The Skinny on Skinny

“Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels.” 

I actually heard a woman say this to her friend at a clothing store today. 

Unbelievable.

I wanted to slap her, tell her that her words cut deeper than she knows, and that her judging stare causes hundreds of girls to question and demoralize their body, dignity, and worth.  I don’t care how skinny you are, NOBODY has the right to take those things away from another individual.  

To all those that question their weight out there, let me tell you something.  The number of pounds on the scale should not define how happy you are.  The media should not be telling you how happy you are.  And your friends certainly should not be controlling your idea of what happiness should look like.  Character, service, overcoming obstacles, standing up for yourself, taking initiative, and striving to become a better you is what should be the underlying factors as to what your level of happiness is.   

I’d also like to throw in a little bit of science to help back up my reasoning as to why a person should actually eat. 

• Food fuels the body.  All kinds of food, not just celery.  Your cells need a variety of nutrients in order to transport blood, rebuild muscle, secrete insulin, maintain appropriate hormone levels, and release acetylcholine to transmit nerve signals.  This is why it is ok….no, crucial…to eat some fat more than once a week. 
• Albumin levels, indicators of mortality, drop when a person doesn’t eat enough. 
• When a person does not eat or purges on a regular basis, potassium, sodium, and calcium levels become so low that they cannot supply the body with the proper electrolytes it needs.  This puts INCREDIBLE stress on the heart causing irregular heartbeat and, eventually, cardiac arrest.  
• If the body is starved, it eats away the lean muscle tissue needed for posture and strength.  Calcium is also extracted from bone because it does not receive enough from the diet.  This can result in osteopenia, osteoporosis, bone fractures, chronic pain, Dowager’s hump, and compression of the internal organs due to abnormal spine curvature.

Oh, and here’s a list of some of the foods that I think taste better than skinny feels.

                Red Thai curry soup

                Greek yogurt

                Cappuccino smoothies

                Mint chocolate chip ice cream

                Honey Crisp apples

                Creamy porcini mushroom risotto

                Pumpkin muffins

                Acorn squash

I cannot even begin to emphasize how important it is to eat a variety of foods every day.  While I do advise eating more nutrient dense foods, I also think it is important to live and enjoy dessert, or those so-called “bad foods,” (which there aren’t, by the way) every once in a while.

So go ahead everyone.  Eat.  Your body, your mind, and your spirit deserve it. 

Pictures

Pictures speak a thousand words.  This I believe to be true.  Sometimes I don’t think even words can describe all that a picture has to say, though.  Feelings and thoughts can change in an instant with each new photo we look at, triggering emotions and ideas that we may not have acknowledged before. I get especially drawn to pictures of people because each portrait communicates something unique and different.  I like these photos.  Some speak strong words of compassion or hurt, while others are more subtle in their meaning.  Have a look at these, and see where your thoughts take you.

(I had to throw in that last one, simply because it made me laugh)

Mothers

Describing your mother, who she is and what she means to you, is probably the hardest undertaking as far as writing goes. It’s hard to find words that describe selfless, laboring, unconditionally loving individuals. I’d imagine that if you did have to write about your mother it would be an incredible challenge because, well, there’s so much that mothers do. You can try to sum it up by saying that she simply “raised” you, but that doesn’t even come close to the countless tasks she had to do to achieve that.  I know I don’t give my mom nearly enough credit, and while this blog doesn’t make up for the times that I have neglected to tell her how I feel or how thankful I am for her, I would still like to dedicate this post to her. 

To start, here is just a handful of the greatest memories I have of my mother.  I hope that my thoughts help you call to mind memories about your own mother.  

Her singing.  I’ve always loved it, even though she thought we (my brother and I) hated it.

The face massages she would give me to help me fall asleep at night.

Her whistle.  She’d take her pinkie fingers and place them perfectly in her mouth and belt out the loudest, most distinct, whistle.  You could seriously hear it a mile away, and it worked like a charm when she needed to grab our attention.  My brother and I would be playing over at a neighbor’s house…she’d whistle for dinner, and we’d know to get our butts home.  Pronto.

The Special K bars she would make for every social event at school.

She hates her “baby” fat, but she doesn’t realize that it is extremely comforting to me.  As a kid I would lay on her lap while watching movies, and her breathing and the warmth of her body was very soothing to me

Her homemade birthday cakes (the yellow cat from my first grade b-day party was my favorite), and I cannot forget her pickles.  To. Die. For.

The fact that our cooler was never empty on camping trips.  She always knew what and how much food to pack whenever we would go on vacations.

Her indescribable caring personality.  She never fails to think of or put others before herself.  Never.

Mothers deserve more.  More assurance, more support, more love. Without them we would be lost.  Wandering without any idea about what life or love is about.  And to all the mothers out there, you need to know this. You may wish that you were prettier, skinnier, funnier, or tidier, but you need to be none of these things.  Because you are already undeniably perfect.

The Elderly

Old people.  They fascinate me.  Never a dull moment ….well, wait.  Let me take that back.  There are PLENTY of dull moments when spending time with the elderly, but never a time that fails to be insightful or thought provoking.  

As a caregiver, I never really know what to expect while working.  Some nights prove to be completely uneventful, and other nights I find myself chasing after residents trying to steal ice cream out of the freezer while simultaneously trying to break up the arguments occurring in the living room.  Resident 1: “Wheel of Fortune is on.  WE ALWAYS WATCH WHEEL OF FORTUNE.  Change it back!”   Resident 2: “Go watch in your room if you don’t like “Sing Off”!  You’re the only one that wants to watch Wheel of Fortune!”

You’d think that the elderly would be quite tolerable of most foods, as long as they are pretty bland and not too spicy.  Unless it’s just my select 14 residents, think again.  A current list of foods that some of my residents refuse to eat…

                Marshmallows

                Chicken

                Pasta

                Nuts

                Any type of casserole

                Turkey

                Eggs

   Cake, or anything cake-like (seriously, my resident informed me of his dislikes using that exact phrase)

                Lettuce

                Any green vegetable

                Some soups

Come on.  Chicken!  Who doesn’t like chicken?!  Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that if I want everyone to be happy I can serve chocolate, ice cream, and pizza (Although the pizza can be tricky.  Each resident dislikes two or three toppings, so I resort to pepperoni and cheese).  Not the greatest foods to be serving to the elderly…especially when they are the ones who need to be eating an adequate diet rich in nutrients. 

               

Despite all their complaints, I’ve come to cherish my time with the 14 residents that are 50 years my senior. It takes a lot of patience and acceptance for them to get to where they are.  They’re constantly adjusting to changes taking place, in both their body and surroundings.  And I think the hardest, yet most beneficial, challenge they face is accepting the help that they deeply need. They really don’t like receiving that help right away, but once they do it is the most humbling act to witness.  And most of the residents express their gratitude openly, and with genuine appreciation.

As young adults, it’s hard for us to think about aging.  We feel that it will never happen to us, or that the process will not be as enduring as it has been for others.  And I think we take the elderly for granted.  Just because we think they are crazy (illustrated by their outrageous stories they tell) doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to teach us.  It took me a long time to realize this.  But they do carry with them lessons learned from their past.  Next time you run into (or carefully walk by) someone over the age of 80, ask them to tell you about their past.  They will be more than happy to share, and probably feel valued and respected that you asked.  No matter how different our generations, we have so much to learn from them.

Spontaneity

It’s Friday.  You ponder over the previous week.  Work, class, meetings, more work.  You get excited thinking about the nap that you were able to sneak in midweek, or the dollar you found in the pocket of your jeans while attempting to fold laundry.

We’ve all been there.

But is it really a place we want to stay?  Do we want to go through each day, each week, doing the same mundane things?  “Absolutely not” is the first thought that races through my mind.  In reality, however, that answer is, more often than not, far from the truth.  We have certain priorities in our life that keep us from encountering new experiences.  The priorities in my life right now are school and work , mainly because they are the foundations that will ultimately provide me with what I need in order to live a successful life.  Well, a successful life by society’s standards anyway.  Yes, I understand I need a job and money to survive in the US, but I don’t think accomplishing just those two things can place me in the “successful” category.  I think they make me boring.  Dull and boring!

I’ve contributed my share of everyday life/ school stories in conversations, only to be met with yawns and wandering eyes searching for a clock or a reason to leave. And hey, I still cause people to do that!  But now I understand how important spontaneity really is and how much excitement it contributes to conversations and, more importantly, all aspects of life. 

Trying new things and taking chances opens up opportunities and allows you to relate to more people, plus it gives you the chance to look at situations in a new light.  That, and people might actually listen to you when you tell them about the fantastic adventures you’ve been on. 

Go on a two day road trip somewhere random, wear an outfit that isn’t your normal style, smile at strangers and talk to them in line at the grocery store, take a class that you wouldn’t have considered in the past, or, if you’re looking to start small, simply take a different route home.  Do anything to get you out of your set routine.  I think you’ll find the newfound excitement intriguing and irresistible. J

Pop a Top

I don’t advocate the drinking of pop or beer daily, but enjoying a can every once in awhile is okay.  Some basic and obvious guidelines for enjoying your favorite carbonated beverage…

1.       Do not shake your pop/beer before opening it

2.       Sip slowly, so as to avoid indigestion

3.       Recycle the can/ bottle when finished

So you’re wondering why on earth I am talking about how to drink a can of pop when it is clearly the most effortless task on this planet.  Well, the only reason I am writing about it is because I had a thought today regarding its relation to communication.  Yes that’s right, communication. 

Before I explain the correlation, let me first say that communication is, I think, one of the most crucial components of any relationship.  From the time you were a child you had to communicate with your parents so your most basic needs could be met. “I’m hungry, Dad,” or “Mom, Where’s my jacket? I’m cold.”  We grow and increase our ability to express ourselves by telling friends what we like and dislike, and then every once in awhile we find a person with whom we can share with more openly.  We communicate needs, wants, fears, and desires. Without a deeper level of communication I don’t think we can form the relationships that we so desperately wish for in life.

So, here’s my correlation.  It’s not all definite or entirely correct, this I know.  I’m just basing it off of my own encounters and experiences.

1.       Don’t shake the can= If you meet someone and you want to develop that deeper conversation, don’t be aggressive about it.  You may want to jump right in, but you can’t get in their face and demand that they tell you about their darkest secrets after only talking with them for 5 minutes.  

2.       Sip slowly- Approach certain topics with caution.  Some people don’t like talking about their fears, the death of loved ones, etc as much as others do.  They need to take more time getting to know the person before they share any of that information with them.  And don’t discuss so many intense topics in one sitting.  It’s exhausting, and a lot to take in.

3.       Recycle- revisit the topics every once in awhile.  People may share more than they did the time before, and new topics can emerge from the old ones.

Crazy how you can find deeper meaning behind a can of pop.  Or maybe it’s just my absurd ideas getting the best of me.  But I do know this.  If you try your best to open up to others and express your vulnerabilities without shame, good things will result.  You may not get the reaction you are looking for from everyone (I hope they would be understanding though), but you discover more about yourself. You realize that by admitting your vulnerabilities you grow one step closer to understanding who you are as an individual.  That you are not alone when it comes to feeling inadequate, sadness, loneliness, and hurt.  That we need others to love us as we are, faults and all, and that they need the same from us.

Science Labs

I realized something about myself today.  Actually, I’ve always known it, but for some reason today it became so clear.  I hate science labs.  I hate them.  Biology 103, Biology 207, Biology 940333, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology.  All of them. Dislike.  

Aside from Anatomy and Physiology, I don’t see a reason or need for those labs. In anatomy you learn the basic functions of the body and how the organs work together.  I remember our cadaver and animal labs where my professor showed us various organs.  Some were healthy, others were not.  He would say, “This is the liver.  It filters your wastes and aids in metabolism.  Treat it well, otherwise it will turn into this.”  At that point he held up a blackish, shriveled up looking wad.  I don’t know about you, but I think that learning how to preserve your organs is pretty useful information.  

Now microbiology I don’t understand.  What I’m supposed to learn from taking random nasty microbes, spreading them all over an agar petri dish, and watching them grow is beyond me.  I don’t care about how many colonies develop or if the bacteria are round or cocci-shaped.  I. Don’t. Care.

I’m terrible.  I know I should be interested in this stuff.  But I’m never, on my spare time, going to grab 6 petri dishes (I don’t even know where you would BUY petri dishes…don’t think any Walmart or Target carries them) and spread bacteria all over them to see what happens. Ok, I probably won’t go out looking for a bunch of livers to observe either, but I would MUCH rather study organs than various forms of yeast.  

I should really try and change my attitude regarding my hate for science labs.  My group members, along with my professor, are starting to catch on that I’d rather be stuck in an elevator with Richard Simmons than be in lab.  Maybe if I start paying attention I’ll actually gain some insight as to why the class is important and how it will be useful to me in the future.  

... but I’m not holding my breath.