✾◕ ‿ ◕✾Let´s Talk about YOU, ME&What we see when we look in the mirror

Hi guys!, I have some questions for you today!....What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do you think other people see when they look at you? How do your answers to those two questions make you feel? Those three questions, though simple, are the three most important questions for determining your BODY IMAGE!... and.. Why is it important to do that??.. Well... because we ALL have to absolutely LOVE the reflection of ourselves when we look in the mirror.

Having a bad Body Image could lead us into several eating disorders,  so we need to be conscious of what Body Image is and how is it important that we think positively about it!...

"Body image" is a phrase used to describe someone's perception of her looks, her perception of other people's opinions about her looks, and how she feels about those perceptions. Body image is not based on fact, but on self-esteem. It's a psychological perception, not a factual one. Consequently, body image changes often, depending on mood, environment, and other factors.

A distorted body image is one of the leading causes, if not the leading cause, of eating disorders among young women.

Most people have a fairly accurate and healthy body image. Most people are aware of their flaws, but not overly bothered by them. Most people are aware of the weight gain and loss of muscle tone that comes from a more sedentary lifestyle. And they're aware of the weight loss and muscle tone that comes from a more active lifestyle. They have a pretty accurate perception of how others view them, and are ok with it.

Unfortunately, however, some people have grossly inaccurate perceptions of how they look and how others think they look. Though a person may be healthy, she may see herself as being overweight and unappealing, and may believe that others feel the same way about her. Women are the ones who most often struggle with distorted body images, and it's often because they feel pressured to measure up to the "ideal" image that's portrayed in the media.

It is estimated that by the time a girl is 17 years old, she has been exposed to over 250,000 commercial media messages. Given the fact that most of these messages equate being ultra-thin with being beautiful and successful, it's easy to see how a young girl's body image can become distorted. Other studies have shown that 50% of the advertisements in teen girl magazines use beauty, or the promise of "ideal" beauty, to promote their products. Today's fashion model weighs 23% less than the average female. Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed just 8% less. So the "ideal" that's being peddled to women and young girls today is completely unrealistic and unhealthy. Some believe it's intentional. If the advertisers can get us perpetually trying to attain a goal that's unattainable, they've secured their market share.

The development of a distorted body image, though it can be manipulated and enhanced by the media, is initially developed in infancy. Body image is determined in part by our psychological boundaries, which begin to develop at a very early age, based on the type and amount of affection and physical touch we received or didn't receive. It's also based on whether that attention and physical touch were appropriate or not. So a girl who received little or no attention from her parents when she was growing up will likely have a distorted body image long before she reaches her teenage years. If the lack of attention is reinforced by schoolmates, teachers, and the media, the problem can be quickly compounded.

The distortion can also be reinforced during puberty, when a girl's body begins to develop and change. Early onset of puberty can be especially difficult. The development of hips and breasts could be misinterpreted as "getting fat". Or a girl who's developing early may not want to look different than her friends. Consequently, she may begin trying to "hide" under clothing that's too big, not wanting others see the changes that are taking place, and she may start using extreme measures to control her weight and try to maintain her pre-pubescent body type.

Though there is a fine line between perceived appearance, and reaction to perceived appearance, there is one, and it's important. If a girl feels she's gaining an unhealthy amount of weight, or feels she's already overweight, that doesn't necessarily mean that her reaction will be negative. She may simply choose to start watching what she eats, or start exercising. But even if a girl's perception of her physical appearance is accurate, she may still react negatively or have a distorted body image.

Not every woman is built to be a size four. A girl who's built to be a size 10 may still perceive herself as being overweight and unattractive because she's not a size four.

The biggest challenge with developing a healthy body image is that it's all internal. It ultimately has nothing to do with how someone actually looks, but only how she thinks she looks and how she thinks others react to her looks. Consequently, logic doesn't always work if you're trying to help someone develop a healthy body image. Instead, you need to reinforce accurate definitions of beauty; definitions that go beyond looks and place the importance and focus where it belongs, on who a person is inside.

We can't undo any damage that may have been done during childhood. And we can't single-handedly counteract the messages sent by our culture and the media. But we can be a voice of reason in the lives of young girls. We can help them see and understand reality and help them have healthy perceptions and a healthy appreciation for who they really are and what they have to offer by spreading the message!... but most importantly...  LOVING OURSELVES !

Angie

❂.❂Girls! Make sure you read this!_ New Eating Disorders Recognized!_❂.❂

Hi Guys!, 2 NEW EATING DISORDERS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED by very important publications!.  I think it might be very interesting for you to read this post because it could be affecting anyone you know including yourself!. 

According to new findings indicate that there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of adult picky eaters. To get a handle on the numbers, Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh have launched a national public registry of adult picky eaters. Respected publications like JAMA and Psychology Today are recognizing another new eating disorder, orthorexia, an obsession with healthy eating. That may not sound bad, as obsessions go, but those who carry good intentions too far can face serious risks.  

Eat the right foods to keep your bones strong.

Kristie Rutzel, 27, dropped to 68 pounds when she was in the grip of her fixation on healthy eating - at one point she ate little more than raw broccoli and cauliflower. Neither adult picky eating disorder nor orthorexia is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the American Psychiatric Association’s “bible” of mental disorders. Once a disorder is listed, treatment is often covered by insurance and it’s easier for researchers to get grants to study it. Here’s what we know so far:

• What is Adult Selective Eating? Like kids, adult picky eaters limit themselves to an extremely narrow range of foods. Unlike those who suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia, adult picky eaters are seemingly not worried about calorie counts or body image. But so far, researchers don’t know if adult picky eaters just haven’t outgrown childhood patterns or if their eating habits are a new twist on obsessive compulsive disorder. Some may be “supertasters,” with an abnormally acute sense of taste that turns them off certain foods. Many appear to have had unpleasant childhood associations with food.

• What is orthorexia? Identified in 1997 by Colorado physician Steven Bratman, MD, orthorexia is Latin for “correct eating.” Here, too, the focus isn’t on losing weight. Instead, sufferers increasingly restrict their diets to foods they consider pure, natural and healthful. Some researchers say that orthorexia may combine a touch of obsessive compulsive disorder with anxiety and warn that severely limited “healthy” diets may be a stepping stone to anorexia nervosa, the most severe - and potentially life-threatening - eating disorder.

What do they eat?

• Adult picky eaters: Food preferences tend to be bland, white or pale colored - plain pasta or cheese pizza are said to be common foods along with French fries and chicken fingers. Some picky eaters stick to foods with a common texture or taste.

• Orthorexics: Those affected may start by eliminating processed foods, anything with artificial colorings or flavorings as well as foods that have come into contact with pesticides. Beyond that, orthorexics may also shun caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, wheat and dairy foods. Some limit themselves to raw foods.

Check out this mobile phone app that guides healthy food choices.

What are the risks?

• Health consequences: Limiting your diet to only a few foods - because you’re a picky eater or have a long list of foods you deem unhealthy - can lead to potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies. At its most extreme, a diet limited to only a few foods perceived to be healthy is described as orthorexia nervosa and can lead to the same emaciation and health risks seen with anorexia nervosa.

• Social Isolation: Being an adult picky eater can take an enormous social toll. Out of embarrassment, these folks avoid dining with friends or co-workers. Heather Hill tries to hide her eating habits from her children for fear that they will pick them up. Going to extremes in an effort to eat only healthy foods can also be socially isolating and can undermine personal relationships.

How are these disorders treated?

• Adult Selective Eating: Techniques that have proven successful in treating kids who are picky eaters - learning assertiveness skills and systematically trying new foods - are being used on adults, but it’s still too soon to know whether they work. 
• Orthorexia: Cognitive behavior therapy designed to change obsessive thought patterns regarding food is usually recommended.

REMEMBER!: It is very important to be healthy and have healthy habits, but nothing in excess is good. Spoil yourself with treats from time to time and make sure you ENJOY the process of becoming a Healthy Girl !.

Angie

✿◠‿◠) Did you know there are Negative Calorie Foods‽‽.... Neither did I❣

Hi guys!, I just found some information that I´m sure you would like!...After doing some research on calories and talking to a dear person of mine i found out that there is something called NEGATIVE CALORIE FOOD!... According to the theory, a negative calorie food is any food that requires more energy to digest than the energy (calories) actually contained in the food. The idea here is that by eating these foods, you can burn more calories than you consume and lose weight more rapidly and efficiently. 

Foods that are claimed to be negative in calories are mostly low-calorie fruits and vegetables such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, apple, lettuce, celery, broccoli and cabbage. Celery, a commonly cited negative calorie food, actually requires only about 10% of its food energy content to be digested (due to the thermic effect). Zero-calorie beverages, such as water, do take more than zero calories to process within the body.

Here i have the entire list of what some call Negative Calorie Food:

Negative Calorie Veggies

If you want to get the most nutrition possible while still maintaining eating as few calories as possible, you may wish to add plenty of these negative calorie veggies to your diet. They include celery, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, green beans, spinach, zucchini, onion, radish, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot and beet root.

Negative Calorie Fruits

Many fruits are also negative calorie foods while offering plenty of Vitamin C and other nutrients at the same time. Examples of these fruits include peach, pineapple, tomato, watermelon, cranberries, blueberries, apple, grapefruit, mango, orange, lemons, limes, papaya, cantaloupe, honeydew, raspberries, strawberries, tangerine and watermelon.

While this concept is popular in dieting guides, there is no scientific evidence that any of the foods claimed as negative calorie foods are such, but i think it is worth it to try them and incorporate them to our diets and see how it goes! (◡‿◡✿)

What do you guys think?

Angie