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Scheduled Calls With The Bestie

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My best friend and I met in 1975 and immediately clicked, not just because we were in the same class, but we were also both only children, bookworms, and sported a long cascade of hair (blonde for her, brunette for me). As we went through our school years, we were inseparable, and got into a fair amount of trouble together, mostly due to her propensity for bending the curfew rules her parents and my mother tried so desperately to enforce.

Two decades later, Diane married and had two children, and I was occasionally asked to babysit the kids. We remained close and though we lived in different counties, we made an effort to visit each other as much as possible. Then in 1997, she and her family relocated to northern Washington state, and I went off to medical school. The geographic shift reduced our visits to once a year, when Diane would come to Southern California to visit her parents and spend some time with me. I was able to make it up to Washington in 2010, when I competed in the NPC Emerald Cup Bodybuilding event. It was so important for me to see my best friend that I spent several extra days up there.

The last time Diane came down to visit was in 2011, right before both of her parents fell ill. Since that time, her father passed away, and both of our mothers became ill and were placed in care homes. Diane’s daughter moved into her own place. I became completely immersed in the world of competing, and spent so much time traveling to other parts of the country that my time and financial resources prevented me from traveling to Washington.

Over the past several years, Diane and I have catch-up conversations about once every 8 to 10 months. Our most recent conversation was scheduled via email, then rescheduled twice due to the fact that we both now contend with having far too much to do and insufficient time in which to get it all done. We had a wonderful chat two weeks ago which lasted for over an hour, which is a big deal for me because I ordinarily can’t stand being on the phone for more than a few minutes. Yet with Diane, I find that we need a good chunk of time on the phone to dig into all the topics we tend to discuss.

Sadly, we will have to schedule another call through email exchanges. We agreed to mark our calendars to contact each other regarding scheduling the call for sometime in May. I still remember when I would just pick up the phone (rotary dial land line) and call my best friend and classmate to chat. Times have certainly changed!

Squat Pant Obsession

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I have a confession: I am obsessed with Beleza Brazil Squat Pants, so much so that my leaning towards Lululemon capris has dwindled to almost zero. Beleza Brazil Squat Pants are very high quality and well made, and incorporate some of the softest, most curve-flattering fabric on the planet! I still remember the first time I tried on a pair, and I truly was expecting them to fit like just about every capri legging to fit. Yet I pulled them on and immediately noticed how the cut and the fabric hugged my curves like a second skin, and how my booty just went POP! once I had them on. It was love at first sight with these pants, and since that fateful day back in January, I have worn these wonderful booty enhancers pretty much daily. Not only do I wear them to the gym, I wear them to run errands, and I even have a pair of the Long pants in Blue, which I love to wear with short black legwarmers and black pointy-toed boots for a night out. Oh yes, I am obsessed with BB Squat Pants!
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Here are the specs on these incredible pants:

Features: Booty shaping waistband to contour your natural shape, Elastic Free waistband to avoid muffin top.

Fabric: SoftMAX

Properties: Custom made for the softest feeling to touch, while still having hold and support.

Moisture Wicking, four way stretch, preshrunk, chafe resistant, breathable, UV protection, antibacterialRise: Medium
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Squat Pants are different from all the workout pants out there. They do something magical to the derriere which almost defies explanation. Obviously the cut and stitching are brilliant, and make a woman’s rear view spectacular! I have tried Freddy Pants which NEVER have looked right on me (apparently I am in between sizes), but these pants look unbelievably good on, not only around my glutes, but on my thighs and calves.
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I also love how the fabric holds you in without squeezing you like a compression garment. The fabric also wicks moisture very effectively. You can truly MOVE in these pants, which makes them ideal for weightlifting (especially heavy leg day, because these won’t restrict movement at all}, yoga, cardio, etc. And the colors…WOW!

Three colors were launched in early March, and all three colors (Charcoal, Navy, and Violet) are COMPLETELY SOLD OUT! You can still purchase Red (which is a vibrant, beautiful red with a slight rose tinge to it…I LOVE this color!) and Blue {which is a deep teal blue and so pretty!) on the website in both the Mid Calf and the Long Length, but even those colors are limited in quantity.

NEW COLORS will be launching later this month, and they WILL NOT LAST! Whatever you do, DO NOT WAIT to place your order once those new colors launch! I am telling you, these Squat Pants will become your very favorite pants to wear. EVER.

I will post on social media when the new colors come in so you all have a chance to buy them!

In the meantime, I encourage you to visit the Beleza Brazil online store while the colors I mentioned are still available. Click on this link to shop and order:

http://www.belezabrazilstore.com/#_a_NAITO

My Discount Code: NAITO

Make sure to enter my discount code for free shipping on your order.
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So Happy To Bupsessed With Yup Brands!

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I ADORE this company! Yup Brands makes the VERY BEST PROTEIN BARS, HANDS DOWN!!! I am honored to be featured as one of their Bupsessed Athletes, because I have truly been obsessed with B-Up Bars and B-Jammin’ Bars since September of 2014! Yup Brands dares to make their bars different and more nutritionally sound by using a higher grade of prebiotic vegetable fiber, and only uses natural ingredients and sweeteners. I love the fact that you can eat their bars and enjoy the real flavor of the ingredients, as opposed to the obvious chemical taste that many high protein bars have. The bars are moist and chewy, and absolutely delicious!

Please click on the links below to read my feature, as well as the features on the other nine amazing athletes! This is a dynamic, diverse, motivated group of people, and I am so happy to keep company with such an incredible team!

Stacey Naito

https://yupbrands.com/bupssessed/

As always, if you want to try these amazing bars, you can go to https://yupbrands.com/shop/ to order and have them shipped to you! Shipping is FREE and the prices are great! Though ALL the flavors are delicious, my personal favorites are the peanut butter varieties because I am a peanut butter fanatic.

FitLife Magazine: Ladies First – Dr. Stacey Naito

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I am honored and blessed to be featured in the Ladies First section of the March 30, 2016 edition of FITLife Magazine! Big thanks to Kevin Myles for a beautifully written article, Terry Goodlad for his fantastic photography and endless jokes, Ana Tigre for her input on wardrobe and for bringing the dogs, and Elaine Goodlad for her awesome makeup artistry. I am grateful to you all for making all of this possible. You’re wonderful!

Please also be sure to check out the other sections in this great online men’s fitness publication!

To read the feature, please click on the link below:

Ladies First – Dr. Stacey Naito

Brows Are In

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Suddenly, eyebrows are in, and in a big way.

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Those of you who are old enough to remember the caterpillars which framed the eyes of Brooke Shields and Margeaux Hemingway might be cringing at the new trend in brows which Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande and Cara Delevingne have popularized, better known as #EyebrowsOnFleek. What is fleek? Flawless, perfect. So if you have any interest in new makeup trends, you had better make sure those brows are meticulously groomed and filled in.

Brooke brows

Similar to the trend in the early 1980’s, today’s brows are full and thick, but an obsession with drawing in a false silhouette to “shape” the brow has dominated the makeup world. The problem I have with this trend is that it creates a false brow line, rather than accentuating a natural arch. Take a look at this transformation, and you will see what I am talking about.

Brow-Fleek

Women these days are encouraged to keep tweezing to a minimum, and let it all grow out, which means that those who have anemic, pencil-thin brows will be forced to use eyebrow waxes, stencils, permanent tattooing, and even faux brows to create the illusion of much fuller brows. Faux brows? Oh yes. There’s something called lace front brows, which are fantastic for people who have gone through chemotherapy or alopecia.

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As for me, I plan to work with what Mother Nature gave me. Though I have a sparse area on my left brow, it can easily be filled in with a bit of brow pencil or brow wax. I accentuate my natural arch, and only make my brows look thicker if I have full makeup on with a dark smoky eye. After seeing too many young women with shaped brows which make them look like clowns, I prefer to avoid jumping on the brows-on-fleek bandwagon. It seems to be a trend best suited for the young crowd anyway.

Yes You Are Shrinking

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Have you ever noticed that people tend to shrink as they get older? This phenomenon is pretty much unavoidable, but at least we can take steps to minimize the amount of height loss over time.

On a personal note, I hit 5 feet, 5-1/2 inches at my tallest when I was 17, and remained there until I reached the age of 40. Then I noticed a loss of 1/4 inch, putting me at 5 feet, 5-1/4 inches. By the time I began competing in NPC bodybuilding events, I was at 5 feet, 5 inches. Now, at the age of 49, I stand at 5 feet, 4-1/2 inches. Though I will never be as short as my 4 foot 8 inch Japanese grandmother was, I am definitely losing height as I get older.

Numerous research studies have demonstrated that the process of shrinking stature begins as early as our 30’s, with men losing about an inch between the ages of 30 and 70, and women losing twice that amount. The shrinkage continues into our 70’s and 80’s too. There are a number of reasons why we lose height over time:

1. Cartilage which cushions the joints begins to compress and wear down, and in weight-bearing joints like the spine, hips, knees and ankles, results in a loss of stature.
2. The ratio of bone formation versus bone absorption decreases, and the bones become more weak. In women, the loss of estrogen after menopause further decreases the rate of bone formation.
3. Over time, muscle mass gradually decreases, a process known as sarcopenia. This results in a decrease in postural strength and stability.

How can we minimize the rate of shrinkage in height as we age? Here are some guidelines to follow:

– Perform weight-bearing exercise at least three days per week.
– Consume foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.
– Sit up straight!
– Quit smoking.
– Avoid excessive intake of alcohol and caffeine.
– Don’t starve yourself or practice perpetual dieting.

When you visit your primary care provider for your annual checkup, make sure that your height is measured. If you avoid regular checkups, get into the habit of checking your height once a year, either on your birthday or at the beginning of the year so that you have a standard time of year to measure it. According to numerous studies, a loss of 1 to 2 inches within a year correlates with a higher risk of hip and non-vertebral fractures, and should be investigated by a physician.

Emojis Have Taken Over

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emojis

I first saw emojis in my text messages about a year ago, when I finally broke down and downloaded an emoji app. I was tired of seeing the code for the emoji and not the actual pictogram when someone would include an emoji in a text. At first I resisted using them, because I felt that they were kind of silly and sophomore-ish, but I gradually began to use the more basic emojis, like Smiling Face, Red Heart, Purple Heart, and Madly In Love Face. They are pretty fun, and they break up the monotony and tedium of typing in a long string of words. I can sometimes get away without even using the qwerty keyboard on my phone, and only using emojis and the talk-to-text function. In some sense, I think emojis have unlocked the imagination and child within us, since they are so whimsical and fun.

I have to admit that I am not completely familiar with the entire emoji collection which is loaded onto my phone, and I often lack the time to scroll through all the emojis to see what I have. In addition, some emojis are a bit deceiving, so I am concerned about using an emoji to convey something, only to find out later that the emoji conveyed something rather different to the textee. For example, the Weary Cat Face appears far more startled than it does weary, as you can see here:

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I think I have actually used the Weary Cat Face as a startled cat, and the person who got that emoji assumed I was conveying surprise or shock, rather than the ennui which the official definition of this emoji is meant to express. Does this mean we all have to study the actual meanings of all the emojis we use? That doesn’t seem very spontaneous or fun. In case you have any concern over the emojis you might be using erroneously, you can check the meaning here: http://emojipedia.org/

A fantastic article by Adam Sternbergh was published in the New Yorker Magazine which spoke in great detail about the evolution and significance of emojis. If you are interested in reading it, I have included the link here:

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/emojis-rapid-evolution.html

On the one hand, I think it’s wonderful that the brainchild of Shigetaka Kurita (the inventor of emojis) can cross linguistic obstacles and enable people around the world to communicate relatively easily. On the other hand, I am concerned for the fortitude of words, and hope that a collective dumbing-down of society as a whole is not about to expand as a result of the presence of emojis. I groaned when I discovered that a man by the name of Fred Benenson translated the entire tome of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. If you’re curious to see it, here’s a link to the pdf: http://www.czyborra.com/unicode/emojidick.pdf

Time will tell whether emojis are here to stay.

In Defense Of One Word Texters

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K potassium

I will admit up front that I generally don’t enjoy typing out text messages on my phone, which is why I typically use talk-to-text. I will also admit that I frequently use responses like, “ok”, “sure”, “yes”, “no”, and at times, the dreaded “k”. Sometimes we are so busy trying to get through our days that lengthy text messages can really interfere with the cadence of the day. In those cases, brief responses seem totally appropriate, especially if they include the phrase, “Really busy right now, but will let you know.” My phone always gets that talk-to-text sentence correct, so I use it frequently as well. I figure that it’s better than not responding at all.

Some of my friends send longer text messages, but they are so well organized and to the point that I totally dig them (plus I really adore those friends). What grates on my nerves is when people (usually casual friends, acquaintances, clients, and patients) send lengthy essays which meander and seem utterly pointless, leaving me to dig through box after box of text messages. If I am in the middle of something, about to drive, or trying to sleep, I will let them know. However, some people don’t seem to get the hint and will continue to send one wordy text after another, a whole mess of them, basically talking AT me and refusing to respect the fact that I am busy. That’s when I am far more prone to resort to one word texts or state once again that I am not in a position to text back. Or I will just come out and essentially say, “GET TO THE POINT!”