Project Red Dress

Uncategorized Feb 17, 2015

Will I be able to pull it off the next time I put this on?

 

Is it just me, or have you also noticed that department store fitting rooms are not all that forgiving when it comes to even the slightest physical imperfections?

 

I want to say that the fault lies in those glaring florescent lights and tri-paneled, larger than life mirrors, but maybe it’s not their “fault”, per se. Perhaps, um, they are only doing their jobs: reflecting reality.

 

Anyway, there I was last Saturday, trying on potential mother-of-the-groom designer dresses at The Bay when I stumbled upon this cute little number from the Lori M Collection. Red. Hmm… I don’t usually wear red. And, given that I work at home much of the time where my “work uniform” alternates between yoga pants and grey sweats, truth be told, I don’t usually wear designer dresses either. But, there it was before me…and it was on sale…and, besides, it was Valentine’s Day – and not hard at all to “think red”!

 

I tried it on. The dress fit. However, there are things, unfortunately, that body-clinging dresses reveal that sweats do not, and the way it fit did not fit with the way I wanted it to fit! UGH!

 

Right there in that fitting room I found myself confronted with a choice: either to put the dress back on the rack, OR to put my body back into condition.  What if, I surmised, I put a little effort into creating the kind of body that even a little red dress could not put to shame?

 

Enter “Project Red Dress”.

 

It’s not about vanity, you know. The way our bodies look say a lot about the condition of our health and our risk for disease.

 

Did you know, for example, that weight gain and the accumulation of central body fat during adulthood increases the risk of both endometrial and post-menopausal breast cancer?

 

If your waist-to-hip ratio is greater than .81, you have a sevenfold increase in likelihood of getting breast cancer.

 

“Belly fat” and fat deposition in the upper body can be a sign of an adrenal issue, unbalanced cortisol levels which promote other little problems such as increased blood glucose levels and insulin levels, setting us up for diabetes.

 

Cellulite, that mattress-like bulging and puckering that tends to affect the upper thighs, buttocks and upper arms, can be caused by the poor elimination of toxins, especially in the lymphatic system, and is often due to low intake of fluids or the result of an overall poor diet.

 

“Bat wings”, a common upper arm problem in women, can be a sign of an ailing spleen, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

 

“Thunder thighs” can be reflective of a thyroid gone rogue.

 

Can you relate to any of this? (I could.)  As a first step in my renewed commitment to aim high for optimal health, I am now on day 2 of Colin’s 10 Day Fat Burn & Cleansing Program. http://magazine.miessence.com/lifestyle/colindetox.html I have done various cleanses before but am finding, so far, that this one is actually not that hard to carry out (although I did start to salivate over my husband’s sardine and onion dinner last night – and just about caved!!!)

 

If you’re thinking about “springing into spring” with a gentle cleansing program to slough off accumulated toxins and excess fat, feel free to join me. I could use the company!

 

Live well…stay well,

 

Marian

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