![First Published in 2014 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc Copyright 2014 Stefani - photo 2](/uploads/posts/book/101990/images/00002.jpg)
First Published in 2014 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.
Copyright 2014 Stefani Ruper
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 13: 9781628600292
The information included in this book is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information in this book does not create a physician-patient relationship.
Victory Belt is a registered trademark of Victory Belt Publishing Inc.
RRD0114
For Dorothy
Table of Contents
Foreword
by J. J. Virgin
My client, looking exasperated, pointed to the endless containers of fat-free yogurt as we strolled through her local health-food store. You mean to tell me I ate this nasty stuff that tastes like wallpaper paste for years and its not even healthy?
Within her reaction I heard equal parts frustration and joy: she realized that while manufacturers and so-called experts had misled her, she neednt ever again endure those awful-tasting health-food impostors.
If youre like most women Ive worked with over my nearly three decades as a celebrity nutritionist and fitness expert, youve played by the rules, yet you struggle to get or stay lean and healthy. Youve religiously followed the healthy nutrition guidelines: fat-free yogurt, low-fat cheese, artificial sweetener or agave in your lite latte, whole-grain goodness, and soy everything.
That plan isnt working. It never worked. And its not your fault.
Its not because youre genetically doomed or not working hard enough. Youre a smart, focused woman who has simply followed the wrong set of guidelines.
Myth-buster is a role I frequently play in my job. Every time I start to think that were headed in the right direction when it comes to understanding nutrition and optimal health, I read an article in a womens magazine by some so-called expert making some boneheaded, completely inaccurate assertion about what to eat or how to exercise.
Savvy manufacturers, eager to pimp their healthy foods, only add to the confusion as they profit financially even as your health takes a direct hit. It would be comical if the repercussions werent so tragic. As our waistlines expand, so too do diabetes, heart disease, and other killers.
Being a myth-buster is a tiring, never-ending job. Thankfully, Im not alone in this endeavor. In her new book, Sexy by Nature, Stefani Ruper tackles numerous nutrition fallacies that steal our sexy and sabotage our health. Among these are low-calorie diets, low-fat diets, vegetarian diets, soy-rich foods, and MyPlate (formerly known as the Food Pyramid). Any of those sound familiar? They dont work, theyve never worked, and the only thing theyve succeeded in doing is making us fat and sick.
So how do you eat? Well, Ruper shows you that, too, providing an easy-to-implement blueprint that incorporates a whole-foods, evolutionary approach that kept humans healthy, lean, and active for millennia. Your body will thrive on these same nutrient-rich, satisfying foods today and will stay lean and sexy for life.
Ruper combines science-based research with an informative, entertaining style that will help you put her strategies into action immediately. She takes all the guesswork out of becoming lean and healthy by telling you not only what to eat, but how, how much, and when. Sexy by Nature is like having a sassy, super-smart nutritionist take you gently but firmly by the hand and lead you to wiser decisions.
Any good health expert knows that optimal health goes beyond food. Hormonal imbalances, inflammation, stress, lack of sleep, and a wrecked metabolism all contribute to making you gain fat, making you feel lousy, and crashing your libido. Ruper tackles all these issues and provides a hands-on plan to help you look and feel more vibrant and sexy.
Rupers underlying premise is that if you love your body, it will love you back. Sounds simple enough, yet why do so many women struggle with this idea? Sexy by Nature provides a no-nonsense, tough-love approach about how to love and nourish your body. No matter what your age or current condition, you have the tools to regain optimal health, vigor, and joie de vivre.
You neednt surrender to low libido, fatigue, crankiness, or that unflattering muffin top as you grow older. Sexy by Nature is a comprehensive, fun-to-read blueprint for optimal female health. Within these pages lies a powerful, effective set of rules to change your health and your life.
Introduction
What Is Sexy?
In 2012, Maxim magazine declared 39-year-old actress Sofia Vergara the sexiest woman alive. I remember the shock I felt when I read the article. I wasnt surprised that they found her physicality sexyVergaras hourglass shape puts the little timekeeper in my Pictionary box to shamebut I was caught off-guard by the rest of the magazines reasons. Maxim emphasized Vergaras maturity, outrageous personality, sense of humor, and boldness as important reasons for finding her sexy. Society sometimes does things right, I thought. High-fives for everybody. I ended that day with a skip in my step and woke the next day refreshed from happy dreams.
This morning, I conducted a thorough Internet search to dig up that article. I wanted to start this book with a grand overture to the power of personality in Vergaras sex appeal. Even more importantly, I wanted to explore how her personality had won over even Maxims male voters. That would be a lovely way to demonstrate the rich depth that underlies societys ideas about sex appeal, I thought. Why not give credit where credit is due? I sat down with Google at 7:45 a.m., and it is now 9:41. The closest thing I have found to what I remember reading is a quote Vergara gave to Maxim about never wanting to get a breast reduction. Not quite the inspirational pick-me-up I was looking for.
Obviously, there are a lot of things wrong with the way we do sexy these days. The idea of women as sex objects has been deeply ingrained in our consciousness for a very long time. This is not a good thing. It is, in fact, a Very. Bad. Thing. It dehumanizes us. It turns violence against us. It destroys our self-esteem and makes us compete with one another over the most trivial things. I hate the idea of women being sex objects with fiery passionas much as, if not much more than, any other bra-burning feminist I know.
But I also know that our culture values more in the realm of sex appeal than it appears at first horrifying glance. It is the skin we live in, but not just the skin we live in. I did at some point read glorious reviews of Vergaras personality with regard to her sex appeal. I also know that Tina Fey was elected to the lists of the Top 99 Sexiest Women of 2012 by AskMen.com and the 50 Hottest Women on Television by Ugo.com. I know that millions of people defend Adeles sex appeal not just because of her heartbreaking melodies but also because of her fierce pride and empowered embodiment.