F A CTS FADS
CAROL SORGEN AND
CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ
Imagine lounging in a chaise and
According to Beverly Price, nutritionist at Sinai Hospital, diets
being bombarded with light and
and counting calories are definitely out. The food health trends
sounds that soothe the mind.
of the '90s are behavior modification programs using low-fat
These altered states are a reality
foods. "When you eat low-fat foods and keep calories consistent
at the Parker Therapeutic Relaxa-
throughout the week, you will notice a change in the way you
tion Center in Bloomfield Hills.
look over time."
"We found over the years that 80 percent
If you happen to taste a dessert, don't be guilty. "There is no
of our clients come to us to reduce stress,
such thing as blowing your diet," she says. "Congratulate your-
and we decided that was our market," says
self for being able to stop at one cookie, then forge ahead with
Jerry Stutz.
your healthy lifestyle."
Mr. Stutz notes the many services at the
clinic. Although the therapeutic massage
with a special blend of oil and the sauna
are good starting points, the clinic's many
unique features include the float tank,
which is a shallow pool of water to relax
the body and the mind. Due to the high
concentration of salt in the water, sinking
is impossible. It's just pure relaxation.
Another unique feature is the light and
sound machine. The client wears special
glasses and earphones for a combination
of relaxing sounds and pulses of light. "The
experience stays
with you for a week,"
From nightclubs to health clubs and fitness
For most of us cold weather is merely
adds Mr. Stutz.
centers, country-western dancing is hot! If
annoying. For others, it can be down-
you didn't catch up with the achy breaky-
right dangerous. According to Dr.
• taken from country star Billy Ray Cyrus'
Martin Valentine, professor of medi-
mega-hit "Achy Breaky Heart"—you're just in
W cine at the John Hopkins School of
Medicine, approximately 1 percent of the popula-
time to learn such toe-tappin' favorites as the
Yes, you can
tion is actually allergic to the cold and must spend
boot scootin' boogie and sleazy slide.
• strengthen
the frosty month to protect themselves from dan-
At the Workout Co. in Bloomfield
your musc-
gerous allergic reactions.
Hills, owner Myrna Partrich hired a
les without jumping
"A prescription to Florida is what I recommend,"
country-western dance teacher to
and lifting weights. Go
Dr. Valentine chuckles. More seriously, he says,
come in and show her instructors
to the Callanetics Stu-
"We've had to suggest that a few patients move to
how to do the Texas-two step and
dio in West Bloomfield.
an area with a consistently warmer climate. For
use it in exercises.
Callentics, an exercise
some,
simply walking from a heated house into
Although there are quick foot
program that works all
the icy air can trigger the release of histamine
changes in the achy breaky, country-
of the muscles in a non-
into the bloodstream, resulting in shock," he says.
western dancing itself is not intimi-
impact routine, was
Most patients, says Dr. Valentine, have mild
dating to learn. "Anyone can do it,"
developed by Callan
symptoms,
easily controlled with specific antihist-
says Ms. Partrich. Plus, the added
amines.
Pinckey after she suf-
bonus is that much of country dancing doesn't require
fered a back injury.
a partner; they're performed in a line so anyone can
Here in West Bloom-
Vitamin E has long been touted by health
join in.
field, Maureen Ludwig
food proponents as an effective anti-
is a callanetic instruc-
aging supplement. But new evidence sug-
tor. She's the only certi-
gests that vitamin E might also be used
fied callentic teacher in
Hasta la vista, baby! If you saw the film,
to fight off certain kinds of cancer, most
the area, and the studio
The Terminator and were more impressed
notably oral cancer.
is the only franchise in
by Linda Hamilton than Arnold Schwar-
A study conducted by the National Cancer
Michigan.
dh zenegger, you're not alone. Striving to
Institute shows that people who regularly con-
w emulate the lean, mean actress machine,
"There is no stress on
sume vitamin E supplement have half the risk of
more and more women have turned to weightlifting for
the joints. We strength-
oral and pharyngeal cancer, after taking into
a sculpted, toned body image.
en and protect the mus-
account other factors such as the use of tobacco
"Lately, more women than men are coming in to buy
cles," says Ms. Ludwig.
and alcohol. The findings were reported recently
exercise equipment," says Tony Pecoraro, manager of
The routine involves
in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
McCoy Exercise in Southfield.
deep muscular stretch-
Statistician Gloria Gridley and other NCI col-
ing and contracting.
leagues gathered clAtA‘from.interviewti with more
"Our new concept has
than 1,300 health'Individtialg: They eompared
been well received," she
the use of vitamins, including A, C, E, minerals
states. It's no wonder
and multivitamins, with the incidence of cancer.
this studio is popular—
"When the analysis was complete, we found
no sweat, no pain and
that those who took vitamin E had a 50 percent
no strain.
lower risk of oral cancer compared with non-vita-
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