Dove's Real Beauty Sketches

Have you seen Dove's newest campaign? My friend David showed this to me last week and I found it incredibly beautiful and touching! Hope you are enjoying the spring weather! :)

Eve Ensler: "Love Your Tree"

This is perhaps one of the best clips on body image I have ever seen! Do you have 80 seconds? If so, watch!!

Eve Ensler is the playwright for the "Vagina Monologues" and advocates for women in many different ways! She is currently involved with V-DAY: A Global Movement to End Violence Against Women and Girls Worldwide. This looks like an awesome organization, so click here to learn more!

Have an excellent and empowered week!

Insecurity

Regardless of age, nationality, gender, or body type, I am sure that many of us have, throughout at least one point in our lives, felt insecure, and possibly wished we had someone else's body, talent, or even their life. My experience with this negative body image came from my freshman year of college, when I really struggled with my own body image and was comparing myself with other people.  The transition from being very active in track in high school to going to college caused me to gain much more weight than I was expecting, and I didn't handle it how I should of.  I never resorted to anything crazy, but my thoughts about my body weren't always in a happy place. I was just shocked, confused, and frustrated by the fact that despite my daily trip to the gym and eating pretty healthy, that I continued to put on the pounds, which for one length of time, was about a pound a week. I would step on the scale multiple times a day, yearning for that socially constructed powerful number to shrink.

Eventually, I realized that obsessing about how I looked was not healthy, and from that point I have developed a very positive body image.  I got rid of the scale, met many new people who became some of my closest friends, and realized how much there was to be happy about in my life, and that it was silly to focus so much on what the number on the scale said. I realize that I will never be able to fit in a tiny pair of jeans or anything like that, but I am healthy and there is so much more than size and appearance. And this experience is why I am so passionate about helping others to develop more positive self-esteems and body images. We all bring such unique talents and positive characteristics to the table, and are often our own toughest critic. It is tough, but we need to change the way we view ourselves, and learn to look for the positive, so we can see ourselves as the beautiful people we are! Also, perhaps the fact that so many people, even models, (as you will see from the amazing TED talk I included below) feel insecure can help us realize that there is no "ideal" body type or body type that is immune from the occasional negative thought.  Our society definitely makes it challenging for us to feel good about ourselves sometimes, but I want to urge you to believe in yourself and love who you see! I hope you enjoy the video, and if you are interested in reading more about body image, you can click here to read some of my other posts on body image and access other great videos and resources! As always, feel free to leave comments! :)

MissRepresentation

I first became aware of the documentary MissRepresentation a long while ago, but finally had the opportunity to watch it earlier this month. I must say, it was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, and I think it is a message that everyone, male or female, could benefit from, as we are all consumers of the media.

In today's society, American teenagers spend nearly 11 hours a day consuming media, via television, the internet, books, magazines, looking at advertisements, and more. Clearly, if we are spending such a large percentage of our time looking at media, some of what we see is going to shape the way we think or live. MissRepresentation breaks down society's notions that women can only draw power from their youth, beauty, and sexuality. The film featured many surprising, yet important statistics and testimonies that really resonated with me.

One prime example of the way we view women and their sexuality comes from Disney princesses. Growing up, I know that I loved myself some Disney princesses, and I remembered even dressing up as a princess for a few years during elementary school for Halloween. (Don't even get me started on Halloween costumes for women and girls... that will probably be it's own post later on). As a girl, I think these "princesses" do shape how we grow to understand concept of beauty on the societal level. And yet, when watching MissRepresentation, I was horrified when they revisited images of several popular characters.

What the heck! Despite such a young target age group, these characters are wearing so little clothing. Once grown up, I think that everyone should be able to wear whatever makes them happy, and if that is more revealing clothing, that is okay if it is their choice. What is not okay to me is if individuals do that because they think they have to, or because they think it's expected of them if they want to get anywhere in society or if they think they have to, to get a man, which is exactly what many of the Disney princesses went after. 

Another prime example of how the media views women is with the number of male protagonists compared with the number of female protagonists in film and television. Typically, female protagonists only exist in romantic comedies, while the men seem to dominated action, drama, and comedies, often with a younger, beautiful woman as their sexy sidekick, who is often many years younger and tries to seduce the older man. Here is just one example that is very popular today with the new Skyfall movie.

An interesting statistic presented by the film was that while the United States is perceived as having gender equality, women actually only hold about 16.9% of the seats or offices in government, which ranks 91st in the world. How is it okay for the United States, a nation that prides itself on our supposed equality and competitiveness in the global arena, to rank 91st in terms of women in government? I just don't understand, especially when the government affects us in so many ways.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who wrote and directed the film, created it because she was scared about the world that her young daughter was going to grow up in. I wonder what the world will be like for my future daughters, as I can see the self-esteem and body image struggles of so many of those around me right now. Coming from my own body image struggles in the past, I truly want to do anything I can to make sure everyone, but women in particular, feel empowered about who they are and what they can do, regardless of their age, body, or sexuality.  As far as I see it, the only limitations are how society trains us to look at our faults rather than seeing the beautiful, capable and remarkable individuals we are.

One of the film's themes is "you can't be what you can't see", and I think this can reach
Moving forward, we should challenge ourselves to be the sorts of leaders who we don't yet see in today's society. Regardless of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, language, age, class, religion, or any other factor, there are others counting on us that we might not even know. Our world is continuously expanding in unprecedented ways, and we have to power to control what we put out there and what we buy into. Therefore, this is a huge opportunity to be the example of what we to see and stand up for what matters to us.

If you have not watched the film, I strongly suggest that you check it out, as it is most definitely worth your ninety minutes. In the meantime, check out the MissRepresentation youtube channel here or watch  Jennifer Siebel Newsom's TED talk.

I truly believe that we can have a huge impact even if we just shift our thinking a little bit in how we view some of these gender norms, power relationships, and ideas of beauty. Rather than criticize each other, why don't we work together to try to empower one another, and to make people believe that everyone has the power and ability to be a strong leaders and create meaningful change.

Thank you for your time!

Bring on the Yoga Pants!

For those who know me, they know I absolutely love yoga pants!  While I by no means do yoga, I find these pants to be so comfortable and when I wear them I always feel my best!

I love this video clip from the film Miss Representation.

Like what you see?  If you have a little more time, this is the extended trailer from Miss Representation!  One of my friends first made me aware of this film, and I literally want to share it with every person I know!

Have a wonderful day!

Gala Darling

Hello!  Sorry I have been gone for so long!  I hope you are having a wonderful month of May so far!  Crazy how fast the time flies...  Anyway, a friend of mine recently made me aware of Gala Darling, who is this wonderful woman and blogger that promotes the concept of radical self love!  If you have a few minutes or feel in need of some positive encouragement, I would strongly suggest watching this video from a TED talk she gave recently!

 Also, here is a copy of her Radical Self Love Manifesto.  I love this!

Have an amazing day!  Even if everything feels really hard, remember that you are loved!

10 Body Resolutions

http://www.simplycam.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/beyoutiful.jpg

When we tend to think of resolutions, many of our minds flashback to January, perhaps proud of our accomplishments, humored or disappointed by failing to keep our resolutions, or perhaps skeptical or annoyed by the whole spectacle.

But why do we tend to think of resolutions as a one time event each year, when, in reality, every day, and even every moment can be the chance to start something new?

Here is an excellent list of resolutions to help develop positive body image starting right now!  I received this list at a Body Image workshop I attended a few weeks ago and decided to share them!

The Truth Behind What We See in the Media

I am sure we are all familiar with what society deems as the "ideal" body type. Whether we are watching TV, walking by magazine covers, or looking at images online, we are bombarded with images of thin, yet curvy women, and sometimes this makes us feel inferior. 

I recently watched this video, and I found it to be very helpful, especially if I am not feeling as confident about my appearance.  These perceptions of beauty are so engrained in our heads, sometimes we forget or don't realize that they are not necessarily real.

Next time you begin to subconsciously compare yourself with some of the women you see in the media, please know that everything you see is not reality.  And you don't need someone to spend hours a day on your hair and make-up to look beautiful, you already are beautiful!

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Hello again!  Are you aware that this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week?

What is NEDAwareness Week?

NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primary volunteers, including eating disorder professionals, health care providers, students, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

If you are interested in more information about the NEDA Week, check out this awesome website, complete with information and resources!
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

I just went to a presentation about Health at Every Size, and it inspired me to blog about body image and self worth this week!  So stay tuned!  Have a wonderful day!

Guilt-free?

I absolutely love looking at recipes on various blogs and websites!  In fact, I'm sort of obsessed with it.

However, the other day when I was recipe hunting, I felt disappointed by how many recipes contained the words "guilt-free" in the title or introduction.  I am aware of how many of us like desserts or other "guilty" foods and am also aware that people, in general, want to be healthier, or even lose weight without "giving up" their favorite "indulgences".  On the surface, this is a nice idea.  I know I might even be more likely to click on a recipe that is "guilt-free".

But, what do the words "guilt-free" mean for our society?  Why do we attribute the word, or the feeling, "guilt" with foods?  There are people everywhere who struggle with food.  We fight cravings, diet, binge, eat too little, make excuses, and engage in many other behaviors that wreak havoc on our mental health.  On top of this, we are constantly bombarded with images of what we should look like or what is "healthy".

What I want to propose is that we stop attaching the word "guilt" to what we eat, whether it is "healthy" or not.  As a human being, you do not deserve to feel inferior or worse about yourself because of what you eat.  You should eat what you want and not have second thoughts.  I know it's hard to do this with negative messages surrounding us, but try to dismiss the shoulds and can'ts and guilt from your vocabulary.

Obviously, health is still important, and I know I am personally always open to a healthier re-make of another recipe I enjoy.  However, if you try to stay balanced and listen to when you are full for the most part, you don't have count every calorie you consume, or worry about consuming your favorite treats.

Have a wonderful day, beautiful people!