The Whole Body Rule

Don't overthink it. Naturally improving any part of your body likely feels like the one who got away. You stared longingly into space yearning for that one person who ignites such passion and desire in your____, whenever you think of that relationship that ended a decade or more ago. 

This isn't like that. I promise.

​We live in a society that conditions us to be dissatisfied with where we are in life and who we are. This leaves us vulnerable to Big Brand which wants to sell, sell, sell. 

Most ads use the same formula in marketing products they tell us we will pay a discounted rate for their quality product or service. 
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Our behavior is so reliable that Big Brand has it down to the science: sell in X seconds or the odds of a sale decrease, advertise with X color to communicate a particular feeling. It's genius how they've applied studies of human behavior to generate huge profits. After all of the product purchases we are still dissatisfied, and Big Brand wants us to believe that the answer is to purchase more. We keep buying, they keep selling. No one knows which is the chicken and which is the egg. 

Here's the thing, the United States is a capitalist society: good quality isn't cheap, fast and cheap isn't good quality - with few exceptions. For example: I could either pay thousands of dollars to an expert website developer to create this site or I could pay a lesser annual fee by using a website formatting and hosting service. (I chose option two. The headache was immediate. This site did not live up to its sales promises. There were hiccups: features touted to increase sales did not work as promised and of course  there  were constant up sells. In the future, I would rather pay a site developer to create a website.)

I'm not an anti-capitalist. In fact, business, investments, and human behavior are among the courses I studied and apply to manage my brands and transact business. But, I don't take short cuts. My brands operate on a core set of business ethics. The U.S. business world severely penalizes my gender for missteps, so I have to provide a superior service to that of male business operators to achieve the same result. If a woman errs, she's seen as incompetent and the consequences are disastrous for her career and reputation. If a man errs, he's seen as a risk taker, brave, and an asset to a business. 

So, we're dissatisfied with an area of our body. What do we do? We work on it. Naturally. The person who believed the hype and went with the implants, injections, fillers, and surgical enhancements is not happy. Surgical enhancement leads a person to discover yet another area of the body that needs to be improved. There are no shortcuts. Cosmetic surgery is not a cure for body dissatisfaction. The surgery only treats a symptom. 

The cure for body dissatisfaction is to work on your body naturally. Unlike the one who got away, there are several active and passive behaviors that you can implement to improve areas of your body - and you are in complete control of the end result. You can tone your butt and get the perky cheeks you want by adjusting your behavior. And the positive feedback you are giving your body and mind by investing in yourself will definitely increase body satisfaction. 

I want you to leave this post with a targeted strategy that places your individual body concerns at the center, That is what is going to lead to real results and increased body satisfaction for you. Make it all about you. That is how you increase body satisfaction - target, plan, execute the plan, and you will find satisfaction in what you have accomplished. 

I apply The Whole Body Rule to my personal care routine, and it helps me make better product, fitness, health, and lifestyle choices. Before I try a new product or method I ask: "is there a danger to other body parts?"  Following this rule, I avoid quick-dry nail polish sprays, microwaves, reusable plastic water bottles, Japanese hair straightening, and so on. I don't want a product that addresses one concern while creating a new problem or increasing danger to another part of my body. 

In action, The Whole Body Rule looks like this: I have a ritual I follow for taking care of my (butt) cheeks before bed. It cleanses, tones, protects, adds antioxidants, moisturizes, smells amazing - and can also be used for my face. I use 

• organic aloe vera leaf 
• apple cider vinegar, and
• a cooled-down cup of green tea.  

I mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with the green tea, and I saturate my bath sponge with the mix along with my preferred bath soap. Then I wash as normal. I never turn away an opportunity to pamper my skin, which includes adding antioxidants, removing unwanted bacteria, and nourishing it with products that tone, protect, and moisturize. Note that these ingredients are in my kitchen and are safe to ingest. (These ingredients are also part of my regular diet.) This is a body cleansing ritual. (For more ideas about how to use apple cider vinegar, read our post Grin and Bare it.)

The green tea and apple cider vinegar keeps my derriere free of pimples and other unwanted, unsightly, and avoidable conditions. After I rinse, I apply the aloe and my moisturizer. You or your lover should slowly massage the moisturizer in. (I discuss moisturizers in a separate post. Massage does wonders for maintaining elasticity of the skin, and it feels great.)

This recipe uses antioxidants, an antibacterial astringent, and nourishing aloe on your cheeks before going to sleep - the time that the body does the bulk of its healing and restoration. This is a small change to something you already do (bathing) that will improve the look and feel of your cheeks. You can maximize the benefits of this routine by pairing it with either dry brushing or exfoliating. I also like to rinse in cool water after bathing to close my pores.

Of course there are several products on the market that claim to provide the same benefits as my ritual - and with visible results from the day one. But - you'd need a specialized advanced degree to understand the ingredients you'd be putting on your skin and the effect that they can have on normal body processes like fertility. There are no shortcuts. (It isn't a coincidence that incidence of cancer, infertility, and disease are up.) Are you slowly poisoning yourself with the products you choose? What is your health worth?

Today, I enjoy the most firm, tone, and healthy skin of my life - without cosmetic surgery or harmful products. Going natural is a commitment not an instant cure for prior neglect of the body, but the internal and external results are visible and undeniable. 
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Tip: store the green tea bag in the refrigerator. This makes for a refreshing pre-moisturizer eye compress the next morning. 

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