Welcome to a bit of a brain dump post. A post of all the things I’ve ingested (mentally) since the last time I sent out links - or at least the things that resonated with me enough to save them to my “to use later” folder. I rarely post a paid-only piece, but with 5 weeks in this month I thought it was a good time to throw out a post that is special for my paid subscribers.
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Links
A simple reminder that the world profits off of our hatred of our bodies. Which means that as we monetize… everything… there will only be more and more ways to see yourself as ugly. Social media is not just friends posting about their day anymore. Majority of the accounts that show up on our feeds are selling something - Instagram is investing into their marketplace features and promote creators that are generating profit. The next time an influencer makes up a term that makes you feel bad about yourself, ask what they’re trying to sell you before you get too invested. On another note… if it’s a problem for everybody, is it really a problem at all?
Has Botox killed eroticism? - this piece was so thought provoking. It will have you reflecting on your own relationship with emotions, how we communicate, and the impacts of taking away that human power. It turns out there may be consequences for shooting up our faces with poison to keep them from exhibiting normal human traits like wrinkles.
I spend a lot of time writing about getting to know your body and trusting the information it shares with your brain. If you’d like more information about what that looks like and how to make it happen, here is a great article for you: You are your body.
There’s a paywall about halfway through this post from Laura Thomas, but soak up any of her wisdom that you can. Dads matter just as much as moms when it comes to kids’ embodiment and body image. It’s amazing the way we gender parenting and how much burden mothers carry with promoting healthy body image. If you are a parent or a provider who works with kids, I highly recommend subscribing to Can I Have Another Snack!
Another day, another example of blatant fatphobia and weight discrimination.
The way I rolled my eyes when I read this headline with expectations of more fearmongering about processed foods and protein. Turns out the reporting is about the very real concerns of undernutrition in children around the world and not the made-up, wealthy people food fears that circulate social media on the daily. Children dying of hunger, having their growth stunted due to lack of nutrition, and rampant nutritional deficiencies in various areas of the world are all serious problems that need to be addressed. It makes me sad that my first reaction to seeing a headline that states "One in four young children at risk of ‘irreversible’ harm due to poor diet” had me assuming it was about our screwed-up food culture in the US rather than the true suffering of children around the world.
It shouldn’t shock anyone that I am not a board-certified dermatologist. I’m not actually a medical doctor of any kind. Just a lowly dietitian. But I’ve had some curiosity in the past couple years about the level of fear we have about sun exposure. I’m not denying that extended time in the sun can damage our skin and I promise I wear sunscreen when I spend a lot of time in the sun. I also know that we need to have unprotected skin exposure to produce Vitamin D and that exposure to sunlight is seen to improve mood and mental health. Basically, I just wonder if maybe we’re doing a bit of diet-y restriction of sunlight in our lives and if this isn’t another space where balance might do us all well. And here’s one more reminder that I am not a dermatologist and my musings about balance are not medical advice.
It’s no wonder we’re all convinced there’s only one way to be beautiful. AI thinks so too!
On to the paid half of this piece: it contains my thoughts on fall foods, what I’m reflecting on with my own relationship with exercise, and a couple things that have contributed to my living a full life. Upgrading to paid is $5 monthly or $45 for a year’s subscription.
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