Health

Could It Be an Eating Disorder? Help the One You Love

Everyone values beauty. We see beauty everyday: in nature, in art, in clothing, in people, and in ourselves. Everyone has a different idea of what they consider beauty to be, but many women aren’t happy with what they see in the mirror. Some will take their quest for beauty so far that it will lead to an eating disorder.

Is It Her? Is It You?

The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that over 10 million females have an eating disorder, and 40 percent are under 19. Could someone you know be among those millions? Know the signs:

She Could Be Anorexic If…

She’s preoccupied with food, calories, dieting, and weight, insomuch that they have become a primary concern;
She talks frequently about being fat, losing weight, or dissatisfaction with her body;
She refuses foods or entire groups and denies her hunger;
She fidgets with food on her plate, eats food in specific orders, or avoids mealtimes or situations involving food altogether.

She Could Be Bulimic If…

She exhibits the first two signs of anorexia;
She makes excuses to leave after a meal and goes into the bathroom soon after eating;
She exhibits indications of vomiting like bad breath and watery eyes;
You find laxatives or their wrappers;
She eats large amounts of food or is quickly hungry again after meals;
Her cheeks and jaws have become swollen or her teeth have discoloration or new damage.

Save a Life

If you think it’s an eating disorder, seek advice on ways to help; you could very well save a life. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; let your eyes see your beauty.

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: Eating disorder, Health, National Eating Disorders Association

A Healthy Beginning: Nutrition for the Mom-to-Be

Cover of Healthy Pregnancy (101 Essential Tips)

Expectant moms know the adage: you’re eating for two now. Growing children need nutritional food to sustain their rapid growth, and that includes a child who may now be no bigger than your thumb. So does that mean you can scarf down two Big Macs now? You may now find yourself driven by pints of rocky road or bags of potato chips, but making healthy food choices is essential for your baby’s health and yours.

Healthy Pregnancy Musts

Health experts have concluded that there are nutrient musts every pregnant mother should include in her diet regularly. Growing babies—and mothers!—require the benefits provided by certain foods or supplements, now in slightly greater amounts:

Folic acid, or folate: An essential pregnancy nutrient found in leafy greens, fortified breads and cereals, and supplements.
Vitamin C: Found in strawberries, orange juice, and broccoli.
Vitamin D: Found in cooked fish, milk, and fortified orange juice.
Iron: Found in meat, lentils, beans, ad fortified breads and cereals.
Iodine: Found in iodized salt.

Pregnancy websites are excellent sources for detailed descriptions on necessary nutrients, their functions, and ways to incorporate them into your diet. Natal vitamins provide additional nutrition. Speak to your doctor for advice on getting the right amount of nutrients; some women may have different needs than generally recommended.

Your Baby’s Health and You

Many of the food choices you make will affect the health of your baby. It’s important to know that large amounts of vitamin A, soft cheese, raw or undercooked egg and poultry, and alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy. And don’t forget that exercise! A healthy you will help your baby too.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Health, Nutrient, Pregnancy

Rewards for Losing Weight

It’s no secret that the modern lifestyle has led to increased obesity. The problem has gotten so bad that many doctors refer to it as an epidemic. Setting a rewards system for losing weight, however, might encourage you to make major changes in your lifestyle so that you can lose weight.

Image by skampy via Flickr

Set Goals and Celebrate Them

In order to reward yourself for losing weight, you will need to establish a few goals. For instance you might reward yourself for

Getting one hour of exercise every day for a week.
Losing ten pounds.
Avoiding dessert for a month.
Replacing high-calorie, high-fat snacks with fruit for a week.

Reward Yourself for Meeting Your Goals

Create a list of rewards that appeal to you. That way, you can choose something that feels like a true reward whenever you reach one of your goals. If you have a hard time deciding what type of goal to set, then use a service like Canada 411 to browse various restaurants and entertainment options in your area.

A few examples that you might want to consider include

Going to a movie
Taking a weekend trip out-of-town
Buying yourself something you’ve wanted such as clothes or jewelry
Throwing a party

Now that you have made a list that includes your goals and your rewards, you can consult them whenever you need a little extra motivation. This makes it easier for you see what you get for all of your hard work and sacrifice. Whenever you need a little boost, just pull out your lists and think about what reward you will get next.

Filed Under: Life Ventures Tagged With: Health, Obesity, Weight loss

When to Let a Relationship End and Move On

Many times throughout our lives we will have relationships and come and go. However, it can be difficult to let one end.

If the relationship you are in is totally one sided, you need to move on. Many times this happens with females and their girlfriends. If you have a friend who is always so needy and whiny, and you have been there for her for everything but you would never call her with an emergency, then it is time to end the friendship. You might think that once her crisis is over she will be able to be there for you more, but the truth of the situation is she will just find another crisis to cling to. She will always need to you and be unable to be there for you.

If you are in a relationship with someone who does not support you, you need to find someone who will. If you are making the decision to lose weight, quit smoking, go back to school, and someone in your life is either refusing to help you or does not think that you need to better your life, then the relationship should not continue. In this type of relationship the other person does not want you to better yourself. They are worried that if you start to make your life better they will have to change, and they do not want that to happen. However, why would you want to remain unhappy. You need make decisions for yourself so the relationships should end.

If the relationship has been going on for years and they do not want to commit,, they will never want to commit. There are many reasons not make a commitment to soon in the relationship, however, most people know within a couple months to a year if they want to marry you or not. If they say they need more time, they just don’t want to marry you. If they are not ready to take the next step in your relationship then you need to make it for them and end the relationship.

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: Health, Intimate relationship, Relationships