Beauty - inside and out

Does beauty come from the inside out or is it all just an external fixation? When it comes to being beautiful in others peoples' eyes I've had a few people tell me that the ability to portray self-confidence goes a long way in someone finding you attractive. For some of us who have "hang ups" about ourselves displaying self confidence may not come as easy as we would like. Wearing makeup and clothes that make us feel more sexy and attractive are tools that help us "be" more self confident within our own skin even if we don't feel that way.

Laser Hair Removal is another tool that can help us feel more comfortable with ourselves and allow the inner beauty to shine through more easily. Our society today has little, if any, tolerance for hair growth. This applies to both men and women. If women walk around each day hiding our face because we have hair on our upper lip or cheek, we can miss out on so many possible positive interactions. Or if men always wear a collared shirt or shave our back because of a lot of hair it can detract from the self confidence and beauty we could be feeling and exuding.

At The Healing Oasis we strive to offer therapeutic services that promote peace, healing and success within each individual - which is why I decided to offer Laser Hair Removal as an added service. If we can help someone gain self confidence and enable them to "feel" beautiful when they look at themselves in the mirror what a beautiful thing. If we can help someone walk out the door with their head help up high because they've stopped being held back by their image hang-ups we are helping beauty shine through. The more people who feel beautiful and walk with purpose and happiness the more beautiful our world is.

If you know someone who has expressed their concern over their "hair" hang-ups direct them to our office for more information and help in expressing their full selves.

Yours in health and wellness,
Lee Anne

Healthy Living

Our first "4 weeks to wellness" just had it's second meeting and I'm pleased to see that it has been met with dedication and excitement. (Although I think the healthy "snacks" drizzled in chocolate definitely helped bring them back!)

Our first day was absolutely beautiful with the sun shining brightly and the temperature in the balmy double digits. It made the 5K route we did along Barrie's Kempenfelt Drive feel like it was a piece of cake! And I was duly impressed with everyone who showed up in the not-so-balmy 7 degrees this morning!

When it comes to making the decision to live a healthier lifestyle we are faced with little challenges all the time that test our dedication to the goal we've ultimately set for ourselves. For me the biggest challenge is coming home at night after work and not going directly to the fridge or cupboard. I have to consciously ask myself as I'm reaching for that snack "Am I actually hungry?" and "Will eating this bring me closer to or farther away from my goal?" I would probably be correct in assuming everyone who came out this morning asked themselves a similar question..."Do I want to go this morning?" "Do I feel like going outside in the cold?" "Can't I just stay home and curl up on the couch?" Frequently choosing the options that will bring us one step closer to our goals add up to a healthier lifestyle, a more conscientious approach to enjoying life to the fullest, and the satisfaction of knowing that anything can be done if you put your mind to it!

Here's to the dedicated people who walked with us this morning and all of the "See you in 2 weeks I heard when you all left!


Yours in health and wellness,
Lee Anne and The Healing Oasis Team

...And here is the recipe you all asked for! :)

This recipe was taken from iRun magazine, January 2009 edition, iRun.ca
Go-Go Bars Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tsp butter or margarine
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 lb chocolate wafers for melting
1 tsp orange extract (optional)

1. Toast oats sesame seeds and wheat germ.
2. In a large bowl, combine apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds, dry milk, wheat germ, sesame seeds and oats.
3. Over low heat, combine corn syrup and sugar and bring to just a boil. Remove from heat and add butter, peanut butter, orange peel (and extract if using). Stir until well mixed.
4. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Spread mixture on a large cookie sheet with raised edges and let cool at room temperature or in the fridge.
6. Melt and drizzle chocolate over cooled bars. Cut and enjoy!