How Fear of Swimsuit Season Fuels Premature Aging

It's summertime and the living is easy. But try telling that to your growling stomach. Even if you manage to resist the allure of succulent grilled ribs, buttery corn on the cob, and frozen strawberry margaritas till Labor Day, once you put your bathing suit, then what? Your body can't run on celery sticks and Perrier forever. Sooner or later your basic human instincts will take over and demand real physical and emotional sustenance. That's why the so-called fast track to weight loss is actually a vicious circle. Instead of attaining a healthy muscle to fat ratio, your body stays trapped in an endless cycle of dropping and adding unwanted pounds. Why Diet Pain Brings Chronic Weight Gain—and Worse A great deal has already been written about damage yo-yo dieting does to your waistline. Unfortunately, the risks to your health and appearance don't stop there. While it's packing on the pounds by slowing down your metabolism, rapid weight cycling can simultaneously speed up your biological clock, increasing the strain on your organ systems and adding extra years to your face. Even a partial list of the potential consequences suggests crash dieting will ultimately make you look and feel old before your time.

• Malnutrition
• Gallstones
• Muscle atrophy
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritability/depression
• Hair loss
• Sagging, lackluster skin

Modern Diet Madness: Taking the Joy Out of Food Why do millions of sensible, well-informed Americans continue to cling to this irrational approach to weight control? While many diverse factors contribute to the persistent popularity of crash diets, the roots of this misguided practice lie in the conflicting pressures and mixed messages inflicted by modern industrialized society. The intense stress of continually striving for professional success, personal happiness, and a perfect body image can drive even the most sensible person to desperate measures. When yet another new diet "miracle" promises to finally disprove the evidence of science and their own experience, renewed hope can override your better judgment. A Simple Plan for Sustainable Weight Loss The good news is that you don't need a miracle diet to maintain a slender, youthful appearance for life. All you have to do is replace your restrictive summertime diet menu with a completely different one. Only two items are excluded from this alternative meal plan: your daily servings of suffering and guilt. Connect with a Classic Anti-Aging Approach In Romania, where I grew up, we have a saying: "Good thoughts always pass first through your stomach." These words capture our enduring respect and gratitude for the simple pleasures of a fine meal. The source ofour traditional reverence for food is also the birthplace of many of the world's most flavorful and exciting cuisines: the Roman, Greek, and other classical Mediterranean civilizations that helped shape Romania's rich cultural heritage. This whole-hearted acceptance of our natural human appetites is the foundation of the Old World approach to eating that I’ll discuss in my next post. Whether you call it French Paradox, he Mediterranean Mystery, or the Benefits of Mindful Eating, the amazing result of this balanced attitude toward food is living proof that great ideas never die—they simply get reinvented.