Check out this review of the Sexy Love Sox from www.SheJustGotMarried.com: http://www.shejustgotmarried.com/blog/2010/10/sexy-love-sox-giveaway
Stop the weight gain now! It’s easy to overindulge during the holidays. Reflexology can help prevent weight gain by regulating your metabolism and controlling your appetite. Here’s a quick and easy reflexology technique to help avoid those few unwanted pound:
#1. Stimulate the thyroid area to boost your metabolism. This area is located on the soles of both feet about 1 inch from the inside of the inner edge of the foot, and about 1 inch below the crease between your big toe and second toe. Press here and make small circles for 15 seconds.
#2. Next, stimulate the pineal gland to suppress an overactive appetite. This reflex area is located at the base of the big toe on both feet, towards the inner edge. Make small circles here for 15 seconds, release and repeat.
#3. Finally, stimulate the kidneys for proper elimination, as well as the liver, the colon, and the small intestine for detoxifying. These reflex areas are located on the soles of both feet, in the middle of the foot. The best way to reach all of these areas is to roll your feet over a tennis ball several times. It’s best to do this barefoot, so there is some traction. Stand up so that you can apply pressure as you roll the ball.
FYI, all of these reflex areas are involved in your body’s metabolism. Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body’s motor is running. It’s the body’s process of converting food into energy (movement and heat). It takes place in your muscles and organs, as the result of what we commonly refer to as “burning calories”. To lose weight, you must try to increase your metabolism through exercise and diet, or even the use of a keto diet pill amazon which could be really useful to maintain a good weight once you get there… Or, just skip that second piece of pie or that third martini!
There are so many reasons why you might get a headache this holiday season. Here’s a fast, easy reflexology technique to help you get rid of a headache and prevent them in the future.
With your index finger, press the reflex area to the pituitary gland, which is located on both feet, at the base of the inner edge of the big toe, in the crease between the big toe and the second toe. You can also make tiny circles on this area for 15-20 seconds. Stimulate this area on both feet.
What is it?
The pituitary gland, which is located in the center of the skull and just behind the bridge of the nose, is one of the most important glands of the body. About the size of a pea, the pituitary gland is an important link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. It controls the functions of all the endocrine glands and releases many hormones that affect growth, sexual development, metabolism, the reproductive system, the mineral and sugar content of the blood, fluid retention, and can also affect the body’s energy levels. The pituitary gland helps to keep the body in harmony.
How can reflexology help?
Stimulating the reflex to the pituitary gland can help you maintain healthy metabolism, boost your energy, and get rid of headaches. If you’re trying to lose weight, paying extra attention to this reflex area can help your body shed those unwanted pounds. Since this gland is responsible for proper growth of the body’s organs and glands, it can be beneficial in stabilizing the growth rate in children, who may be growing too fast or too slowly. Stimulating this reflex area can also balance your 6th chakra, which can help strengthen your intuition, perception, and psychic abilities.
It’s the holidays and almost everyone I know is stressed. Unfortunately, this stress is very damaging to our entire system. Most doctors agree that over seventy-five percent of our health problems today can be linked to stress and tension. When we fail to manage stress, our body’s defense mechanism begins to break down, making us more susceptible to illness and disease. Physicians often point to anxiety and stress as the main source of many sexual problems, as well a whole slew of associated discomforts (like headaches, high blood pressure, depression, and ulcers).
In addition to deep breathing and turning to meditation as a way of relieving anxiety, reflexology is extremely effective for calming and balancing the nervous system. It can help you let go of tension and soothe your mind. Reflexology is a drug-free coping mechanism for stress and a way to get in touch with what’s happening on the inside. For a quick route to stress relief, stimulate the reflex area to the SOLAR PLEXUS, which is considered the “nerve switchboard of the body.”
The reflex area to the solar plexus is located on both feet, in the center of the foot just beneath the diaphragm line. This is a great starting point to relax yourself or your partner. Press the solar plexus point for twenty to thirty seconds to balance your nervous system and begin the process of reestablishing inner calm. Repeat this several times on each foot.
What is it?
The SOLAR PLEXUS is a network of nerves, located behind the stomach and in front of the diaphragm, which sends energy impulses to the upper middle part of the abdomen. Its purpose is to help balance the sympathetic nervous system, regulate the functions of the organs, and restore calm. The solar plexus has been called the abdominal brain because it influences the nerves in the abdomen. It’s often affected by stress, anger, and depression.
How can reflexology help?
Stimulating the reflex to the solar plexus can relax the entire body and bring overall stress relief. It also promotes better, deeper breathing, and relieves the discomfort of allergies, asthma, and even acne.
The reflex area to the solar plexus is located in the center of the foot, on both feet, about half-way between the toes and the heel. Press here for 20 seconds, release and repeat several times.
The solar plexus reflex point is also the center of the third chakra, the Solar Plexus chakra, which relates to your personal power. This chakra is where the personality is formed. Stimulate this area to better express your individuality and strength.
Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to relax, soothe, stimulate, and arouse the mind and body. 
With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, I’ve been thinking about pumpkins. Did you know that pumpkin pie combined with lavender is the #1 turn-on scent for men, and Good & Plenty (the licorice flavored candy that comes in the purple and pink box) is the #1 turn-on scent for women? 
Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, MD, a neurologist, psychiatrist, and neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago and the author of the book “Scentsational Sex” conducted studies on both men and women to find out what specific scents caused sexual arousal. He became interested in the connection between odors and sex when he observed that about 18% of patients who lose their sense of smell develop sexual dysfunction.
Dr. Hirsch questioned whether the inability to detect odors might have some direct connection with sexual response. To find out, he recruited 25 male medical student volunteers and tested them with different aromas, including perfumes, floral and food odors. Hirsch was astounded by his finding: “Much to our surprise,” he wrote, “…cinnamon buns caused greater changes in penile blood flow than any other odor.” Recognizing the results might only indicate that medical students are hungry, Hirsch conducted another study, this time with 31 men between the ages of 18 and 64, using 30 scents and 46 test odors (some were combinations). He also studied the sexual arousal of 30 women between 18 and 40 in response to a variety of odors. The results were as follows:
Top Scents for Men:
1. A combination of lavender and pumpkin pie showed the greatest measurable arousal, increasing penile blood flow by an average of 40%.
2. Cinnamon buns were still popular, but not as much so. In combination with licorice and doughnuts, they finished second by increasing penile blood flow by 31.5%.
3. A combination of pumpkin pie and doughnuts came in third, with an increase in penile blood flow of 20%.
4. Negatives: Among the least favored odors were cranberry and chocolate.
5. Hirsch also found differences dependent on men’s ages and characteristics. Older men liked vanilla better than younger men. Men who said they have the best sex lives preferred strawberry. And men who said they have intercourse most frequently liked lavender, Oriental spice and cola. In fact, penile blood flow increased in response to every odor that was tested.
Top Scents for Women:
1. The preferred odor for women was Good & Plenty, a licorice candy, or a combination of Licorice and cucumber, which caused a 13% increase in vaginal blood flow.
2. A combination of lavender and pumpkin pie increased vaginal blood flow by 11%.
3. Negatives: Women had negative responses to several odors, including cherry, which caused an 18% reduction, and charcoal barbecue smoke, which caused a 14% reduction. Interestingly, the study found that women are not turned on by male colognes. They caused a 1% reduction in vaginal blood flow.
4. Studies show that both sexes dislike strong odors.
In these studies, it was not determined why people responded to specific scents. No one actually knows exactly why men and women respond sexually to scents such as pumpkin and lavender. I believe it could be that perhaps certain odors evoke positive, sexual memories, which may make us more receptive to sexual feelings.
In conclusion, Hirsch said, “If you’re a woman and you want to induce male sexual arousal, start baking. And if you’re a man and you want to induce female sexual arousal, throw away the cologne and buy some Good & Plenty.” With the holidays approaching, I’d say that’s pretty easy advice to take!
Read about the fantastic benefits of baby massage and our Baby Massage Onesie…http://fitbottomedbabies.com/2010/10/rub-a-dub/
Massage is a lovely way for you to express your love and care for your baby. Massage can soothe your baby and help her to sleep, try also using a baby lovie from https://makaboo.com/Gifts/angel-dear-lovie/ for your baby.
Massage has many added benefits for your baby, including improving weight gain, aiding digestion, improving circulation, and easing teething pain. Massage is a great way for you and your partner to bond with your baby, and you may find it relaxing, too!
What is baby massage?
Baby massage is gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby’s body with your hands. You can use oils or a moisturiser to help your hands to glide smoothly over your baby’s skin. As part of your massage routine, you can gently manipulate your baby’s ankles, wrists and fingers. You can talk softly, hum or sing to your baby while you are massaging, which may make it more reassuring for your baby.
The soothing strokes of your hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in you, your baby and even your partner, if he’s watching. Oxytocin is the hormone that gives you that warm, loving feeling when you hold your baby close or breastfeed her.
What are the benefits of baby massage?
There are lots of ways baby massage can benefit not just your baby, but you and your partner as well. Massage may help your baby to:
develop mentally, socially and physically
stay relaxed and not get upset
cry and fuss less
sleep better
One study found that massage in the early days could help newborns to recover from jaundice more quickly.
You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. The time you set aside for a massage can be your special time together. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat to her and have plenty of eye contact with her.
This is one reason why massage can help mums with postnatal depression, or who are at risk of depression, to interact with their babies. Find out about the other benefits of baby massage for mums with depression and their babies.
Baby massage can be great for dads, too. Some dads may miss out on a lot of the hands-on care of their babies, especially if they are at work and their baby is breastfed.
A regular massage with dad can become a routine, perhaps at bedtime, that helps to bring your baby and partner closer together. It can also help your partner if he is feeling stressed.
Massage may be particularly good for premature babies in special care, resulting in:
Improved weight gain, particularly if oils are used. Massage stimulates a key nerve, called the vagus nerve, which connects the brain with important parts of the body, including the stomach. Stimulating this nerve can improve digestion and bowel movement, helping your baby to gain weight.
A more stable heart rate. Massage improves the parts of the nervous system that regulate our organs. So massage can help to keep your premature baby’s heart rate steady.
Calmer response to stress and pain.
More stable brain activity. Premature babies who are massaged tend to have brain activity that develops at a normal level. Premature babies who are not massaged have shown a decrease in brain activity development.
These benefits may contribute to the finding that massaged premature babies tend to be well enough to go home with their families sooner than babies who aren’t massaged.
Foot Massage Reduces Edema in Pregnant Women. Read on…http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=9881&catid=1&title=foot-massage-reduces-edema-in-pregnant-women
Win a free Baby Massage Book (“Hands on Baby Massage” by Michelle Ebbin) and a Baby Massage Onesie. Click here: “http://www.mommywantsfreebies.com/2010/10/basic-knead-hands-on-baby-massage-book.html“>
In today’s fast-paced world, who isn’t anxious once in a while? Unfortunately, stress is very damaging to our entire system and is the culprit of over 75% of our health problems. When we fail to manage stress, our body’s defense mechanism begins to break down, making us more susceptible to illness and disease. Recently, a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine proves that massage does more than just soothe muscle tension but, in fact, causes biological changes that relieve stress.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recruited 53 healthy adults and randomly assigned 29 of them to a 45-minute session of deep-tissue Swedish massage and the other 24 to a session of light massage. All of the subjects were fitted with intravenous catheters so blood samples could be taken immediately before the massage and up to an hour afterward. To their surprise, the researchers, sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, found that a single session of massage caused biological changes.
Volunteers who received Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ in blood and saliva, and in ‘arginine vasopressin’, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. They also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system.
Volunteers who had the light massage experienced greater increases in oxytocin, a hormone associated with contentment, than the Swedish massage group, and bigger decreases in adrenal corticotropin hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
The lead author, Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, chairman of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai, said the findings were “very, very intriguing and very, very exciting — and I’m a skeptic.”
While not everyone can afford to get a 45-minute deep-tissue or Swedish massage, there are many massage techniques that you can do at home. Reflexology is extremely effective for calming and balancing the nervous system. Here’s a reflexology technique that everyone can do at-home to bring about some much needed stress relief:
For a quick route to stress relief, stimulate the reflex area to the SOLAR PLEXUS, which is considered the “nerve switchboard of the body.” This area is located on both feet, in the center of the foot just beneath the diaphragm line. This is a great starting point to relax yourself or your partner. Press the solar plexus point for twenty to thirty seconds to balance your nervous system and begin the process of reestablishing inner calm. Repeat this several times on each foot. Stimulating the solar plexus can relax the entire body and bring overall stress relief.
What is it?
The SOLAR PLEXUS is a network of nerves, located behind the stomach and in front of the diaphragm, which sends energy impulses to the upper middle part of the abdomen. Its purpose is to help balance the sympathetic nervous system, regulate the functions of the organs, and restore calm. The solar plexus has been called the abdominal brain because it influences the nerves in the abdomen. It’s often affected by stress, anger, and depression.
The solar plexus reflex point is also the center of the third chakra, the Solar Plexus chakra, which relates to your personal power. This chakra is where the personality is formed. Stimulate this area to better express your individuality and strength.
Arvigo Maya Fertility Massage: More Than a Belly Rub
By Daphne Oz
Oprah.com | March 17, 2010
In the interest of making 2010 our year of wellness, Daphne Oz is on the case to find the ultimate in total mind, body and spirit care.
First, she explored the uses of aromatherapy. Then, she went a bit deeper with alternative medicine by looking into acupuncture. Now, she investigates Mayan abdominal fertility massage.
When you first hear that there is something called “Mayan abdominal fertility massage,” I know what you’re thinking: How could a belly rub possibly bolster fertility? When I first experienced the treatment as part of Soho House New York’s Wellness Week in January this year, I was just as skeptical. I have had a bunch of cats in my lifetime and recall that one of their favorite pastimes was to knead my stomach, every once in a while poking me with an outstretched claw. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I feared that I had just signed up to have the human equivalent performed.
Perhaps because of this initial skepticism, I ended up leaving my 90 minutes positively raving. Not only was it delightfully relaxing, but my massage therapist’s explanation of how your digestive and reproductive tracts can both benefit from external abdominal manipulation makes complete sense.
That masseuse, Loretta Young, practices Arvigo Maya abdominal massage, a modern adaptation of ancient Mayan healing techniques that adds modern knowledge of anatomy, physiology and herbology. Through noninvasive massage, this technique gently manipulates the muscles and tendons that hold all the belly organs in place to bring all things back into alignment and promote proper functioning.
Arvigo Maya abdominal therapy was developed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo, a naprapath—someone who specializes in realigning the connective tissue—from Chicago who has spent the past 30 years living in the heart of Belize’s rainforest. Dr. Arvigo was an apprentice of Don Elijio Panti, who, when he died at the age of 103, was recognized in his New York Times obituary as “the last Mayan master healer in Belize.” For those who think herbal medicine is antiquated, 25 to 40 percent of all prescription pharmaceutical medications are derived from just 0.05 percent of the world’s planet species—including birth control of aspirin, both of which are made from wild yams. Imagine what medical miracles are hidden in the 99.5 percent of species that have yet to be analyzed for their medicinal properties.
Using Don Elijio’s techniques, Dr. Arvigo created Arvigo Maya abdominal massage in the early 1990s, teaching workshops in the United States and at her campsite in the jungle. In one of the weeklong seminars, Rosita and her staff first teach the art of self-care, stressing that in order to heal others, one must first be able to treat and understand the dynamics within one’s own body.
As part of the core curriculum at Arvigo’s workshops, students undergo rigorous spiritual intensives. All ancient Mayan medicine is based on the gratitude one must show for the bounty that the earth provides by giving thanks to God(s), and to the plants of the forest that work together in harmony to protect and prolong human life. Recognizing a force that exists external and internal to everyone, and connects all life, is fundamental to possessing the true healing power offered in these therapies. I felt this during my session with Young when she placed both her hands on my head as a way of introducing our energies and harnessing a universal energy and higher power to aid in the healing process.
Though Dr. Arvigo’s techniques have delivered results for a variety of gynecological and gastrointestinal ailments, they are typically to boost fertility. I’m not really looking for a bundle of joy just yet, so I was slightly less than eager to endure a half-hour of stomach-contorting toward such an end. But, as Young explained, women of all ages are thought to benefit from such work. When we experience sudden whiplash, jerking or repeated bouncing (such as from long-distance running), she says, the uterus can swing dramatically and become lodged in a sideways or tilted position. Young says this can lead to reproductive complications including PMS and, yes, infertility. And it never hurts to make sure everything in there is in good working order.
Furthermore, it can also be beneficial for men, because you boys tend to hold tension and stress in your stomachs by tightening the abdomen, which affects digestion by squeezing the esophagus and impeding deep breaths. Convinced, I gave her the go ahead.
You could picture Young reading meditation protocols to puppies: Her voice is soft and soothing, and she looks the perfect picture of someone who has spent her life cultivating a serenity that pervades patient and practitioner. Half-Korean, half-Central America, Loretta has rich, cocoa skin, arabesque eyes and a mane of shiny, black ringlets. Her hands are small and soft but very strong from years of working first as a prenatal masseur, then progressing through craniosacral therapy and into the abdominal work in which she now specializes.
To begin my treatment, Young first spread essential oils over the palms of her hands and had me inhale deeply. She then increased the energy flow within my body simply through light touch on my head and feet before beginning the actual belly massage portion of the treatment. Her technique was soft, firm and fluid. She pulled from one side of my stomach to the other, pressing her fingers deep into the flesh and pulling the underlying ligaments along with her in a gentle motion to coax out any entanglements or imbalances. Then, she massaged in a clockwise circle around my naval to smooth the surface and refresh the kneading-then-smoothing cycle.
It doesn’t sound like much, and I’m not doing it justice, but it was one of the most soothing sensations I’ve ever experienced—and nothing like the cat-pawing I had expected. I quickly found myself melting into the massage table as she lifted pressure away from my diaphragm and esophagus and my breath grew deeper. Then, she flipped me over and did a correlating back massage to complete the realignment. By the time it was over, I was ready for a good nap.
After I pried myself off the table and got dressed, I met Loretta in the spa’s softly lit sitting area for tea and a brief chat for her professional perspective on the Arvigo Maya technique. While she’s had incredible success with fertility-challenged couples, I asked whether her massage was worthwhile for someone who wasn’t looking to get pregnant. Learning to increase awareness of the dynamics in the pelvic region, and becoming increasingly connected with its sensations, stimulations and stasis, she says, can lead to increased sexual satisfaction. Relaxation plus body and sensation awareness equals orgasm—who knew? As with any area of the body, the muscles need to be taught how to respond and relax at the appropriate points. Additionally, abdominal massage helps to loosen and relax the muscles that overlay all the core organs, increasing blood and lymph flow.
In keeping with her teacher’s beliefs, Young is a huge proponent of self-care as a way to get to know one’s body better and to continue the healing treatment on a more regular basis. I want to learn—and she’s promised to teach me—but half the fun is getting someone else to rub your belly for you, right?