The Citizen, 2012-12-20, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012. PAGE 13. Positivity the key for struggling through holidaysContinued from page 12food in the past to remember as well.“You need to remember to stay at
the table after the main course,” she
said. “Meals are about conversation,
they’re not about food.
“Food is a vessel for celebration
and for community. You have to
remember and allow yourself to
enjoy the time, remember that it’s
not a threat and that it helps you to
build relationships.”
Wierenga says that often those
struggling with eating disorders use
food as a means of self-abuse. She
said the way to combat those
thoughts, that can come naturally to
some people, is to remember that
you’re valuable and that you deserve
happiness.
“You need to keep telling yourself
that you’re worth eating for.”
When approaching the holidays,
Wierenga says the best thing for
someone struggling with food to do
is to be aware of their own personal
triggers. She said you have to go into
meals having a game plan and keep
your positivity high.
She says one way to stay positive
and to not sink into an emotionalhole is to think positive thoughts,listen to some positive music and, if
you’re spiritual, to pray.
Wierenga’s recently released book
Chasing Silhouettes deals with
helping a loved on through an eatingdisorder. It includes several personalstories of her struggle, interviews
with members of her family and
friends and a guide to help those
through the dangerous world of
eating disorders. It can be found onwww.amazon.caHer new book The Mom in the
Mirror: Body Image, Beauty, and
Life After Pregnancy will be released
on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12,
2013). It deals with, among manyother things, struggling with bodyimage and eating disorders during
and after pregnancy.
Wierenga is married with four
children and currently in Alberta.
Here are 12 ideas to help people
with eating disorders negotiate the
holidays - courtesy of The Centre
for Change compiled by Michael E.
Berrett, PhD.
• Eat regularly and in some kind
of reasonable pattern. Avoid
“preparing for the last supper.”
Don’t skip meals and starve in
attempt to make up for what you
recently ate or are about to eat. Keep
a regular and moderate pattern.
Worry more about the size of your
heart than the size of your hips! It is
the holiday season, a great time to
reflect, enjoy relationships with
loved ones and most importantly a
time to feel gratitude for blessings
received and a time to give back
through loving service to others.
• Discuss your anticipations of the
holidays with your therapist,
physician, dietitian or other
members of your treatment team so
that they can help you predict,
prepare for and get through any
uncomfortable family interactions
without self-destructive coping
attempts.
• Have a well-thought-out game
plan before you go home or invite
others into your home. Know
“where the exits are,” where your
support persons are and how you’ll
know when it’s time to make a brief
exit and get connected with needed
support.
• Talk with loved ones about
important issues: decisions,
victories, challenges, fears,
concerns, dreams, goals, special
moments, spirituality, relationships
and your feelings about them. Allow
important themes to be present and
allow yourself to have fun rather
than rigidly focusing on food or
body concerns.
• Choose, ahead of time, someone
to call if you are struggling with
addictive behaviours, or with
negative thoughts, or difficult
emotions. Call them ahead of time
and let them know of your concerns,
needs and the possibility of them
receiving a call from you.
• If it would be a support or help
to you, consider choosing one loved
one to be your “reality check” with
food, to either help plate up food for
you or to give you a reality check on
the food portions which you dish up
for yourself.
• Write down your vision of where
you would like your mind and heart
to be during this holiday time with
loved ones. Take time, several times
per day, to find a quiet place to
become in tune again with your
vision, to remember, to nurture, and
to centre yourself into those
thoughts, feelings, and actions
which are congruent with your
vision for yourself.
• If you have personal goals for
your time with loved ones during
the holidays, focus the goals around
what you would like to do. Make
your goals about “doing something”
rather than about trying to prevent
something. If you have food goals,
then make sure you also add
personal emotional, spiritual, and
relationship goals as well.
• Work on being flexible in your
thoughts. Learn to be flexible in
guidelines for yourself, and in
expectations of yourself and others.
Strive to be flexible in what you can
eat during the holidays. Take a
holiday from self imposed criticism,
rigidity, and perfectionism.
• Stay active in your support
group, or begin activity if you are
currently not involved. Many
support groups can be helpful. 12-
step group, co-dependency group,
eating disorder therapy group,
neighborhood “Bunco” game group,
and religious or spiritually oriented
groups are examples of groups
which may give real support.
Isolation and withdrawal from
positive support is not the right
answer for getting through trying
times.
• Avoid “overstressing” and
“overbooking” yourself and avoid
the temptation and pattern of
becoming “too busy.” A lower sense
of stress can decrease a felt need to
go to eating disorder behaviors or
other unhelpful coping strategies.
Cut down on unnecessary events
and obligations and leave time for
relaxation, contemplation,
reflection, spiritual renewal, simple
service, and enjoying the small yet
most important things in life. This
will help you experience and enjoy a
sense of gratitude and peace.
We’re proud to have served you for over 76 years.
We appreciate the support of our suppliers, customers, friends and neighbours over the years
and look forward to serving you in the future.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from McGavin’s staff and management.
McGavin
FARM EQUIPMENT
Walton, Ont. 519-887-6365 • 1-877-887-6365 • Fax 519-887-6381
www.mcgavinequip.com
HOLIDAY HOURS: Dec. 24th ~ 8 am - 12 noon; Dec. 26th ~ Closed;
Dec. 31st ~ 8 am - 12 noon; Jan. 2 ~ Closed
SEASON'S GREETINGS
Joy to your
home this
Christmas.
We value your
patronage.
Continued from page 12
removes this hurdle, increasing the
chances that people will exercise
more often. And the potential
benefits of routine cardiovascular
exercise are considerable.
• Bicycle: Few activities are more
enjoyable and simultaneously
beneficial as riding a bicycle. Many
people still enjoy riding a bike just
like they did when they were
children, when they might not have
known just how healthy riding a
bicycle was. Cycling improves
cardiovascular fitness, lowering a
person’s risk for heart disease while
helping to build and tone muscles. In
addition, men and women with pre-
existing joint conditions often find
riding a bicycle is a great low-impact
exercise that encourages them to get
off the couch in a way that doesn’t
aggravate their conditions. Many
adults received a bicycle as a holiday
gift when they were children,
and those looking to adopt a
healthier lifestyle might be just as
excited to receive a bicycle once
again.
• Cookbook:Adopting a healthier
lifestyle does not have to be all about
exercise. In fact, eating healthier is
just as important as exercising more.
A common misconception about
eating healthily is that healthy foods
don’t boast the flavour of those
irresistible, yet ultimately unhealthy,
foods we can’t get enough of.
However, a healthy diet can be
flavourful, so help health-conscious
men and women get started with a
cookbook filled with healthy and
delicious recipes. Before buying a
cookbook, find out if the book’s
eventual recipient has any specific
dietary restrictions, including if he
or she needs to eat gluten-free or has
been told to avoid red meat. Then
find a cookbook that suits them but
does so in a way that allows them to
embrace healthy eating.
Brian, Brenda, Murray, Rhonda, Kevin
and Nancy would like to thank you and let
you know how much they appreciate your
business this past year. Their families wish
yours a very Merry Christmas and
Best Wishes for the new year from
tenpas@bellnet.ca
TENPAS DECOR
Carpet One Floor & Home
“You can’t pass on TenPas - where the welcome mat is always out for you!”
122 Main St. E., Listowel
519-291-4440
Cookbooks can make for healthy gifts
See histories and historic
photographs on the
Huron History section
of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
The Citizen
12 tips to help
with the holidays