Naked Nails

Lately we find ourselves changing polish colors as often as we rotate our favorite purses and totes. Nail-art and the variety of nail colors and finishes available now have really made it easy to add an inexpensive, quick, and totally stress-free treat to our beauty routines.

Pretty nails make us smile, and we’ve even been known to match our tint to our Toesox. J

Though there is a downside to manicure after pedicure after manicure. . . .

Ever noticed a yellow-y stain on the base of your nails after removing color? Leaving polish on your nails for a long period of time can leave your nail beds gasping for air. But how can you leave nails naked if they’re stained sans color? Don’t worry. We’ve got a secret to keep your piggy toes and fingers looking as beautiful au natural as they are with hot pink and sparkly lacquer.

Secret for stain-free nails?

Start with a base coat. Always! This will protect your nails before adding dark colors, and will help keep polish on longer.

If stains remain, even with a base coat, try mixing up this home remedy to banish them for good.

Mix:

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

A Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Rub mixture onto nails.

Let sit for 5-7 minutes 

and you’re back to your naturally nude nails.

 

Sometimes it’s nice to skip a few days in between color, especially if you can avoid the stains. And after you clean them up, well, you’ll be ready to pick a new color for your next mani/pedi.

Goodbye Hair Dye, Hello Wheatgrass!

We’ve shared countless benefits of juicing and how important it is to keep a surplus of greens in your diet. It’s not a secret that one of the best things you can do for your body is fuel it properly. Today we want to single out one very special green that has tremendous benefits and nourishes your body in more ways than one: Wheatgrass.

Why is Wheatgrass so special?

-High in CHOLOROPHYLL (nature’s most health-promoting nutrient), which helps to purify the liver and other organs

-Contains 20 AMINO ACIDS

-FIGHTS AGAINST INFECTIONS and improves the body’s ability to heal

-High MAGNESIUM content in chlorophyll BUILDS ENXYMES that restore the SEX HORMONES

-Provides several hundred different ENZYMES NOT FOUND IN OTHER FOODS

-Keeps bowels working properly

-Aids in PREVENTION and FIGHTS AGAINST CANCER and other diseases

Overall, Wheatgrass is a complete food rich in essential vitamins, minerals, complete proteins, fiber, enzymes, fatty acids, phytonutrients, and more!

What might just be the best-kept secret about Wheatgrass is that it has proven to have an incredible ability to restore the natural pigment of hair once hair has started to go gray.

Say goodbye to hair dye, hello to Wheatgrass!

Due to the elevated amount of chlorophyll, which oxygenates the blood and rejuvenates the entire human system, Wheatgrass can actually preserve the natural color of hair.

To get your grays away:

-Drink 1 -2 fluid oz. fresh-squeezed Wheatgrass juice a day

or

-Drink 1 Tablespoon of Wheatgrass powder, 1-3 times a day

or

-Take 7-10 Wheatgrass tablets (500mg) a day

Wheatgrass has seemingly an endless list of benefits! Whether your goal is to be rid of grays or to simply to rejuvenate your body, we hope you give Wheatgrass a chance.

Cleaning Mistakes that makes us cringe- and grab the scrub brush ASAP!

Our friends at RealSimple Magazine often share tricks and tips to manage (and simplify) all the day-to-day stuff we all tackle all the time. A recent article had us rushing straight to our cleaning supplies and scrubbing like it’s already Spring Cleaning! We're reminded of how lucky we are to have an amazing crew working to keep our Pilates Platinum studios clean- and healthy -for our members.

Read on to learn some of the tips we found most helpful:

RealSimple shares, “From faulty dusting to defective dishwashing, common blunders can muck up even your best efforts. Use these pros' smart suggestions over the holidays and every day to save you time and trouble.”

Mistake: Spraying cleaner directly on a surface.

What?! Who knew this wasn’t a good method for cleaning counters or spills? According to Real Simple, this method is okay every once in a while, and for extremely dirty surfaces that need the extra quirt of cleaning solution. But for every day clean up, they suggest spraying the cleaning formula onto a microfiber cloth before wiping down. This does a fine job disinfecting, cuts down on buildup, and helps make your cleaners last longer.

Mistake: Considering a rinsed sponge clean.

Yuck! We’re pretty much all pros at this mistake- wash the dishes, rinse the sink, rinse off the sponge and done. Not anymore! According to the article, food and bacteria hide in the sponge’s crevices and a water rinse just won’t cut it. The tip: once or twice a week, toss your sponge into the dishwasher, or heat wet sponge in the microwave for e2 minutes. This will ensure you’re getting rid of all the bacteria and cleaning your dishes with a clean sponge!

Mistake: Placing all utensils in the dishwasher facing the same direction.

Sounds like someone has some organizing OCD, but when you think about it, it’s clear why this is a cleaning mistake. When spoons and forks all sit in the same direction in a standard dishwasher basket, they end up doing just what you’d suspect: spooning! This prevents a thorough cleaning and Real Simple suggests moving some spoons and knives facing up and some facing down for an even wash. 

These were just a few tips- and we’ve already been inspired to rotate our utensils and disinfect our kitchen sponges...but there are so many more tips over on Real Simple’s website.

You can view the article in it’s entirety here:

8 Cleaning Mistakes You’re Probably Making 

Exclusive Pilates Platinum Offer from Jaime Ullman & focused-mind.net!

Today we are excited to share something special that one of our west side Instructors, Jaime Ullman, has been working on…

Jaime has been teaching Classical Pilates for 15 years, and has been with Heather and Pilates Platinum for almost 6 years. Jaime has a passion for the mind-body connection and is happy to announce she now includes Life Coaching to her practice!

If you’ve taken one of Jaime Ullman’s classes at Pilates Platinum then you know she’s serious about your health and fitness. You also probably know that she’s just as serious about your happiness. Jaime’s not only a kick-a$$ instructor-- she’s also an inspiring and motivating Life Coach and she’s been generous to offer a special discount for Pilates Platinum members interested in her Life Coaching program!

Read below for additional details and check out more about Jaime, Pilatesblue, and her Life Coaching services on her website: www.focused-mind.net.

Jaime’s mission is for her clients to experience balance- and to uncover the real you. If you, or anyone you know, might benefit from coaching, send them to Jaime and take advantage of this exclusive Pilates Platinum offer!

Use code 

PilatesPlatinum 

to receive a 20% off discount.

jku@focused-mind.net

213-819-1134

focused-mind.net

October Events Recap and Get Outside!

November strikes again! But before we begin prepping for the holidays, we wanted to look back on this crazy-busy past month and all of our “Get Outside” moments. This October was extra eventful for Pilates Platinum trainers, owner Heather Dorak, and Pilates Platinum members & friends. Filled with charity events, recipe sharing, fall hiking, community events and free workout classes, and the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k Walk—October was one for the books!

We don’t always get to cover everything going on in the Pilates Platinum world here on the blog, so instead we’ve put together a recap to share the month’s highlights for anyone who might have missed out on some of the fun!

As always, we encourage you to spend time Outside each month and share your Get Outside moments online with @PilatesPlatinum by hashtagging #PilatesPlatinum and #GetOutside.

Scroll below to catch a glimpse of what went on in October,

& hopefully this November will bring just as much fun!

Pilates Platinum’s Holiday Special is live! 10 Classes for $150.00. Unlimited quantities may be bought, now through November 15^th. Head over to www.pilatesplatinum.com and take advantage of this deal (for yourself or as a gift!) before it ends mid-month.

Officially, Breast Cancer Awareness Month might have ended, but that doesn’t mean that fighting for the cause has also ended! Pilates Platinum teamed up with @fabfitfun this month because this cause is near and dear to our hearts. Breast Cancer affects 1in 8 women. Here’s a video recap on the Pilates Platinum Instagram page feature a clip from fabfitfun’s pop-up breast exam shop held at the @melrosetradingpost on Sunday. Fabfitfun is doing an amazing job reminding us all that every month is breast cancer awareness month! 

click here to learn more: fabfitfun BCA Challenge

#BCAchallenge #pilates #pilatesplatinum #fabfitfun #cancerawareness #research #cancerresearch #breastcancerreaearch

Speaking of Breast Cancer Awareness, we had such an amazing turnout at the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k walk in Santa Monica this month! Check out some of the photos (and professional stretching moves!) below and on the Pilates Platinum Instagram page. We hope you will join us, and Making Strides, again next year for this important cause.

Another important cause: early October, Pilates Platinum teamed up with Athleta and Run for Her to host a Strengthen, Lengthen & Tone class at The Park at The Grove. The Run for Her event, and the killer workout, were both a success and helped raise awareness in fighting Ovarian Cancer. Thanks to Pilates Platinum Instructors Brian Evans (@btoned) and Celine Wallace (@celine_wallace) for your hard work in making us work hard instead of shop at The Grove (@thegrovela)!

On a lighter note, BurnThis fitness ambassador Heather Dorak shared her Top 10 Favorite Healthy Snacks in her Cupboard on the BurnThis blog. Check it out here to learn why nuts, spices, coffee and raw honey are foods you should keep in stock!

Heather's Top 10 Healthy Snacks for your Cupboard on BurnThis

Did you take advantage of Marie Claire Magazine’s #PeakWeek with BurnThis? We sure did! Pilates Platinum, along with other top studios in LA and NY, offered free community classes during this event and had a blast making our sweat social. Special thanks to everyone who took a Pilates Platinum class and joined in on the #MCPeakWeek fun! Follow @BurnThisDotCom and @PilatesPlatinum to be in-the-know about future events like this.

We can’t leave out all the fun our instructors had over Halloween! Check out west side instructor Lindsay (@lindzwhit) sporting an appropriate outfit for both teaching class and celebrating the holiday. Instructor Ricky (@RickyRebel) dressed up too, but his look was for his 2-set concert on the main stage at the @WehoCarnival West Hollywood Halloween Carnival! And did you spot our Non-GMO Candy post? Take a look at the pilatesplatinum.blogspot post for an easy-to-follow list of PP Approved sweets.

And to round up the October recap, we’re proud to have made the cut on another list of LA’s best studios! We’ve shared how much we love The Tig before, and this past month, @_thetig shared how much they love Pilates Platinum! Check out The Tig's Healthy Living Guide to LA where you’ll spot your favorite SPX Pilates studio (hint…it’s us!) on the list.