DEAR BODY

Dear Body,

I cannot remember the last time that I did anything for you whole-heartedly.

I’ve done nothing but mistreat you and abuse you in every way, for decades. I’m not only sorry but truly and utterly ashamed of how I’ve treated you all this time. I’ve disrespected you in every way and allowed others to do the same. I’ve ridiculed and blamed you for not allowing me to reach my goal, potential or status. As if it was your fault that I did not fuel you properly, so that you could perform at your best. All I’ve done is neglect you in every way. Feeding you the wrong foods, keeping you inactive and not loving you.

In return, you have done nothing but allowed me the chance to move and carry on every day. No matter how sick you’ve been or how tired I’ve made you. You have not failed me. You allow my heart to beat each day and give me room to breathe. Anyone/Anything else would have abandoned me a long time ago but you, you stay. You believe in me when I don’t. You care for me when my spirit cannot. Somehow you know that my will is strong and that someday…someday I will raise you up. Somehow you know that together we can do anything.

I’m deeply sorry that it’s taken me so long to come around and feel the damage that I’ve been single-handedly manifesting upon you all these years. I’m disgusted at my behaviour and ask, no beg you, for your forgiveness.

I want to thank you for being so kind, so loving and so very patient with me. For taking it slow and allowing me to understand and truly hear what it is you really need from me. For understanding that this journey of ours is my most difficult one. Thank you most for always reaching out to me, whenever I fall off the wagon and succumb to my old ways. Your love and support is always unconditional and I know it doesn’t have to be so. I have seen many bodies give up on others and am beyond grateful that you see something in me, in us, to carry on and stay right by my side – every step of the way. Lord knows I don’t deserve you, but I’m glad he believes I’m worth it.

I don’t have all the answers. I am not always strong. There will be days when the addict in me will surface and reign true, allowing my spirit to fall. These are what I call “the empty days”, when I feel helpless, worthless and cannot find meaning in anything. But, it’s during those days that I will need you to love me most. It is then that I will need you to work with my mind and spirit to help me back up, so that I can deliver myself from all the unnecessary evils. I’m not saying that I will never fail you again because I will. I’m human after all and must allow for such things. If I don’t, I will only cause myself more destruction and disillusion, and I think I’ve done enough of that already. All I beg of you is patience. That you continue to work with me and keep strong.

I promise that better days are ahead and someday, I will make you shine again. This, I vow.


To all women everywhere:

It’s time that we stop abusing our bodies and self-worth before it’s too late. We need to put an end to the “society talk” and status quos and truly see what we are really doing to our bodies because of it.

I had to learn the hard way and today, I live and fight with 2 eating disorders. It’s been the hardest struggle of my life to date. One that I pray to overcome. I wasn’t strong enough to understand that nothing/no one could ever love my body better than I could. That society should never dictate what anyone’s worth is. But, I didn’t and because of it, I live with the consequences of my decisions every day.

Today, I thankfully have an incredible team of people behind me and I am on the road to recovery.  *** To my medical team of professionals, my Therapists, Group clinic team, my family and friends:  Thank-you so much for working so hard every day to show me the way.  I would not be alive today if it wasn't for all your "tough love", strength and support.  I love you all. ****

It has taken me a year to come to terms with all the emotions and fear that this illness has brought. Afraid of admitting all that I am going through for fear that no one would understand. Afraid of being ridiculed and judged. But it’s time. I’m realizing that by hiding I’m missing out on helping others going through the same thing.

If you or anyone you know/love is suffering from an eating disorder or eating addiction, there is help out there. All you have to do is ask. Don’t be afraid or pretend it’s not happening, like I did. Don’t wait until it’s too late to love yourself. Trust me, there is no greater glory than “self-love” and no greater fulfillment than being healthy…. at any weight!

I invite you all to join me in the pledge to our bodies below:

Much love & respect:  Gia


Today I pledge to love my body.

I pledge to refrain from saying derogatory things about my weight, shape, or appearance. If I talk about my body, it will be to tell the world how absolutely fabulous it is.

I pledge to hold others accountable to respecting my body in all its shapely glory. I will not allow others to create the definitions of what is right for my body. I will make those decisions and stand firm by them.

I pledge to honour the signals that my body sends me. I will sleep when I’m tired, eat when I’m hungry, and drink when I’m thirsty. I will play when my body needs movement and slow down when it needs rest. I will listen closely.

I pledge to treat my body well, just for being amazing. I will do things that give my body pleasure in all forms, as long as those things don’t hurt me.

I pledge to stand up for the right of all bodies to be treated with respect. I will defend others whom I hear bullied and will take action when society tries to tell us what the “right” body is.

I pledge to move my body in ways that give me joy and energy. I will bend and twist and stretch and jump, but I will not devote hours of my life to activity that brings my body pain, tension, or stress.

I pledge to be honest with myself about my body and it’s needs and desires. I will not hide behind lies that I am not good enough, tall enough, attractive enough, thin enough, or just enough.

I pledge to teach others to love their bodies as well, by modeling a positive attitude toward my body and showing others that acceptance is possible. I will inspire in others what I wished someone inspired in me.

~ Author of the Pledge is Unknown ~

A DAUGHTER'S LOVE

More perfect than the Sun
More beautiful than a Rose
The love I have for you, only God could know.
For it is he and I that chose you to be my Mother
All those years ago.

You may not believe it
But I swear nothing could be more true
That of all the other women created to have children
No one was more perfect for the task than you.

You were the one I’d need in this life
To stand by my side and see me through
Because after all, anyone could be called a Mother
But to give of yourself unconditionally each day
Takes a selfless heart and the purest of souls
In a word, YOU!
 
I knew it when I first felt your touch
That I would never deserve a love so true
40 years later, I feel no different
You are still the one I cherish most and look up to

We have a special and unique bond
That no one could ever break
A love that has taken a life time to nurture
That no one could ever take.

You don’t always understand me
But you try so hard to
Always hiding the hurt and pain I cause you
Forever protecting your daughter like a suit of armour
Making it known to all living things
That you will destroy anyone, anything that will ever try to harm her

And  if I am given nothing else within this life
I am forever blessed
Because I was loved enough by a God
That he created a mother like you, just for me
A Mother who is without a doubt simply...THE BEST!

{ To all the Mother's out there:  Whether on earth or in heaven, we love you! }

~ Happy Mother's Day ~

ARE YOU LIVING WITH VITALITY & PASSION?

 

In today’s society, mental wellness has become equally important as physical vitality.  In order for your body to be well; your mind must follow suit.  With our busy lifestyles, stress plays a significant role in our mental and physical well-being.  So, learning how to deal with it is paramount. 

Now that spring is upon us it’s a perfect time to start a new health regime.  Most people try this after ringing in the New Year but, it’s a difficult task to achieve.  Something about the days darkening at 4pm and the endless amount of snow/cold weather is enough to make your body shut down – let alone your mind.  This is why I believe that spring is the perfect time to take on this new challenge.  With the days getting longer and the weather getting brighter, our spirits naturally begin looking for new ways to get fit and embrace a healthier lifestyle. 

One of the key elements of getting fit is making sure that you always set yourself up for success.  There is no point beginning something that is doomed to fail, before you even begin.  So, take some time to sit down and really think about your day to day life.  Think about what small changes you can incorporate right away, to give you that momentum to continue building upon your new lifestyle.   The second key element you must remember is that this is in fact a “lifestyle” change.  So, be sure to implement changes that you can stick to every day.  Don’t simply make haste decisions because it will give you an immediate result.  We all know how those end up.

So, in honour of spring and our lives, I thought I would provide you all with some tips on how to “get started” on “getting fit”.   You must picture yourself as a 3-level component.  Mind, Body and Spirit.  Keeping in mind that what you do to one will alter and effect all three. 

Here are some really great tips that I've found extremely helpful to get you off to a great start.  They will certainly keep you motivated to stay on track:

#1 BEGIN A DIARY

 You are what you eat, in every way.  This timeless saying still rings true.  Take the time each day to write down everything you’re eating.  Really think about what you’re putting into your body on a daily basis.  Then at the end of each day, rate how you fell over all.  If you’re truthful, you may find that there could definitely be some room for improvement.  Your food choices should not only stimulate your taste buds, but your mind and body as well.  Food can set the pace for many things.  How you feel, what your mood is like and the level of energy you have.  You must begin looking at food as something that not only affects your body, but your spirit and mind as well.

#2 MAKE YOUR ADVENTURE FUN

Choose an activity that stimulates you in every way.  Allow yourself to experience something that will engage you physically, mentally and spiritually.  Make sure that it’s fun, exciting and somewhat of a challenge.  This will keep you motivated so that you do it continuously without boredom.  Take Salsa lessons.  Sign up for some cooking or Yoga classes.  Join a sporting team or become a meditation student.  Those are some examples, just to name a few. 

# 3 MAKE A PLAN OF ACTION

It is always important to set up a plan of action, whenever you commit to taking on a new project. Many of us talk about it but only few of us schedule a strategy to execute and follow.  So get into the habit of mapping out your action plan.  Create your own mission statement and then write out (step by step) how you plan to achieve that goal.  Make sure your plan illustrates something you can do each day and then begin working (day by day) to achieve what you’ve committed to do. 

# 4 SET REALISTIC GOALS

If your goals aren’t attainable you will soon lose all motivation and enjoyment in trying to achieve them.  It’s important that you not take on too much but, equally important to keep yourself challenged enough.  Too much of either thing can leave you tired, bored and stressed out.  Remember, we are trying to elevate stress not promote more of it in our bodies. 

#5 EDUCATE YOUSELF

There is an abundance of information out there on health, fitness and mental/spiritual well-being.  Take the opportunity to learn and adopt some key points that will serve you in this journey.   It could be a new recipe, or learning the benefits of certain food and vitamins over others.  Perhaps you will discover a new running class being offered that you always wanted to try and now you can, because the group runs in your area.  Most importantly, you can share some of your “new found knowledge” with your friends and loved ones too.  Who knows, you may be the inspiration that sparks another’s need for change in their lives.  

#6 FIND SUPPORTERS

Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a Therapist or a community support group; we all need help with staying on track.  As I mentioned earlier, your path must be seen as a 3-level component.   When your spirit is positive it allows your mind to think clearly, vividly.  With this intact, both components will allow your body to be more at ease – which in turn help fight off illness and disease.  Everything you do affects everything else.  Once you truly grasp that concept all will become clear.

# 7 WHAT ‘S UP DOC?

Every plan is full of good intentions but, you should always begin by consulting your physician before beginning a health/lifestyle regime.  So make sure that you visit and discuss your health with them to rule out any serious conditions, injuries or limitations.  You may have the best of intentions but if you don’t know what’s going on inside of you too much of a good thing can have a negative impact. 

It’s a new season, so why not discover a new you.  Whatever your journey; may it be fruitful in every way.  Always remember that nothing tastes, looks or could ever be as good as healthy feels – so you owe it to yourself to be the most vibrant you you can be. 

Wishing you all a very long, healthy, happy and passionate life.  You deserve nothing less.