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 Letter from the Staff
Welcome to our January newsletter and the beginning of a new year! Be sure to check out the new workshops and the Referral Listing for some outstanding practitioners.
Pretty Healthy
Spain shocked the fashion world back in September 2006 with its ban on models that were deemed too skinny and did not meet health standards for Body Mass Index (BMI). With reports of anorexia contributing to last year's death of an international runway model, public outcry has escalated over the health issues that this is causing teenage girls. Italy and Brazil joined in barring overly thin models and are now also including a variety of sizes in their runway shows and establishing a self regulatory code of good conduct. This includes providing courses on healthy eating and exercise.
Women all over the US applauded the Golden Globe win of "Ugly Betty" which is modeled after one of the most popular "telenovelas" on Univision, "La Fea Mas Bella". What exactly does this mean? Are we seeing new standards for beauty? Maybe it's about time. Take a look at the mini film titled "Evolution" at Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty website. It's a real eye opener and Dove deserves kudos for their well done website.
Perhaps beauty is more about healthy than it is about artificial standards. We hear so many pregnant women lament on their swelling bodies while their husbands are seeing a glowing beauty. Most men look at their spouses and see the woman who loves them, shares their life and their heart. They often have no idea that we have cellulite.
Healthy is always beautiful. Determining what is healthy for you really begins with thinking about your own well being independently from what others say and do. It starts with focusing in on what is right for YOU. What makes you healthy?. Step class might be fantastic for your best friend, but your knees ache for days after a class. Perhaps you're better off walking, doing martial arts, or taking up a sport like racquetball or golf..
A high protein diet really might have helped your brother, but you are finding that it is making you more tired. What about the constant back and forth on whether coffee is good for you or not? Contradictory studies are the result of different variables either with the study participants or other combinations of factors such as heredity, lifestyle, etc.. In other words, listen to what you already know is right for you. Health is not about absolutes, it is about choices.
Start by attending a holistic health fair, take a look at our Community Events section for listings to point you in good directions. Try a few days of eating raw foods and notice the effects on your body. Start a course through Lifelong Learning, your local University, or Community Center. Learning feeds the brain, energizes you, and provides a new foundation of knowledge. Check into reputable alternative healing clinics, and do some research on alternative therapies. You can always contact us for Advisory Assistance coaching on different modalities. Check our Referral Listings for recommended practitioners. Take a look at the CD and aromatherapy section of our Store for hand selected wellness products.
There is nothing more beautiful than healthy. What's stopping you?
Other useful links:
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
Body Positive
Geneen Roth
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