Cromwell, CT Health and Fitness

Dr. Fausto Petruzziello and Donald Kagan, PAC, couldn’t ignore their patients’ expanding waistlines any longer. While practicing medicine at CareMedica, they realized that optimal health relied heavily on whether or not a person weighed in at a healthy number. So, together they founded WeightMedica in 2007, a branch of their original practice. They oversee weight-loss programs that begin with a physical to ensure a patient’s candidacy, checking their blood, charting an EKG, and handing out carnival prizes to those whose weight was guessed incorrectly. Then, patients meet regularly with the staff to record their progress, receive nutritional tips, and—in some cases—receive Lipofast injections, which expedite fat loss.

55 may be the number in the business's name, but the certified technicians at Laser55 are partial to the number 3. That’s because there are three steps to their nonsurgical weight-loss program: lipo laser, whole-body vibration, and an amethyst bio-mat. First, patients relax as a technician passes the noninvasive lipo laser over skin, where it penetrates fat cells and drains them. Then, they step onto the whole-body-vibration platform, which quickly shakes up muscles to trigger contractions that work to burn off the newly liquefied fat. To cap off the three-step treatment, patients lay atop an amethyst bio-mat, which kick-starts the lymphatic system while ionizing the blood to promote detoxification. This helps the body to flush fat from the system long after the appointment ends. While the staff can perform each treatment separately, they recommend their patients go through all three steps, since the laser, vibration platform, and bio-mat all suffer from severe separation anxiety.

The Beautiful Image system sculpts faces and bodies alike with the stimulating power of microcurrents. Its noninvasive silver metal wands emit specific frequencies that, when drawn across the skin, encourage the underlying tissue to return to a tauter, more-youthful state. These currents target crow's-feet and drooping jowls, as well as soft bellies and cellulite. Photos taken before and after treatments and news segments about the procedure back up the system’s efficacy.

Dr. Jeff Martone, DPM, FACFAS and the staff at Family Foot Care Center's two offices help feet find relief from disease-, age-, and grape stomping-related symptoms with an array of services. They wield advanced technology during treatments, including the fungus-thwarting Cutera Nd:YAG laser and a noninvasive testing system for peripheral arterial disease. In addition to treating foot woes, the staff contributes to patients' podiatric knowledge with a slew of educational resources available on its website.

Growing up in Sao Paulo, a city of nearly 20 million people, Gui and Joy Torres didn't stand much chance of bumping into each other. But fate had a plan, sending them both thousands of miles north to New Haven, Connecticut, and bringing them together at a capoeira event. Filled with playful, passionate movements, capoeira's 400-year-old fusion of dance and martial arts sparked a romance, and Gui and Joy soon married.

After marrying, the couple launched Brazilian Roots Cultural Center to help others cultivate fitness, creativity, and friendships. During classes for kids and adults, Gui draws upon years of experience as a capoeira teacher and performer, which includes gigs at Yale University and the Museum of the City of New York. Students weave cunning kicks, escapes, and acrobatics into a game more fun than hopscotch with a baby kangaroo. The classes also double as music performances as students learn to play traditional instruments and sing in Portuguese. Joy funnels her yoga and dance training into relaxing Vinyasa classes. In addition to hosting classes, the 2,700-square-foot studio showcases art in an airy gallery space.

Vera Reed, a licensed massage therapist, is the wellness equivalent of a one-stop shop. In addition to mastering shiatsu, lymphatic drainage, energy balancing, reflexology, and other techniques over the past decade, she’s dived into dietary and herbal studies. This makes it possible for her to provide holistic treatments for the whole body, rather than just one system or two really small toes.

In addition to caring for her patients with organic products, Vera and the staff of Body Nutrients also take care of the planet. Their efforts have resulted in the offset of nearly 2,000,000 pounds of CO2, over 16,000 pounds of waste kept from landfills, and the planting of over 1,000 trees.