healthy lifestyle Archives - Page 27 of 54

Is Social Media Bad for Teens?

What can you think of that 90% of people do? Brush their teeth? Wear underwear? How about this statistic: surveys show that at least 90% of teens ages 13 – 17 use social media, with some research putting that number at a whopping 97%. Studies also show that 75% have at least one profile and 51% visit a social media site at least once a day, with some teenage girls clocking in at over 140 minutes a day scrolling online. Some studies even put the average amount of time that teenagers spend connected to the internet per day at almost 9 hours.

All of those numbers are enough to make any parent’s head spin. It’s hard for us to even define what is “normal” for teens in this area, because, in the grand scheme of history, we’re living in a new normal. This type of technology is relatively new, with social media only really being such a big part of kids’ lives for less than a decade or so, and so far we haven’t fully come to terms with how it’s affecting our children. It is also a constantly shifting landscape, with new platforms popping up, and old ones falling out of favor. What is clear, though, is that no matter what is popular with teens at the moment, their access to and usage of social media continues to increase year by year. So what do we know about how social media affects teens? Is it all bad? And what should you be doing to make sure your kids are safe?

Tell Me Something Good

Social media can’t be all bad, right? While some people have sworn it off forever, there can actually be some benefits to it, even for young people, if parents help them use it responsibly. Social media allows teens to:

Build social networks – These networks can be great ways to find a like minded community of young people who enjoy the same activities, as well as provide valuable support for teens who may have limitations or illnesses.

Widen their social circle – Geographical barriers are no longer an issue thanks to social media. Having a wide social circle can teach teens a lot about others and might even stave off depression.

Share artwork or music

Get involved – With proper guidance, young people can learn a lot about current events from social media, and can use it to feel like they can make a difference in the world.

Express themselves and explore their identities

The above are all positive things that parents can get behind. Not only that, but a majority of teens themselves are actually more likely to say that social media has a positive effect on how they feel. For example, 25% of teens say it makes them feel less lonely, 20% say it makes them feel more confident, 18% say it makes them feel better about themselves, and even 16% say it makes them feel less depressed.

The one thing that we need to be careful about when looking at these statistics, though, is that teens with low social-emotional well-being are much more likely to be negatively affected by social media, so it’s important to know how your teen might be experiencing their online life. For example, while only 29% of teens with high social-emotional well-being said they sometimes felt excluded when using social media, a full 70% of teens with low social-emotional well-being said they felt the same.

It might seem unrealistic to ban your teen from using social media completely, although it is your right as a parent to do so, and forbidding teens from doing anything always has the potential to backfire. So, if you do decide to allow your teen access to social media, you should be aware of the benefits of responsible use, as well as the possible negative effects it could have on your child.

Now the Bad News

While having a wide social network and a way to entertain and express themselves is definitely the positive side of social media for teens, there are some serious possible drawbacks. That wide social network could help some teens to avoid depression, but it could also negatively affect their mental health. The difference seems to be linked to how much teens use social media.

For example, A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems. Another 2019 study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds in England found that using social media more than three times a day predicted poor mental health and well-being in teens.

The more time teens spend on social media, the more likely it is to distract them from other important things, disrupt their sleep, and expose them to bullying, unrealistic views of other people’s lives, and peer pressure. Let’s take a closer look at these issues.

Distraction – Recent studies suggest that the overuse of social media can mirror addiction, with some reports showing that teens can experience anxiety when they’re without their devices and unable to log in to their accounts. This compulsion to be on social media can distract them from other, more important things. Teens even agree; in fact, well over 50% of teens say that social media distracts them from homework and from paying attention to the people they’re actually with at the time. 42% even say it takes away from time they could be spending with people in person.

Sleep hygiene – We know that experts recommend shutting off all screens at least an hour before a reasonable bedtime (for teens and adults!), but social media might be affecting teens’ sleep habits beyond bedtime. 29% of teens say they wake up in the night to check their notifications.

Cyberbullying – According to some studies, 1 in 3 teens have experienced cyberbullying; others put that number at a shocking 70%. Not only that, but some studies have shown that 70% of teens report engaging in cyberbullying others. Many others say that they don’t know how to step in and help friends, or that they’re too afraid to do so for fear of being bullied themselves. It’s important to remember that cyberbullying can actually be more damaging than the old fashioned kind: if your child is being bullied online, it is very difficult for them to escape their tormentors.

Peer pressure – The pressure that teens feel online could go beyond being persuaded to engage in silly “challenges.” 7% say that they have been pressured online to send a sexual or naked photo of themselves.
Social media has an unrealistic view of what beauty is, making teens feel dissatisfied with themselves.

Unrealistic expectations – It’s no secret that scrolling through social media can give you an unrealistic view of other people’s lives, and for teens this can be especially problematic. One study suggests that, for teen girls, simply spending time on Facebook can cause a “heightened desire to change their appearance.” Other studies have shown that teens who use social media passively (such as just viewing others’ photos) report that they are less satisfied with their lives, or that the longer they used social media, the more likely they were to believe that others were happier than they were.

As a parent, you’ve probably wrestled with and worried about all of the above issues with social media, but it can be sobering to see the actual statistics. So what can you do to help your teen use social media responsibly, and be more likely to get the benefits of it without the serious side effects?

What You Can Do

There are steps you can take to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects. Consider these tips:

Talk about it! – This is such a simple thing, but one we as parents often neglect. One of the best things you can do with your teen when it comes to any tough topic is to be open and honest. Talk about your own social media habits, tell them how you feel about it and ask them how they feel. Ask them how they use it, and start conversations when the opportunity arises, such as when they tell you about a friend’s post, and ask them what they think is ok to share on social media. Remind them that social media is full of unrealistic images, and that everyone will be able to access information about them, including colleges and future employers.

Encourage face-to-face time (instead of just Facetime!) – Making time for friends IRL (in real life!) is extremely important, as it helps young people develop their verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Encourage your child to find offline activities that they enjoy and encourage them to get involved. Getting together in person is especially important for teens who are prone to social anxiety.

Set limits – Remember, you’re the parent and you make the rules! Have clear guidelines in place surrounding social media use (and internet use in general). Consider:

- - Having a designated “no device” time each day
  - Taking all devices at the end of the day and charging them somewhere other than your teen’s bedroom. This should happen at least an hour before bedtime.
  - Making screen time an earned activity
  - Setting a timer so that your child can know how much screen time they can expect
  - Monitoring their account activity and always having a presence on the same sites as them
  - Keeping up with their privacy settings, and using parental controls such as content filters and blockers

Model good behavior – Finally, show, don’t tell, your teen how they can be responsible online. Unplug when you want them to unplug, don’t overshare on social media (and always ask your teen’s permission to post about them), and give them your full attention when they talk to you (that means no sneaking peeks at your devices!).

When most of us were kids, we didn’t have to worry about people bullying us while we were in the comfort of our bedrooms, or about how we could create a positive digital footprint. But now, most kids are thrown out there into the wide world of social media, where they could make lasting connections or end up being cyberbullied, or led down a road of dissatisfaction or even depression. We know that we can’t keep them offline forever, so the important thing is that we talk to our children about using social media as a tool and not a mindless distraction (or worse). Talk to them, set limits for them, and model the behavior you want to see in them, and you’ll set your kids up for a more positive online experience.

How African Americans Shaped American Cuisine

What do you think of when you think of “American” food? Burgers, fries, tacos, pizza, apple pie (sounds great, if not the healthiest of options!)…When looking at those iconic dishes, it becomes pretty clear that American food is a mix of cultures just like our country itself. German burgers, Belgian fries, Mexican tacos, Italian pizza…even apples had to be brought over by European colonists from Asia! But only talking about these “Western” foods is leaving out a lot of history, and a lot of American food culture. It is important to recognize that much of our American cuisine can be traced back to the slave trade and African ingredients and methods that were brought here with the people forced to leave their homes. African foods, and African American chefs, have influenced what we eat, how we eat it, and how we share it.

A Culture Preserved and a Culture Changed

American history doesn’t start with 1776, and our country’s beginnings definitely were not only centered in the cities of the Northeast coast. By the early 1600s, plantations were popping up in the South, where eventually the landscape was dotted with large houses in the tradition of English manor houses.

The settlers in the South sought to keep the traditions of living a lavish lifestyle and maintaining a grand household, and they looked for domestic help to achieve this. So they enslaved people not only to work in their fields, and also to work in their houses, most notably as cooks of the household.

These African American cooks wove themselves into the cultural heritage of America through their prominent, if not always recognized, position in Caucasian households. They held the reputations of their enslavers in their hands and were the people who allowed them to showcase their lavish lifestyle to others.

They crafted the recipes for food that is now quintessentially Southern American, and they were good at what they did. Some names preserved by history, like Hercules, George Washington’s cook, and James Hemings, who was a cook at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, were highly trained, and they became the nation’s first celebrity chefs.

Enslaved people also had an impact on the culture of the people they were enslaved by. African Americans kept their own traditions alive, and it was woven into the lives of Caucasian Americans. For example they brought with them the concept of “teranga,” a West African idea of neighborliness and hospitality, which became one of the defining ideas behind Southern hospitality.

According to African American culinary historian Michael Twitty, “These are… values that were taught to White kids raised by Black women,” Twitty says. “[W]e were taught to believe that Southern hospitality was grounded in some sort of, like, medieval pass down. It was this thing that we… inherited from our African side mixed with a little bit of European and Native concepts of hospitality and neighborliness.”

The Most American of All Cuisines?

african american woman with a white apron on with her hands on a long stick that is in a pot — *African cooks are the reason we have many popular meals, such as gumbo.*

America’s dark history of slavery brought with it the gift of new ingredients and new methods of food preparation. African Americans became a major part of our shared culinary history, through the “recipe books” of slaveholding women (whose recipes very noticeably changed from English dishes in the 1700s to African-inspired dishes in the 1800s), as cooks in prominent households, and even as restaurant owners.

Take, for example, Thomas Downing, who was one in a line of African American restaurateurs in the 18th and 19th centuries who focused on oysters (the “Big Mac” of the 19th century) and seafood. Downing, born into slavery in Chincoteague, Virginia, was known for running the best oyster house in New York, and became so famous that Queen Victoria sent him a gold watch. Downing, like many African American caterers, restaurateurs, and chefs, used his wealth and position to fund abolitionist causes.

While African American cooks had an influence in the North with these seafood restaurants and through women hawkers selling things like pepperpot (a type of West African gumbo) in the streets of cities like New York and Philadelphia, their biggest influence was in the South. It was there that they both grew and prepared so much of the food, and where one of our most traditional of American cuisines was born – soul food.

Forget burgers and pizza, soul food, and its close relative Southern cooking, is the ultimate hybrid of our many American identities. Many of us don’t spend much time thinking about its origins (we spend more time drooling over it than analyzing it!), but this cuisine’s rich and important history ties us all to our history and the roots of a large percentage of our population. Certain staple ingredients that we consider so important to American cooking were actually brought here with the slave trade, and their preparation was shaped by African Americans. For example:

Rice – This staple didn’t actually exist in the Western Hemisphere until the slave trade. It was brought over with enslaved people to help keep them alive. The enslaved people who grew it and cooked it kept their traditions alive by preparing it in ways that we will still recognize today, such as in one-pot stews like jambalaya.

Okra – This slimy vegetable was also brought here on slave ships and was used as a soup thickener, a coffee substitute, and even as material for rope. Now we see it fried, or stewed in dishes like gumbo (whose name comes from the Bantu word for okra!)

Greens – There may be no greater link to African cuisines than the technique of boiling greens. Many African countries have dishes reminiscent of Western dishes like collard greens, and even the practice of dipping things like cornbread in the juices left over from the cooking process can be traced back to traditional African dishes.
Pork – While eating pork didn’t originate with the slave trade, it was African American cooks who honed the time-honored and sophisticated art of barbecue. Because enslaved people were given the worst cuts of meat, they drew from their traditional African methods to hide the bad taste of their food. They used things like spicy peppers and vinegar, which have become the base of many types of Southern barbecue sauces. It was also generally the grueling job of enslaved people to preserve meat (since there were no refrigerators to keep it fresh!), so they are the ones who handed down to us our methods of curing meat.

Food like these, and many others, that were brought here for and prepared by enslaved Africans shaped the way that both the enslaved and the enslavers lived. They shaped the diet of the time, and even our diets today. They had an impact on culture through the work they were forced to do. The dishes that enslaved Africans created formed the basis for Southern cuisine and soul food, which was a term popularized in the 1960s to describe African American’s home cooking.

This food became a language, and a very American one, because it combines our dark history and a strong sense of hope and pride. According to journalist and food historian Donna Battle Pierce, “As a culture, we had lost our language. We had lost our family… all of the things that bind a culture together,” so the term soul food was embraced because it was a way “to talk about what we shared. And that sharing felt so good to have something in common with all of us with brown skin.”

10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Women’s History

March is Women’s History Month. During this time, we might take a few minutes on social media to reflect on the achievements of women despite the adversity they have faced, or students might get some extra homework that relates to a set list of prominent historical women. But it’s probably been a long time since you were in school, and there might be some things you just never learned about what women have contributed to society. We’re here to change that! Check out our (nowhere near complete) list of things that might surprise you about women’s history.

1. Women Have More Inventions Under Their Belts Than You Think

Windshield wipers, disposable diapers, white-out, hair products, non-reflective glass, dishwashers, modern petroleum refining methods, the ice-cream maker, the circular saw, the word processor, antifungal drugs, caller ID, fire escapes…what do they all have in common? Yeah, you’ve probably guessed by now: they were all invented by women. And that list is by no means complete! Women have been inventing, perfecting, and patenting (even if they had to do it in their husband’s name) for centuries – the first patent was granted to a woman in the U.S. in 1809.

2. Women Have Been Involved in Tech for Over a Hundred Years

Many people think that men were the only ones involved in developing computer technology, but, well, they’re wrong. Starting with Ada Lovelace in the 19th century, who is credited with the being the world’s first computer programmer, women like Grace Hopper (who programmed computers during WWII), Katherine Davis (of Hidden Figures fame), and Susan Kare (who developed much of the Apple MacIntosh’s interface elements) have been helping the human race advance for decades.

3. Women Have Excelled in the Sciences (Plural)

Most people have heard of Marie Curie, who is basically the mother of radiation and x-rays. But did you know that she was not only the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, but she is also the only person – man or woman – to ever win the prize in two different science categories, physics and chemistry?

4. When It Comes to IQ, Women Hold the Record

For centuries, it was believed (mostly by men, we assume) that women are intellectually inferior to men. And then came standardized IQ testing, and that theory got blown out of the water. Both of the top two scores ever recorded belong to women. One of those women is the renowned author and columnist, Marilyn vos Savant. To this day, she is the Guinness World Record holder for “highest IQ.”

5. Women Have Been Powerful, in More Ways Than One

Queen Hatshepsut statue — *Queen Hatshepsut*

Women have sometimes been powerful figures, and sometimes had the ability to decide their destinies, despite the general oppression they lived under in many places and at many times. For example, there was actually a female pharaoh in ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut, who ruled during the 18th Dynasty. She, like Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria in their days, was extremely powerful and presided over a large empire.

On the personal side, women in 16th century France had the ability to divorce their husbands. The only catch was it had to be because of impotence…and the men had to prove themselves, publicly.

6. Women Definitely Throw Like Girls

On April 2, 1931, Virne “Jackie” Mitchell was on the roster as a relief pitcher for an all-male professional baseball team, the Chattanooga Lookouts, playing in an exhibition game against the Yankees – and not just any Yankees team, the one that had Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig playing for it. And you know what? She struck them both out. There’s some controversy surrounding that day, with some arguing that it was all a publicity stunt, but we’re going to stick with believing our eyes.

7. Women Can Be Beautiful, Talented, AND Help Win Wars

Both Josephine Baker, a singer and the first African American woman to star in a major motion picture, and Heddy Lamarr, a glamorous and successful Hollywood actress, contributed to war efforts in different ways. During WWII, Baker smuggled messages to French soldiers, carefully concealing them in her dresses, or writing them in invisible ink and hiding them in her sheet music. Lamarr developed a radio-controlled torpedo device that utilized frequency hopping as a way to prevent the jamming of torpedo signals. Unfortunately, she wasn’t taken seriously by the top brass, and her invention wasn’t utilized during WWII. However, the American government used her device to help with future conflicts and efforts.

8. Women Get There Quicker

Ever hear of the famous fictional book Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne? Well, American journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, better known as Nellie Bly, beat the pants off of the main character, Phileas Fogg. She managed to travel around the world in an astonishing 72 days – which is all the more impressive considering there were no airplanes in 1889 when she began her journey.

a wall of books in a library — *A woman, Murasaki Shikibu, wrote the first novel ever, The Tale of Genji.*

9. The Worlds of Literature and Academia Would Be Nothing Without Women

These days, women with college degrees outnumber men with college degrees. And you know what else? A woman founded the world’s oldest continually operating, degree-granting university. In 859 CE, Fatima al-Fihri funded the construction of the Al Qarawiyyin mosque and an adjoining madrasa, which became a center of scholarly and religious activity. Besides personally overseeing the extensive building project, she attended and graduated from the university, which would have Muslim, Catholic, and Jewish students.

Not only that, but a woman wrote the first ever novel, The Tale of the Genji. Japanese noblewoman and lady-in-waiting, Murasaki Shikibu, penned her work, a unique description of the life of courtiers, in the 11th century.

10. And Finally…

There are so many other great contributions that we could talk about. Women have fought for freedom and for suffrage, they’ve invented, built, written, studied, persevered, and basically made the world a better place; we hope that you’ll seek out as many of their stories as you can. But we just can’t end this without bringing this story up: On October 24, 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. On her 63rd birthday. So yes, women also know how to celebrate.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Tips for Exercising Outdoors in the Winter

It’s official: it’s cold out there. But that doesn’t mean that you have to head to a gym or give up on exercise completely. If you’re feeling up for an invigorating, wintery outdoor exercise session, great! There are definitely benefits to going outside and getting your sweat on when the mercury drops. For one thing, there’s no heat and humidity to deal with, meaning you might be able to work out longer. You’ll also burn more calories, not only from being able to work out longer, but because your body will need to work harder to keep warm. Add to that the boost to your vitamin D levels, as well as the boost to your immune system during cold and flu season, and you’ve got lots of reasons to work up a sweat outside this winter. But before you get out there, check out our tips for staying safe outside no matter the weather.

How Cold Is Too Cold?

Getting out in the fresh air is generally a good idea, but before you head out, be sure to check the weather forecast. Remember to take into account the moisture levels outside, as well as the wind chill factor, Wind chill extremes can make it unsafe to spend long periods of time outside, especially if you’re sweating or have exposed skin. The wind can penetrate your clothing and remove the insulating layer of warm air surrounding your body, and moisture in the air can lower your core body temperature.

So when does the double whammy of cold and wind chill mean you should skip the outside exercise? Well, consider the chances of frostbite in the following temperatures:

The risk of frostbite is less than 5% when the air temperature is above 5°F (minus 15°C), but the risk rises as the wind chill falls.
At wind chill levels below minus 18°F (minus 28°C), frostbite can occur on exposed skin in 30 minutes or less.
If the temperature dips below zero °F (minus 18°C) or the wind chill is extreme, consider taking a break or choosing an indoor exercise instead, especially if it is also wet outside and you don’t have proper waterproof gear.

You should also know the signs of both frostbite and hypothermia if you are going to spend time outside in more extreme temperatures. When in comes to frostbite, it usually occurs on exposed areas like cheeks, you nose, or your fingers or toes, so be on the lookout for the following sensations in those parts:

Numbness
Loss of feeling
Stinging sensation

Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature, and you’re at risk for it if you spend prolonged periods outside in very cold – and especially wet – weather. If you experience any of the following signs/symptoms of hypothermia, seek medical attention:

Intense shivering
Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
Fatigue

One way to protect yourself from the wind chill? Go against the wind first, so when you’re tired and sweaty at the end of your workout, the wind will be at your back and you’ll fight less wind chill.

Dress Smart

person in a blue coat with sunglasses on and orange hat with blue hoodie up — *Dress dry and warm in order to keep your heat within your body.*

While there are times when you should be wary of a long workout session outside, in most cases, and in most places, you should be able to enjoy a run, bike, power walk, or hike without much worry. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as prepared as possible. The first step? Choosing the right clothing and accessories. When gearing up, remember to:

Dress dry, not just warm: The last thing you want is soggy, clammy clothes sticking to you during your workout and drawing heat out of your body. This is one time when you want to actually skip the natural fibers like cotton and opt for moisture-wicking fabrics like polyester and nylon.

Layer up, but…Make sure your layers are easy to peel off and store, whether it’s something you can tie around your waist or attach to your backpack, so you don’t get TOO warm.

Protect your extremities: One of the tricks to keeping the cold at bay is to keep your feet and hands as protected as possible. Choose shoes that are at least water-wicking, if not waterproof, and socks that are ideally a mixture of materials like merino wool and nylon. As long as it’s not too wet or snowy, you can get away with a thin pair of knit gloves to protect your hands. If it’s really chilly out, consider also adding a warm, thick headband or earmuffs, and a scarf or gaiter wrapped around your neck and the lower half of your face.

Be bright! Darker winter days mean you’ll be harder to see when you’re outside, especially in the evening (it gets dark at 4.30 in some places!), so dress in bright colors, and consider adding a reflective vest or a headlamp to your list of gear.

Keep your footing: Just as you would check your tires to make sure their tread isn’t worn down, check your running shoes to make sure that they’ve still got grip!

Safety First

As we already mentioned, you should always take your workout inside if you start shivering or if your extremities start to feel too cold; we’ll also add to that list, if you’re breathing becomes labored or you can’t catch your breath. You also need to dress smartly so you can stay dry and warm, as well as be seen. But there are other things you need to do to stay safe when heading outside for a wintery workout:

Always bring your mobile phone with you

Let someone know where you will be and when you will be back

Wear sunscreen on your face

Don’t skip your warm-up or cooldown: Your body will need time to adjust to the cold and then readjust to a resting state, so give it that time! Try a dynamic warm-up, including some light cardio and joint mobilization. For example, you can do 3 rounds of high knees (for one minute), 20 side to side lunges, and 20 jumping jacks. When your workout is over, do some static stretching, and then immediately change out of those sweaty clothes!

Hydration Isn’t Just for Hot Weather

man sitting outside in the snow bundled up, drinking water from a cannister. — *Hydration is extremely important when working out, including when running outside in the cold.*

What’s one thing you’d never forget to do when exercising in the heat? Drink water! It’s hard to forget about staying hydrated when you’re hot and sweaty in the sun, but it can be easy to leave the water bottle at home when it’s cold outside. But winter is the one time when you should forgo the old, “drink when you’re thirsty, don’t when you’re not” rule; you may not feel much like guzzling a cold beverage when it’s chilly out, but you can still get dehydrated no matter the temperature.

Find what that will keep you drinking, whether it’s playing around with the temperature of your water to find what’s most palatable to you, adding a flavoring to your water, or even switching to a sports drink (although water is always a better choice than sweetened or artificially flavored beverages). If you really can’t bring yourself to drink during your workout, then make sure to drink enough before and after – approximately 20 ounces should be enough. If you plan on working out for more than 90 minutes, though, your best bet is to keep drinking throughout.

Your couch may be calling when the cold weather sets in, but there’s no reason not to keep moving in winter! If you’re bored of doing burpees in your living room, or running up and down your stairs, invigorate your workout and your body with a change of scenery and a brisk outdoor workout. Just remember to dress right, listen to your body, stay hydrated, warm up and cool down – and remember that your couch, throw blanket, and hot drink will be waiting for you when you get back!

Can You Be TOO Healthy?

You can never be too healthy, right? Well, that depends. If we’re just talking about getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and getting your daily dose of exercise, then sure, there’s no arguing with that. But, for some, what starts as a well-intentioned and enthusiastic desire to eat a healthy or “clean” diet and stay fit can turn into an unhealthy obsession. This unhealthy obsession can become so intense that it can turn into an eating disorder, known as orthorexia, or orthorexia nervosa.

What Is Orthorexia?

Shockingly, it is estimated that at least 30 million people in the United States suffer from some form of eating disorder. While most people have heard of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, orthorexia might be less familiar to some. The term, from the Greek “ortho” meaning “right,” “orexia,” meaning “hunger,” and “nervosa meaning “fixation” or “obsession,” was coined in 1997 by Dr. Stephen Bratman to describe the obsession with healthy eating he had begun to see in some of his patients. What sets it apart from other eating disorders is that it’s not generally about quantity of food, but rather quality. While those suffering from orthorexia might also be looking to maintain a certain weight, and there could be some crossover between anorexia and orthorexia, the main goal is not always weight loss or management.

Orthorexia is currently not recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) as an official eating disorder, but the medical community is recognizing it more and more, as it is becoming clear that it is a serious issue for some. And it’s not surprising that this type of eating disorder has become more common. Our society’s fixation on being perfect, fueled by a social media filled with influencers showcasing their “healthy” lifestyles, can end up reinforcing an obsession with healthy living in those who might be more prone to orthorexia.

So how do you know if your healthy lifestyle is going too far? Here are 8 warning signs that you could be dealing with orthorexia.

1. You Obsess Over “Healthy” Eating

The problem with recognizing orthorexia is that it can start in a much more subtle way than other eating disorders, like anorexia. It starts with the intent to lead a healthy lifestyle, but it can spiral out of control. You become obsessed with and extremely focused on the quality and nutritional content of your food, specific ingredients that you use, or health trends that you follow. Full-blown orthorexia will begin to interfere with your social and work life.

2. You Have Unrealistic Expectations Fueled by Social Media

While not all orthorexics follow “healthy lifestyle” advocates on social media, many can be unconsciously influenced by the expectations that are all around us. You might find yourself comparing yourself to others who seem to lead the “perfect” lifestyle. Just as many people dealing with other types of eating disorders might be chasing an ideal (and often unattainable) “perfect” body type, if you’re dealing with orthorexia you may look to others to point the way towards the “perfect” diet and lifestyle.

3. You Judge Others

Your obsession with your own “healthy” lifestyle might lead you to judge how the people around you choose to eat and live. You might even begin to avoid certain people and situations if they don’t live up to your standards. This is another way that orthorexia can interfere with your personal and social life: you might tell yourself that you are “better” than other people and use that as an excuse to isolate yourself.

4. Your Lifestyle Takes Up A Lot of Your Time

thought bubble made up of a cracked egg white and yolk. — *Orthorexics will spend a lot of time thinking about food, and prepping meals.*

The personal, social, and work aspects of your life can also end up getting pushed to the side as your “healthy” lifestyle takes up more and more of your time. You might spend excessive amounts of time thinking about food, planning and prepping meals, or even cleaning your food or researching your chosen lifestyle and the “rules” surrounding it.

5. You Avoid Food You Haven’t Prepared Yourself

As with most eating disorders, much of orthorexia is centered on control. If you’re dealing with orthorexia, you will have a genuine desire to have control over all aspects of your food and health, which means you might begin to avoid eating food cooked by other people, or going to restaurants. This can further take a toll on your social life, make you even more isolated, and maybe drive you deeper into your obsession.

6. Your Food Elimination Goes Too Far

There’s definitely no shortage of influencers and ads out there perpetuating fear-based thinking about certain types of food. If you’re dealing with orthorexia, you might take all of that to heart and become so anxious about certain ingredients, types of food, or food groups that you begin to cut them out of your lifestyle completely. In an effort to cut any “unworthy” foods out of your life, you will probably obsessively check labels and take further control over food prep to make sure that everything meets your rule-based lifestyle.

7. Your Eating Habits Control Your Emotions

As you become more obsessed with your “healthy” habits, your emotions will become linked to how strictly you stick to your own self-imposed “rules.” You might experience mood swings, jumping between anxiety, shame and self-loathing if you don’t live up to your strict standards, and euphoria if your lifestyle is going well. And, if depression and anxiety become bigger parts of your life, you might go to more extreme lengths to get that feeling of euphoria.

8. You Begin to Have Physical Symptoms

Orthorexia may not be as recognized as other eating disorders, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t take a serious toll on your body, as well as on your mind. Enough obsessing, eliminating, restricting, and rule-creating and you could eventually start to experience the physical signs of malnutrition. These include:

Feeling more fatigued, colder, or weaker than usual
Weight loss
Taking longer to recover from common illnesses and viruses

We don’t currently have any accurate statistics on how many people are suffering from orthorexia, for a number of reasons. But that needs to change. As we are bombarded more and more with images of how we “should” be living our lives and what it takes to be perfectly “healthy,” many of us could find ourselves dealing with some form of an eating disorder, like orthorexia.

This disorder can wreak havoc on your mental and your physical health, and it should be taken very seriously. If you see yourself in any of the warning signs above, please talk to a trusted professional.

Everyday Feeling the Same? Get Out of That Rut!

You know what movie I think about at this time of year? Groundhog’s Day with Bill Murray. First of all, I love anything that has to do with Bill Murray – how can you not? Second of all, it’s cold and dark out, and the holidays are over; at this time of year you can sometimes feel, well, stuck. The plot seems appropriate to late winter: it features a TV weatherman (who’s a bit of an egomaniac, and who doesn’t seem to live life with any sort of appreciation or gratitude) who wakes up one morning to find he’s living the same day over and over and over again. It might sound nightmarish, but in the end, it teaches him a much-needed lesson about living your best life.

So do you ever feel like the plot of Groundhog’s Day is happening to you, only in a less literal sense? If so, you’re probably stuck in a rut. Maybe you’re just moving through life, following the same routine, doing the same things everyday. Maybe you’ve lost motivation and life suddenly feels a bit blah or even meaningless. Maybe, to put it in the more sophisticated words of a psychologist, you’re stuck in what Dr. Lindsay Tulchin describes as “a negative spiral of thoughts about yourself and your future that lead to avoidance of either actions that you know will help you feel better or actions that will help steer you in the right direction.” Never fear! Like Bill Murray’s character, you can break free from your rut, you just need some strategies to get moving.

Accept It!

What’s the first step in dealing with any situation? Accepting it. Hey, it’s ok to be stuck in a rut – it happens to the best of us. What’s not helpful is denying the situation, or just shrugging it off and blaming tiredness or telling yourself things will just be different tomorrow. Accept that things need to change, and that you need to spark that change. But, at the same time, remember not to beat yourself up about your situation! Judging yourself for being in a rut is just going to keep you stuck right where you are.

Examine Why You’re in a Rut

Accepting your situation is one thing, but you also need to start somewhere with moving onward and upward. In order to know what you need to do, try examining the possible reasons behind your rut. Doing a good, thorough soul-searching can be uncomfortable sometimes, but you might just find what you’re looking for, especially if you ask yourself things like:

woman looking at herself with the face she is looking at filled with words. — *Take a look at why you are in a rut and what expectations you have that you should let go of or change.*

What makes me feel stressed or anxious?
What makes me happy?
Is my relationship or job actually going in the right direction, or am I just sticking with it because I’ve invested so much time and energy in it? This is known as the “sunk-cost fallacy” and it can keep you stuck!
Do I feel like I’m doing everything in life because I have to or because I want to?

It may be one big thing, like your job or relationship, that has you feeling stuck, or it could be a lot of minor things that have built up and are zapping your energy to move forward.

Look at Your Expectations

What is that people say about the definition of insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You could also say that it’s looking to a one-size-fits-all formula for happiness and fulfilling relationships, and expecting it to work for every unique person. We’re all taught that happiness looks a certain way, or that relationships (romantic and otherwise) look a certain way, but sometimes we need to break out of those formulas.

What you need to do is examine your happiness formula and your relationships. For example, when it comes to happiness, you might need to just step back and prioritize, without judging yourself. Make a list of your priorities and values, and then a list of how you’re actually spending each day. Look at how your lists differ, then see what you can do to change that.

When it comes to your relationships, ask yourself both what you are giving and what you are receiving, or expect to receive, in return.

Deal With Your Negative Thoughts

Anxieties and negative thoughts can be tricky things. They can make things seem much bigger or worse than they actually are. If you’re stuck in a rut and the negative and anxious thoughts are starting to swirl around in your head, you definitely need to nip those in the bud. Try writing down your negative thoughts and reading them back to yourself; that simple act could show you just how overblown or out-of-proportion they actually are.

This is not the same as ignoring your negative thoughts. Remember, nobody is telling you that you always have to think positively! Because you know what? Negative stuff happens. The key is knowing that, while you don’t always have control over every situation, you do have control over your thoughts. Take your negative thoughts and try to make them more realistic and helpful.

Set Small/Attainable Goals

Ok, let’s get a little more practical now. Part of being stuck in a rut can stem from feeling powerless. An easy way to get yourself out of your funk, gain momentum, and feel more in control? Set a few small and attainable daily or weekly goals and then tick them off your list. Even small things like cleaning out that closet, cabinet, or drawer you’ve been meaning to get to, or sending that one email you’ve been putting off can feel like wins and set you on a new path.

Trigger Change

Speaking of new paths, another way to feel like you’re taking positive steps in your life is by finding ways to trigger changes each day. Think of one small positive action that can lead to more positive actions. For example, if you’re looking to feel healthier but you’re lacking motivation, start really small and see if you can create a domino effect. Drink a big glass of water when you get up and see if it leads to a healthier breakfast, which might lead you to want to fit in more exercise that day. Or lay out workout clothes and shoes by the door and see if it leads you to go for that run you’ve been putting off (which will also have the added bonus of boosting your endorphin levels AND getting you outside for some vitamin D!)

Add Some Impulsiveness into Your Life

Impulsivity gets a bad rap, but sometimes it can be good for you! If you’re stuck in a rut, it might be time to stop with the overthinking and just start doing new things. It can be as small as making a snap decision to stop at a new coffee place or take a long walk home, or it can be as big as heading on a trip to a new city to do some exploring. Looking for something in between? Say yes to that date, pick an organization that you’d like to help and offer to volunteer, or put yourself forward for a project at work.

woman laying on her couch with a face mask and tea on a table. — *Practice self care by taking a break and relaxing from the day.*

Practice Self-Care

One of the first things we stressed was that you shouldn’t beat yourself up when you’re in a rut. In fact, now is the time to focus on self-care. Doing some of the following could just give you the perspective, relaxed frame of mind, and energy to figure out why you’re in your rut and how you can start to get out of it. Remember to try and find time for:

Loved ones and friends
Healthy, balanced meals
Plenty of quality sleep
Mindless relaxation or pampering
Regular exercise
Breaks from work to avoid burnout

There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling stuck. And, like spinning your tires in the mud, the more your frustration spins round and round in your head, the further you’ll get stuck. We know that it’s easy for others to tell you to pull yourself out of your rut, but trust us, there are ways to get moving, make change for yourself, and bring joy back to your life. Start with some of the above suggestions, and before you know it, the clock will click to 6:01 and it will be February 3rd.