Friday Favorites

Favorite Tiny Delight of the Week

Cleaning! Most of us do some amount of cleaning each week (I hope!), but sometimes it's good to do a more then average type of cleaning... you know, the type of cleaning that goes above and beyond what you usually do. The type of cleaning that involves throwing things out. The type of cleaning that involves organizing (or maybe re-organizing) things. I know, it's not quite spring yet, but who says that a little bit of spring cleaning can't come early this year? I love my house feeling a bit lighter and more put together. I guess the extra sun this weather has helped my levels of motivation? 

Favorite Quote of the Week

"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to be." -Socrates

Favorite Post By Someone Else

Changes in the Brain Resulting From Anorexia - This is a great post that succinctly summarizes how the brain changes, or at least some common denominators in the brain, when an individual has struggled with anorexia. It's a quick read and will help increase your understanding! Check it out! 

Favorite Past Post

Loving Myself, Loving Others- I wrote this post right about this time last year as a sort of response to some thoughts on Valentine's Day. Please check this post out and figure out some next steps towards loving yourself better! 

Favorite Search Term

• guinea pig cooking
• cognitive distortions catastrophizing 
• distortion of identity
• don't play the victim
• let's break stress

Now it's your turn!

What's one of your favorites from the week? Do you do one big "spring cleaning" each year or do you break it into sections? 

10 Ways to Develop a Positive Body Image

The end of National Eating Disorder Awareness week is here, but that doesn't mean the conversations on body image should end! In my last post, I discussed some myths and misconceptions of eating disorders, and gave some general information. This is a good place to start. However, moving past this basic knowledge is crucial to changing (and hopefully decreasing) the rates of eating disorders and body image issues.

How many of you, when you were young, heard a parent, sibling, relative, or friend constantly tearing themselves down, commenting on their body imagine (negatively), or engaging in fat talk? As children, we develop patterns of thinking, speaking, and behaving by observing those around us. Because of this, adults have a great responsibility to model healthy behaviors for the next generation.
Although we cannot reduce the causes of eating disorders to self esteem and body image issues alone, these things certainly play a very strong part in the development and maintenance of eating disorders.

Here are 10 ways to Develop a Positive Body image and Increase Self-Esteem:

1.     Avoid labeling food as “good” or “bad”. When you do consume a food you’ve labeled as “bad”, this tends to feelings of being fat, or feelings of guilt. Yes, there are foods that are healthy, and yes, there are “junk foods”. However, the idea of “everything in moderation” tends to work a little better and produce less guilt.

2.     Understand how the media discusses & portrays body image. Comparing to those in the media is unrealistic, because the people themselves do not look like that in reality (or how they are appearing is incredibly unhealthy). Discuss with young child.

3.     Avoid “fat talk”. Instead of focusing on what’s negative about your body, focus on the positives, and what your body (or body parts) allows you to do.

4.     Move every day! It may be really tempting to spend your entire evening or weekend sitting in front of the TV, but this obviously leads to a sedentary lifestyle. Get up and move! This will help you both physically and emotionally.

5.     Remember that skinny is NOT healthy. HEALTHY is healthy! Obviously, there is a correlation with size and health (i.e. obesity is never healthy for an individual), but just because someone is small does not mean they are healthy.

6.     Stand in front of the mirror every day and give yourself 3-5 compliments

7.     Practice reading affirmations on a daily basis to focus on what’s positive instead of degrading yourself daily

8.     Start talking to children when they are very young about a healthy lifestyle., and model what it looks like to live in a healthy manner.

9.     Develop emotional awareness: help yourself or a young child to identify emotions and deal with them (and cope) in a healthy manner. (for example-deal with sadness or frustration in a healthy way, and not turn to food to “make it better”)

10. Identify & Challenge any Cognitive Distortions you might have

So, there are 10 things you can do to increase your own body image & self-esteem, and be a good role model to those younger then you. I'd like to know What do you do to increase your self-esteem or body image? What do you do to decrease your positive body image?

An Intro to Eating Disorders {Including Myths}

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, so I would be remiss in not mention this in my blog. So, I'm planning on doing a few posts on various aspects of Eating Disorders....
Eating Disorders, like many illnesses, are often misunderstood. It is through education that we develop understanding, support, empathy, and ways to best help those around us.
Some basic information:

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death  

battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge  

eating disorder (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al.,  

1995).  

-From: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/statistics_tmp.pdf

Unfortunately, these numbers are on the rise, and touch millions of people every year (either people with the disorder or close family and friends). Clearly, this is a HUGE and growing issue. 

I often see a lot of Myths and Misconceptions about Eating Disorders. This can create stress, misunderstanding, arguments, and more pain for the person with the eating disorder. Understanding is KEY!


Types of Eating Disorders
1. Anorexia Nervosa: This is the restriction of food (self-starvation) in order to lose weight. This can be incredibly serious and life threatening
2. Bulimia Nervosa: Characterized by a cycle of bingeing and a compensatory purging time. This can be life threatening as well.  
3. Binge Eating Disorder: This is similar to bulimia in that there are frequent times of bingeing, but unlike bulimia, there isn't purging. Binge eating involves eating many more calories then is normal or healthy. 

Myths and Misconceptions (see this link for a whole listing of myths)

1. Eating Disorders are a Female Problem only: Clearly, looking at the statistics above, one can see that this isn't a female problem alone. The number of males struggling with eating disorders is on the rise. 

2. Eating Disorders are Uncommon: Again, looking at the statistics, you can see how prevalent EDs really are. 
3. Eating Disorders are about Appearance and Beauty: "Eating disorders are usually related to emotional issues such as control and low self-esteem and often exist as part of a “dual” diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder."
4. Purging only Means Throwing Up: Although throwing up is one means of purging, it is not the only way to compensate for the intake of calories. Other means include laxatives, food restriction, enemas, and excessive exercise. After a person has a high food intake, they may purge through any of these means to try to decrease the high number of calories consumed. So, be aware that throwing up is only one thing to look for!
5. Eating Disorders Are An Attempt To Get Attention: There are a number of factors that can cause eating disorders, and is not as simple as "they just want attention."The behaviors that you see are a struggle of deeper mental and psychological problems. 

This just skims the very tip of the iceberg when it comes to information about Eating Disorders. What's important is that we each become educated on these disorders, understand the myths and misconceptions, and understand what each of us can do to help. 


Here are a few helpful links:
National Eating Disorders Association
National Institute of Mental Health-Eating Disorders
Mayo Clinic- Eating Disorders
Voice In Recovery-Blog