Love Yourself Into Good Health & Great Shape – Poko Pano Swimwear, Spring 2010

Sexy Brazilian swimwear line Poko Pano shares their Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami collection here on Solessence.

Looking at the stunning array of 15 styles, I asked Amy Snyder Hackbart if she would provide a few tips for getting swimsuit sexy. Amy came back with something even better – a “Love Yourself” guide, a reminder that being fit by being healthy is the sexiest look of all.
Styles, L to R – Isabelle, Murango, Parker

Love Yourself Enough to Embrace Your Assets

• No one loves everything about their body. It’s true. Whether young, old, famous, infamous, thin, not-so-thin – EVERY woman has something about themselves they don’t like. Accept that this is okay and that you are not alone in your dissatisfaction about whatever body part it is, and you’ll feel better about yourself – truly you will.

• Find one part of yourself you are satisfied with. Once you’ve made peace with your imperfections, it is kind of nice to also find at least one thing about yourself you like. It could be your toes, or your hair, or your waist or your shoulders, but find something and then focus on it. Lavish praise upon this part you like– and maybe slowly you can become friends with the other parts that aren’t your favorites.

• Enhance the parts you like. Learn to dress to enhance the part or parts you like best. This is true at work, play, at the beach or in the snow. There are SO many designs and styles of apparel available, there is certain to be a dress, shirt, skirt or swim suit style that helps you enhance the parts you like so you feel better about yourself as you are today. Once you gain the confidence that comes from showing off what you like about yourself, deciding to take care of the rest of you seems only natural.

Styles, L to R – Jayne, Hope, Sophia

Love Yourself Enough to Eat Right

• Give up Fast Food. Period. There is no such thing as healthy fast food. It is as empty a calorie as cookies and chips only with tons of fats, preservatives and fillers. You deserve better, so eat that way!! Shower yourself with fresh fruits, nuts, lean meats, fish, veggies, cheese (yes cheese!) and you won’t miss that nutritionally deficient fast food filler.

• Clean out your cupboards. Like cleaning out your closet of clothes you no longer wear, cleaning out your cupboard of chips, cookies, cakes, pies, pretzels etc. will help you stay on track. Instead replace these nutritionally empty snack foods with better choices. Since no one is perfect, if you do get the urge to splurge, try to limit your intake of these types of foods to ‘special occasion’ single serving sizes – and try to eat just one.

• c. Drink water or tea instead of juice, soda or alcohol. By keeping your body well-hydrated, you are allowing it to operate with maximum efficiency allowing you to burn more calories and digest foods more efficiently. Hydration is crucial, but what you use to keep hydrated is just as important – fruit juices, alcohol and even soda are full of sugars that your body metabolizes as FAT. Diet soda is just as bad – it is all chemicals that still cause your body to read the artificial sweeteners as sugar that create FAT. Get bored of water and tea? Buy naturally flavored sparkling water, or buy plain and flavor it yourself with lemons, limes, berries, apples and other fruits.
  Styles, L to R – Calient, Serena, Shine
  
  • Eat more foods that are plant-based. Fruits, vegetables and nuts, should be a big part of your daily menu. They taste best when they are freshest (even frozen is okay, just not canned – too many preservatives and sugary syrups). They make you full faster and help your skin, hair and nails look better.
  • Had enough on food changes? Not sure you can make them all? That’s okay, just do your best each day, keep track of what you eat and make sure each of your three meals (skipping meals equals a slow metabolism) include fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein and no fast food or snack foods!

  Love Yourself Enough to Exercise

  • Exercise 30 minutes a day 3 times a week. Even 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week can make a big difference in how you look and feel. Maintaining a healthy pace as you walk, jog or ride your bike will get your heart rate up and blood flowing.
  • Add some weight. No, not put on weight, but ADD weights to your workout routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so ideally you want to build as much muscle as possible to turn your body into a top notch calorie burner. Small hand weights of 3-5 pounds used regularly whether for bicep curls, lunges or squats make you work harder and help you build muscle as you burn calories. It’s a proven, powerful combination that really helps get you results.
  • Park as far away as possible. This is the easiest way to get exercise I know. Parking far from the entrance of where you work or shop gives you the opportunity to squeeze in some extra exercise! It helps you get the extra steps that add up to the 30 minutes of exercise you need 3 times a week. Walk at a brisk pace, and you’ll be boosting your metabolism as you burn more calories. Plus, there are always parking spots!

  Styles, L to R – Cabana, Mirage, Madiera
  

  • Take the stairs wherever and whenever possible. This is the second easiest way to get exercise! Waiting in line for the escalator or elevator isn’t nearly as fun as trying to beat everyone up or down using the stairs. The added bonus is it is a great lower body (hips/thighs/butt) work out.
  • At work, or when studying, get up and walk around. Lots of us have jobs that require us to sit behind a desk for 8+ hours a day. By taking little breaks and walking around for a few minutes (like to the bathroom because you’ve been drinking water throughout the day) helps you feel more awake and feel better.

  Styles, L to R – Aztec, Twiggy, Chile
  

  • Hate the idea of a ‘work out’? Get bored at the thought of the gym or weights? The key to exercise is to move your body for at least 30 minutes. Dance, swim, bike, hike, skateboard, roller skate, volleyball, tennis – the list of options is endless. Try them all till you find one or two you like and, as Nike says, ‘just do it!’ You’ll look and feel better in no time!

Poko Pano swimwear is available on their website and select boutiques worldwide.