NEDA Week

Hello everyone! It's NEDA Week. What does that mean? It's National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. It's an area of public and mental and every other kind of HEALTH that I am so ardent about, that I can't help but spread the word. In the past the theme has been "Everyone Knows Someone." If you sit back and think about it, everyone probably DOES know someone who has suffered from poor body image, poor self-esteem, or an eating disorder. It is the job of eating disorder organizations to conduct research and disseminate the findings to the public. There are SO many research articles that I would like to stock up and read! They provide wonderful insight. These articles, journals, textbooks, and databases are works of collaboration by experts who are just as passionate about eating disorders as I am. It is only a DREAM that I will someday be able to join the cause--that is, more than I can do as a student advocate. Please take the time to be healthy and consider that eating disorders are occurring all around you-- not just in women, but now in men-- not just in older women but teenagers and children. For more information, here is a list of sites and resources!

-National Initiative for Eating Disorders
-National Eating Disorders Awareness
-National Institute of Mental Health
-Academy for Eating Disorders
-The Joy Project
-The Emily Program
-The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness
-National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
-Castlewood Treatment Center
-Hungry for Hope
-The Elisa Project
-Project HEAL
-Eating Recovery Center
-ACUTE Center--DenverHealth

Nutrigenomics and Gene Variances

For someone like me who has no family history, it's very important for me to stay on top of my nutrition and exercise to stay healthy. The overall goal of good nutrition or a diet plan is to help prevent disease. Sometimes, though, no matter how hard we try, our bodies are genetically made and metabolically created to respond to food compounds a certain way.
For example, certain genes in your body may increase your resistance to insulin and increase your chances of developing atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease.

Many of you know your cruciferous vegetables--it's a funny name for certain groups of vegetables. Most commonly these are things like broccoli, cauliflower, bok choi, cabbage...you get the picture. For most people these foods are healthy and offer a slew of vitamins and minerals which are beneficial. However, in certain groups of people, antioxidants from these green and leafy vegetables digest even slower, producing increased protection against cancer and heart disease.

Folate is also very important--not just for pregnant women--but for everyone. While 400 micrograms is the daily amount recommended for women of childbearing age, some people have gene variants that make it difficult for this amount of folate to be digested. They may have to take twice the amount others do.

This isn't just to set you up to compare your body and the way it works to others'. It's easy to ask, "I take good care of myself. Why can't the foods I eat and the exercise I get be enough to keep me healthy?" This is what nutrigenomics strives to answer, just as what people who work in physiology of exercise aim to understand. Health is a continuum. That means you'll never stay in one spot for long. Being healthy is more than being free of a disease or illness. It encompasses all aspects of everyday life--mental health, physical health, spirituality, socioeconomic status...and of course, all those categories can be further broken down to discover determinants of good health.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Sometimes it seems hard to balance the perfect workout with your diet. If you're not a big meal eater like me, it just creates even more difficulties! But take it slow. Sometimes it's better, in fact, to eat 5-6 small meals or boosters rather than plowing through three big meals. Trust me, your digestive system will thank you later! I think it's about finding the RIGHT balance. After all, no body or metabolism is the same. Find the little joys. Like eating dark chocolate. If you view it negatively, it's a splurge, yes. But if you do a little research, you'll find that there ARE benefits to chocolate! It's no secret that research on dark chocolate over the years has yielded some health benefits. Take a look.

1. Natural dark chocolate (not milk chocolate--you want a high cacao content) contains a chemical called PEA (we'll keep it short), which causes the brain to release endorphins. Wow, who knew?

2. Flavonoids are a type of plant metabolite that increases your body's ability to utilize insulin. Guess what? They exist in natural dark chocolate! Its low glycemic index can also help to prevent big spikes in blood sugar.

3. It has been proven that eating dark chocolate each week can help decrease your chances of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and improving blood flow.

4. Dark chocolate contains vitamins and minerals essential to health: magnesium, copper, iron, and potassium. Potassium keeps the heartbeat in check.

5. Dark chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants, like resveratrol, which destroy free radicals in the body. Free radicals cause cell damage.

6. Unlike most sweets that ruin tooth enamel, dark chocolate contains theobromine, which maintains hard tooth enamel. Once tooth enamel is lost, it cannot be replaced.

Food for Thought

Just some thoughts.

It's National Eating Disorder Awareness Week soon. What does that mean? Well, I think the title is a little self-explanatory. It means we do what we can to encourage positive self-talk, positive body talk, encouraging energy and constructive criticism! Yes, I said constructive criticism. We all criticize ourselves, don't we? We criticize others, although we'd never admit it. We also COMPARE, but we don't admit it. Isn't that coveting what someone else has? Coveting the body of someone else--or any features of someone else--is a statement to God that you aren't satisfied with what He dealt you. Trust me, it's taken me 22 years to recognize that I was doing this. I was telling God--boldly--that I wasn't satisfied with anything He sent my way. And I probably do still tell Him this from time to time. But I've taken the first step in recognizing that my energy isn't always directed in a positive way; nor do I always think of myself in a positive light. We all have things about us we'd like to change. But take a minute to look at the questions below. It's a simple exercise to journal about from time to time. It might not make a difference, but maybe it will. Set some goals. It starts by waking up in the morning and actually looking at yourself in a mirror. Not LOOKING but seeing. There is a soul somewhere in that floating mass of water, skin, blood, and bones. There is a soul.

1. What are my top 10 values? In what order of priority?
2. What in my life reflects my interest in these values? Do I devote adequate time and focus to these areas that I value?
3. Would focusing more on what I value fill up some of the space that obsessing about weight, food and eating disordered thoughts used to occupy?
4. What would I like to start doing to further devote myself to my values?

Dreaded Day of Food

Superbowl...Everyone knows that beyond football, beyond commercials, beyond everything....this day is about eating as much as you can. Over 48 million people order takeout or dine in (pizza, etc). That's 1.23 billion different types of chicken wings eaten, 11 million pounds of chips, $2.3 million dollars' worth of soda just TODAY, 325 million gallons of beer, and 80 million avocados (guac). Come on, people. Those are just some of the numbers. There are plenty of ways to stay healthy today. It starts with surveying your options. If there's pop, popcorn, pizza, chicken wings, chips and salsa, and nothing looks healthy, decide what you want most. Almost everyone will go over portion sizes. Keep "moderation" in mind as ALWAYS. Include healthy alternatives. If you set out fruit and vegetables WITHOUT dip, yes, people will still eat them. What is wrong with setting out hummus or Greek yogurts? Angel food cake and raspberries? Aren't those still party foods? Something as simple as butter free popcorn or kettle corn is good, too. But if you still appreciate your typical game day foods, try incorporating low fat, low sugar, no blah blah blah ingredients or combinations into your meal plans.

Grad School?!?!?!?

GRAD SCHOOL ON MY MIND! I've been working hard at my application all day (when the kiddos were taking their 3 hour naps)....FROM MY PHONE. NOT fun or easy! Haha. Anyway, I am just...happy. Plus the application's not due for 10 months! I only decided to get a headstart because my references need to be specially sent from the school's application website and since I'll only have two of my references as professors for a few more months, I figured those needed to be sent ASAP. I just feel very blessed for all these goals and desires God has given me in my heart!