Improving your health and your appearance， and getting away from stresses to<br >refresh and revitalize your body and your mind are the main reasons why people<br >go to spas and why spas are becoming an increasingly important part of<br >American life. The 7--day miracle， as some refer to a week s spa vacation，<br >provides you with a necessary interlude to change your pace of life and your<br >way of being， to lose weight， shape up， reduce stress， gain confidence， reassess<br >your goals， recharge your vitality， learn new exercise and nutrition behaviors，<br >reward yourself with time out for yourself~and to have a good time， a carefree<br >holiday.<br > There are many spas in the United States and abroad， as well as physician-<br >directed residential programs to choose from， and we hope that this book will<br >help you make the choice that is best for you. We also provide information<br >about nonresidential programs. The main differences among spas are in the<br >quality of what they offer and provide-~liet， exercise， training programs，<br >beauty and grooming services， facilities， educational programs， individual and<br >group counseling， recreational options， personalized programming， take-home<br >benefits， follow-up assistance， as well as the location， ambience， comforts， and<br >the clientele who are attracted to them. Roses or daisies， peaches or plums， it s<br >a matter more of preference than cost. Health and well-being transcend price，<br >but you ll find spas and programs here in a wide range of fees.<br > Centuries ago in Europe， Span， or Spa as it is now written， a resort not far<br >from Li/:ge in what is now Belgium， gave its name as a generic term to mineral<br >springs and the localities surrounding them where people could come to "cure"<br >various ailments， renew and rejuvenate themselves， and offload stress， fatigue，<br >and depression with baths drawn from hot springs and other forms of hydrother-<br >apy. Spa-goers then， as now， also imbibed water from mineral springs and often<br >felt benefited by the mud by-products found at these sources and utilized for<br >cosmetic and therapeutic packs and baths. Seawater hydrotherapy and the use<br >