come true.

Boasting perhaps the island's only complete health centre, the Brunswick Street facility makes it easy to achieve one's ideal.

"That's what we try to provide here, convenience,'' said manager Alison Nash.

"And we try and make it so that it's an enjoyable experience. That's the whole idea of Total Fitness.'' The total concept evolved from the '70's, said therapist Jackie Kennedy.

"More women had to work. They became more aware of themselves, more liberated. Americans have always taken care of themselves in that they will have a massage, or have their nails or hair done, and I think that's rubbed off on Bermuda. Women are more concerned about what is healthy and so on.

"Once we passed the fitness craze, the next step was the phase of beauty. So what we offer is a workout and a treatment and then you can visit the deli.

They complement each other.'' What differentiates treatments at Total Fitness from those offered by other local spas, said Ms Kennedy, is the time spent with each client.

"We tend to do more nice, relaxing healthy type of treatments. All the spas are very good but many have a lot of people working for them. Here, we spend a lot more individual time with people and when they come here they know they can go to the gym, have a treatment, and eat healthily from the deli.'' The Centre is the only place on the Island to offer Pevonia products, a natural line with a wide range, boasting lots of aeromatherapy oils.

"We try to work out treatments that are different, treatments that suit an individual's needs. Pevonia offers the best of both worlds. In addition to leaving the skin silky and looking refreshed, it releases tension, replacing it with renewed energy and peace of mind.'' Facials and body treatments work to combat anything from stress, to cellulite.

...set aside some time for Total Fitness "Even if you're not a member, you can have a workout or a body treatment. And we have such a wide range of treatments that you can have a totally relaxing experience and go away feeling completely rejuvenated.'' The bakery and deli also operate in line with the centre's health-conscious image, said head chef, Paul Proverbs.

"On the deli side, we're serving more for the health conscious person who wants to change his or her eating habits,'' he explained. "Our salad bar is pretty light and the foods are easily digestible which is great for somebody who wants to lose weight and (eating there) will help them to cut down on fat and cholesterol with choices from our total fat-free salad bar. We are also very health conscious with our different daily hot specials and soups. We try and cater to all types of customers and also serve a nice continental breakfast between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

"If you want to lose weight we can make suggestions and we do have a variety of choices. We also try and offer hot meat with salads on the side.'' Added Ms Nash: "A lot of the members come in on their lunch break, work out, order food from the deli and pick it up on their way out. Obviously if you're coming to work out you're worried about your health so we try and make it that much easier for you. And if you're trying to reach a goal or even if just want a little massage at the end of a workout, we try and make it as enjoyable as possible to encourage you to come in.'' Although a dietitian is not employed by the centre, Ms Nash said they will often refer any patrons with questions to Government nutritionist, Betsy Baillie.

"If someone's trying to lose weight, they want to eat a healthy breakfast,'' she said. "They also want lots of vegetables, fruit, salads with protein and starch during the course of the day, and a sensible dinner. We offer all of that except for the dinner. A lot of times, as people try and lose weight, they will reward themselves with a meal which can impede their progress, instead of treating themselves with say, a facial or something which will make them look good. But what we advise, is that you follow the basics -- eat healthily, be active, find things you enjoy. We do try and help people reach their goals, and will refer them to Betsy Baillie if they wish, and to that end, if a person is training as well, it all goes hand in hand.'' Total Fitness is located on Brunswick Street in Hamilton.

Visit Total Fitness for the most complete healthcare HEALTH HTH