DIY Pamper Treatments for Summer

           

Pampering4life is all about pampering every aspect of your life, mind, body, and soul. I understand it may be hard to truly indulge in every facet due to time or money constraints so I want to introduce you to simple DIY pamper treatments that can do wonders for all three aspects that we promise to improve!

 

The first step of the treatment is a scrub because we all know at a spa you are usually being rubbed down with some lavish exfoliating scrub! Not only do these types of scrubs get rid of that dry, rough, scaly skin but it helps to awaken your senses, open up your pores, and get them ready to absorb the rest of the nutrients you will be adding to your skin throughout the next pampering treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a simple recipe for a DIY scrub:

 

·         2 cups of raw Sugar

·         1 cup of Coffee

·         ½ cup of finely ground Coconut

·         2 cups of Coconut Oil

 

Once you have all your ingredients collected you then:

 

·         Mix all of your ingredients together in a big bowl

·         Stir until evenly combined

·         Scoop into a clean glass jar

·         Take a big scoop and spread onto rough areas such as legs, arms, stomach, elbows, knees, shoulders, feet, and even your back

·         Rub the scrub into your skin firmly

·         After two minutes of scrubbing rinse off

 

This scrub is an extremely effective way to exfoliate the skin and the Coconut Oil will act as a natural moisturizer in the process. The ingredient coffee helps increase blood circulation and can actually fade that unsightly cellulite!

 

This scrub is an extremely effective way to exfoliate the skin and the Coconut Oil will act as a natural moisturizer in the process. The ingredient coffee helps increase blood circulation and can actually fade that unsightly cellulite!

 

You may feel oily after this first step but you can fix this by soaking in a large tub with hot water. Add your favorite essential oils such as lavender or jasmine and soak away all your worries. The next step of the DIY Pamper is the moisturizer to seal in all the nutrients just infused into your skin! You could grab some Coconut Oil and Vitamin E Oil and follow these steps:

 

·         In a medium bowl add 1 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil with 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil

·         Using a hand mixer whip you ingredients together in a bowl

·         Continue to mix for about 7-8 minutes or until you have a creamy consistency

·         Pour your mixture into a clean glass jar

·         Scoop a bit out and go to town with slathering it all over your body!

 

These two ingredients are great for your skin and they help lock in hydration. They are also far cheaper than buying new moisturizer every couple months! So next time you feel you need to really relax and take in some you time try these simple DIY pamper treatments, your body will thank you!

 

 

 

 

Pampering4life Healthy Recipe: Skinny Broccoli Salad

Skinny Broccoli Salad

 

Do you ever wonder what a healthy choice would be to partner with your hamburgers and hot dogs at your family barbeques? Well look no further than the Skinny Broccoli Salad. This healthy recipe is a perfect substitution for macaroni and potato salad that can tend to be more fattening due to heavy mayonnaise use and it is also a fun trade off with your bland every day salad. This dish will definitely have your guests talking at your next gathering!

 

Yield: 12 servings

 

Serving size: 1

 

Ingredients

                        2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped

                        1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped

                        1/2 cup chopped red pepper

                        1/2 cup chopped green pepper

                        1/2 red onion, chopped

                        1/2 cup green olives

                        1 cup tomatoes, chopped

                        1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

                        1 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing

                         Optional: ½ cup bacon bits

                       

Instructions

1.Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with reduced fat ranch dressing.

Refrigerate until serving.

 

Nutrition Info and Tips

Calories: 86

Fat: 4.8g

Chia Seed Comeback: The Healthy Alternative

Everyone hears at some point in their lives that “your body is a temple” and most of the time this comment gets brushed off without the importance of the saying truly being grasped. Your body is something sacred and it’s the only one you have so you need to be good to it and only put the best nutrients in it! Another super food that is making its way into many recipes is the Chia seed. This seed is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Although this seed may be firmly planted in our minds, as the seeds that gave life to the gag gift know as the chia pet, it is now becoming a top choice food of the health conscious.

 

Chia seeds are making a come back in the year 2013 and people can reap the many health benefits by adding them to their diets. Chia is the richest vegetable source for omega 3 fatty acid. It has up to 10 times the oil of most other grains and up to twice the protein. These oils are essentials for the absorption of vitamins A, B, E and K. Chia is also rich in calcium and the mineral boron, which aids in the absorption of calcium.

 

Chia seeds are also ideal when it comes to weight loss being that they reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. The blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper. They can also improve your diet and health goals by making you feel fuller faster. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.

 

Athletes especially can benefit from utilizing this helpful seed because the “chia gel” that is formed can hydrate the body. They are a fast and easy way to add energy to your body without adding extra fat. This energy source for athletes won’t weigh you down or feel heavy in your stomach after eating them. People with diabetes can also indulge in this seed and receive benefits. Chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. It is clear chia seeds are making a comeback and should definitely be considered when choosing new health foods.

 

Here are some great ways to enjoy chia seeds:

 

They can be eaten raw. (They have a nice “nutty” flavor.)

 

They can be soaked in fruit juice (in Mexico, they call this “chia fresca”).

 

They’re perfect in porridges and puddings.

 

They make an ideal addition to baked goods including breads, cakes and biscuits.

What foods pack the most powerful antioxidant punch?

Everyone may not know what antioxidants actually are but when asked everyone can vouch for these vitamins by saying they are good for you! And it is true Antioxidants are in fact vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may protect you from free radicals. Radicals are produced when your body breaks down food for energy. These molecules can damage skin cells, weaken the immune system and may play a role in heart disease, arthritis, cancer and other diseases. The good news is that by increasing the level of antioxidants in your body, you are arming yourself with what you need to slow down, fight off and prevent the damage that can be caused by these free radicals. Antioxidants work to neutralize these free radicals, thereby making you healthier in every way!

With the positives of these vitamins being so high it is important to know which foods contain the most powerful antioxidant punch! Nutrition Research Centers are constantly testing different foods to reveal which contain the most antioxidants and this can be done by measuring their ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). This is pretty much just a fancy way of saying antioxidant rich power. The top ten performers in both the fruit and vegetable categories have been recognized!

 

Fruits:

1. Prunes

2. Raisins

3. Blueberries

4. Blackberries

5. Strawberries

6. Raspberries

7. Plums

8. Oranges

9. Red grapes

10. Cherries

 

Vegetables:

1. Kale

2. Spinach

3. Brussels sprouts

4. Alfalfa sprouts

5. Broccoli flowers

6. Beets

7. Red bell peppers

8. Onions

9. Corn

10. Eggplant 

 

Make sure these fruits and vegetables make their way to the top of your grocery-shopping list for the week! There are numerous compounds that can act as antioxidants with Vitamin E, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc, selenium and manganese. Each of these substances has a function and plays a different role in the body so when it comes to food choice, variety is the key to success. The more color you have on your plate, the bigger your capacity becomes for receiving nutrients and antioxidants!