The Globe & Mail is reporting on new research that shows that using botox reduces depression.

The study, undertaken in a chain of medical spas in the UK, compared women having botox in their frown lines with women having other cosmetic procedures.

The Botox group scored significantly lower on measures of anxiety and depression. And merely looking younger or refreshed didn’t explain the difference; both groups were about equally happy with their new appearances.

I commented on the effects of botox on our emotions in this post.

An example is bruxism or teeth-grinding. This is a condition that is becoming more frequent and severe as people worry about the current economy. Using botox to reduce teeth-grinding results in the individual not only feeling less jaw pain but also feeling less stressed.

Botox doesn’t replace dealing with your problems or getting the therapy that you need but if nothing seems to be working, it just might be the catalyst that you need to get you on the road to feeling better.

Dr. Rose Jeans
Advanced Rejuvenation Medical Spa

I’d like to share with you a great story about my friend Joan. The story came out from Joan (after some prying by me) when I tried to find out why Joan’s time wasn’t showing in the results.

The attached picture shows what is possible when a cause becomes greater than the task. One of the reasons Joan Jory entered the Chili 1/2 was that it was a fundraiser for the new breast-cancer MRI at the Hamilton General Hospital. She had received pledges for the race from friends, but why barefoot? Here is my friend Joan’s story in her own words,

Joan running barefoot

“I ran in to problems with my feet at 7 km, and took the insoles out of the shoes. It took me 1hr03 to finish the first 10 km because of the foot problems. At 12 km, I took off my shoes, ripped off the timing chip (don’t ask me how I know to do this – that’s another story related to Waterfront last fall), and threw the shoes on the side of the road at about 12.5 km. I ran the second 11 km in under 50 minutes, of which 9 kms were barefoot. The Masai would be proud of me .

I had the timing chip in my hand as I crossed the finish line but my friend told me it won’t read if the chip is above knee level (now he tells me!). So, no results. But I came in at 1 hr 53 odd, and we left 1.5 minutes after the race started according to my group who keep track of these things. I believe my final ‘chip’ time was 1 hr 51 or 52 odd.”

So Joan finished the race barefoot knowing that her pledges for the MRI breast coil equipment would now count. There is another reason too that she told me about. Joan promised someone close to her, whose health is impaired, that she would finish this race on her behalf.

An exceptional effort by an exceptional woman. This is why runners are the best, and running races are so important for the community at large.

Dan Little

[Ed.: I'd just like to remind everyone that it was a frigid -8C on March 1st. Most of us couldn't tolerate bare hands for any length of time, let alone running on bare feet.]

Last week, the Oprah show shared the stories of 7 women who were on TLC’s 10 Years Younger show, and 2 women who transformed themselves on their own.

You can see the before and after pictures here.

A very strong recurring theme with these women is that they put themselves on the backburner in their 30’s and 40’s in order to keep up with children, jobs and life. Sound familiar?

In terms of the transformations themselves, it is interesting how little it takes in some cases. A new hairstyle and makeup makes a world of difference but the key, I think, is to let someone else show you the potential they see in you.

How often do we apply the same old makeup in the same old way?

When you watch TLC’s What Not to Wear, how many times does the person being transformed resist having her hair changed? And then look like a million bucks when Nick is done?

Sometimes we need an outsider to give us permission to pay more attention to ourself. Sometimes the problem is that we’ve let our expectations of ourselves become so low, we need someone to show us how good we can actually look.

As Oprah says, we need to DREAM BIG!

Meet Linda Burden, owner of Four Forty Fitness for Women. In this video, she talks about the 1 month process that you will undergo during the 10 Years Younger … in Burlington! program and what the changes will mean in terms of your self esteem and sense of yourself.

Four Forty Fitness will be providing work outs with a trainer, consultation with a nutritionist and supplements.

You are going to love listening to Patricia Gagic discuss the internal work that you will doing as part of the 10 Years Younger … in Burlington! program.

Patricia is an internationally known artist, businesswoman, management consultant, life coach and facilitator. She has many skills and experiences to draw on as she helps you integrate the external transformation with where you are at inside.