Health is Wealth

A typical work-up for any patient includes blood tests. A sample of blood can tell us a lot about the health of a patient, from electrolye levels to cholesterol. For ED patients, this can be very important because it can help us see what we need to do to help them. For example, low iron (typically from low meat or protein intake, as what happens in starvation) can cause anemia, so we might give the patient iron supplements. Similarly, we might see low calcium levels, along with a bone scan, and decide that the patient needs calcium supplements or vitamin D. We can also see their glucose levels and determine if their blood sugar is within the normal range. All of this sounds helpful, right? But what about when the blood tests come back normal? Is the patient 'fine'? Does that mean that the patient cannot possibly have ED, or is not 'sick enough'? NO. Something I always tell my patients and nursing peers is that medicine is simply ONE tool to help us help others - it ca...

Does eating fast food cause obesity? Will I get fat if I eat a burger from McDonald's? Should we not encouarge kids to boycott Tim Hortons so that they will not gain weight? What if we decide to eat fruits all day and not eat chocolate or cake? Will we be healthy and lose weight? Commercials should stop telling us to buy their foods, right? This will stop obesity from occuring! Right? Maybe not... You are probably familiar with the phrase 'obesity epidemic'. This refers to information that shows that over the past few years, obesity is on the rise. Researchers and medical professionals alike (along with parents, teachers, teens, and many, many people!) like to blame the fast food industry for this problem. They say that restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King, along with desserts like cake and pizza, are the cause of this problem. Their solution? Discourage the consumption of fast food! After all, if fast food causes obesity, the rational solution is to boycott it...

Unfortunately, there are still many people in our society that don't understand how serious and deadly eating disorders are. Very recently, this article appeared on the internet: http://www.returnofkings.com/21313/5-reasons-to-date-a-girl-with-an-eating-disorder . As a quick summary, the male author of this article claims that males should try to date a girl with an eating disorder (ED) because of the many 'advantages' this has for him. He gives five reasons for this: the girl wont be eating, so the man doesn't have to pay for her food. She is also probably rich since most girls who have ED are rich; thus, the man can get money off the girl. The author also mentions that  Oh, and she will be skinny, so you don't need to worry about being teased in public for being in a relationship with a 'fat girl'. Plus, she is insecure about her body, so she will always come to you looking for appreciation about her body...and if you give her a few compliments, she wil...

I found this online and thought that it did a great job of busting some myths about eating disorders. It is worth reading - before suffering, I admit that I believed some of these myths. Sadly, society still has many misconceptions about eating disorders and this is why I work to raise awareness about this illness and mental health in general. I think this is a great fact sheet to look at and to question yourself about. For example, many people think that eating disorders are all about getting attention. Others think that ED only happens in Europeans and only in females. Take a look at these myths and what the truth is. Become informed and be aware! For more information or to see the picture in a greater size, you can visit http://www.nedc.com.au/myths-about-eating-disorders . Before you read the picture, try asking yourself or someone you know these questions about ED and/or mental health, and see what the response is. Do you know the truth, or are they myths? 1) People choose to ...

I have already posted about how ED does not discriminate; indeed, ED can hit anyone of any culture, religion, background, ethnicity, or gender. However, many people have asked me to exapnd on this. So, here it is. I hope this helps! First, I want to say that any medical provider who tells you that you do not or cannot have ED because you are of a certain culture is WRONG. Although data MIGHT show that ED is more prevalent in certain backgrounds (ex. Caucasian or Whites), this is for different reasons. One reason may be that in Canada and the USA, we have more awareness about ED and therefore diagnose more people with it. Also, our culture is open to talking about this. In my home country (Egypt), ED is fairly rare because not many know about it, and people do not discuss it. My parents never knew about ED until I started showing the signs of it. For some cultures, ED is not given enough attention because of how 'important' food is. For example, Egyptians LOVE food, and they...

I have talked a lot about hunger cues and how they can be really off in ED patients. It is not that patients are trying to lie that they are not hungry - it seems that the brain and body actually do not sense hunger in ED, But, what about 'fullness' cues? Do patients with ED, specifically AN, feel full? This something that I really struggle with. I definitely do not have good hunger cues, and this is why I need to eat by the clock. It does get annoying, to be honest. Imagine trying to eat when you do not feel hungry or do not have an appetite. It feels so...wrong, especially for someone who has/had ED. But now, think about the opposite side: feeling full. When I was sick, I had a great excuse for why I could never eat: I already felt full. In recovery, I felt this way as well. How could I be expected to eat when I still felt full from the last meal? How could I eat when I felt fell?  In later recovery. the problem remained: how could I continue to finish my meals when I felt fu...

So far, my work has been published three times by Fr. Anthony, and approximately 10 times by NEDIC. Let's not forget about the conference I gave, as well as the two radio interviews! I'm amazed at how God has blessed me - and thank you to all those who read this blog, comment, and share with others. Without all your support, I would not have become so strong and open to sharing my story. God bless you all - your love and kindness mean so much to me, and I am blessed to have all of you! This post on NEDIC is about body awareness - remember how I spoke before on how we need to learn to love and/or accept our bodies? This is the focus for this post on NEDIC.  http://www.nedic.ca/blog/?p=935 As a sneak peak, just remember that our bodies do amazing things for us. Sadly, society teaches us that we should only like our bodies if we are a certain weight or body size. But society is WRONG! Think about your life without a functioning leg, arm, brain. heart, stomach, etc. It is simpl...

 I have more great news! My work has yet again been published by Fr. Anthony, this time on how God works wonders through our lives and experiences. Please take the time to read the post, and understand that you too have a plan in store for you - and that all things happen for a reason! Stay strong, and never give up. Life is tough, but you are tougher! You can read the published post here http://franthony.com/2013/11/i-know-the-plans-i-have-for-you . If you would like to, please leave a comment HERE and on my post at Fr. Anthony's blog. So many times, we get caught up in this world and we have no idea why things are happening, why we aren't getting what we want, and why things are so tough. But sometimes, it takes some time to see what God is doing in your life. Tired? Frustrated? Angry? Sad? Stressed? Bored? Hopeless? Faithless? Powerless? These are emotions that we all have at one time or another. But what is important is that you DO NOT GIVE UP. Do not let things tak...

I am so pleased to update you on the status of both my health and my blog. To start, I am maintaining my healthy weight and loving it! I look and feel beautiful (inside and out!) - and I am not affected by any talk of weight gain, food, or body sizes. I am eating enough and normally, and life is good ! Recovery was the smartest thing I ever did - and the hardest. But as I am strong today, I can say that I am so pleased with my decision and commitment. What a huge accomplishment! Now to my blog. I am overwhelmed and so proud to let you all know that my blog has been nominated for an award : Best Canadian Blog about Lifestyle, Health, and Inspiration/Advocacy ( http://www.canadianweblogawards.com/2013-categories-nominees/ ). What an amazing honour! I only started this blog about two years ago, and look at it now! I'm being nominated for awards and it is gaining so much attention! I have been doing radio interviews , which have become a huge hit, and I am constantly being asked t...