If I asked 10 different people what physical health looks like, do you think I would get the same answer? My guess is I would actually get 10 different answers largely because there is no one right answer.
The purpose of this blog is not to try and change your mind about what it looks like to be physically healthy, but rather to suggest that using body image and weight as an indicator of health is misguided. Being healthy is not about how you look, but rather what you do. What you do in your everyday life often plays a very large role in determining your what the real important health indicators like blood sugar levels, triglycerides (fat content in blood), LDL cholesterol, and many others will be.
I think it is time that we start to shift our attention from what people look like to what they do when we think about health. There are so many factors that contribute to health and there are also many things out of our control, but what is in our control, at least somewhat, is whether you try and live a healthy lifestyle.
Body Snark Free Zone Sign by Treacle Tart (flickr creative commons)
So what does this mean? This means that you cannot always tell if someone is healthy or not by just looking at them. But—and I say this with a big but– the majority of research shows that being extremely overweight or extremely underweight can be very harmful for your health. We also should maybe rethink how we look at individuals whose weight falls somewhere in between these two extremes and even reconsider what we would be considered overweight. I say this because last year, a large study showed that people that are overweight actually live longer than people who are “normal” weights. I also say this because in the middle of these two extremes is a very large group of people that could, or could not be very healthy but we really cannot tell just by looking at them. What it comes down to is that the deciding factor is what people do in their everyday lives (and genetics), not what they look like. I think if we started to be more concerned with things like how physically active people are, how much sleep they get, and the food they eat (in addition to many other things) instead of what they look like, we as a society could do a better job at not stigmatizing people for being either over or underweight.
I would like to emphasize that I am not saying to be whatever size you want because as I said earlier, there is very good evidence to show that this can be very harmful to health. What I am saying is let’s worry more about eating real food, food that has not been overly processed, and exercising in moderation among many other daily activities, and let’s worry less about what size we should be. This means that being “skinny” even if you can eat whatever you want without exercising, does not make you healthy. But it also means for people that get the recommended amount of exercise and eat real food in reasonable amounts, but still weigh more than society says you should, that’s ok.
I think the bottom line is we need to be real with ourselves, and stop using what we look like to determine our health. What we look like in a mirror is meaningless if we are not doing what we should be doing to promote physical health, and vice versa. Let’s start trying to live our lives in a healthier way and use that to measure our health instead of the numbers we see on a scale.
February 23-28 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. This week, there are plenty of events and conversations going on around campus, organized by groups like Campus Recreation, Embody Carolina, Carolina Dining Services, and Campus Health Services, as well as Interactive Theater Carolina and Student Wellness.
These events intend to illuminate the prevalence and severity of eating disorders and improve our understanding of their triggers and the ways we can help, while also increasing access to resources, promoting body love, and creating a more supportive environment for those struggling with an eating disorder.
All week, several campus partners and groups will be pit-sitting from 10am-2pm. Each day focuses on a different theme — Monday is “Pledge in the Pit,” Tuesday is “Busting the Gender Myth,” Thursday is “Forget the F-Word,” and Friday is “Photo Campaign.”
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, Interactive Theater Carolina’s “What Are You Looking At?” program is back by popular demand! This interactive performance is focused around conversations about body image and the media. More information here!
Tuesday, February 24, Student Wellness will host a media literacy workshop focused around body image. Join us in a discussion around the media we consume and how it affects our attitudes about body image, race, and gender and learn how to critically analyze the media in your life!
Here is a calendar of other events this week!:
Learn more at nedawareness.org!
The other day I was walking to campus and noticed a change in the landscape. Caribou Coffee is closed! To be specific, the Caribou Coffee on East Franklin Street closed, but the Caribou Coffee on West Franklin Street is still open. This sudden closure of a long-standing student hangout and study spot inspired me to look around at all the other café options we have in our area.
“Downtown Chapel Hill” by Tom, Flickr Creative Commons.
Coffee shops are a staple of most college towns, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community is no exception. A simple Google search — or better yet, a stroll around campus down Franklin Street and onto Main Street in Carrboro — reveals a plethora of coffee shop options for students, faculty, and staff alike. Our little slice of North Carolina is a virtual coffee shop metropolis!
After realizing there were so many to choose from, I spent a couple days informally polling folks around the Student Wellness office to see what their favorite spots were in town. There were no clear winners, but lots of great options to choose from. Check out some of the results below!
“Coffee” by jaci XIII, Flcikr Creative Commons.
When asked who has the best cup of coffee, drip for drip, folks around our office suggested checking out:
Open Eye Café (Carrboro)
Joe Van Gogh (Chapel Hill)
Jessee’s (Carrboro)
When asked what’s the best place to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, including atmosphere, people, and ambiance, our staff likes to frequent:
Caffé Driade (Chapel Hill)
Oasis (Carrboro)
Kipos Greek Taverna (Chapel Hill)
“Cafe Milo Amsterdam” by Vincicius Rebecchi, Flickr Creative Commons
This is just the tip of the iced-coffee iceberg! There are so many great spots to choose from on campus, in Chapel Hill, and in Carrboro. Let us know your favorite spots in the comments section!
So the next time you are looking for a quick pick-me-up, a savory latte, or just a nice place to relax, study, or hang out with a friend, consider one of our local area’s great selection of coffee shops!
For more information on the health benefits of coffee and other caffeinated drinks check out one of our old blog posts, “Coffee – Good for You?”
For more information on the history of coffee and coffee houses around the world, check out this interesting article from the BBC, “Coffee and qahuwa: How a drink for Arab mystics went global.”
Winter break is a much-needed time to relax and catch up on lots of sleep. But as the new semester kicks into gear, early morning classes can leave some of us groggy and half-asleep. Waking up can become increasingly challenging!
Here are a few healthy tips to help you jump out of bed and make it to those early morning classes on time and with energy this semester.
The Basic Approach: Coffee or Tea
For many students, faculty, and staff on campus, caffeine-rich coffee or tea is a staple of the morning routine. If you feel yourself struggling in the morning or falling asleep mid-lecture, a quick trip to one of the local coffee shops around campus may be a necessity on your way to class (or to save money, brew it at home or in the dorm!).
Photo: “Coffee from Tapped & Packed” by Zach Inglis. Flickr Creative Commons. Photo: “Tea” by Laurel F. Flickr Creative Commons.
In addition to increased productivity and mental clarity, from a health standpoint, coffee and tea offer benefits including a large dose of antioxidants and a decreased likelihood of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. Further, people who drink coffee and tea regularly tend to have fewer cases of certain types of cancers and strokes. [1] [2]
Like all things in life, though, moderation is key, and too much of anything tends to lead to trouble.
For more information on the benefits and risks of coffee, check out one of our previous Healthy Heels blogs, “Coffee – Good for You?”
The Alternative: Lemon Water
For those looking for a caffeine-free alternative for the morning rush, try a glass of lemon water. This is not your average little wedge of lemon on the side though; we are talking about pretty intense lemon water here. Try a half lemon for folks under 150lbs and a whole lemon for those above 150lbs in a glass of room temperature water. The taste may take a little time to get used to, but the jolt of energy will be immediately noticeable.
Photo: “Lemon” by Lucas Arrrrgh. Flickr Creative Commons.
In addition to perking your system in the morning, highly concentrated lemon water helps with hydration, stomach issues, and bad breath. Lemon water is also known to freshen your skin, pump up the immune system, and cleanse your liver in the process. [3]
The Hardcore Option: Early Morning Workouts
Nothing gets your mind and body awake quite like a morning workout. For those looking for the ultimate solution to a healthy morning pick-me-up, look no further. Working out in the morning has been shown to increase your mental clarity for 4-10 hours post-workout and tends to give people an all around increase in productivity. It may be a struggle to get yourself out of the bed and into the gym, but if you can muster the strength and have the time, the results can speak for themselves. [4]
Photo: “Hotel Gym” by Casa Velas Hotel. Flickr Creative Commons.
Whether it’s coffee, tea, lemon water, a short workout, or even just eating a solid breakfast, start your day off with a healthy kick this semester and ace those early morning classes.
As a Side Note, let’s be clear–you need to sleep! No morning pick-me-up is a replacement for a good night’s rest. Sleep is an uncompromising necessity to your overall health and well-being as a student. For more information about the health benefits of a good night’s rest, and the consequences of sleep deprivation, check out this old Healthy Heels blog: “Missing Impossible: Sleep and the College Student.”
Sources
If you’ve been surfing around the internet lately, you might have come across the buzzword gratitude and it triggered some mental images of people doing yoga or holding hands, etc. I’m a huge fan of the idea of being thankful and accepting and giving appreciation. However, as a current UNC graduate student, I’ve seen (and experienced) that it’s often easier to express gratitude to others than to be kind to our own selves….
So, last semester, I started adding some ‘be kind to yourself’ practices to my everyday school-work routine, and I was not only feeling much less anxious day-to-day, but I was actually 100% enjoying school. I want to share some of my tips with you so that you can all be kind to yourselves and THRIVE this semester.
Photo: “Stabilo pen″ by jbid. Flickr Creative Commons.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: These tips can lower anxiety, help you focus on your schoolwork, and allow you to get to bed earlier! However, please be realistic, flexible, and forgiving. Don’t stress. These are just suggested exercises. Like most exercises, you’ll get faster, better, and more comfortable with practice.
1. Set yourself a time to finish all of your homework by each night.
Allow yourself ample time to do all of your work, make time for meals, and give yourself at least 1 hour to relax and wind-down before going to bed.
2. Set yourself a time limit for reading assignments.
First, only read assignments that are due the next day. Second, give yourself a set number of hours to complete the readings (I give myself 2 hours). Third, count the number of readings you have to do. Fourth, set small goals for each hour (“I will read 2 articles for the first hour and 3 articles in the second hour”).
3. Only EAT while you EAT!
Take time to enjoy your meals and not think about school or work! Try not to do work, check emails, answer calls, or text while you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Take this time to catch-up on Gilmore Girls on Netflix or to relax to some good music.
4. Schedule in fun time – and feel GREAT about it!
I remember my pre-med days as a UNC undergrad, and it seemed like my life consisted of studying, sleeping (sometimes), and eating. If I was doing something fun, I would feel guilty or feel that I should be spending my time doing something productive. Well, FUN IS productive! As long as you’ve figured out a good balance that works for you, sprinkling in some fun activities in your calendar will keep you motivated and hopefully minimize some stress.
5. Add a little color into your life.
I’m talking PENS y’all! I’ve started using colored pens for note-taking (and stopped bringing my laptop to campus). When I take notes, they look pretty and I enjoy looking at them. It’s that simple! If you enjoy what you’re looking at, you can pay attention and focus longer. It has made note-taking and studying way more fun for me.
Photo: “Stabilo pen″ by jbid. Flickr Creative Commons.
So, I hope that in addition to expressing gratitude for others, I hope you add some kindness to your own life.
(Raskol Mihin, “Always tea makes me feel relax and happy #studying” from Flicker Creative Commons)
Give yourself a pat on the back; you’ve made it to the last week of the semester! But don’t get too cozy, now it’s time to kick it into full gear! With LDOC (last day of classes) approaching, it’s time to start figuring out what your study schedule will look like. Will you be studying with others? By yourself? In your room? The library? There are so many factors to consider, but regardless of where or with whom you choose to study with, be sure to stock up on all of those goodies that will help keep your brain churning!
7 Top Brain foods
- Avocados- This super food is filled with vitamin B and potassium and is also known to reduce stress levels.
- Tea- Looking for a way to relax after a long day of studying? Curl up with a hot cup of tea and let it warm your soul!
- Fatty Fish- The versatility of fish is amazing; it can be eaten with any of your three main meals of the day. It’s high in omega 3’s and also is a known stress reliever.
- Milk- Remember when you were a little one and milk was your best friend? A warm glass of milk helps reduce stress. There’s no shame in tapping into your little kid side for much needed stress relief!
- Yogurt- Not only is yogurt yummy with all of the many ways you can dress it up, like with fresh fruits, honey and granola, it’s also high in vitamin D and great for studying on the go.
- Nuts- Almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts…. all of these and more are great for relieving stress during finals. Try throwing some into your yogurt and get the maximum benefit!
- Dark Chocolate- Who doesn’t like chocolate? Not only is it high in antioxidants but it also improves your mood.
Be sweet to your brain and try incorporating these brain foods into your snack stash while studying for finals, it’ll thank you later! Questions about brain health? Feel free to stop by Nutrition Services at Campus Health.
Read more at Huffington Post here
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By: Ben Smart
With the advent of improved scientific and social structures, it’s easier today than ever before to live well. But so often we neglect the healthy choice for the more convenient (and often less healthy) one. Let’s take a look at simple switches you can make to live longer- maybe even to 100.
Do This: Exercise 5x per week
Not That: Avoid exercise because, like, who wants to get all sweaty
photo: “Exercise” by: Andyinnyc; source: flickr creative commons
Regular exercise has been scientifically studied for its role in increasing lifespan. Here’s a list from heart.org of the benefits of regular exercise:
- Improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease
- Keeps weight under control
- Helps in the battle to quit smoking
- Improves blood cholesterol levels
- Prevents and manages high blood pressure
- Prevents bone loss
- Boosts energy level
- Helps manage stress
- Releases tension
- Promotes enthusiasm and optimism
- Counters anxiety and depression
- Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly
- Improves self-image
- Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities
- Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends
- Reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30-40 percent
- Reduces risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and by 27 percent in highly active ones
- Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children and counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.) that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life
- Helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer for seniors
Do This: Floss daily
Not That: Floss only when you feel like
Picking up the dental floss and cleaning out the gaps between your teeth nightly can add up to 6 years to your life! How can this be? The line of thinking is that flossing reduces harmful bacteria between your teeth, reducing inflammation. And less inflammation means a healthier heart and a reduced risk of stroke. Make it a habit, and reap the benefits. You’ll even get a prettier smile as a side benefit.
Do This: Sleep 7-8 hours a night
Not That: Stay up late every night, because sleep is for the weak!
There’s this belief that when you sleep, you’re missing out on life. This idea isn’t just flawed logic- it’s dangerous to your health. Sleep is reparative, necessary, and can make your waking hours feel better. When you sleep, your brain and body repair cells in preparation for the next day. Aim for 7-9 hours, depending on your age and activity level.
This week is weight stigma awareness week. Last week, I attended UNC’s Smash TALK, an open discussion with leading eating disorder experts, and I was shocked to learn that weight stigma is much more than the brief sting of hearing the words “you’re fat.”
Imagine that you were sitting at Lenoir or Starbucks with some friends, looking at the photo below in a magazine or online. What are people saying?
“Models photo shoot” by David Yu, Flickr Creative Commons
Now, imagine ya’ll are looking at this photo. What are people saying?
“It’s been awhile” by Amber Karnes, Flickr Creative Commons
We did a similar exercise at the Smash TALK event, and it really illustrated the assumptions we make around body size. The thin-framed woman drew words like hot, confident, disciplined, healthy, social, popular, and vain. The large-framed woman was described as both happy and unhappy, weak-willed, lazy, lonely, not-as-popular.
Wow. That’s a lot of assumptions based on one photo and NO interaction.
Where do these assumptions come from?
These assumptions are clear examples of weight bias. The Binge Eating Disorder Association defines weight bias as “negative judgment based on weight, shape, and/or size.” It can be both explicit and implicit, and it leads to weight stigma, or internalized shame resulting from weight bias.
Weight bias stems from a culture that inaccurately equates thinness with health, happiness, and success. Add to that the growing “war on obesity” which has become a war on obese people, and it is clear that weight bias is increasingly pervasive.
Unfortunately, it also starts young and often in the home: in one study, 47% of overweight girls and 34% of overweight boys were teased about their weight by family members. Many parents who struggle with their body image subconsciously pass this on to their kids, while others try intentionally not to.
What about weight stigma for the skinny folks?
I have written a few blogs about body image, and I try to veer away from promoting one body type over another, because thin people face assumptions that they are stuck up or vain or that they have an eating disorder. Songs like “All About That Bass” and campaigns like “Real Women Have Curves” send a negative message to thin women, and I’m not okay with that.
But…
When it comes to weight stigma, people with large bodies have it worse. And here’s why:
People with large bodies don’t just face stigma from fat jokes, they also face discrimination. Weight discrimination has increased 66% over the past decade, making it comparable to rates of racial discrimination, especially among women.
Here are some of the inequities:
Education—compared to nonobese children, obese children are
- Perceived as less likely to succeed by teachers and principals
- Less likely to be admitted to college with comparable academic performance
- Less likely to attend college
- Subject to teasing and bullying which leads to increased absences and depression
Employment—compared to nonobese adults, obese individuals face
- Lower employment with comparable qualifications and skills
- Lower wages (1% to 6% less than nonobese employees)
- Negative bias in performance evaluations
Health—compared to nonobese patients, obese patients experience
- Negative stereotypes among health care professionals
- Less time with their physicians
- Increased depression, lower self esteem, and negative body image
In an earlier blog, I talked about how body shame hurts us all. And it does. However, the shame associated with larger bodies comes with a large dose of discrimination that affects people’s ability to get into college, get a job and get paid fairly, and get the medical attention they need. And that’s the real shame.
Help fight weight stigma by
- Avoiding media that supports weight bias and weight stigma; read positive media like Yoga Body Project or join the Health At Every Size movement
- Recognizing that body shame negatively affects everyone—large or small—but it results in some serious inequities for people with larger bodies
- Taking Embody Carolina’s training to learn more about eating disorders and the healthy weight myth
- Reading more about thin privilege and fat acceptance
Image from http://www.susieburrell.com.au
A healthy relationship… with food?
You’ve probably heard of a “healthy relationship” with family, with friends, or with a partner, but we talk less often about our relationships with food in terms of their health — beyond simply what we consume and when. A relationship with food is psychological, financial, social, and cultural as well as physical. Like any other healthy relationship, a healthy relationship with food is free of fear or the feeling of being controlled or out of control.
What impacts our relationship with food?
Our relationships with food are impacted by our life experiences and the systems around us. For example, the fad diet industry often uses body-shaming tactics and capitalizes on our desire to be “good” or “healthy” people in its mission to sell more products. These techniques often also promote the idea that some foods are inherently “good” and others are inherently “bad.” You’ve probably heard a friend say, “I’ve been so bad today — I ate (fill in the blank).”
However, there are no “good” or “bad” foods — and furthermore, what we consume can’t make us “good” or “bad” people! Just like eating kale all the time doesn’t make you somehow better or more moral, a bag of chips doesn’t suddenly make you a “bad” or “unhealthy” person. A healthy relationship with food involves knowing that your morality or value as a person is not determined by what you consume.
Our relationships with food can also be shaped by a desire to attain an (often unrealistic) “ideal” as portrayed on TV, in movies, or through other media. This ideal of “health” or “fitness” often depends on visible body shape/size, and provides a very narrow window of “healthy” shapes/sizes. However, research tells us that we cannot tell how healthy a person is — or how healthy his/her/their relationship with food is — by the size or shape of her/his/their body.
Overall, our bodies need different things at different times. Only you can determine what’s best for you based on your body, access to resources, and belief systems. One rule or set of guidelines does not apply to everyone in regards to diet, and people have many different ways of getting the nutrients we need.
Image from Pinterest
What can I do to have a healthier relationship with food?
- Remind yourself that your value does not depend on what you eat, and that there are many more ways to be healthy than are shown in the media.
- Listen to your body. To the extent that you are able, try to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Don’t wait for your hunger or your fullness to “yell” at you – keep in touch with what your body needs to the best of your abilities based on your access to resources. This can take practice!
- Don’t be so hard on yourself! Being rigid and restrictive about what foods you “allow” yourself to eat can be harmful to your body and your mind. Focusing excessively on what foods you have eaten, or counting calories obsessively, are often a sign of an unhealthy relationship with food.
- Pick the foods that give you the energy to do what you do during the day. After all, that’s what calories are — energy! The more nutrients that come along with that energy, the better.
Find more information:
Balanced eating as a vegan or vegetarian
Finding balanced and nutritious foods on a budget
Nutrition resources at UNC
If you feel concerned for yourself or a friend, or want to talk more about your relationship with food, you can find more information and contact options here.
*Updated on 9/9/2014*
What is food justice?
“Food Justice views hunger as a result of unjust social dynamics including racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism. Food justice advocates for policies which rebalance food systems in terms of social inequalities, such as government support for farmers of color, marginalized communities of color with poor food access, and exploited workers.” – The Louisville Fellowship of Reconciliation
In other words….food justice addresses the inequality between who gets to eat a variety of healthier and culturally-competent food options and who does not.
What does food justice have to do with health and wellness?
Here at Student Wellness, we like to think of wellness in terms of dimensions. Wellness is not just about being physically healthy and free of sickness or disease; it also means nurturing all the dimensions of wellness, including social, emotional, cultural, intellectual, spiritual, financial, physical, and environmental. Food justice relates to wellness in a number of these dimensions.
Food justice and environmental wellness
Food justice is related to the environment in many ways. Access to food options may be limited due to the location of people’s homes or means of transportation. There may be an absence of fresh food or there could be a limited choice of affordable food items. People’s social environments may stigmatize people who are hungry, which is another aspect of food justice.
Food justice and financial wellness
Food injustice perpetuates the unequal class structure in the United States. Without educating ourselves, we could unintentionally support stigmas and misconceptions around poverty and hunger. One common misconception is that only the poorest of poor people are hungry, but we want everyone to know that hunger can exist outside of poverty.
Food justice and social wellness
By reducing the stigma associated with poverty and hunger, we can create a safer space for people to access free or low cost food without harassment, judgment, or condescension. We can do this by normalizing the usage of places like food pantries or food justice community gardens.
We should avoid falling into the trap of “I’m helping you. I’m serving you. (I’m better than you),” also known as the “savior complex.” We can avoid this by transforming traditional “community service” or “volunteering” opportunities into those that create a social culture where ALL people work together to support each other.
By working together we can strengthen interpersonal relationships. This is the groundwork for community empowerment.
What does food justice have to do with UNC?
Student Wellness and other campus and community partners are very proud to support a wonderful student initiative! Starting October 17, 2014, we will welcome UNC’s very first on-campus food pantry: The Carolina Cupboard. This pantry will be located in the Avery Residence Hall Basement, Room #BC and will be open to UNC students. Stay tuned for more information on how you can qualify!
By bringing a pantry to campus we are increasing access to food and promoting food justice. We hope you will work with us, the Residence Hall Association, the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and Community Involvement, and other advisory board representatives to join this group of motivated and passionate undergraduate students to reduce stigma!
What does it have to do with us (students)?
This is a unique opportunity at Carolina for all of us to educate ourselves about the issues affecting our Tar Heel community. It’s up to ALL of us to make sure we all feel safe, supported, and included on this campus. Soon, the campus will be flooded with donation bins (graciously supplied by Vice Chancellor Crisp) in various locations – including our Wellness Suite on the 2nd floor of the Campus Health Building. Once the donation bins are up and running, we encourage you to fill them up!
Here’s what you can do NOW: ‘Like’ the Tar Heel Wellness Challenge Facebook page. For the next 14 days, we have a social media challenge about “Environmental Wellness,” one of the dimensions we talked about above. Comment on this blog post below or write a post on the Facebook page with #THWC. You can write about food justice, environmental wellness, or another relevant topic that is important to you. By participating in an activity (such as a writing exercise) related to environmental wellness, you get entered into a raffle to win $20.00 to the UNC Student Stores!
Stay tuned for more information, including the Carolina Cupboard’s new website! In the meantime, participate in the #THWC challenge, and mark your calendars from September 29 through October 3 for a UNC Food Pantry kick-off week!
Updates: Check out Carolina Cupboard’s social media pages!
Website: http://carolinacupboard.strikingly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaCupboard
Twitter: @UNCFoodPantry
Jani