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Nutrition 360 Hannah Maehrer

Hello! My name is Hannah Maehrer Welcome to my Nutrition 360 page!

"Finding theBalance"

I think what initially drew me to this particular blog, “Amy Beth Shen” was the phrase “finding peace with food”. As a person who has suffered from an eating disorder in the past this was something that really caught my attention because it is something I strive for everyday. The blog’s primary focus is to inform the reader about nutrition information, while at that the same promoting a gentle and guilt free way of thinking about food. She talks a lot about the negative effects of dieting and also a positive body image attitude.

When I looked an Amy’s background it listed that she worked in eating disorder treatment, which really spoke to me as my ultimate goal and reason for becoming a nutritionist. She also lists that she has a non-diet mentality which again is something that I’m striving for and would like to practice when I’m a nutritionist one day! We’re like twins am I right?

I think the strictness that we place upon ourselves when it comes to food and exercise is a part of a much larger issue. People go on diets everyday and work themselves to much in the gym, they put so much stress on their bodies and are surprised when they don’t see the results they want. Which usually leads to a “binge” or quitting the diet all together. This creates a poor relationship with food, it becomes the enemy.

One of my favorite things about Amy’s blog post style is her way of addressing the audience. It’s very informal while still remaining professional. It feels like having a cup of coffee with a good friend while at the same time being informational. That probably won’t be the last time I mention coffee by the way (I’m addicted to the stuff). What Amy talks about in her blogs is a stark contrast from what we can see in the media when it comes to diets and how we should eat.

Her writing style was attention grabbing, but also her ability to make an issue seem like a problem that everyone has. I felt not so alone in my struggles reading her different articles that pertain to many other people. Her design style was very clean and eye catching without being too distracting, which is good because a I have the attention span of a squirrel. The pictures she used were beautiful also delicious looking! They made me want to keep reading and held my attention really well… Also possibly made me really hungry.

Amy's Oven Roasted Potatoes.... am I drooling oops

When I was reading her posts I felt really safe and unjudged. When often times in our diet obsessed culture food and exercise can be something you’re so self conscious about, it’s important to regard food for what it is. Fuel, and our bodies as a gift we need to take care of. Nobody is forcing us into a diet. I want to make people that read my blog feel the way Amy's made me feel. It’s easy to see a picture of someone you admire and want to change yourself to be like them. Find a balance with food and exercise and you will look and be exactly as you are supposed to. We are all wonderfully unique. Thanks Amy for spreading the good word.

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A link to Amy's site

Check it out!

https://amybethshen.com

"Everyone Has an Eating Disorder

Hey everyone! Back for another burst of what I like to call a “nutrition reality check” just want to use this to remind everyone that nutrition is a huge part of all of our lives and not to take it to seriously. On that note I want to talk about this really amazing printable handout that was put out by the Nation Eating Disorder Association. It’s titled “Eating Disorders Affect Us All”, I know what you’re thinking “Hannah not everyone has an eating disorder” which is true I agree. Here’s my point, you can have disordered eating without being classified as an “eating disorder” and not even know it, shocked yet?

I always thought we lived in a diet obsessed society but this handout was so incredibly impactful. It stated startling statistics about percentages of people who are not diagnosed with eating disorders. One that hit me the hardest was that 71.5% of the people who were surveyed said they are preoccupied with the desire to be thinner. That’s more then half and just confirms one of my deepest fears, that we not only live in a diet obsessed society, but an eating disorder inclined society.

When I think about my career as a nutritionist I want to work tirelessly to get rid of the stigmas behind eating disorders and help prevent them as much as possible. While I do want to specifically work with eating disorder patients, I think this hand out could be used for any person in any capacity. It was designed to make you think about your own habits and reflect where in your life you are showing disordered eating or body image thoughts. When I am officially a nutrition educator I want to utilize this. I’m a firm believer that once you’re aware of a behavior it makes it that much easier to change it. I think a lot of people think that it’s normal to be diet obsessed or vanity focused, but that’s not what a healthy nutrition outlook is. Changing the “norm” back to what’s healthy is my ultimate goal and this handout is the perfect tool. I think the shocking statistics and facts would be really helpful in getting peoples attention and making them think twice about their own habits.

It’s definitely accessible to most reading levels too which is helpful. It’s in mostly in bullet points making it really easy to read without losing anyone’s attention. I’ve noticed that the easier something is for people to read the more likely they are to pay attention and absorb the information so I think this format is just perfect.

Overall I really think this handout is amazing. It just brings attention to something our society has started to consider normal. The diet mentality can just as easily morph into an eating disorder mentality. It’s important to know to eat healthy but it’s also important to regard food and exercise in the right way. This is a really good reality check and I think our society needs to start changing the norm to a healthier mindset towards nutrition.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Mahatma Ghandi

"Start Breathing"

Hey everyone! back for another dose of body positivity with a touch of being mindful. I know I must sound like a broken record at this point but I think the biggest part in my recovery and finding my way to a healthy lifestyle was accepting that my body was the only one I had and it needed to be treated with the utmost of respect.

On that note lets move into my topic of the day! The mental and physical benefits of practicing yoga. When I was coming out of a doctor ordered month off from exercise she said she would allow me to do light stretching. So when I was looking for a good stretching video on YouTube I came across a yoga practice. Little did I know that one 10-minute video could change everything.

I fell in love with the way yoga made me feel. Not only was I getting more agile physically, while still remaining gentle on my healing body, I was mentally becoming the strongest I’ve ever been. Because yoga is such a mindful experience you’re more aware of your body then ever. Which sounds very triggering for people with eating disorders, but it in fact brings to light how amazing and unique your body is. I went to my first class following that experience and it was amazing how the teacher let us have free range with the moves. “Do what feels good for your body” is what she’d say. Something so different from the exercise experiences I’ve had in the past. Looking around me I saw that I could do some moves that others couldn’t and vice versa because we are all different! You truly make the workout your own.

I started to appreciate the uniqueness of body and all it was capable of. I started to want to take care of it and look forward to getting on my yoga mat and learning and new move or just doing slow stretching. I started to get curious, was it like this for everyone? Why does it help so much? Turns out yoga isn’t just for stress it helps so many ailments. According to a journal article I found yoga is extremely beneficially for neurological disorders such as recovering post stroke, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and many others. The effects of yoga greatly decrease stress in these patients and the article also states that yoga could even go as far as curing someone of some chronic pains.

While I was doing my research I also found this awesome article from the American Osteoporosis foundation. They talked about all the reasons yoga is so beneficial, something that really struck me from this article was ““The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.” Yoga’s so amazing because it helps your strength inside and outside. The article also talks about how the rhythmic breath you have during yoga helps release more oxygen to your brain which causes you to think better. Just doing 10 minutes can have serious impacts on your mental health and your attitude for the rest of the day.

I’ve even found yoga to effect my decisions outside of the studio. For instance, after I’ve practiced something so beneficial for myself and my body it enforces me to choose healthier options simply because I want to nourish my body with the best possible choices. The beauty of yoga is that even when you have so much going on as soon as you get on the mat you need to focus on your breathing. It’s physically impossible to think two thoughts at once so as long as your focused all of the negativity just melts away. Another amazing article published by Harvard Medical School, reinstated my belief that yoga helps increase your confidence and body image. When you bring this incredible awareness to your body it’s very difficult to citizen it. Your body becomes your tool for life, something you should be proud of.

I wouldn’t have gotten through half the things in my life without yoga. I think its something we can all benefit from doing even just for five minutes everyday. So if you’ve never tried break out your mat head to the studio or even just your living room and start breathing. As humans we are built to compare and criticize ourselves. Yoga makes that impossible because it proves that we are all wonderfully and beautifully unique.

A year and a half ago I finally got my first headstand

Works Cited

Mooventhan A, Nivethitha L. Evidence based effects of yoga in neurological disorders. Journal of ClinicalNeuroscience. 2017;43:61-67. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2017.05.012.

Publishing HH. Yoga – Benefits Beyond the Mat. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat. Accessed October 26, 2017.

The Benefits of Yoga. American Osteopathic Association. http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/yoga.aspx. Accessed October 26, 2017.

Created By
Hannah Maehrer
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by GerDukes - "breakfast first meal" • jill111 - "raspberries breakfast summer" • wuestenigel - "Acai-Bowl mit Mango, Brombeeren und Toppings: Mandeln und Kokosrapseln" • Devanath - "lotus natural water" • monicore - "coconut oil oil white" • Daria-Yakovleva - "pancakes pancake hash browns" • Meditations - "appetite apple calories" • wuestenigel - "Heart made with cherries" • geralt - "sunset origin abstract" • leninscape - "yoga outdoor nature" • clarissewwt - "yoga fitness wellbeing" • geralt - "earth meditation world"

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