Jennifer Ashton M.D. Ob-Gyn - Your Body Beautiful: Clockstopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong, and Sexy in Your 30s, 40s,and Beyond

YOUR BODY BEAUTIFUL

YOUR BODY BEAUTIFUL

Clockstopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong, and Sexy in Your 30s, 40s, and Beyond

Jennifer Ashton, M.D.

with Christine Rojo

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Copyright 2012 by Jennifer Ashton, M.D.

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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EISBN: 9781101554135

Printed in the United States of America

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BOOK DESIGN BY MEIGHAN CAVANAUGH

Neither the publisher nor the authors are engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the authors nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

While the authors have made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the authors assume any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Reuben Zemel:

extraordinary surgeon, incredible teacher, kind friend, and

the first person who encouraged me to pursue my dream of

combining my love of medicine and my love of writing

N ot long ago, I spotted Jennifer Lopez at the grocery store. No, she wasnt in line with me at a New Jersey Stop & Shop, waiting to pay for her kids Pull-Ups. She was on the cover of People magazines Most Beautiful People issue.

I admit it: I couldnt wait to see who else made the list. As I flipped through, gazing enviously at the twelve gorgeous women in the issue, I noticed something shockingand fabulous. Almost every single woman in those pages, with just a few exceptions, was in her thirties or forties (or even older!): J-Lo, forty-one; Sandra Bullock, forty-six; Dana Delany, fifty-five!

I was thrilled when I saw thisand its not just because Im forty-two! Its because the world has finally realized something that Ive noticed for years in my medical practice as an ob-gyn. Many, many of my patients look (and feel) much better in their thirties and forties than they did in their twenties. The truth is, if you treat your body right, your thirties and forties can be your strongest, sexiest, most beautiful decades. Even better, the exact same habits that keep you healthy, strong, and sexy in your thirties and forties also lay the foundation for a lifetime of health and beauty, inside and out.

Its easy to overlook what a monumental realization this is. For as long as the modern media have been around, twenty-something women have gotten all the buzz. Everyone was supposed to look like they were under thirty. Even doctors werent that interested in women after their late twenties, when they were theoretically done having babies (boy, thats changed!). After the last baby and before the first hot flash was a medical no-mans-land, when doctors put their patients on medical autopilot and didnt pay much attention to their health.

But today, for the very first time in history, the world in general, and doctors especially, are realizing that the thirties and forties are transformative decades for women. I dont just mean that these can be a womans most beautiful years (although thats certainly true). Today, women in their thirties, forties, and beyond have more energy, vitality, and success than younger women. Consider this: When Forbes published a list of the worlds fifty most powerful women in 2010, the vast majority, from Michelle Obama to Oprah, were in their forties or older.

Its no coincidence that the world is finally recognizing the incredible power of the thirties and forties in womens lives. In the past few years, new medical research has shown that these decades are the make-or-break years for health and beauty. If youre in your thirties or forties, you stand at a critical crossroads: You can put yourself on autopilot, because youre understandably preoccupied with work and family and too busy to pay much attention to your own health. Or, you can commit to building a specific set of habits, affecting how you eat, exercise, handle stress, and care for your skin, hair, and body. If you put in the work to develop these habits now, you can lay the foundation for a lifetime of health, strength, and physical and emotional beauty.

Thats why I wrote this book. I want to take you step-by-step through a program to build the habits that will transform the rest of your life and keep your body beautiful, inside and out, for decades to come.

THE BODY BEAUTIFUL PHILOSOPHY

The thirties and forties are transformative decades. The habits you build now will lay the foundation for your health and beauty for the rest of your life.

The Magic of Habits

Im the first to admit that the thirties and forties are a crazy period, between work, family, friends, pets, and everything else. Believe me, I know. I have two kids, two dogs, a husband with a demanding job, my own medical practice, and daily TV appearances as a medical correspondent. So I understand why my patients look at me like Im nuts when I tell them they need to create a new set of eating, fitness, and stress-management habits. Who has the time? they ask me.

I answer: Who doesnt? Youre too busy not to have healthy habits. The beauty of habits is that theyre automatic. Once youve put in the work to develop them, they take care of themselves. They save time and effort because you dont have to think about them. Good health becomes a no-brainer. You automatically pick healthier foods. Your family takes it for granted that youre going out for a bike ride first thing in the morning. Your coworkers dont schedule you for lunchtime meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays because they know thats when you hit the gym. These habits make you healthy, strong, and sexy in your thirties and forties