Welcome To Pampering4life Lifestyle

Thank you for following me and learning more on how you can live your "Best Life" each and everyday just by doing exciting things to awaken and pamper what is most important in your life. Pampering4life is a lifestyle of pampering all aspect of one's life. It is the ultimate indulgence of pampering your mind, body, and freedom. Please make sure to take time for yourself at least 10 minutes a day. Relax and feel your desire to live the life God has given you after all "Pampering4life" is a celebration of you....

About Me

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New Jersey, United States
Just some information about me. I'm a wife, board certified integrative health counselor, and amateur ballroom dancer. I enjoy life by living each day like it is my last. One of my favorite hobbies is to travel, travel, travel, and to learn different cultures of all kinds. After a recent lay off..I realized my passion and purpose in life is to inspire people by showing them how to enjoy their life and to pamper all aspects of it. This includes your health, your wealth, and most important your mind by making the connection to what living is really about. Pampering4life is about making small changes and reaping BIG RESULTS! I look forward to opening up a new world for you so you to can live your BEST LIFE

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sugar A Day Will Keep The Doctor On Call

Sugar: The New Unhealthy
Did you know that Americans consume about 100 to 150 calories a day from sugar-sweetened drinks? Keep that up and you'll put on about 10 pounds a year. While it's old news that soda and fruit punch are loaded with sugar, many popular fruit-flavored waters, juices and "healthy" drinks are no better. For example, a 12-ounce bottle of cranberry juice cocktail has 210 calories and 51 grams of sugar. That's like adding 13 spoonfuls of sugar to one glass of water. Sure, you're getting vitamin C, but you're much better off eating a (low-calorie, fiber-rich) orange instead.
A good rule of thumb? Look at the first ingredient. If it's not fruit juice, put the drink down. In the case of cranberry juice cocktail, water and high-fructose corn syrup come before cranberry juice. Water or seltzer is always best, but if you can't live without your morning glass of OJ, make sure it's 100 percent fruit juice and limit yourself to one cup per day. Skim milk is another good option. Meanwhile, try to stay away from sports drinks, flavored coffees and blended beverages. And if you do indulge, stick to one 6-ounce serving.
For those times when water just won't cut it, take to this list of the best and worst "healthy" drinks to quench your thirst without pouring on the pounds.

healthy drinks
Instead Of: Arizona Iced Tea (270 calories, 72 grams sugar)
Choose: Honest Tea "Just a Tad Sweet" (85 calories, 20 grams sugar)

Instead Of: SoBe Green Tea (240 calories, 61 grams sugar)
Choose: Inkos Unsweetened White (90 calories, 0 grams sugar)

Instead Of: Odwalla Protein Monster Chocolate (about 220 calories, 25 grams sugar)
Choose: Organic Family 1% Milkfat Chocolate (150 calories, 9 grams protein)

Instead Of: SoBe Strawberry Banana Lizard Fuel (290 calories, 73 grams sugar)
Choose: Naked Reduced-Calorie Juice (200 calories, 40 grams sugar)

healthy drinks
Instead Of: Naked Pomegranate Blueberry Antioxidant Smoothie (300 calories, 64 grams sugar)
Choose: PomLight (150 calories, 34 grams sugar)

Instead Of: Vitamin Water (150 calories, 33 grams sugar)
Choose: Zico Coconut Water (60 calories, 24 grams sugar)



THE BOTTOM LINE ABOUT HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP


    • High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an ingredient regularly used in soft drinks, cereal, bread and an array of other food products consumed daily. It is commonly found on food and drink labels under multiple names, such as chicory, inulin, iso-glucose, glucose-fructose syrup and fruit fructose. HFCS is worth learning more about, as is any ingredient included on the labels of foods you normally consume.

    Converts to Fat Quickly

    • According to OrganicConsumers.org, the body metabolizes corn syrup into fat more quickly than it does any other sugar. Furthermore, since most fructose is consumed in liquid form, the negative impact it has on the body from a metabolic standpoint is magnified significantly. While dietary fat is often synonymous with products containing oils or meats, HFCS is truly unhealthy in terms of its rapid conversion to fat. The substance should not be overlooked when considering items to exclude from a healthy meal plan.

    Not a Natural Food  

    • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that HFCS is not classified as "natural" in cases where a "synthetic substance such as a synthetic fixing agent [is] included in or added to it," or in cases where natural or unnaturally derived food coloring has been added. The FDA has declined requests to formally define "natural" foods and leaves the decision up to individual state.

    Danger to Heart Health

    • Dr. Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. states, "In subjects [with] healthy glucose tolerance and those that had unhealthy glucose tolerance, fructose caused a general increase in both the total serum cholesterol and in the low density lipoproteins (LDL) in most of the subjects. This puts a person at risk for heart disease." While it is also found in fruits, fructose occurs in lower levels in fruit than it does in the form of HFCS.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Pampering4life Financial Health: Women and Money

There's never been a better time for women to take control of their financial futures. Even if financial equality has not been achieved, women are more financially successful and independent than ever before. With that success comes more responsibility to organize and manage their financial health.
  • There are over 10 million female-owned businesses in America, generating more than $2.5 trillion in annual revenue.

  • Women are starting new companies at twice the rate of men, according to the National Foundation for Women Business Owners.

  • Women tend to be better investors than men. According to a recent study by the National Association of Investment Clubs, women's investment clubs outperformed their male counterparts by a wide margin in 9 out of 12 years.
While more women today are taking charge of their financial future, many leave money management to men or ignore it altogether. As a result, far too many women stay on the sidelines of the money game and never take charge of their financial future.

Why are Women's Financial Needs Different?

At first glance, it may be difficult to believe that women's financial needs are all that different from men's. However, while the general principles of financial planning are universal, women face unique challenges that amount to different financial needs.
  • Women live longer than men (an average of 7 years) so they need 20% more for retirement.

  • On average, women earn 25% less than men.

  • Since women tend to take time off to raise children or take care of parents (women take off approximately 11 years more from work than men), they save less than men do for retirement.

  • After earning lower salaries for fewer years, women's social security benefits are about half of men's.

  • The majority of women had certificates of deposit (CDs) in their retirement savings accounts when a more aggressive investment vehicle was more appropriate.

The Consequences are Serious.

  • Almost 1 in 4 women are broke within two months of a husband passing away.

  • Over 75% of all women are eventually widowed at an average age of 56.

  • 53% of women are not covered by a pension compared to only 22% of men.

  • A staggering 87% of the poverty stricken elderly are women.
The statistics are startling--but it's never too late to start taking control of your financial future.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Self-Care: Taking Time To Love YOU

Quiet Times Dedicated To You
Dr. Zhivago, in Boris Pasternak's great book, said "We are made ill by saying the opposite of what we feel, groveling before what we dislike, and rejoicing at what brings us nothing but misfortune." While this may seem to be a gloomy statement on human nature, I have found most people nod affirmatively when they hear or read it. Being pulled from inner needs and personal truths by a demanding environment may be one of the root causes of disease or disharmony.
Research has shown that many conditions are either preceded or made worse when personal concerns go unnoticed or unattended. Even the most conservative physician will agree that you are more likely to get sick when you are "run down," which is just another way of saying that work, relationships, or other worries may overwhelm your attention to self-care.
Being truthful about who you are, how you feel, and what you need are the first steps in leading a more wholesome or healthy life. Taking care of yourself is a choice that you can make daily, even hourly.
One way to remember who you are and what you need is to create a personal healing ritual or ceremony that you can do daily. This means developing a structure for your self-care activities, a self-generated ritual - one you design and can do along every day. Here are a few guidelines to consider from the book, Rituals of Healing: Using Imagery for Health and Wellness (New York, NY: Bantam, 1994).

Feeling The Freedom To Breathe Again
  1. Set you intention. Your general intention has already been described: you are taking time to pay attention to your needs. But you may also have more specific intentions, such as listening to your body. Headaches, back problems, even colds and flu give early warning signals, and if you can detect them, you can sometimes steer them off by getting more sleep, avoiding stressful situations, watching your diet and fluid intake, and generally being kind to your body. Your intention may simply be to take a break from nagging, obsessive thoughts or the intensity of your day. After setting your intention - and it may vary from day to day - remember to hold it throughout your personal healing time.
  2. Time. Decide on a time of day when you can take at least 20 minutes to take care of yourself. It is no surprise that finding time is the stumbling block for most people. The best time, of course, is when you are overly stressed and busy and not functioning at your best - precisely when you feel the least permission to excuse yourself to take time out. Try to find a time that is yours and yours along, perhaps early in the morning or in the evening before you become too tired.
  3. Place. Find an area, no matter how small, where no other activities take place - a corner of a room, a special chair, a window seat, even a small rug or blanket on the floor. Put some comforting objects in this area. Many people use candles, incense or music to focus their attention.
  4. Activity. Plan an activity that engages you and relaxes your mind and body. This can be prayer if you have a religious or spiritual orientation, listening to music, focusing your gaze on a candle, paying attention to the breath, or doing a mental check of the state of your body and your life.
  5. Hire a healing team. If you need assistance planning your personal healing rituals, seek out members of your healing team. Here is where you can exercise your personal choice. Biofeedback therapists, hypnotherapists, specialists in guided imagery, meditation teachers, and spiritual counselors are just a few options. There are also many self-help books and tapes on mind/body therapies. 
Taking the extra time to love yourself is very important for your overall well-being. Often as adults, we spend more time in a hurry without taking the extra moment to smell the roses. I invite you today to love you more and take that extra time to pamper your life which includes pampering your mind, body, and freedom. That's exactly what "Pampering4life" is all about. The celebration of you....

Monday, March 7, 2011

Organic Food...Good For The Health?

GO ORGANIC NOW
Yes. Organically grown food is your best way of reducing exposure to toxins used in conventional agricultural practices. These toxins include not only pesticides, many of which have been federally classified as potential cancer-causing agents, but also heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and solvents like benzene and toluene. Minimizing exposure to these toxins is of major benefit to your health. Heavy metals damage nerve function, contributing to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lowering IQ, and also block hemoglobin production, causing anemia. Solvents damage white cells, lowering the immune system's ability to resist infections. In addition to significantly lessening your exposure to these health-robbing substances, organically grown foods have been shown to contain substantially higher levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C and many minerals.
Research Suggests Organic Food is Better for Your Health
Rats fed organic food were significantly healthier than their peers given conventionally-grown produce, shows research reported by the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, February 2005.
During the experiment, 36 rats were divided into three groups. All were given potatoes, carrots, peas, green kale, apples, rapeseed oil, and the same vitamin supplements. One group was fed organic food, another conventionally grown food with high levels of fertilizer and some pesticide, and the third group received minimally fertilized conventionally grown food.
Although pesticide residue was measured and found to be below detection levels in all groups, the scientists found that the rats fed organically-grown produce were measurably healthier, slept better, had stronger immune systems and were less obese.
Lead researcher, Dr Kirsten Brandt, of Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, was careful not to overstate the findings, but noted: "The difference was so big it is very unlikely to be random. We gave the food to the rats and then we measured what they were doing. We can say the reason why the rats have different health was clearly due to the fact that there was a different growing method, and this was enough for this result. If we want to understand how and why, we need another study."

How do organic foods benefit cellular health?

DNA: Eating organically grown foods may help to better sustain health since recent test tube animal research suggests that certain agricultural chemicals used in the conventional method of growing food may have the ability to cause genetic mutations that can lead to the development of cancer. One example is pentachlorophenol (PCP) that has been found to be able to cause DNA fragmentation in animals. Mitochondria: Eating organically grown foods may help to better promote cellular health since several agricultural chemicals used in the conventional growing of foods have been shown to have a negative effect upon mitochondrial function. These chemicals include paraquat, parathion, dinoseb and 2-4-D which have been found to affect the mitochondria and cellular energy production in a variety of ways including increasing membrane permeability, which exposes the mitochondria to damaging free radicals, inhibiting a process known as coupling that is integral to the efficient production of ATP. Cell Membrane: Since certain agricultural chemicals may damage the structure and function of the cellular membrane, eating organically grown foods can help to protect cellular health. The insecticide endosulfan and the herbicide paraquat have been shown to oxidize lipid molecules and therefore may damage the phospholipid component of the cellular membrane. In animal studies, pesticides such as chlopyrifos, endrin and fenthion have been shown to over stimulate enzymes involved in chemical signaling causing imbalance that has been linked to conditions such as atherosclerosis, psoriasis and inflammation.

How can organic foods contribute to children's health?

The negative health effects of conventionally grown foods, and therefore the benefits of consuming organic foods, are not just limited to adults. In fact, many experts feel that organic foods may be of paramount importance in safeguarding the health of our children.
In two separate reports, both the Natural Resources Defense Council (1989) and the Environmental Working Group (1998) found that millions of American children are exposed to levels of pesticides through their food that surpass limits considered to be safe. Some of these pesticides are known to be neurotoxic, able to cause harm to the developing brain and nervous system. Additionally, some researchers feel that children and adolescents may be especially vulnerable to the cancer-causing effects of certain pesticides since the body is more sensitive to the impact of these materials during periods of high growth rates and breast development.
The concern for the effects of agricultural chemicals on children's health seems so evident that even the U.S. government has taken steps to protect our nation's young. In 1996, Congress passed the Food Quality Protection Act requiring that all pesticides applied to foods be safe for infants and children.
Organic foods that are strictly controlled for substances harmful to health can play a major role in assuring the health of our children.
Eating Organic Dramatically Lowers Children's Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides
Eating organic foods provides children with "dramatic and immediate" protection from exposure to two organophosphate pesticides that have been linked to harmful neurological effects in animals and humans, shows a study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and published in the September 2005 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
The pesticides-malathion and chlorpyrifos-while restricted or banned for home use, are widely used on a variety of crops, and according to the annual survey by U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data Program, residues of these organophosphate pesticides are still routinely detected in food items commonly consumed by young children.
Over a fifteen-day period, Dr. Chensheng "Alex" Lu and his colleagues from Emory University, the University of Washington, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measured exposure to malathion and chlorpyrifos in 23 elementary students in the Seattle area by testing their urine.
The participants, aged 3-11-years-old, were first monitored for three days on their conventional diets before the researchers substituted most of the children's conventional diets with organic foods for five consecutive days. The children were then given their normal foods and monitored for an additional seven days.
To ensure that any detectable change in dietary pesticide exposure would be attributable to the organic food rather than the change in diet, the researchers substituted organic foods that were the same items the children would have normally eaten as part of their conventional diet. Organic food items were substituted for the conventional diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, processed fruits or vegetables (e.g. salsa), and wheat-based or corn-based products (i.e. pasta, cereal, popcorn, or chips).
"Immediately after substituting organic food items for the children's normal diets, the concentration of the organophosphorus pesticides found in their bodies decreased substantially to non-detectable levels until the conventional diets were re-introduced," said Dr. Lu.
During the days when children consumed organic diets, most of their urine samples contained zero concentration of the malathion metabolite. However, once the children returned to their conventional diets, the average malathion metabolite concentration increased to 1.6 parts per billion with a concentration range from 5 to 263 parts per billion.
A similar trend was seen for chlorpyrifos. The average chlorpyrifos metabolite concentration increased from one part per billion during the organic diet days to six parts per billion when children consumed conventional food.
A second study, published in the February 2006 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, confirmed these results. Once again, another group of 23 children from the Seattle area aged 3-11 years participated. When the conventionally grown foods in their diets were replaced with comparable organically grown foods, concentrations of compounds in the children's urine indicating exposure to organophosphate pesticides immediately dropped to non-detectable levels and remained nondetectable until they once again consumed conventionally grown foods.
The children were first monitored for three days on their normal diet. Then, most of the conventionally grown items in their diets were replaced with comparable organically grown items for 5 days. Substituted items included fruits and vegetables, juices, processed fruit and vegetable products and wheat or corn based products. Lastly, the children returned to their normal diets for a further 7 days.
Researchers analyzed two spot daily urine samples, first-morning and before-bedtime voids, throughout the 15-day study period. Urinary concentrations of compounds indicating the children were ingesting the organophosphorus pesticides, malathion and chlorpyrifos, became undetectable immediately after the introduction of organic diets and remained undetectable until the conventional diets were reintroduced.
The repetition of this research clearly demonstrates that an organic diet provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposures to organophosphorus pesticides, which are commonly used in agricultural production.
Organophosphate pesticides account for approximately half the insecticide use in the United States and are applied to many conventionally grown foods important in children's diets. Organophosphates work by poisoning the nervous system in pests. When exposure to organophosphate pesticides is sufficiently high, these neurological poisons can also interfere with the proper functioning of the nervous system in humans.
Children are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of organophosphate pesticides because their bodies and brains are still growing. Even low body levels of organophosphate neurotoxins can contribute to developmental delays, behavioral problems, attention problems/hyperactivity, poor school performance and learning disabilities.
In 2000, the Consumers Union reported that the conventionally grown foods with the highest levels of pesticide residues were apples, peaches, pears, grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, green beans, winter squash and spinach. The message is clear: to minimize your children's exposure to pesticides, choose organic!

Are organic foods nutritionally superior to conventionally grown foods?

Yes, and significantly more. Proof of their superiority has been demonstrated in numerous studies. In 1998, a review of 34 studies comparing the nutritional content of organic versus non-organic food was published in the peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed journal Alternative Therapies (Volume 4, No. 1, pgs. 58-69). In this review, organic food was found to have higher protein quality in all comparisons, higher levels of vitamin C in 58% of all studies, 5-20% higher mineral levels for all but two minerals. In some cases, the mineral levels were dramatically higher in organically-grown foods-as much as three times higher in one study involving iron content.
Organic foods may also contain more flavonoids than conventionally grown foods, according to Danish research published in the August 2003 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In this study, 16 healthy non-smoking participants ranging in age from 21-35 years were given either a diet high in organically or conventionally grown fruits and vegetables for 22 days, after which they were switched over to the other diet for another 22 days. After both dietary trials, the researchers analyzed levels of flavonoids and other markers of antioxidant defenses in the food and in the participants' blood and urine samples. Results indicated a significantly higher content of the flavonoid quercitin in the organic produce and in the subjects' urine samples when on the organic produce diet, plus the subjects' urinary levels of another flavonoid, kaempferol, were also much higher when on the organically grown compared to the conventionally grown diet.
A review of 41 studies comparing the nutritional value of organically to conventionally grown fruits, vegetables and grains, also indicates organic crops provide substantially more of several nutrients, including:
  • 27% more vitamin C
  • 21.1% more iron
  • 29.3% more magnesium
  • 13.6% more phosphorus
The review also found that while 5 servings of organically grown vegetables (lettuce, spinach, carrots, potatoes and cabbage) provided the daily recommended intake of vitamin C for men and women, their conventionally grown counterparts did not. Plus, organically grown foods contained 15.1% less nitrates than conventionally grown foods. Nitrates, a major constituent of chemical fertilizers, bind to hemoglobin and, particularly in infants, can significantly reduce the body's ability to carry oxygen. For more information on nitrates, click Nitrates - North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
In another study whose findings are based on pesticide residue data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, organic fruits and vegetables were shown to have only a third as many pesticide residues as their conventionally grown counterparts. Study data, which covered more than 94,000 food samples from more than 20 crops, showed 73% of conventionally grown foods sampled had residue from at least one pesticide, while only 23% of organically grown samples had any residues. When residues of persistent, long-banned organochlorine insecticides such as DDT were excluded from the analysis, organic samples with residues dropped from 23 to 13%. In contrast, more than 90% of USDA's samples of conventionally grown apples, peaches, pears, strawberries and celery had residues.
When it comes to choosing between organic or conventionally grown foods, size is definitely not everything, suggests another study published in Science Daily Magazine. Chemistry professor Theo Clark and undergraduate students at Truman State University in Mississippi found organically grown oranges contained up to 30% more vitamin C than those grown conventionally. Reporting the results at the June 2, 2002, meeting of the American Chemical Society, Clark said he had expected the conventionally grown oranges, which were twice as large, to have twice the vitamin C as the organic versions. Instead, chemical isolation combined with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the much higher level in organic oranges.
Why the big difference? Clark speculated that "with conventional oranges, (farmers) use nitrogen fertilizers that cause an uptake of more water, so it sort of dilutes the orange. You get a great big orange but it is full of water and doesn't have as much nutritional value."
Eating organic may also help protect against chronic inflammation, a major factor in both cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. Another study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that organic soups sold in the UK contain almost 6 times as much salicylic acid as non-organic soups. Salicylic acid, the compound responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin, has been shown to help prevent hardening of the arteries and bowel cancer. Researchers compared the salicylic acid content of 11 brands of organic soup to that found in non-organic varieties. The average level of salicylic acid in 11 brands of organic vegetable soup was 117 nanograms per gram, compared with 20 nanograms per gram in 24 types of non-organic soup. The highest level (1,040 nanograms per gram) was found in an organic carrot and coriander soup. Four of the conventional soups had no detectable levels of salicylic acid.

Cooking with organic foods can be absolutely delish but learning how to prepare food the right way without removing its nutrients is key. Take the easy way out by hiring your very own health coach to show you just how to prepare your foods and buy organic even on a budget. Try goorganicnow and make your appointment today for a free health history consultation. It's your year to get healthy!!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Pampering4life Healthy Eating Series: Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Edamame

Looking for something special to eat with less calories? How about that gourmet dinner with a cook time of only 15 minutes or less? Below you can enjoy a delish salmon dinner with all the trimmings with less calories and cook time. This recipe is provided by the food network and it is very tasty and quick to make for the whole family. Try it and you will surely love it.

Notes

The natural richness of salmon and it's high amount of Omega-3's makes it a great choice for a healthy meal that doesn't need much added fat. By stuffing a mixture of fresh herbs into the fillets, through a pocket, the fish is infused with bright flavors. A light glaze during the cooking process is the final touch.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 2 scallions
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 center cut skin-on wild salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • 1 1/3 cups cooked edamame
  • Lime wedges, optional garnish
Preheat the grill over medium-high direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Finely chop the cilantro and scallion and mix in the oil and ginger. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut two 3-inch long slits through the skin lengthwise on the bottom of the salmon fillets, going about halfway into the salmon. Evenly stuff the slits with the herb mixture. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Stir together the lime juice, soy and honey until smooth. Place the salmon, skin side up, on the grill and cook until well marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and continue to cook, brushing the tops with the sauce, until the fish is cooked through, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle the tops with the sesame seeds. Serve with edamame and lime wedges.

Broiler directions: Position an oven rack so that a baking sheet set on the rack is about 4-inches below the heat source. Preheat the broiler. Prepare the salmon as above and place the fillets, skin down, on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil, basting 3 to 4 times with the sauce, until just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.


Nutritional analysis per serving (analysis not including optional lime wedges)

Calories 345; Total Fat 15g (Sat Fat 1.8g, Mono Fat 4.1g, Poly Fat 5.8g) ; Protein 39g; Carb 10g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 93.5mg; Sodium 306mg