by Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C | Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating, Family Feeding, Intuitive Eating, Mental Health, Self-Compassion |
Having good body image…means letting go.
For most people, especially female-identified people, we want good body image, by having a “good” body.
This “good” body has all the “right” numbers (weight/size/height).
This “good” body has the “right” hair, eyes, skin, nails, feet, chest, and even genitals.
This “good” body is strong, flexible, abled, healthy, and perfect.
We wake up each day, clinging to the dream of having this “good” body.
Why wouldn’t we?
“Good” bodies get all the social goodies, right?
“Good” bodies get social, economic, and reproductive power.
“Good” bodies are revered.
“Good” bodies slip, sinewingly (yes, it’s a made up word), past rejection, ridicule, discrimination, and even violence without a thought.
“Good” bodies are loved, not abandoned.
“Good” bodies don’t get revenge, they are revenge.
“Good” bodies can go anywhere, wear anything, and talk to anyone.
“Good” bodies make the person good enough.
“Good” bodies never scar, never stretch, never stink, never wrinkle, never get hairy (here or there), never age, never get sick…do “good” bodies never die?
“Good” bodies are never sad, mad, or scared.
“Good” bodies are madly in love and have the best sex.
“Good” bodies are never down.
For “good” bodies, everything is wonderful.
Who wouldn’t want a “good” body?
Most people do.
Many people spend their whole lives dedicated to acquiring a “good” body in every way that money can buy.
Many people are so fiercely devoted to this pursuit that to suggest otherwise is inconceivable.
What if, despite what every diet program, workout regimen, fitness influencer, commercial, or “healthy lifestyle” coach tells us,…
You and I and everyone will never, ever have a “good” body.
With a lot of money, time, attention, and obsession, can we fly higher into that sun?
Of course.
But, at what cost?
Is it ever good enough?
Do we ever arrive?
If, after all of that effort, we touch the sun, what does it take to stay there?
Is it a life a body wants to live?
That’s the thing about bodies, they don’t care about being “good.”
Bodies care about being alive.
Bodies care about getting enough to eat.
Bodies care about getting enough rest.
Bodies care about touch and other bodies.
Bodies care about joy and laughter and the richness of life.
Bodies work hard to carry us through life and they just want to be loved by their inhabitants.
Afterall, when we judge, criticize, ridicule, and hold with disdain this and that about our bodies…who is it we’re talking to?
Who receives these harsh, unrelenting words?
It’s our own vulnerable selves, sister.
Deep in the quiet of our bodies lives our own, perfect self, just wanting to be loved exactly as she is without the slightest concern for her body…
And it isn’t the love of others that she seeks.
No, it is the warm, kind, gentle affection of ourselves that we long for most.
You see, good body image isn’t about believing you have a “good” body.
Good body image is about letting go of the dream of all that we imagine a “good” body will give us.
It is a tall order.
Having stared into the sun for so long, we are blind to all that we have been missing.
We have not been able to see that the love we seek is already ours to give.
We have not been able to see that what we truly, deeply long for is acceptance, connection, meaning, and purpose.
The pursuit of a “good” body can look an awful lot like each of those things.
It is not.
Good body image is about letting go.
Good body image is about knowing that the body holds your precious self and it is not your self.
Good body image is about living in connection through your body not because of your body.
Good body image is about a definition of health that includes many ways of practicing well-being, not simply the pursuit of a “good” body.
Good body image is being willing to turn away from that sun and believe that when our eyes adjust, there will be a whole universe of life and love to discover.
All bodies are good bodies. Right now.
by Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C | Mental Health, Mindfulness, Psychotherapy, Relationships, Self-Compassion |
Love is both a feeling and an action.
Many people describe love as a feeling of warmth in their heart, chest, or stomach.
We often feel a sense of affection for the object of our love. We reach out to touch, caress, hug, hold, pat, kiss, and otherwise be near this person or pet. Healthy attachment is regulating to our nervous system.
Those warm feelings feel like safety and yumminess.
We need, and can have, many different forms of love in our lives.
Love for a partner.
Love for a child.
Love for a friend.
Love for a
sister/brother/parent/cousin/grandparent/etc.
Love for a pet.
Love for a person or
people we serve.
Love for someone
we’ve lost.
Love for someone
we’ve found.
Love for time we
share with someone who shares an interest.
Love for our
colleagues.
Love for a hobby or
passion.
Love for a time that
once was.
Love for the hope of
what will be.
Love for who we
were.
Love for who we are.
Love for whom we may
become.
Many of us learned we were unlovable.
Many of us decided then to un-love ourselves first before we could be taken by surprise by those who would reject us. This un-love, this fear, this strategy became True and we were divided.
When seeking to return to love of ourselves, acceptance feels frightening and we rebel against it.
But wait.
Slow down.
Start by accepting THAT you don’t accept. Accept fear. Accept pain. Accept sinking doubt, searing shame, the desperate desire to hide. Accept that you don’t know how to accept.
Ah, yes. This is
what’s here right now.
You may find that
with this little drizzle of acceptance for non-acceptance, there is a little
softening and a little relief and the tiniest possibility of acceptance of more
of who you are.
Love, acceptance and
pleasure for someone for who they are right now, is the rain, sun, and soil in
which each of us blossoms.
May you reach and
stretch for a little of your own sunlight.
May you drink from
the well of your own affection.
May you eat from the
table of your own acceptance.
May you feel yourself blossom right where you are, no matter how imperfect the conditions.
With Love and Yumminess,
Karen
by Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C | Blended Families, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Polyamory, Psychotherapy, Relationships, Women |
Jenna has two partners and three metamours. She wants to celebrate with everyone and leave no one feeling left out. But each year, it’s a challenge because Valentine’s Day is only one day. How in the world is she supposed to make time for everyone? Last year, one of her partners was hurt because they felt she signaled that he was less important. She wants to avoid this this year.
Valentine’s Day is a day often filled with excitement and expectation. It’s a day to celebrate love and romance, and many Americans hope to spend the day with a special someone, but how do you manage this when you are polyamorous and have multiple partners? How do you navigate showing each partner just how much they mean to you without neglecting anyone? How do you decide what to do with whom and when? It can be a stressful time for any polycule, but it doesn’t have to be.
Here are a few ways to leave the stress at the door as you think about celebrating this Valentine’s Day.
DETERMINE WHAT YOUR PARTNERS WANT TO DO
Don’t make assumptions, ask your partners how they want to celebrate with you this year. Figure out what will make all of your special someones happy as you celebrate your love together. Does that mean a weekend away together? How about a nice dinner at home? Maybe it’s a party with your whole polycule to celebrate together? Flowers and a card? Whatever you decide to do, make sure to ask your partners and don’t assume what they want.
DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Not everyone wants to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their romantic partners, but some people do. Make sure you connect with all of your partners in your polycule and ensure that you have a clear understanding of what Valentine’s Day means for each individual relationship. Is celebrating on February 14th of utmost importance, or is just being together to honor your commitment to one another no matter the date more important? Will you exchange gifts with one another? Unclear expectations can lead to hurt feelings, so make sure that you connect with your partners to have a clear understanding of what they envision.
COMMUNICATE
This is the cornerstone of every polyamorous relationship(s). Whether you’re a dyad, triad, quad or a wide-reaching poly family, communication is a key part of navigating partners, metamours, and everything in between. Things are no different when thinking about how to spend Valentine’s Day. Make sure you share your plans with your partners so everyone knows when they’ll be celebrating with you and when you’ll be with other partners. Don’t leave anyone in the dark, just like any other part of polyamory, be open and be honest.
DON’T SCHEDULE BASED ON HIERARCHY
Polyamory often comes with innate hierarchies among relationships often determined by sweat equity in a relationship. Simply put, it’s the idea that the relationship you’ve been in the longest is your most important and so forth. It comes with the idea that one has primary, secondary, tertiary, etc… partners. This is a valid style of poly for some, but when it comes to celebrating your love for your partners, don’t let your scheduling be dictated by hierarchies. Primary partners shouldn’t get to “call dibs” on a day before you’ve had a chance to talk to all of your partners. Make sure that your scheduling works for everyone to avoid hurt feelings and negative metamour relationships.
DON’T COMPARE AND/OR COMPETE
No two relationships have the same connection or love between partners, so why would you compare how you celebrate that love? It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Everyone has different needs and it’s important to avoid comparing or competing with your metamours. Just focus on the best way to give and receive love with your partners in whatever way will make you happy.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
Alyson Mullie, LMSW
by Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C | Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating, Family Feeding, Intuitive Eating, Mindfulness, Recipe Ideas for Intuitive Eaters, Women |
written by Katrina Seidman, RDN, LDN, Avalon Dietitian
These are so delicious it’s hard to believe they are so easy to make. If you are like my family and spend too much money on packaged energy or protein bars, you may want to try to whip up your own. I know what you’re thinking—won’t this take hours and dirty a bunch of dishes? Nope. Won’t I have to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients-probably not! Won’t an entire batch go bad within a week or so? Nope! Too good to be true? Not at all!
These nutrition packed snacks are super simple and easy to make using what you probably already have in your cabinet and only use 1 bowl-that of your food processor. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend investing in a good one-there are so many uses from making your own hummus to making batters such as for sunflower butter blondies (from a previous blog post). I love my 14-cup Cuisinart one, but there are other good ones out there too.And, If you are NOT willing to get one, you can totally make these too, just with a few adjustments.
This recipe is also a great way to use up small bits of leftover nuts, dried fruit, seeds, oats, and other odds and ends you may have lingering in your pantry. The possibilities for variety are endless.
And, I needed a nut free option to send to school in my daughter’s lunch bag, so I substituted sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds for the nut items. You could also use soy nut butter and roasted soybeans as a nut-free alternative.
As if the above reasons were not enough to make you want to head to your kitchen, it gets even better—these bars (or balls, as I often form them into ball shapes), also make perfect gifts -I made a batch of chocolate chip peanut butter ones for my mom for Mother’s Day and gave them to her in a cute oversized coffee mug. With Valentine’s Day coming up, they make great “Galentine’s Day” gifts!
And, what about nutrition? Ok, so these bars are choc full of vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, and heart healthy fats! In short, they are super tasty nutrition powerhouses! Here is the basic recipe, which can be adapted according to your pantry inventory and your family’s tastes..
Basic Recipe
1 cup dried fruit (we like raisins and/or dates) (**if you don’t have a food processor, I would substitute ⅓ cup of honey instead of dried fruit; or, date paste, if you can find it in the supermarket)
1 cup old fashioned oats (or you can substitute ground flaxseed or hemp seeds in this part to total 1 cup combined oats and seeds)
2 tbsp oil; I use olive (not extra virgin because of the strong flavor) or canola or grapeseed oils
1/2 cup nut or seed butter (any kind. We like sunflower seed, cashew, almond, and peanut, or our current favorite Chocolate Don’t Go Nutz! or a mix of any of them)
1/3 cup nuts or seeds such as sunflower or chia or can substitute chocolate chips here (our personal favorite :))
Pinch of salt-rounds out the flavor
Cinnamon to taste
Directions
Puree first 5 ingredients to desired consistency in food processor. (Or, if not using a food processor, add them to a large bowl and mix until combined You can use your hands here.)
Add, nuts, seeds,and optional chocolate chips for texture and pulse a few times in the processor (or do a final mix all together).
Oil hands and form into balls and place on small cookie sheet or press into greased or parchment lined baking dish to make bars.
Place in freezer and when frozen, place in a zip top bag back into the freezer so they stay fresh for a long time. They are good right out of the freezer or you can let them thaw for a few minutes before eating.
Makes 10 large or 20 small servings
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: however much you want to eat to feel good and energized
Calories: Calories give you energy and help your body function. We need LOTS of them at regular intervals during the day
Fat: important for helping us feel satisfied for an extended period of time and helps us to absorb nutrients from our food
Carbs: give us quick energy and helps keep our blood sugar stable
Fiber: helps with feeling full longer, can support healthy cholesterol levels, and help with bowel regularity :). Found in the fruit, oats, nuts, and seeds.
Sugar: not a toxic or addictive substance! Necessary for brain functioning, energy, blood sugar stability, and a yummy taste. The sugar in this recipe comes from fruit, honey, and chocolate chips.
Protein: necessary for building and repairing body tissues and helping us to feel full and satisfied. Found in the nuts and seeds.
Vitamins/Minerals: lots found in this recipe! This is a super nutrient dense food.
One of my favorite combinations is peanut butter coconut made with 1 cup of dates , 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, 1/2 cup of chunky peanut butter and extra peanuts left whole, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I have also thought about trying a sweet and savory option but have not tried it yet. You can find more recipes like this online for whatever kind of tastes suit you. Let me know what you try!
Katrina Seidman, RDN, LDN
by Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C | Mental Health, Mindfulness, Psychotherapy, Relationships, Uncategorized, Women |
written by Stephanie Schuster, LMSW, Avalon Psychotherapist
In my work with couples, I often mention the notion of dating your spouse. When first entering a relationship, it is filled with dates, getting to know one another, romance, and passion – all part of the limerence or “honeymoon” phase.
But what happens after the honeymoon phase has fizzled out? Or when life gets busy? Or after having children? I always ask couples how often they make time for dates or even just alone time together. For some, the answer is rarely.
There are many reasons that make it hard for couples to schedule dates or alone time:
having to hire a babysitter
financial reasons (and you know what’s expensive? Divorce. Divorce is expensive…)
differing work schedules
just always being busy
There are always reasons to push dates together to the backburner, but you don’t have to have a full date night in order to date your spouse. Just like any relationship, maintaining a bond and connectedness requires work. The exercises below do not require money, hiring a babysitter, or even taking hours of time. (Although, it always helps to keep monthly or biweekly dates in the mix!)
Here are 5 unusual (and effective) ways to keep dating your spouse:
1. Reminisce over the start of the relationship and/or other memorable moments. A fun and free way of dating your spouse is revisiting the moments that fostered your connection and love for one another. Spend some time with your partner going over in detail your recollection of your first date together, or when you got engaged, or even the day you both said, “I do”. Take turns discussing what it was like for you during that time. What were the feelings? Was it nerve-wracking, exciting, or did you feel the chemistry immediately? What were the thoughts? This exercise is light and easy and can help you both remember what drove you to one another in the first place.
2. Spend time together disconnected. In a time where we are constantly on our phones, watching tv, and worrying about the long to-do list that needs attention, take time away from it all. Set time aside where you both can disconnect from the social world and connect with one another. Remove focus from the daily tasks and spend time going over things that are central to you both. Talk about goals, or dreams, or places you would love to visit. This can be done at home, at night in bed, or when out on a date. Don’t get caught up in discussing the “business” of running the family. This is connection time!
3. Show appreciation. Sometimes couples think that this is an easy or silly exercise. However, the value of showing appreciation for one another is often overlooked. You may be thinking- why should I show appreciation for daily tasks that need to get done. Or- I already say thank you when my partner does something nice or helpful. And those are valid. But when we take the time to focus on the things we may take for granted, and even more, make it a point to recognize them, we foster love and connectedness because it meets a core need of our partner: to feel “seen.” This does not have to be done daily and can be done in a way that is fun. Take turns each week noticing things your partner does that you don’t always give them credit for. Do you appreciate when your partner makes you your morning cup of coffee? Or when they offer to pick up something from the store for you? Or maybe even the way they parent. There are always things we can appreciate in our partners; we just need to take the time to recognize them and, more importantly, verbalize them.
4. Take a moment to connect and sync up your breathing. This one may take a little practice but can be very rewarding once you get the hang of it. Sit down facing your partner, find a position that is comfortable for you both, close your eyes, and get ready to be extra close to one another. In this exercise, you and your partner will sit and lean in to touch foreheads together. You will then both focus on your breathing and work to sync up your breathing with one another. This may take a couple tries and can be done for time intervals that feel most comfortable for you both. For the first try, aim to sync your breathing for 30 seconds, inhaling and exhaling. If you feel comfortable and find you are both able to easily sync your breathing, try for longer time intervals. Remember to focus on your breathing and your body. To add another layer of connectedness, hold hands while doing this exercise. Side note: You may find it hard to keep focused on the breaths while a myriad of things are swirling around in your head, and that is okay! Just try to notice when other thoughts come in and then return your focus to your breathing. Mindfulness is a powerful thing and keeping the focus on one another can bring on feelings of closeness and connectedness.
5. Get in your six second kiss each day. Anyone who is familiar with the Gottman Institute may already know about the 6-second kiss. If not, I am here to tell you about this amazing way of staying connected with your partner. It really is as simple as kissing for 6 seconds. Yup, that’s it! Now for the science- Kissing releases oxytocin and dopamine and can help reduce cortisol. What are those chemicals you ask? Oxytocin helps with feeling comfort and bonding, often referred to as the love hormone. Dopamine is that fun chemical that activates the reward center of the brain, giving us feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. And cortisol, the hormone that gives you fight or flight reflexes, a response to stress. This is a simple but powerful way to keep dating your spouse, and who doesn’t love a good kiss!
While setting time aside and scheduling date nights is important, it is not the only way to keep dating your spouse. Try any or all of these methods to help in reconnecting you to the one you love. Life is busy and hectic but that does not mean it has to get in the way of being close with your partner.
Stephanie Schuster, LMSW
