Links + Thoughts
Another edition of things I've read and thoughts I've had that you might enjoy reading about, too
Links:
As a person who loves to hike, all people should feel that the outdoors is accessible to them. There is no “outdoorsy” body type - we all benefit from spending time in nature. In the linked article, Megan Banker says, “When I started getting into more technical sports outside, there was no gear for me. I was climbing mountains in clothes that were too small and made for men. I was physically, emotionally, and mentally capable—but my gear was the limiting factor.”
And how often is that true for many different sports? One body type dominating a certain activity does not mean that one body type is the only one capable of participating in and enjoying that activity.
We just aren’t doing enough to change the underlying barriers keeping people from being able to access health. Look out for an upcoming post from me about the difference between individual and public health.
So much of how we talk about wellbeing in the US is directed toward individual choices and does little to acknowledge the structural systems that create health inequity.
Per the WHO report, “Unacceptable gaps persist in how long people can expect to live healthy lives depending on where they live, the communities they belong to, their education level, their race and ethnicity, their income and wealth, their gender and whether they have a disability. The social determinants of health equity - that is, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and people’s access to power, money, and resources—have a powerful influence on these avoidable and unjust health gaps.”
Forever railing against the craziness of “SkinnyTok” being a word I ever have to say.
There have been crazy storms throughout the country with growing frequency and magnitude for years. This year, my current home was a victim. As always, out of chaos, sadness, and grief comes art. This was a really beautiful ode to Saint Louis.
Please do what you can to protect yourselves and the young people in your life from this type of eating disorder promotion. It isn’t benign. It is so common for my clients to cite social media and “body trends” as the initiators of their eating disorder.
A cool look at how people are taking their heritage and their current lived experiences to create nuanced cookbooks with old and new roots.
UGHHHHHHHH what did I say about not wanting to have to talk about SkinnyTok? Friends. It’s not anything new or worth engaging with - it’s just diet culture repackaged to get you hooked on starvation again. Eat food. It’s good. I promise!!
Okay, here’s my rant on this one. I am a proponent of bodily autonomy. I do not judge a woman who chooses to adhere to the strict definition of femininity currently at play in today’s society to feel more acceptable, lovable, and good.
And, I would like everyone who is calling this a “win for the girls” or Kylie a “girl’s girl” for sharing this information to understand that this particular woman has made a career of changing her body surgically to look aesthetically have an appearance that does not exist for 99.9999% of people naturally.
She does this to fit a patriarchal beauty ideal that is oppressive to women because it is unachievable without significant expense: time, money, self-confidence, etc. While being unachievable for the majority of women, it is used to uphold a specific image of what a “good” woman looks like.
It creates a beauty industry worth billions of dollars as women strive to change their natural beauty to fit one specific look because they fear what it means to exist as they are. It objectifies women: making women less embodied and more concerned with how other people perceive them. It leads women to have less time, energy, money, or food in their bodies because their resources are spent trying to change the way they look or how their body appears to fit an impossible standard of beauty.
So, here’s my reminder that accepting your body is a stand against oppressive beauty standards and the unrealistic expectation of women to exist purely as objects, just things to be looked at.
Thoughts:
I really love getting the Architectural Digest each month as a space to explore design, creativity, and a world outside of my normal health/nutrition/eating disorder content. In other words, have hobbies! Do things that aren’t directly tied to your professional productivity! Expand your knowledge to things you will never monetize but bring you a little joy!
I did another rafting trip this year. Last year, we went to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. This year, we tried out the Ozark Scenic National Riverways in Missouri to save a little time & money. Let me tell ya—if you aren’t checking out these odd little non-national parks, you’re missing out! The rivers are protected lands, so they are clear, gorgeous waters with so much hiking, camping, and rafting all around! I’ve loved getting to know these spaces in the past year. But don’t all go because, of course, some of the beauty is in the fact that they are peaceful and not full of tourists.
Can we take a moment to acknowledge my HYDRANGEAS? The first year we moved into our house, we got no blooms. I think they were being crowded out by bushes, so we moved said bushes. Last year we had a few small blooms, but check them out right now!! I’m obsessed.
The food that inspired me this month:
BLT Salads:
1/4 cup Frozen corn, defrosted
3-4 slices of Bacon or handful of Veg Bacon-ish Alt *see below
1/4 of a thinly sliced shallot
big handful of chopped cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup lettuce of your choice
1 thinly sliced radish
A handful of shredded cheese
Toss on something crunchy: crispy onions, crispy jalapeños, croutons, etc.
1 tbsp creamy, mayo-based dressing like thousand island dressing or buttermilk ranch
Serve with potato salad or another carbohydrate to make it a meal
Vegetarian Bacon Alternative:
Marinate crumbled tempeh in…
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp chili crisp (the one WITH MSG if you want it to be the best!)
1 tbsp barbeque sauce
1tsp garlic
A couple of shakes of paprika
2 tsp liquid smoke
Marinate for at least an hour
Add 1-2 tbsp oil to a pan and let the pan heat up before adding your tempeh
Keep tossing your tempeh in the pan until your sauce caramelizes around the protein. Add more barbecue sauce if it doesn’t feel saucy enough
Deglaze with cooking wine, if you’d like
Let it cool before building your salad
Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash Getting Full Meal + Support Group
Getting Full is happening June 18th at 2:30 pm CT!
Joining us for Getting Full is as simple as upgrading your subscription. An upgraded subscription costs $8/month, or you can pay upfront for the year and get 2 months free. An upgraded subscription gets you:
Bonus essays and videos on top of the four monthly free posts
Access to the full archive and all Full Life Resources developed by my practice.
Access to the Getting Full support group each month
Lots of other fun little tidbits that I come up with throughout the month!
Fully Myself Body Image Retreat
I’m officially transitioning Fully Myself into an online curriculum and running the program this July-August. I have felt so inspired, lucky, and connected to this group as I’ve been running it the past few weeks. It’s good, guys!!
So, I’m offering it again this July-August, but virtually! Here are the details if you’d like to join us:
More Details:
Group will be held from 6-7 pm Central Time on Tuesday nights which is…
7-8 pm ET
5-6 pm MT
4-5 pm PT
Investment: $175 for 6 weeks of education, discussion, and reflection
Current paid subscribers will get a $32 discount to join (total investment $143). You just have to upgrade your subscription before signing up to get this discount!
Joining the group comes with the benefit of a 2-month comped subscription to The Full Life (a 2-month subscription is worth $16).
Join with this link - by filling out this form, you are securing your spot, and I will send you more information from there!
Happy Monday, everyone! Take care of yourselves. Eat yummy food. You deserve all the good things.
Gretchen