It seems like the two biggest problem areas on women as most women can attest to are the outer thighs and the belly area. These are the most common complaints I hear personally.  The third is probably flabby and fatter upper arms (this has long been a complaint of my own, as well as my outer thighs which always seem to have a mind of their own even when I’m at my thinnest).

So why are outer thighs such a problem for us?  Well, studies have shown that this is one of the key places a woman’s body wants to store fat.  It has something to do with us being child bearing creatures, but I don’t recall exactly why the outer thighs use of fat would come in handy for women with children. Wouldn’t it slow them down if nothing else?

On a positive note, studies have also shown that women who carry extra fat in this area of their body tend to also exhibit more intelligence. Yay! I must be a VERY intelligent woman   All kidding aside though, the reason cited in this study was that this is also where your body tends to store a lot of the omega 3 fatty acids that you get in your diet.

These fatty acids have been linked to the functionality of the brain, which may explain the link between higher intelligence and cognitive function and more thigh fat.

Outer thighs are a struggle for women because this fat is very hard to get rid of without a serious change in diet. You really can’t zap it with exercise alone. You have to have a a diet that is also conducive to reducing the fatty tissue in this area as well.

Ideally the diet needs to be somewhat low in fat, although you should always consume an abundance of omega 3 fats. It should also contain a great deal of naturally fibrous foods such as broccoli, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes and the like. This is because natural, whole fiber in foods helps flush our bodies of the bad fats and sugars that we take in.

These unhealthy fats and sugars as well as excess carbs all get deposited as extra fat in our saddle bag area, giving us that infamous look that every woman loathes of having a travel bag on each side of our thighs. Not fun.

You can perform many exercises for the outer thighs as well that will help tone the underlying muscle and pull in the appearance of the thighs, but the diet is very important if you want to target reduce this area of your body.

As we age, there are of course a variety of undesirable things that happen not only to our physical appearance, but also to our mental facilities. As with most everything else age-related though, there are many ways you can help slow the inevitable process of aging, and even to help reverse some of the not so grand signs of aging.

One of the things that men and women alike complain about as they get older is that their muscle mass seems much more difficult to maintain. At the same time, fatty tissue builds more easily on the body as our levels of HGH, or Human Growth Hormone start to wane.  The one-two combination of higher levels of fatty tissue and less muscle mass really does a number on our bodies – and our ego.

But what about the likes of people who never seem to age and seem to retain muscle mass and be able to successfully keep a lot of fat from forming on the body? Well, they likely not only eat the right diet, but also take part in the right combinations of exercise that will help them to maintain that muscular, lean look.

There are also supplements that can help you build lean muscle as well as help keep fat storage to a minimum.  One of them is Nitric oxide, which a lot of body builders use to help them get that pumped muscle look that they typically have, and to help minimize body fat storage.

Combining supplements, a high protein low fat diet and very little carbs will also give you the lean, mean look as well. Just performing high impact short burst exercises makes your body go into overdrive when it comes to natural HGH production, so simply getting those high intensity, shorter workouts in a couple times a week will help your body get that look you desire.

Also getting the proper amount of sleep with help with maintaining muscle mass while decreasing body fat since one of the main times your body repairs itself and its muscle tissues and pumps out human growth hormone is in the deeper stages of REM sleep.

Recent studies have shown that eating a fatty diet can actually cause injury to your brain.  The injury to the brain from a highly fatty diet doesn’t just occur gradually over time.  According to these studies, the change takes place within 24 hours of eating a high fat diet.

These damaging alterations in the brain happens in humans and in rodents.  One area of the brain that suffers serious consequences with inflammation and injury is the hypothalamus.

This is of particular significance since the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls weight.  If the hypothalamus suffers structural damage, it will not be able to function properly in individuals who have always eaten high fat diets and continue to do so.

This gives scientific reasoning to back up why certain people try so many diets and exercise that may give them only minimal short term results of some weight loss.  Then, without a concerted effort, they return to their “pre-diet” weight.

The hypothesis from the study findings is that this “preset” weight that certain obese individuals keep returning to is caused by fundamental changes in the brain.  The obese person’s energy balance has been altered by a lifetime of consuming an unhealthy high fat diet.

This study and it’s findings will hopefully make people even more aware of the health ramifications of persisting to eat a high fat diet.  Also of importance, is changing children’s diets to a lower fat, healthier choice type of nutritional intake.

Obesity is epidemic in this country and it tops the list of health concerns.  It is such a severe health issue that it is prioritized above concerns over heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes.

Changing eating habits for the entire family off of the “junk” food, fast food and all high fat choices is so necessary.  Parents should make sure there are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources available for the whole family. These choices should be made in the grocery store aisle to begin with.

Food preparation methods should be reviewed for fat content.  Tasty recipes should be used to supply filling, satisfying meals using low fat choices.  Instead of fats for sauces and moisture to a meal, low fat selections can include using low fat yogurts in place of sour cream and vegetable bases using tomatoes with lots of herbs for seasoning.

Your family will start craving these foods once they are all accustomed to it.  One healthy choice, with all this awareness, will lead to another, until it becomes a lifestyle change.

Jennifer Aniston has long been the envy of women across the world for it’s incredibly toned appearance. She also tends to look very long and lean even though she’s a fairly petite woman, clocking in by some accounts at just 5’5″, which is shorter than what she looks like on film or in pictures.

Even past 40, she has maintained the lean physique of a twenty year old, and many women are clamoring to keep their bodies that fit and toned looking after they pass that magical age of 40, which seems to be a marker of fabulousness if you look even better than you did ten to fifteen years ago when you hit this age as a woman.

I must admit, in some ways I’m looking forward to hitting forty, just to see how well my body holds up. I do take care of myself, I try to eat healthy, and I’ve been working out since I was fourteen years old, so I’m curious to see how father time treats me when I start to really get up there in years.

Jen Aniston has notoriously followed a strict diet of avoiding excessive carbs and also has been very disciplined in maintaining a good workout regimen. She has been an avid runner as well as a yoga devotee, but she also has said she sprinkles other fitness activities in there too.

Like anyone else, she would have to keep it interesting and fun to keep working out at a pace that will keep her looking this great.  Many envy her toned, tanned arms, including myself since my arms have always been a source of frustration for me.

She has even said in past interviews that she’s not taking any magical pills, but it’s just good, old fashioned exercise and diet that has kept her looking so youthful and radiant for all these years. 

I love that she says that. She’s not one of these actresses who looks fabulous but says she eats crap all day and never likes to work out. I’d love to smack women in the public eye that say stuff like that – it sends such a bad message to other women around the globe!