I GIVE YOU PERMISSION NOT TO DO DAILY CRUNCHES

By a show of hands, have you ever struggled with your midsection?

>raises hand< 

That dreaded belly fat.

It’s been called a lot of things...

...The muffin top. 

...The spare tire. 

...The pooch.

...The food baby. 

The list goes on. 

It’s something most women struggle with and are in constant battle with. It’s a point of contention and insecurity for all of my clients. They want to ditch the skin rolls. They want the skinny waist. The smaller jean size. But they struggle with HOW to make that happen! 

Crunches, right?

Wellllllll not so fast...

NOT doing daily crunches might seem counterintuitive, but let’s take a few steps backwards and look at possible root causes for an accumulation of belly fat. 

Belly fat increases in our 40’s and we often blame hormones or a sluggish metabolism. 

Yes, changing hormones in midlife can direct body fat to be stored more in the midsection, and metabolism can slow down as we age, BUT there is a sneaky culprit that actually creates that hormonal imbalance AND alters metabolism. 

The name of this menace is... 

(drum roll, please!) 

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

Modern lifestyle has a way of inflaming our bodies without us really knowing it. We could be eating right, exercising daily, but still struggling to see results...because of that pesky inflammation. 

Here’s what happens: dietary and environmental toxins build up in the body, turning the immune system on and triggering the body’s inflammatory response. Indefinitely.  

So, how do we know if our body is inflamed? 

Some symptoms of chronic inflammation:

• bloating after a meal/digestive issues

• Constipation

• Low energy

• body/joint aches and pains

• brain fog/poor memory

• skin problems

• Irritability

and 

• YES: accumulation of belly fat

A body that is chronically inflamed is not functioning optimally and will hold on to excess weight and body fat, especially around the midsection. 

The very first step towards burning through that stubborn body fat is not performing sit ups or crunches, it is taming the flame of chronic inflammation in your body. 

There’s a long list of how to do this, but today, let me start with 3 that can have a big impact on reducing your inflammatory load.

TRY A 2-WEEK ELIMINATION DIET: Start by removing anything highly processed, overly greasy, or super sweet. Some of the most common offenders are: gluten, corn, dairy, refined sugar, peanuts, soy, and alcohol. Simply remove these foods for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks, reintroduce 1 category at a time and note any symptoms you experience. 

PRODUCT SWAP: Food isn’t the only inflammation trigger. Almost everything we come into contact with has the potential to create inflammation in our bodies. The beauty and cleaning products we use, the clothing we wear, the chemicals we spray on weeds, and the very air we breathe all carry toxins which we absorb. Start by swapping three beauty products and three household products for cleaner, chemical free options. 

An excellent resource for finding alternative products - dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, cleansers and cleaners, cosmetics, deodorants, toothpaste, shaving gel, and lotions - is http://www.EWG.org. 

GET BETTER QUALITY SLEEP: Lack of sleep or poor quality of sleep drives chronic inflammation, along with weight gain, obesity, and a higher body mass index. A good place to start forming better sleep habits is to create a helpful nighttime routine. This is called “Good Sleep Hygiene.” 

Here are my suggestions for winding down:

• Stop eating 3-4 hours prior to going to bed.

• Take a warm bath with Epsom salts 1 hour before sleep.

• Take the temperature in your bedroom down. 65-67 degrees is optimal.

• Take 10 minutes to download your day. Talk about concerns or journal them, but get them out of your body and mind before attempting sleep.

So, if you hate “ab day,” you’re in luck because the key to a flatter, leaner tummy starts with taming the flame of chronic inflammation. Give these 3 tips a try and let me know how it goes!

In Good Health,

Lori Z.