A Note from April: The following article is an educational guest post from Julie Anne Davis, owner of Pura Vida Body & Mind Spa in Fleming Island, FL. There are a few things I love about this spa and why I wanted to share this article with you. One is that they have a Salt Therapy room, and it’s absolutely tranquil in there. Actually, the whole spa is tranquil, which is unusual for a medical aesthetic spa. Those are typically flooded in bright white lights and feel very sterile, while Pura Vida is very zen with a bit of coastal chic thrown in. The other thing I love is how friendly and knowledgeable the staff are in their given specialties. This leads them to bring in some of the best products and services on the market, and ultimately, a better experience for their clients. I hope you’ll take some time to read the article and go spoil yourself with a facial, a massage, or another service that Pura Vida offers in the near future!
.jpg)
The Back Story
The Nutrient Body Sculpt system was developed by a former hospice facility owner who sought to create a natural compound to heal a particularly bad decubitus ulcer for one of her patients. With the help of a biochemist, she created a formula of micronutrients that worked to heal the ulcer when traditional medicine had failed. It was this part of the Nutrient Body Sculpt back story that intrigued us since it was in keeping with our Pura Vida philosophy. When Pura Vida Body & Mind Spa was founded, we made a promise to ONLY provide the very best, healthy, safe, and evidence-based treatments for our guests. Every product we use or sell has been researched extensively before being offered to our Guests. So, it should come as no surprise that Pura Vida was the very first in Florida to offer a cutting-edge approach to vitamin and mineral delivery that also improves body contouring (inch loss).
What are Micronutrients?
Micronutrients are simply the vitamins and minerals which are required by our bodies to support normal metabolism, growth, and physical well-being. Most Vitamins are organic, essential nutrients that cannot be made by the body but are vital to sustaining a healthy life. Minerals are inorganic nutrients including trace elements like copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, potassium, sodium, and zinc. Although our bodies only require small quantities of micronutrients for optimal health, even when we eat a so-called well-balanced diet, it almost never contains a sufficient amount of micronutrients for optimal function.
Benefits of Micronutrients in the Body
If you’re on social media, you no doubt find advertisements for all sorts of supplements in your newsfeed. Sure, companies have flocked to the vitamin industry due to its lucrative and unregulated nature, but it’s only lucrative because millions of people just like you want improved health, to live longer, and to be more active. But all supplements are not equal and many cannot offer the wellness benefits of natural, mined from the earth, micronutrients, antioxidants, and minerals. Nutrient Body Sculpt’s proprietary blend boasts all of the following benefits and more with the science to back it up. Here are the most common benefits[1]:
- Regulating metabolism / Stable weight
- Antioxidant properties which reduces the cell damage caused by oxidative stress
- Regulation of hormones
- Reduction of chronic inflammation
- Reduction in the incidence of cancer
- Improvement in healing
- Lean tissue mass
- Lower body fat
- Reduced likelihood of diabetes
- Improved immune system
- Healthy cells (reduced oxidative stress)
- Improved eye health
Can’t You Just Eat Right and Forego Supplements?
Theoretically yes, you can get all that your body needs from food, but Americans just plain suck at eating. Don’t get me wrong, we Americans love to eat. The problem is, we eat terrible! The obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease epidemic is proof of that. I think most of us can admit that we don’t eat the daily dietary requirements as prescribed by the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) which is 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day[2]. This fact was proven in a clinical study of people aged 19-64 with results showing that only 13% of men and 15% of women met the five portions a day requirement[3].
Other Causes of Micronutrient Deficiency
If it isn’t bad enough that many of us don’t eat a varied and healthy diet regularly, many other things can reduce the amount of micronutrients in the body. For example, anything that causes impaired absorption of micronutrients or when increased metabolism is needed, drop in micronutrient levels can occur. How many of the below things apply to you?
- Chronic alcohol consumption;
- Acute infection;
- Surgery or trauma;
- Pregnancy;
- Anorexia;
- Disease;
- Chronic inflammation;
- Periods of weight gain;
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with chronic or acute diarrhea;
- Menstrual or other blood loss; and
- Loss of body fluids/dehydration
How Does Pura Vida’s Nutrient Body Sculpt Help?
This just might be the most interesting part! Typically, to supplement the body we use pills, or drinks or foods that are supposed to be packed with all the good things we need. But, here’s the real problem with that. Even if the supplement really has what it says it has (which is often questionable), when your body is already impaired by any of the above things, the gut cannot properly process or absorb what you take in by mouth. Common sense, right?
That’s where Pura Vida comes in. We give you all those amazing minerals and nutrients in a totally different way! Using a propriety wrapping process, we tightly wrap your body, from knee to head, with liquid micronutrient-soaked bandages. Once all wrapped up, you will stand on a vibration plate for 20 minutes. The vibration plate, according to Dr. Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic, provides the body with additional health benefits and aids in weight loss so it is a great compliment to your body sculpt treatment session. While you are wrapped and vibrating, your skin (which is the largest organ of the body) is absorbing all of the amazing nutrients that your body is lacking. This transdermal approach to vitamin supplementation bypasses your malfunctioning gut and allows a high level of absorption into your body’s tissue and organs where the nutrients are ultimately needed. As an added bonus, because unhealthy inflammation is reduced, most people will experience an immediate loss of 1-2 inches around the waist and other areas of the body with long-term from continued treatment. The body’s tissues will also be well hydrated (unlike wraps which dehydrate the body)creating a more firm and toned appearance.
Nutrient Body Sculpt’s Ingredients
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B-5
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- N-acetyl-L-Carnitine 9
- Green tea extract
- Trans Reservatrol
- Selenomethionine
- Embolic fruit extracts from Phyllanthus Emblica
- Trace minerals
- Magnesium
- Lemon balm
- Microcrystalline cellulose
Book a Session with us to learn more about how Nutrient Body Sculpt can help you achieve your health, wellness and even weight-loss goals.
1715 Eagle Harbor Parkway, Suite C Fleming Island | 904.644.8586 | www.pvmedspa.com
Want More Research?
To learn more about the role of micronutrients in health and disease, you can download the e-Book written by Dr. Kedar Prasad who helped develop the Nutrient Body Sculpt mineral powder. Dr. Prasad’s book explains how “increased oxidative stress due to the production of excessive amounts of free radicals together with the results of chronic inflammation play a significant function in the initiation and development of a host of disease states, ranging from cancer to post-traumatic stress disorder. In varying doses, micronutrients, including antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals have shown to help ameliorate these effects. Following an overview of basic facts about micronutrients, oxidative stress, inflammation, the immune system, and the results of various clinical studies, Micronutrients in Health and Disease explores the use of micronutrients in prevention and improvement of standard therapy in a number of disease states, including
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Coronary artery disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Hearing disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
- HIV/AIDS
- Arthritis
- Adverse effects of radiation
Heavily steeped in research and incredibly referenced Micronutrients in Health and Disease concludes with a substantial list of usual myths and misunderstanding concerning micronutrient usage and along with a chart of dietary reference intakes (DRIs) of all the major products, making this a solid resource for practitioners and others who promote healthy aging as well as prevent and manage disease.”
[1] Aged-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8 Arch Ophthalmology 20011191417-1436.
[2] Food and Nutrition Board IoM Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
[3] The Key Role of Micronutrients. Clinical Nutrition, 2007.
