Showing posts with label dieting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dieting. Show all posts

09 July 2012

how do you look: standards on body image

i saw this vintage advertisement (below) and thought to myself: wow. i can't believe how much the standards on body image have changed in a matter of decades. standards on body image are culturally determined and always changing. 


despite my dieting, i'd still argue for the girl on the left. it's not about being "skinny" or "fat"  ultimately, it's about being healthy. which is complicated when you think about it because every BODY is different. being healthy to me is a balance between physical and emotion health. that being said, i think confidence can be a true body image builder even if you have a few "extra pounds," you know? outward appearance is not always indicative of "health"

now that i'm approaching my new goal weight i want to focus on being happy and healthy. i want to maintain my weight without obsessing over calories and/or weighing myself. i want to eat nutrient rich foods and workout + treat myself every once in awhile.

soon after seeing this ad, i came across the trailer for miss representation, a documentary film about the media’s misrepresentations of women that have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. although i haven't seen the film yet, i did read through some of the information provided and (while i was at work) literally burst into tears while reading about how much young women are so affected by our culture's current body image standards. i read that the number one "magical" wish among girls is to be thinner. not to go to disney land or be president - the number one magical wish is to be thinner. how sad is that?

then again, as this advertisement points out, whether it's to be bigger or thinner there will always be "cultural standards" and at the end of the day the most important thing is to be happy and love yourself.

04 July 2012

happy fourth of july!

while most of you enjoyed the smells and tastes of some good 'ole american bbq, i had watermelon. not eating some kind of meat on the fourth of july seems wrong and unamerican, doesn't it?

watermelon with fresh mint


regardless, there is just something so american and summer-y about watermelon. AND, according to whole foods, watermelon scores a 91 on the ANDI* scale. delicious and nutritious! i added a few mint leaves which added an extra hint of freshness.

happy birthday, america!



*ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." an ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.