Massage for most of you is probably no more than an occasional treat you get to enjoy when someone gets you a gift certificate or when your muscles are so knotted up you just can’t take it anymore. But it is starting to be recognized as a true medicinal therapy, and because of that, I want all of my *f.a.t. (Fit After Thirty) sisters to start thinking of regular massage as a prescription for your health, rather than as a luxury. 

Regular massage is truly one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to stay Fit After Thirty! Besides, if you incorporate it into your relationship with your partner, it can serve as great foreplay, and will go a long way toward keeping the romance alive! After all, what woman doesn’t appreciate a man who pampers her, and what man doesn’t love a happy ending? Granted, there is nothing like a professional massage therapist to really work out the kinks, but a novice with a pair of strong hands can go a long way toward helping achieve some of the following major health benefits of massage:

1.It can prevent PMS! Now, that alone should be reason enough to go get one!

2. It reduces the stress hormone, cortisol (which causes inflammation in the body resulting in disease and premature aging), while increasing the feel good hormones, serotonin and dopamine.

3. It blocks the nervous system’s pain receptors. 

4. It slows your heart rate.

5. It reduces blood pressure.

6. It eases insomonia.

7. It boosts immunity.

8. It increases blood flow to muscles, which can help them heal.

9. It eases the pain of fibromyalgia, cancer, labor pain, and migraine.

10. It increases brain wave activity that is linked to improved attention.

Bonus Reason:

11. Happy Endings - they aren’t just for men anymore! (Grab your man and have a sensuous massage at home!)

To find out which type of massage might be best for you, check out these explanations from Health.com.

In keeping with my New Year’s theme of trying to get you to think of fast food differently in 2009, I’m passing along a great resource from Dr. Gourmet. He has created menus from popular fast food restaurants with the healthiest options from each menu. He has handpicked the items from each restaurant that average about 400 calories and have 15 or fewer grams of fat. 

The menus are downloadable and easily printed, so you can take them with you. I suggest just leaving them in the glove compartment so you have them conveniently at hand when you are out. This way, if you have to eat fast non-food, you can at least make the best choice possible for your health. Remember, many fast food meals contain more than an entire day’s worth of calories, so for those of you trying to see some real weight loss success this year, little efforts with your fast food habits can go a long way!

Okay gals, for all of you who don’t have a workout buddy to drag your saggy booty to the gym when you’re feeling lazy, I’ve got the answer for you! You can register this under the “what will they think of next” column in your imaginary diary chronicling all things weird in cyberspace.

Weight Nags is the latest creation by some well intentioned, clever techies (who didn’t get the memo that “fatty” means Fit After Thirty Hotty), to aid others in their quest to stay in shape. For those who respond best to a little tough love when it comes to motivating you to follow through on your commitment to yourself to stick to your workout schedule, this might be the answer. Here’s how it works:

It’s as simple as signing up for random email or text reminders from the pesky little Cyber Nag. Whether you are the type of person who gets too busy, and forgets that it’s gym day, or the type who thrives on being nagged to get you moving, this tool could work for you. You can start the year off  with a few not so friendly reminders that you promised yourself (and your *f.a.t. sisters) to get a new body in the new year!

Of course, though potentially useful, it still can’t take the place of some great, expert workout advice from a trained professional to guide you through your workouts. So, check in frequently at Fit After Thirty for fitness articles like this one on kettle bells, and for our upcoming “how to” video clips from our resident experts at Fitness Doctors, on some great training techniques and exercises.

If you’ve taken my advice about changing your eating for the new year, you’ll need to forego some of last year’s fast food runs. In order to help make this transition easier, spend some time looking at these before and after fast food photos, taken from Hungry Girl. I think we can safely call it fast NON-food by the looks of some of these items!

If you are heeding my advice from yesterday about cutting back alcohol in the new year, in order to burn fat more efficiently, here are some non-alcoholic party drinks to try, from Associated Content.

Vienna Soother:  Add 4 ounces of strong coffee, 2 ounces of cream, a hearty drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a couple of dashes of cinnamon to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with plenty of ice and shake well. Strain the cocktail into a clear coffee mug or highball glass and top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

 Nada Colada: This non-alcoholic alternative to the Pina Colada can be made to taste even more like the real thing by adding a little rum extract to the blender. Blend 2 cups skim milk, 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice frozen into ice cube trays, 1 tablespoon of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of coconut extract, and two tablespoons of vanilla in a blender until mixture becomes frothy. Pour into glasses and garnish with pineapple wedges.

 Cinderella:  Add one ounce each of strained fresh orange juice, pine

Because of the liver’s need to metabolize toxic substances first, the body shuts down fat metabolism activities until all alcohol in the body is metabolized. That means that as long as there’s alcohol in your system, you won’t be burning any body fat.

So, if you have one or two drinks, you might halt your fat loss for a few hours. If you have many drinks, it might be as long as four days before you are metabolizing fat again. 

New Year’s Eve is meant for smooching. In my opinion, you may as well not celebrate New Year’s if you aren’t going to kiss someone at midnight! It’s the kiss that makes the celebration, isn’t it?  

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this way, because a recent TouchTunes Corp survey of 84,500 people found that 34 percent of people think kissing someone at midnight is even more important than watching one’s weight. (Call me shallow, but watching your weight might be a prerequisite for getting a midnight kiss.) 

So, why is the midnight kiss so important? The theory is that it is supposed to signify whether you will have abundance of love in the coming year. If you have a significant other, the kiss will ensure that the passion is maintained in your relationship in the new year. If you are single, kissing someone (anyone) will set the love wheels in motion, bringing you romance and passion in the year ahead.

If you want to be lucky in love in 2009, you had better find a pair of lips to lock with by midnight! (Those of you who find yourself surrounded by only attached men and men you find highly un-kissable, I give you a reprieve.) But because I am an optimist, I believe every one of you, in a relationship or not, kissed at midnight or not, will be getting lots of sex, love, and romance in the new year.

To prepare, I’m giving you my list of love rules for 2009 to bring romance in and keep passion alive. Feel free to pass these on to your men!

   Fit After Thirty’s Romance Rules For The New Year

 1.Text for flirtation and quick information, call for conversations and invitations. Texting has changed the landscape of love. Nothing is sexier than a flirtation text. On the other hand, nothing says, “you are not worth the effort of dialing a phone, and your answer is not that important to me,” than an invitation text. If you’re suggesting a date, up the effort with a call. And remember that a text can never replace the sound of the voice someone cares about, calling to say “I can’t stop thinking about you and can’t wait to see you.”

2. Condoms, condoms, condoms. Unless you’re married. In which case, you’re getting to have the best sex ever, and we singles are quite envious of your skin to skin sexual good fortune, so you better be making us proud by having lots of it!

3. Out with the old. In with the new. The New Year is about new beginnings, after all. If your relationship has run its course, it might be time to say goodbye to one and hello to another. 

4. Don’t play games. If you have to play cat and mouse too much with a love interest, the odds are that one of you is not looking for a real relationship, and it might be time to roll the dice on someone new, or someone not at all, (so someone new has space to enter when its time)

5. Make an ex-love new.  The great thing about passage of time means that people have had a chance to grow and evolve. Whether it’s a relationship that never got to be fully explored, or one that crashed and burned, it might be time to give it another try. I’ve known several couples who came together after a break and are now happily married. Let your head and not your heart be your guide in this scenario!

6. Be bold, not cold. Feelings are meant for expressing. To steal from John Mayer’s song, “Say what ya need to say!”

7. Grow up. Dorothy ain’t in Kansas anymore, and *f.a.t. sisters, you ain’t in college anymore.  Choose your relationships accordingly:

a. Stop acting like a girl and communicate your wants, needs, and expectations like an adult. Don’t expect men to read your minds.

b. Ditch the boys and find yourself a man. Boys are self-centered and think of themselves first. Men are chivalrous and put a woman’s well being first.

c. Take an alcohol inventory of the relationship.  If the extent of the depth of your communication is about where you two are going to party, it’s not a relationship. If the only relating you do is when one or both of you are drunk, it’s not a relationship. If the only time he wants to have sex with you is when he’s drunk, it’s not a relationship. If the majority of his time is spent boozing with the boys and just coming to you for a night cap (booty call), it’s not a relationship. 

You graduated years ago, baby! Use your degree and pick wisely in ‘09!

8. Ditch the Saturday night rut. If you’re single and looking, quit going to Cheers “where everybody knows your name”, and find yourself a new hangout with new people. If you’re in a serious relationship, pick some new date night destinations to keep it interesting.

9. Spice it up in the bedroom.  New Year= New places. New positions. New toys. New rituals. New foreplay methods. New (fill in the blank)

10. Re-sexify yourself. Get Fit After Thirty! Get your bod in shape, buy some new sexy outfits, and wear them proudly! Nothing says, “I’m ready for love” like a woman who looks ready for love.

Happy New Years Eve! Cheers!

I know you want to feel sexy and beautiful in the new year. The only way you can do that, is if you are healthy! The other day I suggested fitness resolutions for the new year that could benefit your health greatly. Today, one day away from New Year’s Eve, I am giving you a list of diet related commitments you can make to yourself in order to be Fit After Thirty in 2009! Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking of it as making ten resolutions. Think of it as making one big resolution to eat healthier, using these ten tips as your guide for how to do it! Here’s to a sexy, healthy, new you, in the new year!

1. Drink 64 ounces of purified water daily. Not only does it hydrate you, but rids toxins from the body, which helps you age gracefully.

2. Eat less red meat - consumption of  which has been shown to increase your risk of cancer.

3. Combine protein with carbs at every meal. A fist sized amount of lean protein with your carbs will prevent glucose levels from spiking, which has been shown to increase your risk of developing diabetes, gaining weight, and increasing inflammation in the body. Inflammation can lead to heart disease and premature aging.

4. Eliminate products with white flour and white sugar as often as possible. They lack nutritional content while wreaking havoc on your blood sugar. Again, blood sugar spikes are your ticket to disease over time. If you’re going to eat them, combine with protein at the same time.

5. Eliminate foods that contain hydrogenated oils. These oils are linked to diabetes, coronary disease, and obesity.

6. Eliminate high fructose corn syrup - it is heavily processed so the body processes it differently than sugar. The chemical reaction that takes place makes it so HCFS inhibits leptin secretion, so you never get the message that you’re full. And it never shuts off production of ghrelin, (an appetite stimulant hormone in the gut) so, even though you have food in your stomach, you constantly get the message that you’re hungry. 

7. Eat more spices, and here’s why: Cinnamon can decrease blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels, especially in those that have type 2 diabetes. Ginger can decrease your blood pressure, alleviate arthritis pain by reducing inflammation, and reduce your risk of cancer. Tumeric, which is found in Curry, has been shown to relieve arthritis pain, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Paprika and Cayenne Pepper have been shown to help reduce high blood pressure and improve circulation. Rosemary is very important for learning because it helps you focus.

8. Eat a minimum of 6 servings of fruits and veggies daily.  Try to incorporate a lot of greens like spinach and broccoli, as well as blueberries which are great antioxidants. Blueberries have been shown to help the brain! 

9. Eat more nuts! Nuts are the perfect on the go snack. They have protein and healthy fats. Almonds, especially, are great for the heart!

10. Eat more fiber. This is an easy one if you are doing all the others on the list, because by ridding your diet of white flour and foods that contain HFCS and hydrogenated oils, you will be substituting whole grains. By eating your fruits and veggies, you will be getting more fiber also! Increasing fiber will help you lose weight, and cut your risk of colon cancer.

Bonus Resolution

11. Drink a glass of red wine daily! It contains resveratrol which helps prevent aging of cells.

Cheers!

If you read number 8 on my list of Resolutions for 2009, you know that we recommend building muscle with weight bearing exercise. I’ve uncovered a list at How To Maximize Your Health of some great reasons to incorporate strength training into your routine!  Don’t worry; lifting weights does not have to make you look bulky and burly.

You only have a few more days to come up with your resolutions for 2009. We suggest staying Fit After Thirty with some of these commitments in the new year!

Fit After Thirty’s Top 10 Fitness Resolution Ideas

1. Give up looking frumpy when working out. Buy cute and comfortable workout apparel and dress for the activity. Looking good makes you feel good, which invigorates you for a great workout.

2. Make a conscious effort to incorporate stress reduction activities into your lifestyle. A yoga class twice a week, 15 minutes of meditation per day, five minutes of deep breathing morning and night, are ideas on how to start.

3. Train for a 5K or 10K – setting a goal helps motivate you to stick to a workout schedule, and keeps your heart in shape for number 4 on the list.

4. Make passion #1 Priority! Have more romance, kissing, and sex with your significant other! Passion falls by the wayside far too often when two people have been together for awhile. Resolve to not let that happen in 2009! Get creative and spice things up if you have to! Start with your mistletoe kiss and continue the passion through the year! Sex keeps your relationship strong, right along with all your body’s muscles, including your Gynecological Goddesses!

5. Consume more Omega 6 oils – salmon and fish oil pills are great sources. These are great for the heart and overall, have an anti-aging effect. Most people get too many Omega 3 oils in the diet, so it’s not always best to take a pill with both Omega 3 and 6. You might be better off with just Omega 6 supplements to keep the two in balance.

6. Donate blood as often as the blood bank allows. It’s a resolution that helps someone else’s health while also helping yours. Doing nice deeds boosts the immune system. And what goes around comes around. Good karma that comes from giving, will benefit your health in the coming year.

7. Get plenty of calcium and Vitamin D – Add a supplement if necessary.

8. Perform weight-bearing exercises at least 4 times per week. This helps keep muscles strong, burn fat, and maintain strong bones.

9. Increase your flexibility – yoga, pilates, or stretching in front of the tv  will keep you limber, which aids in mobility for every activity and helps prevent injuries.

10.  Laugh and make others laugh. Laughter is great for the immune system and your mood, and helps with overall happiness. Being happy helps your health!

Bonus New Year’s Resolution

11. Turn your Vagina Into A Vice Grip: Do Your Rapid Rhondas, Wild Wandas, and Slow Sallys daily! Kegel exercises keep you Fit After Thirty “down there!”