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Eating Clean Makes All The Difference

drstaceynaito 2 Comments
This abdominal definition truly comes from eating clean 98% of the time. There are no tricks to this. I also train abs only one day per week and keep my routine down to about 7 minutes.

This abdominal definition truly comes from eating clean 98% of the time. There are no tricks to this. I also train abs only one day per week and keep my routine down to about 7 minutes.

Last week a guy at the gym approached me and asked me a question I hear frequently, which was “What exercises would you recommend for me to get six-pack abs?”. My response didn’t have anything to do with specific abdominal exercises, but centered around nutrition. I asked the guy what his diet was like, and he revealed that he was of Italian descent and just HAD to have pasta several times per week. He also admitted that he spent many of his evenings drinking an appreciable amount of alcohol. So I told him that his eating and drinking habits guaranteed that he would never see a washboard across his midsection, no matter how many crunches or planks he did. He was so intent on finding a way to get a toned midsection without changing his eating habits that he repeated his question a second time, which made me shake my head and wish him luck as I walked away.

If you are committed to getting a lean midriff, you MUST change your eating habits! You simply cannot have your cake and eat it too when it comes to coaxing those lovely abdominal lines and cross cuts out of hiding. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that you can somehow get a quick fix by doing a cleanse to repair the damage of a poor diet, or that you can perform a plethora of abdominal moves to somehow melt all the fat that is sitting around your waist. The only effective way to etch those abs is to consume whole foods with minimal to no processing, such as lean meats, grains such as quinoa, rice, and oats, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and eggs. If you are worried that these foods lack the flavor you crave from consuming processed foods, check out the various seasonings, flavored mustards, hot sauces, and other condiments which can add a new dimension to your food.

Once you make the switch to a healthy food regimen, you will probably notice a lot of subtle changes in your overall well-being, such as more energy and clearer skin. After a while, you might even notice your abs peeking out!

Why Bikinis Are So Threatening To Women

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black bikinia

Men have it pretty easy when it comes to pool and beach attire. All they have to do is throw on a pair of swim trunks or board shorts, and they can hide underdeveloped quads or a case of no-ass-at-all without too much effort. Yes, men must display their chests and backs, but at least they don’t have to expose a wide expanse of skin during the summer.

It’s a completely different story with women. A standard bikini covers the strategic parts of a woman and, barring a wardrobe malfunction from a rogue wave or bold body movement, honors the rules of public decency. There are other bikinis, known as micro bikinis (they are also often referred to as dental floss bikinis), which leave very little to the imagination, and which only the most daring of women tend to wear. But let’s get back to the standard bikini, shall we?

A bikini still reveals everything about a woman’s shape, so she can’t hide any flaws. Unlike swim trunks which are loose enough to cover the groin, butt and thighs, a bikini nestles into all of a woman’s nooks and crannies and puts her entire body on full display. No wonder men are fans of bikini season! As if that isn’t enough, modern society has shamed women’s bodies for many decades and has enforced an ideal bikini body type which is intimidating to say the least. How many women can boast physiques which rival those of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models? That’s a lot of pressure. As a response to the newer perspective on women’s body image, Sports Illustrated boldly featured a plus size model on their 2016 Swimsuit issue, which ostensibly created controversy.

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2016 SI Swimsuit

I understand the threat of wearing a bikini, because it doesn’t hide extra winter fluff, pregnancy battle scars, or lack of exercise. But I honestly don’t think a woman should EVER feel ashamed of her body, whether she is in shape or not. There are so many flattering suit cuts available these days that women of all shapes and sizes can find something that fits her particular proportions the best and makes her feel confident and great.

Fitting Into Your Skinny Jeans Is ALWAYS A Victory

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I have a pair of M.E.K. denim jeans in size 24 which I wasn’t able to wear for about 3 years due to my booty and leg building workouts and a battle with water retention issues in my midsection. I came very close to getting rid of them, since I could only fit into my 25’s all this time. Then a few weeks ago, I put on my 25’s and they were hanging on me, so I decided to give the 24’s a try.

TA-DA, they fit!

Fitting into Skinny Jeans

I was pretty happy when I could pull the 24’s over my butt, and when I was able to button them up without tugging, jumping up and down, or lying on the floor, I was ecstatic. I know that my hips look very narrow in the pic I posted, but it’s truly just the angle of the image. My hips measure about 33 inches (they were 34 inches for all of 2015), but every part of me has shrunken down, gotten leaner and more compact. The fact that a pair of jeans which I thought would only take up space in my armoire finally fit again made me almost giddy. I don’t feel “too skinny”, and at 115 pounds, I know for a fact that’s not true. I no longer feel like I want to pack on a bunch of muscle to build up my quads and glutes. I would rather let the natural ectomorphic tendencies of my body to take over a bit now. Since my body is doing it without me trying, why fight it?

It’s such an extraordinary feeling when you fit into your “skinny” jeans, isn’t it?

What Kind Of Body Do You Want This Summer?

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Summer is almost upon us, which means that more skin-baring outfits will appear, and the pressure to look as good as possible will be greater than ever. So what do you do if you’ve been cozily hiding under a layer of winter storage fat for the last few months or years? There isn’t much time to strip that away, but it definitely IS possible to reveal a trimmer, more toned you for the warmer weather that is right around the corner.

The first and most important thing to do in order to build a body transformation strategy for the summer is to define your goals. Make sure that they fit the SMART criteria: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT and TIMELY. Let’s look at each aspect more closely.

SPECIFIC: The more specific you are in defining your summer transformation goals, the more likely you are to be successful in reaching them. A good specific goal could be losing body fat.

MEASURABLE: Let’s look more closely at the body fat reduction goal that I mentioned above. What if you set a goal of losing 5% of your body fat? By doing this, you have now made that goal measurable.

ACHIEVABLE: Make sure that you can actually reach the goals you put in front of you. For example, if you have an excessive amount of storage body fat, it would be unreasonable for you to try to lose 15% of body fat by the beginning of July. However, an achievable goal of 5% is much more reasonable and completely attainable.

RELEVANT: The goals you set should match up to your abilities and interests. For example, if you have been a complete couch potato for years, it would not be relevant to your lifestyle or skill set to aim to prep for an Ironman competition by July. A relevant goal that would still enable you to successfully reach a higher level of fitness would be to prep for a 5k walk/run in July.

TIMELY: In the above examples, I mentioned early July as a timeline marker. By setting a target date, you will establish a framework upon which you will build an action plan.

When I perform nutrition and fitness assessments, I always advise my clients and patients to follow the SMART acronym. Another thing I love to suggest is the development of a vision board. A vision board can be as simple as having a photo of a celebrity or other person who has the kind of physique that a client covets. In some cases, the photo may be of the client from earlier, leaner days. In either case, the photo serves as a perfect carrot to chase after. I always suggest placing the photo on a bathroom mirror or a refrigerator door. Another clever and very effective place for an inspiring photo is to use it as a computer or phone wallpaper design.

If you really want to get creative and inspired, you can create a larger vision board, either digitally or via old-school printed photos and inspiring quotes and messages. Just make sure that whatever you create, you believe 100% in what is on the board, and that you can attain it all.

Quit Taking My Musical Icons

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Michael Jackson’s death in June of 2009 was so shocking and painful for me that I still feel profound sadness over his passing. I grew up listening to his music, so his voice and artistic vision helped to define my entire life from childhood. David Bowie had a similar impact on my growing years, and I was so passionately moved by his musical genius that he remained a favorite artist from the time I was very little through today. Though Bowie was ill from cancer, his death was shocking as well, and my heart has been heavy from it.

When I heard that Prince was dealing with poor health, I began to worry. Surely this 57 year old multitalented musical god wasn’t near death’s door? Alarm bells went off in my head when I heard about the emergency plane landing on April 15th. Then on the morning of Thursday, April 21st, I flipped to Sirius XM’s Z100NY and thought it was very odd that a Prince song from 1984, “When Doves Cry”, was playing, since the station runs current hits. I pulled into a gas station and turned off the ignition to pump my gas. When I started up the car, “Purple Rain” was playing on Z100NY. I groaned and thought, “Oh no…”, grabbed my phone and looked up Prince. Sure enough, news of his death had hit the world.

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It’s been seventeen days since Prince’s death, and I still feel like I was punched in the solar plexus. I have been listening to The Groove to soak up Prince’s music, and my iPod runs Prince tunes while I am training at the gym. Admittedly, though, I already had a collection of Prince songs loaded onto my iPod for many years, so jamming to something like “Sexy M.F.” was a regular occurrence. There is no doubt that I am one of the many millions of Prince fans who are in mourning, who appreciate the enormous talent this man had. Prince was daring, controversial, brilliant, innovative, original, and charismatic, and had a profound influence on my teen years and early adulthood.

R.I.P. Prince.

Freckles

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Ephelides, more commonly known as freckles, are clumps of melanine containing cells which are more commonly seen on individuals with fair skin. The stereotypical freckle-faced person is red-headed, with fair skin and blue or green eyes. Freckles can be cute, and sometimes they can even look sexy.

Some people celebrate freckles so much that they make sure to keep them visible, while others are annoyed by them and want to get rid of them. My mother held the opinion that freckles were ugly, and went so far as to refer to my freckles as “fly shit”. You can imagine how hearing such terminology made me feel as a child, especially when my classmates were told that their freckles were “angel’s kisses”. Why were my freckles compared to insect excrement? Thankfully, I got over my horror of having fly doo-doo on my face, and I make no effort to hid them, though they have faded over the years as a result of my avoidance of the sun.

Though I don’t fight what nature gave me, I know many people who can’t stand their freckles, and who undergo chemical peels and light-based treatments to rid themselves of the stubborn brown speckling. So when I heard that there was a recent trend in which women were creating freckles with makeup, I was pretty astonished.

Check out this YouTube video from Mykie of Glam & Gore, in which she demonstrates how to create a freckled look:

As a physician who has worked in cosmetic dermatology, I have been keenly interested in any technology or topical agent which can deliver the spot-lightening results which people around the world seek. So I just cannot understand why anyone would be interested in such a bizarre makeup trend.

It Isn’t Just About Fitness: How Fitness Goals Impact Your Entire Life

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My latest article for Sports Nutrition Supplement Guide is on the impact that fitness goals can have on every aspect of your life. You can see the original post via the link below, or read the article here as well.

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http://sportsnutritionsupplementguide.com/inspiration-motivation/train-perform/item/1585-it-isn-t-just-about-fitness-how-fitness-goals-impact-your-entire-life

You may already be immersed in a fitness plan which enhances your physical strength and flexibility, improves performance, and keeps your physique in tip-top shape. But being physically fit confers a multitude of mental benefits which you might not be aware of. As a matter of fact, the link between physical health and mental health is so strong that people who brush off regular exercise as a time-consuming task are depriving themselves of optimal health and well-being.

Simply by engaging in 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 3 to 4 days per week, you can help manage or even prevent mild depression and anxiety through the release of endorphins in the brain. In addition, regular exercise increases energy levels, enabling you to power through a busy day more efficiently. Individuals who exercise regularly also tend to enjoy more restful sleep.

Those of you who hit the gym or engage in other types of physical activity several days per week may also have noticed that simply by being in an exercise environment, your worries and negative thoughts have a tendency to melt away, lending a lot of validity to the phrase “iron therapy”. The sense of community which exists within gym settings or other events (such as 5K races, mud runs, rock climbing events, and other activities) can also be a very effective means of eradicating any feelings of loneliness or isolation.

People who struggle with depression are more likely to be sedentary, and levels of GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine tend to be much lower than in people who work out regularly. Conversely, levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, tend to be higher in sedentary individuals who suffer from chronic depression and anxiety. A study by the University of California San Francisco determined that women who exercised for 45 minutes over a 3-day period showed fewer signs of cellular aging compared to their inactive counterparts. Other studies have demonstrated that as little as three hours of regular exercise each week can reduce the symptoms of mild to moderate depression as effectively as pharmaceutical antidepressants.

Regular physical activity also benefits cognitive function. Researchers have discovered noticeable physical differences between the brains of people who engage in regular exercise when compared to inactive people. Several studies have found that the hippocampi in fit individuals is much larger. Why is this important? Because the hippocampus is largely responsible for spatial memory, and it is also one of the first regions in the brain to be affected by Alzheimer’s related damage. Exercise also boosts levels of growth factors in the brain which are responsible for higher cognitive functions such as concentration, attention, memory and learning.

Lastly, regular exercise boosts self-esteem and improves body image, contributing to a greater sense of well-being and confidence. Think of how exciting it is when you reach a training goal, such as increased strength or flexibility, weight loss, or a positive change in body composition.

In summary, when you train your body through regular exercise, you also boost brain health and create a greater sense of overall well-being.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, also known as OCC, is a cruelty-free and 100% vegan makeup line which has won great favor with makeup artists. The key feature in this line of cosmetics is the intensity of pigments used, but it hasn’t quite blown up on the mainstream makeup scene, which makes this company a relatively hidden gem. The most popular product in their line is Lip Tar, which comes in a myriad of brilliant and distinctive shades.

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Check them out at:

OCCMakeup.com

Contouring

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kim kardashian Before-And-AfterInstagrammers who are into the concept of applying face makeup in a manner similar to warpaint, then blending it in like mad to create a “flawless, airbrushed finish” have been littering the site with countless images of the process. It is now commonplace to see a “before” image juxtaposed with a “during” image in which the subject is covered in a pattern created with highlighter, foundation, and contour shade, and the “after” image. Major makeup lines have launched contour and highlight kits in answer to this makeup trend. Now Kim Kardashian wannabes can use these kits to create an overly “done” look which can transform a person’s face, often to the point of making the person unrecognizable.

While I understand that contouring and highlighting can do wonders for uneven skin tone, uneven texture, dark eye circles, wide noses and indistinct jawlines, I have a couple of problems with the current trend. First off, I see no reason to go through so much contouring and transforming for a daily look. Photo shoots and special events, yes. Going to the grocery store, uh, no. The second issue I have with the contouring trend is that suddenly, every woman thinks she is a makeup artist. Though makeup companies have taken the fuss out of purchasing everything a la carte, using one of the contouring kits requires some skill, especially if a woman wants to do corrective makeup. I have seen women who are relatively clueless about BLENDING. Another thing I have seen is women who pick the wrong foundation shade, which makes the contouring and highlighter look garish. Even men have jumped in on the contouring frenzy (admittedly, most of them are makeup artists), and have developed a regular habit of posting contouring videos featuring themselves as the models.

before-and-after-contouring Mona Lisa

I don’t have a problem with people wanting to improve their personal appearance so that they can look their best, but I honestly think that the makeup frenzy which has become so popular is getting out of hand. Slap a bunch of contour onto a face to create angles which aren’t there, use brow stencils to draw in brow shapes, apply false lashes, draw in a false lip line to create the illusion of fuller lips, and voila! You no longer have to look like yourself, especially if you have jumped on the injectable filler bandwagon and don’t know when to stop filling your cheeks or lips. Allow your natural features and your true beauty to show a little.