Matt Orr spends an age-reversing five days of exercise, spa relaxation, clean cuisine and life coaching at the Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami.

Raindrop therapy massage — the very name throws you into images of nature. When I first heard the name I imagined cascades of water rushing down the side of a mountain … well, perhaps not quite that dramatic, but at least it conjured up a picture of round drops of moisture poised upon large tropical leaves, ready to drop to earth. Yet Charlotte Warn, LMT, tells us that raindrop therapy uses essential oils, not water. Oils are for plants what blood is for our body, and the essential oils extracted from [...]

Marcia Ducharme, local Zija distributor, zealously advocates the daily use of the miracle plant moringa. But she is not the only one to do so; in fact, people dating back to 150 BC have extolled the health properties of this common natural plant, also known as “the Miracle Tree.” That is a pretty strong testimonial, and Marcia carries the torch in our own present time, trying to spread the news far and wide of this fundamental ingredient in Zija. Why Zija? In 1998, Marcia suffered from terrible arthritis, leading her to [...]

Now that I have declared myself a virgin vegan, I have heard from others in the community who are exploring healthier diets as well. There is something so exhilarating about making better choices about the way we live our lives. It prompts us to examine other areas as well. For example, I have also been ramping up my yoga practice (as much as possible with a toddler to care for) and examining my skincare products as a complement to my healthier food choices.  My plan is to increase my fruit [...]

Introducing Matt’s List, an Owner’s Guide to Sarasota. In this installment, TWIS Founder Matt Orr gives five tips on five Sarasota-based portals to gorgeous. 1) Belly Burning — When you live in a city where the beach body season lasts all year, you need to know where to find the flab busters. My advice? Let Matt Freeland hand your ass to you three days a week. Training with Matt gets you three one-on-one sessions a week, three exercises you are required to do on your own (he calls you to make sure you did them), [...]

Ponce de Leon came to Florida to find the Fountain of Youth. He failed. Whether it was because he was a boy (and girls rule and boys drool) or because he was mean to the natives, I’m not sure. Luckily, his shortcomings leave room for my success. And so I introduce you to the elixir he was looking for: green smoothies. A mix of greens, a base fruit and a sweet fruit, green smoothies are a nutritional catch-all. They have given me a choice when it comes to food, taking [...]