I am a huge fan of Susan Liddy and her blog postings on Huffington Post. She writes about the female body in a wonderful, poetic, almost religious way! She wants more women to love and be proud of their bodies, and she is presenting devastating facts about how many women out there who are unhappy with how they look, and that would do anything to change their bodies.

Read and enjoy this passage where Susan is talking about the fantastic bodies we have;

"The human body is an utterly amazing creation. Even a basic consideration of its functions boggles the mind. Neurons connect to the nervous system, the nervous system connects our muscles and hair-trigger messaging occurs at lightening speed.

Every component is composed of microscopic cells, tiny self-regenerating entities numbering in the trillions. Yet, somehow it all comes together, each intricate system functioning in a harmonious symphony conducted masterfully by the brain.

This exquisite miracle of biology makes it possible for us to move around in the world and to experience it with all of our senses. It is the foundation of our very being. Shouldn't it be easy to sit back and simply appreciate our bodies for all they are and all they do for us?"

Read the entire post at Susan's blog . .. and more importantly: be proud and love your body! You will only have one :)

Disturbing dolls

What we teach our young girls through the sales of the Barbie doll:

1. There are two Barbie dolls sold every second in the world.
2. If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe.
3. At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate.
4. Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs with a book entitled "How to Lose Weight" with directions inside stating simply "Don't eat."

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galia-slayen/the-scary-reality-of-a-re_b_845239.html

Dove's powerful message

I am usually hesitant to all types of corporations or beauty-industry companies, but with this commercial I think Dove really hit it home. I watch this clip with horror, as youngsters around the world are just drowning in the message that the beauty industry tries to convey. This is a huge part in why so many people suffers from discomfort with themselves, their bodies and appearance.

Dare to look the other way, you know only dead fish follow the current...

Ridiculous Ralph!

The fact that I grew up in a society where being thin and pretty is portrayed to be the most important thing in life, is on of the reasons to why I fell ill with anorexia. That is also why few things makes me more mad and sad than when pictures in advertising and media are altered and models made to look a way that is impossible to achieve!

Ralph Laurens ad campaign in 2009 almost made my morning coffe come out my nose (!) when I saw it in a magazine. The model Filippa Hamilton's waist had been photoshopped to insanity!

What ideal does this set for young women all over the world? How does a company like Ralph Lauren think a woman's body look like? Who could possibly be their customer?
 

The good thing to this story is that Filippa herself set her foot down and went to the press saying that she does not accept the photoshopping that was done. Very brave! The thanks from R.L? Well, she was fired soon after for being "overweight"...


Filippa is a brave woman and a whistleblower for healthy beauty and I think it is very strong to stand up to a large company and say; this is not me and I do not stand for this!






 

Do yoga for your inner peace!

Can practicing yoga help in the recovery from eating disorders? Well, I have always believed so! During my recovery I took classes in yoga paired with mindfulness, breathing exercises and body awareness - and it made me look at and move my body in a different way! It also helped with my panic attacks and it took my focus away from disordered thoughts filling up my head.

That is why I am so excited when more and more studies on this subject keep popping up! I read a real interesting study from Complementary Therapies in Medicine where they looked at patients with BED, Binge Eating Disorder, and it showed that a 12-week yoga program along with yoga performed at home decreased the number of binges and increased the physical activity level of the patient! I am not saying that yoga is a cure, but it can be a complement to other forms of therapy and medical help for an eating disorder. And my opinion is that more recovery centers should start having yoga and mindfulness on their weekly schedule for their patients!

 

I am actually in training to become a fitness instructor (alongside my university studies in physiotherapy) and I want to focus on yoga and mindfulness - so watch out 'cause maybe soon I will be starting up a class you can join! Until then, keep checking the blog and please e-mail me any correspondance, thoughts, tips, or recovery stories! xoxo

Beautiful, Brave, Bodylicious!

 This picture keeps coming back to me, so I thought I'd share it with you all! Lizzie Miller is the model who created a media-storm in 2009 by showing of her real, beautiful body, free from airbrush tanning, retouching and computermade modifications.

Showing of her body and especially her tummy is brave and inspiring for all us out there who only get bombarded with size zeros an Kate Mosses. It is a lesson in learning to love youself!
Or in her own words;  "I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn't perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it's not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too."

Way to go Lizzie!

http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html

A closer look on Bulimia

I have updated my ED guide pages and it is now filled with information about not only Anorexia but also Bulimia. Keep checking back because I will soon dig deeper in the issues of binge eating disorder (BED) and ortorexia. The information is too long to post in full-length in the blog page but here comes a summary:

Bulimia Nervosa (from greek: meaning ravenous or insatiable hunger) is a serious eating disorder and mental illness characterized by binging on large amounts of food which is then followed by attempts to get rid of the food through purging (throwing up), using laxatives, extreme exercise or committing to bouts of very restrictive eating.

Bulimia is more common in occurrence than anorexia and is also more common in women than men. It affects nearly 1% of the people in the United States (3 % of the female population) at some time in their life and although that might sound like a small number, it corresponds to millions of individuals! Another scary statistic is that bulimia’s frequency of occurrence has doubled since the 1960s - something we have to put a stop to! 

What are some common bulimic signs and symptoms?

·         Secrecy surrounding eating

·         Alternating between overeating and fasting

·         Obsession about food, calories and fat content

·         Going to the bathroom after meals

·         Excessive exercising, especially after eating

·         Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands

The consequences of bulimia are many and often dangerous; in rare cases it can even be fatal. It affects the individual in a number of ways including impacting his/her physical, mental and social health. It can destroy the teeth with dental cavities and enamel erosion (from the stomach acids) as well as cause stomach ulcers and open soars in the throat and mouth from purging. Electrolyte imbalances (low potassium levels) are common and can lead to heart rhythm problems or even heart failure. Other consequences are loss of menstruation, muscle weakness and severe fatigue or fainting. Bulimia is often linked with depression and it is estimated that in half of the cases the individual is battling these two conditions at the same time.

The treatment of this complex disorder is very critical and usually the earlier the disorder is detected – the better. But remember that it is never too late to seek treatment! I always encourage everyone to get help because there is a lot that can be done for you even if you have been ill for years and years! One of the hardest challenges that faces people recovering from bulimia is to enforce and explore the attitude that a person’s self-worth is not based on weight or body-shape!