Health is Wealth

It is that time of the year again - I'm another year older! It's funny - every year around my birthday, my mind starts taking me through my past. And I begin reflecting on where I have been, and where I am going. It's been a busy and challenging year! Just when I thought I was done studying, I started again - and I am loving it! That was totally unexpected....and it is a blessing. I am thankful for it. Then I think back to when I was applying to study again. The long, dreadful process of waiting to see if I was accepted or not. I thought that time would never finish. And yet, somehow, I got through it. And here I am today. As I celebrate my birthday, I look back to the year behind me. And I realize how much I have grown and changed - in a positive way. I see how each challenge made me into the person I am today. I realize how my outlook on life has changed, too. I am now five years into recovery, and I am enjoying every second of it. Are there still challen...

I am not your typical 'creative person'; that is, I am not good at art at all - and that is the honest truth. When I was young, I struggled with creating pieces of art like all the other kids in my class. Until now, my drawings are not very....well, obvious. Sometimes, I wish I could draw better... But then again, there are so many different ways we can be creative. First, though, let's start from the beginning: does creativity have anything to do with health? And if so, what does 'creative' actually entail? This article does a pretty good job of describing how creative arts are related to positive health outcomes. (Interestingly, 'creative' here did not mean one specific thing, such as drawing). The result is that expressing our emotions or ideas through art is related to better health. Why? I'll start with an example. Last week, I was so frustrated with the amount of work I had to do. I took a break to try to write out my thoughts into a ...

 It comes as no surprise to say that we all need support from others, especially during tough times. Think about when you are having a bad day: sometimes all you need is someone to talk to, or someone who can empathize with how you are feeling. At other times, when you are feeling down about yourself, simply knowing that you are loved, that you have a home to go to, etc. makes a huge difference in your ability to cope. Researchers have now discovered a link between social support levels, mental health, and coping with suicidal or harmful thoughts (read about it here) . Why is this important? What does this add that we didn't already know? Firstly, I think it is wonderful that we have some science to show that social support truly does make a big difference in our lives - and especially mental health. And this makes sense. But it also has further implications for healthcare, treatment, family support, and so on. Imagine what would happen if physicians and healthcare providers...

I am blessed to say that my work has again been published on NEDIC's blog. This time, I discuss an article about 'doing no harm' in schools in relation to healthy eating habits (and ultimately, eating disorders). You can read the post  here Interestingly, this issue doesn't just relate to schools. We can see the impact of our actions and words about food/body image in all aspects of our lives . For example, consider the impact of a parent who constantly criticizes his or herself in the mirror - what message does this give the child or teen? Or what about when we are with our colleagues and rant on and on about how much we have ate in one setting - what if one of our co-workers has an eating disorder and you don't know? Or what if someone is struggling with a medical condition (there are many, such as cancer, diabetes, celiac's, etc) and they can't eat 'normally' - and your words hurt them? The message to take away, then, is that our words and ac...