A small project started by a teen turned into a full blown life mission. A cathartic creative outlet, mixed with body positive discussions, sprinkled with sass. Here is our delicious self-love cake. Want a piece?
To those who think plus size models are a bad influence,
I'm afraid I've got some bad news.
Diversity is a language in which you are not fluent,
And my people and I will preach inclusivity from our pews
Sing songs of self-love till we are shackled to our tombs.
Perhaps you think being plus size is a poor excuse of health,
And hence you and your BMI officers deplore
The fact that more women of more sizes are gaining wealth
Perhaps not in cash, nor in gold, but in amore,
In the admiration of plus size men and women whom they adore.
Health is not a number, nor is it a size,
So put down your magnifying glass and take a step back
Health cannot be measured by your poisonous eye,
Because if curves are bad, than so are those collarbones sticking out,
Deep and protruded bones; how is that better than fat?
No, you're dismissal of the plus size world
Has more to do with insecurity, and less to do with worry
Because if millions of differently shaped boys and girls
See Tara Lynn rocking her rolls in all her beauty
Maybe you'll have no one to put down but your selfie.
I recently learned about skin bleaching from a black friend of mine. We were discussing body dysmorphia, which is a mental disorder that makes one believe their appearance is unacceptable and must be corrected. We were trying to find the line between typical bodily insecurities and BDD, when my friend suggested as an example of BDD "skin bleaching".
Being as pale a white girl as one can get before being transparent, I did not quite understand what she meant. She then went on to explain that in the colored community, sometimes a lighter skin tone is considered more beautiful than a dark one, or at least that's what the media seems to be saying. So some women of color, and even men, decide to bleach their skin with all types of toxins and chemicals to lighten their complexion.
Now I must preface this discussion by saying a few things:
1. I am white, so my understanding of the light black vs dark black situation can only be superficial, as I haven't experienced it first hand.
2. I know that skin bleaching can actually be done in a safe manner, supervised by doctors, for health related reasons. Lightening moles and dark spots that could be cancerous, or evening out the spots of someone who suffers from vitiligo.
Taking these 2 facts into consideration, I still want to discuss this issue with you all.
Firstly, the continuing devaluation of darker girls and boys is simply a product of the still ever present vestiges of racism. After all, back when Africans were brought to the Americas to be enslaved, they were incredibly dark, which is an evolutionary product of sun exposure.
As mixed children were being brought to this earth, and African-Americans slowly but surely earned rights to get off the cotton and sugar plantations, I can understand why a lighter skin tone could signify wealth, status and proximity to a white person, who was, at the time and sadly still to this day, considered superior.
But it's 2015, Gabby! Things have changed! Have they?
Take a long look at this year's Oscar nominees for best Actor and Actress in a leading or supporting role. As milky white as racism gets, children.
And I won't even bring up the problem of police brutality, because if you don't believe there is institutionalized racism in this country after these events, then you never will.
However, one has to wonder whether skin bleachers are simply a product of their society, or do they suffer from a greater body dysmorphia? After all, only a minority of WOC participate in skin bleaching.
Well, I'd argue it's both.
There are many reasons to feel attacked by the media if you are a darker skinned girl. But like eating disorders, there has to be an opening. An opening in your brain, a vulnerability, a lack of familial support, an already present insecurity, in order for something so vicious as an ED or BDD to sliver its way in to a person's core.
I only know so much, so I'd really appreciate it if you left a comment on your thoughts and experiences with skin bleaching.
While I was researching my dashboard for picture ideas, I fell upon this post. Obviously, we are going to ignore some sort of reality star being, as a real housewife must be, ridiculous. I want to focus today on the topic of expression and conforming to others ideals.
Many people believe, consciously or not, that people of a certain figure, a certain weight or a certain structure have to dress a certain way.
Though we may associate them with a curvier body type, these snarky comments can attack even the thinnest of people.
Don't know what I'm talking about? How about some examples:
-OMG have you seeeen her thighs?! She should not be wearing those shorts
-OMG have you seen that 2 piece she's wearing? You can clearly see all her bones, anorexic twig.
...sound familiar? (If not, I want the address of the rock you are living under, so I can join you, STAT)
These remarks are made to mask insecurities, I promise you, yet it can still be hard not to listen to them.
Unsure about an outfit because you fear it is not appropriate for your figure? Doubtful of a piece of clothing because it doesn't fit the mold other people have prescribed to your body type? Self conscious about ANY expression of individuality you fear may cause some whispers?
Here is what I have to say to you:
It is THEIR problem. Their's, not yours.
What kind of sad life would we live if all our decisions were based on other's judgment of us? You can express yourself in any healthy manner you desire!
So what if they don't like looking at it? As far as I know, no one is holding a gun to their heads demanding that they stare at you all day.
If your fierceness is blinding these poor souls, they can put on some shades. Don't dim your light for those who don't see the beauty in it.
If you were to base your perspective of eating disorder demographics solely on young adult literature, media news stories, Dr Phil and Tumblr (oh, tumblr...I just never run out of rants against you<3), you would come to the conclusion that eating disorders are in fact a rich white girl problem.
To be honest, until very recently, when I visualized a severe eating disorder sufferer locked up in a psych ward, she was almost as pale as I am(I've met some of you in person, yall know I'm legally translucent).
I went to great lengths to debunk the male ED debate in my ANEB article, translated here, but I never really considered the race issue until I found this statistics bank from a study onEating Disorders in Minority Populations. African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American; as the webpage demonstrates, no one is spared. The results absolutely floored me, and made me reconsider most of what I thought I knew about the societal body image conundrum. Here are some of my reflections on the topic:
Acculturation
We often associate the black community with a more accepting body positive mindset, which leads many of us to believe they couldn't face the same body image struggles as other races do. But we know that's simply not the case(see stats), and NEDA explains it as a consequence of acculturation, defined as the process of shifting values to the host culture from the culture of origin. In the occidental world, diversity of culture is generally celebrated, leading to a melting pot-type of atmosphere.
However, this can become problematic when minority cultures start dwindling at the expense of a dominant "American" (ie white) society. That beautiful body positivity found in Hispanic and African American communities is slowly being assimilated into the dangerous pro-thin movement, which can lead to serious repercussions on influenceable kids and teens: "In one study of Cuban American women, Jane, Hunter, and Lozzi found that close identification with Cuban culture was associated with lower EAT-26 scores, indicating less negative attitudes toward eating, and may have a protective factor in the development of eating disorders. Chamorro & Flores-Ortiz found that second-generation Mexican-American women, those born in the US to foreign-born parents, were the most acculturated and had the highest disordered eating patterns."
We letting a thinspo, thigh gap, size 0 obsessed culture win a fight against a healthier counterpart. No wonder eating disorders are on the rise in most 2nd and 3rd generation immigrant households.
Underrepresentation
We know women of varying body types are vastly unrepresented in the media, but the homogeneity of beauty ideals is as equally a race issue. "Browne (1993) reports that African-American women feel tremendous pressure as role models, and that as a result, feel they must be perfect in order to counteract negative stereotypes."
Think about the (rare) women of colour who were able to break these barriers; Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, and most of the models featured in ad campaigns or fashion spreads. In order to obtain their level of success, they had to be even more perfect than their preferred caucasian counterparts.
So the young people of similar racial backgrounds look up to the few men/women who look like them on TV and think, for example, that is what I, a hispanic girl, should look like. Moreover, it sends the message that to reach your dreams , especially considering your minority status, you must look a certain way.
Universal Motivation
But most of all, by associating ED with the caucasian race, we are forgetting the ultimate motivator behind all disordered eating behaviours: emotions.
We can argue and bitch about the media, and society, but at the end of the day, as I've said multiple times in various articles, the media alone is not enough to push someone over the edge.
Depression, trauma, grief, stress: these feelings have never been exclusive to being white!
They are the main instigators of eating disorders, hence to even insinuate that men and women of color cannot develop eating disorders is to assert that they do not face the daily struggles that white people face. Which would in fact be the most ridiculous declaration since lord knows when.
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We all need to rethink the way we imagine the world around us.
Hope you all have a marvelous day<3
xoxo
Dear Male Population
I regret to inform you that the rumors are false
Despite what you and your boys seem to think
Girls don't try to look good solely for your cause
Some of us actually enjoy putting on makeup
So why would we bother wasting our precious mornings
putting on eyeshadow for a doofus
who doesn't even notice that our eyelids are glowing?
Sometimes I want my hair to be straight,
Is that such a crime?
If you knew how your hair looks to me
Honey you might not criticize my beautifying time.
I know this poem is quite hetero-normative
For not all girls like boys, and vice versa
Regardless, looking good for us is about feeling good
And trust, it has little to do with impressing ya.
So if we're late to class and our eyelashes seem longer than usual
Don't assume we did it to make you think we're "hot"
Because if you think we are trying to grab your attention,
let's be real, we probably are.
not.
Oh yes, indeed, young adults aren't the only people in distress.
According to NEDA statistics, In 2003, 1/3 of inpatient admissions to a specialized treatment center for eating disorders were over 30 years old.
So why do so many people consider eating disorders to be a "teenage problem", and why is this reasoning so faulty?
Let's rewind a little bit. What causes an ED? Obviously, the answer varies from person to person, but there are triggers common to the majority of cases.
First of all, a very prominent theory is the one involving the media and its indirect imposition of impossible physical expectations.
Yes, it is true that young boys and girls in development are very vulnerable to those societal messages because they often lack self-esteem and a definite sense of identity. How-EVER, we cannot underestimate the amount of those messages directed towards a more mature audience. Beauty and skincare ads, like the one featured on the right, can easily make women over 30 feel as though their beauty vanishes at the appearance of a single wrinkle. Let's not forget the boom of the plastic surgery industry, making accessible a wide array of rejuvenating procedures to anybody with access to a credit card and a needle now more than ever.
So how can we possibly imagine that teenagers are the only ones to suffer the difficult consequences of these destructive images and practices?
Moreover, a very common trigger among people suffering from an ED is stress. Young adults worry about their grades, friendships, romantic relationships, future; all of these are strong catalysts of psychological distress that can lead to poor body image.
But does anxiety disappear after adolescence? Of course it doesn't!
Adults work, maintain their friendships and/or romantic relationships, pay their bills, raise kids, all of the stressors! On top of all of that, since adults generally have more responsibilities, they are less likely to get help and take time to recover, which can add to their already-high anxiety, and the vicious cycle goes round and round.
To top it all off, the hormone changes present in woman experiencing pregnancy or menopause are just as disorienting as puberty's biological mess.
Here's the deal: "Body image dissatisfaction in midlife has increased dramatically, more than doubling from 25% in 1972 to 56% in 1997." But if no one dares speak of this demographic's unfortunate reality, those number won't stop climbing.
So talk to you mom, grand-mother, uncle, friend, teacher, whoever! Breaking the silence helps build a better world.
As we start the new year, new year's resolutions are all the rage.
1.Get a gym membership
2.Lose 10 pounds
3.(something my creepy uncle told me, true story): Get toned to get more chicks
But a new year can be about so much more than your fraking looks, this is an opportunity to learn more about others and yourself. It can be heard, no doubt, with everyone's body negative resolutions clouding your thoughts, so here are my top 5 resolutions that have nothing to do with your weight:
1. Learn something new
Try learning Japanese, or Italian. Just a few words might come in handy.
Watch cooking videos on how to make that perfect omelette. (and then come to my house and make it for me)
Study art history, or playwriting, or the tattoo industry.
Information has never been so readily available to humans. No more library books that weight 38499 pounds to study Greek architecture, now you have the Internet! By becoming a more cultivated person, I promise your self-esteem will build, because you will sense that the person you are meant to become is in fact cultivated and interesting. Plus, those odd skills can be attractive to an employer. Maybe one day my random knowledge of Netflix entries and makeup brushes will land me a job. Doubtful, but a girl can dream, right?
2. Learn something new about someone else
Ask questions to your friends like : "what was the best year of your life? your worst?"
Make a new friend in class or at work by noticing their mood. "Something wrong?" "You look radiant today!"
Being interested in other people's lives facilitates communication. When people feel they need to talk, they will know you are the person to go to, for you've shown interest in their lives. And let's face it, not all of us can learn Japanese or Italian, because maybe we don't have time, or maybe it won't benefit us, but being a good friend is a rare skill that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
3. Learn something new about yourself:
Try a new genre of literature. You're more of a John Green type of person, try some Stephen King.
Try a new sport. Maybe badminton is actually your hidden master talent.
Try a new food. This may sound dumb, but after trying mangos, my life was forever changed.
The point here is that you are a very complex human being, but often times we get stuck in a rut, and forget to explore the unknown parts of ourselves. By trying new things, you discover your likes and dislikes, which can lead to further understanding who you are. Some of my ideas may seem trivial, because maybe they are to a superficial degree, but it's up to you to try the things you always wanted to try, but more importantly the things you never thought of trying in the first place.
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Here's the deal. We have many flaws, and resolutions can be the trick to push us to improve ourselves.
But why do they have to be physical? Our bodies are perfect just the way they are!
And maybe you do want to lose weight. As long as it's healthy, that's a-okay. But just keep in mind all the examples I gave you, because maybe one day you'll realize, after achieving your goal weight, that you're no smarter, or more interesting, or more important than you were before.
That's why appearance based resolutions just don't cut it for me.
I watched a wonderful video by Connor Manning (which I will link below this post) about finding your passion, and it deeply resonated with me, so I thought I would share my thoughts on passion, what to do about it, and how it can affect your self-worth.
I must start by saying that I am incredibly lucky, but also a bit misfortunate.
I found my first passion, reading and writing, at a ridiculously young age. I can remember writing stories when my letters were still backwards, and telling them to my great grandmother, who became senile when I was 7. In that sense, I was lucky. I was kind of good at it, or had a bountiful imagination, as my school's librarian once told me, probably because I had made up a story about my friend Steph who had hair down to the floor, who also did not exist. Besides the point.
I held on to my love for several years, until the dark ages of many of our lives: teenagehood.
Ahhh yes. Cystic Acne, Cripplingly Low Self-Esteem, and Debilitating Anxiety. Who wouldn't want to be 14 again?!
As I entered my teenage years, I slowly but surely stopped reading, and stopped writing, and suddenly I became very confused.
When asked by adults around me what I wanted to be when I grew up, instead of confidently voicing my love for the book industry, I shrugged and said I don't know, murmuring to myself: when I grow up, I just want clear skin for the love of all that is holy.
However, as my first true love started to dwindle inside my heart, I discovered a new passion: makeup.
Now I want to make it very clear, as opposed to writing, at which I was naturally pretty decent, I SUCKED at makeup for the first year or two.
But my god did I love it.
It honestly carried me through those rough 15 to 17 years of age where angst dominates your life and high school graduation is no where in sight.
But with a lot, and i mean a shit ton of practice, I got to be pretty good (I'll post a few pictures of my makeup work from this week below Connor's video)
So now I had a new answer to those unsuspecting adults: I was going to be a makeup artist!
And now, I'm here, at 19.
I rediscovered my love for reading and writing mostly through the blog, so thank you for that.
But my love for makeup has only grown stronger!
I am a creative person, and don't necessarily see myself working in an office 9-5.
But I enjoyed structure and school and academia, and did pretty well in school my whole life.
I want to go to college, but I also want to work at Sephora full time.
ARGH
Here's what I try to tell myself, and here's what you should live by, whether you have a passion, or five, or none:
It's okay to change your mind.
We have this fixed idea that once you choose a path, you cannot go back.
But that's not true!
People change majors, careers, life paths all the time!
You can major in economics at Harvard and work as a painter in France after deciding Wall Street isn't for you.
We may live in a society that values decisiveness, which is probably why we don't value teenagers all that much. But you have to do what feels right. So try things out, experiment, and give it your all: You can always try again.
And to those of you who don't have anything you're crazy passionate about, just wait.
Try new things, new clubs, new activities, don't be afraid to make new friends.
But don't try too hard, not everything is going to fit.
Okay, I'm contradicting myself here.
Basically, do what feels right, and the right will come to you. That may seem vague, but I promise you will find what you love.
You may seem lost, and some have emailed me saying you feel like a failure.
Hey. HEY. Don't. Not everyone finds their passion at the same time, so give yourself a break.
My 11th grade English teacher explained this to me, and I think this sums it about up:
"Don't stress about your major or your career. Because guess what? Some of you, your passion will be motherhood/fatherhood, or being a supportive wife/husband, going to ballet recitals and baseball tournaments, making lunches, cooking dinner, gardening, volunteering, and being a good person. Does that sound so bad?"
So to the adults who ask you with a judgmental twinkle in their eyes:
"What do you want to do with your life?"
Give them the truest answer. If that's "I don't know just yet", then don't be ashamed.
You have a lifetime ahead of you.
Just breathe, try new things, and breathe again.
An eyeliner fell into my hand one day, and I know someday your passion will fall into yours.
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy! Today's challenge: The Cute Outfit Challenge Today is a special, special day. In my family, we get very glam and dressy on the 24th, to look like ogres the 25th. You of course don't have to get all fancy, but I do want you, amid all the stressful parties and bloating cookies, to feel your best. Today's challenge is simple: wear your favorite outfit. I want you to analyze it. What makes this shirt better than the others? Why do these jeans flatter your body? Is there a specific physical feature your outfit emphasizes? Getting to know your body as a whole, flaws but more importantly qualities, will help you shop better for yourself in the long run, knowing what to buy that makes you feel beautiful. Look, at the end of the day, it shouldn't matter what we wear, but sometimes it does. And if looking your best means feeling your best in the darkest times, then girl, you do you. Gabby is off to paint her nails and eat Fruit Loops. Gotta love Xmas. xoxo Gabby
Today is a special day, for I will be talking about books, something I rarely do.
I am not a book blogger, nor do I intend to be, but I truly believe that books can not only stimulate the intellect, but your mental health as well.
It takes you to another world, where you don't have to deal with your ED/low self-esteem/anxiety/depression etc. or it can take you to a place with a character who gets you like no one in your real life does. So without further ado, here are some of my book recommendations.
If you like books, you'll love... 1. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
Obviously, it comes to no surprise to my friends/family members that my number 1 book is "The Bell
Jar" by Sylvia Plath. Guys, I got a "bell jar" tattoo for crying out loud, this has got to be an important piece of literature. It chronicles the beautifully tragic downfall of a young woman, similar in age and mindset to me. I found this book immensely accurate, you could tell Plath knew what she was writing about. The ending may not be the happily ever after of a Disney movie, but it's true, it's authentic, and it gave me hope. You'll see what I mean when you read it. because you will read it.because I'm making you. now.
2. If you like Ellen Hopkins, you'll love... Ugly Girls, by Lindsay Hunter Never mind that this title might make you believe this is a body politics thesis, it's not. It's a terribly gritty and raw "sort-of YA sort-of waaayyy to hardcore to even come close to being young adult" story of 2 Southern teens, Baby Girl and Perry. This book had me on the edge of my seat, let me tell you, I finished it in only a day! There were no lulls, no plateaus, just back to back action and tension and Oh My the ending Oh My Lord In Heaven. This is no bestseller, so please encourage this author, buy this book, and make sure she can write us some more awesome stuff.
If you like Girls (HBO), you'll love...
3. The Group by Mary McCarthy When I mentioned to the Chapters lady that the Bell Jar is my favorite book of all time, she immediately suggested The Group. It follows the story of 8 recent Vassar graduates through their trials and tribulations as sort-of adults. This fantastic coming of age can be quite confusing with the multiple narrators, but ultimately it was both an amazing novel and a great piece of social commentary on the 30s and 40s. A must read feminist book, in my humble opinion.
If you suffer from anxiety, you'll love Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple This book, written by a writer for Arrested Development, which I love, was a no-brainer favorite of mine this year. The humor is so witty, but the story itself is at times
heartwarming and at times gut wrenching. One of the main characters suffers from what appears to be agoraphobia, so for anyone who suffers from anxiety or who knows somebody who does, this book is a terrific insight on an anxiety-ridden's mentality. Didn't adore the ending, but overall a quick, funny lovely book.
Voila! those were my 2014 picks for best books I've read this year.
Hope you check 'em out.
Until then,
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy! Day 5: Drop the phone It's been proven that social media can drastically reduce self-esteem. Sure, it's tempting to see what other people are up to, but at the end of the day, we are all edited, and seeing everybody's perfectly edited lives can make our imperfect real lives seem blah. Today is then the day to put down the phone, the computer, the tablet, the desktop, although you're probably not actually holding the latter, and enjoy the non digitized world. Go outside, spend time with your family, friends, and pets. Or if you're a hermit like me, read a book. Snuggle with your bae (Taco Bell). Catch up on Sherlock for the 3433o5th time with your Johnlock shipping friends. Or Mystrade. Or whatever ship you desire. (confused by my last sentence? you probably don't spend too much time on the internet, kudos to you!) Instagram is fun, and watching my idols sculpt their brows like drag queen perfection is addictive, but there is a lot to do outside of Facebook too. There's also Tumblr. I'm kidding, there's also real emotions, real feelings, real connections to be made out there. Go getchu some xoxo Gabby
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy! Today's challenge is....get kitschy. Boys and girls, it is the holiday season. Wether you celebrated Christmas or any other religious/kinda super commercial holiday, it is vital to your self-love that you embrace the times. For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter, and as I'm sitting here writing this I am freezing my butt of in Montreal, Canada. Many people get sad when it gets dark earlier, leading to seasonal depression. But fear not, there is a solution! Instead of absolutely dreading this time of year, you must embrace the kitsch; the sappy, commercial, cheesy Holiday spirit is a drink, and you must chug that sucker! Why? Well look. We all know the holiday season is kind of a Hallmark holiday, for companies to make money and for our wallets to get thin. We could be cynics about it. Or... We could: -rock that ugly Christmas sweater -make hot chocolate -watch our favorite Xmas movie -scream out "All I Want For Xmas" by Mariah Carey, which I do nearly everyday of the year, but my mental health is besides the point. Getting into the season could teach you a few things about letting go of the negative, embracing the positive, and making the best of what can be a really important self-loving time of the year. So turn that frostbitten frown upside down, and get down with Santa! (I feel like my christmas expressions are getting worse from sentence to sentence) xoxo Gabby
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy! Day 3: GO BOLD Alright, so we went out of our comfort zone on the first day, and pampered ourselves on the second. Now is the time to go bold! It's important to be able to be confident no matter how you look. Because one day you'll be stuck in the rain and meet the love your life and if you're too shy to talk to him/her than your whole life will be wasted. I may or may not have taken that out of a rom com, but seriously, confidence no matter what > So let's test it out! Go bold! Dark lips or eyeliner? Sure Fake fur vest? Why not! Zebra print? Hell yeah Braided Heidi hairstyle? Okay! Whatever makes you feel good but slightly off because the voices in your head tell you others will laugh is the way to go, my angels! Go bold or go home. And don't go home.
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it?
Cramming for final exams, watching your bank account dwindle due
to Christmas shopping while your weight takes a hit from all the delicious
holiday treats; this time of year sure can be stressful.
But you don’t have to let it take over your entire life, especially
not your health and beauty. So sit back, pour yourself some hot cocoa, and
treat yourself to some homemade, all natural face treatments! Here are some
ingredients you can’t go wrong with:
1.Sea Salt
If you don’t have sea salt in your
beauty cabinet, you better get yourself to a supermarket-quick! Mix this secret
ingredient in with a bit of water, honey or olive oil to create a gooey consistency
and gently use as a scrub. Not only does it act as an exfoliator when removed,
scraping off dead skin cells and leaving your skin silky smooth, but it also
has numerous health benefits. It controls blood pressure, regulates sleep
patterns, detoxifies skin, but most importantly during this hectic season; it
relieves stress! Ancient Greeks and Romans used warm sea salt baths to help
them relax-why can’t you?
*pro tip: leave the scrub on your
skin for a few minutes to let your body truly absorb the sea salt
2.Avocados This fruit is the
holy grail of DIY beauty treatments. In these cold winter months, the natural
oils of avocados can work miracles on dry patches and flaky skin. Plus the amino
acids and antioxidants with which this creamy fruit is packed target fine lines
and crow’s feet! Slathering this mask on your skin also helps you to calm down:
rich in glutathione, a substance that combats internal oxidative stress,
avocadoes wash those worries down the drain!
*pro tip: avocadoes also make for a
great hair treatment: pair it with olive oil or eggs and you have an instant
parched-hair solution!
3.Blueberries
Jam packed with antioxidants (one of
the highest rate in all foods!) and
phytochemicals, a blueberry face wash helps protect skin cells from damage,
making the skin look younger for longer. Mash a few dozen fruit in a bowl, mix
with water or yogurt, and apply to the skin and wash away to find radiant skin.
And when it comes to stress, the vitamin C levels in blueberries are hard to
beat! In fact, German researchers tested this by asking volunteers to
give a speech, and then do hard math problems. Those who had been given vitamin
C had lower blood pressure, hence less stress! What’s not to love?!
*pro-tip:
Try to mix in other types of berries to find a texture that works for you; most
berries have high vitamin C concentrations!
I hope
this helps some of the anxious butterflies out there!
What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy! Day 1: No hair/makeup
I don't know about you, but during this crazy holiday season, my skin and hair go through World War 3. For some reason I feel the need to look like Megan Fox for my grandmother's brunch.
So during this time where many of us, including yours truly, are studying for finals, give yourself a break to anticipate the wreckage of constant beautifying that accompanies the 420350 holiday parties coming up.
Step 1: clean your face, moisturize, tone, do your thing.
Step 2: DON'T do your hair or your makeup.
Step 3: BONUS: if you can take a selfie with an "ugly" grimace and post it on your social media #fudgeperfection, I will send you one of my limited edition Fudge Perfection bracelets. I am dead serious. Email me if you do so:)
Here's my picture!
Before, looking glamorous as fudge: After, looking slightly like dirt:
Preface: For the people constantly googling where I'm going to college next year (I see you in my stats, children!), the answer is...I don't know yet. The moment I do know however I promise to tweet, blog, Instagram, scream it at the top of my lungs. We cool, bros? :) On to the real topic of today:
I must say I am, once again, what else is new, incredibly torn about this topic.
When I started this blog almost 3 years ago (!), I was adamantly opposed to the use of medication to treat eating disorders. But as my understanding of the ED culture and more importantly my understanding of medication has grown exponentially since then, so here are my thoughts on the topic.
Why I was against:
My argument against the use of pharmaceuticals to treat EDs was based on 2 things:
1. my understanding of my own experience with bulimia
2. my understanding of medication
Firstly, I felt that eating disorders could be recovered from without meds. After all, I did it!
Sure it's long, and painful, and requires lots of conversations with others and with yourself that you really don't want to have, but my God is it worth it when you cross the finish line!
So why use meds when they simply are not required to beat the monster growing inside your brain? Especially when some anti depressants are known to cause weigh gain, talk about triggering!
Secondly, I considered medication to be a last resort, for long term, clinical, chronic illnesses, like schizophrenia. This attitude probably stems from my upbringing in Quebec, a province not too keen on pill pushing. And even as I did more research, studies suggested that the use of SSRI (mainstream anti-depressants) to treat anorexia or bulimia had generally great relapse rates.
Why I am now torn
Here's the deal: my experience with an ED can help me empathize with others suffering or who have suffered, but at the end of the day, everyone's journey is different. Sure, I was able to beat my ED with talk therapy and blogging, but someone else might not be able to, no matter how hard they try.
To use solely my experience as a measurement for what is right or wrong would be foolish!
To top that off, medication can be used for all types of problems. Sometimes depression can be so deep rooted and intertwined with an ED that recovery is not possible if we don't clear up some of the mood issues in order to get to the root source of the problem. Besides, NEDIC says that the average sufferer deals with Bulimia Nervosa for 8.3 years!!!!! Fine, that's not a life time, but that sounds pretty long term to me, so if medication is needed to survive that period of time, than that's the way it's gotta be.
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This topic is delicate, because people's health, physical and mental, is on the line here, but I think this is an important topic to discuss. Please leave your thoughts down in the comments, I'm really interested in what you have to say.
xoxo
Gabby
