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SPA SESSIONS
perfect produce
recipes for spa success
ASIA HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF FRESH PRODUCE, OFFERING A WEALTH of natural healing and beautifying benefits. You might well recognise some of these ingredients as healthy dining delights, but they’re just as good for you when they’re massaged into your back – the nutritional benefits seep through your pores as efficiently as when they’re eaten from a plate. Here are some common spa products, straight from an Asian garden:
1 PAPAYA
Rich in essential enzymes and vitamins, this fruit helps reduce wrinkles, improves skin texture and elasticity, and even lightens brown spots that have developed from exposure to the sun. Used in body polishes to soften and revitalise the skin, papaya contains papain, a gentle exfoliating enzyme. Papaya also features in wraps and leaves skin with a healthy glow.
2 COCONUT
Coconut flesh, oil and milk provide superb levels of hydration and nourishment to the skin. It has anti-aging, antioxidant, antiseptic and healing properties – like reducing blemishes and aiding sunburned skin. The natural minerals and proteins help the skin’s growth, repair and suppleness. Coconuts feature in body polishes, baths, scrubs, wraps and hair conditioners.
3 TURMERIC
This Southern Asian plant is a natural, powerful antioxidant and healer with anti-inflammatory properties; in Ayurveda (the traditional South Indian medicine system), turmeric is oft en employed. Combined with other fresh herbs and ingredients, the tuber is incorporated in moisturising herbal wraps, or blended with rice and sandalwood in scrubs, like Javanese lulur.
4 LEMONGRASS
This aromatic herb is known to ease rheumatism, head and muscular aches, fevers, menstrual and digestive problems, and fatigue. Thanks to its rich, uplifting scent (which, true to its name has shades of sweet lemon), the long skinny shoot is combined with other herbs and used in traditional Asian healing therapies, including heated compresses, steam infusions and essential oils.
5 GINGER
Ginger has antiseptic properties and is a stomach-trouble tonic – ideal for reducing wind and improving the digestive system. An effective anti-inflammatory, ginger is known to “heat” the body from the inside, improving blood circulation and relieving muscle and joint pains. Often used in exfoliating scrubs and warming wraps. – Samantha Coomber
beach bod
fitness holidays on samui
CANCER SURVIVOR TURNED PERSONAL TRAINER Roz Alexander has conceived a new approach to holidaying – private exercise and diet coaching in a luxurious villa. The head of programmes and nutrition at BeachFit fllls Rachael Nonis in:
How did having thyroid cancer make you want to become a personal trainer?
Health and nutrition was always my hobby. I had to battle the cancer, which was awful because my body was totally ruined. After going through a whole stage of horrible health, and coming out on the other side of it, I became passionate about trying to get people to learn the background knowledge I gained from the experience.
Explain the BeachFit concept.
We want to provide the luxury component as well as give them their fltness. The idea is that they come to learn to eat and exercise right and take those tools back with them so they can continue. We don’t want people coming thinking that they’re going to lose massive amounts of weight in four days, because that’s not realistic. We don’t take groups of more than 10, so everyone gets individual attention.
What if they want a break to go get some fried rice or a beer? After all they are on holiday…
We don’t provide alcohol because we don’t want to promote that. But if they want to wander out to Nikki Beach (a Café del Mar-style bar), which is just down the road – I highly discourage it [laughs] – but they can. It’s not like I’m going to be there blowing the whistle.
Massage is included in the programme. Is that just recreation or is there a speciflc reason?
Ultimately it is for relaxation, but also we have people who are de-conditioned, in the sense that they are not used to doing cardio or strength training every day, and they’re going to be sore, so it’s really important, at the end of each day, to help move the toxins out of their muscles, [otherwise] they will build up lactic acid levels. But we also have yoga for that purpose.
How do you ensure participants keep at it?
When participants complete BeachFit, there’s a three-month online nutrition programme that they can choose to continue with, or if they’re based in Singapore they can train with me. US$1,500 for an all-inclusive four-day, four-night package, www.beachflt.com.sg
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