And Right on the Heels of "You're Not Skinny" (Bitch)...

Women are built to have babies and to accumulate fat stores.  That’s a fact.  For most of us, aging (or even leaving our teens) causes the body to put on excess fat. Women feel ashamed about that.  Why?  It isn’t your fault….blame genetics and Mother Nature for that one.  Of course eating healthy foods and getting a reasonable amount of exercise is essential and not just to have a good-looking body.  It’s an interesting truism that the inner workings of our bodies are much more complicated than we think.  We get peed off looking in the mirror and seeing extra rolls or cellulite yet knowing how and why the body ends up that way can help make different choices in our eating and exercise habits.

Knowing what is best for your body on the inside is even better than concerning yourself with how you look on the outside.  For instance, there are 4 supposed body types that involve not shape, but body chemistry. (I’m not referring to the fashionista categories of apple, pear, hourglass, and ruler, as that is strictly for aesthetic purposes). The 4 types include:  adrenal (many women fall into this category), thyroid, gonads and ovaries, and liver.

Adrenal - broad shoulders and muscular legs - adrenal women usually have large breasts. Men and women have rather flat buttocks. When they are overweight, they carry it throughout the torso, in their back and in the stomach area. If they have cellulite, they will carry it in the back, upper arms and stomach, never in those great legs.  The foods that make them feel more energetic are meat, cheese, salt, eggs and alcohol. However these foods lead to high blood pressure, insomnia, stress, back problems, constipation, kidney problems, osteoporosis and gout. This body type is a perfect one to be a semi-vegetarian. What a semi-vegetarian is I cannot say, this is the research I uncovered.

Liver – Although this is most common in men, women have this type as well. Liver type is “pot belly” symptom. There is swelling in the abdomen from toxins in the liver. This swelling may appear to be “fat”, but is toxic swelling which will harden from pressure. The Liver Type craves deep-fried foods like fried chicken because the liver cannot absorb any fats. This diet leads to skin irritation and chronic digestive problems. The whites of the eyes become yellowish and bloodshot; blood pressure will get higher and cholesterol will raise to unhealthy levels.

Ovary – clearly this is found in women. If it is found in a man then he has more worrisome health problems than his weight. When ovaries become dysfunctional, they produce an excess of estrogen, which causes fat. This fat is deposited on “saddlebag” thighs, the lower stomach and the buttocks. You have difficult menstrual cycles with excessive bleeding and pain, and you get moody. You have cellulite on your thighs and stomach area. But your upper body stays suitable and does not take on the same effect as your lower. You have a small waist relative to the rest of your shape. You crave creamy foods and dairy; like ice-cream, cream cheese, cheese cake, vanilla yogurt and those types of foods.

Thyroid – The predominant characteristic of a Thyroid Body Type is “weight gain all over“. You most likely have a slow metabolism and the  fat accumulated is a spongy product. You may start losing the outer part of your eye brows and get loose skin underneath your chin and arms. Your nails become brittle, you will have some constipation and your feet feel cold. Cravings are “quick energy sources” like breads, pasta, cereals, crackers, biscuits, pan cakes, muffins, Juices, and even alcohol.

Read how to exercise for your exact body type

When I eat healthy and exercise regularly I notice impressive results in a short period of time:

1. my skin is clearer
2. i have more energy
3. i need less sleep
4. i feel proud
5. my body is more attractive

It makes sense when you think about it. You need to eat, you’re going to get hungry, so why not fill that hole with healthy food instead of junk?  It’s equally easy, it is not more expensive (in fact I’m inclined to believe eating junk costs bigger bucks), and you can’t help but feel more self-disciplined.  Notice I’m not referring to “health food“. I don’t believe you need to go organic or eat some weirdly designed combination of foods.  Certainly I wouldn’t touch diet pills, shakes, speed (legal in the States). That stuff is a crock anyway for the most part and anything that supposedly works can be addictive. In the long run, you are going to stop surviving on liquid shakes and pills.  It’s not natural to live that way. It does more harm than good and you learn nothing about how to eat a healthy, daily diet.

HGH, the designer drug for dieters and athletes, is a scary drug.  Your body naturally produces HGH throughout your childhood and teens, then by the early 20′s the pituitary gland slows the production of growth hormone significantly. There are essential reasons for this: Mother Nature knows what she is doing. Messing  with the pituitary gland, a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, by adding HGH into our diet sounds risky, at best. There are several alarming side effects.  watch hgh side effects  In fact, your body does produce its own natural growth hormone as a healthy side effect of intense exercise. However, a diet high in fat actually suppresses this effect. watch growth hormone diet

There is a new line of books and other products entitled Skinny Bitch and Skinny Bastard on the market.  I have read Skinny Bitch and there are some reasonable tips in it (although excessive use of insults to the reader seems a bit counter-productive).  One thing I truly disagree with Rory Freedman’s assertion that everyone should “go vegan” (I saw this in a TV interview). Going vegan is a huge sacrifice.  it is very difficult to find restaurants that cater to vegans.  In fact it can be difficult to find restaurants that cater to vegetarians.  Freedman is overlooking the fact that women who do not ingest enough calcium are prime targets for osteoporosis.  I wouldn’t take her advice.  Just saying.

Seems to me the old “eat less and exercise more” adage still applies in this day and age.  Portion control and less junk. Exercise daily but not to extremes. I remember reading a Richard Simmons interview and when he was asked how often he exercised he said “every day.  Even if I just get out walking, I still consider that to be exercise. The body has to move every day.” Another way to achieve the lifestyle you want:

1. work with a nutritionist
2. refer to your medical doctor
3. work with a trainer
4. join a gym and get a workout buddy
5. workout at home and set up a small exercise area
6. Learn which foods make the healthy list and which
   don’t at restaurants
7. tell your friends and family you are changing your lifestyle
   for the better and would appreciate their support.
8. Expect that your spouse or best “friend” may try to
   sabotage your efforts due to envy or jealousy. Be
   prepared to discuss it in a non-accusatory way and
   even include that person in your healthy lifestyle
   choices.
9. Keep a food journal and assess your progress at the
   end of the week.
10. Watch exercise and diet programs…they are a good
    influence.
11. Be wary of extreme advice offered in books such as
    Skinny Bitch or Skinny Bastard…these books
    can be very damaging, especially if
    you have health issues.

There are many other ways to make and maintain healthy choices. You will find them yourself in your journey toward good health.

Cheers!

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