Ep 194 – Adopting Blue Zone Characteristics in Your Esthetics Practice

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Sign up for a wholesale account today at truthtreatmentspro.com and receive 10% off your first order. That's truthtreatmentspro.com. Hello and welcome to ASCP SETOC. I am Ella Cresnan, licensed institution certified organic skincare formulator and content contributor for associated skincare professionals. I am Maggie Stasek, licensed institution and ASCP's education program manager. Today we have another shout out shout out to Don Konder, who is an SD student, but she's also a certified Gwasha and face yoga instructor. So she has a little leg up. She listens, she's in Florida and she listens to the podcast, loves it. She says she tells all her other classmates to listen to it. So thank you so much for listening and for spreading the news about our podcast. So I know that you know about blue zones, but I think today we should talk about blue zones, what they are, what makes them this way, and then maybe opportunities how we can bring this philosophies or something into our lives, no matter where we are. So let's talk about it. Maggie, what is a blue zone? Yeah, so blue zones are regions around the world where people have been found to live longer and healthier lives in the average population. And these regions are characterized by certain lifestyle and dietary habits that are believed to contribute to their longevity. And I think this is, I would love to have this career. The concept of these blue zones was first introduced by Dan Butner. I hope I'm saying his name correctly. He was a national geographic journalist and in his travels, he identified five different regions around the world where people lived the longest and they are Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nikoya in Costa Rica, Igaria in Greece, and the seventh day advanced community in Loma Linda, California. Interesting enough, they show that in those five areas that these people in these blue zones, they share common traits such as plant-based diet, regular physical activity, a strong sense of self or purpose, and a strong social support network, like the case in Loma Linda. They also tend to have lower rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress. Important, yeah. So these lifestyle factors are believed to contribute to their longevity by reducing their risk of chronic disease, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. And additionally, these lifestyle factors may also slow down the aging process. The aging process, don't, don't, don't, right? The thing we're always after. Interesting enough, I think it was Kokoschen now that came out with a product maybe 15 years ago in homage to this blue zone area. It turns out it was from a different island, but blue with that same thing. Wanting to sell this idea of, remember death becomes her in the serum that they do. I'm kind of like that, this ageless in a bottle, so to speak. But how do we, we don't, we don't live in these areas. We live in our lifestyle, in our area of the country, whatever it is. How do we bring some of these common traits that they're finding in these areas and integrate them into our own lives? So of course, we've heard the importance of diet and exercise for years. So I thought maybe let's just start with something else because those are two networks. We can talk about them later, but let's start with the important things, like a strong sense of purpose and a strong social support network. These, I think, are important, especially when we get caught up in the mundane parts of life when we don't have purpose groups like ASCP, for example, or different aesthetic communities or even listening to this podcast. For me, that feels like a strong social support network. Totally. And I think having a network can give you a sense of purpose. So in some respects, they go hand in hand, but and you kind of set it in our society. We get caught up in all the minutia and it's hard to find that sense of purpose when really it's actually right there in front of us. Being an esthetician as estheticians, this potentially is your sense of purpose. It's bringing care and giving peace to your clients. Maybe you have a little side hustle where you are helping people in need. Maybe it's a nonprofit or you're doing it pro bono or you are in oncology esthetician. That is your sense of purpose, but it can be things outside of that as well. You mentioned, I think, religion potentially is your sense of purpose. So it's, you know, just those small things, your hobbies even are your sense of purpose. I think that, now listen, I don't have kids, but I think one thing to be cognizant of because my sense of purpose for a long time was being an aunt and everything else would go out the window. So this is my only way to relate. So being cautious of those things that have an expiration, you know how people go through like empty nest or something or being so involved or your sense of purpose is so the currency of your day is so invested in being an esthetician or making sure you have content on your website. There's something to be said, I think, for balance, too. Oh, totally. I mean, we've talked in our podcasts about self care and giving back to ourselves. So yeah, finding that balance and taking a step away from your business and not having your whole life be a part of that. And like you said, there is an expiration date. There's something to be said for that, too, that you set some boundaries in your life as well. Now these are for us, right? Yeah. So let's talk about these two particularly and identifying this need perhaps with our clients because there is a connection between we could call it spirit or whatever, but there's the mind body connection. They may have aging skin advanced aging. They may have acne. They may have hyperpigmentation or a presentation of some kind of an autoimmune on the skin. Not that we're diagnosed. But how can we encourage that or identify what's that conversation with our clients look like? That depends on the esthetician, I think, you know, and the environment that you're in. I don't think that I would necessarily volunteer to be part of their social support network outside of it. But there could be, you could be an important part of somebody's life and just remembering that too. You could be a part of their social support. The appointments that they have with you have this one client. She has no friends admittedly on purpose. She doesn't want friends. But we're kind of like friends. How's your mom doing? How's your sister doing? How did she have her baby? How's your son doing? Because we've been together for so long. So reminding yourself that sometimes you can be someone else's social support without knowing. Yeah. I mean, take the word friend out of it. It's just about human interaction. And it's a feel good moment for you and for your client. When you can help them make them feel good. See the change in their skin and how it lights them up and they are having better self-confidence and all the things, you know. And so like you're saying that is kind of like a social support network. And it don't even think about it like a network. It's just having that human connection and interaction. And you don't have to label it as a network or as a friendship. It's just about interacting with people on a daily basis in a positive way. I like that. I recently ran into or engaged with an aesthetician on the very western border of Kansas. And she said there's no one in her town that does aesthetics. And she feels very much on an island. I encouraged her to join our Colorado group. But because though you can feel that connection tear. So sometimes going to different events, trade shows for example, or different educational opportunities could be part of that strong social support network for yourself, but also sharpens your skills. Hold that thought. We'll be right back. DMK is the world leader in paramedical skin revision education with certification programs designed to give licensed professionals a thorough understanding of the skin and an in-depth study of the DMK concept of remove, rebuild, protect, maintain. 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So let's talk about something that is good for us, and that's also good for our clients and good for our skin. In today's day and age, I know I find them every day. There are so many different excuses for skipping the gym or maybe grabbing something quick for dinner just because you run out of time, even though I bought groceries, had an intention on exactly what to cook, what day. I'm so tired by the end of that day that I'm like, let's just get something semi-healthy, tropical smoothie or something in my brain is healthy, but what are your thoughts on the blue zones of plant-based diet or regular physical activity? Well, okay, so let's start with regular physical activity. I mean, that everybody knows you have to stay active. It's good for your heart, good for your brain, but you said it. I mean, it's hard. You have those days where you're like, man, I do not feel like it, but you know, that doesn't mean you have to go to the gym every day to be active. It could be walk in the block or maybe even cleaning your house as a way to get your physical activity in is just getting your body moving and I think it's important on all levels and even for our skin, it's important, right? We're getting fluids moving and you just look healthier, you look brighter. Now, diet is a whole nother thing and it is so easy to just grab what's easy and meander into the cabinet and you see that bag of chips and that pairs so nicely with a little glass of red wine, doesn't it? Doesn't that? Or in the cheese? In the cheese, right? Like all the things that are bad for you. So just like the physical activity you have to make an effort, but at the same time enjoy life. I mean, don't, you know, cripple yourself to eat the food you don't like and to be active 24-7. Do the things you love too. I like what you say in here because it's something that hit me yesterday. I had physical therapy. I'm walking great now, you know, but there was like some kind of a switch that went off because I, if I'm working out, it's going to be at the gym and it's going to be for X amount of time. And if I don't have X amount of time or the desire to drive to the gym, then I'm going to skip it. But my physical therapist said, because we're talking about range of motion, he said, think of the first 10 steps and then it's done after that. And it reminded me of this podcast I had listened to a couple of weeks ago talking about active meditation. And I know previously we've talked about meditation for self-care, right? So full circle. An active meditation while walking. And this guy was talking about counting to 10. And then my physical therapist said the first 10 steps. But if he says, if you take the foot one, right foot to count to 10 and then start over, you're involved in active meditation, which I thought was cool. And you can do it for two minutes or five minutes, but to your point physiologically, you have your your spirit being taken care of that way. Another thing we don't have time for, right? Like, I don't have time to meditate or so. I tell myself, but then you're also taking care of your physical self. So stay tuned. This is obviously what I say, not what I do. So I'm going to work on that. The other thing about a plant-based diet. Now, last two summers ago, I was in Greece. And we actually went to an island that was a hop and a skip from Makaria, the one that's part of the blue zones. We, Maggie, we ate, we ate fried cheese, we ate bread with butter, with feta, like all these different things. I think it's called slogan, Ikees. I mean, phylo dough, like everything desserts in the column frappe's everything. And I came back thinner. I didn't walk that much more, but the difference, oh, I drank wine every day, but the difference, was we sat down, we communed with people, we laughed, we enjoyed, we there was joy in our food. So I think that one thing that we could do here, because we're not living in these other areas, is take time, no matter what it is. Let's say it is something you drive through. Stop, be grateful, acknowledge what is nourishing in there. You can find something. Maybe it's the tomatoes or the pickles or even the potatoes, but find something. Because I think if you start to acknowledge that, then maybe you start to slowly make different choices too, but having the time to eat and then the gratitude for what you're eating and being grateful for the nourishment that it is providing. Yeah, I think you're so right. And I think there's something to be said too. Our society is constantly go, go, go, go, super high stress. And of course, when you're under constant stress, you're releasing cortisol. And with that comes weight gain and acne and your skin is oily. And ultimately, all these things, you're just aging and you're gaining weight and you're not feeling good, and then you're not moving. And you're sad. And you're so tired. And then you got, yeah, your hair's falling out or whatever it is. I hunt, that's a cascade. The domino effect, 100% agree. So remember this when you're talking to your clients about not eating this and not eating that, like, pan out and look comprehensively, that might be adding stress, find a way to deliver that message. I saw a social media influencer that was saying foods to avoid. If you have acne or so not trigger acne, and I thought, because that's not, that's sometimes true and sometimes not true. Looking, okay, I did a bunch of, I've done a bunch of diets in my day, going to a restaurant going, is that fried in oil? Does there sugar in the sauce? Oh my gosh, in the panic of, just go have a good time. Let it go. How many points is this on my thing or whatever? Just have a good time. So understanding that, I think there's got to be a balance. I'm not saying don't say those things, but be careful how you wag your finger at those things because it could be inducing stress. Yeah, totally anxiety. You feel a lot rising up in you. And on that note, how do you feel about smoking and drinking? Well, in all things moderation. Indeed. Yes, indeed. Red wine, cheese and chips. And then choices. So overall, the blue zone concepts, they highlight the importance of lifestyle factors in promoting health and longevity. And it provides insight into how people can adopt healthier habits and improve their own health and well-being. We don't all live in these areas, but we can bring those, some of those ideals, make them your own, bring them to your lifestyle. Now, listeners, we really want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on blue zone? And how are you going to import some of these characteristics into your life? Let us know by commenting on our social media posts or send us an email at get connected at ASCPSkincare.com. We want to know all the details. In the meantime, thank you for listening to ASCP Estetalk. For more information on this episode or for ways to connect with Maggie or myself, or to learn more about ASCP, check out the show notes and stay tuned for the next episode of ASCP Estetalk.