Get Fit & Healthy to Attract Your Soul Mate

February is the month of L-O-V-E, and everywhere we turn, we are reminded that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. TV commercials push teddy bears, candy, pajamas, flowers, and cards. And shop windows are decorated to the hilt, making it impossible to forget that you do or don’t have a Valentine.

If you don’t have a Valentine, the pressure can be overwhelming. Society tells us that we must be part of a couple—it’s what’s expected of us. Worrying about society’s expectations will make you crazy, but I am convinced that deep down everyone is hoping to find true love.

As a matchmaker, I know it can be challenging for people to connect with the right person. You must “get out there” some how, either in person or online, and boy, the competition can be fierce. One way to up your odds of connecting with a soul mate is feeling and looking the best you possibly can. I have interviewed thousands of singles in my decade of matchmaking, and one trait that everyone desires in a partner is a person who takes care of himself or herself and is healthy and fit. I read that 66% of Americans are overweight or obese. If your ideal partner is in that category, you’re search may be much easier. If not…you might want to take stock of yourself and decide if you are what a healthy and fit person is seeking.

Since men are visual creatures, it only makes sense that when it comes to plunking down thousands of dollars for a matchmaking service they would choose one that offers good-looking, slender women. It’s similar to offering women the choice of either meeting successful men or men who are flat broke and struggling. Still, I meet women who have a hard time accepting the fact that their looks are the first thing a man is interested in. But no man is going to approach a woman who he does not find attractive and say, “Hi, my name is Jim. You look like you have a beautiful soul and a brilliant mind. Would you like to have dinner sometime?”

Men are hardwired to respond to visual cues, and there is nothing that any of us can do about that. It’s the reason that advertising agencies hire gorgeous models to sell everything from cosmetics, shampoo, cars, clothing, perfume—even hamburgers.

The way we look greatly affects our ability to attract and keep a partner. A man knows if he is physically interested in a woman within the first three minutes of meeting her. For men, attraction occurs on a biological level—he wants to know that he can successfully pass on his genes, which is why men generally are attracted to younger women. For women, the man that is most attractive tends to be the one who can provide food, shelter, and care for a family, which is why women are often attracted to older men. In the dating game, staying slim and trim is probably the most important thing that you can do to help ensure that you will attract a man and keep him interested once you do.

It’s about far more than looks for vanity’s sake—the benefits of staying in shape cover all aspects of a woman’s life. You want to enjoy a long and active relationship with your soul mate when you find him—that should be impetus enough!

More importantly, staying slim and trim is also one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Did you know that high blood pressure is twice as common in overweight people, or that your risk of arthritis increases 9-13% for every 2 pounds of weight you gain, or that gaining as little as 11-18 pounds doubles your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, or that women who gain more than 20 pounds between the age of 18 and midlife double their risk of developing breast cancer after menopause?

Of course, you don’t want to obsess about your weight endlessly, or beat yourself up about extra pounds. I’m sure you all know one of those women who are the size of a twig but still think they’re fat. You know, the ones who make everybody miserable with picky ordering at restaurants and refusing to ever eat a real meal. Puh-leeeze! Looking and feeling healthy, fit, strong, and sexy is the goal to aspire to.

Healthy eating can definitely be a challenge for women on the go, but it can be done with some planning. I try to stick to Deepak Chopra’s advice:  “Avoid eating anything with a label on it.”

Here are some helpful tips that are inexpensive and easy to insert into anyone’s lifestyle. I recommend you give them a try (if you’re not doing them already).

• Invest in a juicer and make wonderful fresh vegetable and fruit juices right at home. There are many on the market for under $100.
• Drink plenty of filtered water, at least 6-8 glasses a day. Sodas of any kind are terrible for your health and should be cut out of your diet.
• Drink green tea daily. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called catechins that have been shown to fight viruses, slow aging, reduce high blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and help prevent cancer. Green tea also boosts the immune system and helps prevent tooth decay.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Incorporate olive oil into your diet.
• If you want to sweeten coffee, cereal, smoothies and so on, skip the refined sugar and use stevia instead. Stevia can be purchased at any health food store. It’s sweeter than sugar and contains zero calories.
• Cut animal products out of your diet. They are loaded with saturated fats, hormones, and antibiotics. If you don’t feel that you can cut animal products out completely, try cutting down to a couple of times per week. Your body and the animals will thank you.
•  Eat a handful of Goji berries everyday. You can buy them at any health food store. The Goji berry is a complete protein loaded with 18 amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids. They contain over 20 trace minerals and vitamins including iron, zinc, copper, B complex, vitamin C and E.

Slowly making healthy and smart changes will get you, and keep you, on the road to looking and feeling great, which of course will result in attracting a soul mate!

 

Tagged as: dating, fitness, Health, match making, romance, soul mate, Valentine's Day, wellness, women's health