Flat Belly Challenge

#flatbellychallenge

I need a break from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Do not get me wrong, I love taking advantage of the sale and sharing all of my favorite finds with you but it does tend to consume me, social media and the blog! Instead, I thought I would share something a bit different today. So different that I not even sure how I would categorize it! Health, beauty, style tip? Maybe the category is personal because starting tomorrow, I am going to personally engage in a 30 day flat belly challenge.

Flat Belly Challenge

Is the flat belly challenge the result of some hot Hollywood craze or latest health trend? Nope! It is the result of me trying to take action on something that has been haunting me for about a year now! I seem to be on the cusp of approaching the peri-menopausal stage of my life and as a result, my hormones are having a field day! I’m not noticing hormonal havoc so much in my moods or emotions but rather in my body!

For the first time in my life, I have a stomach. To the point where I feel and look like I am about four months pregnant. Where is this coming from? I exercise regularly, I only enjoy a drink on occasion and I eat relatively healthy! Everywhere else on my body seems to be hanging in there! I have been to my doctor and told this is all “normal” part of my hormonal changes. While this might be a “normal” part of where I am in life, I am never one to settle for an answer I do not like. I therefore have set up a challenge to try and get my flat belly back!

A Half a Gallon of Water a Day

We all probably need to drink more water throughout the day. Between exercising, the summer heat and drinking caffeine, I do not spend enough time replenishing my body with water. Water is so important for the body! It is important for circulation, digestion and eliminating toxins. It also helps reduce swelling and bloating in the body. Therefore I am upping my water intake. I am holding myself accountable to drinking 64 ounces of water a day. That equates to eight, 8 oz glasses of water or a half a gallon.

Dairy Free Diet

I have drastically reduced the amount of dairy I consumed this past year. Dairy can be a major source of intestinal distress if your body can no longer tolerate lactose. I used to snack on cheese and yogurt throughout the day. However, I found I was not feeling great, not digesting it well, and was experiencing the start of this bloating so I made a change. With that said, I still sprinkle cheese on a salad, add creamer to my coffee and have one large cappuccino a day! I need to completely eliminate dairy from my diet to see if digesting these products only aide and add to my bloating.

Of course it is important to note that too much sodium can be a major contributor to water retention and bloating. I do not eat a lot of processed foods which are often the cause of added sodium intake.  However I tend to graze on my fair share of tortilla chips so I plan to go salt free with these as well.

Avoid Xenoestrogens

Xeno what? Xenoestrogens are found in the products we use every day and can often interrupt the way our body functions. Specifically, they have the ability to mimic are natural hormones, like estrogen. Anytime xenoestrogens enter the body they are increasing our total amount of estrogen in it, which can lead to hormonal imbalances. With all these hormonal changes I am experiencing, I need to keep my “natural” hormones in balance as much as possible! Avoiding products that contain xenoestrogens in my everyday beauty products I have made a part of this challenge. This includes avoiding all products with parabens, benzophenone and 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, the latter two often found in sunscreen.

So there you have it. I am by no means a health expert but I thought through trial and error I would try and find ways to help alleviate this bloating.  My regularly broadcast blog posts will be retuning to normal now but I thought it would be fun to share with you something a little more personal and different. I of course will provide some updates and a conclusion to this 3o day flat belly challenge along the way!

You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest 

Thanks for stopping by!

L, M

 

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