North Stamford Health and Fitness

A woman’s relationship ends, and she finds herself on the couch with a pint of ice cream; a college student is nervous for his upcoming midterm, so he stuffs his face with chips and candy. Lauren, owner and founder of The Hungry Heart, relates to these all too common scenarios, as she knows firsthand what binge eating feels like. But more importantly, she knows what it feels like to put an end to bad habits. At the Hungry Heart, she and her staff lead one-on-one hypnotherapy and nutritional counseling sessions designed to break compulsive gorging and yo-yo dieting so clients can lose weight and fall into normal eating patterns.

Reiki master Gigi Benanti discovered her gift for hands-on healing at an early age. She has since turned that discovery into a lifelong vocation, helping others achieve wellness through the ancient Japanese treatment of Reiki. At her facility, Gigi incorporates other holistic remedies, such as essential oils and sound healing, into her routine. She also offers Reiki workshops, and encourages many clients to include yoga, or meditation, into their own programs to achieve optimal results.

Backed by their intensive training and certification in venous-disease treatment, Dr. Alex Afshar and Registered Vascular Technologist Valerie Trotti beautify skin and reduce discomfort with minimally invasive treatments. After one-on-one consultations, the medical professionals shrink varicose vascular tissue with laser or radiofrequency ablation, or help banish spider veins with sclerotherapy injections. In addition to promoting healthy veins, the staff at Vein Institute of Connecticut restores youthful tones to facial spaces with Juvéderm and Botox, and boosts the body's natural defenses against dust and eye-pokes with Latisse eyelash supplements.

At her holistic health clinic, White Oak Center, board-certified naturopathic physician Dr. Victoria Shikhman and her team take care of clients with services that focus not only on health, but also overall wellness. That’s why the wellness-care program includes anti-aging and facial-rejuvenation treatments such as microcurrent facials, which send gentle electric currents under the skin to tone muscles and boost collagen production. Dr. Shikhman believes that taking care of your appearance leads to better self-esteem and an improved outlook on life, which can have positive effects on your health.

The center’s more traditional health treatments include acupuncture for both the body and the face, herbal medicine, aromatherapy, clinical nutrition, and other techniques. Its blend of Western and alternative therapies can treat a vast array of ailments, such as asthma, migraines, or the dreaded combination of the two, which makes your brain wheeze.

CT Acupuncture Center's licensed acupuncturist, Ingri Boe-Wiegaard, draws expertise from 30 years of professional practice to alleviate ailments using classic Chinese methods. Holding degrees in Chinese and natural medicine, she has accumulated a portfolio of postgraduate work at five institutions around the world. Ingri now splits her time between performing acupuncture, conducting weekly meditation classes, and appearing on radio and TV to share her expertise and soothe high-strung gaffers.