Thank goodness the weather has changed from blast furnace to milder temperatures! Here in Texas we just never really know what to expect. If you have been following me you know that I am always up for an adventure. So it was great that getting to go to a local festival this past weekend was not sweat-inducing. Bacon Bash, held in the little town of Cranfills Gap, is a fun event that Rick and I have been going to since its inception ten years ago. Did you see the word BACON?! I mean, what else do you need to know?! But there is a serious background to it. It’s beginning was and is two-fold: Niki Warms the Cold, and Children with Type 1 Diabetes. Niki was a local woman who kept blankets and coats in her car to distribute to the needy and encouraged others to do the same. Her cousin Lexie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In 2015 Bacon Bash took on the responsibility to raise money for scholarships for kids to attend specialized camps. These important ventures made helping a very tasty event that Rick and I (and thousands of others) attended easy peasy!
While my exercise routine is going well (walking daily, yoga 2x/wk and Zumba), I am bothered by this stomach, aka belly fat! I realize that it’s harder to lose it as you age, but it’s just not an attractive look. According to Prevention:
A bigger belly not only affects your wardrobe, it also sets you up for health problems. Underneath the subcutaneous fat (the muffin top you can grab with your hand) lies more harmful visceral fat, which builds up around your organs and pushes against your abdominal wall.
“Visceral fat produces chemicals that create harmful inflammation in the body, increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer,” says Scott Isaacs, MD, a clinical instructor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and the author of Hormonal Balance. The good news: Whittling your waist a mere 2 inches is enough to take you out of the danger zone.
So along with my daily walks and yoga I am getting serious with weight training and exercises that target the middle. Each day I start with 30 crunches and a 45 minute plank. I will increase 15 seconds when my arms stop shaking! Ha ha! I rotate reverse situps with bicycle crunches and reverse crunches. Definitely not easy but I am determined!
I’ll continue to promote Young Living oils–I think they are the best! Ginger is a delightful fall fragrance. Uses for ginger essential oil are balancing hormones, good digestive health, enhancing energy and aiding in circulation. Diffuse with tangerine and geranium, or try lime and cedarwood! Heavenly!
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Junkets and Jewels 