By Glynis Salmon, ContributorSO LIFE continues, and with it the pain of death and the joys of life and living. May I thank you all for your kind expressions of condolences to me and my family at the recent passing of my dear father, the one and only 'Sheriff' of Balaclava, St. Elizabeth. He was a wonderful man who loved and lived life well and helped so many others to enjoy it to the fullest. He will be missed, but his life and legacy will continue to be celebrated.
In the crush and rush of it all, you will understand that my diet didn't stand a chance. Not that I gorged myself or anything like that. It's just that I did not apply enough care to really care too much about what I ate or when I ate. So a little roast breadfruit got mixed in with my ackee and a little white rice with my curry - on top of which, with the best will in the world, with the heat of summer upon us all, I must confess to more than a little sugar getting away into what should really have been plain water to quench my thirst.
GETTING RID OF FAT
So the upshot of it is that I may have regained a few pounds I had previously lost. But frankly, I know I can sweat off the small stuff with a little dance exercise. I believe in the Atkins diet enough, and have enjoyed the proof of the weight reducing efficacy of the Atkins way of eating to know that I can just pick my spirit up, apply my will, dust every gram of sugar urge out of my mind, remove my mouth from every carbohydrate temptation, and make it protein all the way to slimness glory, any time I want to which is now.
But how are you all doing anyway? I really missed writing and talking with you and from your e-mail enquiries I know I was missed too. Which, of course, is always good to know. My ample friends must all be sweating from the weight of all this sweltering heat. Like me, you are probably impatient with yourself for allowing your mouth to be fed with temptations that have got between your body and your bikini.
My dears, the excess of fat notwithstanding, it is all I can do not to rip off my clothes and maybe, for decency's sake only, barely sheath my body in a cotton-light wrap and allow my skin to be coolly caressed by any stray breeze that passes my way through the course of the day. 'Cause me a tell you, it HOT! HOT! HOTTT! You know, perhaps I should put all social qualms aside and become a fatty-hottie, and let it all hang out in my bid to be cool.
WATER, WATER,
AND MORE WATER
The big question I get from everyone about the Atkins diet is, "So what do you do when you want to cool down with a drink?"
I tell them I drink water, water, and more water warm water; hot water; cold water; ice with cold water; water with lemon and lime juice; water with a drop or two of Angostura bitters; water with mint; water with ginger. You get the picture.
Believe me, nothing satisfies the thirst more or flush the system better than pure water. If you feel you're going to die if you don't have something sweet and fizzy, you can have a Diet Coke or Pepsi. For another kind of sweet drink you can invest in a package of Crystal Light powdered beverage. But trust me man, water is the best.
Although the Atkins Diet says that you can eat any amount of protein meat, fish, cheese, eggs, etc. you don't want to kill off yourself with too much of it and give Dr. Atkins and his diet a bad name. Since I've got to really understand the Atkins Diet and truly appreciate the principle of the thing, I realise that I don't have to 'bust a gut' with eating meat for the diet to work. So I just eat normal-sized portions. When the time is hot, like now, I try to avoid heavy meats like pork and beef and stick to fish, cheese and lots of vegetables, especially cabbage and cho-cho.
M'dears, the other day when I was in Balaclava I nyam up some pork (I come from a family of staunch pork lovers) and see ya, is like the pork transmogrify itself into a boar, the sow and a whole litter of pigs, having a whale of a time in my stomach for days on end. Together with the heat and my distended, pork-filled stomach, I was a most uncomfortable little piggy-wiggy myself. So stick to the lighter side of feasting this summer. It will pay dividends in a flat and comfortable stomach.
Although I have regained a few pounds and am nowhere near slim as yet, my dear, the little weight I had lost quite freed up my mind and liberated me from the mentally imprisoning yards of cloth and with it the suggestion of flab, I carried around. You should see me in my shorts an' ting. See me in my halter-back (albeit in the house). I have become fashionable in a slimming illusion of wearing less cloth and closer fitting clothes. Mind you, there is still nothing more comfortable to me than a big old shirt or muu-muu. Every now and again, in spite of my resolve not to be caught dead in same, you woulda dead wid disappointment to catch me a palaver in some of those clothes. The point is though, slim, fat or indifferent, free up yourself this summer and let your body breathe a little in less clothes. And let me dis-clothes a little secret, what you wear or do not wear in the privacy of your own home, is all your business. Life is too short. Enjoy yourself.
It is good to be back with you. Alive and well... slimmish? Love God, love yourself, love others, be happy. Peace.
Glynis Salmon is a
publishing executive and communications specialist. E-mail thebigescape@yahoo.com or lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.
