Poor body image, and the constant desire to change our bodies, is a common problem among so many people in our culture. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some helpful body image-related mental exercises in this latest blog. Whether you’ve been battling with poor self-esteem and negative body image over a long period of time, or just having one of those “I feel gross” days, there are things we can all do to help adjust our mental state, put things in perspective, and, hopefully, give less power to the cycle of poor body image (and the various ways that often manifests – shame, eating disorders, chronic dieting, compulsive exercise, mood swings, avoiding social interactions).
Trick or Treat! What is Intuitive Eating?
Hello and happy Halloween! Halloween can be a spooky time not only kids, but also for adults who fear the temptation and guilt that goes along with “giving in” and having a few pieces of their favorite Halloween candy. Of course, the “holiday season” (starting at Thanksgiving) always gets all the diet hype, but Halloween is no slouch either. For many people, it’s a trigger to unhealthy thoughts and actions when it comes to food
How to Cope with Emotions (Outside of Food)
If you’ve ever used food to soothe emotion, you’re in good company. Food does work (temporarily) at easing an emotional hurt or pain. Dopamine (a feel-good chemical) gets released in the brain when eating certain foods, providing you with a very real emotional relief. Unfortunately, if you are eating when your body is not hungry (or restricting when your body is indeed hungry), that good feeling may be very short lived (ex. guilt, shame, physical discomfort).