Today isn’t just 11/11/11, it’s Veteran’s Day, a day for us to thank the servicemen and women of this country. Our small tokens of gratitude are incomparable to the sacrifices they’ve made for us. So be sure to take the time to say “thank you” and let them know you are grateful.

Many soldiers return home with battle scars (or even more severe injuries). We can’t think of anyone who deserves to be rubbed down and healed with the power of a massage more than our military men and women. We know the healing capabilities of a massage which can offer relief after a major surgery or after several tours of duty.

Massage Envy supports the troops and provides a military discount year round. In honor of Veteran’s Day they are offering a FREE one hour stress-relieving massage. Not only is this for active military personnel but retired and spouses of military personnel as well.

Find participating locations near you on Massage Envy‘s website. Most locations in New Jersey, Arizona and Las Vegas accept the Spa & Wellness Gift Card by Spa Week – check our gift card spa directory for details.

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Oh, that glorious extra hour! Why can’t we change the clocks back every day? Imagine – waking up every morning and realizing you have an hour more to sleep, to cuddle, to eat breakfast or catch up on the news… I campaign for 25 hour days, indefinitely. But alas, this might get confusing. So, with our one lucky “fall back” day of the year, I say take that extra hour you’ve been blessed with, and use it at the spa.

We’ve got many hour-long spa treatments in our November Spa Deals, and there are many actual proven reasons to use your extra time on the massage table.  TIME just featured “8 Ways to Beat the Daylight Savings Blues,” and much of it resonated with the spa lifestyle:

• Getting a massage – The country’s most popular spa treatment is also great when the days get shorter and the winter blues set in. According to TIME: “(Massage) can be as effective in treating depression as talk therapy. During massage, levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is often high in depressed people, fall while levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin — the same brain chemical increased by antidepressant medications — rise.”
• Deep breathing – “Taking slow, deep, relaxing breaths stimulates the vagus nerve, which is responsible for counteracting the stress response,” reports the TIME article. Our yoga expert, Elena Brower, created her Spa Week Daily Challenge around this fact – check out her 5 minute breathing tips. So when your in-laws are in town for the holidays, just remember to take deep breaths!
• Drinking caffeine - Go ahead and feed your Starbucks addiction, because a recent study showed that women who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of depression. Lattes, here you come!
• Exercising - Elle Woods said it best: “Exercising gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands!” Exercising repeatedly at the same time each day or days of the week helps create a habit, and the more you repeat that habit, the harder it becomes to let yourself deviate from it.
• Socializing – It can be difficult to motivate yourself to go out especially during the bitterly cold winters here on the East Coast but, get yourself to the spa (maybe grab a few friends too) and you’ll be doing yourself a service! (Click for the rest of TIME’s tips.)

Here are some great spa deals around the country to fill that 60 minutes of time you’ve been blessed with, and to help you fight off those winter blues:

Bahn Sabai Day Spa in Los Angeles has a choice of 60 Minute Body Massage with 30 Min Facial or 60 Minute Body Massage with 30 Min Foot Massage. Special: $65 Each; Originally: $95 – $120.

Facelogic Spa in Encinitas, California has a 60 Minute Microdermabrasion Facial with Upper Body Massage. Special: $59; Originally: $109.

La Petite Rose in San Francisco has a choice of Luminous Vitamin C Facial or 60 Minute Pure Relaxation Massage. Special: $65 Each.

mySpa at InterContinental Miami has a choice of a 50 Min True Transformation Facial or My Massage, 60 Minute Anti-Cellulite Body Wrap or 95 Min Journey Manicure and Pedicure with choice of Lavender or Ginger. Special: $50 Each.

U-topia Spa in Naples, Florida has a choice of 60 Minute Bliss Massage or Glisten Body Polish. Special: $70 Each.

Newbury Electrology & Skin Care in Boston has a choice of 60 Minute Spa Facial with Enzyme Peel and 15 Min Electrolysis for $55, normally $125, or 60 Minute Deep Pore Cleansing Facial and Eyebrow Wax for $50, normally $95.

Suede Salon, Spa & Body in Marlton, New Jersey has a choice of 45 Min Pomegranate Brightening Peel for $69, normally $104, or 60 Minute Massage for $59, normally $81.

Monty Beauty Spa in Brooklyn, New York has a choice of 60 Minute Aromatherapy Massage with Cupping Therapy, 60 Minute Lava Hot Stone Massage or 90 Min Vitamin C and Seaweed Facial Treatment. Special: $60 Each.

Epiphany Day Spa in Hempstead, New York has a choice of 60 Minute Microdermabrasion or 60 Minute Aromatherapy Massage. Special: $65 Each; Originally: $120.

Click here to see all November Spa Deals.

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By Jamie Dougherty

Remember a few weeks ago when I was talking up some sweet love for the sweet potato?  Though I still love those suckers, there is a particular super food that has taken first place on my plate as of late.  Say hello to kabocha squash!  “Excuse me?” you say.  “What is this thing I can barely pronounce?”  KA-BOW-CHA is a Japanese squash and quintessential super food that rocks in all types of delicious dishes.  First, a quick super food definition:  A super food is an unprocessed edible that packs a powerful nutritional bang for its caloric buck.  With its high Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium content, kabocha is not only a super food but one that will make your immune system and heart say thank you very much!

Now, where can you find said squash that will svelte-ify your figure?  Being a Fall food, right now kabocha can be found at most farmer’s markets.  Look for ones with a rich green color and firm skin with minimal blemishes.  If the markets have closed for the year, try your local grocer or health food store.  Next, how do you cook it?  Just like you would a butternut squash.  Throw it into soups and curries, mix it into a pilaf or with beans or just straight up roast it.  I actually love eating roasted kabocha as a snack. Absolutely flippin’ awesome!

So, next time you are looking for a super food to hit that sweet, starchy spot, grab a kabocha squash.  Your body and taste buds will be mighty pleased!

In the comments let me know your thoughts on super foods and how you like to get them into your diet.  Come on ladies, sharing is caring! (And it feels good too.)

Jamie G. Dougherty, founder of JamieLiving.com, gives women the secrets to feel amazing in their bodies and create the balance they crave between their busy schedules and eating well. Jamie believes that though kale and brown rice are good foods to put on your plate, until we truly learn HOW to eat rather than just WHAT to eat we will continue to be carb-craving, super-frazzled, stress-out ladies. If you ever feel hungry, stuck and unsatisfied with your food be sure to visit Jamie’s website to get her FREE 5-Step Guide to Fabulous.  Seriously ladies, get ready for Jamie to rock your world!

After two weeks, I have to say this Spa Week Daily Challenge was a bit more tricky then I had originally envisioned. First you think, okay, no big deal – I only ever use artificial sweeteners in my morning coffee so this will be easy. I will just swap out a pink or a blue packet for a real-sugar, white packet – no big deal, right? Wrong! Once I was turned on to the notion of looking for fake sugar to avoid, I realized just how often I actually do use artificial sweeteners: a packet in my morning oatmeal, I often toss in a few in my home-brewed iced-tea pitcher, over a bowl of fresh blueberries or strawberries, on my Cheerios… I use fake sugar way more then I realized. THEN, on top of all that, you have to become a detective and check the labels of your favorite foods and snacks for hidden artificial sweeteners in foods like gum, granola bars and even 100% fruit juice! Sometimes it’s hard to find the bad stuff when it’s masked as good stuff! On the plus side, once I became more aware of  the fake sugar I was using and where it was hiding, I started to see that avoiding those foods had a positive trend on my eating and sleep habits. I slept a little better every night and was able to fall asleep a little easier, too.  Keri Glassman is seriously on to something here.

We are so happy to see that so many of you took the pledge to ditch sugar on Facebook and how many of you told us that you had given up on the stuff years ago! Overall, we were really happy that everyone enjoyed the challenge and had such great, feel-good results!  So with that being said, I’d like to announce the 2 winners of the $50 Spa Week Gift Cards who took part in the Ditch Artificial Sugar Facebook Event. Drum roll please…

Lisa V: “No splenda will be rough..but worth it. Count this as my RSVP to live healthier! :) ”

Tonya R: ” Will do this and hopefully continue after the challenge is over. Thanks for the motivation! ”

Congratulations you two, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and please contact stephanie at spaweekmedia dot com to redeem your prize!

By Sarah Jenks

Beauty comes from the inside.. but it doesn’t have to stay there. So many women are waiting to buy new clothes, dress up and wear sexy underwear until they’ve lost “the weight.” But did you know that avoiding the beauty basics is actually causing you to keep the weight on?

If you’re walking around in sweat pants, or your old “fat jeans,” you are going to treat your body like an old frumpy, lump.  And that usually entails over-eating, skipping workouts and not taking care of ourselves.

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to invest in your beauty NOW.  Not 10 pounds from now.  Here’s exactly what you need to do this week to break out of your fat frustration:

1.  Buy some new clothes: 1 pair of amazing jeans (try Levis), 3 blouses, a hot dress, a conservative dress, and a skirt.  You can also go wild on accessories like jewelry and scarves.  If you’re worried about wasting money, you can always, take the clothes in, or sell them later.  It may feel scary to draw some attention to your body by dressing like a hottie, but trust me, your body will thank you for finally paying attention to her.

2. Get a haircut. Something different and fun.  You would look great in side swept bangs.

3. Get ALL NEW UNDERWEAR! Click here to view my favorite brand and how 3 women lost weight just by changing their underwear.

4. Get up 20 minutes early every morning and blow dry your hair and put on makeup.  It will make you feel more awake than the extra sleep or a cup of coffee.

5. Wear heels. Just do it.

Want some extra credit? Learn how you can put all these things together and do this sneaky strategy for getting a quick fix for a flat relationship. Click here.

Sarah Jenks, founder of theBreathtakingBride.com, helps women fall in love with their bodies and lose weight through exploring the emotional reasons of why we eat. Sarah believes that you can talk about the benefits of broccoli until you are blue in the face, but real change won’t happen until we pull back the veil of fad diets and calorie counting to reveal the true cause of our over eating. Feeling lost about weight loss? Visit her website to download her free guide: “What to do if you feel fat, hopeless and ready to give up.”