Pampering4life Healthy Living Corner: No Depression Tonic

Ingredients Needed

1 cup Apple Juice
1 Tbsp Brewer's Yeast
1 Tbsp Blue-Green, Spirulina, or Chlorella Algae
1 Tbsp Lecithin Granules
1 tsp Ginseng Granules or Extract

This liquid plant medicine contains lots of antidepressive compounds in the form of vitamin B12, spirulina, and brewer's yeast. This is a great tonic for a healthy nervous system. Ginseng is know to fight fatigue, increase stamina, and feed the nervous system. Regular consumption of this awesome tonic will produce lasting results. Enjoy!

Abuse: The Dark Secret To Violence Against Women

Signs of abuse

It can be hard to know if you're being abused. You may think that your husband is allowed to make you have sex. That's not true. Forced sex is rape, no matter who does it. You may think that cruel or threatening words are not abuse. They are. And sometimes emotional abuse is a sign that a person will become physically violent.
Below is a list of possible signs of abuse. Some of these are illegal. All of them are wrong. You may be abused if your partner:

• Monitors what you're doing all the time
• Unfairly accuses you of being unfaithful all the time
• Prevents or discourages you from seeing friends or family
• Prevents or discourages you from going to work or school
• Gets very angry during and after drinking alcohol or using drugs
• Controls how you spend your money
• Controls your use of needed medicines
• Decides things for you that you should be allowed to decide (like what to wear or eat)
• Humiliates you in front of others
• Destroys your property or things that you care about
• Threatens to hurt you, the children, or pets
• Hurts you (by hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, punching, slapping, kicking, or biting)
• Uses (or threatens to use) a weapon against you
• Forces you to have sex against your will
• Controls your birth control or insists that you get pregnant
• Blames you for his or her violent outbursts
• Threatens to harm himself or herself when upset with you
• Says things like, "If I can't have you then no one can."

If you think someone is abusing you, get help. Abuse can have serious physical and emotional effects. No one has the right to hurt you.

Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships

Sometimes a relationship might not be abusive, but it might have some serious problems that make it unhealthy. If you think you might be in an unhealthy relationship, you should be able to talk to your partner about your concerns. If you feel like you can't talk to your partner, try talking to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor. Consider calling a confidential hotline to get the support you need and to explore next steps. If you're afraid to end the relationship, call a hotline for help.
Signs of an unhealthy relationship include:

• Focusing all your energy on your partner
• Dropping friends and family or activities you enjoy
• Feeling pressured or controlled a lot
• Having more bad times in the relationship than good
• Feeling sad or scared when with your partner

Signs of a healthy relationship include:

• Having more good times in the relationship than bad
• Having a life outside the relationship, with your own friends and activities
• Making decisions together, with each partner compromising at times
• Dealing with conflicts by talking honestly
• Feeling comfortable and able to be yourself
• Feeling able to take care of yourself
• Feeling like your partner supports you

If you feel confused about your relationship, a mental health professional can help. Remember, you deserve to be treated with respect.

Juicing Benefits To Anti-Aging

According to the American Dietetic Association, drinking juice made wholly from fruits and vegetables is an ideal way to get the greatest nutritional benefit. Look at the color of your juice. The more vibrant the color, the more powerful the juice. Flavonoids, the plant pigments responsible for the colors in fruits and vegetables, also have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-viral, and anti-carcinogenic properties.
According to research compiled by the North Carolina Research Campus, the American Dietetic Association, the American Cancer Foundation, and the American Diabetes Association, there are almost as many reasons to juice for longevity and anti-aging as there are fruits and vegetables to juice with:
Fresh juice contains proteins, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in a form your body can easily absorb.
Fresh fruit and vegetable juice is rich in potassium and low in sodium, which helps promote cardiovascular health and prevent cancer.
The enzymes in juice are essential for digestion and the absorption of nutrients in your food.
Juice is loaded with powerful antioxidants called carotenes, found in dark leafy green vegetables and red, purple, and yellow-orange fruit and vegetables, all of which neutralize cancer-causing free radicals and promote longevity.
Apple-celery juice reduces inflammation, promotes calm, and restores restful sleep.
Juice from alkaline vegetables including carrots, tomatoes, parsley, spinach, kale, and celery helps detoxify the liver, kidneys, blood, and muscle tissue of toxins that have been accumulating for years.
Cucumber juice is rich in silica, which strengthens connective tissue of muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Cucumber juice also promotes strong, lustrous hair, glowing skin, and strong nails.
The nutrients in fresh fruit and vegetable juice are also responsible for reducing or eliminating acne, anemia, high cholesterol, bladder infections, bronchitis, canker sores, carpal tunnel, constipation, gallstones, glaucoma, headaches, hypertension, indigestion, insomnia, kidney stones, macular degeneration, menopause, morning sickness, osteoporosis, prostate enlargement, psoriasis, ulcers, varicose veins, and water retention. The next time you think about a face lift think about juicing first natures natural cure. Learn more about juicing in upcoming classes offered at Pampering4life Lifestyle and Wellness Company.

Things To Consider With Plastic Surgery 101

If you are considering cosmetic surgery, you must be honest with yourself. Why do you want surgery and what do you expect surgery to do for you? According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there are two categories of patients who are good candidates for surgery:

The first includes patients with a strong self-image who are bothered by a physical characteristic that they'd like to improve or change.

The second category includes patients who have a physical defect or cosmetic flaw that has diminished their self-esteem over time.

It's important to remember that cosmetic surgery can create both physical changes and changes in self-esteem. But if you are seeking surgery with the hope of influencing a change in someone other than yourself, you might end up disappointed.

ASPS list of inappropriate candidates for surgery

• Patients in crisis, such as those who are going through divorce, the death of a spouse, or the loss of a job. These patients may be seeking to achieve goals that cannot be met through an appearance change — goals that relate to overcoming crisis through an unrelated change in appearance is not the solution. Rather, a patient must first work through the crisis.
• Patients with unrealistic expectations, such as those who insist on having a celebrity's nose, with the hope that they may acquire a celebrity lifestyle; patients who want to be restored to their original "perfection" following a severe accident or a serious illness; or patients who wish to find the youth of many decades past.
• Impossible-to-please patients, such as individuals who consult with surgeon after surgeon, seeking the answers they want to hear. These patients hope for a cure to a problem that is not primarily, or at all, physical.
• Patients who are obsessed with a very minor defect, and may believe that once their defect is fixed, life will be perfect. Born perfectionists may be suitable candidates for surgery, as long as they are realistic enough to understand that surgical results may not precisely match their goals.
• Patients who have a mental illness, and exhibit delusional or paranoid behavior, may also be poor candidates for surgery. Surgery may be appropriate in these cases if it is determined that the patient's goals for surgery are not related to the psychosis. In these cases, a plastic surgeon may work closely with the patient's psychiatrist.

Because the changes resulting from cosmetic surgery are often dramatic and permanent, it's important that you have a clear understanding of how surgery might make you feel — long before a procedure is scheduled.

Safety

If you're thinking about getting cosmetic surgery, it's your job to become an informed consumer. Selecting a qualified doctor, with a lot of training and experience in the procedure you'd like to get, is essential.
Ask the right questions to get the best treatment:

• In which state is the doctor licensed to practice surgery?
• Is the doctor board certified? With which board? The doctor should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• How many years has the doctor performed this type of surgery?
• Does the doctor have life-saving equipment and monitoring devices?
• Who administers the anesthesia? Ideally, this person is a board-certified anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist.
• What are the risks of the procedure?
• What is the expected recovery for the procedure you're having?

Check out your doctor's credentials

If you're thinking about having your surgery in the doctor's office, there are advantages and disadvantages. The office might be convenient, private, and have more amenities than a hospital or ambulatory care center (non-emergency, outpatient facility). But it may not be safe. Don't assume that the doctor has the right credentials or the right equipment to keep you safe in the office.
Contact these organizations to find out your doctor's education, licensure, and board certification in addition to the doctor's or ambulatory care center's accreditation:

• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAHC)  – Accredits physician offices with surgical facilities.
  Phone: 847-853-6060
• American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)  – Certifies ambulatory surgery facilities and provides practice guidelines for surgeons working in ambulatory surgical facilities.
  Phone: 888-545-5222
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)/ The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)  – All of the surgeons listed through this service are ASPS members who are board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. They have graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of surgical residency, usually three years of general surgery and two years of plastic surgery.
  Phone: 847-228-9900
• Federation of State Medical Boards (FCVS) – FCVS verifies medical education, postgraduate training, licensure examination history, board action history, and identity.
  Phone: 817-868-4043

Pampering4life Health Tip: Arthritis

Arthritis is a general term used to refer to any disorder that affects the joints. Joints are places where bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. Most types of arthritis cause pain or swelling in the joints. Some types also can cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.
The most common type, osteoarthritis (OSS-tee-oh-ar-THREYE-tuhss), is often related to aging or injury. In osteoarthritis, the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in the joint breaks down. When this happens, the bones grind against each other. This causes pain and swelling. It most often affects the fingers, knees, and hips.
Rheumatoid (ROO-muh-toid) arthritis is an autoimmune disease, in which the body's defense system, called the immune system, attacks the lining of the joints throughout the body. Often these are joints in the hands and feet. Rheumatoid arthritis also may affect internal organs.
Gout is a common and painful type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body. Deposits of uric acid in joints — often the big toe — cause extreme pain, swelling, and redness. Other joints may be affected as well.
If you have joint pain, see your doctor. Finding out about arthritis early and getting the right treatment can prevent further joint damage and help control symptoms. Many types of treatment are available, including medicines and surgery.
These steps also might help ease arthritis symptoms:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can strain your knees and hips.
• Be physically active. Moving all of your joints will help you. Your doctor or nurse can show you some gentle stretching exercises and how to move more easily. Going for a walk every day will help, too.
• Take a warm shower in the morning.
• Use an ice pack on sore areas.

Arthritis can make it hard to work and do activities you enjoy. Even if only one joint is affected, you might need to change the way you do many daily activities to use this joint less. Your doctor and therapists can help you find new ways of doing things in your home or workplace, so you can live with less pain.

Healthy Breastfeeding Through Nutrition

Healthy Eating

Many new mothers wonder if they should be on a special diet while breastfeeding, but the answer is no. You can take in the same number of calories that you did before becoming pregnant, which helps with weight loss after birth. There are no foods you have to avoid. In fact, you can continue to enjoy the foods that are important to your family — the special meals you know and love.
As for how your diet affects your baby, there are no special foods that will help you make more milk. You may find that some foods cause stomach upset in your baby. You can try avoiding those foods to see if your baby feels better and ask your baby’s doctor for help.
Keep these important nutrition tips in mind:

• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated (but fluid intake does not affect the amount of breast milk you make). Drink when you are thirsty, and drink more fluids if your urine is dark yellow. A common suggestion is to drink a glass of water or other beverage every time you breastfeed. Limit beverages that contain added sugars, such as soft drinks and fruit drinks.
• Drinking a moderate amount (up to 2 to 3 cups a day) of coffee or other caffeinated beverages does not cause a problem for most breastfeeding babies. Too much caffeine can cause the baby to be fussy or not sleep well.
• Vitamin and mineral supplements can not replace a healthy diet. In addition to healthy food choices, some breastfeeding women may need a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Talk with your doctor to find out if you need a supplement.
• See our Breastfeeding fact sheet for information on drinking alcohol and breastfeeding.

Can a baby be allergic to breast milk?

Research shows that a mother’s milk is affected only slightly by the foods she eats. Breastfeeding mothers can eat whatever they have eaten during their lifetimes and do not need to avoid certain foods. Babies love the flavors of foods that come through in your milk. Sometimes a baby may be sensitive to something you eat, such as dairy products like milk and cheese. Symptoms in your baby of an allergy or sensitivity to something you eat include some or all of these:

• Green stools with mucus and/or blood, diarrhea, vomiting
• Rash, eczema (EG-zuh-muh), dermatitis, hives, dry skin
• Fussiness during and/or after feedings
• Crying for long periods without being able to feel consoled
• Sudden waking with discomfort
• Wheezing or coughing

Babies who are highly sensitive usually react to the food the mother eats within minutes or within four to 24 hours afterwards. These signs do not mean the baby is allergic to your milk itself, only to something you are eating. If you stop eating whatever is bothering your baby or eat less of it, the problem usually goes away on its own. You also can talk with your baby’s doctor about any symptoms. If your baby ever has problems breathing, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Vegan diets

If you follow a vegan diet or one that does not include any forms of animal protein, you or your baby might not get enough vitamin B₁₂ in your bodies. This can also happen if you eat meat, but not enough. In a baby, this can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, slow motor development, being very tired, weak muscles, vomiting, and blood problems. You can protect your and your baby’s health by taking vitamin B₁₂ supplements while breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor about your B₁₂ needs.

Fitness

An active lifestyle helps you stay healthy, feel better, and have more energy. It does not affect the quality or quantity of your breast milk or your baby’s growth. If your breasts are large or heavy, it may help to wear a comfortable support bra or sports bra and pads in case you leak during exercise. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how and when to slowly begin exercising following your baby’s birth.

National Women's Health Week May 13-19 Stop Smoking

Most women smokers say they want to quit. So how do you move from wanting to quit to actually quitting? A first step is to find reasons to quit that are important to you. Consider the many good reasons to quit smoking.

Your health

Your health begins to improve the minute you stop smoking, and you begin to lower your long-term risk of many smoking-related diseases. Smoking causes or can contribute to many serious health problems, including:

• Cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, voice box, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix, uterus, stomach, and blood
• Lung diseases
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries
• Gum disease
• Eye diseases that can lead to blindness
• Osteoporosis and the risk of hip fracture

Smoking also:

• Makes illnesses last longer
• Causes more wound infections after surgery
• Makes it harder to get pregnant

Smoking during pregnancy can hurt the mother and baby. It increases the risk of:

• Placenta previa — when the placenta covers part of or the entire cervix inside of the uterus. This can lead to bed rest, early labor, and cesarean section.
• Placental abruption — the placenta separates too early from the wall of the uterus. This can lead to early labor or infant death.
• Early rupture of membranes, or water breaking, before labor starts, so the baby is born too early
• A baby with a low birth weight
• Damage to an infant's lungs
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth

Your quality of life

When you quit, you will never again have to leave your workplace, your home, or other places to smoke. You won't need to worry about whether your smoke is bothering others. The money you would have spent on cigarettes can be saved or used to buy other things. Plus, you will be surprised by how good you feel overall. Over time, some of the ways you will look and feel better are:

• You will breathe more easily.
• You will have more energy.
• Your lungs will be stronger, making it easier to be active.
• You will be able to smell and taste things better.
• You hair, breath, and clothes will smell better.
• The stain marks on your fingers will fade.
• Your skin will look healthier.
• Your teeth and gums will be healthier.
• You will feel good about being able to quit!

Other people's health

When you quit, you no longer create secondhand smoke, which is harmful to the people around you, and especially children. When you quit, you become a role-model to children and other smokers who want to quit. When you quit, your own children are less likely to grow up to become smokers themselves.