Wednesday 19 March 2014

ION with EON

I've been lucky to meet many fascinating people in our community through writing my blog over the past two and a half years. I have met many politicians, retail store owners, artists, other community supporters and most recently - a salon and spa owner.

I met Ashley Holmes, owner of Mint Wellness, on set at Eastern Ontario Network (EON). She was a guest on one of the many shows we film. Ashley was friendly and inviting and I was drawn into a conversation with her immediately. We exchanged cards and kept in touch via Facebook. Then one day, a few months later while I was working at the studio and keeping updated on the business pages I follow on Facebook- I came across a promo on her page for an Ion Foot Detox Treatment.

I told my colleague (and social media mastermind!) Kim Barr to check out the page. Kim owns a social media marketing company called Set The Barr and I figured she would be interested in this page. We discussed the promo and thought it would be a neat idea to contact Ashley and try out her service. It was then that Joe Baptista (my boss and owner of EON) chimed in and suggested we take the camera crew over to Mint Wellness and film Kim and I trying out the detox treatment. We immediately loved this idea and asked Ashley if she would be interested. Naturally, she said yes and we made the appointment.

Fast forward a week and it was time to head over to Mint Wellness and try the Ion Foot Detox Treatment. Going in, I was extremely sceptical. I had heard first hand accounts of how this treatment did nothing for some and had read various articles with conflicting results and ideas on the treatment. I also had no idea how this treatment actually worked and what it all entailed.

Ashley and her team greeted us and welcomed us into the salon, currently located behind Pastime Motors on King Street West - and led us to a quiet and relaxing area of the salon. We were seated in comfy chairs, with low lights and a tranquil setting. Ashley was setting up and explaining the process to us. Both Kim and I had to wear a wrist band that was attached to a machine. This machine measured our PH levels and would also act as part of a positive charge that would create a current that would run through our body, once our feet were immersed in the water. Also in the water was the other part of the machine - a coil that would act as the negative charge. There was also salt added to the water to help balance our PH levels.






Ashley explained everything to us, step by step and answered many of our questions. I was a bit anxious of how this treatment would make me feel. Would it hurt? Could I get a shock? I was using my Facebook to post pictures and let people know we were trying this. To my surprise - I was absolutely fine. There was just a small bubbly feeling at the bottom of my feet, but not at all painful or even distracting.

Many were commenting on my Facebook posts, asking what I was experiencing. In a nutshell - the water started to change colours almost immediately after the machine was turned on. Over the 30 minute time period, it became incredibly dark, bubbly and basically disgusting. The different colours represented the different toxins that were being brought out of  my body into the water. This is where the scepticism comes out - as scientifically there is still no evidence to back up the claims of the Ion Foot Detox, however - I can tell you that once the treatment was over I was incredibly exhausted and weak. I had a headache almost immediately and needed to go home to rest. Ashley had suggested we drink plenty of water and did warn of any possible side effects. After rest and plenty of water, I woke up feeling amazing. Also that evening, I had one of the best sleeps I had in ages.




Please do check out our video of our experience at http://easternontarionetwork.com. I can tell you that I am still sceptical of long-term effects and if this treatment did indeed clear my body of some toxins, but I enjoyed the overall experience enough that I will be back to try it again a few times to get more conclusive information.

You can check out Ashely's business at the links below and contact her for prices and further information.

http://www.mintwellness.ca
https://www.facebook.com/mintwellness

Monday 3 March 2014

Our own piece of Sochi pride


 
Fresh off the heels of the 2014 Olympic Games, Canadian patriotism is at an all-time high. Coming in third place overall (and beating our competitive American friends) is a huge success for our nation. We have much to be proud of and I hope the momentum continues well beyond the games.

Here at home, I felt similar pride when attending the recent grand opening of phase two of the Rotary splash pad and ice rink. There have been many volunteers pouring countless hours into this project over the last few years and having a young family, I can’t thank them enough for their hard work so my children and I can enjoy this beautiful space. During the summer months, we spend a great deal of time at the splash pad, along with many other local families. It’s a great way to beat the heat and encourage outdoor activity. I was sad when the cooler weather set in and the splash pad shut down for the season, but that didn’t last long, as talks of synthetic ice and phase two of the project started.

Before long, the splash pad was cleared and the new skating surface was laid down for all to enjoy. With the winter we have been enduring (never-ending!), it has taken a lot of time and volunteer work to keep the surface cleared off.  When I heard of the grand opening, I was excited to attend and show my thanks to all involved. I wasn't the only one! A ton of local VIPs also attended, including Senator Bob Runicman, our MP Gord Brown, MPP Steve Clark, Brockville Mayor Dave Henderson, newly appointed Brockville Police Chief Scott Fraser and many councillors. The parking lot was packed and there were many families enjoying hot dogs, coffee and hot chocolate – all donated by our local Tim Horton’s. To top it all off, our politicians and other sport enthusiasts engaged in a friendly game of shinny for everyone’s entertainment.

I felt a lot of community pride that day and happy to have brought my family out to support such a great initiative. We really do have a great city and this initiative and its kick-off was a great reminder of all that we have to offer.  Great job Brockville!