Ever notice that supermarkets are installing more and more bakeries, rotisserie chicken grills, salad bars, and snack-food stops? Ever wonder why? It's to entice you to buy and eat, and buy and eat some more.

Smells have the power to make us purchase, especially if we're shopping on empty stomachs. When we sniff something appealing, the odor receptors in our noses send messages to our limbic systems, which control our emotions, memories, and sense of well-being. Freshly baked bread remind of you of the warmth of mom's kitchen? Well, then, you don't stand a chance.

And there you have it: Another reason to shop on a full stomach. Already we've got the lure of everything lining the shelves. Add the aroma of a batch of fresh bakery brownies, and you might as well just slap those calories on your thighs.

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Want to drop a few pounds? Add some spice to your meals -- any kind will do, as long as it's low in calories. According to Fit Celeb, adding zero-calorie spices to your meals can help you lose weight. In fact, in studies, participants who did just that lost an average of 30 lbs in six months, compared to two lbs in the control group. Wow. The key to the weight loss was attributed to the aroma of the dishes -- taking a moment to savour the smell of the food was key to participants' weight loss.

A few things to keep in mind: Butter is not a spice, and neither is salt -- both will likely cause you to gain weight rather than lose it. However, be sure to stock up on healthy, flavourful spices like cinnamon, dill, rosemary, curry powder and so on.

What's your favourite spice?

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I'm a Yankee Candle junkie. Every time a coupon arrives in the mail, I head right out and redeem it. Burning scented candles is one of my favorite feel-good practices. A little aroma therapy is just what I need to warm my spirits.

Today I bought three news flavors -- black cherry, peach, and vanilla cupcake. The cupcake one -- which smells exactly like its intended scent -- is what inspired me to write this post because it hit me as potentially odd that I grabbed this mouth-watering candle when I don't consume sweets (headaches and a desire to eat healthy drove me away from them). And then I realized: Smelling vanilla cupcakes is enough. I don't need to eat them. I guess it could have gone the other way -- my candle could have sent me right to the bakery for the real deal -- but it didn't. And as I sit here right now, cupcake aromas swirling around me, I am completely satisfied.

If scents alone do the trick for your sweet cravings, check out Yankee Candle and all this delicious fragrances this company has to offer.

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My ideal workout scenario is as follows: Get out of bed, exercise, shower, fix myself up, and be done for the day. There's something about accomplishing my fitness feats first thing that helps power me through the day. Sometimes things work out this way although on most days, my morning routine has me coaxing little ones out of bed, into clothes, to the breakfast table, to the toothbrushes, and into the car for the ritual school drop-off. By the time I get to my treadmill or to the streets outside, I've been up for hours. Not ideal. But that's the way my life goes.

Regardless of when I work out, there's one thing standard about my routine -- the feel-good sense I get when all is said and done. And the scents that surround me when I'm clean and ready to take on the day.

Yesterday, I picked up this yummy peppermint body stuff at Bath & Body Works. I got one bottle of a body wash -- which just so happens to double as a shampoo which doubles as a bubble bath -- and I got one bottle of body lotion. Twisted Peppermint, this product line is called. And I'll tell you: It's sure to put a bounce in your step.

According to holisticonline.com, aromatherapy means "treatment using scents." It's a holistic way of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender, and yes, peppermint. Aromatherapy is used to relieve pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue, and invigorate the entire body. Aromas can affect the mood, knock out fatigue, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

My new aroma is certainly working on my brain. It's simply invigorating. Stop by a Bath & Body Works near you and ask for a sample. You'll see what I mean.

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