Are You A Body Image Advocate?

5,000 advertising messages a day – that’s what each of us is exposed to on average. We are bombarded by unrealistic images of “perfect” bodies, and it’s hard to keep it from influencing our self-perceptions.

• 42% of 1^st – 3^rd graders want to be thinner
• 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat
• 70% of 18 – 30 year olds don’t like their bodies
• 60% of those in middle age remain unsatisfied

Sadly these beliefs lead to unhealthy behaviors with food and exercise. It starts a negative cycle of not believing that we are enough, tying our worth to external measures and opinions, trying to change ourselves into something unrealistic, and becoming more depressed and anxious in our failure.

Social change starts one person at a time. Your thoughts, your voice, and your actions CAN make a difference. Here’s how you can become a healthy body image advocate and end the negative cycle for yourself and others.

View media images through a critical lens.

Technology has come a long way since the camera was invented. Photos aren’t expressions of reality anymore – they are full-scale productions created to express specific messages. That message is usually, “You aren’t good enough until you buy our product.” Be aware and proceed with care.

Be a role model for healthy self-care.

Change begins with you! Are you living a healthy way of life – physically, mentally, and emotionally? Challenge your own unrealistic beliefs about body and weight. What defines your self-worth? How are you positively taking care of yourself? Here are some ideas to help you love your body and your self just as you are.

• Be active in ways you enjoy. Appreciate your body’s ability to move, breath, smile, and simply be.
• Eat foods that will nourish your body and give you energy. Your body deserves the best, right? Show it some love by creating a delicious and healthy meal.
• Do things to support the healthy of your soul. Journal, read, draw or paint, meditate, dance, whatever feels good from the inside out.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Each morning or evening, write down something you are thankful for – about yourself, others, or the world around you.

Support positive media images and campaigns.

How do you talk about body image in your daily life? Talk back to the print and TV images you see, share your body image advocacy with your friends, and teach your children the difference between external validation and internal self-worth. Take the message online through social media sites, write comments and letters to organizations that use negative body images, and use your consumer purchasing power to support your views. Social change starts one person at a time.

Learn more about eating disorders, body image, and healthy food and exercise behaviors.

There are so many organizations out there that support healthy body image. Here are some places to get you started. Check them out and share what you learn with your friends and family.

• National Eating Disorders Association
• Project HEAL
• About Face
• Adios Barbie
• Eat Right, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• This Girl Can

3 Steps to Break Your "Bad" Day Cycle

You’ve had a “bad” day. You arrive home drained and on edge. What’s the first thing you do? Maybe it’s comfort food – your favorite frozen dinner or a pack of Oreos. Or you zone out in front of the TV with whatever show happens to be on. You go to bed late, rush off to work in the morning, go through your day half-aware, routinely moving from one thing to the next…

You want to stop the cycle of stress, anxiety, and unhappiness – but you don’t know how.

Enter mindfulness. “Mindful-what?” you say. Isn’t that just one of those new-age buzzwords to sell things?

You aren’t wrong – mindfulness is a hot topic these days. But it’s been around for a long time, traces back to ancient philosophies and given a fresh spin by today’s self-help gurus. The central idea is to be present in the moment, using acceptance and non-judgmental thought and action to promote change and happiness.

There are lots of ways to practice mindfulness, including three practical steps to help break your cycle of “bad” days. So instead of reaching for the pint of Ben and Jerry’s, give this a quick try first.

1) Become aware of what you are feeling.

Check in with yourself – what’s bothering you right now? What uncomfortable emotions are you holding in? Here are some examples:

• Anger
• Sadness
• Frustration
• Loneliness
• Anxiety

Once you’ve identified your emotions, think about what triggered them. Are they connected to family or work issues, or do they stem from internal struggles within yourself? Be as specific as possible here – this will help with the next two steps.

Next, become aware of where you are holding and feeling your stress. Is there tension in your neck, shoulders, or back? Does your stomach feel upset? Direct your self-care efforts to alleviating those symptoms. For example, a soothing bath or massage can help ease body aches and pains.

2) Adopt the right attitude.

Take a look at your mindset. Negative self-talk can quickly derail any attempts at fixing your “bad” day. Some examples include:

• Assuming the worst
• Believing that you can’t handle it
• Judging yourself
• Fearing rejection
• Having unrealistic expectations
• Thinking in all-or-nothing patterns 

You may have to deal with these emotional roadblocks before you can take action. Try journaling or talking to someone you trust. Can you accept where you are instead of focusing on where you want to be?

Once you have the right emotional mindset, create physical readiness for change by setting healthy boundaries. You have limited time and energy. Are you using your resources in ways that align with your goals and values? Start saying “no” to things that don’t work for you. Support yourself and your new efforts through words and actions.

3) Act with small but important steps.

You have the awareness and the attitude – now it’s time to act!

Address the sources of your stress directly with calm and clear communication. All the time you’ve spent preparing with the first two steps will pay off here. Trust in what you are feeling but don’t let it guide you blindly. Accept those feelings but work to understand them as well.

Go into the situation with understanding of what you can do. You can’t control the reactions of others, but you can control your own boundaries and choices. Let go of expectations of external things out of your control. You may have to make some tough decisions, so remind yourself often your personal goals and values.

How will you keep your daily stress in check? Put together a maintenance plan of small breaks. Here are some examples:

• Deep breathing or meditation
• Short walks
• Self-massage
• Talk to someone you trust
• Time for your favorite activities

Remember that nothing changes before you do. If you want to reduce your stress, feel better physically and emotionally, and have more time and energy for the things that matter most to you, you can! Take it one small, mindful step at a time.

Practice more mindful steps with our support in our new Mindful Steps group starting March 2. Contact us to sign up today.

Practice On the Mat for Life Off the Mat

What do you picture when you think of yoga? Maybe it’s a series of relaxing stretches. Maybe it’s a hot room full of sweaty bodies in contorted positions. Or is it sitting in a quiet room with your eyes closed just breathing? And what’s up with the $100 pants?

There are lots of ways to practice yoga, many forms and lineages that trace back to ancient origins. What attracts one person can be very different from what attracts someone else. But they do share one unifying principle: yoga isn’t just about your practice on the mat. Yoga prepares you for the practice of life.

However you choose to practice yoga, the primary purpose is to connect your body and mind, to go inward and cease the stressful fluctuations, reunite thought with feeling. It’s a practice that starts on the mat but is soon carried off it and into the world.

Agitated about sitting in traffic? Surrender your need for control through deep breathing.

Feeling like you want to stuff away your sad thoughts by overeating? Learn to cope with uncomfortable feelings in the same way that you breathe through an uncomfortable posture on the mat.

Tense with chronic pain from sitting too long at your desk? Release your body through gentle movement and find joy in being alive!

Yoga can appear intimidating. You don’t know what to do, you’re afraid to look silly, you’re not sure that you can buy in to all the mystic philosophy…

But fear not, because there are a few lessons that you can take to heart before you ever step onto a yoga mat:

Yoga is about you within you.

Yoga is free of expectation and comparison. You come as you are and find yourself without judgment or shame. There is no “right” or “wrong” – there is just you. Each yogi’s place is unique and beautiful. Yoga asks no more than for you to be as you are.

Yoga is a wonderful release.

Release your body’s tension through gentle stretching. Release your mental anxiety through breath. Release your negative self-talk through meditation. Simply, let go.

Yoga is a form of listening.

Your body is alive with communication. It doesn’t come in words but in feelings and instincts. Can you hear them? Yoga starts from within, hearing and honoring your body’s many messages.

Yoga creates empowerment.

Yoga can be physical. It transforms your breath into energy, flowing into your muscles from head to toe. As you practice, you take back your every movement. It is at once subtle and gentle yet also empowering and vibrant.

Yoga teaches compassion.

You are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, frantic… and you take a breath. You come back to the moment, acknowledge those feeling for what they are, but do not get lost within them. Yoga allows you to be perfectly imperfect – sacred and special. You move beyond shame and judgment to acceptance and affirmation.

Yoga asks and answers your needs.

Yoga can be what you make it. It is a moment to reconnect with your body – what does it need? Accept your emotions – what do they tell you? Visualize a positive change – how can you create it?

Yoga accepts all.

There are as many practices of yoga as there are breaths in the world. Each breath, each person, and each yoga practice is unique. Yoga lets you find your own way. With yoga, you are enough.

Ready to give yoga a try? 

Join us for our Mindful Yoga class on Mondays @ 6:30 - 7:30 PM starting March 2.

Contact us to reserve your spot today. Discounts available for Mindful Steps + Yoga class combination package.

Do You Know The Warning Signs? Eating Disorder Awareness in February

It starts with a few odd behaviors. Your daughter suddenly doesn’t like her favorite foods anymore and becomes anxious at family meals. Your son spends all his time alone in his room or exercising. You may notice weight changes -- or you may not. Is it just teenage angst? Or is something more going on?

Eating disorders can appear at any age, but the most commonly affected are adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 25. The symptoms develop gradually but can worsen quickly. Up to 24 million people in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder, but only 1 in 10 receive treatment. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

If you suspect that something is wrong, the time to take action is NOW.

But how do you know? And what can you do if you suspect a problem?

Be Aware

Be aware of the symptoms of eating disorders. Early recognition leads to early treatment and faster recovery.

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Food rituals including avoiding certain foods or meals, hiding food, obsession with portion size, and sneaking food
• Isolation from friends and family
• Avoiding school and social activities
• Compulsive exercise
• Extreme focus on achievement and perfection

Physical Symptoms:

• Dramatic weight changes
• Damage to teeth, mouth, or throat
• Digestive problems
• Thinning hair
• Sensitivity to cold
• Low energy or fatigue
• Irregular pulse and breathing rate
• Abnormal electrolyte levels
• Stress fractures
• Stunted growth
• Absent menstruation (in females)

Mental and Emotional Symptoms:

• Unusually mood changes
• Intense sadness or anxiety
• Inability to relax
• Obsession with food, weight, and appearance
• Distorted body image

Approach with Care

Taking the wrong approach to addressing an eating disorder can lead to a defensive response or resistance to treatment. Learn how to approach the situation in a way that promotes positive action.

Don’t Do This:

• Focus only on weight or food
• Push your child to eat or not eat
• Try to control your child’s behavior
• Hover or become overly invasive
• Demonstrate excessive anxiety or worry around your child
• Talk or speak for your child
• Express judgment or shame for your child’s condition
• Single out your child or label your child as the “problem” in the family
• Become solely focused on your child to the exclusion of your partner or other children
• Ignore or avoid talking about your concerns

Do This Instead:

• Talk about your child’s feelings instead of just their behaviors
• Ask what is creating your child’s anxiety or what your child feels they need to control
• Allow your child to talk or speak for himself/herself
• Help your child find a safe place and way to express himself/herself
• Listen to your child without trying to fix their problems for them
• Treat the eating disorder as a family issue involving the whole family’s support
• Understand that it is okay not to have all of the answers
• Talk to a treatment professional about how you can support your child’s recovery

Take Action

Take action as soon as you start having concerns. Waiting or ignoring the signs only allows the situation to worsen.

Actions To Take:

• Schedule a visit with your doctor
• Talk to a counselor or therapist specializing in eating disorder treatment
• Call a help-line for more information
• Adopt a complete approach to treatment to address physical, mental, and emotional recovery
• Seek out your own support to help you through the process
• Talk to your child regularly even if your child resists your help

Have more questions? Contact us today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation – 703 – 255 – 7012 or contact@totalhealthconcepts.net.