Love Your Body

"If We Really Love Ourselves, Everything In Our Life Works." -Louise Hay

Our bodies are the most magnificent machines, aren't they? The systems that make up the complex life form that is the human being are so amazing and perfect that we do not even fully understand everything about them. Yet, they work together seamlessly and beautifully.

I believe that every one of us was born perfect, and those things we perceive to be imperfections about ourselves are blessings in disguise. We are all beautiful. If you don't agree, that is okay. You don't even have to keep reading. But if you are at all intrigued, if this has already struck a chord in you, and you are curious because you have always wanted to be beautiful, but never thought of yourself in that way... then keep reading, because this is for you.

I am lucky to have a whole and healthy physical body, but when I look in the mirror sometimes all I see is what I wish I could change. I want to be more slender, more toned, less freckled, have a prettier face, straighter teeth, bigger breasts, and thicker hair. A man I know looks at himself and wants to be taller, more muscular, and weigh more.

I could do some things that would not only help me improve what I see in the mirror, but provide healthy benefits for my body and mind as well. And so could he. We all could.

Yes, I believe we are all beautiful. I believe these bodies our souls inhabit during this time we spend here on earth are miraculous vessels. This means we should care for them and appreciate them. But, we all want to look our best. We have so many options available to us if we decide we want to improve our appearance.

We can pay someone to cut us open and rearrange things a bit, maybe remove something or add something. We can take natural or chemical supplements in the form of pills, liquids, and powders. Some of these actually work to change our appearance into what we've decided it should be to make us happy. But, at what cost? Is an improvement on our perfect bodies worth compromising our health and the quality of our lives down the road?

Hmmm... This is not cute, and as she gets older, well, those breasts will need replacing because the materials they are made from are toxic and perishable.

Another thing, these surgeries and supplements are not cheap. They will cost you in many ways. How is this contributing to our overall quality of life? I can exercise and eat a healthy diet to achieve the slim and toned body I desire.

There are healthy choices I could make to help me like what I see in the mirror, and there are choices that might hurt my body and perpetuate an unhealthy frame of mind like surgery and pills. Those might seem like a quick fix, but inflicting such trauma to a healthy body is unnecessary and ultimately threatens good health. Also, these quick fixes are often temporary and not as gratifying as accepting my body for what it is and working in a healthy way to improve on what I was born with.

Everyone does not look the same. We were never meant to. Diversity is beautiful and inspires confidence. Uniformity is boring and lacks imagination.

Many men equate height and muscle mass with masculinity, but some of the hottest guys around are 5'11 or under. They weigh less than 185 and are slim. They are in great shape and their huge fan base speaks for itself. These guys look great and it's not about being big or having bulky muscles. It's about making the most of your genetics, bone structure, and natural height and weight. Tom Cruise is 5'7" and 170 lbs. Brad Pitt is 5'11" and 160 lbs. Johnny Depp is 5'10" and weighs 155 lbs. Leonardo DiCaprio is 5'11" and weighs 140 lbs. Jude Law is 5'11" and weighs 160 lbs. Lenny Kravitz is 5'8" and 165 lbs.

If any of these guys started with creatine, testosterone boosters, estrogen repressors, human growth hormone, or other "natural" and chemical aids to help them bulk up, they would not only end up looking ridiculous, they would suffer side effects such as: premature death (in case of acromegaly), heart enlargement (due to prolonged use of HGH. Can't be reversed), low blood sugar with risk of going into a diabetic coma, excessive hair growth all over the body, excessive water retention, liver damage, thyroid damage, depression, acne, kidney damage, adrenal damage, mood swings, heart problems, joint pain, cancer, and a whole host of others.

He looks natural and healthy, which is very attractive.

As I did the background research for this article, I realized that the majority of the guys who take this stuff are not professional body builders, but high school kids and young men who are lured in by the promise of bulking up muscle, weight gain, and harder erections. The erection thing being the most insane, because no one in the entire population on earth is producing more natural testosterone than a high school age male. Not to mention, the prime function of an erection is babymaking, which is definitely a responsibility that most of these young guys don't want.

I also found that these guys don't really ever look like the pro bodybuilders they aspire to, because that requires so many hours of lifting weights every day. The average person just does not have the time. So, supplements or not, your average guy will never look like Arnold.

And guys, here's the thing, any woman I know would go for the slender, healthy guy with the good sense of humor and high self-esteem over the pimpled, moody, guy with the creatine bloat who is broadcasting his insecurities to the world with his pumped up mindset. The bodybuilding supplement industry makes huge money off these guys. If you are one of them, stop paying them to mess your body up and celebrate the perfection of the body God gave you! Make the most of it. Don't try artificial supplements to distort your natural shape.

Did you know that cruciferous vegetables are the most natural testosterone boosters and so is weight lifting. Your body knows what to do with them. They work with your body's glandular systems to regulate the right amounts of hormone activity. That is what your body was made to do. It knows what it's doing, trust it. Don't overload it with man made supplements and screw it all up.

This is so nasty looking, it makes me want to throw up.

As for me, neither surgery nor pills are in my future, so I'll have to deal with my body image issues in a healthier way. Besides learning to love my natural beauty, I've started doing cardio 5 times a week, just jogging or speed walking around my neighborhood. I don't NEED a gym membership to get in shape and neither do you. Strength training 3 times a week with hand weights and calisthenics. And yoga 3 times a week for toning and flexibility. It may not sound like much, but it's more than what I did before, which was nothing, and I can definitely tell a difference.

I've also stopped eating animal protein except for seafood. I hardly eat any processed food. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables. This diet change has been miraculous. I have more energy, a greater sense of well-being, a better memory, an increased ability to focus, less congestion, and clearer skin. I don't suffer from allergies like I used to and I sleep like a baby. As for the breast thing, I can wear really low cut tops and I don't always have to wear a bra, what can be more sexy than that? Take a look at Michelle Pfeiffer, Kate Bosworth, Cameron Diaz, Sessilee, and Gwenyth Paltrow to see how much sexier natural is, even if they have breasts on the smaller side.

Living a healthy lifestyle may not be easy, but neither is feeling like crap and never being truly happy with yourself. I know so many girls who have breast implants and nose jobs, and they still aren't happy with their looks! It's so ridiculous. If you are one of these people, please throw all the diet pills, body building supplements, and future plastic surgery plans in the garbage right now, and prepare to do some work on yourself that is real.

You will have to work hard to drop old habits and start new ones. Journaling helps, affirmations help, talking to yourself even helps, and having a good, supportive friend helps. Do the work on yourself of adopting a healthier diet, making time to exercise, and telling yourself how wonderful, beautiful and perfect you are. If you do this for just 3 months your life will be transformed, I guarantee you. If you do it for 30 days, you will be able to tell enough of a difference to want to keep doing it. Go ahead, let your body amaze you, naturally!

How adorable is she? She works hard for it, and it's all real.