With Spa Week® just around the corner, you might be dreaming of the pampering you’re going to treat yourself to in just a few short weeks - as well you should be! But even the most indulgent spa treatment comes with serious health benefits, and you can extend the detoxification and healing processes begun at your treatment by eating the right foods afterwards. Here’s how to do it:

Before, during, and after your meal, drunk plenty of water. Water is especially crucial after a massage, as it will help flush out the acids and toxins that were loosened during the treatment, but it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water anytime you’ve enjoyed a spa treatment.

Enjoy a meal made with garlic. The bulbs that make food spicy and bold lower blood pressure, reduce fat in the blood, and flush toxins and bacteria from the body. Try a light Asian-inspired meal after your spa treatment - garlic and ginger, common ingredients in Asian cooking, both stimulate good circulation. What better way to maintain the health effects of the spa treatment?

Finish your meal with the fresh fruit of your choice. Chock full of vitamins, healthy enzymes, and water, fruit is the perfect snack after a spa treatment (and in fact, if you’re a lucky spagoer you might have gotten to munch on fruit while at the spa!)

Last week we put 3 guest bloggers up to the challenge of trying out a homemade Australian hair care “secret.” Read all about it here… or just see their pictures and results below and decide: will YOU start keeping cracked beer bottles next to your loofa?

1. HONEY

The Australian Secret: “Dissolve one spoonful of honey into three cups of warm water. Once dissolved simply pour over wet, freshly washed hair and let dry. Do not wash it out. Then just style as normal. This leaves hair soft with intense shine.”

Guest Experimenter: Rachel, Uncurbable Craving (Twitter @ThatTweetThing). Why her? Because she’s as tweet as honey.

Rachel’s Review: Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced that this humectant treat would be enough for my wild mane. I wasn’t sure if it would condition or add sheen to my hair enough. Usually I add a TON of conditioner… tons and tons, really. In this case, I didn’t use my bottle of conditioner at all. I shampooed my hair and then poured the honey mixture allover my freshly washed hair and then hopped out of the shower. I didn’t rinse it out. It didn’t leave my hair sticky in any way, in the shower or out.

When my hair was dry, I could tell that it felt soft. It had a nice shine to it. What was most notable to me was that the leave-in honey treatment almost acted as a styler. It seemed to hold my waves in very nice spirals. I think I’ll try this again; a good way to sometimes save on very expensive conditioner by switching it up!

2. EGGS + MAYO

The Australian Secret: “Combine one egg and mayonnaise together and apply to washed hair. Leave in for five minutes then rinse for great shine and body. Or you can replace the mayonnaise with two teaspoons of castor oil for a healthy scalp and roots. Eggs are used to add body, shine and softness to any head of hair.”

The Guest Experimenter: Nova McGinty, Good Food North East (Twitter: @novamc). Why her? Because she’s from the UK (a non-American P.O.V. yet still our toilet-water hemisphere) AND she’s writing about food anyway.

Nova’s Review: I’m the girl willing to try most things once, I pay over £6 (around $12) each for my shampoo and conditioner and if I can try something that I can put together from my kitchen cupboard and it saves me money I’m willing to try it. But when Michelle asked me to be a guest blogger and my mission if I should choose to accept it was to use eggs and mayo on my hair… I was a little dubious.
I along with 3 friends blog on a regular basis about food – but we go to restaurants and eat it.
But being a lover off all thing that Michelle does at Spa Week and in NYC, I’m putting my trust in her and joining in with the edible hair experiments from down under.

Okay, so before I even begin, I go to raid the cupboard to discover we have NO mayo - yeah that’s right no mayo! Our house isn’t a big fan of it and I don’t like to eat it if I can help it but I have no issues layering it on my hair in the name of Spa Week science. If I’m honest I think I have the raw (no pun intended) end of the deal. I think I’d prefer the beer task any day! (Don’t speak too fast, Nova!)

Before (Nice Body)

After (Flat and Split-looking)

I wash my hair with my regular shampoo, then mix the egg and mayonnaise together and apply to my hair, It’s very messy and I’m surprised there isn’t much of a smell. I leave in for 5 minutes then rinse. Whilst trying to get it out of my hair I notice it feels kind of greasy. I rinse a little more until it feels okay.

My hair now fully dried doesn’t feel full of body. The shine is there but it feels as if there’s a layer of something left on my hair and I’m contemplating washing it again.

Aussie-brand hair products are the only Australian thing I’ll be using in my hair in the future.

3. FLAT BEER

The Australian Secret: Apply flat beer to the hair and scalp, then rinse it out. Beer has a cleansing quality that will clarify the hair and leave it shiny and free of any built-up product.

The Guest Experimenter: Oz Sultan of Perks Consulting News (Twitter: @ozsultan) Why him? Because what else was he gonna do with that six pack in the fridge? (Not to mention that luscious hair!)

Oz’s Review: I ended up looking like Nicole Kidman from “Days of Thunder”. I’m not quite sure what sort of woman washes her hair with flat beer, I can however assure you that if it were a curly haired lass, that it was Kylie Minouge in the 1980s.

Since you’ve probably never tried this, let me describe the experiment in detail. Two-day flattened beer has this sort of frat-house like vinegary scent which doesn’t quite wash out in the shower. One is left with this “hint of hops” that lingers long after you’ve exited the subway and made it to work. Now, I should mention that my hair is naturally wavy-to-curly depending if I’m in the desert or a tropical jungle. The flat beer wash curled my hair like crazy - which lasts more than one day. By the way.

Conclusion: Inadvisable unless you can handle the curls!

Nicole Kidman photo courtesy of www.screenrush.co.uk

The happy steak owner

Last Saturday night Nicole Richie hosted a party at the Cooper Square Hotel in NYC for her new clothing line, Winter Kate. Nicole’s tunic above is from the collection. Inspiration for the collection is drawn from Richie’s favorite animals, like peacocks, and includes mostly tops.

For years, Nicole has been accused of being too thin, but I’m happy to report she looked healthy and vibrant. And to drive the message of heath and happiness an extra mile… she was standing perched by a shelf at the penthouse party, all by herself, chowing down on a steak and fries like nobody was watching. It was wonderfully refreshing— and it looked delicious!

NY-based celebrity doctor Richard Ash, MD, shares 3 interesting positive correlations between steak and your well-being. (Note: Dr. Ash is not saying steak is “healthy,” but read on for some reasons why you could do worse.)

3 Reasons to Feel Great About Eating Steak, from Dr. Ash MD

1. “Initially people feel better when they eat meat because it makes their body alkaline (the effect you get from eating a lot fruits and vegetables) for the first 24 hours,’ Dr. Ash said. “But then the rest of the week will trigger your body to do the reverse.” Crash and burn! At least she’s living in the moment

2. “Steak is also a good balancer. If you’ve been on antibiotics or you have acid reflux, or if you have chronic candidia (yeast overgrowth) – steak will help you feel better.” Not sure if Nicole had any of the above, but if she did, 2 more points.

3. Also, according to Dr. Ash, “If you’re trying to gain weight, you don’t want to use steak and fries – it’s not something that will necessarily promote weight gain.” So, there are better foods for this— so you don’t have to feel as though you are deliberately injecting yourself with fresh cow lard every time you take a bite.

This should all come as great news for carnivores worldwide! Also, for famous party hosts: It’s your party, you can house a steak in the corner if you want to!

Okay, so she didn’t quite clean her plate – a lesson in moderation from Nicole Richie

Photo credits: www.lastnightsparty.com

File this one away in wedding news of the weird! Several couples around the country got married on Valentine’s Day in that most romantic of wedding locations, White Castle.

The fine purveyor of tiny hamburgers ran a contest open to couples all around the company. Winners had the whole wedding shebang provided to them: dress, rings, tux, and of course a vast selection of sliders, chicken fingers, and fries.

Two of the White Castle newlyweds were a Newark, New Jersey couple who have been engaged since 2006 but could never seem to find the time to make the wedding happen. The bride told press outlets, “I am thrilled to be marrying the love of my life. I would marry him anywhere.” (admit it: that’s a little aww.) For a glimpse of their White Castle happy future, they need only to look to the couple in St. Louis who renewed their wedding vows at their local franchise on the same day–because they’ve spent every Valentine’s Day at a White Castle for the 33 years they’ve been married.

I’d definitely rather go to a wedding at a place like White Castle, especially one that reflects the couple’s personality, than a generic wedding. Plus, burgers. Way more people should incorporate burgers into their weddings. So, good luck to the White Castle couples!

After the Saints went home with Super Bowl rings last night, Michelle asked you guys on Facebook and Twitter - did you indulge in junk food during the game?

Some of you were like me and did:
@FFSCOLUMBIA — ugh!…my little nephew and I went thru a movie theatere style box of sour gummies in 15 minutes!
@PamperMeFab — I had this pumpkin bread (cake) from Trader Joe’s with cream cheese frosting. It was so delicious and worth every calorie!
@diahnee — hawt dawgs
@S_Tenuta — cake and panda express… YIKES! Thank god for tomorrows boxing class! Lol!
@rampea2 — Chips!! (lots of them)

And then a couple of you were unmoved by party treats:
Winona Patterson — Honestly, I behaved pretty well. My hubby made some awesome chili, and I didn’t gorge myself… but well, there was that cheese dip that I just couldn’t walk away from.
@thejenlevin — I was very good at the party today! Only ate some veggies and fruit! And no beer! Don’t need a slip up day right now!

Whether you overate or overdrank during the game, or you just need a little healthy detox, might I recommend the following Spa Deals? 

• Cellulite and Body Flow Detox with Presso Therapy at Vida Emanuel European Day Spa in Beverly Hills, CA Chateau
• Antioxidant Winery Facial at The Spa at Chateau Elan in Braselton, GA
• 90 Min Immune Booster Massage at Graceful Massage in New York, NY
• 60 Min Private Yoga Lesson at Skintelligence in Vienna, VA