Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

   I have always been frustrated by the way in which my body looks like, even after I lost a lot of weight it was the same. Talking to my friends, colleagues and poeple I met I was surprised to hear that they have the same problem. Moreover, they always complain about their body types and about their weight more passionately when it comes about clothing; they usually complain about the fact that the fabrics and the stitches are made only for the Victoria's Secret Angels. I must admit... that's my complaint also. But thank God I have never did something that extrem that could jeopardize my healt. Unfortunatelly, a lost of people did so without thinking that in the end... it will only matter who we really are, no how we look like( we are all getting old and who knows what for will the others remember us; usually, the facts matter more).

   The truth is that on the catwalk there are only skinny models, there are very few designers who create clothing for voluptuous women. Our Fashion inspiration always come from the skinny person, from the skinny socialites, ... everybody wants to be skinny! I won't pretend that I have never wanted to be able to wear any kind of blouse or any pair of trousers... BUT girls( especially teenagers) usually apply the fastest way in which one can lose weight, but definitely not the healthiest one: eating disorders.

   The world cares so much about the image so the only solution to gain success is looking good. This is not such a big issue, it's OK to want to pe perfect, everybody is trying to achieve perfection. The problem is that we don't do this in a safe way, by having a well-balanced diet and by visiting the gym 3 times/week. We choose the way in which health can destabilize; there were a lot of girls who got anorexia and bulimia because they wanted to be thin... some of them even died because of this foolish ambition.
Look what MedlinePlus said about these two illnesses:
- Anorexia nervosa: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000362.htm
- Bulimia: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000341.htm

   There are well known the cases of Nicole Richie, the Mary Kate Olsen and Lindsay Lohan; these girls used to be healthy, to have a healthy figure until they developed this obsession for being thin. A lot of young ladies took them as examples and, impressed by their style and by their skinny bodies in which clothes looked amazing, did the same. Look at these photos... can you find any feminine or beautiful aspect in them?

   ( Thank God Nicole Richie is a responsible mom now!)

   Being skinny-anorexic-bulimic is not cool, sexy or beautiful; it is scary, creepy and unhealthy. Being FIT and ATHLETIC is something else; there are a lot of recipes and a lot of exercises that can be practiced at home( a lot of us spend most of the time working or studying).

   Brierley Wright, a nutrition editor, says that there are 8 " Secret- Weapon Foods" for weight loss: Mushrooms, Eggs, Apples, Low Calorie Desserts( like dark chocolate), Soup, Oatmeal, Hot Chile Peppers and Almonds. You can visit this site because he even gives for each " Weapon Food" some healthy recipes: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_exercise_tips/8_secret_weapon_foods_for_weight_loss

   I really like the Pilates exercises; there are a lot of tutorials on youtube and all over the internet, here is an examples which I consider useful: http://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates?feature=watch

   I hope that the skinny trend is gone and that it is replaced with the healthy diets and exercises. It's not worth getting ill for looking good, it is important to both feel good and look good, as the Latins believed " Mens sana in corpore sano"( a healthy mind in a healthy body).

   See you soon,
   Love, A.