A New You - 2021

WELCOME TO ‘A NEW YOU’

We are better than we were. We will be better than we are. We encounter situations over our lifetime in which we’re forced to modify our everyday habits and outlook, giving us a chance to reinvent ourselves. While self-care looks different for each person, it is key to maintaining our well-being and developing our growth. It may look like challenging ourselves to try new things, such as CBD products, or new workouts and alternative health solutions. Self-care can also take the form of traditions, such as walks or jogs, a day at the spa or treating yourself to a manicure. No matter the circumstances, becoming A New You provides endless possibilities that can be both terrifying and wonderful. When you become A New You, you can let go of things that bogged you down. You can charge into the great unknown. In this year’s issue of A New You, we explore ways to help you stay in shape, maintain a healthy lifestyle, relieve stress and continue seeking wellness.

4 Four Ways to Get Fit Outside of Traditional Gym A

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

fter a year dominated by indoor and isolated activities, many might be looking for a way to jump-start their fitness heading into the summer. Restrictions have been eased, and people are ready to show themselves off outdoors. Even if people had been keeping up their fitness with indoor routines, maybe that routine has become stale. Luckily for those in South Orange County, there are a myriad of alternative ways to get into fitness outside of the traditional gym structure.

1 / BOXING GYMS

Boxing gyms are a fantastic way to transform any of the frustrations of your past year, month, week or even just the day into positive fitness goals. Boxing is a great workout for strength and endurance that hits anaerobic and aerobic workout paths to reach those fitness goals. It’s also not a bad way to learn self-defense in a fun manner that’s accessible to almost anyone.

Capistrano Boxing Gym (31896 Plaza Drive, Suite E4, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675; capistranoboxinggym.com) is the premier name in boxing gyms in South Orange County. Capistrano Boxing Gym offers a variety of programs from classic boxing and fitness boxing to classes for youth boxers and for older adults, age 55 and over, dubbed the “Silver Sluggers.” In San Clemente, 9Round (979 Avenida Pico, Suite K, San Clemente, CA 92673; 9round. com) is an international chain of kickboxing fitness gyms that offer programs in just 30 minutes. The 9Round program incorporates functional, cardiovascular and circuit training programs on a system of nine workout stations.

2 / CROSSFIT

The biggest brand name in non-traditional gym experiences right now has to be CrossFit, and there are numerous groups in South Orange County offering the workout regimen. At its core, CrossFit is a revved-up version of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that combines weightlifting, powerlifting, plyometrics, gymnastics, calisthenics and other disciplines. CrossFit aims to have people performing constantly varying movements at those high-intensity intervals to help develop endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility and coordination, among other attributes.

Locally, there are several places to book a CrossFit class or session. CrossFit San Clemente (101 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, CA 92672; crossfitsanclemente. com) offers group workouts and private training with hourly CrossFit sessions. CrossFit Dana Point (34198 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite B, Dana Point, CA 92629; crossfitdanapoint.com) offers a free intro, as well as specialized programs, nutrition counseling and other services. There are several gyms in San Juan Capistrano, including Eternity CrossFit (27130A Paseo Espada, Suite 1407, SJC, CA 92675; eternitycrossfit.com), CrossFit to the Core (31896 Plaza Dr., E5, SJC, CA 92675; crossfittothecore.com) and CrossFit No Boundaries (27136 Paseo Espada, Suite 1101, SJC, CA 92675; crossfitnoboundaries.com). In Rancho Mission Viejo, F45 (30595 Gateway Place, SJC, CA 92675; f45training.com) offers a similarly functional, high-intensity interval workout.

3 / YOGA

Forever incredibly popular in South Orange County, yoga provides a way to stay in tune with your body, as well as focus on fitness and flexibility. Yoga can help relax, alleviate stress and anxiety, improve strength, flexibility and balance and help with some lower-back pain. In the annual “Best of” awards from the San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times and The Capistrano Dispatch, gold and silver awards are given to the best yoga studios in each town. In San Clemente, the gold-winning YNG Studios (102 S. Ola Vista, San Clemente, CA 92672; yngstudios.com) offers heated and non-heated yoga with a focus on sequencing for students to find their full potential. The silver winner in San Clemente was EPIC Yoga (1709 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672; epicyogasc.com). iHeartYoga (34485 Golden Lantern, Dana Pont, CA 92629; iheartyoga.com) was the gold winner in Dana Point, and it offers indoor and outdoor classes to take in the beauty of the Lantern District and Dana Point Harbor. Studio A Pilates & Yoga (24849 Del Prado Avenue, Dana Point, CA 92629; studioapilates.yoga) was the silver winner in Dana Point. In San Juan Capistrano, Yoga Bungalow (32382 Del Obispo Street, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675; yoga-bungalow.com) won the gold for being the antithesis of the “one size fits all” yoga studio, offering a variety of classes. Align Pilates & Yoga Center (31896 Plaza Drive, Suite E6, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675; alignpilatescenter.com) won the silver in San Juan Capistrano.

4 / JIU-JITSU

Jiu-jitsu is a type of close-combat martial art that originated in Japan, but most jiu-jitsu schools or gyms locally will have a focus on Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The Japanese jiu-jitsu was originally developed as a close-combat system for samurai dealing with weapon-wielding or armor-wearing opponents, whereas the Brazilian form has developed into sport with a focus on grappling. Brazilian jiu-jitsu mostly takes place on the ground, as the two opponents grapple and try to establish a dominant position and force their opponent into submission with chokeholds and joint locks.

Locally, there are several jiu-jitsu gyms, again with the focus on the Brazilian variety. In San Clemente, Guillobel Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (621 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672; guillobelbjj. com) has won the “Best of San Clemente” gold medal for best martial arts school several years running. Guillobel offers classes for kids, adults and special women’s self-defense courses. The silver medal in San Clemente went to Gracie Barra San Clemente (225 Calle Pintoresco, San Clemente, CA 92672; graciebarra.com/ san-clemente-ca). Gracie Barra is also a chain of Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainers, with another school in Dana Point (34085 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 106, Dana Point, CA 92677; graciebarra.com/dana-pointca). In San Juan Capistrano, Team Capo BJJ (31921 Camino Capistrano #20, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675; teamcapobjj. com) offers classes for adults and kids, and check their website for special deals.

Getting Your Steps In:

WALKING VERSUS RUNNING

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

When it comes to cardio and general fitness, walking and running are both great forms of exercise and solid ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Anything is better than nothing,” explains Ryan Steinhoff, operations manager for SoCal Boot Camp, which has locations in Dana Point and San Clemente.

While running is often associated with weight loss, walking has its merits as a cardiovascular exercise. Fitness experts note that an appropriate intensity while walking can help strengthen a person’s heart, as well as improve their respiratory functions.

Walking can also help burn off calories—generally speaking, about 100 calories per mile, Women’s Health recently reported. The body can burn off additional calories depending on the pace of the walk and also whether you’re on an incline, like a hiking trail or stairs.

In the discussion of walking vs. running, there’s also the safety aspect to consider, Steinhoff explains.

“The biggest difference is the impact they’re going to put on your body—the pounding that comes with the running and the injuries that may occur that come along with it,” he says. “Walking is less impact while still getting the cardio in.”

One study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2000 found that walkers had a significantly lower chance of sustaining an inju-

Tattoos Heal All Wounds

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

ry compared to both young and old men who ran.

“Running is a young man’s game,” Steinhoff says. He adds that men who regularly run as a young adult generally develop weaker legs and limp more later in life “because they spent so much time pounding the pavement.”

For those who are looking to get into running to lose weight faster, Steinhoff warns that the body will eventually adapt to a daily running routine. To avoid that, he suggests switching up the types of runs you employ so you’re always “tricking the body.”

“You just always want to switch it up, because your body starts to adapt and your body starts to lag,” he says. “So, if you do the same 5-mile run, slowly (your body) will start to adapt … the body is used to doing that, so you’re no longer getting the exact same results.”

Luckily for those of us in South Orange County, there’s no shortage of scenic trails and routes on which to run and/or walk.

For Steinhoff, the choice is clear: “The (San Clemente) Beach Trail is going to be the best option,” because of the soft ground.

Those looking to get some quality cardio time in can also check out San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente’s extensive trail systems, which are sure to get the heart thumping on those inclines.

There’s also the San Juan Creek trail, connecting San Juan to Dana Point. And there, you can also get your steps in at the walkway at Strands or even on the Headlands Conservation Trail system.

Time heals all wounds—or so the saying goes.

But for many of us with tattoos, some pieces from our younger days only serve as constant reminders of our past selves—a person we may no longer relate to or wouldn’t even recognize in a mirror. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is certainly a matter of perspective.

As time goes on, we (ideally) get a little wiser. We outgrow who we were. That tattoo you got as a young college kid has likely begun to fade a bit, and perhaps that quote on your arm doesn’t even carry the same meaning you thought it did back then.

If we’re never done truly growing, or evolving, then the artwork we’ve tattooed on our bodies shouldn’t, either.

Much like a painting on a canvas, Monte Livingston, the owner of Living Art Gallery Tattoo Lounge in San Clemente, explains, your tattoos are never quite finished until you’re absolutely happy and satisfied with the end result.

“You’ve got to think of your body as a canvas, and if your artwork is incomplete or unfinished, you’ve got to keep working on it,” says Livingston, who specializes in tattooing over existing pieces, as well as over physical scars.

things, especially if they (the tattoos) are old.” Livingston’s goal for his clients, he says, is for them to leave his shop feeling like they can comfortably show off their ink without feeling embarrassed—and maybe even get harassed a bit by strangers inquiring where they got the work done.

“It’s a beautiful thing and just incredible to see somebody transform from that spikey caterpillar to that beautiful butterfly, in a sense,” he says. “It’s beautiful. And like I said, don’t ever stop working on your artwork. If you don’t like it, continue making it grow.”

Livingston explains that a lot of planning and preparation goes into cover-ups, as he and the client have to be selective with the new artwork that’s replacing, or essentially disguising, the old piece.

“You have to have something that kind of camouflages in a way, so where you don’t see that tattoo anymore, and that’s where the trickery and the illusion of camouflaging a tattoo comes in,” he says.

Part of his process includes photographing the old tattoo and using photo-editing software on the computer. He says he layers images on top of the photo of the existing work, to see what will properly mesh with and mask the older piece.

When first meeting clients, he explains, many will either give him carte blanche, letting him be as creative as possible, even wanting him to pick the subject, or they’re stringent and have a very narrowed idea of what they want.

Tattooing since he was a teenager, Livingston, now in his mid-30s, has worked with a myriad of clients, encountering a variety of tattoos that were either old and fading, incomplete or just downright poorly done.

“I get bombarded from every angle, but, yeah, I see old tattoos, or a tattoo that just was abandoned—you see a lot of abandoned tattoos,” he says, adding: “There’s a lot of different reasons, but I’m very happy to fix people’s artwork that they currently have and give them some fresh stuff as well.”

Livingston says he enjoys performing cover-ups simply because of the excitement and joy he saw from clients who felt more confident, or revitalized, after getting that restored tattoo.

“It’s amazing to cover a really bad tattoo that someone has been holding onto for 20 years, and won’t take their shirt off because their arm has just a faded, old ugly tattoo,” he says, later adding: “I’m heavily rewarded with praise from these people, and I really enjoy it. I enjoy covering these

Livingston says having creative freedom can be nice, but having a subject in mind, at the very least, goes a long way.

“It varies. I do like a bit of creative freedom with people; it’s always nice,” he says, “And on the other end of that, it’s really nice when someone knows specifically what they want, so it makes the process go really easy, because I know what I need to do.”

Quite a few of Livingston’s clients, he notes, are also those who have scars that they’re looking to cover up—a tattooing process that poses a different set of challenges because there are additional considerations, such as placement and the skin itself.

Livingston said he’s currently seeing a client every few weeks to cover up a large scar on her back, as such pieces require multiple sessions to complete. He notes that a lot of pre-planning goes into tattooing over scars, but there will be times in which he’s able to add details as the work goes on.

Though it’s a major undertaking, he said his clients get a boost in their confidence when the work is complete, as there’s some new, fresh ink there that’s much more pleasant to look at, rather than a scar.

“They’re able to show it off a little bit more,” he says. “Tattooing is a process, especially when you’re’ dealing with scars (and) cover-ups, because sometimes they need to be layered more than once to make sure that tattoo truly sticks … if it doesn’t look good, continue working on it until it looks great.”

Health and o2 Wellness

Local Mother and Daughter Team Up to Bring Alternative Health to South OC

BY LILLIAN BOYD

B

renda Carbone had been living with severe arthritis and neck pain for several years, so she was faced with a decision: to have fusion surgery on her 3, 4 and 5 neck vertebrae to relieve her arthritis symptoms and pain, or to continue living with the aid of pharmaceutical drugs—as she had been doing for several years.

“I ended up trying therapeutic wholebody vibration,” Brenda said. “I stepped off the machine and for the first time in eight years, I felt relief.”

Brenda began consistently using the whole-body vibration machine and, within weeks, was off her medications and feeling better than she had in years.

Not only was she pain-free, but after consistent use for a longer period of time, Brenda says she lost 30 pounds, toned her muscles, had more energy, slept better, reduced her stress level, and had an overall sense of well-being. Her daughter Kristy started using the machine. Almost immediately, she lost inches and weight, increased lean muscle mass, and felt better than ever.

While it isn’t recommended as a replacement for regular exercise, whole-body vibration can offer some fitness and health benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic.

With whole-body vibration, you stand, sit or lie on a machine with a vibrating platform. As the machine vibrates, it transmits energy to your body, forcing your muscles to contract and relax dozens of times each second.

Advocates say that as little as 15 minutes a day of whole-body vibration three times a week may aid weight loss, burn fat, improve flexibility, enhance blood flow, reduce muscle soreness after exercise, build strength and decrease the stress hormone, cortisol.

Together, Brenda and Kristy researched, studied and participated in learning more about taking charge of their own bodies and how to offer this to the public; thus, began the creation of o2 Wellness—a one-stop shop for health and wellness in San Clemente. This year, the Carbones are celebrating 11 years of business.

“We would hear that customers were having trouble losing weight, dealing with pain, couldn’t sleep or struggled

with having energy,” Brenda said. “We offer services and products that address all those ailments—and they work. Otherwise, we won’t sell them here.”

In addition to whole-body vibration, o2 Wellness’s weight loss services include Bioslimming body wraps, cavitation machines, infrared sauna, ionic foot detox and more.

Ultrasonic cavitation relies on ultrasound technology to break apart fat cells. Ultrasound waves are sent deep into the layers of your skin, causing a disruptive vibration. Fat cells then break apart from each other and are dislodged from your dermal layers, according to Healthline. com. After a few days, the fat cells are absorbed by your lymphatic system and drained as waste from your body. Several studies have shown participants saw a reduction in body fat mass after treatments.

“The most rewarding aspect of opening o2 Wellness has been the relationships I’ve built with people in the community,” Brenda said. “I get to see people transform into more happy, energized, pain-free versions of themselves. I love seeing those kinds of results.”

O2 Wellness also offers products for beauty and skin care—which she attributes to helping keep the business afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

“People were unable to use our services inside the shop, so we offered product pickups to customers,” Brenda said. “COVID is an awful thing to have happened, but I believe one good outcome is that people are starting to take their health more seriously.”

Brenda and Kristy added that they try to make o2 Wellness an affordable option for customers; they even accept Health Savings Accounts.

“There will be more pandemics in time,” Brenda said. “But staying healthy is so important. I think we all have a better appreciation for health now.”

Well-Polished

Nail Salon Aims to Pamper in Post-Pandemic Days

BY LILLIAN BOYD

The No. 1 one reason we got through this past year is because of the loyalty of our customers,” said Jenny Nguyen, co-owner of Posh Nails in Dana Point. “Now that we are open again, and seeing a brighter future ahead, we want to welcome the community back in the salon chair for pampering.”

The nail salon industry was hit particularly hard throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Under state health guidelines announced in September, nail salons were able to reopen indoors across California.

Previously, nail salons had been allowed to reopen only in counties in Tier 2 or higher on the state’s fourtiered reopening blueprint. Counties in Tier 1 went forward with having the option to let nail salons operate, although counties still had the authority to keep shops closed. That change came after months of outcry from business owners and salon workers who felt they had been unfairly targeted after Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the first COVID-19 case in the state had originated at a nail salon.

Speaking to reporters on May 7, 2020, Newsom said the first person in California to contract the coronavirus through community spread caught it in a nail salon, when asked why personal services, such as nail salons, must remain closed.

“It began with Gov. Newsom sharing inaccurate information on May 7, with devastating impacts on the beauty industry in California and

with far-reaching repercussions across America,” said a statement by Nailing it for America, which was cited by the Los Angeles Times.

Now, and as salons continue to welcome back customers, Nguyen remains optimistic for the business.

“I opened this salon with Ha (Alice) Doan, my cousin, in December 2007,” said Nguyen, who says she’s worked in the industry since the ’90s, all over the country. “It was my mom’s idea for me to do nails when I was younger. Since then, I’ve been able to grow along with the industry and build a business.”

Nguyen says much has changed in the industry since opening Posh Nails’ doors.

“Back then, women wanted basic manicures or pink and white tips,” Nguyen said. “As a salon, we’ve evolved with the trends. Now we do gel and dip nails. We stay on top of what the demand is.”

According to Nguyen and Doan, social media has amplified the popularity for creative nail designs as well.

“Customers will bring in a photo of nail designs they saw on Instagram or Pinterest,” Nguyen said. “If you have a photo of a design, we can do it for you.”

But a few key components have remained constant and consistent for Posh Nails.

“We always have gone above and beyond to maintain a clean, sanitary and relaxing environment for our customers. Safety and health are a priority,” Nguyen said. “And we continue to deliver the best customer service.”

Posh Nails is located at 24040 Camino Del Avion, Dana Point. For more information, call 949.496.7674.

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CBD Is It Good for You?

BY COLLIN BREAUX

assumptions about its effects can mitigate the effects of pain, but CBD doesn’t reduce pain intensity itself. HealthDay also urged consumers to be discerning when choosing products.

If you ask Bill St. Clair, the benefits from CBD are endless. St. Clair is the president of CBD company San Clemente Naturals. St. Clair, who calls South Orange County home, raves about the potential benefits of CBD but has a clear, measured tone in doing so.

The exact science of CBD is still being investigated, but some of its uses include relief from pain, anxiety, and depression.

“In the last decade, you’ve had lots of research done on CBD,” St. Clair said.

Different Routes of Ingestion

CBD can be used by people with arthritis or acute pain and taken and applied in various ways, including through tincture droplets, creams, or soft gels. CBD can also be smoked—an option St. Clair noted is becoming popular.

San Clemente Naturals sells CBD tinctures, salves, and body creams online, with distribution based in San Clemente. The company also grows hemp in the Paso Robles region that it sells to other companies for their own CBD products, and it maintains a research facility in Colorado.

CBD’s main health benefit is pain management, particularly for people with arthritis or acute pain, St. Clair said.

St. Clair cautioned against people going off their regular medications if using CBD for mental health issues, but he did note studies are showing positive results when it comes to CBD’s effects on people with depression and anxiety.

Questions Arise as New Product Emerges

In September 2020, Harvard Health Publishing of Harvard Medical School sounded a cautionary note about CBD when discussing the rosy marketing of the product.

“Given its promising results in animal models, along with its relative safety, non-psychoactive properties, and low potential for abuse, CBD is an attractive candidate to relieve pain,” Harvard Health Publishing said in a blog post. “Unfortunately, there is a lack of human studies about the effectiveness of CBD.”

HealthDay, in an April story on a scientific study, said that CBD and one’s

The FDA states on its website that it has only approved one CBD product, a prescription drug to treat seizures associated with Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex. FDA regulations make it currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement, and the agency said it has seen only “limited data about CBD safety and these data point to real risks that need to be considered before taking CBD for any reason.”

Claimed Benefits

Back to St. Clair’s perspective, cancer is another illness he mentioned when discussing CBD’s possible benefits. CBD can help with chemotherapy-induced nausea, St. Clair said.

The American Cancer Society said there have been some early clinical trials of cannabinoids in treating cancer in humans and that more studies are planned.

“While the studies so far have shown that cannabinoids can be safe in treating cancer, they do not show that they help control or cure the disease,” the American Cancer Society said.

Though CBD and marijuana come from the same cannabis plant, CBD will not get you high (the psychoactive component in marijuana is THC, which is different from CBD).

St. Clair said more benign uses for CBD include treating acne.

“The whole beauty industry is the new frontier,” St. Clair said.

Research is also being done on how CBD can treat people with epileptic seizures and Alzheimer’s, with the company Charlotte’s Web pioneering the latter, St. Clair said.

“There’s so many benefits,” St. Clair said. “There’s hundreds of compounds in this plant.”

People are starting to use CBD for substance abuse and anti-psychotic treatment, including for schizophrenia, St. Clair said. Studies are also being done on potential anti-tumor properties.

“CBD was pretty new, but now it’s working its way into the mainstream,” St. Clair said. “You’ll definitely see this product evolve over time.”