Health is Wealth

I have a bad habit of thinking that terrible things always happen to me. I KNOW that I am so blessed in many ways, but for some reason, when trouble comes about, I often become hopeless. And I complain that 'this always happens to me' or 'I am such a problematic person!'. Well, to be truthful, my life has not exactly been the easiest. I was bullied most of my years in elementary school because of my weight. People were jealous of my marks and teased me frequently. Then, in high school, the eating disorder started. Last summer, I was hospitalized for anorexia. I nearly lost my life, and in the process, scared the life out of my family. The year before, I was involved in a terrible car accident that nearly took my life (which was not my fault, but the person who hit me was not caught - it was a 'hit and run'). So, as you can see, my life has had it's share of troubles. But at the same, I have to look at the other side of things - in all these times, God ha...

I am blessed to say that NEDIC has published yet another one of my pieces. Please take a look at it - I find it to be very approrpriate for the time we are in. I hope all is well with all of you! I read all of the comments and am so blessed to have all of you! God bless you all. http://www.nedic.ca/blog/

Most people, when thinking or hearing about ED, think of a thin, pale-looking girl who starves herself. But research is showing that more and more males are presenting with ED. This caught my attention for so many reasons. http://www.cmaj.ca/site/earlyreleases/14jan13_gender-perceptions-on-eating-disorders-slow-to-change.xhtml First, it shows that ED is on the rise. EDs are common all over the world - not just in places like Canada, USA, or Europe. They are present in Africa, Australia, etc. So, it is not an illness of the 'westernized' areas. It happens to anyone, of any culture. This is a problem that we need to address - if ED is becoming more prevalent, we need to find ways to educate people about ED 'prevention' or what to watch out for. We need to educate people about what to do if you suspect someone has an eating disorder, the types of treatment available, and the urgency that must be given to this problem. Second - and what is really the issue - is that ...

Life is a gift. I know we hear that all the time, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is. Part of my work as a nurse means that I get to see moms before or after they have their babies. I also get to hear some the fetus' heartbeats. The first time I heard the baby's heart inside the mom, I was amazed! The problem is that life is also hectic. We are constantly faced with problems and challenges that make us stressed. And so, life passes by so quickly and we hardly have time to enjoy it all! I'm the type of person who is always doing something or the other. If I'm not studying, I'm writing on my blog, reading, preparing for church service, helping around the house, etc. Each day is so busy and full of events. By nighttime, I'm exhausted! It seems as though they aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. Have you ever felt like this? The challenge is trying to find a balance between the rush of life and taking the time to...

There's something I hate about getting back from the holidays. It's the fact that I know that now the real work begins - no more relaxing or doing nothing. Now that the break is over, school begins. The work starts accumulating. The tests and assignments are listed. The stress comes along. The sleepless nights ensue. The rushing and lack of time is upon us. It's crazy! The fact is, school is fun. I enjoy it, but it's when it gets stressful that I hate it. It makes me feel trapped and worried. I get caught up in all my work, so I feel stressed. I wish there was a balance between all this. Part of me accepts that this is my job. I have to study and work to get my degree. But the other part of me feels that the break went by too quickly. And I don't quite feel ready to get into 'work' mode again! Sometimes, I feel hopeless. Like today. I had a long day today. I had to wake up super early to get to my clinical placement, and I spent the whole day there. It ...

When I was in grade eight, I discovered make-up. I was so amused by the fact that girls could use this stuff to make themselves look 'pretty'. It amazed me. I wanted to learn how to use it, and I wanted to use it everyday. So I did. For me, putting on make-up as a teen was for 'fun'. It was not because I wanted to look good for anyone - I simply wanted to do what others did, and it seemed wonderful that I could actually be creative with it! As ED moved in, however, this joy of applying make-up disappeared. I did not want to look good. I did not care how I looked. I hardly wanted to wake up and do anything, let alone take time to put on make-up. So I didn't. I hardly cared what I looked like: what clothes I wore, what I put on my face, what I did with my hair, etc. Why even BOTHER to look good? No one even recgonizes you. You are fat and ugly. There is no point in even trying to make yourself appear 'pretty'. Make-up? Why?! You look terrible! Buy new cl...

The time is coming near - when everyone makes their resolutions for the new year. By far, the most common one I've heard of is weight loss. People promise themselves to eat less, exercise more, etc. This is especially common because its after the holiday season - the time when people 'over-eat'.   There's so many issues with this. First, lets start with the resolution idea: why should you decide to be healthy for only one part if the year? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong decision, not one you make temporarily. Second, the idea that you need to lose weight after Christmas is silly - even if you do eat a little more during the celebrations and parties, you'll return to your normal eating habits afterwards, so your body will adjust itself. There's no need to try to change your body when it already knows what to do!   I think the problem is that we all hear people saying that this is their resolution, so we somehow become convinced that we need t...