Category Archives: Fitness

How far are you willing to go for a slimmer waist?

Many years ago I read a wonderful book, Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, that opened my eyes to the ancient practice of foot binding. This practice had very young girls repeatedly having their feet broken and tightly wrapped so that they wouldn’t grow larger than 4 inches or so. This began as early as the 10th or 11th Century and didn’t fall out of fashion until the early 20th Century. It seems that women have long been suffering for the sake of beauty.

The things we’ll do: Noses are broken and reset straighter. Ears are pinned back so they don’t stick out. Teeth are filed down and covered with crowns. Breasts are enlarged or lifted or minimized. Fat is sucked out of thighs and abdomens. Skin has acid applied and toxins injected to smooth it. Women still suffer and we do so willingly.

A not-so-secret beauty secret that’s trending right now and practiced by more than a few celebrities is wearing a waist cincher — Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Amber Rose have all posted selfies of themselves with it. This little device is said to dramatically whittle your midsection leaving you with a flatter tummy, a more hourglass figure and better posture. Many users have reported a reduction of 1″ or more when worn up to 10 hours a day for at least 30 days. I tried it for a day or two and for me it was too tight and too uncomfortable. Apparently I’m not willing to suffer that much. It might not be in your best interest to either. When your lungs and ribs are compressed this way it makes it much harder to breathe.  Women have been know to pass out when it’s been worn too tight or kept on for too long. There’s also the fact the many doctors believe it’s not all that effective and real harm can be done.

For now, I’ll stick with a mostly healthy diet and regular exercise regimen, but if you’re looking to slim and contour your waist and diet and exercise aren’t getting you where you want to be, it might be time to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can help you get real results. There are numerous options including the following:

  • A Tummy Tuck or Abdominosplasty is a surgical procedure performed to remove excess fat and skin and, in many cases, weakened or separated muscles are restored as well.
  • Liposuction, Lipoplasty or Liposculpture is a procedure that actually breaks up and removes fat from the body via suction.
  •  CoolSculpting is a non-surgical procedure that uses controlled cooling for fat reduction.

A board-certified plastic surgeon will know what’s the best choice or combination of procedures for you, depending on your particular anatomy and frame. Click here to find one in your area.

Note: For more of my stories on aesthetic procedures, check out my blog posts on Smart Beauty Guide.

 

(featured image via pinterest)

 

Step Away from the Energy Drink!

Anxiety, hypertension, elevated heart rates, interrupted sleep patterns and headaches are just some of the side effects commonly associated with energy drinks, and those problems are more pronounced in children, according to a recent University of Miami study.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These drinks have also been linked to heart palpitations, strokes and sudden death.

The term “energy” drink is an unfortunate misnomer, says food science expert Budge Collinson. They don’t give your body energy; they stimulate you with brief jolts of caffeine and unregulated herbal stimulants, he says.

“Soccer moms and dads buy these ‘stimulant’ drinks for their kids before matches because both kids and parents want that competitive advantage,” says Collinson, founder of Infusion Sciences and creator Youth Infusion, (www.drinkyouthinfusion.com), an effervescent, natural multivitamin beverage that helps people maintain consistent and healthy higher energy levels.

“For a few moments, you’ll get that spike, but it’s a short-term experience with a heavy long-term toll.”

So, what are some ways kids can get a healthy energy boost? Collinson offers the following tips.

Go for a speedy bike ride together, take a brisk walk or hold foot-races in the yard. Numerous studies demonstrate the power of vigorous exercise in boosting energy. Exercise pumps more oxygen – pure, healthy fuel — into the bloodstream and to the brain and muscles for a short-term energy boost. Exercising regularly will increase lung capacity, so the body will gets more oxygen on a sustained level for the long term. Exercise also releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical, which makes us feel happy. And happy people are energized people.

Seek nutrition from a variety of sources. As humans, we need more than 40 different vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies functioning optimally. Since there is no single food that contains them all, it is important for children and adults to eat a variety, including as many different vegetables and fruits as possible. Adding a daily multivitamin supplement with essentials such as CoQ10, arginine, theanine, resveratrol and magnesium can help ensure bodies young and old are running at top speed.

Drink plenty of water – the natural energy drink. Even mild dehydration can leave children (and adults) feeling listless, so encourage children to make a habit of drinking plenty of water. Kids need more water than adults because they expend more energy, and they may not recognize when they’re slightly thirsty. Parents, too, often don’t recognize the signs of dehydration; a national survey of more than 800 parents of kids ages of one month to 10 years found that more than half feel they don’t know enough about dehydration. A quick, light pinch of the skin on the child’s hand or arm is an easy check. If the skin is slow to resume a smooth appearance, the child is likely at least mildly dehydrated.

image via shape.com

 

The Turtle Beats the Hare…AGAIN!

I’m an avid walker. I do run from time to time but it’s always the walking that gets my heart racing–I love breathing in the fresh air, checking out the beautiful homes in my town, experiencing major stress-relief and getting in a nice workout that doesn’t necessarily feel like a workout. I know I enjoy it and I know it has many health benefits but I didn’t know (until now) that walking is actually better than running!

In a six year study conducted by researchers in the Life Science Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the walkers actually beat out the runners when it came to decreasing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Click here for details.

(photography courtesy of realsimple.com)

 

Finally…an at-home trainer you’ll actually use!

Recently, I was at a Joyus.com event that featured different stations for beauty, fashion, fitness and other lifestyle products. If you haven’t heard of Joyus.com you’ll want to check out this online shopping site that helps you find great products via 2-minute videos. At the event one product really caught my eye: the Joyus Elliptical Trainer.

The Joyus Elliptical Trainer is a low-impact cardio workout with a resistance knob so you can make it as challenging as you want. You can work in forward or reverse to target different muscles and it also has a monitor that tells you how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken and the elapsed time, plus it’s sized right to store easily under your desk, bed or on your closet floor. It’s even light enough to tote from room to room.

Since I’ve been hibernating a bit more than usual (hello Polar Vortex!) I’ve been putting off my usual outdoor run. Luckily, my new  elliptical trainer arrived before too much damage was done. When I need a quick break from the computer I’ll do it in 15-minute intervals or I’ll put it in front of the tv and before I know it my show is over and I’ve gotten my workout in. Even the kids have been sneaking in mini workouts without even realizing that they’re exercising…they think they’re just having fun! Shhhh…I won’t tell if you won’t.

To purchase: Joyus Elliptical Trainer, $125 at joyus.com.

 

 

Hot Body!

On those days when my To Do List is a mile long and I have no time to exercise a 15-minute tone-up is better than nothing. And who better to go to than fitness guru Tracy Anderson, credited with keeping Gwyneth in top form.

This workout designed specifically for goop readers gets the job done. You will feel this!

Click here to go to video.

(video courtesy of goop.com)