Author: frivvy89
Yesterday, I tested positive for COVID-19. It’s been something I’ve feared for the past twenty months, especially working in a place and a profession where there are high volumes of people everyday. I am lucky to be twice vaccinated, and live in a state that takes vaccination really seriously among its residents. Ever since the claim that higher-weight people are at higher risk for COVID-19 was established early on in the pandemic, I along with many other fat people in the United States have felt the burden of moral panic attached to this virus. The weird irony is that, presently,…
The holidays are upon us, and with the holiday season often comes a run of family gatherings and potluck meals. While getting together with friends and loved ones is something many look forward to each year, for someone in recovery from disordered eating, the events of the holiday season can quickly lead to stress and anxiety. It is not uncommon to worry about being part of the holiday festivities without sacrificing your recovery. The holiday season can be stressful for people of all ages trying to stay focused on their recovery. The dinners, sweets, and buffet spreads accompanying family gatherings…
As people across the globe grappled with higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety this past year, many turned to their favorite comfort foods: ice cream, pastries, pizza, hamburgers. But studies in recent years suggest that the sugar-laden and high-fat foods we often crave when we are stressed or depressed, as comforting as they may seem, are the least likely to benefit our mental health. Instead, whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes and fermented foods like yogurt may be a better bet.The findings stem from an emerging field of research known as…
Did you know? According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 10% of U.S. households (13.8 million) were food insecure at some time during 2020.This holiday season, HCA Healthcare helped stock the shelves at food banks across the country as part of our organization’s Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive.By working with local food banks to collect and provide nutritious food for our communities, HCA Healthcare sought to address food insecurity – the lack of consistent access to enough food to have an active, healthy lifestyle.Over the course of 30 days, HCA Healthcare colleagues across…
Today we’ll hear from a parent whose daughter has an eating disorder and the parent is concerned that her extended family will trigger the eating disorder during holiday gatherings. The letter Dear Ginny,My daughter has an eating disorder and this is our first time seeing extended family since it started. Going into the Christmas holiday with my family with this eating disorder is hard. While I’m really looking forward to seeing family, I’m also really nervous about how it will impact my daughter. The truth is that they tend to say stuff about diets and weight. There’s a part of me that thinks…
In 2017, Hennie Thomson checked herself into a hospital for six weeks of in-patient treatment for anorexia nervosa. She was compulsively over-exercising — running, spinning or cross-training three to four hours daily. She ate only one meal each day of the same four foods. And she felt she had hit the bottom of a deep depression.In the hospital, she would be observed around the clock and her meals would be communal and strictly monitored by health-care staff. She could do no exercise, and would even have an escort to the bathroom.“It was very overwhelming; I hated losing control and I…
Today marks eleven years in eating disorder recovery for me. December 14, 2010, I walked through the doors of residential treatment scared, hopeless and willing to do anything to build a life worth living.Last night in our Alliance Monday night support group, we discussed “Is full recovery possible?”Cliff notes: YES IT IS. AND…it isn’t always what you think it is.***AND I acknowledge my privilege in the ability to access care and will continue to fight for mental health treatment to be affordable to all.Eleven years ago today I did not believe recovery was possible. Hell, I did not believe I…
“Not Alone” (By: Pamela Hawkins) I’ll never forget the moment when I saw the word “bulimia” for the first time. I was sitting in a hair salon waiting for my appointment. Because I was early, I looked through a stack of well-read magazines to find something to read. Picking one out I took it to my seat and began to flip through the pages to see what might peak my interest. At the time I was freshly out of graduate school and working as a teacher of young children with special needs. Maybe that’s why I gravitated to the magazine’s…
Blog post written by Therese Kenny, MScAs we near the transition from 2021 to 2022, many of us will be spending more time with friends and families. After what has undoubtably been a challenging 21 months, this may be the first time that some of us are seeing certain people in person. Of course, for many, this may bring up concerns about changes in appearance; we are all familiar with the unsolicited weight, body, and food comments that come up this time of year, and the increased time apart may seemingly invite more of these. Although it would be…
.*Content warning: disordered eating*Writer and editor Emma Gunavardhana – host of the eponymous health and beauty podcast The Emma Guns Show – has long battled with her body image. In pursuing one solution to remedy the issue, she uncovered the problem at the heart of her struggles: a turbulent relationship with food that turned out to be binge eating disorder. Here, she writes for Women’s Health about her journey of discovery with binge eating disorder – and the binge eating disorder recovery strategy that worked for her. You’ll find expert advice on binge eating disorder (including what is binge eating…