The tummy task…

Today I’d like to discuss an issue that affects me on a very personal level. Like many of you, my postpartum tummy appearance has been brutally distorted over the course of two pregnancies. The skin texture is rippled and wrinkly, there’s a combination of stretch marks/discolored skin, and to top it off underneath this 2” layer of excess skin is a flat stomach that I worked very hard to acquire.  When I first started putting together the Abdominal Connections 6 Step Program I knew that superficial skin texture was one of the hurdles I’ll need to conquer. To find a solution I’d have to get down to the basics: the science of skin.

The trouble with skin…

My research always brought me back to the skin’s primary building block, Collagen. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that’s manufactured by the body, for the body. It’s not only responsible for skin cells but in fact every connective tissue in the human body is held together with the assistance of collagen; collagen makes about a third of our body’s protein content. It is essential for superficial tummy skin repair but also for the repair of damaged connective tissue or the “Linea Alba” (the Linea Alba is the dense connective tissue that connects the two sides of the Rectus Abdominis together). So how do we get this infinitely important super protein to assist in repairing my unsightly belly and Diastasis, effectively targeting both the inside and the outside? We need to give collagen production a boost. Being a naturalist I went straight to herbs. As luck would have it there are more than a handful of herbs that are known to stabilize collagen and accelerate its production.

To the farm!

In my herbal research I came across a small family-run farm in Ontario that manufactures natural body products. All the ingredients are grown and processed on the farm and hand blended into brilliant formulae’s that range anywhere from bruise reducing creams, to chest congestion cream to Shaving lotion all using herbals that are farmed, cultivated, and harvested on the premises. I contacted the farm and immediately fell in love with their process. “From farm to table” takes on a whole new meaning “from farm to tummy”. Brenda and I became very well acquainted, I described the details of skin damage due to pregnancy and the complications associated with skin repair and Diastasis, and she shared the miracles of Herbalism with me, including how certain herbs in her formulas have proven to help the appearance of permanent scars of burn victims. Over the course of several months we worked together to formulate a recipe of natural herbs and butters that help improve the texture and condition of damaged abdominal skin. I couldn’t be happier with the end result. It’s really important to me to have an all-natural, chemical- and preservative-free moisturizer, especially around my kids. They react so strongly to harsh perfumes and oily balms. FYI, in winter when their eczema flairs up I totally use it on them. It’s awesome for their sensitive skin.

Burn baby burn

…. And finally we come to the harsh reality. Cardio baby. You heard me.

Here’s the deal, Visualize 3 layers of tummy, the most superficial being the damaged or loose tummy skin, the inside layer being the abdominal muscles, and a layer of fat that’s sandwiched in between. Cardio is the catalyst. By implementing a targeted focused abdominal workout and combining it with diet and cardio, the middle layer of fat slowly burns away bringing the superficial tummy skin and abdominal muscles closer together and revealing a tighter and more defined stomach. Yay!!!