"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." You've all heard that statement. But have you taken it to heart? All over the world women are striving to meet the beauty standards of their culture and all over the world women are feeling like they're just not good enough.
Japan: Women in Japan believe that beautiful skin is the key to true beauty. In order to achieve this beauty ideal, they spend hours working for smooth, soft, and wrinkle-free skin. Instead of using Botox injections, Japanese women use nightengale droppings, an old beauty recepie. This is used as face wash and scrub and supposively makes the face look young again. Another trick the Japanese use is ingesting collagen infused foods such as protein and putting collagen powder in their beverages. Japanese women also wear face-slimming belts in order to make their faces thinner. After all, who doesn't want a beautiful complexion?
Burma and Thailand: Members of the Kayan tribe have a different outlook on beauty. Situated in the middle of Burma and Thailand, women of this tribe use brass rings to elongate their necks. Starting at the age of five, young girls begin the painful process of pushing down their collar bones in order to make their necks appear longer, because the longer the neck, the more desirable they are. Throughout their lifetime, Kayan women continue to add more rings to their necks that can weigh up to twenty-two pounds.
China: You've all heard about the ancient (or not-so ancient) tradition of foot binding. Although this painful form of beauty has since been outlawed, bound feet are still a sign of wealth and social status. During the Qing dynasty, mothers would begin binding their daughters' feet at birth and continue to break the bones as they grew in order to create the concave-shaped feet that were so popular. Today, plastic surgery is a common theme of Chinese beauty. The more plastic, the better!
New Zealand: In New Zealand, women find their beauty through tatoos. These indigenous people believe beauty is found from tattooing the lips and chin. Permanent body and face markings indicate social status and each one is believed to add uniqueness to a person's image. In fact, a woman with full, blue tattooed lips is considered the most beautiful.
Ethiopia: We all have scars, and we all try to hide them. However, in souther Ethiopia, the women of the Karo tribe allow their elders to cut scars onto their stomachs. This is seen as beauty! It isn't until a woman has received all of her scars that she is allowed to marry and have children.
India: Unlike women in China, Indian women use homemade, natural remedies to make themselves beautiful. Women wear special clothing and jewelry, especially on their wedding day, that includes a forehead chain and a dot of red powder on her face. Indian women naturally have beautiful skin and hair. Have you ever gotten hair extensions? It most likely came from the Venkateswara Temple, where Hindu women cut their hair as an offering to the Lord Venkateswara. The temple then sells this hair and it is made into hair extensions.
Brazil: Of all the countries I have read about and what their ideal beauty is, Brazil is the most extreme. The average Brazilian woman weighs 110 to 125 pounds. This leads women to take extreme measures when it comes to their weight. Brazil is the biggest consumer of diet pills and plastic surgery is becoming more common as these thin ideals get more extreme. Hair is also important to women in Brazil. Naturally dark and wavy, more women are going with blonde and straight hair.
Mauritania: This one might come as a shocker. Women in Mauritania, they're considered beautiful for their curves; so much so that young girls used to go to camps in order to be force fed through what is called the gavage. The idea is that the bigger you are the better chance you have at finding a husband. Some women are so desperate that they purchase black-market drugs meant for animals in order to attain this body standard.
France: Paris is probably the most elegant of cities, with the focus on beauty and sexiness. French women, however, would never admit to spending time and money on beauty products. They work towards being effortlessly beautiful. Something different about France is that women there look forward to getting older! This just gives them more entitlement to feeling beautiful.
Women all over the world are striving for their perfect body image. Our mission is to make sure that they feel beautiful and healthy and strong, no matter what. Remember, you are beautiful!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Locker Drama
Those of you who know me well know that me and my friends like to have a good time at school - in between classes, of course. It seems that someone is always planning on meeting somewhere or going out to lunch on half-days or going to ice cream after school. It's good to be around people who share the same beliefs as you and we are all open to talking about our struggles and what helps us when we're feeling "down and out." I feel so blessed to have this friend-based support, as I realize that not everyone has a great group of friends like I do.
So first, I would like to say thank you for your love and acceptance.
But enough of the sappy "I love you." Moving on . . .
A couple of months ago, one of my friends hung up a Bible verse in his locker. We all hang around there before school and so he thought it would be a good idea if we all memorized it. The next thing I know, he has the Bible verse hanging on the outside of his locker with some wimpy tape. "It will never stay up!" I remember saying. Our school isn't the most open to Christianity. In a way, this has strengthened my faith. Although it might not seem that apparent to those I'm stammering at, trying to explain why I don't believe in evolution. Anyway, I think the poster was up for about three class periods before it disappeared.
So we did what we had to do. The next day we brought out the heavy duty duct tape and the Sharpie and posted the verse on the locker once again. We didn't mean anything by it, really. All we wanted to do was memorize the verse ourselves and hanging it up on a locker seemed like a good solution, especially since I walk by there five times a day. Again, this verse was gone by forth hour.
This went on for a few days before we all began putting verses up on our lockers. It felt right. After all, Matthew 28:19 says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." We, as Christians, are called to go into the world and share the Gospel to those who are lost. This is what we're doing. We're not trying to be snooty about it, we aren't going to plan revenge (Revenge of the Bible-verse-locker-thieves! Ha, that made me laugh), and if you're the one tearing our posters down, we're not going to confront you about it. Besides, the sooner the verses are torn down, the more verses we get to put up, the more Scripture is shared.
Philemon 1:6 says, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." We are called to share God's Word with everyone and in doing so, we might understand it better.
I guess I'm telling this story to explain to those who think our Bible-verse-lockers are rude or un-thoughtful that we don't mean anything by it. It's a way for us to share our faith. I've been waiting and listening, but God hasn't told us not to do this. And so we'll continue and we'll pray that someone is being touched and is feeling God tugging at their heart.
1 John 5:4 says, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
So first, I would like to say thank you for your love and acceptance.
But enough of the sappy "I love you." Moving on . . .
A couple of months ago, one of my friends hung up a Bible verse in his locker. We all hang around there before school and so he thought it would be a good idea if we all memorized it. The next thing I know, he has the Bible verse hanging on the outside of his locker with some wimpy tape. "It will never stay up!" I remember saying. Our school isn't the most open to Christianity. In a way, this has strengthened my faith. Although it might not seem that apparent to those I'm stammering at, trying to explain why I don't believe in evolution. Anyway, I think the poster was up for about three class periods before it disappeared.
So we did what we had to do. The next day we brought out the heavy duty duct tape and the Sharpie and posted the verse on the locker once again. We didn't mean anything by it, really. All we wanted to do was memorize the verse ourselves and hanging it up on a locker seemed like a good solution, especially since I walk by there five times a day. Again, this verse was gone by forth hour.
This went on for a few days before we all began putting verses up on our lockers. It felt right. After all, Matthew 28:19 says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." We, as Christians, are called to go into the world and share the Gospel to those who are lost. This is what we're doing. We're not trying to be snooty about it, we aren't going to plan revenge (Revenge of the Bible-verse-locker-thieves! Ha, that made me laugh), and if you're the one tearing our posters down, we're not going to confront you about it. Besides, the sooner the verses are torn down, the more verses we get to put up, the more Scripture is shared.
Philemon 1:6 says, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." We are called to share God's Word with everyone and in doing so, we might understand it better.
I guess I'm telling this story to explain to those who think our Bible-verse-lockers are rude or un-thoughtful that we don't mean anything by it. It's a way for us to share our faith. I've been waiting and listening, but God hasn't told us not to do this. And so we'll continue and we'll pray that someone is being touched and is feeling God tugging at their heart.
1 John 5:4 says, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Audrey Hepburn: Definition of Beauty
"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." -Audrey Hepburn
New Motto? "Being Fit"
The media seems especially focused on being in shape. But do these fit ideals go to extremes?
The problem with exercise programs and healthy eating habits is that we often begin with the idea that we'll lose weight and when we don't shed the "extra pounds" as quickly as we thought we would, we get discouraged and return to our old bad habit of potato chips and television. I've told you before and I'll tell you again: weight loss is NOT a way to measure fitness or health. The mindset that being skinny is equivelent to being healthy is killing our society. This is the mindset that leads to self-destructive behavior such as overexcercizing, overindulging in food, or falling into an eating disorder.
I recently began an excercize program in order to train for a half marathon. Branching off of my new fitness craze, I decided to eat more fruits and vegetables in an effort to be healthy. I'm not going to lie to you, I had hoped that this would help me lose "fat." For two weeks straight I would weigh myself every day (on my Wii Fit) and cross my fingers for a lower BMI, even though I know that looking at ourself through body mass index isn't healthy or not accurate. About halfway through the third week of this I broke down. It's exhausting trying to be thin. It's exhausting to weigh yourself everyday. It's exhausting to judge your mood from your BMI. So I quit "cold-turkey" (I've always wanted to use that expression!). My new focus is on being healthy. I'm still going to eat pleanty of fruits and vegetables to sustain my body but a slice of cake isn't going to kill me. I'm changing my perspective on training for my half marathon from trying to be skinny and athletic to getting in shape again and feeling good about my body. Plus, how many high school students can say that they're going to run a half marathon?
It can be scary going to the gym for the first time, getting on one of those big machines, pressing all those fancy buttons and hoping that you don't pass out in the first five minutes. But you know what? Everyone was a beginner at some time or another. Healthy isn't defined by thinness, it's how active you are. That doesn't mean that we need to be running to every class or jogging to the grocery store, but maybe take a walk after dinner and try to do a cardio workout three times a week. Women who are uncomfortable in their bodies are more likely to become more sedentary and take less care of themselves as they age. It's important to be confident in your ability to complete a task. If you feel like you can't workout, start out small. Go mall walking, for all I care; just get your body moving! If you do want to go to a gym for the first time, I would suggest that you use an elliptical machine. They're fun and easy to use, plus you can change the difficulty level.
One of the biggest lies standing in the way of you and that elliptical machine is the "I'm too fat to exercise" idea. The media tries to sell us this perfect body image when there is no perfect body image. In other words, the "I'm too fat" speech is an effect of the media getting inside your head. So set a fitness goal. Say you want to be able to run a mile in under ten minutes. Or find an exercise that is fun for you such as yoga, dance classes, etc. Ninety percent of women are dissatisfied with their body; lets change that.
One last word of advice: don't strive for weight loss, strive for health. If we're living a healthy lifestyle, changes are sure to follow; but be sure that you're exercising and eating right for health.
Find your healthy way to live beautifully!
The problem with exercise programs and healthy eating habits is that we often begin with the idea that we'll lose weight and when we don't shed the "extra pounds" as quickly as we thought we would, we get discouraged and return to our old bad habit of potato chips and television. I've told you before and I'll tell you again: weight loss is NOT a way to measure fitness or health. The mindset that being skinny is equivelent to being healthy is killing our society. This is the mindset that leads to self-destructive behavior such as overexcercizing, overindulging in food, or falling into an eating disorder.
I recently began an excercize program in order to train for a half marathon. Branching off of my new fitness craze, I decided to eat more fruits and vegetables in an effort to be healthy. I'm not going to lie to you, I had hoped that this would help me lose "fat." For two weeks straight I would weigh myself every day (on my Wii Fit) and cross my fingers for a lower BMI, even though I know that looking at ourself through body mass index isn't healthy or not accurate. About halfway through the third week of this I broke down. It's exhausting trying to be thin. It's exhausting to weigh yourself everyday. It's exhausting to judge your mood from your BMI. So I quit "cold-turkey" (I've always wanted to use that expression!). My new focus is on being healthy. I'm still going to eat pleanty of fruits and vegetables to sustain my body but a slice of cake isn't going to kill me. I'm changing my perspective on training for my half marathon from trying to be skinny and athletic to getting in shape again and feeling good about my body. Plus, how many high school students can say that they're going to run a half marathon?
It can be scary going to the gym for the first time, getting on one of those big machines, pressing all those fancy buttons and hoping that you don't pass out in the first five minutes. But you know what? Everyone was a beginner at some time or another. Healthy isn't defined by thinness, it's how active you are. That doesn't mean that we need to be running to every class or jogging to the grocery store, but maybe take a walk after dinner and try to do a cardio workout three times a week. Women who are uncomfortable in their bodies are more likely to become more sedentary and take less care of themselves as they age. It's important to be confident in your ability to complete a task. If you feel like you can't workout, start out small. Go mall walking, for all I care; just get your body moving! If you do want to go to a gym for the first time, I would suggest that you use an elliptical machine. They're fun and easy to use, plus you can change the difficulty level.
One of the biggest lies standing in the way of you and that elliptical machine is the "I'm too fat to exercise" idea. The media tries to sell us this perfect body image when there is no perfect body image. In other words, the "I'm too fat" speech is an effect of the media getting inside your head. So set a fitness goal. Say you want to be able to run a mile in under ten minutes. Or find an exercise that is fun for you such as yoga, dance classes, etc. Ninety percent of women are dissatisfied with their body; lets change that.
One last word of advice: don't strive for weight loss, strive for health. If we're living a healthy lifestyle, changes are sure to follow; but be sure that you're exercising and eating right for health.
Find your healthy way to live beautifully!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sincerely Saint Valentine
With all the hubub of Valentines Day, I decided to do a little research. You see, I realized that I don't actually know why Valentines Day exists. Sure, everyone has heard of Saint Valentine, but why is he important?
As I was researching the history of Valentines Day I came across two different stories. One takes place in Ancient Rome, when Emperor Claudius II outlawed young men from getting married in order to have a better army. A bishop in the Catholic Church named Valentine pitied those who couldn't marry or see their loved ones and so began to perform secret marriages. Of course, Valentine was discovered and the Emperor attempted to convert him from Christianity and into the worship of the Roman gods. Valentine, being the good old saint that he is, instead tried to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity. Tragically, Valentine was sentenced to be executed.
The other story told about Valentine was that he was killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. Jailed for his convictions, Valentine wrote love letters to a young girl, who possibly could be the jailers daughter. In one of his lasts letters he signed it "From your Valentine." As romantically, heroic as this tale is, we still don't know the truth behind Saint Valentine. In a way, I think the mystery of Valentines Day makes it more romantic, and perhaps more worthy of our attention.
Cupid, the little "baby-man" with the arrow, is also a significant figure on Valentines Day. Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love from Roman mythology. The tale behind his arrow is that when it struck someone, he would fall in love.
In Ancient Rome, a celebration dedicated to fertility was observed from February 13 to the 15. Some believe that Valentines Day was chosen to be in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan festival. Other suggestions was that Valentines Day is on February 14th in an effort to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Valentine's death and burial.
Valentines Day wasn't seen as a romantic holiday until the fourteenth century, when Goeffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in honor of the first anniversary of the engagement of King richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. The reason Chaucer wrote about Valentines Day in his poem was because the middle of February in England was the time for birds to be mating, signifying a time of love.
There are so many more stories that revolve around the mystery of Valentines Day. Valentines Day wasn't always a day for love, but this is what it has become. There are so many love stories out there; whether it's the love of a parent, the love of a child, or the love of a significant other, we all desire to be loved and accepted. My favorite love story is found in the Bible: God sent His Son down to earth, a humble baby, so that He could die for us and take away our sins. Because of God's love for us, we are able to spend eternity with Him in Heaven as long as we accept Him into our lives and let Him guide us.
Don't have a Valentine this year? Let Jesus be your Valentine.
As I was researching the history of Valentines Day I came across two different stories. One takes place in Ancient Rome, when Emperor Claudius II outlawed young men from getting married in order to have a better army. A bishop in the Catholic Church named Valentine pitied those who couldn't marry or see their loved ones and so began to perform secret marriages. Of course, Valentine was discovered and the Emperor attempted to convert him from Christianity and into the worship of the Roman gods. Valentine, being the good old saint that he is, instead tried to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity. Tragically, Valentine was sentenced to be executed.
The other story told about Valentine was that he was killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. Jailed for his convictions, Valentine wrote love letters to a young girl, who possibly could be the jailers daughter. In one of his lasts letters he signed it "From your Valentine." As romantically, heroic as this tale is, we still don't know the truth behind Saint Valentine. In a way, I think the mystery of Valentines Day makes it more romantic, and perhaps more worthy of our attention.
Cupid, the little "baby-man" with the arrow, is also a significant figure on Valentines Day. Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love from Roman mythology. The tale behind his arrow is that when it struck someone, he would fall in love.
In Ancient Rome, a celebration dedicated to fertility was observed from February 13 to the 15. Some believe that Valentines Day was chosen to be in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan festival. Other suggestions was that Valentines Day is on February 14th in an effort to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Valentine's death and burial.
Valentines Day wasn't seen as a romantic holiday until the fourteenth century, when Goeffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in honor of the first anniversary of the engagement of King richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. The reason Chaucer wrote about Valentines Day in his poem was because the middle of February in England was the time for birds to be mating, signifying a time of love.
There are so many more stories that revolve around the mystery of Valentines Day. Valentines Day wasn't always a day for love, but this is what it has become. There are so many love stories out there; whether it's the love of a parent, the love of a child, or the love of a significant other, we all desire to be loved and accepted. My favorite love story is found in the Bible: God sent His Son down to earth, a humble baby, so that He could die for us and take away our sins. Because of God's love for us, we are able to spend eternity with Him in Heaven as long as we accept Him into our lives and let Him guide us.
Don't have a Valentine this year? Let Jesus be your Valentine.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Appearance of Facebook
I have a hypothesis.
I hypothesize that our dearly beloved Facebook is making us more self-centered and aware of how we appear to other people.
In this case, appearance not only applies to looks, but also to emotions.
Because on Facebook, we "friend" people we barely know and allow them to look at our "personal" information, then proceed to complain when someone "stalks" our "profile."
It's all very rather silly, actually.
But anyway . . .
A study done by a student in Stanford's psychology department, Alex Jordan, proved that facebook is making us sad. How you might ask? Well, what are the main reasons you use facebook? I know when I'm brainstorming a status update or posting pictures, I always post something that reflects happiness. I'm always talking about the best moments in my life. (I know I'm not the only one doing this!) Jordan's research showed that humans have an uncanny tendency to overestimate other people's happiness. In other words, we see others happier than they actually are. But isn't this because happiness is all we allow most people to see?
Montesquieu once said, "If only we wanted to be happy it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are."
In another study, researchers round that one hundred and forty students were unable to correctly gauge the happiness of their peers, even if they were frequently around them. A third study showed that students underestimated others' negative emotions and felt more alone after going on facebook.
Isn't it strange that we care so much about other people's lives and envy what we think their lives are like? In reality, facebook is all a show. We say and do what we wish we were doing and people "like" it. It's an attention getter, and a negative one at that.
This isn't to say that facebook is bad. I, myself, am actually quite addicted to facebook. But I do think that we all need to spend a little less time browsing our "friends" "walls."
I hypothesize that our dearly beloved Facebook is making us more self-centered and aware of how we appear to other people.
In this case, appearance not only applies to looks, but also to emotions.
Because on Facebook, we "friend" people we barely know and allow them to look at our "personal" information, then proceed to complain when someone "stalks" our "profile."
It's all very rather silly, actually.
But anyway . . .
A study done by a student in Stanford's psychology department, Alex Jordan, proved that facebook is making us sad. How you might ask? Well, what are the main reasons you use facebook? I know when I'm brainstorming a status update or posting pictures, I always post something that reflects happiness. I'm always talking about the best moments in my life. (I know I'm not the only one doing this!) Jordan's research showed that humans have an uncanny tendency to overestimate other people's happiness. In other words, we see others happier than they actually are. But isn't this because happiness is all we allow most people to see?
Montesquieu once said, "If only we wanted to be happy it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are."
In another study, researchers round that one hundred and forty students were unable to correctly gauge the happiness of their peers, even if they were frequently around them. A third study showed that students underestimated others' negative emotions and felt more alone after going on facebook.
Isn't it strange that we care so much about other people's lives and envy what we think their lives are like? In reality, facebook is all a show. We say and do what we wish we were doing and people "like" it. It's an attention getter, and a negative one at that.
This isn't to say that facebook is bad. I, myself, am actually quite addicted to facebook. But I do think that we all need to spend a little less time browsing our "friends" "walls."
Beautiful Flaws
In a world where our culture revolves around the need to be perfect, it's hard to find your flaws "lovable." There's always something you hate about your body: you think you're overweight and your eyes are too close together; maybe your nose is too big, or your ears are crooked or you hate the way your feet look in flip flops. It's so easy to get caught up in our flaws that we forget about the ways they make us beautiful and unique.
I'm sure you've all heard of Bethany Hamilton, the girl who lost her arm to a shark attack when she was thirteen. I absolutely love her movie Soul Surfer. It not only has a great message for seeing your body for what it is than for what it isn't, but it also shows Bethany's struggle with her relationship with God and her relationship with surfing. After her accident, you see Bethany sitting in her room as she rips off the arm of her Barbie doll. Her mother, Cheri, comes in and tells Bethany that she likes the Barbie doll better with one arm. Bethany says, "I thought at least with clothes on I could have two arms, I thought I could look normal."
I love Cheri's response, "The right guy will love you exactly the way you are because you're beautiful."
And you are so beautiful!
Cheri then shows Bethany a picture of Venus de Milo: the pinnacle of beauty. "And she has one less arm than you," she tells Bethany. What an excellent example of what beautiful really is. When you can find your flaws beautiful, when you can look at yourself in the mirror and say that you are beautiful because of your flaws and not in spite of them, that is what beauty truly is.
In an interview, Bethany said, "There's definitely times in my life where I'm just struggling with body image whether it be having one arm or feeling like I'm fat or having bad hair or a pimple but there are just so much worse things in life than what you look like." Who would have thought that the outgoing, encouraging Bethany Hamilton would be insecure over having a pimple? I guess there's a lesson in this, everyone feels insecure from time to time, but you can't let it get to you.
The media leads us to believe that if we dislike something about ourselves, we can get a quick fix, whether that be with a crash diet or surgery. But you know what? Liposuction isn't the answer to your "fat" thighs. In a survey conducted by the Girl Scouts of America, thirty three percent of girls had a distorted view of their body and saw themselves as overweight. The media is feeding us lies!
Jacqueline Saburido is also a woman I admire for her self-esteem. Jacqueline was a victim in a drunk driving accident in 1999. She was the only one in her vehicle who survived; however, Jacqueline was left with third degree burns on over sixty percent of her body. After undergoing over twenty surgeries, Jacqueline appeared on the Opera to share her story. When interviewing with Opera, Jacqueline said that she only allows herself five minutes a day to cry. If this woman can still keep going after losing everything, how can we possibly shield away when we have a pimple or are having a bad hair day?
In honor of embracing our flaws, I feel the need to tell you one of my insecurities. I think my nose is too big. There, I said it. I have been insecure about this for a long time, but the more I tell myself that I'm beautiful because of my nose, the more I believe it. Besides, we all have our own insecurities and we are most likely focusing on ourselves rather than scrutinizing others. So . . . LET GO OF YOUR INSECURITIES.
If you can't find your flaws beautiful, then for every flaw you see in yourself, write down two things that you love about yourself. This isn't limited to your outward appearance. I think that you'll find when you stop focusing on your flaws you'll see the more beautiful things in yourself that you never saw before.
1 Samuel 16:7b says, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." We need to remember that before we fix our distorted view of body image, we need to fix our heart. Our heart is what God looks at to see our beauty; and that, therefore, is the most important form of beauty we could ever imagine. We can't fix our heart with plastic surgery, we need to fix it by getting right with God, by reading our Bible, and, most importantly, by praying to Him. Once we are right with God, we can find beauty within ourselves and it will spill into our outward appearance.
Bethany leaves us with this advice, "I think the secret to finding positive self-esteem is just loving who you are and just go for it."
I'm sure you've all heard of Bethany Hamilton, the girl who lost her arm to a shark attack when she was thirteen. I absolutely love her movie Soul Surfer. It not only has a great message for seeing your body for what it is than for what it isn't, but it also shows Bethany's struggle with her relationship with God and her relationship with surfing. After her accident, you see Bethany sitting in her room as she rips off the arm of her Barbie doll. Her mother, Cheri, comes in and tells Bethany that she likes the Barbie doll better with one arm. Bethany says, "I thought at least with clothes on I could have two arms, I thought I could look normal."
I love Cheri's response, "The right guy will love you exactly the way you are because you're beautiful."
And you are so beautiful!
Cheri then shows Bethany a picture of Venus de Milo: the pinnacle of beauty. "And she has one less arm than you," she tells Bethany. What an excellent example of what beautiful really is. When you can find your flaws beautiful, when you can look at yourself in the mirror and say that you are beautiful because of your flaws and not in spite of them, that is what beauty truly is.
In an interview, Bethany said, "There's definitely times in my life where I'm just struggling with body image whether it be having one arm or feeling like I'm fat or having bad hair or a pimple but there are just so much worse things in life than what you look like." Who would have thought that the outgoing, encouraging Bethany Hamilton would be insecure over having a pimple? I guess there's a lesson in this, everyone feels insecure from time to time, but you can't let it get to you.
The media leads us to believe that if we dislike something about ourselves, we can get a quick fix, whether that be with a crash diet or surgery. But you know what? Liposuction isn't the answer to your "fat" thighs. In a survey conducted by the Girl Scouts of America, thirty three percent of girls had a distorted view of their body and saw themselves as overweight. The media is feeding us lies!
Jacqueline Saburido is also a woman I admire for her self-esteem. Jacqueline was a victim in a drunk driving accident in 1999. She was the only one in her vehicle who survived; however, Jacqueline was left with third degree burns on over sixty percent of her body. After undergoing over twenty surgeries, Jacqueline appeared on the Opera to share her story. When interviewing with Opera, Jacqueline said that she only allows herself five minutes a day to cry. If this woman can still keep going after losing everything, how can we possibly shield away when we have a pimple or are having a bad hair day?
In honor of embracing our flaws, I feel the need to tell you one of my insecurities. I think my nose is too big. There, I said it. I have been insecure about this for a long time, but the more I tell myself that I'm beautiful because of my nose, the more I believe it. Besides, we all have our own insecurities and we are most likely focusing on ourselves rather than scrutinizing others. So . . . LET GO OF YOUR INSECURITIES.
If you can't find your flaws beautiful, then for every flaw you see in yourself, write down two things that you love about yourself. This isn't limited to your outward appearance. I think that you'll find when you stop focusing on your flaws you'll see the more beautiful things in yourself that you never saw before.
1 Samuel 16:7b says, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." We need to remember that before we fix our distorted view of body image, we need to fix our heart. Our heart is what God looks at to see our beauty; and that, therefore, is the most important form of beauty we could ever imagine. We can't fix our heart with plastic surgery, we need to fix it by getting right with God, by reading our Bible, and, most importantly, by praying to Him. Once we are right with God, we can find beauty within ourselves and it will spill into our outward appearance.
Bethany leaves us with this advice, "I think the secret to finding positive self-esteem is just loving who you are and just go for it."
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Health-Ful Living
I have been doing an experiment, something I hope to make a permanent change in my daily life. I have successfully eaten five servings of fruits and vegetables every day for a week. How's that for a major change in my (I don't want to use the word "diet") daily food intake?
Now you may be thinking, "Oh, big deal. You're eating five servings of fruits and vegetables. Do you want a sticker for that or something?" Well to that I say: you try it. It's hard! And I'm not going to lie, it's a little pricy. But you can't put a price tag on being healthy!
To be honest, five servings is the minimum amount of fruits and veggies we should take into our "diet." Twice that amount and you'd be the healthiest person alive! Throughout the week I have been really hungry, however. I thought fruits and vegetables were supposed to fill you up? But whatever, because that just means I get to eat MORE fruits and vegetables and I've been feeling super good about my eating habits this week. And guess what? You should join me! (You totally knew that was coming, didn't you?) But seriously. I've been like - super high energy, can actually stay awake during class, no more headaches this week - happy
So I bet you're now waiting for a super appealing argument to convince you to eat more of that green leafy stuff that your mother says is good for you.
Deep breath. Here it goes . . .
Fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to live on! And they're all natural! I even found a whole website that names the nutrition facts of a ton of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that apples contain 5625 grams of tfglhya? (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Plus, eating all this good food makes me want to get outside and get moving. Not to mention we've been having super nice, unseasonably warm weather.
To start you off on your new and improved five servings of fruits and vegetables a day self, here's what I've been filling my stomach with for the past seven days:
Have a beautifully, health-ful day.
Now you may be thinking, "Oh, big deal. You're eating five servings of fruits and vegetables. Do you want a sticker for that or something?" Well to that I say: you try it. It's hard! And I'm not going to lie, it's a little pricy. But you can't put a price tag on being healthy!
To be honest, five servings is the minimum amount of fruits and veggies we should take into our "diet." Twice that amount and you'd be the healthiest person alive! Throughout the week I have been really hungry, however. I thought fruits and vegetables were supposed to fill you up? But whatever, because that just means I get to eat MORE fruits and vegetables and I've been feeling super good about my eating habits this week. And guess what? You should join me! (You totally knew that was coming, didn't you?) But seriously. I've been like - super high energy, can actually stay awake during class, no more headaches this week - happy
Fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to live on! And they're all natural! I even found a whole website that names the nutrition facts of a ton of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that apples contain 5625 grams of tfglhya? (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Plus, eating all this good food makes me want to get outside and get moving. Not to mention we've been having super nice, unseasonably warm weather.
To start you off on your new and improved five servings of fruits and vegetables a day self, here's what I've been filling my stomach with for the past seven days:
- Apples! yumm. They really do keep the doctor away.
- Pears. delicious. If you get the right kind, they taste like candy!
- Lots of salad. Did you know that green leafy stuff is actually good for you? I love to put parmesan cheese on my salads with a little bit of light raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
- Carrots. Apparently, they're good for your eyesight? I think this is just a myth to get people to eat them.
- Broccoli! If you put it in the oven with oil and salt, it's kind of the best tasting broccoli you've ever had. But if you need to choke it down with cheese, I won't think less of you.
- Oranges. They remind me of summer! And afterwards, your hands will smell like oranges for hours. It doesn't matter how many times you wash your hands . . .
- Bananas. These are just good. I don't understand people who don't like bananas. I love making oatmeal and putting bananas, walnuts, and, of course, brown sugar in it.
- Asparagus! I love it so much. You have no idea. And make it the same way you made the broccoli, yumm.
- Strawberries. Who doesn't like strawberries. Seriously. You're crazy if you don't like them. Again, reminds me of summer.
Have a beautifully, health-ful day.
Eating Disorders
That's a pretty nerve-racking title if you ask me. Nonetheless, it's a subject I feel like I need to get aquainted with. This may be a negative outlook, but I think that every teenage girl in America "flirts" with an eating disorder at some time in her life. It seems unescapable in our society today; our society that is so appearance driven. It's impossible to go about your day without seeing an ad, commercial, or television show that doesn't focus on improving your look. It's engraved in our minds that if we aren't skinny then we better do something about it. Whether that's liposuction, cosmetic surgery, crash diets, or through eating disorders, it's all dangerous. I'm sure you've heard the saying "playing with fire," that's exactly what you're doing when you experiment with an eating disorder.
Know the facts:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that revolves around the desire to be thin and to lose weight quickly. It often stems from the need to want to be in control. It is most commonly found in women and develops during middle to late adolescents. It affects around one percent of women and one-tenth as many males. People with anorexia refuse to maintain body weight at or above eighty-five percent of normal weight for their age and height and have a fear of becoming fat, even if they are already severely underweight. The first widespread attention brought to eating disorders was in 1983, when singer Karen Carpenter died from anorexia. People with anorexia restrict their food intake and deprive their bodies of enough energy and nutrients to live on. even after overcoming anorexia, it can have lasting effects on your heart, immune system, kidneys, digestive system, and metabolism.
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging of the food through laxatives or vomiting. A study on bulimia found that after eating 3,530 calories and then vomiting, 1,209 calories were left in the body. After smaller binges of 1,549 calories, 1,128 calories were retained after purging. Bulimia also has lasting effects on the throat and esophagus, teeth, heart, stomach and pancreas, kidneys and liver, intestines and muscles.
Binge eating disorder occurs when an individual eats uncontrollably and does not purge the food. Binge eaters are often overweight and are distressed over the amount of food consumed. Binge eating can have lasting impacts on the heart and metabolism.
These are the most common eating disorders. It seems like it would be so much easier to lose weight by just not eating or purging after you've overindulged. Easy solution, right? But that can be the most dangerous thinking in the world, the kind that could kill you. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, maybe you haven't attempted anything but you've thought about it a lot, talk to someone you trust. Instead of focusing on your body shape, focus on being healthy by exercising and eating the right foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, dairy products, and lean meats and make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Listen to your bodies "hunger and full" cues to make sure that you're eating enough nutrients that your body needs and so that you don't eat out of boredom or stress.
When we succumb to eating disorders we are proclaiming that we accept the worlds standard of beauty when what we need to be doing is revolting against such unattainable standards. Remember that you are beautiful, no matter what the media says. Embrace your flaws and SMILE.
Know the facts:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that revolves around the desire to be thin and to lose weight quickly. It often stems from the need to want to be in control. It is most commonly found in women and develops during middle to late adolescents. It affects around one percent of women and one-tenth as many males. People with anorexia refuse to maintain body weight at or above eighty-five percent of normal weight for their age and height and have a fear of becoming fat, even if they are already severely underweight. The first widespread attention brought to eating disorders was in 1983, when singer Karen Carpenter died from anorexia. People with anorexia restrict their food intake and deprive their bodies of enough energy and nutrients to live on. even after overcoming anorexia, it can have lasting effects on your heart, immune system, kidneys, digestive system, and metabolism.
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging of the food through laxatives or vomiting. A study on bulimia found that after eating 3,530 calories and then vomiting, 1,209 calories were left in the body. After smaller binges of 1,549 calories, 1,128 calories were retained after purging. Bulimia also has lasting effects on the throat and esophagus, teeth, heart, stomach and pancreas, kidneys and liver, intestines and muscles.
Binge eating disorder occurs when an individual eats uncontrollably and does not purge the food. Binge eaters are often overweight and are distressed over the amount of food consumed. Binge eating can have lasting impacts on the heart and metabolism.
These are the most common eating disorders. It seems like it would be so much easier to lose weight by just not eating or purging after you've overindulged. Easy solution, right? But that can be the most dangerous thinking in the world, the kind that could kill you. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, maybe you haven't attempted anything but you've thought about it a lot, talk to someone you trust. Instead of focusing on your body shape, focus on being healthy by exercising and eating the right foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, dairy products, and lean meats and make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Listen to your bodies "hunger and full" cues to make sure that you're eating enough nutrients that your body needs and so that you don't eat out of boredom or stress.
When we succumb to eating disorders we are proclaiming that we accept the worlds standard of beauty when what we need to be doing is revolting against such unattainable standards. Remember that you are beautiful, no matter what the media says. Embrace your flaws and SMILE.
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