Food Groups: Starchy Foods

I thought I'd do a post educating both people with and without eating disorders, because I think that if people understood what a healthy balanced diet it, then there would be far less people suffering from eating disorders out there.A lot of people think "eating healthily" means eating fruits and vegetables etc., and cutting out fats, dairy and carbohydrates from our diet. But that couldn't be more wrong.

We need fats, fats and carbohydrates in order to live!

Our body cannot function properly without them, so why there is this whole image of certain food groups being 'bad' for you, I simply do not know.

So I thought I'd do a post on eating well. This is acording to a dietician too- I'm not just making things up!

I'm going to split this into 5 sperate posts, so here is part one...

1) Starchy Foods

(We don't call these carbohydrates, because other food contains carbohydrates as well. Starchy foods is more accurate.)

Why do we need starchy foods?

• Gives us slow releasing energy
• Keeps our blood sugar levels steady
  - This is VITAL for the whole body, especially the brain.
• Helps sleep
• Contains essential vitamins

How often should we eat them?

Shoud be a base for each of the 3 meals a day we eat.

Image via here.

Examples:

Bread, potato, rice, pasta, chips, couscous, gnocchi, oats, breakfast cereals...

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Look out for the rest of the food groups over the next few weeks!

Hope this is helpful,

Hannah xox

Let's start today

"Stop saying 'tomorrow'; 

start saying 'today'."

Hannah xox

Personal Progress #1

Sorry I've been away for a while - it's nearly GCSEs and I've been so busy! Just thoght I'd update this blog on my process :)

I get weighed once or twice a week at the moment, and yesterday I found out I am 0.1kg away from my target band! (A band is a 1kg zone where you are supposed to be at). I am so excited; I was so hopeless a few months ago because I never thought I'd get there. I felt so depressed- what was the point in trying if I couldn't do it?
Well to anyone out there recovering who is reading this, just rememeber that no matter how likely or unlikely it seems, it is possible.

I've been eating out every so often, and I'm actually learning to enjoy it again! I had the most delicious brownie, which feels pretty weird to have to be honest; it's just so odd that I'm finally at the stage I can have that and enjoy it again. Of course the guilt comes with it, but I can learn to deal with that. At least the rational part of me knows it is good and urges me to keep going.

I've eaten lunch at school a few times over the last 3 weeks, which is actually a huge achievement for me as it's hard being there to eat when it reminds me of how I was when I was at my worst. But now I know that there is more to life than being skinny, and I don't want to be that sad and scared little girl now. It's time to enjoy the rest of my life and the opertunities that will only come if I am well.

I now go to school 5 mornings a week and 3 afternoons, and I'm doing alright at catching up the work. I don't really feel part of a group at school- but I have 4 amazing best friends who have stuck by me through everything, and I would not be where I am without their wonderful support and love <3 (So if any of you read this; thank you, from the bottom of my heart).

My body image isn't great, but I'm learning to just move past the fact that I think I look fat, and just accept my body for the way it is. We will all have areas of our bodies we don't like, whether you have an eating disorder or not, but life isn't about your physical apperance. Looks don't matter- you can do anything you want, regardless of your shape and size. Well, that's what I've learnt. Confidence is all you need, and I will work on that [my confidence is that of a gnat].

Hope you're all doing well, and hope this wasn't too boring! Just wanted to show that it is possible to get back to a normal life after having an eating disorder :)

Hannah xox

Raising awareness in action!

Today is the 7th and final day of Eating Disorders Awareness week! 

And for the last day of this awareness week, I finally managed to post something on my personal instagram! (didn't manage Facebook because way more people follow me, but I'm proud I managed something at least.)

I had to cut down what I wrote below so it wouldn't go over the max words it would post, but I thought I'd post the longer version on here.

Today is the last day of Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2014, and I have finally plucked up the courage to post something about it. I feel physically sick posting this, but I am determined to raise awareness and break stigma about eating disorders, so I'm doing it anyway.

But why should I be ashamed; why should I hide it? 

If I had broken my leg I wouldn't be afraid to tell someone, so why should eating disorders be any different? They shouldn't.

I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa on the 9th May 2013, and I've been at the Priory for 4 months recovering from it. It is only with their help and huge amounts of support and encouragement from my family and few close friends that I've nearly beat it.

Last year was hell. At my worst I was so cold all the time, I couldn't focus on conversations at all, I fell behind at school and felt weak and tired. I'm just thankful my parents spotted it before it got any worse or went on for any longer.

You don't "choose" to have an eating disorder.

It starts off as an innocent idea to eat healthily and stop eating so much chocolate etc, but before you know it it can spiral out of control and become a full-blown eating disorder. 

Anorexia isn't just "being skinny". It's in your head; you can't concentrate on anything except food, exercise, calories and body image. You lose everything: your friends, your happiness, your health. And no matter how thin you get, you will never be happy with your appearance. You don't see yourself how you really are, your perception becomes warped and wrong. People with eating disorders aren't "attention seeking", they don't want the illness any more than any other person. It's hard to recover from when you're in the grips of the illness, no matter how hard you try. But it is possible.

Also, just because you see yourself as bigger than you actually are, does not mean that you think everyone else who are normal sizes are fat; it doesn't work like that.

You don't have to be thin to have an eating disorder either; it's a mental health condition, and being underweight or overweight are just physical consequences/ symptoms of it.

Eating disorders can come about for all sorts of reasons, but often they are caused by stress and feeling out of control of your life. People turn to food as a way of coping, and it is so easy to fall into the grips of an eating disorder. But they only create more problems- and need lots of help and support to overcome.

If you think you know someone suffering from an eating disorder, tell someone about it. You might just save their life.

* * *

And you know what? So far I haven't had a single mean comment for it, and quite a few people had like the photo which means they must support it, so it was worth it after all. I've also had a few really lovely comments- even from people I hardly know! That makes me so happy.

Hope you all had a good Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2014,

Hannah xox