Skin and Body Image #skintoo

Hello internet friends!

I was reading this article from Stylist UK: 

A third of women won’t exercise because of how their skin looks, a new study finds

...And I have to share my own experiences. This article hits close to home because I am definitely one of the 1/3 of women they talk about that has struggled with body image issues, partially fueled by my own skin problems. I hope that by sharing my experience that I can help others who may be feeling the same way.

My skin problems and by poor body image started when I was a teenager. I imagine lots of people start having anxieties at this time. We're hyper aware of our own bodies and how they are changing, and our peers are quick to point out anything that seems even remotely different than normal body development.

I have a skin disease called hidradentis suppertiva that started when I was about 13. We live in Florida, so the hot, sticky summer weather made this skin condition even worse. I constantly wore jeans to hide my skin, even if I was hot, I would lie and say that I was fine just so I could justify hiding my body. In school, I carefully raised my arms when answering a question, being careful that my arm pits would not show where I also had lesions from my skin disease.

Hidradentis suppertiva is a auto-immune related skin disease where my body is overactive in attacking the regular bacterias that live in your skin and hair follicles. It produces painful sores that often leak blood or pus. I am fortunate that I know how to handle my wounds after so many years and my careful diet and lifestyle has made sure that the lesions have not progressed to stage 3.

It is a very embarrassing condition to have to deal with on a daily basis. You see other people's skin and all I wanted as a teen was to have beautiful skin and legs like I saw my classmates had.

Not only did this make trouble for my body image and confidence during my teenage years, but as an adult, I continue to deal daily with my extreme body cleanliness to make sure that the disease doesn't progress. Because it has an auto-immune component, I can sometimes be tired, like you have a constant cold hanging over your energy levels.

I propose a movement for skin acceptance, similar to the me too or body positivity movement. #skintoo

I hope this gives you a window into the struggles of having an auto-immune skin disease that will be with me forever and will hopefully not progress in severity. Please be kind to people around you regardless of how their outside might look... 

The above linked article gives the following advice to build your confidence:

• Talk about it
• Exercise in inclusive places
• Wear whatever makes you comfortable
• Don't worry about what others think

 

Please know that...

You are beautiful regardless of your skin type, skin problems, or skin "life character" like scars, sun marks, stretch marks, and wrinkles.

 

 

Photo by Eva Bronzini. 

#amberclee #skintoo

Photo by Eva Bronzini from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/dirty-sign-pattern-texture-5938152/ Photo by Eva Bronzini from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/dirty-sign-pattern-texture-5938152/

Photo by Eva Bronzini from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/dirty-sign-pattern-texture-5938152/

And Now For Something Different: Model Diversity in the Peloton TV Commercial 'At Home Motivation'

**Update to Article - only five days after this was published, the commercial was removed from Youtube, that's why the video is missing below... perhaps they listened?**

 

Have you seen the 2021 Peloton bike commercial advertisements on TV yet? In the era of body image diversity, this commercial is a total marketing FAIL. Read on to hear why this commercial irks me everytime the upbeat tune from Beyoncé starts to play.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the newest Peloton bike commercial (released Spring 2021) which features the song 'At Home Motivation' by Beyonce. On an interesting side note, superstar singer and entrepreneur Beyonce has partnered with Peloton to create a series of custom workouts lead by the famed singer... Here's the commercial:

 

What strikes you most while watching? What do you notice about the people chosen to represent at-home exercise participants? Watching it at home many times now, I've noted a few things, both positive and negative, regarding the diversity with the models Peloton has chosen to represent regular people participating in home exercise using Peloton’s bike equipment.

Let's start with the positive attempts at model diversity - - there does appear to be many different ethnicities and ages displayed in the commercial for the at home exercisers. The Peloton trainers represented are also somewhat diverse in ethnicity and age. That's where the diversity attempts end.

Now for the negative - -

What bugs me the most is that every model representing at home exercise participants appears to be in really great physical shape. As I watch, I’m thinking “why do these people need to work out, they’re already fit?” Maybe Peloton is only for people who are already fit? And the only girl working out at home is in great shape, far from the average US women’s size (which I think is a size 16). The commercial really leaves me feeling out on the Peloton fitness trend.

Even the older gentlemen doing sit-ups at the end appears to have a little tummy, but upon second look, you’ll notice that he is quite fit and might have the bulk due maybe to a layered shirt.

My point isn’t to pick apart the models used (because these are real people too) - but to ask that companies consider body shape as a diversity item on their checklists. The lack of diverse body shapes is kinda depressing to watch. Every time I hear Beyoncé’s catchy tune start, I sigh and wonder why the marketers could be missing such a relevant issue in today’s world. Discussions about diversity, specifically body image, are everywhere.

And while we’re on the diversity checklist: I didn’t sees any models (both trainers and at home fitness participants) that had differing abilities, such as sight loss, limb loss, or mental illness. How about including some diversity here, which could recruit customers that are veterans, elderly, or somehow “different” than the norm Peloton is currently portraying in their commercial.

What about income diversity? Perhaps criticizing for income diversity is a reach, since Peloton equipment is at a high price point - and requires a monthly subscription that's more than most cellphone planes or a gym membership at a Youfit or Planet Fitness.

I digress, back to body shape -

For an example of a company that does a commercial right for inclusive fitness, check out the brand new commercial for Echelon Fit, sponsored by the Saved by the Bell character, Mario Lopez. The commercial uses very diverse models, looking like real people with many different body sizes and types. Here’s the most recent (2021) Echelon Fit commercial:

 

Peloton, please consider choosing models that represent a more diverse audience in your next commercial attempt.

Beyoncé, how could you put your name on something that leaves out so many types of people? I am both surprised and disappointed that you would so irresponsible with your sponsorship.

 

Mmmm.. So Good.. An Alternative to Soy Milk

Making the switch to vegetarianism? I recently watched the free Youtube documentary entitle "Home". I highly recommend seeing this film.

Watch it here when you have the time.

What struck me the most in the film is that it takes 10x more energy to produce an animal meat product that a vegetable or fruit product- meaning more water, feed, space, etc - and creating 10x the carbon footprint. Yes, animal protein was extremely important initially in our species' brain development, and I know I'll probably want a thick, juicy steak grilled to perfection at some point down the road (my mouth is watering at the thought). Thanks to greater availability of non-meat imitations, soy products and increased grocery availability in general for most Americans, its not hard to shift your eating choices away from that of meat products.

If you are adapting to a vegetarian lifestyle (no matter what type), try this product as a non-soy milk replacement: Silk Pure Almond. I've tried the vanilla flavor so far, and it tastes DELICIOUS! Its low in calories and high in calcium, vitamins D & E, and protein. I feel like I'm having a milkshake when I'm drinking a glass... Yum!!

Check out all the great reasons to switch to Silk Pure Almond here.

Aches and Pains...

Everyone gets strained muscles or an injury every now and then.. But, unfortunately, it can put our exercise on hold temporarily.. So what kind of care should we give an injury so we can get back on track as soon as possible?

First, I recommend that we all take a first aid course so that we can learn how to properly take care of an injury when we first get hurt. Drawing from my American Red Cross experience, check out the following information:

For a twisted ankle, which is by far the most common injury when exercising, wait to remove your shoe until you get home. The shoe helps to support the injured area.

Follow the R.I.C.E. method to treat almost any kind of injury:

Rest- Allow the area to rest for at least a few hours
Ice- Put ice on the area, even if you don't see any swelling
Compression- Light compression can help to alleviate swelling
Elevation- Elevate the area to reduce blood flow

When you ice the area, only put the ice on for 15 minutes at a time, and 15 minutes off. Always make sure that you have a barrier (wash cloth or paper towel) between the ice and your skin- you don't want to add frostbite to the list!

The R.I.C.E. method works for pulled muscles as well. You might want to try alternating heat and cold if it helps with the pain and swelling.

Give yourself a good two days of rest for the area. After that, you can try a light workout on the area, but if you have any pain at all, you need to give yourself more time to heal.

Don't ever workout on an area that's injured- you can further injure the area, and it will just take even more time to get back to your regular level of exercise!

Free and Easy... Meatless Meals

Looking for some good, easy recipes that don't contain red meat? Check these out:


Saucy Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-2 cups salsa
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-2 tbsp honey dijon mustard

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients and place in 13x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.


Turkey Lasagna

Prep time: 1 hour, including cooking time

Ingredients:
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 lb ground turkey breast
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-8 oz can tomato sauce
-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-12 oz shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
-12 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
-3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-6 no-boil lasagna noodles (about 3.5x7")

Prep:
Spray baking dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brown turkey with olive oil and garlic. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt/pepper, and seasoning. Simmer 20 minutes. Assemble lasagna, layering sauce, then 2 noodles, then cheese, then more sauce, etc.. Sprinkle with parmesan as top layer. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.


Broccoli Frittata

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
-4 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 cups frozen or fresh broccoli, well drained if frozen
-1 cup chopped plum tomatoes, drained
-1-1/2 cups coarse toasted bread crumbs
-10 eggs, beaten
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup cheese (Havarti, cheddar, or mozzarella; you pick)
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter in 2 tbsp olive oil until slightly foamy. Add garlic and broccoli to cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add bread crumbs and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. In another skillet, melt remaining 2 tbsp butter over medium heat to coat pan. Season eggs with salt and pepper and pour into skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, then top with bread crumb mixture, tomatoes, and chosen cheese. Stir gently, then either transfer the pan to the oven (or you can transfer the mixture to a glass pie pan, then put in oven). Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until eggs are set. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.


All of these meals taste great! I especially love the frittata, which you can add all kinds of vegetables to- carrots, asparagus, potatoes, avocados, or spinach.

Special: Healthy Kids

Well, I don't have kids myself, but I've certainly mentored enough kids and been around enough of my friends that have kids...

Kids want to be just like us. They want to talk like us and do the same things as us.. They're interested in the things that the adults are interested in, and then are very impressionable... They want to be just like mom.. or dad.. or friend... Any one they think is cool, they watch and imitate..

It's no wonder that so many kids are now starting out towards an unhealthy lifestyle, when all of the adults around them are overweight and unhealthy..

The best way to lead others, whether it be an adult or a child, is by example.. When they see us eating junk, what kind of an example is that? Or when they never see us do anything except for sit in front of the t.v. or computer for hours on end, how can we expect them to do anything different?

Yes, every child growing up these days in America has never known the world without t.v. or a computer.. I remember that when I was a kid, we didn't have but one small t.v. that we never watched because we were always outside... And we didn't get a computer until I was about 13, and even then we only really used it for school work.

Kids just need to get re-interested in getting outside and have someone that they can look to for a healthy lifestyle... Why not get outside and play some ball? Or have some fun in the kitchen making something healthy together? It'll help the child that needs that good role model, and it'll help you at the same time!

Weight a minute...

... did you say weight training? For women? Yes, I did.

Weight training is a great tool, not just for men, but for women too. Some people think that to stay healthy or to lose weight, all that's needed is good eating coupled with some kind of aerobic exercise. But weight training needs to be in the mix, too!

Weight training helps to not only tone and shape our body, but it also helps to raise our metabolism and keep our bones from getting brittle as we age. After weight lifting, the metabolism raises for about 48 hours. The effect on your metabolism for aerobic exercise is instant, then gone almost as soon as you're done. Aerobic exercise doesn't do much for your bones either, where as by putting extra weight on our bones, we are actually strengthening them. Women also tend to lose more muscle as we age compared to guys. We get weaker and get fatigued faster. Lifting helps to slow this aging process down..

Exercise can sure make you feel good inside too. It feels good to be able to do more sets or a longer duration of exercise. It also feels great to see the jiggle disappearing from your body, or even being able to walk up stairs with out being winded..

I like to alternate my muscles worked in the gym. I usually don't work my legs, but stick to my upper body. Of course, each of us is different. Maybe you'd like to work on your legs. And don't forget to always listen to your body and don't over do it.. If you hurt yourself, it's definitely a de-motivator and puts you off course for a while.
Typically, I will work my back and triceps one day, and then my chest the next day. If I work my biceps specifically at all, they'll start to grow as big as my husband's fast.. And you're almost always working more than one muscle at a time. For instance, when working your back, it's impossible not to work your biceps. And when working your chest, you work your triceps.

Start with a light weight and do sets of about 15-20 to warm up. Concentrate on your form and slowly work up to a heavier weight. Don't worry about getting a guy's bod either-- we just don't have the testosterone for it.

I like to keep my workouts short and sweet. I tend to finish up in about 30 minutes. And if you are lifting at a good pace, it's like doing an aerobic exercise at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone in a short amount of time.. And who has tons of time these days?