Healthy

My wardrobe of the '90s hangs neatly in the guest room closet; cocktail dresses in garment bags, suits from my working days hang by color-code, coats and jackets remind me that I once shivered in the cold (and not from airconditioning!).

Store...donate...keep...with good intentions to clean up, I chanted the mantra as I bust open the closet doors. Oh, I loved this outfit, I thought to myself, wiggling into an off-the-shoulder patterned velvet flared-leg pant suit (yeah, baby). I was sucked into a time warp, cocktail in hand, mingling with the young and upcoming, standing on a balcony with a skyline view. Eighteen years later, my velvet outfit isn't slinky anymore and blatant blobs of flab make an embarrassing spectacle of themselves in unwanted places. How did I get here??

"Unfortunately, the flow of fat from our arms, legs, and hips to our stomachs is a natural part of ageing", says Dr. Pamela Peeke of the University of Maryland. "Up to about the age of 40, estrogen in women and testosterone in men controls fat allocation, keeping it away from the abdomen. Once these hormones decline, it becomes easier for excessive calories to be stored deep inside the belly."

Darned mid-life crisis!

My mantra shifts. Must....Lose....Weight! Eat less, make healthy choices, and exercise daily. We all know what to do. Let's start now.

Fresh Pineapple, Orange and Apple Juice

(you will need a juicer for this)

1 whole Pineapple, peeled and sliced

4 whole Oranges, peeled, white pith removed

2 Apples, sliced in half

Juice all of the fruit in a juicer. Start the day with a tall glass.