Marie-Claire Malibu

No, this is not a recipe for a cocktail that brings you into a summery mood. It is the brand new column name of Marie-Claire Witlox (yes yes, that is indeed the wife of Jeroen van Koningsbrugge) who simply took off to Malibu with her whole family (yes yes yes). To do nothing but what she felt like. Like, for example, keeping a diary for Amayzine. It's just that we are doing, otherwise I would say; that needs to be drunk to. Dry January Marie-Claire… take it away.

Well, here I am. In Malibu! And how nice it is here. No more complaining about the cold, the wind, and the countless times I got soaked to my underwear on my bike through Amsterdam.

Sun, sun, and okay, an occasional cloud. I can live with that. My daily trip to the oh so nice and big supermarket amazes me every time. Of course, it's wonderful to have an abundance of choices for everything and more. Fifty different kinds of peanut butter, sixty different kinds of apple juice. But that's not it.

I am amazed by every woman I meet, young and old, at how sporty, slim, and good they look. Okay, a nip-tuck and botox are not strange to anyone here, but those bodies… Slim muscular legs without any little bubble of cellulite. And a toned slim belly and arms. I suddenly feel fat everywhere. I want this too.

Now dieting is not really my thing. I love good food and when I start a diet, I catch myself fooling myself all day long with another ‘yes, but’. I reward myself for the craziest things with an extra portion of everything or a glass of wine (or two).

Now the secret seems to be very simple, one of these toned beings told me. ‘It’s a lifestyle, honey!’ Okay, probably more a lifestyle than honey and actually we all already knew this. The regime: at set times, consume unprocessed, healthy food and not too large portions. Lots of vegetables.

No excessive behavior like a whole bottle of champagne or six gin tonics in one evening. And exercising. Purposefully and at least three times a week. Now I always saw this in the Netherlands as a mountain to climb alongside a busy life with work, children, and a social life, but here I am starting completely anew. I'm just going to do it. Hoppetee, here I go. On to a Malibu beachproof lifestyle.

Written by Marie-Claire Witlox