Health is Wealth

I am blessed that my writing has been again featured on Fr. Anthony's website. Read it here ! (And feel free to leave your comments/thoughts there). We all face tough moments; sometimes, these can be extremely taxing and difficult to endure. We are often told to 'stick it through' because it will get better. "The grass is greener on the other side!", we are told. But that does not always help. When we are experiencing challenging times, we need hope. And sometimes, thinking that things might get better soon (that the other side is greener) makes us more frustrated because we simply do not see a way out of our misery. Instead, it might be helpful to realize that the situation we are experiencing now is tough. YES. Validate your feelings - your emotions are real. It is okay to be tired, angry, and distraught. But then... know that whatever you are going through has a purpose. You will learn something from this. You will grow somehow. Perhaps you will gain in...

I LOVE summer weather! It just makes me so happy to see the sun shining outside, the beautiful trees and flowers, the birds singing...how lovely. Nature is truly amazing. The weather has major impacts on our mood and even motivation . Think about a rainy day: how motivated do you feel to work? Study? Clean? Do ANYTHING? Probably not much. Now think of a sunny day. All we want to do is go out and have fun, garden, see new places, enjoy new foods, spend time with family and friends, etc. It is amazing how the sun can make me feel so much happier. I have noticed that when it is sunny outside, I feel happier. I even feel more motivated to study! But when it is cloudy, I feel gloomy. I look outside, and all I want to do is sleep! There is definitely a scientific correlation to this: several studies, such as this one have shown that serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters (or brain chemicals) that makes us feel happy, is stimulated by sunshine. So, more sun might mean that more sero...

I am very honoured and blessed to have been asked by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine to give a presentation at PriMed 2017 , the annual largest conference for healthcare professionals in Canada! I was invited to speak about my own experience with anorexia nervosa, and to integrate research and guidelines about how clinicians can identify, treat, and manage patients with eating disorders. This was a great experience! I had the opportunity to share my story, but also use this to help doctors and nurses understand how they can effectively support their patients towards recovery from this illness.  Eating disorders (EDs) are mental illnesses . There are documented brain changes that occur in patients with eating disorders, and these alterations in neurotransmitters (or brain 'chemicals') make recovery, eating, and weight gain extremely challenging. Recovery is a hard, painful process. The emotional and mental struggles that patients endure are difficult. Howeve...

Our thoughts have a major impact on our feelings and actions. I know what you're thinking - this is something we all know already! But lately, I have truly felt this happen in my life. And I wanted to reflect with you all on this important topic. It is no surprise that life can get crazy at times. Right now, I find myself being overwhelmed by many things to do. I have to study, volunteer, go to Church, spend time with friends and family, think about my future career and life goals, concentrate on my health, engage in self-care, and so forth. And at times, I simply do not want to do anything at all. Nothing. Not sleep. Not work. Not eat. Not play. Not study. Not spend time with anyone. Not spend time with myself. NOTHING. I am bored, tired, and exhausted. Life is pointless. There is too much to do and no time to do it. I am bored and frustrated. I cannot do all of these things, and I feel that it is impossible. I have no idea what the future will bring, and this makes me ...