We've all heard these phrases said either about us, or about someone else. Even worse: we may have said them ourselves.
Body shaming. It's a totally unnecessary evil. Why does it happen? I think the media, both social and mass, has a lot to do with it, and it's not a new thing, I think of the character Rerun on the mid to late 1970's show "What's Happening". At least once in every episode there was a fat joke directed at him. On the other end of the spectrum, there's J.J. on "Good Times", a whole lot of the show was funny quips about his thinness. I think it's safe to say it goes on today on modern television programs too, but I only watch a couple and they aren't comedies. Yes, they were only characters, but real life people hear, and are hurt by the same jokes.
Why do people feel the need to make fun of someone who is either obese or underweight? I believe jealousy and insecurity are huge factors. People tend to put down others in order to make (or so they think) themselves look better than they believe they actually are. They need to realize that no matter what we look like, we are all beautiful in our own right.
Let's face it: there will never not be body shamers, therefore, we need to find a way to deal with it. Not by conforming, don't ever try to change for anyone but yourself, but gain confidence. Believe in yourself, focus on your strong points, whatever they are!
We need to learn to love ourselves more. That can be achieved by taking good care of our bodies. I admit when I first decided to lose weight that it was 99% about wanting to look better. However, after the first two weeks of eating right, I started feeling so much better that the focus shifted to what should have always been my top priority: my health. Yes, I have a mirror, and I can see that I look better, but that is not as important as feeling well. Feeling well is a huge confidence booster. I can hold my head high if someone says something negative toward me. I know that I have a beautiful soul, no matter what anyone else may think.
Each day this past month I've walked at least one mile because I was invited by a friend from high school to join the Streaking With the COOL KIDS challenge on Facebook. It has worked wonders for not only me, but other people who have been doing the challenge. We build each other up with praise so much that some women are now confident enough to run\walk in only their sports bras instead of covering totally up in a shirt. Do they have perfect bodies? Who can answer that? What is perfect anyway? What one person deems as perfect is flawed in the eyes of another. Do whatever it is that makes YOU feel glad to be you!
Mediterranean Barley with Chickpeas and Arugula
4-1 1/4 cup servings
1 c uncooked pearl barley
1 c packed arugula leaves
1 c finely chopped red bell pepper
3 T finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1 15 1/2 oz. chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 T chopped pistachios
Cook barley according to package directions, omitting salt. Combine barley, arugula, bell pepper, tomatoes, and chickpeas in a large bowl.
Combine lemon juice, oil, salt and crushed red pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over barley mixture, and toss. Sprinkle with pistachios.
Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels!
Comments
Post a Comment