Hi, ladies! Sorry about the hiatus last week–memorizing all the bones of the upper limbs can be quite time consuming. Anywho, I am back and ready to provide you all with some super important and relevant information! As you may have seen, Her Campus OSU is pairing up with the You Are Beautiful campaign for the month of February, which is National Eating Disorder Awareness month. The topic of eating disorders resonates closely with me and is, unfortunately, becoming a more wide-spread problem. So, today, I wanted to touch on the importance of loving your body, nourishing it well, and never forgetting that a number on a scale is–in no way–a proper representation or showcase of beauty, inside or out.
As you may have gathered from my weekly blog posts, I am very passionate about nutrition, exercise, and overall trying to practice healthy habits. I 100% support any individual trying to make positive changes in her diet and lifestyle, but, by the same token, there is a line from healthy to obsession that can be easily crossed.
Healthy is nourishing your body with real food, real ingredients, and tastes and textures that make you feel good.
Healthy is not skipping breakfast to save calories, protein bars for every meal, or miserably stuffing kale into your mouth if you hate the taste.
Healthy is moving your body each day in a way that’s enjoyable for you, taking a rest day when your body is exhausted, and getting enough sleep to be a functioning human being.
Healthy is not skipping social events or classes to workout, pushing your body over the edge every single day, or relying on five-hour energy and caffeine pills to get you through the day.
It is hard to maintain the proper balance of a healthy lifestyle, especially in college where each day prevents new challenges and changes that threaten to screw up your whole system. Due to this, it is important to remember that each day is a new day that gives you the opportunity to BE beautiful and be stronger than any stereotype or model that you think is necessary for happiness. Also, if you are struggling with an eating disorder or something similar, SPEAK UP. Although the person you reach out to may not completely understand what you’re going through, they are most likely going to be a resource to share your feelings and help get you back on your feet.
Check out some of these awesome links when you’re feeling a little less than beautiful and they might just remind you how awesome and STRONG you really are:
- GREAT pictures and videos about what beauty is to various women
- LOVE this post about positive body image
- Awesome post about the message and easily skewed thoughts of “fitspiration”
- National Eating Disorder Awareness website (so much great information and a ton of resources!)
Photo: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/02/you-are-beautiful-an-art-movement-…