Oh, Yes Feel the Rush

What gets your endorphins going? A hot fudge sundae? A five-mile run? What makes you love looking in the mirror? Flat abs? Smooth skin? When did you last feel the wind against your face, a nurturing touch or the freedom that comes with letting go of stuff you no longer need? 

Here are 31 wicked good ideas to put some sparkle in your life this summer. Go ahead, get a pencil. Check off the ones you’ve done, put stars by some new possibilities and add a few of your own. Then feel those endorphins rise!

Have a Cupcake

Pop in and welcome Emily Duncan, the new pastry chef at Tony’s Off Third in Old Naples. Since you’re already there, you must try one of her lemon curd or strawberry cream cupcakes. Just to be polite, you know. www.tonysoffthird.com,
(239) 262-7999.

Transfer Some Assets

Literally, girls (guys, too)! There’s a wealth of cosmetic surgery talent here along the Gulfshore, highly trained in the low-risk, high-return procedure called “fat augmentation.” At the Aesthetic Surgery Center of Naples, board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Richard Maloney and Dr. Anurag Agarwal can “volumetrically augment the face to restore its youthful full contours.” The fat comes from less desirable deposits elsewhere on the body. Now that’s a win-win investment. www.aestheticsurgerycenter.com, (239) 594-9100.

Breathe

Study the art of healthful breathing with yoga master Kat Farrell at Naples’ OmVibe Studio. Kat, the yoga coach of the Florida Everblades hockey team, has studied under some of the great masters of this century. Check out the compelling website, www.omvibe.com, for its rich menu of yoga classes, life-enhancing workshops and healing experiences. (239) 692-9747.

Get Threaded

The new way to get perfectly sculpted eyebrows is an ancient technique called threading. The therapist uses ordinary cotton thread and a series of sleight-of-hand twists and snaps to whip those brows into submission. Try it at Skin Face and Body Esthetics Spa in Old Naples. www.threadingbysaadi.com, (754) 779-9526.

Try Thai

There’s nothing quite like the after-meal euphoria induced by spicy foods, especially those rich in chili peppers. For a chili pepper state of bliss, try a spicy Thai curry soup at Sushi Thai, www.sushithaitoo.com.

Tango!  

Dancing might be just about the best mind-body experience on the planet. Besides the music and aerobic therapy, you get to work on your eye-hand coordination and cognitive skills. And don’t forget the retail therapy (must have dance dress). So grab your sweetie this summer for some private tango or salsa lessons and release those endorphins! Marcia Barrett is a former world mambo champion. Call her at (239) 597-7012 or check out www.dancingwithmarcia.com.

Kiss More,

Live Longer

Kissing exercises up to 30 facial muscles and burns calories. It releases natural antibiotics, the magical calming hormone oxytocin, and endorphins that are 200 times more powerful than morphine. Also, according to www.webmd.com, those who kiss their partners goodbye each morning live up to five years longer than those who don’t. Read more at www.bestkisses.com.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
 Yes, that was No. 2 on your mother’s Dire Warning list, right behind “Wear nice underwear in case you get hit by a bus.” Your mother was right, the dermatologists say. So just do it. For an extra cool summer treat, keep some moisturizer in the fridge for an after-sun treatment. 

Improve Your Golf Swing, Mentally

Great athletes know that sports are only about 20 percent physical. Eighty percent is a mental game, says Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist William McLaughlin. “When a champion golfer appears to be daydreaming just before the tournament,” he says, “it’s a good bet he’s rehearsing every hole in his mind until it’s perfect. In his imagination, sand traps don’t exist, so his ball doesn’t land in one.” McLaughlin, who once designed sophisticated integrated circuitry for the Navy, says that rehearsing in the mind can create the perfect, obstacle-free mental circuit—and that’s the key to a better golf game. Sessions are $90. www.napleshypnosis.com, (239) 597-4008. 

Laugh Out Loud

You can’t stay down in the dumps when you’re laughing out loud. Wimpy chuckling doesn’t count. Soak in some Comedy Central-quality humor in the Off the Hook Comedy Club at Captain Brien’s Seafood and Raw Bar, Marco Island. www.captbriens.com, (239) 389-6900.

Take 20 Minutes

If you thought 15 minutes to save 15 percent on your car insurance was a good idea, wait till you see what 20 minutes of sitting quietly with your eyes closed can do. Call it power rest, prayer, meditation, whatever. At the very least, you’ll feel rested. At best, doctors say it can dramatically reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, improve pain management, enhance the immune system, speed up healing, and make you look and feel brighter, younger and more energized. At such a good price (free), the cost/benefit ratio is astounding.

Clear Your Head

Would you sometimes trade your first-born child for a world-class, body-tingling scalp massage? Then head straight for the Golden Door Spa’s “Clear Your Head” treatment. Not that you care, but health benefits of scalp massage include improved circulation, headache relief and stimulation of hair growth. The 25 minutes of sheer ecstasy is a $70 add-on to any facial or body treatment. And you get to keep your first-born child. www.goldendoor.com/naples, (239) 594-6321.

Head and Toes

No time for a half-day at the spa? Slip into the serene environment of gifted licensed massage therapist Janice Jackson for a half-hour scalp massage (refer to pleasure factor above), followed by a half-hour foot reflexology session. Massaging key pressure points on the feet can help resolve problems with corresponding points on the body. Plus, it feels really, really good. $80. www.massagenaplesfl.com, (239) 272-8539.

Veni, Vidi, Vichy