Health is Wealth

Where do you get your information from? The internet? Others? Celebrities? News? Books? Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers? What kind of information do you seek from these sources? It is not uncommon for us to seek information on medications, lifestyle advice, nutrition, exercise, signs and symptoms, etc online. We might not have time to ask our healthcare providers, or we may not remember to ask. We also may feel intimidated to ask certain questions, so we feel that the internet will provide us with a 'safe' and comfortable way of getting information. And that is not always bad. There are some great websites that provide great health information. But how do you know when what you are reading is true and reliable? For example, let's assume that you are looking online for information on whether or not drinking milk causes cancer. If you type this into google, you will more than likely find many different websites with information about this topic. Which inform...

A positive affirmation is a statement that gives someone strength, peace, comfort, or a sense of control and power. Simply put, they are things we can say to ourselves to makes us feel good, or help us in times of trouble. I'm not suggesting that you say these out loud to yourself, although you can. But usually what I do is repeat some of these in my head when I feel overwhelmed. I've listed some of my favourite or most-used ones. You may have your own - use those as well! The point of these affirmations is to help us feel strong in times of weakness or despair. They truly help, but it ttakes practice. Sometimes, you might not even have the ability to believe what you are saying. But at other times, you can really think about what the affirmation says, and it can help a lot. They can also help you focus on what is happening, why, and what you can do about it. 1) When you feel angry -anger is a normal human emtion -I am angry and that is okay. But why am I angry? Should I ...

I have a confession to make. I struggled for around seven years, trying to find out 'who I really was'. Some might call it an identity crisis, others may call it crazy, To be honest, it doesn't matter what you call it: the end result was the same. I was being controlled by ED, and this made me wonder what was ME, and what was ED. http://www.nedic.ca/blog/free-be-me-not-ed This is what this post is on. But you can't read it on my blog...because it is PUB:LISHED on NEDIC! NEDIC really liked this piece and felt that it was powerful and reached out to many people...not just those with ED. I'm sure we all go through something similar. Think back to a struggle that you face. It could be a medical illness, such as diabetes or cancer. It could be something mental, such as depression or anxiety. It could even be a habit you have, such as smoking or swearing. Sometimes, it is hard to determine who is control of our lives: is it the illness/addiction/habit, or is it US (an...

February 2 - February 8 of this year, 2014, is/was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in Canada (other countries may have different days). Clearly, this is a big deal. But why? What's so important about eating disorders? Why have a whole week for awareness? As a recovered patient with anorexia nervosa, this week is super important to me. It is the week when everyone should aim to learn at least one important thing about eating disorders. Of course, there is so much to know. Did you know that ED is the number one killer of all mental illnesses? Did you know that someone can have an ED even if they don't look thin? Did you know that EDs can cause damage to the body (on the inside) that tests and blood work may not even be able to detect? Did you know that most patients with ED do not get help until they are close to death? Did you know that recovery from ED is nowhere close to being a simple and quick fix? Did you know that ED is NOT just about the food, but about other fa...