Take control: over more than just food.

It's going to be a little serious today, 
but sometimes that needs to happen.

On June 23, 2013 a young woman I went to high school with passed away. Now, I had maybe seen her only a handful of times in the last few years but this was still heartbreaking news. Dead at 25, "natural causes". Things you should just never have to read...ever. Whether you knew the person, were close to the person or had just heard of them...this is sad.

What wasn't released until a few days ago, was that the "natural causes" were due to health complications from battling anorexia for years. Suddenly all those photos of her on Facebook made it seem more real, photos from the last few years of her young life, she was struggling more than anyone knew. Her family is now searching for answers, and help. They have created a site & are going through the motions of getting recognized by state and federal authorities. Their goal is to be able to accept donations for research and support for those with eating disorders (and their families). The site is here, and you can sign up for email notifications on site updates, and dates when donations will start being accepted.

I'm not judging, I'm not getting on a soapbox, and I am not telling you I know a ton about this subject: because frankly I feel like I know nothing about it. I've never dealt with a disorder like this, but I know many people close to me who have. I have seen the toll it takes on the person, as well as the people around them. It's scary, sad, and overwhelming to even think about for anyone.

A few statistics from here.
-Only 1 in 10 with an eating disorder receive treatment (and only 35% of that 10% receive specific treatment for their disorder)

-Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

-20% of those with Anorexia will die prematurely

-Anorexia is the 3rd most common Chronic Illness among adolescents

-Higher rates of Elite Athletes (20%) having eating disorders compared to the female control group (9%)

A few of my thoughts
-Celebrities have these disorders and they are "idolized" for their "self-control" and "healthy figures", this needs to stop. Skin and bones is not healthy, or sexy, or anything that anyone should aspire to.

-Women have been a huge cause of eating disorders in other women. We are ALL (myself included) guilty of judging others, and putting each other down. Instead of bashing each other, talking negatively, being vindictive, we should be supporting one another. We have all felt down, we have all struggled at some point and when others are being negative towards you it only makes things worse.

-Eating disorders are about control, we need to stop letting people take our power away from us. Food should not be the only thing we have control over in our lives. Don't let people control you, don't let others dictate your life, stop letting people make decisions for you, stop letting others influence your every thought. Stand up and fight- it's your life and you are the one who has to live it. Run your own life.

-Say something. If someone you know or love is struggling with an eating disorder (you may not always know), don't let it go without acknowledging it. Maybe it means having a heart to heart with a friend about how they are feeling (don't even need to bring up food), maybe it means just giving someone a little more attention and control. If you don't feel comfortable saying something to the person, maybe you have a hard conversation with their partner or family? It's hard, because we feel "it's not our place to say something", but too often we remain silent instead of helping.

Some Information & Resources

National Eating Disorders Organization

Eating for Life

Eating Disorder Hope

Again: I haven't been through this and don't know much about it, but maybe you have or know someone who has. Don't be afraid to ask for help or information, it's out there.

Facts Friday

Schedule today will be different than normal, working for a little bit then heading to a local surgical center. J is getting another knee surgery, & I will be there for a few hours then home playing 'nurse Laura' for the rest of the evening! :)

[Basically an excuse to sit in bed with him and watch movies and write down all of the funny things he says while on pain killers... ( I could write a book on the things he said last time!)]

So instead of a 'typical' post, I decided to go with something different, a whole bunch of random facts....enjoy!

DAYS UNTIL......

2 Days until next race 

3-10 Days until my Sister's baby is born (she's convinced he will be early)

8 Days until I get to run with Hollie and eat fabulous food after

36 Days until my first Duathlon

58 Days until Marathon #5

72 Days until my first Triathlon

114 Days until my first 70.3

198 Days until Marathon #6

395 Days until my first Boston Marathon

533 Days until Our wedding*

Good old Google to the rescue! So excited! 2014 is going to be EPIC.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MY LIFE

2=Number of Knee Surgeries my Fiance has had in last 50 days (today being #2)

5=Number of people who live in our house at this moment

1=Number of bathrooms in our house(See above statement...yes I'm serious)

3=Average number of chocolate milk glasses I drink I week

4=Average number of PB&J sammies I eat a week

13= Number of times I have checked the weather for Sunday's 30k between last night and this morning

23=Age I was when I ran my first Marathon

4= Number of tries it took me to BQ (based on new standards)

27=Age I will be when we tie the knot (My birthday is 2 days before the wedding!)

3= Typical number of espresso shots I have each day

3= Number of total nephews I will have come June (they're all getting spoiled!)

7= Number of things on my to-do list right now

 3 RANDOM MARATHON FACTS (Reference)

*In 2012 42% of all marathon finishers were female

*In 2011 there was an estimated 518,000 marathon finishers (highest ever)

*In 2012 the Chicago Marathon had the highest number of finishers out of any marathon that year(world-wide)

RANDOM FITNESS FACTS

*Running places up to seven times your body weight in pressure onto your feet. (Justification for expensive supportive shoes...)

* On average, 1 pound of muscle burns 9 calories/day where as 1 pound of fat burns only 2 calories/day. (reasons to be fit....)

*For every minute you spend walking, you extend your life by 1-3 minutes (get moving!)

*Underwater swimming is the only time you should hold your breath while exercising! (I forget this when I lift weights sometimes)

*Regular exercise is linked to better sex, because it can improve body image, energy, self-esteem and overall fitness ( just saying...)

*It only takes 100 too many calories a day to gain 10 pounds/year. (That's not that much...at all...watch what you eat!)

RANDOM HEALTH FACTS (Reference)

*Temperature can affect appetite. A cold person is more likely to eat more food  (Mother Nature, you're a bitch. Winter be gone!)

*Americans collectively consume approximately 900 billion calories each day (That's a lot, like a real lot)

* 2/3 of American's are overweight (We hear this a lot, but not nearly enough..)

*Eggs contain the highest quality protein (good thing I love omelettes)

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT GOOGLE (the all knowing machine) (Reference)

*Google was first incorporated as a private company on September 4, 1998 (that's my birthday!)

*In Feb 2002, Klingon became one of Google’s 72 language interfaces (Seriously??)

*In January 2003, the American Dialect Society voted the word “Google” as the “most useful” Word of the Year for 2002 (I think I say Google at least 10 times a day, if not more)

*“Google knows more about you than your mother.” (so true...)

*The first Google storage was made from Legos. Google needed an expandable and cheap way to house 10 4GB hard drives (as a Lego Lover, this made me proud)

*Google offers full-on gourmet meals three times a day for its employees. Free food is so tempting that Googlers risk the “Google 15” weight gain, which is similar to the “Freshman 15.” (eek, don't let me work there!)

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT WEDDINGS (just because...) (Reference)

*Early Roman brides carried a bunch of herbs, such as garlic and rosemary, under their veils to symbolize fidelity and fertility and to ward off evil. These herbs served as a precursor to the modern bridal bouquet.(Guess I better put some basil in my Bouquet)

*Wedding rings are often placed on the third finger of the left hand because ancient Egyptians believed the vein in that hand (which the Romans called the “vein of love”) ran directly to the heart (aweeeee)

*Nearly all cultures have showered the wedding couple with symbolic food. For example, the French throw wheat, Sicilians throw wheat bread and salt, and the English throw pieces of cake. Early Romans or Greeks threw nuts, dates, and seed-bearing plants. Bulgarians have thrown figs (glad I am not English or Bulgarian...oww my eye! oh that was just a fig)

*Queen Victoria’s wedding cake was three yards wide and weighed 300 pounds (mmmm cake.)

*Because eyebrows are considered intensely alluring in the Orient, historically the bride’s eyebrows were shaved entirely, rendering her powerless to attract a man (All I can think of is Tierra on The Bachelor..."I can't control my eyebrows!" ohhhh the drama!)

Some of these may have been helpful

Some of these may have been useless 

But I hope some were at least entertaining!

Have a great weekend! :)

What are some random facts about you, your life or anything in general that you know??