We are such a self-punishing culture. Americans, especially women, often try to achieve ideal health or appearance in truly painful ways. While there's no getting around the pain of laser treatment or pelvic exams, there are many ways that we hurt ourselves completely...
One stunning side effect of my recent achievements in self-nurturing and loving myself is that my digestion has improved. I've struggled with self-loathing behaviors and low self esteem my whole life, but my digestion only started having real problems a few years ago....
Mental health days are a great idea. That's what some poeple call those days when you're just feeling burned out and overwhelmed and you call in sick to work because you need to take care of your spirit and morale. It's a perfectly legitimate use of a sick days,...
Disclaimer: since I've become properly obese, I re-read these old posts and see my body dysmorphia and obsession with food and weight. It's sad to me now. Previous post on fatness. I've worked hard for decades on my negative thinking and self-punishing behaviors. With...
Right at this moment, a container of homemade brownies sits behind me as I work in my cubicle. In the past I would have actively resisted them while knowing I would love to pop one in my mouth. Today I tell myself I can have as many as I want at any time. In the...
Previous post on fatness. Disclaimer: since I've become properly obese, I re-read these old posts and see my body dysmorphia and obsession with food and weight. It's sad to me now. Yes, I've made another U-turn in my nutritional beliefs. In my ongoing search for...
Previous post on fatness. Disclaimer: since I've become properly obese, I re-read these old posts and see my body dysmorphia and obsession with food and weight. It's sad to me now. I've now read Women Food and God twice and have started When Food is Love: Exploring...
Previous post on fatness. Disclaimer: since I've become properly obese, I re-read these old posts and see my body dysmorphia and obsession with food and weight. It's sad to me now. What's heavier than weight is the inner critic and judge that rules my brain and...
Think about what time you ate your last bite last night. Now think of what time you ate your first bite this morning. Now figure out how much time passed between those two events. Do you know what you were doing in that time? You were fasting. Fasting simply means...
photo lifted from http://madtreehouse.com/?p=2861 NPR's recent story, "Do Vegetarians and Vegans Think They Are Better Than Everyone Else?" reminded me of other articles that have discussed a possible link between vegetarianism/veganism and self-righteousness. I think...
Thanks to Jess Young for directing me to an article published on TheRumpus.net called "In Praise of Depression." I might be able to get behind the idea of praising depression, but I didn't quite follow all of Katherine Sharpe's argument, although I liked her...
I get the opposite of what many people get. Seasonal Affective Disorder hits during the colder months when there's less light, but those aren't my worst months. My worst months often happen in the summer. Some of my most serious depressions have started in June, July...
I have a signature on my personal email that was particularly appropriate when I emailed this information to friends. It reads, "You can't cure families; you can only prevent them."
Birthday roses from my husband on July 24th On Tuesday I turned 46 years old. Americans try to pretend that 46 is still young, but reproductively, there’s no denying that 46 often falls in the middle of one of the biggest shifts in a woman’s life. Puberty marks the...
Wheat products make up a huge portion of the food we Americans eat every day. We all know sugar is bad for us, but few really think about wheat. I’m focusing on wheat today, but a lot of this applies to all grains that contain gluten.