Officially a Size 3/4! Word.

Today on my lunch break I decided to go buy some work pants. I've been wearing jeans, slacks, and pants that are held up only by the saving grace of a belt. Not to mention my skinny jeans now fashion straight leg or boy-cut jeans. But anyhow, I ran into the most awesome problem ever: all the small pants were still too BIG for me! I was slightly agitated at first because I really have to let go of the leggings...I mean, I could wear them long after they go out of style, but come on. I'm an adult with a real job. Then it hit me, the realization of the fact that I am officially a "skinny mini", a "lepa" as is the term in my native tongue. I was thrilled. I ran through the store searching for size 6, then a 4, then a 2. A size 2...and it fit, a bit tighter than I prefer, but it fit!

What was my plan of action you ask? Simple: in February 2010 I decided that being overweight really is a problem...I even went as far as to call it a sin due to the greed and gluttony that I so easily gave in to. I just no longer desired to be a woman who lacked discipline and self-control, and I could see it in other areas of my life. So I got a trainer and changed my eating habits. I worked out 2 days a week, then 4- 5 days when I picked up momentum. I kept a food journal and counted calories daily. I lost 20 lbs in 4 months and then kept it up on my own. I had to learn to love working out so I could be motivated. And the best motivation is RESULTS. I also get a gym "fee reimbursement", every 6 months, from my job, and I've decided to use it to buy new clothes for my newly svelte physique. I'm glad that I became radical about my health and I'm really grateful for the men and women God put in my life to help me.

Now...I ....must...go...extinguish...the...kryptonite...the evil evil strawberry cheescake. Lol, I still have a ways to go. But glad to have gotten this far. :)

What helped me:

• www.cdc.gov
• www.self.com
• www.caloriecount.about.com
• www.mysportsclubs.com

Image: 
grandmary.org

What's all the Hoopla About SPF?

The Issue: Sunburn

So I figured since I do not have a shortage of skin pigment, I don't need sunscreen in the summer. Then I read an article about a woman who got skin cancer on one side of her face because that side faced the window in her office. She never used sunscreen because she was an African- American woman and felt that black women don’t get sunburn or skin cancer. After reading that, I decided, its time to get some year-round sunscreen. I opted for SPF 30 winter, spring, and fall, and I recently just bought SPF 100+ for summer and beach protection. No skin cancer here! 


The Stats: (From The Skin Cancer Foundation)

•  Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million cases in two million people are diagnosed annually.
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• More than 20 Americans die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. One person dies of melanoma every 62 minutes.
• The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.
• First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent
• Asian American and African American melanoma patients have a greater tendency than Caucasians to present with advanced disease at time of diagnosis.
• Melanomas in African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians most often occur on non-exposed skin with less pigment, with up to 60-75 percent of tumors arising on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions.

Well if I have to be so careful in the sun, how do I tan? I’m sure you’ve noticed the orange-yellow lizard skin of some older women who tan frequently. Well most people don’t think about it, but tanning is basically voluntary perpetuation of skin cancer. The reason is because Ultra Violet (UV) rays penetrate the skin causing DNA and cell damage, and then melanin (skin pigment) is produced as a response to the damage. This is similar to the formation of scabs after an injury. Increased exposure to UV rays, whether indoor or outdoor, results in age spots, altered skin texture, wrinkling, eye damage, and immune suppression. Long story short, tanning is bad news.


The Solution: 
 
Get some Sunscreen. I’ve been hearing different things about sunscreen, like the higher SPF means the amount of time it takes before wearing off, or it doesn’t matter how high the SPF is because its all the same after SPF 30. Well what’s true? 


Everyone needs sunscreen, and the best ones are water-resistant, with UVA and UVB protection and minimal of SPF 30. SPF stands for Sun Protecting Factor, and it refers to the product's ability to deflect the sun's burning rays, or UVB. How does it work? Well based on the information from the American Academy of Dermatology, the SPF rating shows the amount of time needed to produce a sunburn on sunscreen-protected skin to the amount of time needed to cause a sunburn on unprotected skin. In laymen terms that means, multiply the SPF times the amount of time it takes you to burn. So if you have SPF 30 and it takes you 10 minutes to burn regularly, then 10x30= 300, so it will take 300 minutes to burn in oppose to 10.  No SPF provides 100% protection, in fact SPF 15 provides 94%, SPF 30 provides 97%, and SPF 100 provides 99% against harmful UV rays. And even with this protection, all sunscreen breaks down and rubs off with normal wear, sweat, and swimming, so its best to reapply every two hours.

So go ahead and get your sunscreen on, and stay protected all year long! 

Feature: Food Affairs and Belly Fat

Thick alfredo sauce on penne, garlic focaccia bread, roasted chicken and bell peppers, basmati rice and chicken tikka masala, pepperoni pizza, wild Alaskan salmon with mashed potatoes, red velvet cake with butter- cream icing, German chocolate cake and a cold glass of milk....food is to me, what kryptonite is to superman. And when I see food, my knees buckle, my heart melts, and I give in to my long standing secret love affair with such delicious goodies.

But upon recently looking down at the spare tire that has added 1o solid pounds to my midsection, I have decided: The time has come to put an end to the madness! I mean for goodness sakes, how many times can one be mistaken for a woman that's 3 months pregnant? So forget the diet pills, the master cleanses, the sure fire ways to lose belly fat, and the gastric bypass, I'm going back to the basics--starvation and emaciation. Okay, so maybe not, but it might as well be as painful as that. I mean really, who enjoys muscle pain and rabbit food? Not I! Yet, experts claim that when you lose weight, belly fat is often the first kind of fat to go.

Medical research has shown that stomach fat, also known as visceral fat, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin. And the good news is that the more fat and flabby your stomach is, the easier it will be to lose the weight. Now ain't that just grand?!

What's even more morose is that as you grow older, belly fat increases in stages. This is due to the body storing fat in order to prepare for moments of starvation and avoid going into shock. In women, the metabolism starts to slow between the ages of 18-21, then takes a huge drop at 40, and then again at 60 and 80. Furthermore, pregnancy, beer, and increased food intake can all contribute along the way to a slower metabolism and increased visceral fat.

So how can you rid yourself of the stubborn belly fat? Here are some tips that I know I could use, and maybe you could too:

• Eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates.
  
• This will change the body's glucose and insulin response and make it easier to mobilize fat stores.
• Maintaining a 1,600 calorie-diet that is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS), which have proven health benefits.
  
• MUFAS are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, soybeans, chocolate and canola and olive oil.
• Getting plenty of high-intensity aerobic exercise, such as 60 minutes a day of moderate activity.
• Brisk walking is an excellent example of moderate activity
• Crunches and sit-ups complement aerobic activity, but don't help if done alone
  

Good luck!

For more helpful hints, click here or here.

Health: Aunt Bertha Comes to Town

Mother Nature, Aunt Flo, Big Bertha, Monthly friend, or dreaded incubus of all unholy devastation, whatever you chose to call it, it never skips a beat --well unless, of course, you've got a bun in the oven.

As a necessity for human reproduction in fertile females, a woman's menstrual cycle has come to signify more than the beginning of womanhood, in some countries it is a woman's essence, the sole purpose for being. But most men have come to know it as a time to pull out the Kleenex, make tampon trips, and wear your under armor.

As a female, subject to the brutal monthly beatings of Aunt Flo, I once felt fortunate enough to claim exempt from her side effects: PMS. Until last week. I too am now a victim of what 2 out of 5 women force their friends, family, and significant others to suffer through every month.

PMS is a collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms that manifest themselves in symptoms such as: stress, anxiety, muscle pain, insomnia, headaches, irritability and mood swings. Some of the risk factors that can increase a woman's likelihood of getting PMS are: high caffeine intake, family history, certain allergies, tobacco use, and a history of depression.

Most women know that when you start getting pimples the size of walnuts on your face, Aunt Flo is on her way. As one of the most common symptoms of PMS, and definitely a cause of increased frustration and irritability, it becomes essential for women to increase their water intake. Also avoiding the morning coffee and sugary pastries, skipping the happy hour cosmopolitans, and decreasing your salt consumption will not only lessen the appearance of pimples, but help you sleep better and transition into healthier eating habits.

Its also proven that incorporating fish oil supplements into your meals and eating smaller portions every 3 hours during your period, helps to decrease mood swings. (Men, keep note of this for future reference, you'll need it too.) Not to mention, smaller food portions will eventually result in a curbed appetite which means you'll finally be able to fit into those designer jeans you've been struggling to zip up.

So if you use some of these helpful tips, stay prepared, and avoid as many triggers as possible, you and your loved ones can live by the "Always" mantra and have a happy period.

Art images: Courtesy of Pop Art Machine