Winning the Body Image War

I'm not proud of the fact that for most of my life I've hated my body. I never liked my hair (too fine), my hips (too big) - I could go on, but you get the picture. When I look back at all that negative thinking and frustration with myself I'm shocked at how much energy and time I have wasted. It's also painful to think about all that negative energy that I put out into the world, partly because I know that the energy you put out comes back to you multiplied. Not a happy thought. And I know I'm not alone.

I have learned how to make peace with my body. The things I hated before I've actually learned to like. For example, I can now celebrate the fact that my hair takes only a few minutes to dry, whereas other women spend hours drying their hair. But learning to love myself and my body has taken a long time. When I was young I thought I was overweight (I wasn't). When I turned 40 I gained weight and nothing worked for me - I dieted, went on cleansing programs, exercised like crazy, took hormones, you name it - I tried it and it didn't work, I actually gained more weight. When I made peace with my body, I began to lose weight - and it wasn't difficult.

It's a sad fact that the majority of women feel the same way I did about their bodies. Most of them at the least dislike, and at the worst hate something about themselves and their bodies. I hear women say it all the time. I know beautiful, very slim and fit women who complain that their stomach is too big (I can assure you it never is). Women spend so much time and energy berating themselves for the way they are - just imagine if they took all that energy and put it into something positive.

Of course, the biggest issue that women focus on is their weight. You know what I mean - if you've ever been disappointed when shopping for clothes because nothing ever looks right, feels right or fits you right - it can't be the clothes, so it must be you! If you've ever cringed at the sight of your reflection in a mirror or if you've avoided going somewhere or doing something because of how you look or feel. If you put on a bathing suit and all you want to do is cover yourself up. If you have clothes hanging in your closet that don't fit you but have been there for years because at some point you're going to fit into them again.

Why do we beat ourselves up so much about our bodies? Why is it that the harder we 'try' to change something, like weight, the harder it becomes? You're smart. You have control in other ares of your life. Why can't you control this? Why does your body seem to defy you? Can things ever change?

The good news is that yes, things can change. I am living proof of that and I know other women who have made peace with their bodies. When you make peace with your body and yourself, then you stop fighting the war against yourself. Your body can then do what it knows how to do - which is adjust to a normal weight, and return to perfect health. When you make peace with yourself the solutions and resources you need present themselves to you, effortlessly. You don't have to 'try' to change something - you allow it to change naturally. You're not forcing it.

It's not easy to let go of the fight. Particularly because of all the messages around you telling you that if you just do this diet or exercise program or if you just take these pills or buy this equipment you'll find the solution. sometimes these things work - for a while. But unless you resolve your issues with yourself it's really difficult to find a permanent solution. But you know that, if you're like me, you've tried most things that are out there anyway.

Making peace with yourself not only helps you re-claim your energy - all that energy that you've been wasting over the years - it brings you peace. Remember also that the energy that you put out comes back to you multiplied, so if you put out the energy that you're not good enough because you're body is not how you'd like it to be, then you'll also be feeling inadequate or not good enough in other areas of your life. So if you think that raging against your body has no influence on anyone or anything else in your life, you would be wrong.

So how do you make peace with yourself? Well, the first step is to stop 'trying' to change. Accept yourself just as you are. I know that is difficult, but you can also accept that you're not happy with the way your body looks, just accept that it is the way it is. Once you can truly accept, then and only then can things really start to change. Accepting doesn't mean giving up. It means that you stop trying to force change. You're going to allow it to happen naturally.

The second step is to develop complete self-awareness. You have to be aware of every thought you think, every emotion you feel. You have to be willing to feel the anger or the pain or the disappointment, rather than trying to stuff it down inside. You have to learn to understand yourself. Of course, many people would rather just try another diet or exercise program than take the time to become self-aware. But if you want peace and to be able to love yourself, it's the only way.

Linda Binns is an Energy Coach and Mentor, helping professional women and women business owners achieve work-life balance and freedom by identifying and releasing whatever is holding them back.

For a FREE report on 3 Simple Things That Will Take You From Stuck to Unstoppable, and subscription to FREE ezine and energy tips, go to http://www.EnergeticEdgeExpert.com.

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Weight Loss Is One Of The Many Health Benefits Of Krill Oil

Research indicates that krill oil is nearly forty seven times more effective reducing free radials in the body when compared with fish oil and at no additional cost! Health practitioners have always advised people to get their daily dose of fish oil either through their diet or in the form of cod liver oil capsules that are also loaded with the same antioxidants that reduce the percentage of free radicals in the body that are responsible for various health problems as well as aging.

Studies indicate that it is time for people to upgrade to krill oil because it works better than other omega-3 oils and it has many more health benefits. Because KRILL are tiny deep water crustaceans, they are free of unhealthy toxins and pollution found in regular fish oil. More good news is that it costs the same as fish oil. Scientists R.Bunea, K. Farrah, and L. Deutsch who work at the McGill University proved that it was far superior when compared with regular fish oil. Clinical studies prove that it promotes easier and quicker weight loss due to the stabilization of the body's blood sugar levels and an improve metabolism of glucose.

Some notable benefits is the reduction of inflammation, prevention of the formation of blood clots, and reduction of high blood pressure, which prevents stroke and decreases the risk of heart attack. The WOMAC scores (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) obtained from McMaster University and Western Ontario University demonstrated that with krill oil, rheumatoid pain reduced by as much as three times in just seven days when compared with regular fish oil.

According to authors Dr. Reg Saynor and Dr. Frank Ryan it is a super food supplement. Their research suggests that it the prevents the formation of a blood clot that reduces the risk of developing a heart attack. It also provides women relief from their PMS symptoms and decreases joint pain. krill oil contains a powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, which promotes clearer thinking, a better memory, and better moods. Its antioxidant power is almost 300 times greater than fish oil as suggested by the standard ORAC value with a 500% better absorption rate according to the NIH.

One of the primary health benefits of krill oil is the fact that the omega-3 fats such as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) are found in a double chain phospholipid structure. This makes the EPA and DHA, along with other potent antioxidants more absorbable than the triglyceride form that is found in fish oil.

Bad cholesterol percentages using fish oil dropped by 2% compared with Krill oil that reduced bad cholesterol by as much as 32%; Krill oil was 16 times more effective and the same phenomenon was reported for the increase in the levels of good cholesterol as it was found to better than regular fish oil by nearly a factor of 10.

A recent study in Archives Of Neurology showed that people who consumed enough krill oil had 60% less risk of memory problems than those that did consume enough Krill oil. The findings also indicate Krill oil helps with the generation of new nerve tissue in the brain creating more mental cognition resulting in less mental decline. I don't know about you, but I'm all for improved memory, more mental cognition and less mental decline!

If you liked this unique article about krill oil, weight loss and heart health. I have tons more information about the weight loss and health benefits of krill oil in this free report What Your Doctor NEVER Told You About Fish Oil.

Yours for AWESOME health,

Dr. Jeffrey Parham

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Healthy Eating For Weight Loss Helps Prevent Disease

Many people are drawn to healthy eating for weight loss reasons. This shows that you are thinking beyond the main problem, beyond the weight problem. However, maybe you don't fully appreciate your well guided motives, perhaps your instinctive feelings, that draw you to this area as opposed to any other weight loss plans.

Type 2 diabetes is a common and serious problem for people who are over weight and have been for some time. The condition worsens with age, or how long you have had the problem. So those who are over weight are likely to succumb to diabetes sooner or later.

The medical solution is to treat the effect of the disease, by giving insulin to take daily. Although this undoubtedly helps the condition, what price does it come at - what are you setting yourself up for in the future?

Taking insulin may suit some people, but there is an alternative. And that is to treat the cause of the diabetes, rather than the effect.

Not everyone wants to make changes in their lives. People are notoriously conservative by nature. It seems everyone is happily settled in a rut, for better or for worse.

When you suffer a deterioration in your energy or your health, or when you are diagnosed with a serious, even life threatening disease, then this can shake some people out of their rut (although, sadly, not everyone).

If your condition, such as type 2 diabetes, is a result of your long term weight problem, it seems to be a sensible option to address the cause - the weight. This may be difficult for you. But you also need to think of the future. Not taking action now can lead to further, and more serious, illnesses. Not taking action now can severely interfere with your enjoyment of life, of your family. And being over weight does not set a good example to your children.

Diabetes is really just the start of the slippery slope to more and more serious diseases. Researchers in Finland have found that people with type 2 diabetes have an enormously increased chance of getting Parkinson's disease - in fact 83% increased chance. And you can guarantee that this trend is not limited to Parkinson's disease. Gangrene is another complication with diabetics.

The fact that you are draw to healthy eating for weight loss reasons means you have every chance of preventing serious diseases that are attributable to carrying too much weight. The likelihood of curing any weight related illnesses is also extremely high. Now take action!

Madeleine Innocent is a full time natural health consultant specialising in diet for health and homeopathy. She treats both people and animals within these two disciplines. She also coaches people both on- and off-line, on these subjects. For more information, visit: Healthy Eating For Weight Loss

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