Wellness: 501F1T Open House

Located above downtown Minneapolis's CorePower Yoga, in a naturally lit industrial space, 501F1T is the newest gym to hit the Twin Cities. I stopped in on Thursday evening for the open house celebration and to tour the 8,000-square-foot club. Exposed brick walls, citron-green accents, and large windows act as a backdrop to state-of-the art fitness equipment— much of it custom-designed by founder and fitness director Phil Martens.

Having more than ten years of fitness training under his belt, Martens sought to combine all of his favorite gym equipment into one compact machine. He invented and designed the G-Werx Gym, which is used in 501's unique strength training classes. Featuring a patented "Flexchange System," the G-Werx uses dumbbells as resistance for machine exercise. The combination of free weights and machine offers more than 100 ways to tone and strengthen your entire body.

Other 501F1T amenities include: a fully stocked free weight room, rows of cardio equipment, tidy locker rooms, showers, towel service, massage therapy, nutritional consultations, and more.

While large enough (and open enough) to avoid feeling cramped, 501 is intimate enough to allow for fellow gym members to know you by name. And for many city dwellers, it will be a welcome alternative to the large-scale chain gyms that dot the metro.

Give it a try: New visitors can try a week's worth of classes for only $5.01. Call 612-767-4415 or email info@501FIT.com for more information.

501F1T, 501 S. Washington Ave., Mpls., 612-767-4415

Twin Cities Live: Meet the Hosts

If you lived in the Twin Cities in the '90s, you must remember Steve and Sharon, the infamous duo that hosted KSTP's Good Company. Our local ABC affiliate is hoping to hit gold again with Twin Cities Live, a mid-afternoon talk and news program hosted by Rebekah Wood and John Hanson. The search for the hosts took months and spanned the continent, and the show premiered yesterday. We nabbed a few minutes of the hosts' busy time and asked them a few harmless questions.

John Hanson:

Q. What is your favorite Twin Cities neighborhood and why?
A. The Warehouse District because it’s near some great lounges and close to the sports arenas

Q. Necessary extravagance?
A. Premium beer

Q. What can’t you leave home without?
A. Like everyone else on Earth, my cell phone

Q. Who inspires you?
A. People with muscular dystrophy who don’t let it stop them from constantly achieving

Q. Where can we find you on a Friday Night?
A. r.Norman’s

Q. Have Steve and Sharon given you any advice?
A. No, I haven’t had a chance to talk to them, but I would love to.

Q. Tell us something we don’t know about your co-host, Rebekah?
A. She had to overcome some amazing competition for the job and earned it.

Rebekah Wood:

Q. What is your favorite Twin Cities neighborhood and why?
A. Woodbury because it’s my neighborhood, and the people there have been unbelievably welcoming.

Q. Necessary extravagance? 
A. Starbucks . . . two toddlers, need I say more?

Q. What can’t you leave home without?
A. Guilt—whenever I have to drop my girls off at preschool. Or, C.O. Bigelow mint lip gloss. Both are always with me.

Q. Who inspires you?
A. My husband who is winning a pretty tough fight against brain cancer

Q. Where can we find you on a Friday Night?
A. I’d like to say at a great happy hour, but usually it’s popcorn party night with my family.

Q. Have Steve and Sharon given you any advice? 
A. Not yet, but I can’t wait until they do.

Q. Tell us something we don’t know about your co-host, John? 
A. He’s got a great overbite when he dances.

Wellness: J.R. Watkins Goes Au Naturel

This month, J.R. Watkins, the 140-year-old Winona apothecary company, will launch two new all-natural and eco-friendly lines, J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary and J.R. Watkins Natural Home Care. They will be available at mass retailers, including Target.

All of the items in the body collection (lotions, creams, foot salves, lip balms, and body oil) are 97.5–100 percent natural and free of parabens, sulfates, glycols, and phthalates; the home cleaning line (dish soap, window cleaner, and tub and tile cleaner) is free of harsh chemicals, such as ammonia and chlorine.

Best of all, prices range between $3.99 and $8.99, much less than many other supermarket natural cleaning and apothecary brands.

Shop Talk: Fit For the Cure Events in Your Area

Some interesting facts for women:

— Eight out of ten women are wearing the wrong size bra.
— 178,480 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in American women last year.
— The five-year survival rate for breast cancer—when caught early—is now 98 percent (an increase from 74 percent in 1982)
— You can help the fight against breast cancer (and get a free bra fitting!) by stopping by Herberger's today or tomorrow.

In an effort to raise money for breast cancer research and to promote monthly self-breast exams among women, Wacoal hosts its eighth annual Fit For the Cure event—find it locally at select Herberger's stores. Stop by today or tomorrow to receive a complimentary bra fitting in a Wacoal, DKNY Underwear, or Donna Karan Intimates bra, and sign up to receive a monthly e-mail reminder to do your self-breast exam. Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every woman that participates. Plus, an additional $2 will be donated for every bra purchased at the event.

Thursday, February 28:
Herberger's, Southtown, Bloomington, 952-886-2900; 2001 Washington Ave., Stillwater, 651-430-9229
Friday, February 29:
Herberger's, Rosedale, Roseville, 651-635-2600

Can't make it this week? Nordstrom at Mall of America will host a Fit For the Cure event Saturday, March 8, and Macy's will host a Fit For the Cure event April 22–26.

Wellness: Well Blog

Is it just me, or is there a dearth of reliable, credible, informative information out there, blog wise, for health and wellness? Not that people don’t cover these topics—it’s just not usually with a good deal of depth or reportage. And with health news, you can’t just listen to just any old person riffing on diets or exercise or the latest lung transplant treatment. You need experts—I want my health information to be well-sourced.

Now there’s a relatively new blog out there called Well, and it’s done so, um, well. Not surprisingly, it’s done by The New York Times. You can sign up to get weekly e-mail letters and check in daily with journalist Tara Parker-Hope on the Times website to get the latest news on nutrition, medical hot buttons, exercise, psychology, and more. I am so hooked. A recent sampling of topics included: knee replacements (why women wait longer to get them), inside the brain of a teenage boy, the benefits of probiotics in yogurt, the influence of negative music on teens, and an interview about when doctors suddenly become patients (and see their practice in a whole new light).

If you’re interested in getting daily health news, I think it’s a great place to start, and the e-newsletter is a nice way to get the information, too. Where do you go online to get your health, wellness, and beauty news?

Wellness: Stress Relief

Stress. Everyone can relate to having too much, especially around the holidays (and even the month after as you read your credit card statement).

We all know that not only is it an uncomfortable state of being but that it can actually be bad for you. In small doses, stress helps man our “fight or flight” response when we’re in danger. But our feelings of stress signal the brain to release more cortisol, a hormone present in all chronic diseases.

Stress makes us less fun. It can put wrinkles on our faces and make us feel sluggish. It takes a toll on physical and mental health. It can take a toll on relationships. We’ve all been there.

Managing stress often requires a hard look at our lives or a lifestyle change—whether that’s less caffeine, more sleep, more exercise, or cutting a toxic situation out of your life.

So, I’m going to start doing this thing called exercise. I have no goal set (anything is better than the current “none” I have penciled in). I’d like to try yoga, pilates, and weights. Play some more tennis than I do. Take my cockapoo, Molly, for longer walks. Feel toned and energetic. It has nothing to do with weight and everything to do with well-being.

We have all heard the statistics—the latest Real Simple e-mail I received said, “even people who exercise for less than thirty minutes a day can reduce their risk of dying from any cause by twenty percent, compared to those who don’t exercise at all.” (Emphasis mine.)

This all sounds great on paper and to Molly’s ears. Only, I’m not sure if I have the willpower. I am not athletic. Most of the time, if I have my choice, I’d read a book.

I might need backup.

I don’t think that products can erase stress. But I do have one trick: Origins Peace of Mind On-the-spot relief. Just take a few dabs (a little goes a long way), and rub it into temples, neck, hands, shoulders—wherever there’s tension. Take deep breaths with your eyes closed. Breathe in the pepperminty scent. Feel your muscles and skin begin to tingle. Stretch.

I think aromatherapy can be a great aid for stress relief, sleeplessness, anxiety—a whole host of things—, and this is one product that I’ve found does the job. It has helped me ward off headaches and panic attacks. It has made me feel energized and lifted my mood after a long day. A huge, good thing in a small package.

Available at Origins stores and counters. 

Wellness: Curing a New Year’s Hangover

I usually blog on Tuesdays, but I thought you might find this little tip handy today, in case you’re planning to get tipsy on some midnight champagne toasting: Check out Channel 4’s Good Question on preventing a hangover.

As you probably know, hangovers are caused by dehydration . . . so the best defense is water, water, water. I recommend drinking it during the night if it occurs to you, but also as soon as you get home–and lots of it. A doctor once told me for every caffeinated or alcoholic drink, you need twice the amount of water to replace it. Channel 4’s answer sounds even more daunting—you need thirty-two ounces for every 8 oz of alcohol. Plus you lose essential vitamins, which also need to be replaced. So maybe there is something to that big breakfast you crave in the early morning hours. (Tip: I love the Uptowner on Grand Avenue in St. Paul for such a breakfast.)

Now what’s that about being healthy appearing on the list of New Year’s Resolutions? Oh, right. Those don’t take effect ’til the 2nd.

Beauty: Simply Organic

Organic beauty, safe beauty, safe personal care products—there is a lot of misinformation out there, but there are also some great products pushing the green envelope.

Simply Organic is one such company. No parabens (used as a preservative in many personal care products), no sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate (used as a lathering agent), and no known irritants are used in the hair-/body-care line. I’ll be bringing a review of the hair care sometime in the near future.

Right now, I’m loving Simply Organic's candles. They're short pillar candles in frosted-glass cups—very simple. I burned the mandarin orange candle, and although many scents get the no-go from my fiancé, he exclaimed how good it smelled several times. (I love when we can find a middle ground.) The candle gives off a mix of citrus and herbal scents that is not overpowering but is noticeable. The candles also come in lavender and green tea scents, and all those are used in aromatherapy for lifting anxiety and depression, stress relief, and kicking insomnia. Candles are made with beeswax instead of paraffin (many allergy, migraine, or asthma sufferers can’t use paraffin). No artificial colors, dyes, or scents. No petroleum. No lead or metal in the wick—it burns clean.

To me, it’s a no-brainer.

Simply Organic, $28.

Beauty: Solimar Wellness Spa

Not only are the holidays a time of stress, they are also a time of indulgence. I think it’s safe to say that most of us feel we overindulge in December. And we’re stressed. And we might overindulge because we’re stressed. It can be a vicious cycle.

But if you’re anything like me, the idea of even an elliptical can give you the hives while in winter-hibernation stage, so I’ve found a way to pamper and detox at the same time.

Solimar Wellness Spa in Eagan offers a wide variety of very lovely services, many unique to the area. Recently, I stopped in for a detox routine to check it out (clarification: not the kind Britney and Lindsay have had). We started out with a detoxifying body wrap and Vichy shower ($120), which is designed to get your lymphatic flow going and eliminate fluids and toxins from your system. I love Vichy showers, but I find the one problem is the headrest while you lie on your stomach. They are never very comfortable since they have to be high enough to keep your face out of the water. Nonetheless, it’s a warm, relaxing time.

Next up was a traditional Swedish massage ($99). Massages are great for stimulating your lymphatic flow—that’s why therapists will always tell you to drink a lot of water afterward. You have to flush out all those things he or she unknotted! We already know my feelings about massage—they’re pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. Solimar does them especially well.

Last was a hydrotherapy soak ($49). I was brought to a small room with a soaking tub (mmm, nice and deep and luxurious). Wonderful, dim lighting abounded. The bath was already running, swirling about, and smelled awesome. I slipped in and lay back for approximately twenty-five minutes, letting the seaweed and algae restore and rejuvenate. And if you’re thinking, "I can take a bath at home," you’re right. But there is something about having it drawn for you at the end of treatments with no phone ringing, no one knocking on the door, and nowhere else to be. It’s totally relaxing and rejuvenating—plus, my bathtub is not that big at home.

I’ll be honest—I didn’t feel slimmer when I was done. But I did feel relaxed and better about myself and the world. And for me, that’s the goal.

Solimar Wellness Spa,1121 Town Center Drive, Eagan, 651-686-6686

Beauty: Not Just a Pretty Face Panel

Within five minutes of meeting cosmetics industry giant Horst Rechelbacher last year, he asked if he could smell my hair. Normally, that might freak me out. But he’s Horst, so I made an allowance.

“Ugh! Smells like chemicals.”

I considered being offended, then I agreed. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the products we use and possible effects they have on our bodies.

Recently, information was released that some red lipsticks contain lead. The very thing we apply to our lips to make us feel better might be making us sick. I don’t know about you, but I felt betrayed. I was thrilled that Stacy Malkan, a leader at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, published a book called Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. And, she was speaking here!

Malkan brought with her a panel: Rechelbacher; Lindsay Dahl, a coordinator for the Minnesota Health Legacy Foundation; and Jeanne Rizzo, a Breast Cancer Fund member and another Campaign member. 

Items they brought up to consider, among many things: Scientists at the Environmental Working Group studied umbilical cord blood, and each sample had 200-plus chemicals in it that were known to be toxic. Women’s breast milk showed traces of rocket fuel. Some 250,000 women are told each year in the U.S. that they have breast cancer. Some 40,000 die of it. Obesity is going up, puberty’s onset is earlier and earlier. Infertility, sexual dysfunction, asthma, diabetes . . . the list goes on. It gets scary. Much of this could be blamed on environmental factors, but there’s also been a rise in the use of petrochemicals and use of personal and beauty products since WWII.

I think we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves for our health. The beauty industry is not regulated by the FDA, despite popular opinion. Companies are not required to disclose many of the ingredients on labels (“perfume” or “fragrance” often is a mishmash of chemicals considered to be to be trade secret). Many are made from oil and plastic, which can break down to more toxic compounds. Horst said that night: “Our bodies are not made to digest petrochemicals. The good thing is that we’ll run out. By force, we will become intelligent. We are in the age of self-realization, and we can change things.” (Horst’s Intelligent Nutrients line is food-grade; the idea is that we should beautify ourselves with ingredients that can be naturally processed by the body.)

I’ll be integrating food-grade, organic, natural, and alternative types of personal-care and beauty products in my posts, as well as more research, facts, and figures. One post won’t touch the tip of the iceberg.

In the meantime, if you are interested, pick up Not Just A Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, or check out the ingredients in your products by logging on to either The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics or The Environmental Working Group websites, and use the Skin Deep database to search ingredients, products, and hazards. You can also see which brands have signed the Safe Cosmetics Compact, pledging to avoid carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins in their products. Approximately 600 companies have joined thus far but not most of the biggies. (OPI, the famous nail-care line, did not sign the compact but did remove phthalates and formaldehyde from its chemical cocktail.) Here’s to safe beautifying!

Beauty: Spas

We’re blessed with plenty of posh spas around town, but it can be hard to move outside the traditional massage or mani-pedi to new services, therapists, or spas when we’re not sure what to expect. I’m here to be a guide to those services—if you’ve got ones you’ve had your eye on, ask away!

In part because of my obsession of all things Hawaiian lately—I’m getting married there in six months—I have been curious about the ancient Hawaiian technique of lomi lomi massage. Because it’s a specialty massage, I threw the spotlight on Spot Spa Boutique in Northeast Minneapolis.

Spot Northeast is a basement location, below the Bulldog NE on Hennepin. It’s charming, but not fancy, and it leans toward all-natural, holistic healing, but it is also down-to-earth. Spot focuses on massage; they offer a battery of specialties with very devoted therapists.

If you are stressed, burned out, tight, or in need of nurturing relaxation (who isn’t?), lomi lomi is ideal. I spent ninety minutes with Nell Rueckl, the spa’s proprietress, and it was pure relief. Lomi lomi is an ancient massage technique that translates roughly to “loving hands." It’s different than a Swedish massage but just as knot-busting and calming.

She used her hands and forearms on me with a lavish amount of oil in a pattern that felt like waves crashing on a shoreline—a lulling, relaxing rhythm. (The tinkly, Hawaiian music totally helped.) Lomi lomi is also different in that the therapist may massage two parts that don’t necessarily go together—maybe one hand is on the back of the leg, the other on a hand or shoulder. The effect is a wonderful disorientation; you’re not sure where you are in the massage, time-wise, so it’s great for avoiding thoughts such as, “I bet I only have five minutes left,” which breaks your massage buzz.

The icing on the cake was Nell getting on the table and walking her knees up either side of my spine and around my shoulder blades. It’s heavy pressure but totally delicious—I forgot how my body bent after working at a desk. I felt realigned, and I walked out about three inches taller. The added bonus: The anxieties I came to the appointment with seemed to have disappeared, and I walked out smiling. An amazing departure from Swedish and totally boosted my obsession with Hawaii.

P.S. Watch for more talk of Spot in the coming weeks.

Welcome to Style Parlor

Slip into our new blog from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s LifeStyle editors. Satisfy your craving for shopping and style information—plus national trend-spotting news—all with a local point of view.

As a senior editor at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, I oversee a team of editors and associate editors that cover fashion, retail, home, and lifestyle trends. We’ve known for a long time that we have more to offer than can fit on the pages of our monthly city magazine. Enter Style Parlor.

I’m really excited about this new initiative. Though many of you have read/followed my blog, I’m much better creating as a team. So I’ve shelved Life in Style and will direct my efforts to Style Parlor. Four (for now) editors will serve up your daily dose of buzz on local shopping and style sprinkled with our individual tastes and personalities. You can sort by category: Fashion, Beauty, Wellness, Home, Design. You can also sort by topic: Shop Talk (new stores, events, and retail news), What We Found (an item we’ve discovered at a local store, show room, or antique store), and Point of View (commentary from the writer’s perspective).

Plus, you can sort by writer: Melissa Colgan, who is probably out in the stores more than all of us combined, has a terrific eye and sense of style in fashion, home, and gifts. Katie Derdoski covers beauty, salons, spas, and those things that make us feel beautiful on the inside. Abby Van Ness keeps you up-to-date on new stores, new products, and buzz. I’ll be dipping in and out, talking about merchandise that catches my eye, stores and stylemakers that deserve attention, and trends to pay attention to. And since I’m the only editor with children on our team, you’re more apt to find me covering shopping with and for kids.

We know you don’t have all the time in the world to shop. That’s the point of Style Parlor. We’ll help you navigate our cities. Find the greatest gear. The most fabulous shoes. The best deals. The one-of-a-kinds. The don’t-misses.

So stop in often. Tell your friends. And chime in with your own likes and dislikes, and let us know if you think there is stuff out there we’ve overlooked. Plus, ask questions by leaving a comment for us. Seriously. Consider us your personal shoppers and stylists.

Talk to you tomorrow.

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for Swag, our weekly shopping and style e-newsletter, which offers some of our scoop first, plus our weekly picks for events, sales, and trunk shows. And if that’s not enough, watch for our soon-to-debut Style Parlor weekly video, where you can see first-hand what’s happening in stores—practically live.