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Search Results for: coronado cleanse

I Tried It: A Detox Footbath and Colonic from Coronado Cleanse!

January 3, 2019 by islandgirl

Holiday calories and carousing got you feeling not-so-little around your middle? Are you feeling confused and full of cheese? Did you eat your weight in pie? Are you embarrassed to take out your recycling because it’s spilling over with empty wine bottles?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I’ve got you, sister! (And you too, brother…this is for guys, too!) What you need is a gentle refresh. An easy, calming, painless way to renew and recharge from the inside out. What you need, my friend, is a visit to Coronado Cleanse (operating under Coronado Colon Hydrotherapy), our island’s own boutique cleansing spa!

What? We have our own cleansing spa in Coronado? Yes we do! It’s located at 1309 Ynez Place, across from the Post Office. See? Isn’t it cute?

It’s run by this lady, Danni Springer, who has helped hundreds of clients leave her spa more vibrant, fresher and pounds lighter!

So what exactly is a cleansing spa? I’m glad you asked. Danni describes her services as a soft nudge in the right direction to start making healthier life choices. In her cozy, private little oasis (it looks and feels a lot like a quaint space for yoga or meditation…very calming, clean and inviting) she offers detox footbaths, colonics, and other individual treatments catered to each person’s needs.

The footbaths include aromatherapy, massage with essential oils, a hot tea or fresh juice shot, and a detox assessment. Colonics come with abdominal massage, aromatherapy, acupressure points and sound bowl therapy, as well as an assessment on digestive issues, electrolytes and a probiotic for post-treatment. All treatments are designed to detox and cleanse your body in a peaceful, serene setting.

But make no mistake–although it’s gentle, visiting a cleansing spa can be a total game changer for your body, mind and soul. (It was for me!)

Danni suggested I try a detox footbath and a colonic (gulp) to purge toxins from my system. Was I down?

I’m not going to lie. I hesitated for about ten seconds on the colonic…after all, I am a colonic virgin. But my adventurous side got the best of me, and I agreed!

First things first. The detox foot bath. (Don’t worry, I will describe the colonic in detail!)

“If you’re thinking of taking a healthy turn and changing your lifestyle, this is a good place to start,” said Danni. “I know that when people do these footbaths, over time they start to feel better, they sleep better, and they feel like something shifted for them.”

Better sleep? Sold!

I don’t know about you, but after two kids, sleep is the Holy Grail of my existence. I never get enough. Even when my entire family slumbers peacefully, I’ll wake up with a racing mind and a to-do list I’ve written in my dreams that is ten pages long!

Back to the footbath. Danni explained to me that the footbath uses ionized water to pull toxins from my feet.

“The whole ionic foot cleanse is designed based on the electrical charges from our body,” said Danni. “So when you change the structure of the water, it actually creates a magnet effect…the water becomes magnetized and it pulls these electrical particles out of your body. This includes toxins like heavy metals that can really start to affect your health.”

Crazy! Danni ushered me to a small, cozy space in her spa and began to fill up the footbath with warm water. But first, she had me put my feet on this vibrating foot massage machine and she massaged essential oils into my feet. She explained that the vibration gets the blood circulating and really helps to get things moving.

Next, I rolled up my jeans and put my feet in the footbath. The water was nice and warm. (In case you are wondering, I couldn’t feel the ions or electricity or anything.)

“The footbath is totally painless, and it’s very relaxing,” said Danni. “But you are going to see the water in your footbath change into some weird colors.”

I was? Right now it was clear. Danni said she would leave me alone for about 20 minutes or so while the footbath did its thing. I decided to read the helpful brochure on the footbath.

“Every day living in today’s polluted and stressful environment with chemicals in the forms of pesticides, additives and preservatives found in our food, water, and beauty products can burden our body,” the brochure reads. “The body’s excretion pathways…become overwhelmed after long exposure.”

When I looked down again, the water was a little yellow. Hmm. Must be the said-toxins leaving my body.

According to the brochure, these toxins can cause headaches, insomnia, skin problems, acne, wrinkles, depression, anxiety, nausea, weight gain, lowered immunity, and lots more.

“The foot bath sessions will help you feel lighter in your body, have more energy and maintain a greater sense of well being,” the brochure continued.

Now the water was turning brown. Ew!

Then it turned REALLY brown, and it started to bubble up.

It looked like the Bog of Eternal Stench from Labyrinth!

You remind me of a babe.

Was it all the wine I drank? Oh no! I need to stop drinking so much wine. Wait…it couldn’t be…oh no…dear God…WAS IT THE BACON?

I had a deep moment of self-reflection. You see, I come from a place of “yes.” Yes, I will work out every single day, and will go to yoga and Pilates and bar class and run and dance, yes I will meditate, yes I juice every morning and take vitamins. And…also…yes I will drink bottles of wine with you. Yes I will eat some BBQ and a fried sushi roll and pounds of cheese and giant burritos with hot sauce. Maybe….just maybe I needed to clean up my act a bit and start eating cleaner? (And possibly reducing wine intake?)

Danni came in a few minutes later to check on my progress.

“Oh,” she said, and smiled sweetly as she gazed down at the gurgling bath of stench. “It looks like its definitely working and pulling the toxins out of your body.”

I panicked. “I eat a lot of bacon,” I blurted out. “And wine. I love wine. I drink wine every day!”

Danni was unfazed. “Well, looking at the color, it looks like your liver might be a little over-burdened.”

She explained that the color of the water often determines what kind of toxins are being pulled from your body. If the water is dark green, you’re detoxifying from your gallbladder. If it’s orange its your joints. If you have white foam, you are detoxing from your lymphatic system. Yellow green means kidneys, bladder. Some people have actually have black flecks in the water, which can mean heavy metals. Brown means detoxing from liver (duh) and also tobacco. (I don’t smoke so I’m thinking that’s all liver.)

Fascinating! Danni dried off my feet and ended with another foot massage, and gave me a ginger juice shot (delicious) and it was time for me to be on my way.

I practically skipped to my car. I felt great!

I had originally planned to grab a chai tea latte from Café Madrid, run some errands, then treat myself to a sushi roll and a glass of wine.

But wait…I just detoxed a bunch of junk out of my body. Why would I re-toxify it with caffeine, sugar, wine and sushi rice?

And besides. I felt really good! I felt lighter and cleaner and happier. I didn’t even want my coffee or my wine. I opted instead to skip the coffee, and at lunch I ordered a seaweed salad, miso soup and cucumber water. I felt fabulous!

After school pickup that day, both of my kids (miraculously) behaved and did their homework without a fuss. I didn’t even need to pour myself a glass of homework wine. In fact, my entire household flowed in perfect harmony. I even slept great. Random, right?

Next…it was time for my colonic. I’m not going to lie. I was a little nervous. But Danni spent a lot of time at my previous appointment telling me what to expect.

So what exactly is a colonic?

According to Danni (who is an I-ACT certified colon hydrotherapist, by the way)a colonic is a gentle yet effective way to hydrate your body, remove excess toxins, and rejuvenate your system. It basically rids the colon of waste and toxins by releasing layers of colon build-up.

Anatomy of the colon.

“No one ever regrets getting a colonic” says Danni. “Most people find it really relaxing, and the way I do it is very gentle. The goal afterwards is, ‘wow, I got all of that stuff out of me,’ and that’s pretty cool.”

So what exactly is all that “yuck” that will come out of my colon?

“It’s mostly waste,” said Danni. “But also mucus. Our body starts to create mucus as a defense. When we start to eat or drink things that become toxic in our systems, our body starts protecting itself by creating a mucus. This can be reflected in mucus coming out of your skin, having bad skin problems, and some people even develop parasites.”

Ew! Danni explained that lots of dairy and sugar and animal products can lead to this build up of mucus.

“Overall, it can create problems where your brain gets foggy and you just can’t sleep, and your body isn’t functioning properly.”

If that’s not reason enough to get a colonic, check this out…

According to Danni, “What feels great is afterwards. Some people lose up to six pounds in one session. That’s a lot of stuff that’s been in there for years. A lot of plaque and mucus and stuff that is stuck to the walls.”

So getting a colonic was starting to sound like a really good idea!

But wait. Technically speaking, a colonic is described as a therapy that involves a slow infusion of triple-filtered water into the rectum.

We’re talking back-door entry, people! I was feeling a little panicky about this, because this is traditionally an “exit only” situation for me. Would it hurt?

“The tube is very small,” explained Danni, “and although the insertion process isn’t a walk in the park, most people don’t find it to be painful.”

Okay. I think was ready. Any last words of advice?

“Try to eat plant based foods for a few days before you come in, and show up with an open mind and a sense of adventure.”

Plant-based foods. Open mind. Sense of adventure. Yes, I could do this! I was ready!

On the day of my appointment, Danni showed me to the private little bathroom and asked me to disrobe from the waste down and put on a little bathrobe. (I also made sure to weigh myself before I went into the room.)

The table was heated and cozy, some mellow spa music was playing and a chill nature video was showing on a flat screen. I laid down on the table and she had me turn to the side to insert the tube. There was no turning back now! It was happening!

Did the insertion process hurt? I can’t say I liked it, but it wasn’t painful or terrible. And once it was in, it was in.

“The colonic is very gentle,” said Danni. “The minute you start to feel anything uncomfortable, we adjust things like water temperature. Or the flow, or the pressure, it can all be catered to your comfort level.”

I felt a little warmth and water going up my colon, and it felt different but not crazy. She explained to me that she uses a “closed system” so you are not going to smell anything funky. But you will see the waste going through the tube through the machine on the wall. I wasn’t planning on looking at this, but I did.

“The worst thing you might feel is a little cramping, like you have to go,” explained Danni. She would do a “fill” where the water would flush up into my body, then a “release” where the water and yuck would go back down through the tube.

I didn’t feel any pain, but a couple of times I felt cramping, which cued Danni to trigger the “release.”

“Do you see any worms or parasites?” I asked. That would be terrible. She didn’t, but she says she has before, with other clients, several times.

What would also be terrible is, what if the tube became dislodged and it sprayed out all over the room! Could this happen?

“No,” said Danni. “I’ve done like 2,000 of these colonics, and not once has anything ever gone wrong.”

The entire process took about 30 or 40 minutes, and then I was done and off the table.

“Most people need two treatments,” she said. “But sometimes people get everything out in one session and they are good to go.”

I went into the bathroom area to get dressed, and went to the bathroom, and yes, a lot more came out! I couldn’t wait to weigh myself.

I hopped on the scale and I was three pounds lighter. Score!

How was I feeling? I felt…good. A little tired. Danni gave me a probiotic to take, and another ginger shot, and advised me to make really healthy eating choices for the next few days. “Lots of plants,” she said.

So no wine and bacon. Okay.

The colonic was a really interesting experience. For the next few days, I FELT everything I was eating. Big time. When I drank a green juice, I felt fantastic. When I ate a salad, super! But when I munched on some cheese or drank a glass of wine, I felt terrible.

It made me realize how much of what I eat really affects my body. I think I had grown so numb to it over the years that I couldn’t really tell. So I really had to make the conscious choice to eat well. For the most part, I did!

Would I recommend visiting Coronado Cleanse and getting these treatments? Absolutely, 1000%! If you are looking to make a healthy life change, this is the perfect place to start. (I signed up for a second colonic, in case you are wondering!)

It was a major eye-opener to see with my own eyes just how many toxins were burdening my body. It was very powerful to witness these toxins leave my system, and it made me want to do a better job of controlling what I expose my body to.

After all, I have almost total control about what I put into my body. No one decides that but me. I can work out every day to stay strong for my family and my little girls, but what am I putting inside?

So have I made any changes? Yes! As of now, I’m committed to cooking from my vegetarian cookbook at least a few nights a week (it’s called Forest Feast and I am OBSESSED people). I’m not going vegan or anything, but I’m trying to be mindful of my cheese intake. I’m not buying any more bacon. I’m drinking more kombucha and detox tea and treating myself to seaweed salad and miso soup instead of a fried sushi roll.

And…this is the big one…I’m not drinking any wine for the month of January! What? (For those of you who know me, this is MAJOR.) And since I put it out there on social media, it has to happen.

So yes, all of these services are amazing and I highly recommend a visit to Coronado Cleanse. But the biggest thing this experience has taught me? Mindfulness and awareness of what I am putting inside my body and how it is affecting my overall wellness. And that’s something that lasts much longer than the treatments. It’s a total game changer!

To learn more about Coronado Cleanse, call 619-806-4445, or visit the website.

(With services starting at $65 and military discounts, there is an affordable option for everyone.)

Happy New Year, and cheers! (With a detox tea, of course.)

Filed Under: I Tried It

Get the Glow: Perfecting Plant Peel at Coronado Bliss

March 15, 2018 by islandgirl

It’s been a long winter, and your skin is feeling dry and dull. You need a boost, but you’re not sure how to get that blissful glow. How about a hydrating facial and Perfecting Plant Peel by Aveda?

Enter Brie Fitzgerald, a licensed esthetician with Coronado Bliss Salon. She’s been practicing for 12 years now, and she knows her stuff.

“The Perfecting Plant Peel gives you the instant exfoliation and radiance benefits of a 30% glycolic peel without the associated irritation,” says Brie. “With powerful botanical antioxidants and soothing plant based anti-inflammatories, this facial warms the face, opening the pores for maximum exfoliation without the harmful side effects of microdermabrasion and chemical peels.”

Best part? Unlike most peels where you turn red, flake off and need to hide from the sun (think Samantha in Sex & the City), there is ZERO down time. Sign me up!

Just say no to harsh chemical peels!

I arrived at Coronado Bliss salon excited to relax and rejuvenate with my facial and peel. The salon always looks just beautiful, and the spa room in the back is perfection…serene, quiet and calming.
“I love making people feel good,” says Brie. “People forget about themselves and let the stress of life take hold of them. I love knowing that in the 30, 60, or 90 minutes they are in spa room I am able to ease some of the tension and stress, and they walk out feeling relaxed.”

Coronado Bliss Salon beckons at 930 Orange Avenue.
Tranquility awaits.

It didn’t take me long to melt into the experience. Brie did ask me a few questions about my skin to customize the facial to my unique needs. How was my skin feeling? (Dry and not super awesome.) Do I have any skin issues? (Rosacea, and I break out from random products.)
After the brief talk, it was time to get started.
Coronado Bliss is an Aveda Salon, which means they use all Aveda products. Aveda is known for its organic, cruelty-free lines that are both luxurious and high-performing. Aveda is a celebrated pioneer of holistic beauty, using the latest botanical ingredients and innovations.

“I love working with Aveda products because they are natural and they are from the earth, and what they take from the earth, they give back,” says Brie. “I’m a breast cancer survivor so that is very close to my heart. We are exposed to so many chemicals from the air we breath to the food we eat. Having some control over what I put on my skin is very important to me.”
Amen, sista!
Onto the treatment.
With my facial, Brie used a cream cleanser base with refined tulasara concentrate serum. (The tulasara is said to lift, firm and calm the skin. Yes, please!)

She then used the Tourmaline-Charged skin refiner to help with exfoliation since I was concerned about my dry and dull skin. The creamy, clay-based scrub exfoliates with bamboo extract, and energizes with tourmaline to leave the skin radiant and refined.


Next, she applied the Perfecting Plant Peel mask. This mask was smooth and creamy and almost felt like peanut butter. It felt lovely and decadent and comforting! It had a mild smell, like the earth in the rain. While the mask sat for 10 minutes, I got a relaxing neck, shoulder, and arm massage. It was delightful!


After removing the plant peel, she toned my skin with their liquid exfoliant and followed with an intense hydrating mask. This included a vitamin C serum which helps promote cell turnover and skin rejuvenation for dullness. Weee!


With this mask, I enjoyed a hand, arm and shoulder massage. Once the mask was removed, Brie treated my skin with a firming toner and Aveda’s Tulasara Illuminate Serum, which helps even out skin tone. Yay!

Finally, Brie applied the Energizing Eye Cream, which reduces puffiness and under eye circles. (I don’t know about you, but sleep is the holy grail of my existence and I NEVER get enough.)


Last but not least, Brie applied a moisturizer and an SPF 30.
“Don’t forget your SPF on your face always,” says Brie. “No matter how much you put into your skin to take away fine lines wrinkles and age spots, if you don’t wear your SPF and protect your skin it will always come back.”
After my facial, my skin felt smooth as butter, and my pores looked non-existent.

Here I am one day after my facial. Happy happy joy joy!

“Facial treatments are the booster that everyone needs,” she says. “After a facial your skin should look radiant and hydrated instantaneously and feel smoother.”
So my skin feels amazing now, but what else should I be doing to protect against dull, dry skin in the future?
“Dry, dull skin is a sign of winter,” says Brie. “Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Glowing skin starts from the inside out. If you aren’t getting enough water it will show on your skin no matter how much moisturizer you put on.”


More water: check. I can do this.

“The second thing I would suggest is getting a good exfoliating treatment that you can add 1-2 times a week to your regimen like Aveda’s Tourmaline charged radiant skin refiner,” says Brie.
So how much does it cost to get a facial?
“We offer a 30 minute, 60 minute, and 90 minute facial. Every facial I give is customized to each clients specific skin care needs,” says Brie. “The 30 minute runs $65, 60 minute $105, and 90 minute is $140. For your first facial I highly recommend doing at minimum a 60 minute facial so you are able to get the full experience,” says Brie. “Follow up with the 30 minute  facials as maintenance. “
But hold it…we have a deal! JUST FOR Island Girl Blog readers, with the purchase of ANY facial, mention ISLAND GIRL and get a COMPLIMENTARY AVEDA PLANT PEEL (this is a $35 add on).


So what are you waiting for? Get your glow on today! I did, and my skin is feeling hydrated, smooth and effervescent. Angelic, actually. Call Coronado Bliss Salon at 619-435-9294, ask for a facial with Brie and feel fabulous!

 

 

Filed Under: I Tried It

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