3 Healthy Father's Day Gifts

When did Father's Day become the official day of ties, toolbox sets and golf clubs? Let's get away from the routine gifts this year. Dad deserves more for all that he does; he deserves something straight from the heart that says, "I love you." Here's 3 healthy gifts that your dad is sure to love:

1. Cook Dad a Delicious, Homemade, Healthy Meal: Encourage your dad to eat a little healthier by showing him that healthy food can taste yummy! Make your father feel special, prepare one of our Healthy Kitchen recipes. Try one of our favorites like our Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese and H3 Fudgy Brownie recipes.

2. Take Dad our for a Spa Day: Ok. We know that might not sound like the gift he wants but even Dad needs to be immersed in relaxation. Book him a massage or another treatment at a local spa. Luckily if you're in the Beaufort County area, the Indigo Spa has massages, unique men's facials services and men's body treatments to relax and reinvigorate.

3. Gift Dad with a Healthy Adventure at H3: An exciting, healthy H3 adventure filled with nutritious, gourmet meals, kayaking and other fitness adventures and so much more are awaiting your dad in sunny Hilton Head Island, South Carolina! Imagine how much it means to truly give Dad the gift of better health.



We'd love to know more about your dad. Share one of your favorite memories you have of your dad, stepdad or father figure.

Mother's Day Tribute from H3

Since Mother's Day is 3 days away, we decided to honor our moms with a video letting them know what they mean to us. Maybe we don't say it enough or as often as we should but - We Love You, Mom! Enjoy this Mother's Day Tribute video from our Hilton Head Health staff.



Make sure you show your Mom how much you love her this Mother's Day! Give your Mom a day to relax and reflect with a transformative experience at The Indigo Spa.

The H3 Happy Day Dance

We are all smiles here at Hilton Head Health! Not only because it's the 1st Day of Spring but it's International Day of Happiness. Ok, we admit it. We're not only happy today but everyday because we help make our Guests healthier and happier by promoting health and fitness and showing them how to achieve overall wellness! But today, we have a very special dance just for this amazing holiday! So, enjoy and feel free to dance along with us or do a cartwheel or 2!



We want to know what makes you happy. If you're a past Guest, tell us one of your happiest moments at Hilton Head Health. If you're still planning your trip to H3, tell us what makes you happy.

Super Bowl Fitness

Hilton Head Health has put together a special workout to help you stay active while you watch the 2015 Super Bowl! Since, most Americans will eat around 1200 calories during that time in front of the television. And approximately 30 million pounds of snacks will be consumed, it's the perfect time to incorporate some Super Bowl Fitness.

Here's the lineup:

• Touchdown - 7 burpees


• Field Goal - 10 Mountain Climbers


• 1st Down - 10 Squats


• Sack - 10 Tricep Dips


• Interception - 5 Push ups


• Fumble - 10 Leg Lifts


• Penalty - 30 second Plank


• Total Points of the 1st Half - Walking Lunges


• Total Points of the Game - Single Leg "V" Up

See a demonstration of each exercise here:

 

Two New Services Offered at the Indigo Spa

 



Treating the body is critical to a healthy, energetic and beautiful life. An Indigo Spa body treatment at Hilton Head Health is an experience of intensely pure, certified organic ingredients generously delivered from Red Flower, Naturopathica and Skin Authority with techniques evolved from the world’s richest healing traditions. Each treatment is executed with a sense of ceremony and a meaningful purpose, made extraordinary by the multi-layered effects that are so unique. Indigo Spa massage offerings include escapist journeys with layers of rare, exceptionally sourced ingredients, treatments that take the mundane to the memorable and therapeutic massages that deeply heal. We've added two more restorative treatments to complete our spa menu:

After Sun Therapy 50 Minutes

Reduce the effects of too many rays. The skin is gently purified with a hydrating blend of sea algae and silk extract blended with yuzu and mimosa flowers. A lymphatic Phytopower Masque is applied to the body and face to reduce redness and skin irritation and improve cellular regeneration to prevent peeling and even the skin tone. This treatment closes with a cooling and delicate application of ocean lotion to heal.

Fit & Firm Transformational Facial 50 minutes

This European-inspired facial incorporates a sugar cane AHA resurfacing and an individually chosen treatment mask to soften fine lines, clear congestion and brighten skin for a healthy, radiant glow. While masking, the therapist will perform an arm and hand massage incorporating rich therapeutic nutrients to restore and brighten skin. This luxurious treatment finishes with a Fit & Firm Eye Lift Treatment and application of an anti-aging “cocktail” of Wrinkle Reversing Serum and vitamins, rich with essential oils to replenish and revive skin radiance and health.

The Indigo Spa at Hilton Head Health

If you haven't already heard, our newest addition to Hilton Head Health, the Indigo Health and Wellness Spa, is scheduled to open in February 2015! The Indigo spa will allow new, meaningful ways to continue our successful weight loss history through a wide variety of thoughtfully designed treatments that highlight the mind/body connection.

With a full menu of services offering facials, massages, body treatments, make up, and a hair salon with manicure and pedicure options, The Indigo spa has partnered with iconic brands known for exceptional quality, such as Naturopathica, RedFlower, Skin Authority and more. 

We are thrilled about this major milestone in H3's history, and can't wait to share it with you! For more information about The Indigo spa, click here.  

Hilton Head Health Blogger Weekend

This past weekend, Hilton Head Health hosted our very first H3 Blogger Weekend with 6 wonderful health and wellness bloggers. These bloggers had the chance to immerse themselves into all that is H3 and get a taste of the LIVE Well experience. Our bloggers included (horseshoe from left to right in photo): Andie Mitchell of Can You Stay for Dinner, Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen, Sarah Dussalt of Sarah Fit, Nicole Perry of Pumps and Iron, Lisa Cain of Snack Girl, and Beth Klein of Beth's Journey.



During their visit we wanted to get an idea of their favorite or most memorable aspects of their stay, here's what they had to say:

Name 1 thing / lesson your're excited to take with you from H3.

Andie: I can't wait to bring some of these healthy recipes into my kitchen and share them on my blog. My favorites were the: pomegranate kale salad, herb-crusted pork tenderloin and crab salad.

Beth: Bob's lecture on portion control really drove home how huge of an impact controlling our environment can make on our health goals. I can't wait to get home and switch out my large dinner plates!

What did you learn about yourself during your visit?

Lisa: That my feet were in pain! Thankfully, while here, I learned this fact and was able to learn a remedy -  massaging them with a tennis ball {self-massage}. Now, my feet feel amazing. I also learned that I am not hungry eating 1400 calories a day when I'm eating healthy food.

Monique: To be more vulnerable and open with both myself and my audience. I've met a lot of wonderul people who have inspired me to share my story because they have shared theirs.

What aspect of the stay did you enjoy the most?

Nicole: Getting a few days of "me" time. It has been so nice to wake up each day, look over the class schedule and plan around the question "What's best for ME today?". Everyone needs to give themselves the gift of "me" time once in a while.

Sarah: I enjoyed the food and friendly people, staff and guests. The menu was always exciting and tasted delicious. The portions left me feeling full even though I didn't expect to feel full.



Thanks for visiting us, ladies, we really appreciate you taking the time to come see us. It was amazing to get to know more about each of you and to see how connected you are with your audience. You can read more about their takeaways from their H3 experience on their blogs and see photos of their recent stay on their social media.

It's Time to Change your Fitness Routine

It’s October! As the cool, crisp days of Autumn slowly ascend upon us we prepare for the activities and festivities that the fall and winter season bring. When we turn the clocks back next month, we'll know the shift of seasons is official. The change of seasons often coincides with a change in our exercise routines as falling temperatures and inclement weather force us indoors. This, in fact, is a great time to bust out of the boredom that you may be experiencing with your current fitness program and try some new fitness options to challenge your body, stoke your metabolism, and reenergize your mind. If you have been doing the same routine (machines, weights, cardio equipment, etc.) for an extended period of time, you may find that you have hit a weight-loss plateau. When you begin a new exercise regiment, your body feels challenged and requires energy to complete the task. However, keeping the same routine in place long-term allows your body to adapt and become more efficient at performing the work. The body eventually requires less effort and less calories to do the job. So, keeping that in mind, as you prepare to turn back your clocks consider some of the following low-impact indoor options to breathe some fresh air into your fitness routine:

1. SPINNING (Indoor Cycling): Hopping on the bike is a fun way to fit in some exercise, with a low chance of damaging the joints. A simulation of hill climbs, intervals, quick bursts of speed on flat road or downhill, or long-sustained flat roads will make you feel as though you just completed the Tour-de-France, but without ever having to leave the gym. Complete your own spin routine or sign up for a guided class to enhance the adventure! To keep the workout as low-impact as possible, avoid standing positions for more than 1-minute intervals at a time, and use them sparingly.

2. ROWING MACHINE: The rowing machine is a low-impact, intense and fun way to work virtually every major muscle group in your body with one machine. This workout offers significant improvement in cardiovascular function and increases muscle mass, while being performed with very little pressure on the joints.

3. ZUMBA: This indoor workout has been taking the world by storm for nearly a decade now. The combination of upbeat music of a wide range of Latin-inspired genres with primarily low-impact moves is guaranteed to excite you and challenge you! Some Zumba instructors incorporate more low-impact moves than others so find an instructor you like and be sure to modify when you need to. For variety, find a workout facility that offers Zumba Toning, a fusion of low-impact dance cardio and light upper body and low body resistance training.

4. BALLROOM DANCING: Take a tip from Dancing With the Stars. Not only is dancing super sexy, it’s often very easy on the body and a guaranteed great workout, while also stimulating your brain by trying something new and different. Bonus points for this workout because it also gives you some quality bonding time with your spouse or partner. So go grab your partner and give those dips, twirls, and whirls a spin!

5. TRX: Also known as “total-body resistance exercise,” TRX is a nylon strap suspension system (invented in the Marine Corps actually!) that’s easy on the joints but a serious challenge for your whole body. Head to the nearest gym to “learn the ropes”. If you really want to dive into over 45 different exercises and levels of each exercise that can be performed with this tool, consult a TRX qualified trainer!

6. PILATES: To date, there has never been success with high-impact sports magically giving us six-pack abs. The real way to sculpt abs and increase core strength? Just roll out the mat for a quick Pilates session to strengthen and lengthen your body, improve alignment and posture, develop breathing capacity, improve coordination and balance and increase your flexibility. Participants benefit from the deep concentration allowing them to tune into both body and mind.

7. YOGA: It’s no tackle football, but the NFL pros are doing it. So ease up and add some spinal twists and downward dogs to that fitness routine. Research shows that yoga helps to improve flexibility, enhance self-awareness, improve lung capacity, and restore your mind-body connection.

Be sure to look at the LIVE Well package from Hilton Head Health for more information about fun, challenging fitness and wellness routines.

How to Progress into a Pull-Up

Here at Hilton Head Health, fitness is more than just weight loss. Fitness is about building physical and mental strength. Fitness is about discovering a better you. Fitness is a way to show yourself  "I can." What better way to show yourself  "I can" than building the strength, stamina, and dedication to complete a pull up?

Progressing to a pull-up varies from person to person depending on body-type and current fitness level. Having said that, the muscles used in a pull-up are the exact same for everybody; Latissimus Dorsi and Biceps being key. A great place to start with this progression are these three exercises below:

Bent Over Row:

The bent over row teaches you to keep proper spinal alignment. It also strengthens the Biceps, Lats, and other upper back muscles.

Lat Pull Down:

This exercise very closely mimics the movement of the shoulder joint in a body weight pull up.

Body Row on TRX:

This row begins to train your body to control itself while working the shoulder joint. This is important for making your nervous system smarter and creating synergy in all the muscles in your body .

There are always more exercises that can be done to build up to and improve the pull-up, but this is a great place to start.

Chef's Table Cuisine: A Taste of the Lowcountry

 

The Chef's Table is a fine dining experience exclusively held in the H3 Healthy Kitchen.

Healthy Kitchen Executive Chef Karla Williams and Healthy Kitchen Sous Chef Carrie Adams share healthy cooking tips and prepare a delectable, low-fat gourmet dinner as H3 Guests and Islanders sit back, relax and enjoy 4 delicious, low calorie courses.

[caption id="attachment_12467" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Seared Grouper, Herbed Grits with Gouda and Collard Greens[/caption]

 

The most recent Chef's Table Experience, "A Taste of the Low Country," explored the bold, robust flavors of the Low Country where Hilton Head Health calls home.

[caption id="attachment_12468" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Southern Chicken and Waffles[/caption]

 

The menu included southern favorites: Southern Chicken and Waffles; Fried Green Tomatoes drizzled with an Aged Balsamic; Grouper, Herbed Grits with Gouda and Collard Greens with Bacon; and Peach Cobbler topped with scratch-made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

[caption id="attachment_12470" align="aligncenter" width="400"] "Fried" Green Tomatoes with an Aged Balsamic[/caption]

 

The Chef's Table  and all the HK Events tour different flavors from all over the world, creating healthy, full-flavored courses. These events are open to current guests or for the general public with a reservation. Come explore the world through cuisine and experience the perfect ways to bring taste and health into your own kitchen!

[caption id="attachment_12471" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Peach Cobbler and House-made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream[/caption]

 

Plan your visit to our next Chef's Table or Healthy Kitchen Event here.

5th Annual Devin's Dash Memorial 5K

Despite the inclement weather, this year's Devin's Dash was a success! With the help of our sponsors, volunteers and race participants we raised almost $6000 for Happiness is Camping. Amazing! The overall race winner and first male was H3’s own Experience Planner Alex Santa, and the first female race was winner Kim Stanziola. The after party included fresh H3 smoothies and healthy snacks compliments of the H3 Culinary Team, great music, a raffle drawing for the amazing prizes donated by our sponsors, and of course, post-race stretching to prevent any injuries. The official Devin’s Dash Page is here http://www.h3daily.com/devinsdash/ to see the prizes, more race results and sponsors. If you missed this year's Devin's Dash Memorial 5K Run/Walk held at Hilton Head Health, here's a quick photo recap.

Devin's Dash is one of our favorite races and events on Hilton Head Island, and we're so proud to host it! We thank all of those who participated, and hope that we see you all again next year!

H3 Kayaking Excursion

Here at Hilton Head Health weight loss resort and health spa, we strive to create a nurturing environment for our Guests featuring one-of-a-kind experiences as we help them navigate their personalized weight loss journeys or health and wellness paths. Earlier this week, our Guests ventured over to Shelter Cove Marina here on Hilton Head Island, for a day of kayaking. While kayaking, they got to see some exciting sites including a water powered jet pack and our H3 Guide Alex doing some impromptu shrimping! It was quite the eventful and beautiful excursion while also being a great workout for our Guests during their weight loss program and wellness program.






Check out our special events calendar to find out what adventures we have planned for you to enjoy during your visit to Hilton Head Health.

H3 16-Mile Biking Adventure

Our top priority here at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and wellness retreat is providing the tools to create a path to help our Guests reach their personalized weight loss and wellness goals through our weight loss program and healthy lifestyle, wellness program. Alongside that interest, we want to make sure our Guests have an amazing time and take home life-enhancing experiences. We offer a variety of excursions, adventures and amenities such as cooking classes, spa treatments, zip-lining, and more. Most recently our Guests participated in a 16-mile bike ride, navigating nearly the entire span of the beautiful Hilton Head Island with H3 Guide Alex Santa and H3 LOSE Well Coach Jeremy Crawford. Our Guests enjoyed breathtaking scenery and completed a task that called for endurance and showcased their improved fitness levels.



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

We certainly had an amazing time biking around the beautiful Hilton Head Island with some of our Guests!

What was your favorite fitness adventure that you partook in during your weight loss program or wellness program at Hilton Head Health weight loss camp and health spa? If you haven't booked your trip to Hilton Head Health yet to improve your fitness, nutrition and wellness and jump start your weight loss, what fitness adventure are you looking forward to?

H3 SUMMER WELLNESS WEEKENDS SALE

Here at Hilton Head Health, we're committed to helping individuals create a personalized experience to reach weight loss and wellness goals both here at the facililty and back at home. Summer is in full effect and we understand your schedule is as busy as ever. Meetings, pick up the kids, dinner and a hundred other items on your to-do list. Before the summer passes you by, take advantage of an H3 Summer Wellness Weekend Sale, between now and July 31st and save 20%!  Our Wellness Program includes a stay in a private villa, unlimited access to fitness classes, healthy meals, health education and so much more! A Wellness Weekend is just what you need to kick start a healthy lifestyle and reboot your body.

Come and learn why Hilton Head Health has been chosen as the nation's premiere weight loss resort, and wellness retreat.



Learn more about the pricing and details of our wellness program that will help you kick start your weight loss and/or healthy lifestyle here!

BOOK BY JULY 31, 2014 TO SAVE 20% and BRING A FRIEND TO SAVE MORE!

H3 Meditation Giveaway Contest Winner!

We thank everyone who entered the Meditation Giveaway Contest and we enjoyed reading all of your answers! We hope that you all try to practice meditation. The winner of the H3 Meditation CD, yoga mat and bag is Sarah Sullivan! Enjoy your prize!



 

 

H3 Adventures Album

At Hilton Head Heath, we believe that the journey to weight loss and wellness can be fun and exciting. We strive to provide our guests who visit our weight loss and wellness resort and spa with a memorable experience so they leave with a new outlook of their health and their life and continue to have long lasting results. To help make our guests' weight loss and wellness journey that much more fun and memorable, we offer various excursions including: kayaking, ziplining and even a Culinary & Fitness Adventure. Enjoy these photos from our most recent H3 kayaking and fitness adventures.

                     

If you're an H3 alum, what were some of your favorite activities and adventures you experienced during your stay? Or, if you haven't quite made it to H3 yet, which activity would you like to participate in?

Ready for a Culinary & Fitness Adventure?

 



Looking for a rewarding weekend getaway? We’ve packed some of our best culinary and fitness experiences into just three days!

• Mornings are spent in our state-of-the-art Healthy Kitchen learning to prepare delicious meals.


• Each afternoon we’ll explore the island’s beautiful beaches and lush wetlands by bike, kayak, and even stand-up paddleboard.


• Enjoy a private gourmet meal from our chef every evening, and wrap up your trip with a relaxing massage treatment by one of our skilled therapists.

 

Here’s a snapshot of your 3-Day Culinary and Fitness Adventure:

 

 

3-day workshops run alongside our LIVE Well program. Additional fees apply.

Workshop fee includes classes, excursions and Swedish massage.

 

Bring Friends and Save

 

Laugh, sweat and reconnect!

Experience H3 with loved ones and strengthen the bond between you. Here you will create life-long memories supporting each other in weight loss or jumpstarting a healthy routine. And when you travel and stay together everyone SAVES. *

 



 

 

 

 

*Savings based on a preferred villa. All guests in your party must stay in the same villa. Three bedroom accommodations are available, but in limited supply. $1000 deposit due at time of booking, balance payable at check-in. Should a member of your party cancel or reschedule the rate will be adjusted.

Devin's Dash recap!

What a wonderful time we had once again for our 4^th Annual Devin’s Dash 5k run/walk, through the luxurious shipyard plantation starting and ending at Hilton Head Health!

Followed by raffle ticket drawings, live music, yoga, and H3 smoothies at the pool.

All proceeds went towards sending local children with pediatric cancer to Happiness is Camping in memory of Devin Sheaffer, Hilton Head’s beloved massage therapist.

$5,000 was raised with over 100 participants

Listed below are our winners:

(m) Nathan Mckee from Ripley with a time of 18.38!

(f) Sarah Allers, from Columbia with a time of 21.00!

View the complete results of  Devin's Dash Memorial 5k!

Thank you all for the donations!

Looking forward to seeing everyone come out next year!

Son Of A Bridge

by Kelly Milgie:

For those of you who read my last blog post, you may remember I have been training for my first 10K.  I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K on March 31 and am proud to say I survived!  Though the day did not go as smoothly as I had hoped, after 01:06:40 and I crossed the finish line!

When my alarm went off at 4:30 that morning, I woke up excited and ready to go.  I had invested much of my free time training and the day had finally come. H3 @ Home Wellness Coach Amy Kelderhouse spent much of the morning reminding me to stay hydrated, eat breakfast and stretch.  It was about a half hour commute from where we were staying in Charleston to where the race began inMt.Pleasant. When entering Mt.Pleasant, I found out this race had 43,000 participants (a bit of information that Allison and Amy forgot to mention when they encouraged me to sign up for the race). They also failed to mention that we would begin running in waves.  The scheduled start time was 8:00 AM so around 6:30 AM Amy went up front to her wave and Allison and I got in line with our group.  I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but Allison did a great job distracting me until it was almost time to start. 

8:00 AM came and went and no one had begun running.  Next thing we knew it was after 8:30, and though there were announcements and music, no one filled us in on what was going on.  Long story short, my wave did not begin running until 9:30. By this time, I was hungry and a little discouraged but still excited to finally begin. 

The first mile was very smooth, taking Allison and I 09:40…. And then we hit the bridge, which to my disbelief was one mile uphill!  I had spent a decent amount of time training on the bridge here on Hilton Head, but it definitely did not prepare me for this! Another challenge I encountered was having to speed up to go around the people who stopped to walk or were jogging at a slower pace than I was (this is challenging for me to do in general, but running up hill made it even more difficult). To top it off, it was a rather windy day and we were of course running against the wind! Finally, we made it to the top of the never ending hill and I felt a bit of relief.  The rest of the race was spent trying to weave around the walkers and enjoying the entertainment that was taking place along the route.

When we finally crossed the finish line I had mixed emotions.  Though I did not have a specific time goal, I was hoping to be close to 60:00 and going over by 6 minutes was a little discouraging.  Then I allowed myself to realize that I just did something I had never done before and that is something to be proud of! Not only did I complete at 10K (without stopping to walk), one mile of it was up hill and the entire 6.2 miles were spent weaving around other participants.  I am pretty sure this was the hardest thing I have ever physically done but also one of the best things I have ever done.

After writing my last post, H3 Alum Lyle Orr commented that Amy and Jeff would have me running a ½ marathon before I knew it… Well Lyle, you were right – I plan to run the Disney ½ marathon in November – training begins soon!

[caption id="attachment_7743" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Amy, Kelly and Allison the morning of the race"][/caption]

Have you enjoyed reading about Kelly's race exerience? Create a race memory of your own and join H3 Staff, H3 Alum and Hilton Head residents in this year's Devin's Dash 5K! Click here for more information.