Health is Wealth

We've all had those days (or even weeks!) when we are so busy. We have experienced times when we cannot simply find enough hours in the day to do all we need to do. During those times, we need to prioritize. We need to figure out what needs to be done NOW, and what can wait for a while. Even when you have prioritized, there still seems to be too much to do! One of the things that I have noticed lately is that sometimes, life goes 'on hold' until other things are over. For example, if you have a big project that needs to be done, you might not have enough time to also go out with family or friends or to see a movie. So, you put everything else on hold until you finish that project. But what happens when you are done the project? Do you actually find time to have fun and relax and do all that other stuff? Sometimes. But more often than not, you will notice that yet another thing has appeared in your life to replace that project. Now, you see that everything that was '...

I am beyond amazed at the blessings God has given me. I've been published so many times, and now, I have been invited to appear as a guest on a well-known international radio channel, the Orthodox Christian Nework: http://www.myocn.net/index.php/201308214607/come-receive-the-light/4607-anorexia-faith-and-recovery.html Please click on the link and listen to my interview! For those of you who do not know me personally, you will finally hear my voice! This is, in fact, the first time I have actually spoken LIVE on a radio show about my eating disorder and experiences. This segment discusses the challenges I faced, how my faith helped me, and what to do if you feel that you or someone you know has an eating disorder. I really hope you enjoy listening to it - again, this is such a huge accomplishment for me. I am so blessed to have had so many wonderful opportunities to share my story and raise awareness about mental health and eating disorders. Glory to God! Thank you everyone for ...

I am amazed at the reception of my writing and story. From a year ago, my work has been published over 10 times....within ONE YEAR! This is truly a blessing, and I thank each and every single person (both in my life and on this blog) for giving my this experience. I am so blessed! This time, I wrote a post comparing your body with a car. Sounds far-fetched right? Well, if you think about it, they have a lot of things in common. Your car needs gas to keep working, and you need food to keep surviving. Your car cannot operate without gas, and you cannot function without nutrition. Your car needs to be taken care of in order to do its job, and your body needs to be well in order for your to live day by day. See how similar they are? Take a look at this link for the full piece on fuelling your body - just like you would with your car: http://www.nedic.ca/blog/ (PS. A special thank YOU to everyone out there who has supported me through this past year. I can, thank God, say that today, ...

When I was sick and did not want to eat anything, many people thought that I was being silly. My family often wondered how I could 'not eat' and why I never 'just put something into my mouth and chewed'. This was not their fault, of course. They were frustrated by my illness, yet they did not understand that the decision to NOT eat was not mine - the ED had taken over my brain and body. I posted before about how in people with ED, starvation actually released endorphins' the 'no pain' neurotransmitter. This means that once I started eating again, all the troubles and pain returned because food = less endorphins in ED victims. According to researchers, this can take years to return to normal, if it ever does. This means that during recovery. the pain (physical, emotional, and mental) pain that we go through is REAL because our bodies start to make less endorphins in response to the food intake. Now, researchers have discovered yet another interesting fact abo...

Although ED is more common than we think or see in daily life, there is sadly a lack of healthcare professionals who truly 'get it'. Many doctors/nurses think that ED is a problem with the patient and is thus to blame. Others do not know how to help their patients, so they tell them to 'eat higher calorie foods' and to stop 'moving around so much'. Still others think that ED is a phase that people go through. Why is it so hard to find someone who understands ED and how to treat them? First, ED is not really spoken about in medical school. Sure, they may hear about ED, but students do not really get an opportunity to understand how ED works. They also simply hear that 'food is medicine', but they do not get taught how to deal with a patient who is suffering and desperately needs assistance. Furthermore, many theories about ED are still (sadly) prevelant in today's society, such as the idea that ED results from a bad relationship with one's mothe...

Social media is all around us. There's email, twitter, Facebook, and more. There are chat rooms and forums. In a sense, this is beneficial because it allows us to communicate with others  and learn about them. It also helps us learn new things, stay connected to people, and share news and events with them. Therefore, social media can be very useful. But, like many other things in life, social media also has it's drawbacks. I'm not going to write a post about what's wrong with social media. Instead, I'm going to discuss why you need to be aware of what you post on social media or how you use it. This may seem obvious, but sometimes we get so caught up with posting that we forget the downfalls of social media. Lets start with posts. You can often post your status on Facebook or twitter, which allows others to see how you feel or events in your life. This is nice because you can share moments and thoughts with others. But sometimes we post without thinking. We mi...

I have heard from many patients that they were kicked out of treatment because they were 'non-compliant' with their treatment. For some, this was what they wanted because they did not want treatment anymore. But for others, this wrecked their recovery and left them hopeless. First, what does 'non-compliant' mean? Technically, it means that you are unwilling to do what your treatment plan/team says you should do to get better. In ED treatment, doctors refer to a patient as being non-compliant if she/he does not eat enough, does not gain weight, or does not suddenyl have amazing thoughts and high self-esteem. But, is this non-compliance? Or is just part of the illness? My first time in therapy was when I was in grade 12. Let me tell you - I hated it. It was with some therapist that my father found because 'she was the best with EDs'. I won't get into that part much, but I will just say that I absolutely hated it. No offense. Anyways, this therapist worked ...

I'm so blessed. I can't seem to put a number on the amounts of times my writing has been published and acknowledged internationally! Yet again, my work has been published on Fr. Anthony's blog (which is amazing, by the way!). http://franthony.com/2013/08/seeing-through-gods-eyes/ This post is about seeing yourself through someone's eyes who always sees the good in you - God. I've had my share of tiresome and frustrating days, and often, these are the times when I begin to feel as though I hate myself. Sure enough, God never fails to tell me how much He loves me. And He loves you, too. He is waiting for you to call to Him, to tell Him how much you need Him and that you know that He can do anything. It does not matter what religion you are born into or what you belive in - there is ONE God, and He is there for you. Please take a look at this post. It took me some time to gather my thoughts and find relevant references, so I guarantee that it will NOT be a waste of...