It's fashion week in New York City, and Catherine Pearson of the Huffington Post wrote a pretty solid article addressing a very common myth... Fashion and Eating Disorders: How Much Responsibility Does the Industry Have?? Does the fashion industry cause eating disorders? If not, what role does it play in the development of eating disorders?


This article reiterates the fact that the fashion industry does not cause eating disorders. But it does address the unhealthy ideal that the fashion industry creates and the triggering nature of this ideal for those who may be struggling already, or who are genetically predisposed to developing an eating disorder. To read more, follow this link. Just a warning to readers- there are a few potentially triggering images of models at the top of this article- I am super careful about what I put on my blog because I never want to trigger anyone. So please view with care.

What is Self-Care?

I think my little blog has felt a bit neglected this week. Between the holiday weekend, picking up a new volunteer gig (which I am so excited about- more on that to come), figuring out how to fit in a few hours of counseling work a week at a local all-girls college, and continuing to see clients daily in my private practice, I have been one busy bee. My first love is, of course, my private practice, but one of my favorite things about my work is being able to be involved in the lives of others and the different settings that I am able to do this in. Because things can get hectic, and I spend a lot of time with others, sometimes this means that my to-do list has to take a backseat in favor of practicing good self-care (hence, the lack of blog posts this past week).

No matter who you are, no matter what you do, and no matter the level of daily stress you encounter, self-care is essential. What exactly is self-care?? Well, wikipedia (the source for all accurate information-ha) defines it as 'personal health maintenance.' I like that definition. I like to think of self-care as just that- the necessary things we must do to maintain our health and well-being. Self-care includes sleep, hygiene, eating, taking time to be alone, and taking time to be with others. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But our to-do lists and plans need to come second to meeting our basic physical and social needs. 


Whether you are struggling with an eating disorder, anxiety, depression, a broken relationship or grief, it is so important to focus on the basics and take care of yourself. Like my favorite quote (posted on the right side of my blog) says-


Love yourself, accept yourself, forgive yourself and be good to yourself because without you, the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things. - Dr Leo Buscaglia 

Can you believe that today marks the final day of August?? I can't! For me, this summer has flown by. I had a chance to sneak out of the office for lunch today, and I got to sit outside and enjoy this amazing weather we're having in Raleigh. Not too blazing hot but still warm, a little bit breezy and blue skies. Today is one of those days that gets me excited for Fall!!


Anyways, I thought I would round out August with some links to some of the more interesting articles I've read this month. Most of them come from the Huffington Post, a favorite of mine. If you've read any interesting ones, please feel free to share in the comments section! 
Enjoy this final day of August :-)

• Simple Words, Serious Consequences: What 'Fat Talk' Means by Kenneth Weiner, via Huffington Post

• Who Says You're Fat? by Sophia Dembling, via PsychCentral

• Kjerstin Gruys Commits to A Year Without Mirrors by Tara Kelly, via Huffington Post

• Who Really Feels Good About Their Bodies? by Mina Samuels, via Huffington Post

• What Fat Talk Does For Your Body Image by Nadia Goodman, via Huffington Post

Sweet Maggie and the D-Word

So, you may have heard the recent uproar about a new book written for children called Maggie Goes on a Diet, about a 14-year-old girl who goes on a diet and is radically transformed from insecure, overweight girl to confident, social, thin, superstar soccer player. Seriously? What a message. :/ Good Morning America ran a piece with the author, which I am posting below that I would encourage you to watch. To be honest, I hesitated writing about this whole thing because 1- I haven't read the book (it's not out until October) and 2- this piece is getting so much negative attention, and I don't want to be another critical voice! But when I saw this interview, I felt the need to express just a few quick thoughts. More on why after the clip below. It's definitely worth watching- it's just a few minutes and it not only features an interview with the author but explores 6 year olds' inclinations towards thinness. So sad!












A few quick thoughts. After watching this interview with the author (Paul Kramer), I am fairly certain that he doesn't really get it. I don't think he is being malicious or intentionally trying to inflict harm on girls, but I do think that he is grossly uneducated about health and dieting. Rather than directing anger towards him, it might be helpful to use this as an opportunity to create open dialogue with people like him who don't see anything wrong with a book like this. Attacks against someone's character or critical diatribes aren't typically effective when trying to get one's point across. The other point that struck me is one I have known, but one that struck me again after this clip. As I watched, I was floored by just how young children pick up on messages about size and beauty. It's a good reminder that we have to be consistent and careful about how we communicate, and really, its a call for us to learn to embrace ourselves and pass on positive messages about our bodies and beauty to children.




If you are interested in writing a letter to the author or want more info on how to make a difference, follow this link to check out the Eating Disorder Coalition's latest info.

A few weekends ago, I was in Chicago and found myself downtown at a giant expo (a large exhibition= here.). I was offered one of my favorite things in the world- a fortune cookie- by a (friendly) stranger at a booth. As silly as it might sound, I love fortune cookies because I just love cracking the cookie open to read the message inside. (Fun side note- one of my best friends was proposed to in a specially made fortune cookie!) Anyways, inside of my cookie were some very inspiring quotes that I thought really related to recovery from an eating disorder. Not only that, but I think that these quotes are encouraging and inspirational for anyone facing a challenge of any magnitude. So.. here they are:

You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.  -John Wooden

And while we're on the topic of motivational quotes, here is one of my favorites:

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Lao-Tzu

Sometimes, just putting one (proverbial) foot in front of the other is how we make it through the rough patches and on to our destination.

And now, to make this post a little bit cheesier, this song below is one that I think might brighten your day. I heard it on the way to work the other day and it was playing in my head alll day long. Not a bad song to have running through your head, with its message of 'keeping your head up' :-).

And last but not least, an awesome article via The Huffington Post. Carolyn Costin (contributor to my post awhile back on recovery- here !!!) is interviewed on making a full recovery from an ED, and her encouragement to readers as therapist to Portia de Rossi. Follow this link to check it out. She has a book coming out in October called 'The 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder.' Nancy Matsumoto reviewed the book on her blog, here. Sounds like its worth a read :) Happy Monday!