Trending Now: 5 Customizable Spa Treatments

Ever wish you could create the ultimate spa experience according to your skin type, relaxation preference and desired results? You can with customizable add-ons at Cooper Spa. And beginning April 6, 2020, there are even more options to choose from

Dermaplaning is a new treatment add-on to complement our facials and comes highly requested by our guests and service providers alike. Our Esthetician team has recently completed certification courses to make our service top notch. Simply put, dermaplaning painlessly exfoliates the top most layer of the skin (stratum corneum) to stimulate cellular turnover with little to no downtime. When performed regularly, it can minimize post acne scarring, remove unwanted facial hair and diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles on a whole new level. This treatment is safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin and pregnant or nursing women, providing a deeper exfoliation and an all-over radiant glow. Results will leave your complexion brighter, fresh and ultra-smooth.

Advanced chemical peeling is another addition to our tool belt for healthy, fresh-looking skin. We are adding stronger, more effective mixes to better serve the clients who want deeper exfoliation. If your skin is accustomed to the effects of our current selection of glycolic and salicylic peels and your esthetician believes you’re a good candidate, these are perfect for you if you want to amp it up.

LED light therapy has taken off in popularity in recent years due to its noninvasive benefits to the skin. If you are looking for a pain free way to help address acne breakouts, reduce inflammation or stimulate collagen production, this service is a great go-to add-on for you. The LED light can destroy acne-causing bacteria, reduce inflammation from rosacea and stimulate collagen, making it great for reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Plus, there is no downtime, no discomfort and it’s even a relaxing time!

Bamboo massage is a new treatment add-on for our massage offerings and will get you hooked from day one! Popular in spas all across the world, bamboo massage incorporates different sizes of heated bamboo stalks to provide a deep tissue, one-of-a-kind work. As with all massages, it can help promote circulation and lymphatic drainage, as well as providing a deep sense of relaxation. If deep tissue is your favorite modality, you really must give this a try. It feels amazing.

Magnesium is a mineral crucial to the body’s overall function, and when taken orally, can offer significant benefits to the body. Did you know you can also apply it topically during massage? Adding this to your massage can absorb into the skin to help reduce pain, improve tendon and ligament flexibility and help to break down inflammation, therefore easing muscle cramps and spasms. 

For 50 years, Cooper Aerobics has been serving guests for fitness, exercise, nutrition and overall wellness. At Cooper Spa, we embrace that same approach and are dedicated to your overall well-being, both physical and emotional. We help you get fit in a way only Cooper Spa can, through our skilled professionals and relaxing, therapeutic benefits of our spa treatments.

Schedule your appointment by calling 972.392.7729 or visit cooperspa.com/Dallas. Cooper Spa is open seven days a week and childcare is available through our Cooperized Kidz program.

Replenishing Your Skin’s Natural Moisture

When cold outdoor air mixes with warm indoor air, it can take a toll on your skin. According to Cooper Clinic Preventive and Cosmetic Dermatologist Kejal R. Shah, MD, FAAD, our skin is a very dynamic structure. Winter weather can cause dryness, itching and even painful cracking.

Give Dr. Shah’s winter skin care tips a try to retain your skin’s moisture this winter season!

Replenish Your Home’s Moisture

Keeping your thermostat set to a low to moderate setting and placing a humidifier in a room where you spend most of your time can help replenish the moisture in your top layer of skin. As cozy as it can be, don’t sit too close to your fireplace or directly under heating vents as this can dry out your skin even more.

Moisturize Head-to-Toe

• Face: With so many moisturizing products on the market today, it can be overwhelming knowing which one will give you the most bang for your buck. Dr. Shah recommends using a thick, cream-based moisturizer twice a day—once in the morning and once at night. Look for key ingredients such as ceramics, hyaluronic acid or glycerin to lock in moisture and give you a beautiful glow.
  
• Lips: Invest in a lip balm that has aloe vera and vitamin E and avoid products that contain rubbing alcohol.
  
• Hands: Commit to using a hand cream with urea each time you after wash your hands to protect your skin during the harsh winter months.
  
• Feet: Cream-based products with urea in them are particularly effective for areas that can get especially dry such as the feet and even hands and elbows.

The Gentler, the Better

Use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. During the winter, avoid scrubs or exfoliants as they strip away your skin’s natural oils, further reducing its moisture content.

Rub-a-Dub, but Don’t Scrub

As tempting as it is to treat yourself to a long, hot bath or shower on a cold winter night, it’s important to keep your bathing routine short and sweet to retain your skin’s moisture. Dr. Shah suggests taking warm showers lasting about 5-10 minutes. Gently pat your skin dry with a towel and apply a thick body moisturizer right away to help your skin trap and hold onto the moisture throughout the night.

Make Sunscreen a Year-Round Routine

Don’t be fooled by the lack of sunshine in the winter. Our skin is constantly under attack by free radicals and UV radiation year-round. This is why it is best to wear sunscreen with at least a 30 SPF and that contains zinc or titanium to protect your skin from all types of UV rays, even on cold and cloudy days.

As our skin’s needs change with the seasons, so should your skin care routine! By taking care of your skin and keeping it moisturized throughout the winter, you’ll be sure to reap the benefits of healthy, hydrated and happy skin just in time for spring.

For more information or to schedule a comprehensive skin exam at Cooper Clinic Dermatology, visit cooperclinicdermatology.com or call 972.367.6000.

Transforming Company Culture

Cooper Wellness Strategies’ client Kristin Wall of Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) shares her testimonial with us. As president and CEO of LWCC, she says that being a client has impacted her life in a personal way and inspired her to transform her company’s culture.

My wellness journey started over a decade ago when I first began going to Cooper Clinic for my executive physical. During my time there, I learned so much about the importance of focusing on personal wellness. Although I was only there for one day each year, I learned that it is what you do every day after that really impacts your life. My personal experience with Cooper Clinic changed the way I viewed dedicating time to my wellness and I decided to make some real changes—and empower others to do the same.

I knew I had to share the great work of Cooper Clinic so I brought my fellow LWCC executives to Cooper for a retreat to learn about the importance of being “Fit to Lead.” During this retreat, we began to realize you can’t lead others or an organization without first taking care of yourself.

Building on this new knowledge, I then discovered Gerald Drefahl, a local wellness expert who focused on kinesiology, and his companies, FITT and Kinesics, which are centered on the importance of functional movement. Being in the workers’ comp business, we know how critical mobility, range of motion and overall fitness are to injury prevention. Through a pilot program with FITT, we experienced the benefits of the FITT-Kinesics methodology. Participants from our company saw improved range of motion, decreased pain and improved productivity. After this, we knew we had to bring this type of program to our entire organization.  

We then worked to bring a best-in-class experience to LWCC. We knew Cooper Wellness Strategies was the expert we wanted to operate our facility due to its great success in developing corporate wellness programs focusing on all facets of wellness, from nutrition to cardio health. Combining the Cooper and FITT models offers our employees the best of both worlds. Together, both teams developed exercise programs built around a functional movement model utilizing cable-based equipment, which has been featured in our newly remodeled fitness center.

The objective of our new wellness program is to challenge our colleagues to adopt a healthy living mindset so they and their families can live healthier and longer lives. We want to create a program that removes barriers to exercise and movement by meeting each employee where they are. We want to encourage our team members to envision where they could be by starting with one decision at a time and taking small steps to get there.

Since the launch of our new wellness program and the redesign of our fitness center in July 2018, we have seen exponential growth in engagement and participation along with unmatched success. In just the first year of opening the new fitness center we saw a 23 percent increase in our fitness center membership—more importantly, our employees are using the center! On average, we see over 900 check-ins per month, with employees actively participating in small group classes and individualized exercise programs. Additionally, roughly 25 percent of our members are “active” by checking in to the fitness center more than five times a month.

The Cooper Wellness Strategies team has been integral to the success of our new approach and program for LWCC. Through this partnership, we have begun to make a positive impact in the lives of our colleagues. We are fortunate to work with the Cooper Wellness Strategies team on this and many other initiatives and are pleased to spread their knowledge and positive messages to our organization and employees.

Kristin W. Wall
LWCC President & Chief Executive Officer

Slenderize Your Surroundings

Let’s be honest, sometimes the easy choices aren’t always the healthiest ones – especially when it comes to your eating habits. Instead of relying on willpower to achieve your goals and making certain foods off limits, follow these practical tips to make choosing healthier food more convenient and appealing.

Put the most healthful food in plain sight
Place pre-cut fruit and veggies on eye-level shelves in your refrigerator. You will be more likely to grab these items if they are clearly in front of you.

Keep tempting foods invisible and inconvenient
Out of sight, out of mind!

Buy single-serve foods
To aid in portion control, try buying single-serving bags of popcorn, individual containers of yogurt or 100-calorie pack of nuts. Or portion larger bags into single servings right when you get home from the store.

Set parameters around where you can eat
Location is important when it comes to meals!For example,only eat when sitting at the dining table rather than in front of the TV or in bed.

Turn off the TV and all other screens during mealtime. This is a sacred time to enjoy the company and the food around you.

You don’t have to sacrifice convenience for healthy, nor do you have to forgo tasty for healthy! Stock up your pantry with these nutritional essentials that will make healthy eating a breeze.

Conveniently Healthy Foods
Dry goods
Aim for no-salt-added canned goods such as:
Tomato sauce
Unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
Nuts

Try buying legume-based pastas, parboiled brown rice and quinoa to have on hand for healthy side dishes.

“Hunger-busters”
Consider these your safeguard in preventing unhealthy or mindless snacking:

Non-fat Greek yogurt
Eggs
Skim milk
String cheese
Low-sodium and nitrate-free turkey slices
Pre-cut veggies and fruit
Hummus
Mini guacamole cups

Flavor enhancers
Kick it up a notch and add flavor to simple meals by topping them with:

Vinegars
Mustard
Your favorite spices and dried herbs
Low-sodium salsa

Be sure to have healthy cooking oils on hand, too. Go for extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil or flaxseed oil.

Pantry staples
Hungry for a healthy sandwich? Keep these ingredients on hand:

Canned tuna or salmon
Peanut butter
100% whole grain bread 
For an easy snack to satisfy your munchies try:
Whole grain crackers
High-fiber, low-sugar cereals

When in doubt, throw it out!
Make the healthy choices the easy choices by organizing your surroundings and your food storage space to meet your goals.

Rid your fridge and clean out your pantry as needed before grocery shopping. A clean fridge is a healthy fridge. Follow this “Healthy Refrigerator” infographic to help you clean out and organize your refrigerator to set you up for success.

To schedule a one-on-one consultation or learn more about Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services, visit cooperclinicnutrition.com or call 972.560.2655.

Article written by Lizzy McCrary, RDN, LD, Cooper Weight Loss Team Lead

Plan Your Perfect Parfait

Packed with protein, nutrients and powerful antioxidants yogurt parfaits can be an ideal choice for breakfast on the go. Start/begin with a base of protein-filled Greek yogurt and add the benefits of berries and top with whole grains to get your fill of fiber.

Dazzle with Dairy:  Greek Yogurt
Calcium is needed to build strong bones and teeth and helps prevent bone density loss. Breakfast is a convenient window during the day to include a serving of high calcium sources such as milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese or fortified soy milk. For example, 8 ounces of Greek yogurt provides approximately 230 milligrams of calcium and 8 ounces of skim milk provides 300 milligrams of calcium, which is about one quarter to two thirds of one’s daily recommended calcium intake.

Protein found in dairy is another nutritious benefit. Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt with one serving of Greek yogurt averaging about 14 grams of protein, which is the equivalent to 2 ounces of lean meat.

Berry Beneficial
Antioxidant powerhouse: The antioxidant properties found in berries may reduce your risk of disease by decreasing inflammation in your body.

Fiber: The soluble fiber in berries can slow down movement of food through our digestive track leading to reduced hunger and increasing the feeling of fullness.

Mental health: Berries have antioxidants that have been associated with keeping memory sharp as you age.

Chia Seeds:  Tiny but Mighty
Just 1 Tbsp. of these little seeds provides 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 80 milligrams of calcium.

• 

Wholesome Whole Grains
Sources include 100% whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, wheat berries, whole grain pasta and whole grain cereals. Not all granola cereals are created equal—look for the word whole as the first word on the ingredient list. Some have the addition of coconut and coconut oil, both high in saturated fat, the type of fat that can potentially raise the bad cholesterol in blood.

Whole grains play an important role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer as well as contribute to body weight management and gastrointestinal health.

Try this tasty parfait recipe at home!

Blog and recipe provided by Kathy Duran-Thal, RDN, LD, Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Rise and Brine this Thanksgiving

There’s nothing worse than having a dry bird as the main course on Thanksgiving. You may be surprised by how you can elevate this Thanksgiving staple from mundane to magnificent. The answer is giving the bird a bath—more specifically, a brine bath!

Lean meats like turkey, chicken, pork chops, pork loin or tenderloin can benefit from brining. Brining helps meats retain moisture while they cook by soaking them in salt water, which enhances the tenderness, juices and flavor with various herbs and spices. While brines do require salt, which some may be avoiding, the meat absorbs less than one percent of the sodium in the brine itself.

The following brine recipe is sufficient for the following portions of meat:

• Per 1 pound of turkey
• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 pork tenderloins

If you are brining larger portions you can double or triple the recipe.

Making the Brine:

• 4 cups cold water
• 4 Tbsp. table salt or kosher salt
• Optional herbs and spices:
  • Peppercorns
  • Juniper berries
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Sage sprigs
  • Bay leaves
  • Allspice berries
  • Whole cloves
  • Star anise

The Brining Process:

1. Add salt, herbs and spices to the water and bring to a boil.
2. Add meat to the pot of boiling salt water. Turn off the heat.
3. Let the meat soak for the following times depending on the type of meat.
4. After the allotted time, remove the meat and follow your personal recipe for cooking instructions.

Time to Brine:

To schedule a one-on-one consultation or learn more about Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services, visit cooperclinicnutrition.com or call 972.560.2655.

Article provided by Gillian White, RDN, LD, CNSC, Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Honey: Health and Hype

Possibly the oldest recognized source of sugar, the use of honey dates back to around 2100 B.C.—beating good old table sugar by an estimated 2,450 years! Many people prefer natural sources of sugar, with honey often making the top of the list. This historic confectionery sweetens many pantry shelves and recipes. Read on as we dive into hype surrounding honey.

Is Honey an Allergy Remedy?
There is conflicting research on honey serving as a remedy for allergies, which demands more research be conducted before solid claims can be made. In a preliminary study, allergy sufferers were given a tablespoon of local unfiltered honey, pasteurized honey or honey-flavored corn syrup daily for 30 weeks. No significant benefits were noted between groups. However in another four-week study, significant benefits were seen in allergy sufferers who were given antihistamine medication along with honey, as compared to the groups receiving the antihistamine and honey-flavored corn syrup.

Is Honey a Sugar Alternative?
Some argue honey is a healthier alternative due to minimal processing as opposed to other types of sugar. However, the body metabolizes honey no differently than it does standard table sugar. When it comes to any sweetener—including sugar, honey, syrup or agave nectar—the body will break it down and absorb it equally, not knowing the difference between types. Bottom line, enjoy honey in moderation!

Does Honey Have Prebiotic Properties?
It has been said honey can also be used as a remedy for diarrhea or gastroenteritis; however there is limited data to support this. Honey contains carbohydrates known as oligosaccharides, which may serve as potentially good gut bacteria. It should be noted that this prebiotic benefit is likely small and not as significant as other rich sources of prebiotic carbohydrates such as onion, garlic, asparagus and bananas.

Does Honey Have an Expiration Date?
There have been archeological findings of 3,000-year-old pots of edible honey in the Egyptian pyramids! It was initially thought this was due to the high sugar content, low pH and antibacterial nature of honey. However, nothing is immune to the effects of aging as honey will lose flavor and harden in consistency. The FDA advises honey be tossed out two years from the date of purchase if it is not refrigerated after opening.

Cooking Purposes

• Besides carbohydrate content, there is little difference between honey and standard table sugar.
  • Honey = 17 grams of sugar/tablespoon
  • Standard table sugar = 12 grams of sugar/tablespoon
  • A 20-calorie difference between the two
• When baking with honey:
  • 1 cup of sugar can be substituted for ¾ cup honey
  • Reduce all liquids by ¼ and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup honey called for in the recipe. Due to honey being very dense and viscous, the addition of baking soda aids in leavening, helping the final product rise and be lighter and airy.
  • Lower the temperature by 25° F to prevent over-browning

Blog post provided by Gillian White, RDN, LD, CNSC, Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist