Pampering the mind, body, and spirit

            Pampering4life is living up to its name by opening up a new branch in the company that now offers aromatherapy! Here at Pampering4life we have decided to provide this new service to customers because we understand how important it is to truly pamper the mind, body, and spirit and aromatherapy is definitely the way to do that!

 

So what is aromatherapy you may ask? It is a type of alternative medicine that uses essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds, which are aimed at improving a person’s health or mood. Aromatherapy is an exploration of creativity and expression from knowing the characteristics of oils and envisioning new combinations of scents.  Essential oils can stimulate the part of the brain that affects emotion. The shape of an essential molecule is like a key that opens lock-like structure in the olfactory nerve receptors in our nostrils. The impression of the aroma is sent directly and immediately to the limbic system where memories are stored and pleasure and emotions is perceived. Inhaling essential oils can help us attain a pleasurable emotional balance.

 

Aromatherapy will also pamper the body by having the essential oils quickly absorb through the skin, then traveling around individual cells and into hair follicles and enter into to certain glands that mingle with the skin’s natural moisturizers. The chemical properties of the oils can be cleansing, deodorizing, and balancing. Certain oils are especially appropriate to benefit the skin. The largest organ on the body reflects our inner state of well being while protecting us from daily pollutants.

 

Essential oils have positive effects on every level of being. Their unique properties enhance the body, spirit, and mind. Be sure to look into this new service being offered by Pampering4life and take the time to participate in this therapy that will elevate every part of your body!

Mind Boosting Activities For A Younger You

Contrary to popular belief, your mind does not have to slow down just because you get older. Instead, you can keep your brain functioning at its highest level just by keeping it in shape, just as your muscles improve when you work them out.
"Working out" your brain is only slightly different from working out the rest of your body. If anything, it's easier because such a wide array of activities is beneficial.
If you are interested in keeping your brain sharp, no matter what your age, here are the key activities to indulge in.


1. Exercise
Physical activity does not just benefit your waist size. It also produces beneficial changes in your brain, including:

• Encouraging the growth of new cells by increasing oxygen flow to your brain
• Boosting growth factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which helps new nerve cells to survive
• Increasing neurotransmitters in your brain that play a role in cognition

2. Challenge Your Mind
As the saying goes, "Use it or lose it." It's thought that some of the forgetfulness and loss of mental acuity that comes along with aging is caused, at least in part, by non-use.
In fact, another study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that seniors who participated in mentally challenging activities about once a week for a 20-year period reduced the risk of dementia by 7 percent. Those who engaged in these activities more often reduced their risk even more -- by 63 percent!
To keep your mind on its toes, try out a new hobby that will get you thinking, such as:

• Learning how to play a musical instrument
• Playing Sudoku, crossword puzzles, cards or board games
• Learning a foreign language
• Reading
• Creative writing
• Woodworking

3. Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks
What you eat has a direct impact on your brain function, and if you've ever indulged in a mid-afternoon junk-food binge, then felt like your head was stuck in a fog for the rest of the day, you understand what we're saying. The best foods for your brain include:

• Antioxidants from fruits and veggies. One study by researchers at the University of California at Irvine found that beagles fed a high-antioxidant died had improved cognitive skills. And, rats fed strawberries and blueberries have been shown to enjoy improved coordination, concentration and short-term memory.
• Fish. Coldwater fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that have been found to be very important for brain function (just be careful to eat this in moderation due to potential contamination with mercury).

Meanwhile, you definitely want to avoid trans fats for your brain health. These dangerous fats have been linked to a host of mental problems, including dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.

4. Listen to Some Music
A study published in the journal Heart & Lung found that people who listened to music while they exercised performed more than twice as well on a verbal fluency test than people who listened to no music. The test was designed to challenge the part of the brain that deals with planning and abstract thought.

5. Have a Drink?
While too much alcohol can cause you serious health problems, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that one-half to one drink a day may be beneficial for your brain.
In fact, in the study of over 12,000 elderly women, those who drank light to moderate amounts of alcohol daily had a 20 percent lower risk of having problems with their mental abilities later in life than women who did not drink at all.

6. Sleep Enough
During sleep, your mental energy is restored. Don't get enough of it and important skills like planning, problem solving, learning, concentration, memory and alertness will all become more difficult. Further, the less sleep you get, the worse off you'll be.
"If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk," says Sean Drummond from the University of California, San Diego in New Scientist.
However, just a few nights of not enough sleep can produce similar effects.

7. Meditate
Meditation has been found to produce both short-term and permanent changes in the brain. In fact, researchers at Harvard, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that meditation increases brain size and may help slow some aspects of cognitive aging.

Generally, what's harmful to your heart also is also harmful to your brain. Make no mistake about it: While fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there's also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your gray matter.
Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids -- the good fats found in fish -- are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression.

Below is a list of real anti-aging foods to keep your brain young

Food	Why	Recommended Amount	RealAge Difference
Nuts	Nuts contain monounsaturated fats to keep your arteries clear, as well as levels of precursors of serotonin to boost mood.	1 ounce of nuts a day is just right. (More is fine, but be careful of calorie overload.) An ounce is about 12 walnuts or 24 almonds.	Men: 3.3 years younger. Women: 4.4 years younger.
Fish especially wild salmon, whitefish, tilapia, catfish, flounder, mahi mahi	Fish contain artery-clearing omega-3 fatty acids.	Aim for 13.5 ounces of fish a week, or 3 servings, each about the size of your fist.	2.8 years younger.
Soybeans	Soybeans contain heart- and artery-healthy protein, fiber, and fats.	1 cup of soybeans a day.	0.4 years younger.
Tomato juice and spaghetti sauce	Tomatoes contain folate, lycopene, and other nutrients to keep arteries young.	8 ounces a day of juice or 2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce a day.	At least 1 year younger.
Olive oil, nut oils, fish oils, flaxseed, avocados	All of these foods contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.	25% of daily calories should be healthy fats.	3.4 years younger.
Real chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)	Real chocolate increases dopamine release and provides flavonoids, which keep arteries young.	1 ounce a day (to replace milk chocolate).	1.2 years younger.

Exfoliate and Revitalize Your Skin

Achieving great looking skin isn't necessarily that hard. You do have to know what to do (and what not to do) for good skin care. While most people understand the importance of hydration, sunscreen and cleansing, they often overlook exfoliation in their skin care regimen. Exfoliation can help bring out a fresh, youthful look to your skin and will help prevent blemishes. The key is to perform the exfoliation properly.

The very outer layer of your skin is actually dead skin cells. Your skin creates new cells underneath and the old ones on the surface slough off on their own. This occurs each and every day, whether you notice it or not. Sometimes this dead layer will build up on the surface of your skin and you will notice your skin has a dull look to it. You may also find you are more prone to blemishes, if the dead skin cells clog your pores. Getting rid of these skin cells will promote healthy skin. To exfoliate, you can choose one of these methods: chemical or abrasive. Chemical exfoliants usually contain some form of mild acid, such as alpha hydroxy or salicylic acid. The acids work to slough off the dead skin cells. These actually come in different strengths and can be applied on their own, or in conjunction with an abrasive exfoliant.

Abrasive exfoliants are creams or liquid cleansers that contain particulate matter, such as ground botanicals, jojoba beads or groundnuts. The use of the abrasive will physically remove the dead skin cells. The particulate matter can come in many different sizes and the type you choose will depend upon the application. You don't want to use the same abrasive on your face that you would use to exfoliate your feet.

Start your exfoliation with clean skin. Wet the skin with warm water and apply the exfoliant. Rub gently in circles with your fingers or a facial sponge, avoiding the under eye area, as this skin is too delicate for exfoliation. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry. Apply a toner to help balance the pH of your newly exposed skin cells. Follow this with a moisturizer. Your skin may tingle for fifteen minutes or so after the application, especially for your first couple of times. After that, your skin will become used to it. With the chemical exfoliants, discontinue their use if your skin burns too much after application. Exfoliation only needs to be done once or twice a week. Since you have exposed new skin cells to the surface, it is very important that you use a sunscreen if you will be outdoors.

Why Is Exfoliation Important?

The skin is constantly generating new skin cells at the lower layer (the dermis) and sending them to the surface (the epidermis). As the cells rise to the surface they gradually die and become filled with keratin. These keratinized skin cells are essential because they give our skin its protective quality. But they are constantly sloughing off to make way for younger cells.
As we age the process of cell turnover slows down. Cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin's surface, giving it a dry, rough, dull appearance. Exfoliation is beneficial because it removes those cells that are clinging on, revealing the fresher, younger skin cells below.
It is possible, however, to overexfoliate, especially on the delicate skin of the face. Overexfoliating will dry and irritate the skin.

What You Should Know About Body Exfoliation:

• You can use a body scrub once or twice a week with no problem.
• Body brushing every morning is a gentle way to exfoliate -- and wake up!

To exfoliate your body on a regular basis will also enhance your circulation and help your body to revitalize internal cells and increase the oxygen flow throughout your body. If you are looking for a great organic exfoliant to provide you with all the great benefits mentioned. Go to organicskincarenow  

3 Steps To Manifest The Life Of Your Dreams

You create your experience via your underlying beliefs - whether they are conscious or unconscious. If you're not conscious of your beliefs then you must make them conscious. As Carl Jung said, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." Or, as mystics will say, "Know thyself." This includes your beliefs.
Before you begin to manifest your ideal life, you must get clear on exactly what you want. Examine your desire from a mystic perspective. Is it something that would be of benefit to many people or is it a purely selfish desire? If you are attempting to manifest your desire at the expense of someone else, there will be a steep price to pay in the future. Remember, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap," so why saddle yourself with additional burdens? If your desire seems selfish, reframe it so that it's of benefit to others.
Once you are clear on exactly what you want, then it is a straightforward matter to manifest your desire. There are three steps:

• Step 1. Visualize exactly what you want for 5 minutes per day. Let's say you want to go sightseeing in Paris. You may want to visualize the Eiffel Tower. Why 5 minutes? Because any longer and your mind will wander. Any shorter and you may not be fully fleshing out your vision.
  
  
• Step 2. Put yourself in the picture, with detail and emotion. You have a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. But, if you don't visualize yourself in the picture, the universe will manifest your desire, but perhaps not in the format you anticipated. For example, you might get a postcard of the Paris skyline in the mail. To avoid any misunderstandings, picture yourself standing in front of the tower. What are you wearing? Are you there with your spouse or some new love interest? Add details, employing all your sensory data. You're eating a delicious croissant. The wind is blowing gently on a beautiful, sunny spring afternoon. You hear conversations en francais and you smell the perfume of the petite jeune fille standing near you. Don't forget to add emotion. Are you enjoying the taste of your croissant? Do you feel the joy of exploring a new country? Are you reveling in the sense of freedom as you travel the world? The more realistic you make it, the better.
  
• Step 3 is very important. At this stage, focus only on the end result. Don't worry about how you get there. You can't possibly imagine all the ways that your goal might manifest, so don't limit yourself to people you know or the most obvious avenues to attain your goal. Let the universe worry about the details.

When you are done with your meditation, release it to the universe. Continuing to hold it in your mind will prevent its manifestation. You have to let go. To ensure you've let go, occupy yourself with a completely unrelated activity after you complete your meditation.
You're ready to go; but first, a brief note of caution. This is an extremely powerful technique, so keep in mind the old adage, "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." An example, an acquaintance of mine was remarking on how lucky a friend of hers was to receive a $100,000 settlement for a personal injury she suffered. Within two weeks, my friend was involved in a moderately serious auto accident that left her with a bad back and a subsequent $50,000 settlement. Was it worth it? I don't think so.
To ensure that you don't manifest something similar, I recommend you close each meditation by saying, "If it pleases God, then so be it," or "If this is for my highest good, then so be it." This is an extra form of protection that will help you avoid needless headache.
Lastly, don't think that because you're busy visualizing you don't have to take any action on the physical plane. For example, if you're looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend, you can't just sit inside and visualize your ideal mate, you still need to get out. You must go about your business, but be alert to opportunities that the universe is presenting to you.
The Law of Attraction is the basic underlying principle at work here. If you're not manifesting what you desire then there are two possibilities: you aren't clear on exactly what you want or you're not aware of a certain belief, probably unconscious, that is contradicting your conscious desire.
So, manifest your dreams, the mystic's way!

Resolutions Don't Work...Try Something New In 2011

For you history buffs, New Years Resolutions pre-date the birth of Christ by about 2000 years. The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays, first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago.
So it's especially meaningful in 2006 that somewhere around Baghdad, Iraq is where New Year celebrations began. There is no truth to the rumor that Dick Clark hosted the first one.
Their celebration lasted for eleven days. But it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities don't even come close.
Most Americans watch it in their pajama's on TV. Let's flip the channel and see what our options are. There's Time's Square with Regis. Oh, then there's Time's Square with Ryan and Dick. And don't forget Time's Square with that other network. Thank God and the beer companies for college football bowl games or New Year's would really be boring.
It's that time again. So what is it about New Year's Resolutions that makes people want to make a significant change in their life?
We secretly or not so secretly hope that 2006 will be better than the year we just went through.
Stop smoking, start training, lose some body fat, start eating healthier,.etc. According to a study conducted by GNC, 50% resolved to exercise more, 38% wanted to lose weight, and 55% promised to eat healthier.
From previous experience, there are very few of us who actually follow through with resolutions.
Only 20% of us actually have the perseverance and patience to stick to our new promises we make to ourselves. Most new years resolutions are the same every year, and, tend to fade away by February, if not sooner.
Here are a couple of lists of the most common resolutions people make, and continually break.

Top 10 Most Common New Year Resolutions
Lose weight
Exercise more
Save or make more money
Stop smoking
Find a better job
Become more organized
Stick to a budget
Be more patient with people
Eat better
Become a better person

Or how about this one:
1) Spend more time with family and friends
Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. What about the other 50%? Don't they care?

2) Take time for fitness
Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some diseases, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis.
In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.
Sounds logical enough, yet most people will exercise for a few days to half a month, then quit. Logic alone just doesn't do the trick for sustaining your motivation.

3) Lose the Flab
At least Fifty-five percent of adults in America are overweight and the alarming rate of child obesity is outrageous! Put down the chips and cheeto's!
So it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Ever notice the abundance of weight loss commercials in January. It's their biggest time of the entire year for new sign-ups.
Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program. Yet why does all this goal setting fail year after year for most people?

4) Quit Smoking.
Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, that's okay. Over-the-counter nicotine replacement products now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids.
On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good.
Here's a good reason to quit smoking. Add up what you are spending on your cig's and you probably can make a car payment with the money you'll be saving. But again, will power alone does not help you carry out this resolution.

5) Enjoy Life More
Given the hectic, stress lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular goal. But what does that really mean?
Working less does not equate to enjoying life more. A lot of people dream of "retirement" until they retire. Then they're bored stiff and end up getting a job somewhere just to ease the boredom.
Or they discover that they're busier than ever after retirement, apparently catching up on all the running around they couldn't get done when they were working. Nice try, but that resolution just doesn't cut it either.

6) Quit Drinking
Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is help and support available.

7) Get Out of Debt
HELP! American's are drowning in debt. Paying unending interest on credit cards is literally slavery. But how in the world do we get out of the trap, dig our way out of the huge hole we've sunk into with a wallet or purse full of credit cards. Especially since we just maxed out our limit on X Box 360 and other Christmas "must have's."
Maybe our real resolution should be to just say NO to more and more "stuff."
Was money a big source of stress in your life last year?
What's the answer? Where do you begin? Read on.

8) Learn Something New
Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Excellent choice.
Maybe you're considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to use your computer or selling on E-bay.
Whether you take a psychology course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep. Challenge your mind in the coming year.
Take the 30 Day Mental Fast to prepare your mind for this one. Get it free below.

9) Help Others
Many people have experienced a new surge of personal energy and excitement by spending a few days or weeks with the American Red Cross or Habitat For Humanity, for example.
Whether you choose to spend time delivering relief supplies, or building a house, these nonprofit volunteer organizations could really use your help, especially since Hurricane Katrina.

10) Get Organized
Whether you want your home straightened out enough that you can invite someone over, or your office organized enough that you can find the paper clips, begin small so it doesn't interfere with resolution #5.
Resolutions do not involve luck to be effective.

Traditional New Year foods are thought to bring luck. The Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts heartily agree.
Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by eating black-eyed peas. These are typically eaten with either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas have been considered good luck in many cultures.

So since New Years resolutions and luck don't bring permanent success, what does? Your change must come from within. What you believe about who you are will determine your success or failure every time. When you change your mind, you can change your future.

Let's face it the more restrictive we are on ourselves the more we fail to deliver. The best way to create a "NEW YOU" is simply to try something new each month. Are you ready to try something new? Join Pampering4life: Try Something New In 2011 Challenge and leave the resolutions behind. Each month discover a new adventure by making small changes which will generate big results and before you know it. You will be trending on a new year, new you. Go to http://www.pampering4life.com to sign up now! You will be glad you did.