Glamour Magazine recently did a survey of 16,000 women on the subject of body image. Results showed that 40% of women struggle with their body image. That fact wasn’t entirely surprising, but this one was: a whopping 71% said they feel they are too fat - even though only 46% were actually overweight. Here’s where the obvious follow up question comes in: What makes women feel they are fat - when they’re not? Maybe our perception of body image has less to do with fat and more to do with - insecurity.

Body Image: What Is Really Underneath It All?

It has been my observation that many women judge their bodies strictly on how they feel they measure up in some else’s eyes - true or not. It is no secret that we are our own worst critic, and our body-image is a ready target. It is an area that we control - even if that control has become a place where we vent frustrations and disappointments.  No one is better at dishing out criticism like a woman looking in the mirror.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

When did the mirror image begin to dictate what is and is not an acceptable body-image? The mirror reflects more than body image. It reflects the very core of where we are most vulnerable. It sees us when we are alone - when our insecurities surface and we come face to face with our vulnerability.

Take another look in the mirror. Maybe you see things you don’t like. Maybe you DO think you are too fat. Well, welcome to the real world where 99% of the female population is NOT perfect! And, if you really feel that way - take the first step toward doing something about it.

See a Positive Body Image

On the other hand, maybe you will - for the first time - begin to see the things you DO like. Think back to a time when you felt lovely - when you were confident and ready to take on the world. Then, carry that image with you. While the visible image you portray to others does indeed play a part in your overall body image, it’s what you think about yourself and what you say to yourself that really tips the balance.

Your Body Image and Self-Talk

The important thing is: recognize the challenges for what they are - simply a starting point. Listen to your self-talk. Your overall body image will be a direct result of what you say to yourself. It is made up of more than just visual images. It is made up of who you really are underneath it all.

I am amazed at the number of people who look for the quick fix and just want to take a pill for every ailment and problem. They want to be better - now. They don’t have time to be sick. What they maybe don’t realize is: the chances of having to take another pill to offset the side effects of the first one are greatly increased. Once on that roller-coaster, it’s difficult to ever get off.

We live in a world of push-button technology. Life is fast paced and hectic. Is it any wonder that we many times choose the easy way out - the road that is nicely defined and paved? We think we understand prescription drugs. We just pop a pill to make it better - never mind wondering about what really caused the situation in the first place.

New Diet Pill in the Making

Talk of a potential new drug for weight management is yet one more way we are going for the easy fix. I will not argue the point that we have a very real problem. But, I will argue that it might not be the best way to fix the issue. There are exceptions to every rule, but in the vast majority of cases, weight management is more than just a problem with weight.

Lifestyle Can Impact Your Weight

It’s a problem with lifestyle and education - priorities and health. At the very core of most weight problems is simply the result of living the fast paced life for far too long. We have forgotten what it means to have healthy, home cooked meals. Come to think of it, we’ve forgotten what it means to HAVE a real meal at home - period.
When I happen to mention home cooked ‘sit down as a family’ meals to my students just in passing conversation, their eyes almost glaze over - like I have just spoken in a foreign language. Do you want to hear something really sad? Most of them cannot ever remember sitting down to a family meal. Then it’s MY turn to have my eyes glaze over.

Preventive Health Instead of the Pill Trap

Is it any wonder we are falling into the ‘pop a pill’ trap? What about addressing preventive health before it becomes an issue? Finding ‘health’ naturally is not a quick fix. One just doesn’t ‘find’ health. It is a process of learning how best to support your body on a daily basis - beginning in childhood. This is one roller-coaster ride you never want to take.

My 3 year old granddaughter was at pre-school one day. The teacher was focusing in on the letter F. To try to get the children to guess what word she was thinking of, she began to give a few clues. It could be red, and round and it smells really good - trying to get them to guess “flower”. Never one to be left out, my granddaughter shouted out, “Pepperoni!”. Well, it is red, it is round and it smells really good when she helps with home-made pizza!

Your skin absorbs just about everything you put on it - good and bad. Have you thought about the effects - IN your body - of the cosmetics, creams, oils and lotions you use on a daily basis? Our skin was designed to absorb what we put on it. Sometimes we don’t stop to think about the chemicals we are putting in it.

I read an article from the Summer 2004 Newsletter of the Women’s Community Cancer Project where a study showed parabens were found in breast cancer tumors. Parabens are chemicals most widely used as preservatives (to fight bacteria) - preservatives that are found in nearly every product you put on your skin. They can have estrogenic activity when applied to the skin. In other words, they can raise estrogen levels and increase the risk of cancer.

What were once thought to be harmless cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants, creams and body sprays are now showing a direct link to breast cancer tumors - triggering great concern that the products don’t just sit on the surface of our skin where they feel good and smell good, but are absorbed into our bodies, putting us at risk for disease.

And, as women are the main users of these personal products, we are at higher risk for becoming one of the growing statistics. Some of the chemicals most commonly used and to be on guard about include:

* Sodium Laureth Sulfate
* Cocamide DEA/Lauramide DEA
* Petrolatum
* Propylparaben
* Ethylparaben
* Methylparaben
* Isobutylparaben
* Mineral Oil
* Coal Tar
* Talc
* Toluene
* Formaldehyde

And the list goes on. I have used creams and lotions for as many years as I can remember - never giving a thought that what I put on my skin could actually cause harm to my body. The next time you are in the store, take a moment to read the labels of what you are putting IN your body.

When I was a child, I remember how I loved eating breakfast at my friend’s house from time to time. The toast tasted so different than toast at my house. I had no idea that it was because of what was ON the toast! My friend’s mom used real butter - not margarine.

To this day, I am a butter person - and for years I have sung the praises of butter vs. margarine. Now that I am grown, I have also learned that there is much more to butter than simply enjoying the taste! While I am one of those people who could literally sit and enjoy a spoonful of butter (!) I have learned that it’s not all that great for your body - and in fact, is the “ultimate high saturated fat dairy product” - and high in cholesterol as well. Not a good combination!

As I became more health minded, I learned to pay more attention to the things that I put into my body. The amount of saturated fats I use is one of them. From the total amount of calories in your daily diet, fat content should be kept close to 20%.

Butter or Margarine - Which One Is Better?

So, is margarine better? Some used to think so, but - evidence is showing that margarine - a chemically made product - is even more dangerous for your body. And, speaking of margarine - did you know that margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being plastic? Mmmmm. A nice spread of plastic for your toast! If you click here, you’ll get a real eye opener reading about all the ‘silent’ facts you never wanted to know about butter and margarine.

Because I prefer the natural form of things that I eat, I still use butter (it actually does have food value) - but in moderation - and organic choices are even better. As a great cook, I have to admit that when a recipe calls for butter, margarine is no substitute! I do walk a fine line sometimes between making healthy choices and still hanging on to those great recipes from my past. But I understand that - and that is simply where I am. Good choices will face you every day. Moderation is key.

How Much Body Fat is Too Much?

Words like weight loss, fat loss, diet control and exercise are the new buzz words floating around the media today. Diet and exercise are promoted at every turn to trim and tone the unwanted and unsightly parts. We are told that the average person has too much body fat. And, for the most part that is true. But, do we really know how much body fat is too much?

What Is Body Fat For?

Contrary to what you may have come to believe, all body fat is not bad. You actually do need a certain amount to survive - although that is not generally a problem! Note the chart below. Body fat is crucial in regulating body temperature, insulating organs and is also the main source for supplying energy. If you take away too much body fat, you run the risk of potential life threatening complications.

So, how much body fat is right for your body? According to the American Council on Exercise, the following chart will help you determine what percentage is right for you.  You can see by the chart where your body fat percentage should be.

Monitor Your Body Fat Instead of Weight

When it comes right down to it, monitoring your body fat is more important than monitoring your weight.  It is entirely possible to be losing fat and not pounds.  More than one discouraged beginner has learned this from experience.  We are so programmed to watch the numbers on the scale that sometimes we miss the most important progress of all.  Loss of body fat can change inches on your body before numbers on the scale.

BMI Calculators

Most methods of calculating body fat are not 100% accurate (because of so many uncontrolled variables) - but do offer a good estimate. You can purchase a BMI (body mass index) calculator quite inexpensively.  The most popular ones are hand held devices or bathroom scales. Chart your measurements once a month for best results and track your progress.  Watching your body fat numbers go down is exhilarating and rewarding.  You look better and you feel better!

Are You Really Healthy, or Do You Just Think You’re Healthy?

Health is most commonly defined as the absence of symptoms of illness. I have talked with countless people about health. Most of them adamantly profess to be healthy. However, they usually follow it up with a statement like: Well, I do take prescriptions to treat my ______, but I’m totally healthy. The interesting thing is: they don’t perceive taking prescription drugs to be contrary to healthy. It’s the normal thing to do. Everybody takes prescriptions…..don’t they?

Let’s say for a moment that you are one of the few who don’t take prescription drugs - that you are actually symptom free. Does this mean you are healthy? My answer is: maybe. The fact that you are symptom free simply means that you are not experiencing any symptoms of illness! It is a well known fact that many types of illness lie quietly for years before symptoms manifest.

The Communication Super Highway and Health

Sickness and disease happen when there is an interruption in the communication super-highway within your body. This was quite a new thought for me a few years ago. I truly did not relate sickness to something that happened as a result of a mis-communication within my body!   I thought I just ‘caught’ a bug.

Your body’s ability to fight off sickness - your body’s ability to prevent disease is directly related to how good that communication line is. And sadly, one only has to look up statistics of how many people in our world take prescription drugs to realize that the communication is not all that good.  So, how healthy are you really?

Staying Fit with Exercise

To some, just the word exercise brings groans and negative thoughts. To others, unless you are at a sports club, exhausted and sweating, you haven’t exercised. More is better, right?  Wrong. Exercise has gotten a bad wrap through years of misunderstanding what is - and isn’t - exercise.

There actually was a time when exercise was not a structured program: a time when push buttons and batteries were not yet a part of the general community. Everything had to be done by hand - and during an average day - every muscle group was put into action. We got all the exercise we needed - naturally.

The Push Button Generation

Today, with so many conveniences at our fingertips, an exercise program is not just desired, but critical to good health. Our lives are - for the most part - driven by battery, electricity or fuel. We have push buttons for nearly everything and - for some of us, the big exercise of the day is getting up to change the television channel by hand because the batteries wore out of the remote control.

Contrary to what you may have been taught, you don’t have to get sweaty in order to exercise and you don’t have to exercise for long periods of time in order to see results. You don’t have to go to a sports club. Check with your doctor for the OK, then put on your tennis shoes and take a brisk 20 minute walk.

Exercise for Fitness

I have a treadmill I purchased a few years ago and - of all the exercise equipment I have accumulated over the years, my treadmill is the only one that gets used nearly every day. On a side note, for those who walk on a treadmill - have you noticed that you use different muscle groups when you walk outside - compared to the treadmill? I have high praise for a treadmill, but I get a better workout walking outside because of the unevenness of the streets and paths I walk on.

When I started walking on my treadmill, I had problems with one of my knees. My treadmill had to be the kind that was at a zero incline. I could only walk at .5 miles an hour for 5 minutes - and barely that - causing quite a bit of discomfort. But, I kept at it and very slowly increased my speed and the length of time I walked. At the end of a year I was walking at a brisk 3.2 mph for 30 minutes without problems.

The benefits of exercise will surprise you - even from the very first day. If you experience a few aches and pains - stick with it. Slow down for a few days and, before you know it, you will be up to speed and feeling great. Do something nice for yourself and begin today to take the first steps toward a healthier you. No one else will do it for you!

How Much Exercise is Good?

Getting daily exercise is critical for good health. Getting the right kind of exercise is even more important. Is your idea of a good workout one that leaves you exhausted and sweaty? Can too much of a good thing actually be bad for your body? How much exercise is good for you?

By using a heart monitor, you can accurately create and track a good workout program. When doing a cardiovascular workout, it is important to exercise within your target heart range to improve your cardiovascular health.

Do you think that the faster and harder your heart pounds during a workout - the better the workout? Not quite. It’s not about how fast you are walking - it’s about how fast your heart is pumping. With a heart monitor, you can be sure you are exercising at a pace that is safe and most beneficial to your heart. When you exercise outside of your target heart rate, too high can strain your heart - too low will simply burn a few more calories.

So, how do you find your target heart rate? This is a simple formula I use - taken from What’s a Nice Person Like Me Doing in a Body Like This? by Dr. Neecie Moore.

220 minus your age = maximum safe heart rate

YOU SHOULD EXERCISE BETWEEN 50% AND 75% OF THAT RATE

Find your lower target heart range:

Maximum safe heart rate x .5 = your lower heart range

Find your upper target heart range:

Maximum safe heart rate x .75 = your upper heart range

When exercising, your target heart range should be between the lower heart range and the upper heart range. By working out within the target guidelines for your body, you will get the most benefit to your cardiovascular system and will be less likely to strain your heart. Getting the right kind of exercise is an important step toward a healthier you.