, which was first invented in Japan by Dr. Yamaguchi in 1978 to reduce pain and inflammation in his rheumatoid arthritis patients. In the following two decades, the technology was further developed in Europe while medical research supported the healing impact of the cryo treatment on our endocrine, immune and nervous systems.

How does it work:

Stepping into an open-topped cryosauna, for no longer than 3 minutes, your body is briefly exposed with extremely cold air, with temperatures as low as -256 F. When I stepped in to the open top chamber, I closed the door then handed out my robe, and Barb handed in my clothes.
And yep- I was only wearing gloves, socks and Crocs. Then then the cool air started, then I got cold.

But I stress it was a dry cold- not like jumping into a cold pool or a wintry day. This air circulated and after- I felt energized!  It was a fast two minutes at only negative 120 (in the video I say it was 120 degrees, it was NEGATIVE degrees!). I tried to fidget a bit and talk to Barb to take my mind off it.

Done! https://youtu.be/3c_PF2k-0lI

And then it was over! All day I felt really energized even when I was back on the beach. I started to get tired on my drive back to Philly, and I did sleep well that night!

This was a cool experience, and one I would try again. I was nervous but i got over that fast once I got in the chamber. And I must stress cryo therapy is for healthy, sober individuals. Please see a doctor if you are ill, and remember cryo therapy is to enhance your health, not cure any illness or disease. Check with your health provider if you are unsure.

Packages start at $25 up to monthly memberships and also just for facials. The cold is very theraputic for hangovers, detox, sore muscles, and tiredness.

Get Your Veggies with Mocktails

Mocktails are non- alcoholic cocktails. They offer a wide range of ingredients like fruit juices, veggie juices, spices, herbs, mineral water, ice and sweetener. Also known as mock cocktails, they’re a delicious, refreshing alternative to an alcoholic drink. And for people who don’t want to broadcast that they’re avoiding alcohol, mocktails are the perfect answer. If you ditch the alcohol and choose healthy ingredients, including a healthy low-calorie sweetener such as stevia, you can avoid a boatload of calories not to mention a hangover.

So if you want to get rid of the winter “pudge” and that muffin top, add mocktails to your spring shape up plan. You should also feel a lot better when you wake up in the morning.

You may also want to try a short juice fast with mocktails before dinner. 

  

Icy Spicy Gazpacho
2 tomatoes, cut in chunks
1 cup fresh carrot juice (about 5–7 carrots)
1 lemon, juiced, peeled (if putting it through a juice machine)
1/4 cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 small jalapeño, chopped
3 radishes

Place the tomato chunks in a freezer bag and freeze until solid. This is optional.

Or you can use fresh tomatoes placed in the blender; then you would need to add ice cubes.

Pour the carrot and lemon juices into a blender and add the frozen tomato chunks, cilantro, salt, cumin,  jalapeño, and radishes. Blend on high speed until smooth but slushy;
serve immediately. Serves 2.

Lemon Sipper
With less than 10 calories, this is an ideal low-calorie, vitamin C–rich thirst
quencher.

1/2 lemon, washed or peeled if not organic
1 cup unsweetened mineral water
2–3 drops liquid stevia
4 ice cubes

Juice the lemon and pour the juice into a glass over ice. Add the mineral water and stir to combine. Sweeten with stevia to taste.

Cherie Calbom MSN holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, she is the author of 32 books including her latest The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting and Sugar Knockout. 

Week in the Life of Engchik- Eating and Spending

Hello Monday!

Ahh goals and things, how about work hard at my jobs, eat more mindfully, go to the gym, enjoy the outdoors, see my family, and declutter! April was great in that we had a GREAT anniversary vacation in Williamsburg- so so amazing!

I just won an award for an event I worked on, Montco Happening’s BEST OUTDOOR EVENT ! So excited and honored! I have a night to receive our award coming up!

I’ve decided to continue my Engchik Eats series including the pantry challenge like the one I did a few weeks ago. It kept me accountable as well as really pointing out triggers in my eating to cut down on bad habits. I want to make it clear I am not doing this because I need to be thin or love myself more: I love myself a lot and when I look in the mirror, I see a rock star.

I am doing this because a lot of times anymore, I hurt after I eat. That’s why I’m doing this.
I would like to NOT HURT when I EAT. I’ve realized a few things that I do that contribute to that pain, so here goes round two. I spoke to a nutritionist friend over the weekend and am eating more mindfully, chewing my food completely and thoroughly, and cutting out a few things.  Steve and I celebrated out first wedding anniversary in the middle of April, in Williamsburg, VA, and some of the time I felt logy or sick to my stomach from all that we ate. Like, pizza is great, but three pieces will ruin my night. Someone suggests I may become lactose intolerant so I’m watching the dairy intake. Coconut milk and yogurt are pretty great.

If I don’t put a number next to it, it means I already had it or it came from my work stash or pantry. Again, this is mostly my expenditures, not as a married couple.

Here we go!

Monday, May 2
7:19am. Coffee on the ride in, fairly weak, since I had a half cup at 5:15 when I called in to More 101.1 FM this morning to do a wrap up of an event I did.
Eating a ½ of ham and cheese panini for breakfast, ate the other ½ from Wawa for dinner last night. And a shot of ACV.

9:18am. Hungry, green apple, water. $0.

10:23am. Starving. Want to eat my lunchtime chicken! Drank a glass of chocolate coconut water instead. Ahh cravings soothed. Im finding I get hungry w stress. $0.

11:12:am. Ate three buffalo boneless wings from last night’s dinner (cut off most of the breading) $0.

2:24pm. Protein bar instead of the greens I bought. I’ll have to eat them tomorrow! Water. $0.

4:09pm. Small lollipop (butterscotch)

5:45pm. While cleaning up the kitchen I decided to see what’s in the freezer that I could make for dinner. Steve had run to the bank, so it was up to me to get creative. From the freezer, I used Trader Joe’s mushroom medley, the last of the one bag of frozen shrimp, and some broccoli, making a stir fry. I put this over mushroom rice, and also made a few baked sweet potato fries (also from Trader Joe’s.) It was pretty tasty, and I made enough for lunch today. Steve came home later, and he had some rice and an organic burrito (thank God for the organic selection from Door to Door Organics!) $0.

9:00pm. Got my Goodie Girl cookies! Had some bit size cookies, read, and off to sleep as it is beginning to storm...ooh the pets don’t like the thunder! $0.

Tuesday, May 3.
6:25am. Coffee on the way in. Another rainy day! $0.
7:45am. Ham & Cheese croissant from Saint Peter’s Bakery from the weekend. Shot of ACV in water. $0.
10:03am. Hungry, ate a bit of peanut butter w my go pack of Goodie Girl cookies. Still drinking my coffee and water. $0.

12:58pm. Lunch! Leftovers from last night – Mushrooms, a couple shrimp, broccoli, rice. Water. Still sipping ACV in water. $0.

3:12pm. Glass of chocolate coconut milk. Feels decadent. $0.

5:15pm. Home. Hungry. Water and some white cheddar popcorn that was sent to me for a story. V tasty! $0.

6:45pm. Steve just got home and is hungry for Chinese food. We got soup, pad thai, and a dish for Steve. Since it was a rainy night (again) we both enjoyed our hot soup and relaxing, He’s been sick so it was a nice night in. We both ate a few bites of our dish, we probably could have split something, but in any case, we both have enough for lunch tomorrow. A couple bite size cookies. $28.

Thursday
May 5.
8am. Coffee and a raspberry organic fig bar. Shot of ACV in water.
10am. Chocolate Coconut water. $0.

1:01pm. Lunch, leftover Thai, a couple bite size cookies. $0

8:38pm. Work day, filming a new series w a friend for our YouTube, got two episodes in. I got home, showered, and fell over onto bed. Steve brought me a Wawa sandwich, which I ate and passed out, probably didn’t even need to eat it. I slept fantastic tho. Panini- $3.50.

Friday
May 5

7:15am. Breakfast. Skipped the coffee this morning, just water and ACV. Bought a banana in the café, ate half (saved other half for tomorrow) in my oatmeal with walnuts, honey, cinnamon and coconut milk. Spent 50 cents. (and getting dressed this morning, my knickers were looser!)

 12:54pm. Lunch. Im ignoring my salad fixings in the fridge. I want food! Headed to the café and got four chicken boneless wings w no sauce, a medley of cucumbers and edamame, a slice of fried eggplant, and half a toasted chicken, spinach & cheese sandwich on excellent French bread. I ate a boneless wing. Spent $6.23.

I took two bites of the fried eggplant and my initial response is mmm fried food, even tho it tasted like old oil (but the nuggets never taste that way, they must be baked) and on my third bite, I began to feel nauseated and sick to my stomach. I quick gulped some water, and I was fine. And that fried bit went into the trash. How interesting that in just two weeks off deep fried foods is enough to turn my stomach?!

5:00pm. Dinner.  I microwaved a small stouufers lasgna, and had a sip of wine. For dessert, a couple bite size Goodie Girl cookies (the bag is decent-sized). I had a small glass of ACV and water. I’ve found that now that I take ACV, there’s no need for Zantac. I had zero issues form the red sauce or the cheese.

10:30. Bed!

May 6
Friday!
7:45am. Coffee and oatmeal at work, and grabbed a burrito for lunch! No spend Friday! (I hope!) $0.

12:12pm: Lunch- salad from caf. Very tasty! $3.19.

5:00. I was running around tonight- and I got a hoagie from the corner deli. It was fantastic, and I had eaten every bite! It was all I had too, I went to two events later that night, and there were drinks and desserts, and all I ate was a strawberry. It totally works when I listen to my body, and really enjoy what I am eating, and don’t overeat! Spent $10.19.

Having no coffee or cheese or diet soda makes me a cranky bitch!

Yep, I’m a cranky bitch on this detox.  A friend said I’d feel vaguely flu-ish and she is right! I do feel lots better on the inside, and slept better after just three days. Of course, there's that slight headache today.

Lunch is chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and cucumber slices, and water. Lotsa green tea. 

Doing this more for the medical at this point- most of April I've been having insane heartburn, gall bladder attacks, taking Zantac and Tums all the time. Of course, I also eat a lot of junk, now that I'm making myself really look at it. I spoke w a nutritionist friend over the weekend and I decided to cut out a few things this week to see how I feel. plus, overweight ppl are more susceptible to gall bladder issues.

And it’s like ok, i can not eat dairy for a week (coconut milk is great), or no cheesesteaks for 2 months, or no diet coke. I'm trying to make small tweaks. that said, im still having bread here and there or a cookie.

This weekend i really took stock in what made me feel bad. cheesesteaks, pizza, red sauce, cheese, beer, (wine is ok, just half a glass). Really making me say wow this food isn't good that I'm eating!

Coffee, not so much a problem, but cutting it out this week, i drink really weak coffee w no dairy so i don’t think that’s the culprit. Almond milk hurt my stomach so i tried another. Fried foods I’m avoiding for the most part too. sucks tho- i was at movie tavern last night..and i was like, um what can i eat?!

Diet coke is the devil even tho steve and i love it, so we are going to try to cut it out a bit. Instead doing lemon water and then a smoothie in the am, then a shot of ACV in water before lunch.

So, stay tuned!