Monday, July 29, 2013

Muffin Tops: The Edible and the Inevitable




Mmm. Muffins. Love them. The earliest memory I have of these delicious mini cakes was during a sleepover at my sweet Aunt Jane's. I was twelve, and my sweet tooth was aching for a treat! We baked up a batch, (okay, not from scratch), but from a mix, which, a kind faced, culinary Quaker was selling. How convenient!
Fluffy and moist on the inside and crispy on top! Now here's the crunch: since then, these tops have become so popular that manufacturers have produced pans just for them!

Bakeries, factories, and deli/cafes tempt our taste buds with these 'top' sellers, catering to our cravings with their crusty and cuteness appeal!


But, as trendy as its edible namesake may be, the other muffin top, is definitely not! Dreaded, despised and difficult to disguise, it is, unfortunately, inevitable, for some ladies, (like me)!

Wikipedia defines this jelly belly as, ''overhanging fat that spills over the waistline of pants or skirts like the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing''.  Now, this is not to be confused with the English muffin, 'a small, round, flat type of yeast-leavened bread' explains the same source.


Why, oh why, wasn't this type of muffin used as a model for us who are morphing through the madness of  (peri) menopausal stress?
 Why?!!!


Ahem...sorry about that...Someone please get me a muffin, fast
I need to calm down.


Thanks!


Much better... Now, where were we? Oh yes...Apparently, the term 'muffin top' originated in Australian slang in 2003. Only three years later, the catchy culprit was making headlines, receiving two coveted prizes, with the Australian Macquarie Dictionary naming it 'word of the year', and to 'top' things off, the American Dialect Society crowned it one of  ''the most creative'' new terms. 


But do all these accolades account for the fact that we should be grateful for this overflowing flab around our midriff? I wonder, should we ditch the distress of the tummy press and rejoice in our Renaissance élégance, instead?


Well, I'm sure of one thing:
if this famous, Botticelli babe
could dance and sing 
so happily and carefree,
 than so can we! 


In addition to  dancing, the following can do wonders for your waistline, as well, according to this source:

1. Exercise regularly. Try getting out for a 30-minute walk at lunchtime.
2. Eat plenty of healthy foods that are low in sugar. This will help keep your chocolate cravings at bay.
3. Drink a glass of   warm water and lemon juice in the mornings. This will help speed-up your metabolism.
4. Avoid white bread and try wholegrain bread.
5. Cut-out soft drinks.
6. Drink plenty of water.
7. Add protein to your diet.
8. Avoid carbohydrates after 7pm.


Ah, that sweet muffin top...
Nibble on the tasty 'edible'
and embrace, (but work on), the 'inevitable'!



Thanks for visiting!


29 comments:

  1. One of my granddaughters will only eat the muffin top. The ones her mother gets here is loaded with sugar and other things so I guess that is why she eats them. She is only 4 years old.
    I know of what you speak about the other muffin top. I always had a waist no matter how much I weighed, but when peri-menopause hit, my waist disappeared. HA! HA!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so funny and as a 50 something year old ..sigh.. I can relate. There are those fashionable belly wraps that are supposed to reduce the "muffin" effect.. Mmmm..dunno if that will work;)

    Muffins and muffin tops are a delightful snack or breakfast. They come in the frozen food department and bakery shops .. freshly baked ones are always best!

    xxleslie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ha ha! This post cracked me up! So funny and so true! To heck with the term "muffin top" - I prefer the much more affectionate "love handles" :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My dear,

    Your love of muffins and revulsion at muffin-tops is something I've lived with for as long as I've known you. The summers when I would arrive in Crete at your house laden with boxes of muffin mix from England, watching your gratitude and guilt at the same time always makes me smile. This year I said no! I will not be your temptress, considering that I too have developed a well-pronounced muffin-top to end all muffin-tops.

    Sachets of Chinese sauces and noodles replaced those little sugary devils this time, although I was naughty because I brought you Greek pastries instead. So I'm a pathological temptress and I'm afraid we're doomed to a life of muffin-top status. So why not embrace this condition, celebrate it and live and let live. Here is a poem to start the celebrations:

    I love that woman with a muffin top.....:)

    I love that woman with a muffin top
    flashing her smile, hair like a mop
    struttin her stuff right down my street
    one hand on her hip
    giving me a wink

    I take her photo
    as she blows me a kiss
    but her strawberry perfume
    I guess I won’t miss………:)

    Kevin McGeeney
    2011

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm looking to reclaim my waistline, Poppy. However, you have me craving muffins now and I do have some ripening bananas in the kitchen . . .

    I enjoyed your clever and humourous post.

    -Karen

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love muffins, but I try to avoid them. Why is it the older you get the less you can eat? And, you can't eat all your favorites. I just have to look.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cute post. Oh, yes the muffin top. I have been saying that we ladies have been brainwashed into thinking thin is in. The renaissance woman was the normal size for women. Michael Angelo didn't paint stick thin waifs. He painted women with curves and I am glad to say I have those curves. I know obese is bad, but size 14 is the average size and as long as we are active and not starving ourselves I say so be it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a fun post--gave me a good chuckle!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good Morning Poppy, This was a fun post. Oh dear, the dreaded muffin top.... I really dislike those words. I suppose it is because I am of an age where it is easy to "make" a muffin top, as I have been through the menopause and I have come out the other end not too badly. I understand what you mean about the increased waistline.... it just creeps up on you, until one day you realise your waist has disappeared..... but fear not, I find with increased walking and cutting out bread the waisteline will reappear.... not in quite the same way, but I can look in the mirror and see a slight curve in my waist.
    It is so hard to resist sweet things and I know as I have a very sweet tooth, and to top it all, I bake a lot on my blog, but my solution is, George has his share of the cake, I taste a much smaller amount and the rest I give to George's mum and his uncle. This makes me happy as the cake is out of the house and it also makes George's mum and George's uncle happy aswell.
    Before I go, just a thought, why is it men don't worry about their weight as much as woman do!
    Have a lovely day.
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh such a cute post, Poppy! I love to bake, but I do watch my intake of carbs and always balance them with protein. I started doing the warm lemon water after I saw that on Dr. Oz, but I add a shake of hot sauce to it. Thanks for sharing all your humor and great tips with us.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A charming post, Poppy. Helpful advice sweetened with that teaspoon of sugar to make the medicine go down. Anytime I see Marilyn's photo I am reminded that she might have a tough time in Hollywood today with all the skinny waifs around but what a sexy figure.

    I see photos of myself a few years after marriage when I was driving myself nuts trying to diet and think about how I would absolute love now to have the figure I had then.

    An artistically beautiful post, Poppy as well as well though out content!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think I've had a muffin top my entire life, I'm just used to it now. Haha.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This post was great, Poppy - love the humor! I never had a muffin top until this past year when I hit mentalpause (as I call it). I eat very healthy and do exercise (though obviously not enough) but I've put on some weight and it all went to my middle region.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My muffin top comes and goes - but it's getting harder and harder every time!
    Do you remember the Seinfeld episode about this subject LMHO.............
    Great post Poppy!
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fun post, Poppy! And helpful, too! :O) Also thought your bug's view of the world was gorgeous! Enjoy your week, Bess

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well...I would think that you could consider just eating the top as a diet, right ? ( Oh I gave up the whole muffin and just had a top : )

    Well the grandkids and I baked chocolate chip with oatmeal cookies this morning and I am going to have my second one in a minute...so you can see how things are around here! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. my muffin top is on my butt LOL.
    I love cooking and baking oh and it is the hardest thing to stop.
    I started eating turkey bacon and adding more protein its a start...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cute post, Poppy! I've been cooking with lemons all week, so plenty of muffin tops in my freezer at the moment. Guess I best be careful that those muffin tops don't turn into the dreaded one. Ha!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This was a great post. I have a muffin top pan that I have only used 1 time...I love the idea of it, I just don't bake a lot of muffins...but I love them...so why don't I? I can also (sadly) relate to the "muffin top effect" :(

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great post! I do love muffins, but not the kind that spill over the waist band on my britches. :) Great tips for staying healthy. Thanks so much for sharing at Amaze Me Monday...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Poppy! This was so funny - cleverly written with wonderful advice - I need to find one of those muffin top pans - too cool! Loved it!
    I am delighted that you shared with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  22. Did you ever give me the giggles!!! You do have a way with words.. along with sage advice on how to keep the muffin top at bay! Ok... tomorrow is another day. Another day to start off on the right foot and exercise and eat right. With maybe a nibble of a muffin top as a reward??? Oh, behave!!! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hey there, I love this post! Oh and I purchases a similar image if you want if for the woman with muffin on her (without the shutterstock on there). Let me know if you want me. Contact me on my page.
    I'd love it if you shared this on Worthwhile Wednesdays http://thecraftiestallie.blogspot.com/2014/07/worthwhile-wednesdays-24.html
    ~Allie

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Poppy! I'm visiting from JES's link-up and I must say your post made me smile and gave me a giggle or two :) And even though you made me laugh you shared some great tips so thank you for the information.

    Also, I see you were born in Toronto - so was my dad :) We lived in Southampton, Ontario for several years before moving to the USA. Canada is such a beautiful place and it's always a joy going back to visit family. Anyway. . .I am a happy new follower and look forward to visiting again.

    Have a lovely day! Stephanie - The Enchanting Rose

    ReplyDelete
  25. My daughter is constantly tempting me with her morning muffins, and though I fear of the evils you mentioned in the article, we at least make them whole grain ;) Thanks for sharing this cute article on the Art of Home-Making Mondays!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am entering the muffin top stage of life and trying not to let it get me down. Thanks for sharing a funny yet important post!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This completely made me laugh. Waving 'hi' to you from Calgary Alberta Canada. Hope you aren't missing TO too much; your homepage photo sure is beautiful. Visiting you via "CreateWithJoy Friendship Friday."

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate hearing from all of you! Have a great day!