Category: What's on my mind?

Posted in What's on my mind?

Eating Disorders ?

Posted on by Suitcase Cally
Food – friend or foe?

Eating disorders; such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviours surrounding weight and food issues. Eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA is characterised by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Symptoms include:

  • Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level
  • Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”
  • Feeling “fat” or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
  • Loss of menstrual periods
  • Extreme concern with body weight and shape

BULIMIA NERVOSA is characterised by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food; more than most people would eat in one meal, in short periods of time.  They then get rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over- exercising.

Symptoms include:

  •      Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
  •      Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
  •      Purging after a binge (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or     diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)
  •      Frequent dieting
  •      Extreme concern with body weight and shape

BINGE EATING DISORDER (also known as COMPULSIVE OVEREATING) is characterised primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

OTHER EATING DISORDERS can include some combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or binge eating disorder. While these behaviours may not be clinically considered a full syndrome eating disorder, they can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining. All eating disorders require professional help.

Contact: National Eating Disorders Association

Posted in What's on my mind?

Stress Need Not Take Over Your Life

Posted on by Suitcase Cally

The health problems associated with stress should not be neglected as death rates from several of these conditions suggest you should take action to confront any issues you may have. This can likewise have an impact on your lifestyle and people who are around you and therefore it is not only your health that is at stake here. It could be that you just become aware of this when you start to feel unhealthy or have anxiety attacks, as the symptoms are not always apparent initially. If stress has become part of the way you live, then continue reading as we explore how you can cope with it. 



As with anything, the first thing you should do is accept you have a problem and determine the root cause of it. It could be your home life; work life or a common concern nowadays is money. When you understand what may be causing this, you can start to search for some solutions, which can include obtaining expert help. If you are struggling with debt, you are not alone and today there are numerous ways you can start to recover from this if you are prepared to ask for aid. It could also be that pressure from your supervisor is making you wary of going to work each day and if that is the case you may need to look for a way out. 



The physical feelings associated with stress are an area you can deal with yourself to reduce the effects as much as possible. During times of stress, we are in danger of using alcohol or convenience foods for relief; although this is not good for our health. In reality you need to consider eating healthily as a way to help your recovery because doing the opposite can just lead to more distress. Eating well can fight the effects of stress because of the healthy nutrients this provides and this can be further supported through taking vitamin supplements. In terms of anxiety, B vitamins are known to be particularly helpful.

If you change your diet, you can further enhance the benefits of this by doing some type of exercise. Whenever you exercise, you should observe that the symptoms of stress are lessened as your lungs begin to work harder. Following a pretty intense workout session, you should observe that you feel less stressed. Anything that makes you feel better about yourself is good in the battle against stress.  Exercise will also help you get a good night’s sleep; which can be a problem at these times in your life.

In addition to caring for your body, search for ways to soothe your mind. A new pursuit, meditation or simply walking in the countryside can all help here. 

Stress can cause a lot of damage to your health and lifestyle if you let it. The most effective way to beat it is to regain control of your mind and body and begin to look forward to living your life again.

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Posted in What's on my mind?

Faced with change?

Posted on by Suitcase Cally

In my blog post CHANGING LANES almost two years ago; I shared my thoughts on changing careers.

It started with a card I had received from a friend:

We can all FLY as HIGH as the DREAMS we dare to live unless we are a chicken.’ Edward Monkton

Hmmm, DEEP THOUGHT was the tag line on top of the card, with a child like hand drawn picture of a chicken with flightless wings, and a voice bubble coming out of the chicken’s mouth saying ‘shit!’

Here I am again as I sit at the cross roads of change and thinking of the changes I would like to make in my ‘life wheel’ of balance.

Still to this day, change brings about excitement, and sizzling tingles when I start exploring my dreams and consider the task of setting goals.  I am met with all sorts of thoughts and feelings as I go through this process.  My first feeling is generally happiness; followed by feelings of impatience, and restlessness for change to all happen right this moment and be sorted.  I am always keen to get going, as I want it all to happen instantly.

Yet; then I tend go through a phase of FEAR……. The ‘what if’ thinking that comes with FEAR.  ‘What if it doesn’t work’, ‘what if it’s the wrong choice or decision’, ‘what if I don’t succeed’; ‘what if, what if, what if’…

These thoughts are all blocks, and I have no evidence at this moment of the outcomes of ‘what if’s’.  I am trying to predict the future and I can only take steps to change, and the outcome of my choices will be as it is meant to be.

I personally don’t like FEAR, as fear is a feeling to run away.  I have run away many times to escape and it doesn’t work when I still have challenges to overcome, and new dreams to make happen.  Yes; fear in moments of danger is a warning signal and a protective mechanism when I am truly in danger of being hurt; yet my fearful thinking can get in the way when it is a positive change I want to make.  I then need to challenge my thinking.  There is a saying FEAR is FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.  In my experience it is usually my thoughts that are blocking me, and I remain stuck in situations I am not happy with.  There comes a point where I need to make a decision and just go with it.  COURAGE to change and the outcome will follow as it is meant to be.  Unless I begin with a step to change my dream into reality I will never know.

Sometimes intuition or that gut instinct feeling is more of a reality test, and a signal that contradicts my false thinking. Is it sizzling excitement I ask myself? “Yes!” then go for it?

Baby steps, or giant leaps today? I will face my fears, and begin to change what I can.

Posted in Health, What's on my mind?, Work Life Balance

Four tips for reducing stress

Posted on by Suitcase Cally
Natural remedies include nature
  1. Laugh – with friends, or watch a comedy, share a joke, play with your pet.  Laughing creates a chemical change in the body which last for 45 minutes!
  2. Pets – play with a dog, hold a cat, and sing to a bird.  The physical presence of a pet reduces blood pressure, and brings a sense of calm.  Helps with patients who are hospitalised.  Pet Therapy is a new tool used with the elderly in homes, and in addiction treatment.
  3. Nature – is soothing, and the stress relieving power of nature has been recognised for centuries.  Hospitals now make nature a part of the therapeutic programme.  Physical exercise in nature helps reduce stress and anxiety.  Take a walk outside, and sense the wonder of a forest, beach, mountain, or gardens.
  4. Music – Used as a calming effect during dental procedures, giving birth, before and after surgery, addiction treatment, and in emergency rooms.  Music has the ability to distract and soothe.