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Gloss Find: Mandara Spa Aboard the Norwegian Epic

Friends, brace yourself.

I – Aly Walansky – have gone to a GYM.

It was such an epic experience — no pun intended – that I even asked for access to the FitGLOSS section of the site just to share this brief moment in time with you all.

You see, I was on a press trip aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Epic ship this past week, and took my good friend Kristin with me. Kristin is a fitness aficionado, and recently ACE certified as a group fitness instructor, so she knows her stuff.

Me, on the other hand? Occasionally I watch the Shimmy belly-dancing series on cable while drinking in bed.

(Yes, I have no idea why she continues to want to be my friend either.)

Anyway, when I invited Kristin on the trip, she made me promise we’d go to the gym at least three times during the 8-day journey. I agreed, and hoped she’d be too hungover to remember the promise.

Then, something sort of funny happened – I actually sort of liked it.

Cruise ships are notorious for copious amounts of food danger (i.e. everything is fatty/oily/fried), and a whole lot of sitting around and not moving. This equals superfast weight gain. The week before Thanksgiving (And three weeks before my birthday, followed by Christmas), who needs that?

Norwegian Cruise Lines recently had asked me to come aboard the Norwegian Epic, bring a friend, and sail around the Caribbean (gratis!) for a week, for the purpose of reviewing the ship.

As a beauty editor, I was wooed by them having the largest spa facility and fitness center at sea, totaling more than 31,000 square feet.

It’s pretty amazing: Mandara Spa features 24 treatment rooms, two private couple’s villas, two exotic steam Rasul rooms, a DIY Scrub Experience, Hydrotherapy Courtyard & Thermal Suite, full-service salon, fitness center and barber shop.

Before I talk about the gym — unfamiliar ground for me – my favorite aspect was the Hydrotherapy Thermal Suite. Any cruise guest can get a day pass to this for only $30, and it features separate men’s and women’s areas equipped with sauna, aromatherapy steam, experience showers and heated ceramic loungers.

It’s also a bit romantic (were I not there with a girl!) and has the feel of a tropical garden communal setting, chaise lounge seating, a pool with massaging jets and waterfalls, a whirlpool and an outdoor relaxation deck.

But there’s a lot of other fabulous options going on at that spa — I was intrigued by the Rasul room, a purpose-built steam room that soothes and detoxifies the body, with organic muds, exfoliants and oils to purify and nourish. To complete the ritual, a warm tropical rain pours down from the dome of the rasul to wash away tension.

Can you get any more tropical paradise than that?

Mixologists aren’t just for the bar — onboard, there’s also a SPA mixologist, who for each guest will create personalized sugar or salt exfoliating scrubs using herbal blends to use during treatments or within the Rasul rooms.

Also cool: Even the spa is kid-friendly on this cruise! On the menu, you will find stuff like the signature ME! Bath® Ice Cream Manicure and Pedicure, as well as the Mother-Daughter Paradise Massage and the Father-Son Chill Out Massage.

But that’s not the whole reason I am profiling this spa…

norwegian epic 4513 300x225 Gloss Find: Mandara Spa Aboard the Norwegian Epic Half of the spa floor is dedicated to a Fitness Center.
(Ack! I know.)

The concept of working out is shamefully foreign to me, but it’s an important aspect for many people when traveling.

And, honestly, if you are going to go to the gym, shouldn’t it be overlooking a gorgeous ocean?

This is a pretty sporty ship: It has the the first rappelling wall at sea and the only U.S. rated climbing wall afloat. As for the gym, it has 37 treadmills and 18 cross trainers, extensive weight equipment and free weight areas, stretching areas and four distinct aerobic studios.

There’s even classes! Everything from kettlebell training to yoga and pilates and personal training sessions. It can make you feel a lot less guilty about those pina coladas…

Yoga Pose: Warrior Two

warrior2 Yoga Pose: Warrior Two Warrior Two is the most common yoga pose that you will see in every spa/yoga magazine. It looks easy but there’s a lot more to it than you think.

The benefits are fantastic: if you hold the pose for ten slow breaths (pretty challenging), you will seriously strenghten you thigh and calf muscles. This pose is also considered to be a hip-opener. Plus, you’ll also tone and strenghen your triceps (if held up for the full 10 breaths.)

How to do it:

- You’ll need a sticky mat for the pose — you don’t want your back foot slipping.

- Stand with your feet about 4 feet apart. When your arms are fully outstretched (as in the picture), you feet should be below your wrists.

- Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in 45 degrees.

- Bend your right knee, making sure that the knee lines us with your middle toes. Try to bend the knee to a right angle. Take five slow breaths and then change sides.

While in the pose:

The most important thing is to breathe slowly and observe your breath, especially as the pose becomes harder to hold. Press down your right heel to engage the thigh muscles.
Very important to have a lot of weight on your back foot. Press the outer edge of the left foot into the earth for stability. Lift your hip bones up and gently draw your low belly in and up towards your heart.

Warrior Two Pose gives us a sense of connectness to the earth and a feeling of strength and power. Practice every day, especially when feeling in need of a boost.

About the Author

Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of “Gorgeously Green”, “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” and the soon to be released “Do It Gorgeously.”

Read more amazing tips from Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com

Would You Rather Be Skinny or Have Good Sex?

8A9F9CD5F3C343A24C8C4DADA99939 300x257 Would You Rather Be Skinny or Have Good Sex? Did you ever play the game would you rather? When you ask someone to decide what they’d rather have or do – for example would you rather have a six-pack or toned thighs? The questions are never fair, but whenever you answer them you try to rationalize your choice.

So, would you rather be skinny or have sex? Right off the bat I’m going to say why can’t you be skinny and have sex? Of course you can, but in this game, you have to chose one. That’s exactly what researchers have studied and a recent poll showed the answers were split. Half of American women would give up sex for a whole summer than gain ten pounds.

I think it depends on how much you weigh to begin with and if you’re in a relationship or not. USA Today reported that three-quarters of both men and women would have been willing to give up something — such as watching TV, shopping, using a cellphone or computer for the summer — for a flat tummy.

Spill to myGloss…what would you be willing to give up to be skinny?

Clear Respiratory Illness in A Salt Spa

18skin2 articleLarge 300x163 Clear Respiratory Illness in A Salt Spa Popular in Eastern Europe for years, salt spas are beginning to enter the United States beginning in New York City. So what’s a salt spa? Exactly what you think.

Treatment rooms, made to mimic caves found in Eastern Europe, have walls made of salt, the floor is covered in salt (like sand on a beach) and salt is blown into the air ever-so-slightly. You can go in fully clothed or in a spa robe, kick back and watch TV, work on your laptop, read a magazine or just relax.

“A treatment helps people detox their airwaves,” commented Ron Rofe, founder and president of Halo/Air Salt Rooms in NYC. ”Over time, it can help cure people of a lot of discomforts from allergies, asthma, and bronchitis.”

Studies have found that salt helps to treat and relieve chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, sinus problems, the common cold, skin disorders such as acne, depression, stress and even helps those trying to quit smoking. Even though your airways may feel clearer after just one session, if you suffer from severe allergies of respiratory illnesses, a one hour session once a week is recommended.

Study: Women Are Sexier When Ovulating

600 01694347n 209x300 Study: Women Are Sexier When Ovulating Unless you’re trying to get pregnant chances are you’re probably not consciously paying too much attention to your cycle, but research shows your actions are.

During ovulation (mid cycle) women are known to purchase sexier clothing and take better care of themselves in a “survival of the fittest tactic.” Researchers at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management found that despite evolution, we’re still behaving the same. Because of the increased levels of estrogen and testosterone during this time, women tend to feel most desirable and therefore put themselves out there in a “look at me, I’m sexier than her” type of way.

“In order to entice a desirable mate, a woman needs to assess the attractiveness of other women in her local environment to determine how eye-catching she needs to be to snare a good man,” Kristina Durante, a post-doctoral fellow at the Carlson School, stated. Therefore, she’ll spend and invest in material goods and herself to compete without realizing what she’s doing.

While this may be great for the cosmetic and fashion industry, it definitely takes a toll on your funds. It would be interesting to take a look at your credit card statement and check which days out of the month you’re a frequent swiper!

The 411 on OA: Overeaters Anonymous

emotional eating 727434 274x300 The 411 on OA: Overeaters Anonymous Truth be told – you can love to eat and eat a lot, but you don’t have to be over weight. That’s one of the lessons learned at Overeaters Anonymous, a support group that’s becoming increasingly popular in Britain.

Very similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, a group gathers to discuss and support each others common addiction – in this case, overeating. Founded in California in 1960, the goal of the 12-step program is to help people of all shapes and sizes over come their eating addiction. According to the Institute of Psychiatry, one in five people have an eating disorder and three out of every five of them are compulsive eaters.

According to the dailymail, a typical conversation at OA goes like this – ‘Hello, I’m Jane,’ says an attractive, slim woman in her 40s. ‘And I’m a compulsive over eater.’ The group all reply in jolly unison: ‘Hello, Jane.’ Jane, a stay-at-home mother of one, continues:

‘This week I’ll be two years abstinent and to me it is a miracle. I am not a normal eater, I never will be. Before coming here I couldn’t go 20 minutes without eating.

Of course we all over indulge from time to time, but over eaters are ashamed of their binges and often do it alone, shunning out the rest of the world. Unlike alcoholics or drug addicts, people must eat to live, so coping with an eating addiction is different. With the obesity rate steadily increasing in America, maybe the members of OA will as well.

Beat the Dairy Bloat

uc constipation and bloating Beat the Dairy Bloat Feeling bloated may be one of the most unattractive feelings in the world. No matter how fit you are or how healthy you eat sometimes it just creeps up on you. Different foods cause different types of bloating and you can lessen the bloat by paying attention to the way your body responds to them.

The lactose in dairy can be extremely bloating, especially for those who lack the enzyme necessary to break it down fully. While both milk and yogurt contain lactose, yogurt contains less and has probiotics that help with the break down. If you find you often suffer from bloating when drinking milk, opt for Greek yogurt as your daily intake of dairy for the day. You’ll notice a difference.

Another option is to try dairy substitutes. This way you’re still getting the calcium and protein, but beating the bloat. Soy, almond and rice milk are three of the most popular vegetarian options. Soy milk has the most protein of the three, almost comparable to regular milk, less fat, no cholesterol and are a comparable source of calcium.

Twitter Study Tracks Moods

Do you Tweet? I love Twitter and constantly use it as my news feed to see what’s happening in the industry and in the world. Some people tweet to let their followers know how they feel in hopes some will reach out and understand.

Since Twitter launched, it’s had an annual growth rate of 1,105 percent and this past January the site encountered about 75 million unique visitors. A group of scientists from Harvard and Northwestern University studies mood patterns through the use of keywords on Twitter, reports the New York Times.

Most people express happiness in the morning and around bedtime and suffer from the midday blues. Out of all of the days of the week, people Tweet sheer happiness on Sunday mornings (ah, the day of relaxation), but anger and frustration comes out on Thursday. No wonder they say TGIF.

Next time you Tweet, think about what you’re sharing with the world. Try expressing something positive – it could cause a chain reaction. Follow @Gloss to catch up on news from MyGloss.com!