Pamper yourself healthy

We could all do with a little pick me up, especially during this time of year. When we think of pampering ourselves, we typically picture a luxurious hotel stay, a massage or simply our favourite meal.

How relaxing can help your health

But how about pampering yourself with health and wellness? The first line of defence against poor health is a proactive approach, bolstering our immune systems, mental and physical health through diet and lifestyle. This way we can delay, reduce and sometimes even alleviate many health issues.

Pampering helps us to relax, reduce stress and generally feel better mentally and physically. Recent studies have even shown it may also help to deter depression. 

This is because relaxation triggers the production of ‘feel-good' hormones such as serotonin and oxytocin.

These hormones put you in a better mood, help you sleep better and generally give you a boost. Even better the more you practice relaxation techniques the more resilient your mitochondria become and the more energetic you feel.

According to the Mayo Clinic simple relaxation techniques can help you:

• Lower your blood pressure
• Improve your digestion
• Balance your blood sugar levels
• Reduce your body's stress hormone activity
• Ease tension in your muscles
• Manage chronic pain more effectively
• Boost your mood
• Improve your concentration
• Increase your physical and mental energy
• Sleep better
• Improve your confidence.

So why not schedule some ‘You time’ and give some of these healthy activities a try and see how pampered you feel.

Go on a detox

Nourish your body with healthy plant-based juices and foods. By eliminating processed foods and sugars and replacing them with nutrient-rich alternatives, you give your body a rest.

It's a bit like an internal spring clean, leaving you feeling more energised, invigorated and a few pounds lighter!

Pet your pet

Animals are great stress relievers and great listeners. In fact, pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.

If you haven’t got a pet offer to look after a friends, consider adopting one or visit your local pet shelter.

Enjoy a long bath

Add a few drops of essential oils to the water and soak. Just having time to yourself to get lost in the moment can have a hugely relaxing effect.

Go for a walk

Research has shown that walking releases feel-good endorphins that can help reduce stress.

Enjoy the fresh air and take a stroll. Not only will you be getting some exercise but you'll be relieving stress along the way. A lovely way to pamper your body.

Try tapping

The emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping, can help you decompress and reduce stress.

This practice involves systematically tapping your meridian points, or areas of concentrated bodily energy, to help calm and refocus the mind, according to The Tapping Solution. It can be done anywhere at any time and doesn't take long so anyone can add it to their day.

Massage therapy

We can all find excuses not to have a massage - it costs too much, I don’t have time, I don’t really need it! But every now and then indulge yourself, enjoy your muscles being relaxed, your mind being calm and the feeling of wellness you gain afterwards. Reducing stress keeps you well, so can you really afford not to?

Take a nap

We may not all be able to snooze the afternoon away but a quick nap can work wonders. Even in well-rested people, naps can improve performance in areas such as reaction time, logical reasoning and symbol recognition, as Cote described in a 2009 review (Journal of Sleep Research, 2009).

Resting for five minutes or sitting with your legs up against a wall can all help to reduce stress and make you feel better. 

So don’t feel guilty about pampering yourself make time for you to look after your physical and mental health.

If you still need convincing read our blog on 5 reasons to pamper yourself.

or 

5 quick ways to pamper yourself.

Keep in mind, though, that self-care is just one part of staying healthy. A healthy diet and regular exercise are important as well.

You could boost your nutrient intake by adding our superfood juices to your diet. Packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids our tasty superfood juices can help you get on the right track to keeping healthy.

To order your juices simply visit our shop today.