Live Long Naturally ©2012

Women aren’t the only ones looking pregnant these days.

My fellow Baby Boomers may remember an old phrase (and its origin) to describe that spare tire look around the waist. It comes from a Dunlop Tire Company commercial in which vehicle tires placed around a “Dunlop Man” – giving him what looked like rolls of fat around his waist. We didn’t want to be known for having our belly “done lap” below our belt.

In more recent times there is a new name: “Muffin Top.” Here in Los Angeles, there is actually a radio commercial advertising a discount for a cosmetic procedure designed to eliminate the “Muffin Top.” Like celebrity couples get nicknames, abnormally growing body parts get them too. “Love Handles” is another name.” Since when has the Dunlop or Muffin Top look become a thing of beauty?

Children or no children (and obviously men can’t have any, well, one transgender man did), having a tummy pouch or a drooping belly is neither healthy nor attractive. This especially applies to women who have had children and use that as an excuse for not losing weight. The only normal baby fat is the fat YOU had as a baby.

Let the signs and symptoms appearing IN and ON your body be your built in gauge to getting in shape, and more importantly… staying healthy. Having a belly bigger than your bottom is just one of the many gauges.

“Muffin-top” is a generally pejorative slang term used to describe the phenomenon of overhanging flesh when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirt in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing. Wikipedia.org

We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!” Benjamin Franklin

What does exercise mean to you? What if we could skip, jump on a trampoline, play with a hula-hoop, and act like a kid for a day? Not only do these childhood activities bring back the child in us – they are cost effective, increase our circulation, improve our mood, keep us healthy, and in some cases… can give us six pack abs. Plus, chances of getting hurt are slim to none.

Are you young at heart? You may want to try skipping and do it like nobody’s watching. As an adult… even more fun than skipping is teaching a child how. Two weeks ago I tried teaching their 3-year-old sister to skip – in her mind she was skipping through Disneyland. It was adorable, even though it did look a lot like the gallop of a pony.

Why do 100 neck and back breaking crunches or an “ab” machine? With just 5 minutes a day you can whittle your waist and begin to see signs of a “six pack” with a hula-hoop. Results will vary.

Are you often tired and/or get colds and flu often, you may opt for the trampoline. It is a low impact exercise that will help get you in shape and help boost your immune system by getting your lymph fluid moving. With flu season right around the corner, now is the time to prevent it, rather than be one of the many spreading it.

Back in the 60’s, as some of you may remember, that’s all we did. All our activities were outdoors… Bigger is not better, yet technology has filled the homes of many as the new way to play.

A gym membership… $100’s,
A computer, DVD, or Nintendo Wii… $1000’s
Teaching a child how to skip… priceless

Do you find yourself eating for comfort just to be upset at yourself later? Eater’s remorse is a Catch 22. I’ve been guilty of it and it didn’t make me a happy camper. Not to mention, when we binge or indulge out of control, we can in fact eat or drink ourselves into oblivion the next day… hardly being recognizable even by us.

Thinking about what I may look or feel like after a meal (I am considering indulging in) has helped me avoid the food more than once! Before you eat, ask yourself what consequence a certain food or drink will have on your looks and your health. Carry a small mirror if it helps. If what you are about to eat or drink will not make you look or feel better, why have it? Why torture yourself? Why set yourself up for eater’s remorse?

Your overweight self does not stand before craving food. It’s craving love.” Oprah Winfrey

“If the clothes fit, who cares what the scale says.” This is something I’ve had to tell several of my clients. They literally drive themselves crazy in trying to stay a certain weight day in and day out. So what if you are a pound or two heavier! It could be any number of reasons…

• what you are eating
• water retention
• are regular bowel movements a problem?
• have you begun working out? Muscle is heavier than fat.

It is possible to eat more and weight less. Anyone can lose weight on fewer calories and you don’t need to pay a celebrity endorsed diet program to tell you so!

In the book, The China Study, Dr. Campbell compares the caloric intake of the least active Chinese to that of average Americans. He found the Chinese caloric intake to be 30% higher, yet their body weight was 20% lower than that of the Americans. He came to the conclusion that the “secret” to their optimal weight was that Chinese office workers travel on bicycle and their diet consists of low fat and low-protein. Diets high in fat and protein transfer calories from conversion to storage. Whereas, a low fat and protein diet allow the calories to be lost as heat. This is known as Thermogenesis – the production of body heat during metabolism.

Bicycle riding aside… vegetarians also experience this benefit. They have a higher metabolism at rest – the calories are released via body heat rather than being deposited as body fat. Calories aside… weight gain from excess animal protein is the least of your worries.

I have heard one doctor call high-protein, high-fat, low carbohydrate diets “make yourself sick” diets, and I think that’s an appropriate moniker. You can also lose weight by undergoing chemotherapy or starting a heroine addiction, but I wouldn’t recommend those, either. T. Colin Campbell, PhD

Drinking water has never been so easy – pick your size, flavor, additives (oxygen, electrolytes), or even a message of love or gratitude on your bottle. The intention is great, but you can tape the same message on your recycled bottle and have the same effect, without the price tag!

Choices for drinking water include:

• boiling for 5 minutes
• store bought filter/bottled water/from a water machine
• reverse osmosis
• distilled
• alkaline water filters
• visit a natural spring
• “treat” water with the sun, Himalayan salt, dowsing, etc…

Whichever type of water you choose, drink more! A client of mine lost 40 pounds drinking 1-½ gallons of water a day over a period of three months. This was the missing link in his daily routine. If you hit a plateau in your weight loss regime, try drinking more water. It suppresses your appetite and helps keep you full longer between meals.

The amount of water a person needs to drink depends on your source of information and your body weight. Generally, the more weight you carry, the more water you need. Some health experts say to drink one ounce of water per pound of body weight, while others say to drink half your weight in ounces. Dr. Mercola, states to drink one-quart for every 50 pounds of body weight. See what works best for you. Don’t focus on who’s right or wrong, just drink more! Give your body the moisture it so desperately needs.

Even your vehicle needs water to keep it going. Your plants, trees, grass, fruits, or vegetables will shrivel and die without water – so will your body and brain! Why allow yourself to look and feel old before your time?

A raisin, a prune, and leather are all dried out – YOU don’t have to be!