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Business & Tech

Business of the Week: Herbs To Your Success

Store owner Vanessa Sabatine is living proof that herbal supplements can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

If you head over to Google and search "health remedies," a lot -- at least 20+ pages worth -- of websites and links will blanket your computer screen.

Most promise to help you lose weight, cure a certain ailment or, in general, make you feel healthier.

Unfortunately, not all of these remedies work, and most are stuffed with chemicals and additives despite a website or salesman shouting the always-popular words "all natural."

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So, the question is:

Who do you listen to when it comes to alternative health solutions?

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Patch may have just found your answer:

Have a conversation with Vanessa Sabatine, the owner of .

Sabatine is a certified nutritional consultant who has more than 17 years of experience in her field. She has tested most, if not all, of the products she carries in her store.

“Most [products] are in [my store] because I’ve tested [them],” Sabatine explained as she looked at the items lining the walls of her business. “If I try a product and trust the company, that’s the only way I’ll bring something in here.”

Herbal supplements and alternative health solutions first came into Sabatine's life when she was ready to shed a few extra pounds. The herbal supplements she used not only helped her lose weight, but helped her maintain that healthy weight.

After seeing the positive effects firsthand, Sabatine delved into the world of herbal supplements and studied with an herbalist from California.

Today, in addition to being a certified nutritional consultant, Sabatine is certified in body-wrap techniques and is trained in the art of operating unique machinery -- machinery that helps her health-minded customers reach their goals (more on this later).

“It [has] been years of studying and practice,” Sabatine admitted.

Sabatine opened her first wellness spa in 1994 in Easton; however, after three consecutive years of flooding in the Easton area, Herbs to Your Success was relocated in 2008 to downtown Nazareth. Sabatine found a larger -- and drier -- home for her store at 35 Belvidere St.

The store carries health supplements and vitamins, all-natural makeup, skincare products, Greenleaf lotions and soaps, energy bars, gift items and more.

But perhaps the most interesting side of Herbs to Your Success is the variety of esoteric services offered, like body wraps, ion foot cleanses and oxygen saunas.

The chief result of most of these processes, according to Sabatine, is to rid the body of harmful toxins and chemicals we are all exposed to on a daily basis. These toxins lie dormant in our bodies because we lack the capacity to process them, Sabatine added.

So, how can people rid themselves of these harmful toxins and chemicals? Here's how:

  • The oxygen sauna engulfs a person in steam, oxygen and ozone. The steam opens the pores while the oxygen helps blood flow and detoxifies the skin. The ozone kills external germs and bacteria.
  • An infrared sauna uses a dry heat that causes a person to sweat out toxins. “Infrared light is the good part of the sun,” explained Sabatine. “It helps produce collagen and Vitamin D.”
  • Eucalyptus oil diffusers and lotions are used during massage therapy as aromatherapy. Eucalyptus is known to have a calming effect on the mind while also sharpening the senses. Reflexology is also available.
  • The six different toning tables are mechanical and designed to tone a different part of the body. When people lie on one of the tables, their limbs and body are rotated and moved for them.
  • The Compass is a bio-communication device that is hooked up to a computer. When people place their hand on it, the Compass sends stimuli through the body and ranks what supplements are needed most. This takes a lot of questioning out of the equation when Sabatine is assessing a customer’s health needs.

Despite all of the unique and interesting health solutions listed above, they are trumped by the store’s literal centerpiece, the Cellubike. This unique piece of equipment almost resembles some sort of arcade racing game.

When utilizing the Cellubike, a person sits in a reclined seat and pedals parallel to the body. A monitor is strapped around his or her chest to measure heart rate.

While the machine estimates the pedaling rate, Sabatine monitors a screen read-out to ensure the person is burning fat and not muscle.

Infrared lights are directed toward the users while they pedal so they sweat out toxins but also get exercise and burn fat.

“People using the bike sometimes notice that their sweat is kind of greasy,” Sabatine said. “That’s the body getting rid of the toxins and fat.”

If you're interested in one of the services above, or simply want to peruse the store's products, Herbs to Your Success is at 35 Belvidere St. in downtown Nazareth. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment, depending on the service (s) requested.

 

Author’s Note: For any naysayers out there, I went through a Compass assessment while visiting Herbs to Your Success. The machine’s assessment, in a nutshell, told me I was hungry, which was true -- I hadn’t eaten all day. The assessment also told me that despite being hungry, I was pretty healthy -- also true. I can say, without a doubt, that a Compass assessment is not a sales gimmick!

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