Oh Vacation….what an amazing and delightful concept! Some say that vacation is a state of mind, some say it’s important to make life your vacation, but I have a whole different outlook on this holiday from life. When I used to think of vacation, I would picture perfection…perfection in every way. The perfect views, the perfect food, the perfect swimsuits on perfectly tanned bodies, perfect memories to laugh perfectly at in the future. Picture perfect everything, a vacation from the imperfection that we call life, a vacation from busyness, ugliness, messiness, stress, hatred, and self loathing, a vacation from the shackles of my Eating Disorder. But in reality, these perfect expectations only tightened those shackles even more. But isn’t this how so many of us look at vacations, or holidays? We expect perfection, and once this ideal implodes so does our ability to adapt. The bathing suits, sandals and sarongs that we pack unfold into unrealistic expectations, stress, worry and imperfection, when in reality, a perfect vacation is imperfect….just like life! This past week was the first vacation that I have taken away from those perfection ridden expectations, it was the first vacation I took in the absence of my
Author: Recovery Love & Care
Tips and Tricks to Conquer Re-Entry!
It’s already August 8th! Children, teenagers, and families are gearing up for back to school, football season is in the air, and before you know it we will be singing christmas carols! Okay…I may be getting ahead of myself, but you get it! With back to school, moving into dorms, end of summer vacations, upcoming long weekends and fall holidays comes so many wonderful things… new friends, cooler and crisper weather, giving love and thanks, and celebrating your loved ones! The onset of back to school, and fall bring about so many amazing things, joy, happiness, laughter, new memories….but certain anxieties, stressors and triggers are brought upon as well. Does this ring any bells? Whether you are heading back to college, grabbing a meal with an old friend, going to a weekend on the lake, seeing your long distance significant other, or just going to a family party, the realities of re-entry will always be there. Re-entry is incredibly anxiety provoking, and therefore quite triggering for anyone , especially those within ED Recovery. These get togethers are usually centered around food and conversation surrounding high stakes and anxiety provoking questions.(Therefore, incredibly triggering with Eating Disorder Recovery, or really, for anyone)!
Recovery Love and Care Launch Week Recap!
This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them will help support this website. What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! I am feeling so many emotions! I feel grateful, humbled, empowered, inspired, driven, excited, enthusiastic, happy, thrilled, hopeful, tired, scared AND ready! (Remember, we MUST embrace those AND emotions, and I am certainly feeling a lot of them right now)! It was a week filled with work, dedication, celebration and spreading awareness, and it was a major success! Together, we raised hundreds of dollars for Project HEAL, awareness on the truths and myths surrounding Eating Disorders, and body image, and had the best of times sipping on Onehope wine and enjoying delicious food with even better company! I cannot begin to thank my charitable partners, doners, family, friends, “crew” and all of the attendees who supported these events…it would not have been the same without YOU! Onehope wine was a smash!! If you don’t know already, Onehope Wine creates delightful wine that inspires others to indulge and do good! My two events were hosted by Onehope Wine, and within the next two weeks YOU can purchase this wine through this link, and 15% of the proceeds go
Netflix Feature Film To The Bone – A Safe Viewing Guide!
I am providing my unique and educated perspectives and opinions on the Netflix feature film To The Bone. This is an incredibly controversial topic that I feel must be addressed, and I would like to preface this with this simple statement…. I, in no way recommend an individual within their Eating Disorder, or within the beginning and/or fragile stages of recovery to watch this film, just as much as I would not condone an individual who experienced trauma and has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), serving our country overseas to watch American Sniper, as these Hollywood depictions of mental illnesses can be incredibly triggering to those experiencing just that! My Opinion on To The Bone I most likely will dissatisfy and possibly upset many within this post, as my opinions regarding this film do not necessarily coincide with the majority opinions within the Eating Disorder community. I actually liked this film, although I found several triggering and falsifications within the film….granted each and every story is different and we must start somewhere! If this is where we start talking about Eating Disorders….then I am in support! FYI: the Eating Disorder community is not necessarily pleased with this film, in that
Project HEAL – A New Partner!
Project HEAL Project HEAL is a phenomenal organization that funds Eating Disorder Treatment for individuals who cannot afford to do so themselves. This organization, Project HEAL, was founded by two amazing young 15 year old women who met in treatment and chose to help others reach full recovery as well! A New Partner Liana Rosenman and Kristina Saffran are two Eating Disorder Warriors and now foundation founders who have spread Project HEAL across the country and around the globe! Project HEAL sponsored the controversial film To The Bone, and is all about spreading the much needed awareness and education about Eating Disorders and diet culture. I am pleased to officially be partnering with Project Heal! Partial proceeds of all ticket proceeds and One Hope Wine sales at my events and speaking engagements will go towards Project HEAL As I launch my business I cannot wait to promote Project HEAL, as well as, spread awareness and education about the truths behind Eating Disorders. Time and time again, I run into medical professionals, counselors and helping professionals who have very little, to no knowledge about Eating Disorders, and that is exactly why 50% of Eating Disorders go unnoticed within primary care! Through
Fat Is Not a Feeling – Identifying Your Fat Feelings and Finding Freedom in Your Body!
Finding a positive and healthy body image is so incredibly challenging…especially when you don’t FEEL as if you look your best! But first let me remind you…FAT IS NOT A FEELING! Once you can come to terms with this concept, you will feel free from this socialized stigma that comes along with the word fat. You will find freedom in your independent body, you will find love and truth with who you are and what you “look like.” But Why? Each and every one of your feelings and emotions is valid, therefore, once you identify your ACTUAL FEELINGS….NOT YOUR FAT FEELINGS you will be on your way towards a healthy body image! Whenever I “feel” fat….I always need to remind myself that FAT IS NOT A FEELING…and when I forget, which admittedly is quite often, Sean reminds me, my support system reminds me! Identify Your Feelings Once I remind myself that fat is not a feeling, I first refer to my trusty vocabulary wheel…which I basically have memorized…I then identify my feelings. I suggest you give this baby a good look, because it is gold! Once you can identify your “fat feeling” through a broader vocabulary, it is that much
Exercise and Social Media – Healthy Motivations and Honesty!
This is a blog post that I wrote for the amazing Julie Harris from The Healthful Peach, an beautiful blog that helps women find a healthy balance in life with food and fitness. Julie believes that showing up daily with intention, and feeling empowered to make healthful choices is truly living a healthy life! I could not agree more! Therefore, I wrote up this piece about the concept of exercise in the extremely skewed environment in which we live! I hope you enjoy! I truly believe that listening to your body, having a healthy and safe relationship with food, and practicing SAFE exercise in MODERATION is self-care at it’s finest! For individual’s who are within their Eating Disorder Recovery, exercise can be a slippery slope, it can become a compulsion, it can be used as a purging behavior, therefore developing a realistic and unique relationship with movement and exercise is crucial within recovery! Social Media Exercise vs. Honest Exercise Exercise classes were my saving grace within my own personal recovery, in that they allowed for a controlled form of physical activity, to avoid “relapse” into unhealthy behaviors and motivations, as well as, create a supportive space for physical exercise.
Interview With Dana Suchow From DoTheHotPants!
Okay everyone, I am thrilled and giddy with excitement to share this post with you! I had the privilege to meet with and interview Dana Suchow of “DoTheHotpants” via Skype this past month, and let me just say it was so enlightening and empowering! Dana is a fellow ED warrior, fellow feminist, and advocate for ALL women, and I am 100% confident you will gain some knowledge about body image, self-love and womanhood within this post! Dana now lives in New York City, has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and has appeared on Good Morning America and The T.D. Jakes Show, and she’s been featured in The Huffington Post, Vogue, Marie Claire, Seventeen Magazine, ABC News, and Yahoo! I have participated within the body positive and Eating Disorder Recovery “world” on Instagram for about a year now, and since, I have grown so much appreciation for certain accounts, one of my favorite being @DoTheHotpants! DoTheHotpants was started by Dana Suchow, a fashion blogger turned speaker, activist and event producer. Dana came to the realization that the fashion industry was fueling her eating disorder, and that the unattainable, unrealistic, and unhealthy beauty standards she was
Learning How To Love Your Body
Learning how to love yourself, learning how to love your body, loving your body more, love your body, love your body love your body…..I could say it over and over and over again, but it will not happen unless you WANT it, unless you WORK for it, unless you want to make the sacrifices to truly love yourself! No, I am not talking about dieting, going to the gym, and transforming yourself in order to love yourself, I am talking about truly loving yourself down to the core! Loving your body for what it is NOW, because in the end that is all you have. You have you. You have your mind, your body and your love for yourself. This takes desire, will power and a level of discomfort! But I am going to tell you, lean into that discomfort, embrace this feeling of uncomfortable and dive into a life of loving yourself! Encourage Self Awareness to love your self and love your body Self Awareness, this is a concept that I touch on a lot within this blog, because self-awareness is an underlying theme within all recovery processes. Bringing a sense of immediacy and honesty towards your current, and
All Natural DIY Face Masks AND My Recent All Natural Skin Care Obsessions!
This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them will help support this website. My loved ones can attest to my slight obsession with skin products…it has ALWAYS been my go to “luxury self-care” and I’m still finding ways to experiment with skin care within my self-care practice! Now YOU can benefit from my LOVE for skincare! I have tested out some fantastic DIY natural face masks, as well as, listed some of my favorite organic products for you to implement into your daily luxury self-care practice! Skin care, face masks, and pampering myself was a major part within my personal Eating Disorder Recovery. Whenever I felt triggered or shameful for using behaviors I learned to resort to soothing and natural behaviors, such as, skincare and DIY masks! Therefore, the use of products and skincare was so much more than a concept of vanity, instead it was a replacement of unhealthy behaviors, it was a way to find comfort and treat my body with respect! We constantly think about what we put INTO our bodies, but what about what we put ON our bodies?! We always read the ingredient labels on the back of our food, analyze every word that