OMB! (Oh My Bod!) Will It Ever Please Me?

IS THIS IT????

With all the publicity and events centered around national eating disorder awareness week it brings us back to that sad realization that there are millions of women, men and children on this planet that have extreme shame and even hatred of their bodies. Individuals who simply cannot find a way to be happy in the wrapper they came packaged in.

Conditioning certainly has a lot to do with it. From the time we are young children we receive messages from our parents, teachers, youth leaders, the media, ads in magazines and on the streets of what we're supposed to look like to be 'glam and gorgeous'. The images haven't changed much in the past 50 years. It's still tall, long legged women sans hips, with a gorgeous face and big boobs. The real live Barbie. From a very young age I had an awareness that this is what men were attracted to. And unfortunatley it gets implanted deeply into some of our brains.

But there is a double standard when it comes to men. It's okay if they have a "beer belly" or put on a few pounds, even fifty. Why? Why is it woman are held to the standard of perfection and men can be overweight, unhealthy and still be acceptable?

This is of course only part of the issue. But it's a big one. Everywhere we look, everywhere we go we are bombarded by images. Recently I was in a high-end department store and they were dressing the three manikins in the picture at the top of this post. I stopped and stared for a few moments and had to take the picture. Seeing the actual size these manikins without clothes really hit home, I mean OMB! If this is the mark I was striving for in my 34 years of bulimia given my petite muscular build I would have never achieved it without becoming emaciated or anorexic. It's pitiful. Very few women that I know have a build like these manikins!

And the statistics on eating disorders continue to escalate. Sadly there are many individuals who have yet to tell someone or come out of their dark comfortable haven of numbness to look for help. My mission and goal is to help teens and college age kids avoid the trap of addictions and eating disorders. But as a result of my recent publicity tour I've been contacted by several women much closer to my age in their 40's and 50's who have struggled with an eating disorder since their teens, like I did. After so many years of the chronic cycle of abuse it's hard to know where to turn and even more difficult to think you might actually be able to get help. There is so much talk of anorexia, but there are equally devastating numbers of individuals struggling to gain control over their bingeing bulimic behavior.

But you certainly don't have to be diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder to hate your body, obsess about food and be miserable with the way you look. People that eat fast food and sugar on a regular basis have an unhealthy relationship to food aka disordered eating. Many individuals have an addiction to food. It's such an easy way to self-medicate. And it's a socially acceptable addiction. No one will ridicule you for enjoying a large plate of pasta or steak and potatoes followed by a delectible desert or quick sugary snack.

Our bodies do so much in an effort to care for us. They trudge on through all kinds of ups and downs. Deal with our stress and lack of exercise. Put up with the low-grade fuel and sludge we ingest and call our diet. Continue to try and perform at the optimum level with or without sleep and proper nutrition for as long as they can.... till one day there you are with a host of medical issues and ask why me? Our bodies and brains need downtime! We cannot expect our body to function with high energy when we don't provide the proper rest, nutrition and exercise required to stay healthy.

So what is the best body? What is perfect? How can we be satisfied? A starting point is to eliminate as much processed food and stimulants as we can from our diets. When we eat sensible portions of fresh produce and fruits in combination with healthy proteins that aren't pumped full of antibiotics and add natural supplements that may be lacking in our system our bodies will land at that "perfect" place. Perfect for your body.

For more information on how to find a balance that's right for you visit www.Learn2Balance.com.

To win a free copy of It Started With Pop-Tarts...An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia. Sign up for our newsletter, www.Lori-Hanson.com you might just be the next lucky winner!

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week - Taking the First Step to Recovery

February 22-28 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. We need a stimulus package to get a grip on this epidemic! The numbers are staggering yet so many individuals who suffer have never told a soul and aren't counted in the millions of women, men and children in the statistics. It's difficult for them to admit that they might actually have an eating disorder and even harder to reach out for help.

Another group hasn't yet realized that they have an eating disorder because "they don't throw up". Newsflash! Many bulimics don't purge by throwing up! Non-purging bulimics control the weight gain by using strict diets, diet pills, enemas or excessive exercise. If they are obsessive about food, their body image and size, eat massive amounts of food and do something to control the weight gain, followed by periods of shame and embarrassment...they could be bulimic. Anorexics are much easier to spot, bulimics are masters at hiding their behavior.

Many individuals go in and out of treatment repeatedly and don't reach full recovery. There are many forms of treatment depending on the severity of the eating disorder. Some require inpatient treatment at an eating disorder clinic, others seek intensive outpatient treatment. Still others are able to function in their daily lives while hiding the deep dark secret. Many of these individuals seek counseling to overcome their obsessive habits with mixed results.

A breakthrough new approach is leading the way to recovery. The alternative approach was developed by Lori Hanson, award winning author of It Started With Pop-Tarts...An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia. Hanson's Hot Pastry Principles include five strategies to fully integrate mind and body.

Hanson believes full recovery from an eating disorder requires a holistic approach that includes getting the body chemistry back in balance to support the recovery efforts. After long periods of abuse the body is starved for proper nutrition and the brain seeks amino acids to support proper brain function. Individuals often suffer from a sensitivity to sugar which contributes to the compulsion to binge.

Treatment includes improving self-esteem, understanding the causes of the addictive behavior and reprogramming negative thoughts and beliefs which is accomplished using the power of the subconscious mind. Lastly, full recovery requires a reconnection of mind and body. Individuals with eating disorders tend to live in their heads and have no concept of accepting or owning their body. This is accomplished using a combination of alternative healing modalities.

Take some time this week to learn a little more about eating disorders. 85% start between the age of 14-20, but many individuals suffer for years and are now in their 30's, 40's and even 50's. It could be your neighbor, relative or best friend. Get educated and save a life! Follow the posts this week here.

For more information on the Hot Pastry Principles visit http://www.itstartedwithpop-tarts.com/.

Author of Bulimia Book Scores with Kids - Wins Mom's Choice Award

February 2009, VALENCIA, CA—Lori Hanson suffered from bulimia for 34 years until she took treatment decisions into her own hands and turned her life around. Now her book and workshops are getting the attention of a tough crowd: young people. She recently won the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award® (www.MomsChoiceAwards.com) for her efforts and is busier than ever talking to high school and college students, parents and community groups.

Her book, It Started with Pop-Tarts: An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia, is part memoir, part detailed how-to. It can help turn around the most troubling eating disorders, says Hanson, who bases her holistic “Pop-Tart Principles” on finding balance, peace and freedom.

In her talks, Hanson candidly describes the path she took over the years (this is where the Pop-Tarts come in). She admits she went through years of trial and error with traditional treatments. Her alternative recipe for healing also costs less than conventional medical therapies, she points out.

Hanson is founder and president of Learn2Balance, a company focused on improving the lives of others, and Shewolf Press. A media favorite, she has appeared on many radio and TV shows to create awareness about the epidemic of eating disorders. Her goal is to help young people find help and healing at a much earlier stage in life than she did.

A dynamic and humorous speaker who also write song lyrics, Hanson covers self-esteem, body image, reducing stress, improving diet and quality of life, and other coping skills that position teens and young adults for success in life. She also consults with individuals on eating disorders, weight and stress issues. Clients learn the five strategies for self-healing through a series of structured sessions, support and referrals to holistic practitioners.

To learn more about Lori Hanson’s services or to order a copy of It Started with Pop-Tarts (Shewolf Press, 2008) go to http://www.lori-hanson.com/.

Food: Getting from Obsession to Fuel

For the millions of individuals affected by eating disorders, (anorexia, bulimia or binge eating) food is a constant obsession. Life is consumed with controlling or fantasizing about food intake. Let's take a look at the lives of three fictitious characters to fully understand this phenomenon.

Take Anna the anorexic. For Anna, her life is filled with stress, anxiety and concern about what she puts in her body, how often she puts food in her body and how she can control her feelings associated with eating. For Anna, she gains a feeling of superiority in being able to control her food intake, ignore the hunger pangs, weakness, headaches and other serious physical symptoms that plague her. She has pride in her level of determination that will help her reach her ultimate goal. To be thin. Perhaps to emulate her favorite super model, actress or other celebrity. There is nothing more important than reaching her goal and food is evil, her enemy. She can't indulge in full meals or she will gain weight. So Anna develops a series of rituals. Her rituals include a schedule for food intake. What days she will eat limited quantities of food and what days she will only drink water or tea and won't eat. Anna has no concept of food as fuel. Food is an obsession she has to control.

Then there's Brenda the bulimic. Brenda's life is a chronic cycle of abuse. When she gets upset, hurt, disappointed, feels lonely, depressed, stressed or anxious she eats. When she starts she can't stop. Often her binges include vast quantities of sweets, carbohydrates and junk food. After a binge she is miserable and can't move. Brenda doesn't purge by throwing up, she uses strict diets and excessive exercise to recover from her binges. Once the cycle is complete she spends the next few hours and days berating herself for her behavior. Brenda is often lethargic from the overdose of carbs and lack of nutrition her body so desperately needs. There are certain foods she can't keep in the house because they are trigger foods for her. Meaning she'll eat the whole box of cookies, bag of chips, pizza or carton of ice cream in one sitting. Her only possible method of control is not to purchase these foods. Unwilling to gain weight, her world is consumed trying to control her food intake and compensating to regain control when she binges. Food is an obsession and a constant struggle based on her emotional state.

Lastly there is Belinda the binge eater. Belinda, like Brenda has a constant battle with food. She spends much of her time thinking about what she'll eat and keeps her cupboard full with her favorite binge foods. However, Belinda doesn't control the weight gain. She can't stop the binges and doesn't have the desire or ability to counteract them with diets or exercise. She gave up long ago. She's destined to be obese. After a binge she too experiences serious physical discomfort leading to extreme lethargy from carb overload. Belinda has many health issues caused by ingesting so much food in one sitting and from the extra 100 pounds she carries. For Belinda, food is an obsession, it's the highlight of her day.

Individuals who suffer from eating disorders as is well documented struggle with a combination of psychological issues. In addition they experience serious health problems as a result of the abuse their bodies take from either the lack of food or too much. Simply stated their bodies suffer huge nutritional deficiencies. These cause cravings for Anna, Belinda and Brenda and feed into their cycles of abuse.

Is it possible for someone suffering from eating disorders to get to a place of viewing food simply as fuel for their bodies? Yes! In order to fully recover five areas must be addressed:

1 - Identify and understand the causes of the eating disorder

2 - Improve self-esteem

3 - Embrace the power of the sub-conscious to eliminate negative self-talk, self-defeating behaviors and beliefs. And to create healthy behaviors and beliefs

4 - Balance nutrition and supplements to create a healthy chemical balance in both mind and body

5 - Improve mental and physical health with body work to reconnect the mind and body. This enables the individual to "be present" and stay in the moment

This alternative approach is incredibly powerful to help individuals locate and take back their personal power. This is key for those who use food to block out reality as a means of survival. They must again connect with their authentic self. This is a critical step in healing--to find and embrace who you are. For Anna, Belinda and Brenda they have no clue who they really are or what they want. They are so numb and out of touch, their authentic self is far removed from their day-to-day existence. How can you love yourself if you don't know who you are?

Although many individuals go in and out of traditional treatment programs and suffer for years, recovery from an eating disorder is possible. And with recovery comes the freedom from obsession and peace in viewing food as fuel for your body. A process much easier to stomach once your mind and body are in balance!

For more information, please visit my website www:Lori-Hanson.com.

In peace, balance and health,