Tag Archives: Mental Health

Monica Seles Speaks Out for Vyvanse, an ADD Drug Approved for Binge Eating Disorder

monica-seles-vyvanse

In a 2024 interview, Monica Seles told Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times, “I needed to figure out my emotions….to stop my love hate relationship with food and just have a love relationship with food. After that I could have a love relationship with my body.” Monica was able to fix her BED without Vyvanse, but is now the spokesperson for the drug company’s new campaign. While the pill has been on the market for attention deficit disorder, it has now been approved to treat compulsive overeating in adults.

Monica Seles, is a former number one world professional tennis player, and recovered from a nine-year struggle with compulsive eating herself. Back in 2024 she documented her struggle and recovery in the book Getting a Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self. By hearing her story, Monica hopes that other adults with BED will get the support they need. A national campaign was been developed to support the drug’s release, and more information about its role with this disease is found at BingeEatingDisorder.com. There you’ll learn more about BED, the experiences of others, and how to raise the topic with health care providers and loved ones. (more…)

Molly Sims’ 9 Fabulous Ways to Live Like an Everyday Supermodel

molly-sims-everyday-supermodel

Swimsuit model, actress, supermodel…mom, wife, woman…the very real, yet very supermodel Molly Sims has added author to her resume. Her new lifestyle book, The Everyday Supermodel, shares her hard-earned fitness, fashion, and health insights. Before you assume taking wellness and life advice from a supermodel is not your thing, you’ve got to know that Sims’ book is written like she is talking to an old friend. Girlfriend to girlfriend, her advice is realistic, and she writes in a way that is easy to relate.

Here are some of the best pieces of advice from Molly Sims that you can adopt right now to make your own life super!

1. Perseverance can get you anywhere.

Sims introduces her book by assuring readers that she worked hard to get where she is today, initially assuring her audience that she is not just a supermodel.

“There’s an everyday supermodel in each one of us.”

2. Love your body.

This is a message we hear all the time, but it is extra helpful hearing it from a supermodel. Sims discusses how she loved to learn her not stick-thin body, and encourages women to do the same, at all stages of her life.

3. If you look good, you feel good.

Sims’ book is peppered with mottos and motivational quotes. One of the best is:

“If you look good, you feel good–and when you feel good, you look good. So you might as well feel f-ing fabulous!” (more…)

Fixing Obesity: Changing How We View the Problem Could Lead to Better Solutions

obesity-drowning

At this point, it should be abundantly clear that there are no quick fixes to the obesity problem in America. Though there is plenty to be done to stop or reverse a course of obesity, when it comes to preventing it in the first place, most focus on healthy diets and plenty of exercise.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with either of those; here at DietsInReview, we fully support both. However, we may be missing a solution to the obesity problem. One that isn’t physical in nature, but mental.

David L. Katz, MD, MPH, president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, wrote in a LinkedIn post, The Obesity Fix, his belief that the obesity problem can be fixed by a shift in how we think about health and obesity. He also acknowledges change won’t be easy, saying that no one seems to mind when super sugary cereals are marketed to children, or when it’s revealed how some foods are designed to be as addictive as possible.

He believes in order for this to change, people must see health and obesity differently than they do now, in two different ways.

HEALTH IS WEALTH (more…)

Running for Her Life: One Woman’s Escape from Human Trafficking Made Her a Runner and Survivor

running-for-life

Megan grew up in what some might consider an idealistic environment. They were a seemingly typical middle-class, Caucasian family; mom stayed home with her and her sister, and dad made it to all of her soccer games. Megan was first chair violin and graduated from high school as part of the National Honor Society. Her parents have been married more than 30 years and the family attended church regularly. However, after an abusive five-year marriage, she was left alone to support two small children. Her naivety and vulnerability, both emotionally and financially, put her at risk for sexual trafficking.

“Human trafficking is a very complex issue, and a lot of times people think that it’s something you can just ‘get out’ of. Unfortunately, it is not always that easy because there are social and economic obstacles, as well as mental and physical safety that all must come together. It is often, as in my case, a long process to fully get away from a predator and the subculture entirely,” shared Megan. “In short, I was able to leave my pimp and move back across the country, but it took another six months until I was in a place I could leave the sex industry entirely, and it has been almost two years of intensive recovery since then.” (more…)

Are You Man Enough for Yoga? Why More Men Should Butt in to the Yoga Gender Bias

man yoga

Of course men know the benefits of yoga, and we know what we’re missing out on. So why do we still not go? We often see women go to yoga stressed out and leave with their heads held high. We see them carry on the rest of the day in a state of bliss, so why don’t we go to yoga?

5 Celebrity Dudes Who Yoga (and Why More Men Should)

In the early 1900s immigration laws made it difficult for teachers and practitioners to come over to the U.S. One of the few who made it was a Russian woman, Indra Devi. Women quickly connected after celebrity cosmetologist Elizabeth Arden started working with her. When a male yogi, Richard Hittleman, brought yoga to TV, he used female models. In the 1970s there was Lilias Folan who taught on TV with a soft welcoming tone, which further engaged housewives of America. Power Yoga emerged a decade later but it was too late, yoga had already rooted itself in the fiber of womanhood throughout the US.

While there are countless benefits of yoga for men, we find ourselves trying to trick the male population in to the studio. Regardless of the benefits, there seem to be so many myths and preconceived notions stopping men from rolling out a mat. Benefits include everything from building strength, sexual endurance, piece of mind, and goal setting, to detoxifying the body from the inside out. (more…)

Survival of the Fittest: The Most Active Women are More Likely to Survive Than the Least Physically Active

fit senior

While popular wisdom may hold laughter as the best medicine, science indicates exercise might actually be the way to go. A study from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) shows that moderate to high intensity activity is a key part of reducing the risk of premature death in older women.

Those who worked on the study, like Professor Debra Anderson of QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, say that health professionals should be prescribing exercise programs in addition to conventional treatments for both physical and mental health.

“Studies clearly show moderate to vigorous intensity activity can have mental and physical health benefits, particularly when part of broader positive health changes,” she said in a statement.

(more…)

Stress is Contagious. Here’s How You Can Protect Yourself

For the most part, we know what causes our own stress: work, family, friends, the usual culprits. But what happens when your stress isn’t caused by a direct influence on your life? Then, unfortunately, you’re suffering from secondhand stress.

stressed

It can happen to anyone. For example, if your close friend is going through a rough situation and shares it with you, you may experience stress symptoms even though nothing has changed in your life. Sadly, this is a real thing. Stress is actually contagious.

Alicia Clark, Psy.D. told Shape Magazine this happens because empathy for others is hard-wired into our system. It’s thought that when others around us feel stress, our brain picks up their cues and mimics them, creating stress in us, even without an actual cause.

This is unfortunate news for those who already suffer from stress. Stress can be damaging to your health, including affecting arteries in such a way that may cause heart attacks and strokes. (more…)

Jillian Michaels Teaches You to “Maximize Your Life”

Everyone knows Jillian Michaels as the butt-kicking, brutally honest trainer on “The Biggest Loser” who can help contestants shed hundreds of pounds. She has a no-nonsense approach to exercise and healthy eating—which she’s written best-selling books about—but she’s really known for getting to the root of why so many of us are overweight and tackling the psychological issues around eating. That’s why I was so excited to get the chance to see her live!

For the second year in a row, Jillian is traveling around the country, speaking to thousands of loyal fans. She launched her Maximize Your Life tour in Denver, Colorado, earlier this month. The experience is described as this: Jillian shows how to harness your potential, kick-start your goals and live an exceptional life—sharing her keys to health, success and happiness. No hype, no false promises: Just results.

jillianmichaels

Tickets for the Maximize Your Life tour start at $25- and you can get a special VIP ticket for around $175. A VIP ticket includes the best seats in the house and a special meet & greet session with Jillian after the show. If you’re wondering what else you’ll get for the price of a ticket, here’s a few facts about the show and a preview of what Jillian shares with the audience: (more…)

How the Gift of Presence Can Help You Lose Weight This Season

Holidays can be challenging, especially when it comes to the variety and amount of food you encounter at gatherings. That’s why this can be a time of year you look forward to, and yet dread. If you struggle with your weight, should you do your best to make peace with the scale? Or should you avoid it all together; after all, you can always start again with the new year, right? Instead, we say plan accordingly.

Remaining present can be a challenge. Knowing what to expect this time of year and planning to approach it a bit differently can make a big difference in maintaining your weight and experiencing more peace, love, and joy (with yourself) this time of year.

christmas eating

Retrofit offers a personalized approach to weight loss and a sustainable, healthy lifestyle by identifying the key challenge(s) individuals face when trying to lose weight anytime of year. Each client takes a Lifestyle Patterns Assessment (LPA) developed by Dr. Robert Kushner, a weight-loss physician with decades of experience. The pattern(s) identified for each individual allows the Behavior Coach (or Weight Loss Coach) and client to work on the area(s) keeping him or her from being successful at losing the weight for good.

Clients are rarely surprised by their LPA results; they usually know what they should do to lose weight and make healthier choices. We use the patterns identified to build successful strategies. In short, the Behavior Coach helps clients close the gap between what they know and what they actually do, providing encouragement along the way. (more…)

Your Seasonal Depression is Real and it’s Easier to Deal with SAD Than You Think

I’m not afraid to admit I get a little bummed out as summer transitions to autumn, and then to winter. The perfectly named Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is an affliction of which I’ve always suffered, but for the longest time I thought I was being an overly sensitive wimp. After a mild and jovial summer, the cool air that gusts melancholy over the Midwest in early September had me wondering if I was about to get SAD again, if it was a legitimate condition, and if so, what I could do fight it.

SAD

I shot our resident mental health expert, Brooke Randolph, LMHC an email asking her about SAD, and she revealed that after two decades of speculation, SAD had officially been classified as a common disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In 2024—before SAD was an official diagnosis—Brooke wrote, “Our natural response to the seasonal changes only becomes a disorder when the distress is in excess of what would be expected from the stressor (seasonal change) and/or when it interferes with functioning in more than one key life area.” For example, if seasonal change begins to negatively impact your responsibilities as an employee, student, or partner, you probably have SAD. (more…)

Hiking Everest and 450 Miles Across Spain Helps Kay Cherryholmes Find Her Way to Health

By Kay Cherryholmes

One day I googled myself and I was caught off guard by a blog link that had me tagged as one of his Top 10 Most Inspiring Athletes of 2024! I had met the guy while hiking and considered him a dear friend. At first I smiled; feeling like I had somehow been a positive in his eyes, then almost immediately it read that he met me while hiking in Nepal to base camp of Mt. Everest and that my BMI was that of a mack truck!

everest kay

Instantly real tears fell. Not tears of his writing, but tears of truth about my struggle to achieve fitness. Who was I kidding? Mostly myself it seems. I grew up a competitive gymnast. I was always on a scale and measured my success based on a number that ranged between 114 and 119.

Fast forward from age 14 to age 44 and I had been married, divorced, raised two children as a single mom, and was completely disconnected from the fitness I knew as a young adult. My mind, however, continued to crave challenges, even in a 230-pound body. For all the struggle that it took to walk up into the Himalayan mountains 80 pounds overweight,it never began to stop me. He wrote that it was my perseverance that got me on his Top 10 Athlete list.

I always describe myself from the shoulders up as a ‘Michael Phelps type‘ and from my shoulders down more of a ‘John Belushi type’. I am part extreme athlete, part party girl. Too much brie and wine and not enough cardio.

After more than a decade of athletic events where I have fought with the struggle of weight in competition I decided that my next adventure would be a 450-mile walk across Northern Spain; the Camino de Santiago. It is a spiritual pilgrimage that took me through the heart of many regions in Spain. Once again I would carry the extra weight on my body and an additional 30-pound backpack with all the necessary gear I would need in my 40 days of hiking.

camino santiago

I wanted to remove myself from all of the excuses at home that get between me and a stronger, more fit body. I left behind the wine, cheese, friends, family, dishes, laundry, job, dog, television and my comfy new couch. They’d all become specks of home reality in my rear view mirror as I landed on Spanish soil. I would be forced in to my own mind and body for hundreds of miles and countless days. I wanted answers and to be accountable to myself. I would have no other choice but to face the dragons in my head, that for decades have defined my mindset and impacted my choices. (more…)