We have all seen the pictures...and the headlines. "Porkerface", "She ate the meat dress!", and "Is she pregnant...or just fat?" The singer has been turning the criticism into a new cause, launching a "body revolution" to encourage fans to embrace their flaws and post photos of themselves that "celebrates triumph over insecurities." The woman has admittedly gained 25 pounds, yet the story is making more headlines than the upcoming presidential election.
What kind of message is this sending young women of the world? With starts like Gaga, Demi Lovato, and even Katie Couric openly admitting to struggling with eating disorders...is too much effort going into treating existing problems versus preventing them? I think Gaga's "body revolution" is a great start.
I am in no way condoning an unhealthy lifestyle, but weight fluctuation is perfectly normal, within a moderate amount, of course. What are young girls, many of whom are going through puberty and already feel emotional, alone, and awkward, supposed to think when they see their idol being scrutinized on every website and magazine? Unfortunately the answer all too many times is making extremely unsafe and unhealthy decisions with her body.
No matter how many Zumba classes I take or how many hours I spend on the elliptical, I will never have the perfect body...and I am finally okay with that. Know what I think the sexiest thing about me is? My new found confidence in myself, that stems from my healthy lifestyle. Being healthy on the outside will make you exponentially healthier on the inside.
So the key to prevention is mindset? Maybe. Giving young women the tools and knowledge on living a healthy lifestyle will help them not only make better decisions when it comes to their bodies, but also give them the confidence to embrace their flaws along with their beauties...because everyone has plenty of both! Negative body image and the subsequent eating disorders are like a cancer eating away at our youth...so shouldn't we be putting as much effort into prevention as we do treatment?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Thin Outside, Fat Inside
It seems like there has been an outbreak lately. An epidemic of people, specifically women, being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or pre-diabetes. When you think of someone who is diabetic, what do you picture? An overweight, lazy couch potato who has McDonald's and Pizza Hut on speed dial? That's what I used to picture too...but not anymore.
About 15% of the 26 million Americans that have diabetes are NOT overweight, this according to the National Health Institute. "TOFI", which stands for Thin Outside, Fat Inside exposes that inner "fat girl" that everyone has living inside her, and her evil plan to make you sick! TOFI happens when fat that would normally build under the skin starts building around your organs...something that's even scarier than an exposed muffin top! This fat buildup around your organs can cause inflammatory substances to affect your liver and pancreas and lower your insulin levels. So your skinny jeans may fit like a glove, but your insides could be working like you're obese.
What is the biggest factor to TOFI? Too much focus on diet with no time in the gym! Spending time in the gym has so many benefits including being a stress reliever and giving you those Michelle Obama arms, but preventing type 2 diabetes has got to be the best! Exercise is key in lowering your blood sugar and just 30 minutes of brisk walking cuts your odds of type 2 diabetes by 58%, even if you're pre-diabetic.
The classic balance of exercise and diet...it's the only system that works! Yo-yo dieting can cause big weight losses and gains, causing huge troughs and peaks in your insulin production. Not to mention, when you lose extreme amounts of weight you lose fat and muscle, and if you gain that weight back you're solely gaining back fat. The key to a good diet is eating healthy foods, not just foods you think are healthy. There is tons of sugar even in foods advertised as "low fat".
Type 2 diabetes has found a new target: slim, young women. Your waistline is no longer the determining factor in health. It is your body, it's a responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly, especially considering this is a disease that is almost entirely preventable through your lifestyle choices. So get your buns in the gym today! Not only will you be fit on the outside, but more importantly, your insides will be fit too!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Oscar Wilde
"Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood." --Oscar Wilde
I'll admit it...women are crazy. All of us, in one way or another, so it's just a waste of time trying to figure us out. We over-analyze, worry too much, change our minds with the blink of an eye, and can start to cry during a Kleenex commercial. Every girl has something that makes her a little crazy, but one thing is a common denominator for us all: all women just want to be loved.
Love and its' definition is very personal, but every girl wants to feel wanted, feel appreciated, and feel needed. It's encoded in our DNA, (I have no proof of that actually), and from a very early age we are taught that love, soul mates, and romance define a life worth living. Once we find that "forever love" we assume that the rest is easy as pie...that's where all the movies and fairy tales end, right?
Trying to make love last is an everyday job, and just like any other job, if you feel under-appreciated or unwanted...the crazy may start to seep out. Here are some relatively simple things to keep your woman happy...and maybe control the crazy.
1. If you love her, tell her. We can never hear it enough.
2. Tell her she looks pretty every once in a while. Nothing constant, but knowing you still find her to be beautiful helps keep those pesky "inadequate" fights at bay.
3. Say good morning and good night...everyday.
Pretty simple, right? Basically, it's a lot easier to love a woman than try to understand her. There will be good days and bad days, life's usual ups and downs, so don't add more stress by trying to figure us out. Just give us a love worthy of a fairy tale.
I'll admit it...women are crazy. All of us, in one way or another, so it's just a waste of time trying to figure us out. We over-analyze, worry too much, change our minds with the blink of an eye, and can start to cry during a Kleenex commercial. Every girl has something that makes her a little crazy, but one thing is a common denominator for us all: all women just want to be loved.
Love and its' definition is very personal, but every girl wants to feel wanted, feel appreciated, and feel needed. It's encoded in our DNA, (I have no proof of that actually), and from a very early age we are taught that love, soul mates, and romance define a life worth living. Once we find that "forever love" we assume that the rest is easy as pie...that's where all the movies and fairy tales end, right?
Trying to make love last is an everyday job, and just like any other job, if you feel under-appreciated or unwanted...the crazy may start to seep out. Here are some relatively simple things to keep your woman happy...and maybe control the crazy.
1. If you love her, tell her. We can never hear it enough.
2. Tell her she looks pretty every once in a while. Nothing constant, but knowing you still find her to be beautiful helps keep those pesky "inadequate" fights at bay.
3. Say good morning and good night...everyday.
Pretty simple, right? Basically, it's a lot easier to love a woman than try to understand her. There will be good days and bad days, life's usual ups and downs, so don't add more stress by trying to figure us out. Just give us a love worthy of a fairy tale.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
A House Divided
Love can conquer anything, right? ...even opposing political views? They say friendship, respect, and loyalty are the foundations to a great relationship, but I think that having a lasting relationship requires a little bit more. It requires open communication and a desire to grow and live your lives as one. So can two people, who genuinely love each other, make their relationship last forever if their politics clash?
I've always been told there are a few things to not discuss at parties: religion and politics. I am not one to preach or push my beliefs onto anyone, but for the sake of this, I am going to have to talk....the "P" word. Politics! I am a liberal person at heart and my love is a little more conservative. He's a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock 'n' roll. Politics highlight fundamental similarities and differences in value and character, and how these issues are broached can either make or break a relationship. So when is it important to break out the politics talk?
With election season kicking into high gear, hot button issues like gay rights, war, and the economy are forcing my boyfriend and I to talk about sensitive issues that (a) don't normally get brought up, or (b) we are too scared to bring up. We may have opposing views on a lot of things, but there are a few core issues that we can agree upon. For the rest...I don't expect him to change, and he doesn't expect me to either, but keeping an open mind and an open heart prevents politics from ruining our relationship.
So when is the right time to have "the talk"? Well, that all depends on how well you know yourself, and how politics fits into your life. The more important it is to you, the more you will need a partner who is on the same page, or at the very least, open minded. You may enjoy the fiery spark of a debate, but that can get a little tiresome if it's a constant at the dinner table.
What you believe in and how deeply you believe in it defines you as a person. And if the person you love doesn't share those values with you, at least make sure he or she is open minded, and keep in mind political arguments can be the best foreplay there is.
I've always been told there are a few things to not discuss at parties: religion and politics. I am not one to preach or push my beliefs onto anyone, but for the sake of this, I am going to have to talk....the "P" word. Politics! I am a liberal person at heart and my love is a little more conservative. He's a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock 'n' roll. Politics highlight fundamental similarities and differences in value and character, and how these issues are broached can either make or break a relationship. So when is it important to break out the politics talk?
With election season kicking into high gear, hot button issues like gay rights, war, and the economy are forcing my boyfriend and I to talk about sensitive issues that (a) don't normally get brought up, or (b) we are too scared to bring up. We may have opposing views on a lot of things, but there are a few core issues that we can agree upon. For the rest...I don't expect him to change, and he doesn't expect me to either, but keeping an open mind and an open heart prevents politics from ruining our relationship.
So when is the right time to have "the talk"? Well, that all depends on how well you know yourself, and how politics fits into your life. The more important it is to you, the more you will need a partner who is on the same page, or at the very least, open minded. You may enjoy the fiery spark of a debate, but that can get a little tiresome if it's a constant at the dinner table.
What you believe in and how deeply you believe in it defines you as a person. And if the person you love doesn't share those values with you, at least make sure he or she is open minded, and keep in mind political arguments can be the best foreplay there is.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Don't Wear Makeup to the Breakup
Relationships are like a drug. They can give you the highest high and make you feel like you're Superman, or, when the come down starts, it can send everything crashing down around you. Breakups are hard on everyone. Whether you initiated it or not, you're still giving up on something you spent so much time and energy on.
Romantic relationships require such a delicate balance, it's almost like juggling fine china on a tightrope. It's no wonder people are always searching for the keys to a successful relationship. Success is a word that means something different to each person, so I'm not sure opening up a magazine or searching things on Google will do a lot for your individual relationship. Of course, having a good foundation of trust, lust, communication, and mutual respect are keys to successful relationships and can always be improved upon.
The most important thing to any successful relationship? Drive. You have to wake up everyday knowing that you're going to have to "work" on your relationship and go to bed every night praying that tomorrow you'll still have the passion to do it all over again. "But that's hard work!" you may say, or "real relationships don't take that much effort!" Yes they do. Would you plant a garden and expect it to flourish without you feeding and watering it? I hope not, because if so you're a bit delusional. And if both partners don't commit themselves fully everyday, than it might be time to re-examine.
Every failed relationship teaches us something new, and helps us to grow for the next one. But in the wake of a breakup, especially an unexpected one, it's hard to believe that. It's hard to It's hard to believe it's really over, hard to believe the person whom you loved isn't who is sitting before you, and hardest to believe that the heaviness in your heart will start to fade away someday. But it will! Beating yourself up about the logistics won't get you anywhere. The Whys and Hows are meaningless after a breakup, what's important is giving yourself some time.
To love and be loved is one of life's greatest treasures. Sometimes that love isn't forever, but that just means God's preparing you for bigger, better things. And when you find that "forever" kind of love, don't take it for granted, because good things don't come to those who wait, good things come to those who work their asses off for what they love.
Romantic relationships require such a delicate balance, it's almost like juggling fine china on a tightrope. It's no wonder people are always searching for the keys to a successful relationship. Success is a word that means something different to each person, so I'm not sure opening up a magazine or searching things on Google will do a lot for your individual relationship. Of course, having a good foundation of trust, lust, communication, and mutual respect are keys to successful relationships and can always be improved upon.
The most important thing to any successful relationship? Drive. You have to wake up everyday knowing that you're going to have to "work" on your relationship and go to bed every night praying that tomorrow you'll still have the passion to do it all over again. "But that's hard work!" you may say, or "real relationships don't take that much effort!" Yes they do. Would you plant a garden and expect it to flourish without you feeding and watering it? I hope not, because if so you're a bit delusional. And if both partners don't commit themselves fully everyday, than it might be time to re-examine.
Every failed relationship teaches us something new, and helps us to grow for the next one. But in the wake of a breakup, especially an unexpected one, it's hard to believe that. It's hard to It's hard to believe it's really over, hard to believe the person whom you loved isn't who is sitting before you, and hardest to believe that the heaviness in your heart will start to fade away someday. But it will! Beating yourself up about the logistics won't get you anywhere. The Whys and Hows are meaningless after a breakup, what's important is giving yourself some time.
To love and be loved is one of life's greatest treasures. Sometimes that love isn't forever, but that just means God's preparing you for bigger, better things. And when you find that "forever" kind of love, don't take it for granted, because good things don't come to those who wait, good things come to those who work their asses off for what they love.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Brotherly Love
Growing up I always wanted to be an only child, probably because I was an attention whore. Fast forward nineteen years later and I couldn't be happier to have my brother and sister! We are all 3 so supportive of one another, and it's nice to know I'll always have them if I need them. It's also nice to know I'll have help from them when our mother officially loses her marbles! That day seems to be quickly approaching....
I know if I need anything that my brother and sister would move heaven and earth for me, and I hope they know that I would do the same for them. Siblings are the best friends that God has hand picked for you, so it's important to treasure and nourish those relationships. Does that mean siblings don't fight or get annoyed with one another? Heck no! Some of life's worst fights and harshest words are exchanged with those we love the most. But it's important to quickly forgive and forget because friends may come and go, but you'll never outgrow your siblings.
Through every crush, every test, every break up and make up, my little brother and sister have been there every step of the way. It's comforting to know that if I ever needed to be bailed out of jail I have a couple siblings who would come for me, or if they didn't have the money, would somehow break me out! And hopefully they'd be fast about it, because orange clashes with my skin tone, and jumpsuits give me camel toe.
I know if I need anything that my brother and sister would move heaven and earth for me, and I hope they know that I would do the same for them. Siblings are the best friends that God has hand picked for you, so it's important to treasure and nourish those relationships. Does that mean siblings don't fight or get annoyed with one another? Heck no! Some of life's worst fights and harshest words are exchanged with those we love the most. But it's important to quickly forgive and forget because friends may come and go, but you'll never outgrow your siblings.
Through every crush, every test, every break up and make up, my little brother and sister have been there every step of the way. It's comforting to know that if I ever needed to be bailed out of jail I have a couple siblings who would come for me, or if they didn't have the money, would somehow break me out! And hopefully they'd be fast about it, because orange clashes with my skin tone, and jumpsuits give me camel toe.
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