Dr. Howard Murad presents the secrets to                    Gayle Trenberth of Beech Sandal Co., LLC
looking and feeling younger at Complexions                  explains the health benefits of Yoga Sandals.
Day Spa in Seal Beach, California.        

                           HEALTH AND BEAUTY SECRETS REVEALED FROM HEAD TO TOE
                           Boost Skin Immunity, Improve Body Harmony with Simple Methods

Seal Beach, California, August 7, 2008 – Looking younger, staying healthy, being happy.  The secrets to achieving these common goals were revealed at a gathering of southern California women seeking information on how to reduce the signs of aging and maintain healthy skin, bodies and minds.  Guests of the event sponsored by Complexions Day Spa in Seal Beach, learned beauty secrets from head to toe, from one of the most recognizable names in dermatology, Dr. Howard Murad, M.D. and local footwear manufacturer, Beech Sandal Co., LLC.

What if you could have more energy, get better sleep, be happier and have improved skin and overall health and body harmony in a matter of weeks with just a few simple changes in your life?  Would you be willing to give it a try?  A group of women gathered at Complexions Day Spa in Seal Beach Thursday evening to learn the latest techniques from head to toe on how to keep their skin and body healthy, reduce signs of aging, increase skin elasticity and improve their emotional well-being as well.  Renowned skincare expert Howard Murad, M.D. presented his scientifically proven anti-aging program that includes a complete, holistic approach to looking and feeling younger.  

VIP guests of the event held at the new location of Complexions Day Spa arrived early to get a one-on-one skin consultation with Dr. Murad and his education staff.  They were treated to an autographed copy of one of Dr. Murad’s books, “The Cellulite Solution” or “Wrinkle Free Forever”. To help make those first steps to a more youthful, healthier and happier lifestyle easier, guests also received a pair of Yoga Sandals®, compliments of Gayle Trenberth and Beech Sandal Co.

“You may have to act your age, but your skin, your cells and your spirit do not,” Dr. Howard Murad told the crowd of 60 or so women seated on the outdoor patio at Complexions Day Spa.  “The rate at which your skin ages, largely depends on how you care for your entire body, both on the inside as well as the outside,” he stressed.  “I include taking care of the whole body as part of my program because the skin and the body can’t be separated any more than the mind and body can,” said Dr. Murad.  

Dr. Murad went on to explain that when we treat our skin with topical products alone, we are addressing only 20 percent of the epidermis.  The remaining 80 percent which contains cells and connective tissue featuring collagen, elastin fibers and blood vessels needs to be addressed from the inside.  The way to do this is through nutritious foods and added support through vitamin supplementation.  That seems like a simple solution, but what is the revolutionary anti-aging ingredient for Dr. Murad’s skincare program?  Water.  That’s right, the key to the program’s success is what Dr. Murad refers to as “The Water Principle”.  No lasers, scalpels, injections of Botox or the latest wrinkle fillers with this program.  Just good old H20 in combination with a healthy diet, vitamin supplementation and a good stress management system, these are the key ingredients for ageless skin.  

“In order to keep your skin and body young and healthy it is essential to maintain adequate water content in your cells,” said Murad.  “As we age, our cells break down gradually and lose their ability to absorb and lock in water.”  A baby’s body weight is 75% water while an adult’s is composed of only 50% water, which is why we lose the firm, supple skin we once had.  To maintain water, the cell walls have to be repaired.

Dr. Murad said the answer is not in drinking more water, but in a diet that is high in raw fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants, vitamins and “structured” water that cells retain longer.  Whole grains and simple proteins are also important as well as foods rich in amino acids and Omega-3.  Vitamin supplements fill gaps in the diet and help provide all the building blocks needed for cell repair.  “By restoring the skin’s internal environment, you will not only be nourishing, repairing and protecting your skin you will also be restoring health to your entire body.”  He encouraged the women to take note of the daily stress in their lives and how it impacts how their bodies react in the repair process.  He advocated the “healing power of touch” for stress reduction as part of the “whole body” treatment with his skincare program, which also includes topical regimens such as Vitamin C infused facials.    

Realizing these are simple changes we all should make, many of us never seem to take that first step.  Dr. Murad reminded everyone of the old Chinese proverb that speaks of the longest journeys beginning with a single step.  Making changes in how we live, eat and go about our days can be hard.  We get into routines. Life gets in the way.  Take those first steps toward a healthier happier life and see where the path leads. After all, life is about change and those first steps are so important, just like those taken by a baby, with toes spread wide for balance and stability.

If getting back to nature can bring harmony back to the skin, what about the parts of the body that seem to scream for attention, say those extremities that carry the entire weight of the body around every day, the feet?  

The feet have the most awesome task of providing balance and mobility to our entire body.  Why then do we squeeze them into closed toe, often too narrow shoes and wonder why we have back or knee pain?  If the toes become stiff and weak, the body’s balance becomes out of sync and other joints and muscles compensate for the imbalance.  Giving feet the attention they have earned will lead to benefits in other areas of the body.  Gayle Trenberth of Beech Sandal Co., LLC was on hand to educate the women on how Yoga Sandals® utilize the basic principle in yoga of spreading the toes for grounding resulting in better balance and body alignment.

Practiced by ancient civilizations through today, over 18 million Americans live healthier lives by utilizing the holistic benefits of yoga.  Yoga addresses the physical and mental imbalances of the body.  Yoga Sandals help retrain the toes to spread, aiding balance in many of the standing poses in yoga, yet yoga practitioners are not the only ones who can benefit from these sandals.  

Yoga Sandals® are the next generation in flip-flop design with four toe separators that help provide a natural alignment of the foot bones and muscles. With everyday wear the slope of the sole combines with the toe separators to increase the spreading action when walking.  This helps bring back flexibility and strength to the foot bones and connective tissues in the feet, allowing them the benefit of exercise all year long.  By creating proper foot alignment, the rest of the body – the ankles, knees and hips are also able to come into alignment.    

While expecting to hear about the latest in technological advances in beauty and healthcare, the audience discovered that what we have known for years about eating right and taking care of our bodies is what really matters when it comes to good health and well-being.  “When you look good, you feel good,” said Dr. Murad, “and when your body is healthy your appearance speaks for itself.”  Maybe the philosophers of ancient times knew best.  In the words of Plato,

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on Simplicity.”  



                                                                                     ###