Julie Viney Dietitian and Associates | Medical and health

Julie Viney Dietitian and Associates

Phone: +61 407 329 722

Address: 209 Mt Dandenong Road 3136

Website: http://www.transformyoureating.com.au

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25.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Lets not go too deep today! Just a quick look at the age-old question: Whats for dinner?... The bane of mothers and fathers through every society and generation, this question has haunted us through history. Wasnt it easier when the answer was clear: mammoth, mammoth or mammoth. Try not to overthink it too much and enjoy! Julie P.S. No, this is not a sign that you should try paleo!

25.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS As the countdown to Christmas continues, remember to be kind to yourself in this period of endless food. By now, many of us have been to seemingly countless end-of-year functions and parties. December is often filled with stress and expectations - both our own and other peoples - and it is natural that we find different ways to cope with the high emotions of the month. With the abundance of food at this time of year, it is both easy and natural to turn to... food as a coping mechanism. Despite what many have claimed, food and our emotions are often linked, and it is not the end of the world if you eat a bit of Christmas cake after a weekend full of fulfilling social demands. If you find yourself eating to deal with your emotions over the next few weeks, or at any other time, be compassionate. Acknowledge it but dont judge it. Everyone does it at one time or another. Go gently, Julie http://untrapped.teachable.com/?affcode=133432_dee-jsfo

24.01.2022 I once again give you the phrase that gets me through Thanksgiving.

22.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS What is health? Health is complicated, and there are many aspects that combine to make a healthy person and lifestyle. When we focus exclusively or obsessively on only one of these aspects such as weight or nutrition we neglect all the other important things that make up a whole, healthy and fulfilling life. Living in a safe home, having access to fresh air and the outdoors, meaningful connections with yourself and others, having a reason to get out... of bed each day these are all important components of a healthy life. There is so much pressure in todays world to be healthy, and in my work I see that nutrition has increasingly become the focus of the health craze many feel that getting their nutrition right will fix everything. More and more clients are coming to me totally confused about how and what to eat. Having spent time researching nutrition until their head spins, they have lost sight of the big picture of health. Sadly, our society has developed so that even those who are relatively well obsess about their health. A lot of clients I see have lost the ability to know what they really like and find it difficult to identify what they want to eat when asking themselves what do I want to eat, they are unable to answer. We often internalise so many rules consciously or unconsciously about what, how and when we should eat that we can no longer listen to our bodies. We eat because we need food, but then that doesnt satisfy us so we search for the next food and the next food, and still end up feeling dissatisfied. Full, but dissatisfied. If you can no longer identify what you really enjoy, try and let go of the judgement. Think about what taste, texture or type of food you want. Then allow yourself to have that. Ignore the rules and work on figuring out what you want to eat then allowing yourself to eat it. As you get better at letting go of the idea that perfect nutrition equals healthy, hopefully you will find more time and energy to work on creating a healthy life that is based on a variety of different components. Go gently, Julie

20.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS This may come as a shock to some of you (but not others!) I am human! I am affected by cultural biases, just like everyone else, whether aware of it or not. ... Several things recently got me thinking more about this. My friends from school have recently started becoming grandparents, which has made me reflect on biases in this case, gender biases. How programmed are we when we think of buying presents for babies blue for boys, pink for girls. Often, this thinking prevails, even if we try and have a good awareness. This programming extends to all areas race, weight, age, clothing whatever it might be, because, as I said, we are unconsciously programmed to think about things in a certain way from childhood. No matter our culture, we are all affected by culturally informed biases in some way, whether we realise it or not. For myself, I find that these biases can come out at unexpected times. One of the things that sets us apart from animals is our awareness that we have these biases. It is easy in the modern world of social media and call-out culture to judge ourselves for our programming. But, the more conscious we become of them, the more we can challenge them, inspect them and either choose to keep them or not. Personally, I am practising (and practising) not keeping these biases because they often dehumanise others and demean those who are different from ourselves; these biases often put others in a box they dont deserve to be in, a box which doesnt honour them. Whether its gender bias, a generation-gap bias (did you see what the kids are wearing out now?) or a weight/health bias, it is really important to do your best to become aware of them and make them conscious. Only then are they less likely to be imposed upon others and only then can we move forward as a society. If you have a strong, negative reaction to something what someone is wearing, their weight, their race thats a clue that you have a bias that needs unpacking and reviewing. The more you practise this, the easier it is to let these biases go and the more liberating it is for us all. Go gently, Julie

20.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS As another year comes to an end, and the craziness of this Christmas period grows, try and take some time to honour you and how much you have survived, learnt or grown through this year. Its really important to take some time, however small, to self-validate the past year in order to be able to let go and not carry any of it through to next year. ... No matter how you have got through this year, whether you have grown or just survived, try and look at yourself through the eyes of self-compassion & love, even if the year hasnt gone as youd hoped. If you are one of thousands who use food to get through, dont beat yourself up. Try and be grateful that without this coping strategy it might have been so much harder. When we use self-compassion to look at the way we use food, we see it has the potential to change over time and become less powerful. When we look at it with judgement & self-loathing, it digs its heels in and hangs around a lot longer. For some people, food might always be one of their coping strategies, but hopefully over time it will only be one of many. If youve had a tough year, be gentle. If you can say thank you for all the growing youve done, celebrate! As a friend often tells me, we dont breakdown we breakthrough as we grow and challenge old (persistent) patterns, and try to find new ones to create. If, as for most people, the next few weeks are chaotic, use this time to be very gentle with yourself, take some moments to honour you and your journey, and try to be grateful for food and all its complexities! Go gently, Julie Viney

19.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Can you hear your inner voice, the one that loves you unconditionally, or is it covered up with self-criticism and bleakness as this quote writes so beautifully? We are all so busy in our self-criticism, criticising all aspects of our life, whether it be our body, our weight, our parenting, our ability to be a friend, or our work. There are so many areas where this criticism protects us from feeling where things are not right in our lives from a deep so...ul level. Its terrifying to even contemplate when life is not going the way wed planned (whose does?!) so in order to avoid this we criticise and try to fix things like our body so we can feel ok. Yet below the scared voice is the voice of peace, the holiness of your own soul, who wants more peace, joy and love for you. Below the right and wrong choices about food, below the wrongness of your body, theres a voice just wanting and waiting to be heard. If we can take a moment and put all those criticisms to the side, sit with the fear that might be there, but then go below it, what might this voice say? Whatever it says doesnt need actioning or changing in this moment but it just needs to be heard. When we are heard by others, or are gentle enough to hear ourselves, the criticisms ease, the bleakness eases and for a moment we can contemplate the deeper meaning of our lives, no matter what that may be. Just love ourselves a little bit more. Go gently, Julie

19.01.2022 Do you ever notice your thoughts? Are they being helpful or unhelpful? Do you find yourself getting dragged back into the unhelpful thoughts? Its very easy to get pulled back to unhelpful thoughts, especially when our reality doesnt seem to be changing. Whether thats in relation to your relationships, body, food, financesthe list can go on. Recently, Ive started to call these conversations between helpful and unhelpful, or supportive and unsupportive, thinking Yes, but..... conversations. With my clients, these conversations have revolved around their bodys refusal to change even when they have been doing well with their eating. The most common scenario is someone who is making great progress with their self-care - their food and activity are improving, their health is improving and they are feeling lighter physically and emotionally - then they get on the scales, and the number is not what they think it should be. This is where the thought hijacking occurs: someone (themselves or another) will validate how well they are going, and the response will be Yes, but "Yes, but my weight hasnt changed," or "Yes, but I still cant buy such and such clothes" and the list goes on yet again. This leads them to feeling disheartened, their motivation to continue caring for themselves goes away, and they return to old habits. When we set our heart on a particular outcome, and that outcome isnt here, we feel heavy and awful. When we focus on what helps us feel better, such as validating how well we are doing or being compassionate regardless of our reality, we will live better in the now. Even if this judged reality doesnt change, we wont spend our life feeling awful, and wishing wed liked ourselves years ago, we will live a more fulfilling life supporting and hopefully liking ourselves more each day. When you can, take a moment and think about your thinking and whether it supports you to live better in the now, or are you dragging yourself down by focussing on what doesnt support you. As always, go gently, Julie

19.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Not much of a reflection today as Im still trying to get back into the work mindset after my lovely holidays! I thought Id share instead this great cartoon as a reminder to never stop believing in your own amazing awesomeness!!... Have a great week and go gently, Julie

18.01.2022 A FRUSTRATED RANT This morning I saw an ad about a show on clean eating for kids and my alarm bells rang so much that I needed to write about it. Our language around food is a huge issue in all the clients I see because it comes laden with so much morality and judgement: the opposite of clean eating must be dirty eating. There is no such thing yet more and more clients are coming with increasing guilt when eating imperfectly according to societys standards. It makes ...me so frustrated - as my clients will tell you, I am always on about this! We need gentler language around food, even gentler than better eating. I am not opposed to eating more nourishing foods but can we please stop labelling food good/bad, right/wrong/evil/sinful or any other words we hear out there? I apologise for ranting but it is something I feel so strongly about. I dont want to see a new generation of kids with eating disorders - Id rather go out of business!! Go gently, Julie

14.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS As I was trying to think of what to post today, whilst feeling exhausted and a little off, I thought it would be nice if I could think of something light and easy to say. Then I laughed. LitenEasy is not quite the sort of thing that goes on this page! But it made me think, and todays gentle reflection and reminder is to laugh when possible. Our world is full of in-your-face diet, food, weight and lifestyles, and it can be easy to feel downhearted and... hopeless. But when we can find a way to laugh at the often absurd and idiotic things that come out of diet culture, it can make dealing with it - and fighting it - just that little bit easier. It is not always possible to find a funny side of some of the things we deal with in life, but it never hurts to try! Go gently (and laugh as much as possible!), Julie

14.01.2022 Merry Christmas everybody! May you have the day you are hoping for. As it is now the official first day of Christmas, if you need a little support and a reminder that your choices are valid, have a listen to HAES Australias Twelve Days of Christmas. No matter what people say today, you are in charge of your body and as the song says, you know your body better than anyone!... Have a safe and happy holiday period and well be back on the 8th of January. See you in the new year! Go gently (and merrily), Julie https://youtu.be/GQXIDYif_G8

14.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS I have been thoroughly enjoying the wet weather this weekend, and Im sure Im not the only one! As I was sitting and drinking my coffee on Saturday morning, I sat looking out at my garden. Looking at the grass, I was sure that it was greener. It didnt seem to make sense, but after only a small amount of rain, the grass looked greener, more vibrant and more alive!... We are just like that grass. Sometimes life can be tough for a long time, and it can feel like it will never get easier. It can feel like recovery, if recovery feels possible at all, will take a very long time - at least as long as the tough times, if not longer. And sometimes that is the case. But sometimes, when we receive only a little bit of what we need, our rain, we can start to feel better and recover a little bit quicker. Wherever you are in your journey, dont give up hope. Sometimes all you need is a little bit of rain and you will start to feel more alive and more amazing. Go gently, Julie

14.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS (Belated since I forgot to press post! I think I need a holiday!) Its time for our last Monday Reflection of the year! ... Today marks one week until Christmas Day for many of us and so I wanted to take the opportunity to remind us all to support ourselves at this often difficult time of year. Like all years, there is an endless parade in the media (both traditional and social) of advice about Christmas food, particularly the right and wrong way to approach eating at Christmas. For many of us, judgements from family and friends - real or imagined - accompany this media parade and make food a major stressor during this period. Instead of enjoying the chance to catch up with our loved ones, many of us spend our time worrying about our food choices. This year I encourage you to stand up for yourself - both to others and to your own inner critic. I give you permission to ignore what everyone is saying about food and focus on enjoying it. It is always a highly emotional and intense time of year and it can be difficult throughout all the chaos to back ourselves and our choices. But no matter what anybody says, your choices are valid. If you want a second helping of pudding, go for it! This year, practice supporting yourself and your food choices and ignoring anybody who questions you - especially if that person is your own inner voice! Your body is your business, and so are the choices you make about Christmas food. If its tough to advocate for yourself, thats ok. Its a process. Be kind to yourself and do your best. It has been a tough year for many, but I hope you all have a wonderful holiday period. Merry Christmas from everyone at Julie Viney Dietetics! We hope to see you in the new year! As always, go gently, Julie

13.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS When going for my walks, I often notice how no matter what we do, nature will always come back. We have this illusion that we control nature with our beautiful gardens but leave it for a short while and the unwanted plants come back. With all the alternating sun and rain we have been having recently, this has been even more noticeable. As a species, we have been trying to control nature forever, just like for the past seventy years, we have been trying to... control our weight. Yet, just like it is an illusion that we control nature, it is an illusion that we control our weight. In reality, our body is in charge of our weight, not us. How many diets have you been on and the weight found its way back? Despite what the diet companies want us to believe, this happens not because we are not good enough or because we are failures, but because our body has different ideas about weight than we do. We dont understand the bodys way of doing things, so we keep fighting it. Our body weight is so much more than calories in and calories out. If it were that simple, the majority of us would have little difficulty controlling it. But it is not. Therefore, our job is not to try and control our weight, but to create a better relationship with food, activity, and our body itself in order to come to a place where you and your body agree more of the time. Through developing such a relationship, we find the path to health. And although our body may or may not change weight whilst travelling this path, it will definitely be healthier. Go gently, Julie

12.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS I came across this quote today and I wanted to share it with you all. Im sure some of you might be sick of me saying it, but language has power. Often, Im talking about the power of the language we use towards ourselves.... Today, however, I want to remind you that the language we use ABOUT ourselves TO other people also has power. We live in a world that values self-depreciation, and the standard response for so many of us to to apologise for perceived mistakes and flaws. Yet when we do this, we undervalue ourselves and teach others to undervalue us as well. This week, try perhaps changing your sorrys to thank yous as this quote suggests, and see if it makes a difference in how you feel or how other people treat you. There is so much negativity in the world at the moment. If we can replace a little of that with some positivity, then surely its worth giving it a try. Go gently, Julie

12.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS What is involved in creating a better relationship with food and your body? We often hear about it being possible, but what is actually involved? Years of working in this area, combined with the fantastic work of so many others such as those at Body Positive Australia, has helped to define what this looks like for me. I thought today I would provide a summary of what I understand about this process so far....Continue reading

12.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Why do we make things hard for ourselves? Many of us spend so much time analysing too much, overthinking about everything and generally living in a state of anxiety. This is also true in the food area. Every new food, superfood or nutrition fact that comes out, we pursue in the hope that it will help us live longer, live healthier, look younger, or look better. ... Yet, this is probably creating a lot of new wrinkles and stress from all the angst it creates. Lets try and take a step back and look at food and especially nutrition from a distance. Lets pretend we know nothing about nutrition: how would we eat? Maybe according to appetite, for pleasure, for taste, sharing moments with loved ones there are so many reasons out there that might motivate our eating that do not revolve around nutrition. Lets put nutrition at the bottom of the list of priorities in eating and just enjoy food! Go gently, Julie

10.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Welcome to 2018! Ill keep it short today, its still too early in the year to work too hard!... I hope your start to the year hasnt been consumed by shoulds. As the year gets underway, the pressures come back (if they ever left!) and it is easy to get lost in shoulds. Diets and new years resolutions are everywhere and it is easy to feel like these are things that you should do. This year, practise remembering that New Years is just another day. There is no law that says you need to make radical life changes just because the calendar resets. Be kind to yourself and try to ignore the pressure and the shoulds. Go gently into the next few months, Julie

10.01.2022 Its so easy to get caught in the idea that we should look or be a certain way. Nothing brings this up more than a wedding, especially for all the female participants. Isnt it time we looked beyond the image of such events to what will be more important in years to come. Yes, we all get lost in looking our best, but what about creating a memory that goes beyond the physical to the love and community that we share on that day? When we look back at those memories is it more im...portant to focus on how our body wasnt right, or look at the fun we had and laugh at the fashions of the time? The most beautiful person is the one who is full of joy, and loving the moment. Something to think about in this messed up world where image can determine our worth. Go gently in all your endeavours, and when you do (as I do) get caught in our cultural pressure to be and look a certain way, may we be able to look deeper at what really matters to us. Julie

09.01.2022 We all need a little humour - enjoy! Go gently, Julie

09.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Today I would like to tell a story of amazing braveness and audacity the decision to wear a dress (and a sleeveless one at that!) in public more often! Some of you might be wondering how this is brave and audacious. ... Well, for the woman of this story, the decision to wear a dress came after years of covering up her body, hiding her body with trousers and looking for tops with sleeves to hide her arms. But she decided that it was time to confront her fears. This decision brought up a variety of feelings. She felt vulnerable and uncomfortable, not only because she wasnt wearing trousers but also because she wasnt wearing bike shorts underneath the dress. Yet, this also brought a feeling of freedom at the same time. She felt exposed without sleeves, as her arms were not sculpted since she had given up on arm exercise years ago when the pressure for perfect arms became too overwhelming. But after the feelings of vulnerability and exposure had passed, she began to feel self-acceptance. Her thighs were rubbing together and her arms were exposed to judgement, but she was being true to herself and that authenticity was freeing. What next hairy legs and no nail polish on the toes?! Who was this brave woman? Me. I realise that in the trials of life, this story might seem mild, but for the many women I have shared this with, they could relate. I wanted to tell this story to you all today to suggest that by changing the way we dress, we can own our body more and celebrate who were are in all our magnificence. If you feel comfortable with yourself in what you are wearing, keep wearing it! But if there is something youve always wanted to wear but have held yourself back, maybe this year is the year you finally give it a try and embrace yourself and all your quirks. Go gently, Julie P.S. My apologies for missing last Mondays Reflection post. I have been busily updating the new website which I will hopefully be able to share later this week or early next. Julie

09.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS It can be very difficult challenging or changing beliefs that no longer suit us. Whether this is in relation to what we believe about ourselves, about others, our world, our money, our relationships or our food and body (including the power that eating right and weighing the right amount can hold over us), it is rarely an easy process. It is important to remember that changing our beliefs is a journey over time. I was reminded of this again today when refle...Continue reading

08.01.2022 I had to share this wonderful poem from a third grader for those who havent seen it... THE TRUE FEMININE I am not sugar and spice and everything nice. I am music.... I am art. I am a story. I am a church bell, gonging out wrongs and rights and normal nights. I was baby. I am child. I will be mother. I dont mind being considered beautiful, I do not allow that to be my definition. I am a rich pie strong with knowledge. I will not be eaten. Wow! The future is bright! Go gently, Julie http://www.scarymommy.com/third-grader-poem-feminism-twitt/

07.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS How do we deal with the uncertainty of life? No, I dont have the answers! However, it is something worth reflecting on, even if there is no easy answer. ... We all do it in different ways, whether its through our belief in a higher power or through more down to earth attempts to feel secure materially. One way that many people try and achieve this certainty mostly without being aware they are doing it is through the pursuit of either a perfect body or perfect health. I am not saying that pursuing physical health is a problem, however this goal does often come with huge mental stress. This stress can be intensified when we dont realise that pursuing physical health might actually be part of our desire to feel security the security that everything will be ok if we can be healthy and fit in with culturally accepted standards. When we have a goal, such as the perfect body or health (however that may be defined), we can subdue our fears about living in this challenging world. For adolescents, it can be the fear of passing exams, doing well enough at school, or just growing up and watching the adults around us struggle with responsibilities. For late adolescents and young adults, it can be the challenge of working out their lifes path, whilst constantly hearing about how they may never own a house or that the world is going to ruin. As we get older, it is the responsibility of raising a family or wondering if we will ever be able to retire one day that often ignites our fears. I dont mean to be the bearer of doom and gloom (although it sounds like that!), merely to get us to maybe reflect that, when we may be pursuing the unrealistic goal of perfect health or body, there may be more going on! One possible antidote is to talk about this tough stuff! Dont just suppress it through the pursuit of external things (and yes, health can be external when it comes from our head a topic for another time!). Talk to your kids about lifes uncertainties and allow these uncertainties to exist in your own life without always having solutions. Another possible antidote uses my favourite word lets stop adulting for a while, look at the fun and joy that children naturally express and maybe join them in whatever way we can. By focusing on this, it may not solve our worries, but it may give us space to look at the bigger picture and re-prioritise if we need or want to. As always, go gently, Julie

07.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Over lunch today I was trying to think about what I wanted to reflect on today and all I could think was "too hard!" I contemplated leaving the post for today, knowing that you would all understand but then I thought that perhaps I could use that thought to remind all of us that it is ok if sometimes we decide its too hard. ... There is a lot of pressure in this world to keep on trying, no matter what. Youve all seen the ads "Soldier on!" I dont agree with that philosophy! Sometimes, it is completely ok to decide, nope, thats too hard today, Ill leave it. Today I ended up deciding that I could do it, but on another day I might have decided otherwise. Maybe this week give yourself permission to ignore something that needs doing (dont ignore any children though!) and see how it feels. Go gently (or not at all this week), Julie Disclaimer: if you are feeling such feelings on a regular basis, consult a professional as there may be something else going on.

07.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS Sometimes food is not the problem but the symptom! So often people blame the food they are eating for the problems they are experiencing, and whilst this is true in some cases, it is often only part (or none, dare I say it), of the truth.... When life is not going right, or our body isnt behaving the way we think it should, it is easier to look at more surface things, like what we are eating than the deeper things, like how am I coping with this complex thing called life! Whilst I acknowledge that for some, this wont be true, I have noticed with most of the clients I work, or have worked with, especially in the disordered eating field, they need to go deeper to not only what it is that is more important to them, but also how to give themselves permission to have it. All I recommend is that if food or your body is worrying you, to look gently at the possibility that something else could be going on. If our food or body worries increase, this is often not that they are getting worse, but that the food is acting as a indicator of how much worry we are currently carrying. If you are concerned about food or your body, before Dr Googling it, maybe look more broadly and seek professional help. Go very gently, Julie

06.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS What actually is healthy eating or good enough eating? Nutrition is actually a tiny part of healthy eating, yet it is nutrition that gets all the attention. Our obsessions with both promoting superfoods and demonising bad foods have ensured that nutrition has become the number one focus of eating. ... For good enough eating, nutrition is just one part of the balanced whole having a positive attitude to food, being willing to explore new foods, having enough food to eat and not feeling deprived either through lack of access to food or rules we impose on ourselves. Food and eating are about connections, social get togethers, laughter, love, fun. When all of these things are taken care of, nutrition will sort itself out without us having to try. Go gently, Julie http://untrapped.teachable.com/?affcode=133432_dee-jsfo

05.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we often judge what we see. We often assume that others see what we see and judge accordingly. Remember, however, that other people see all of us: our smiles, our love, our laughter, our sadness. They do not see the easy to judge inanimate photo or mirror image. We live in a world where our bodies are judged for not being ok - for not being the right weight or look - and we take this to mean that WE are not ok becaus...e we dont fit with societal expectations of bodies. There is so much pressure to be the right person that we have trouble seeing ourselves as a wonderful, whole human being with our own individual strengths and foibles just like everybody else. When we focus on eating right - or exercising right, or looking right - we are not seeing ourselves through the eyes of those who love us. More particularly, we are not seeing ourselves through the eyes of those who love us and who have not developed cultural biases, such as our children. When you go about your life, try and notice what lens you are seeing yourself and others through. Are you looking through a body/weight judgement lens, or are you looking at the person beyond the body? If you are looking at others with a weight/body judgement lens, dont be too hard on yourself. This is sadly normal for our culture. However, by raising awareness of it, we can begin to practise seeing the person who is smiling, loving, laughing or even crying instead of the body. We can begin to see the whole person. Go gently, Julie

03.01.2022 One of my favourite Leunig cartoons - are you being kind to yourself today? Go gently, Julie

02.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS I want to share with you all this beautiful poem from Alexandra Elles Neon Soul to gently remind you that it is ok to love yourself however it feels best for you joyously and loudly so that the world can hear, or quietly and contentedly so that the world can feel it. Self-love is personal, and difficult, and although many people have a lot of different advice about the best way to love yourself, only you can decide what works for you. You do you. And i...f you find yourself struggling, be kind to yourself and keep trying. The struggle is worth it in the end. Go gently this week, Julie

02.01.2022 Monday Reflections Today is the last day of our honours year at uni! Well, I say our but really my daughter is finishing what has been a huge year! It got me thinking about all the parents who are nearly completing Year 12 (exams soon), and have been carrying their child so they can get through this tough year, and how many things we try and juggle and put pressure on ourselves to achieve.... Its times when things are chaotic that we realise how much we live in family units (whatever that looks like): what affects one person, affects everyone. I am very lucky, usually my daughter is brilliant at helping around the house, but for the last 6 weeks I have been doing it all solo running the house, working and holding the sanity of both of us. How much harder it would have been if I had also been trying to fit in the right way to eat or exercise. The pressure would have tipped me over the edge, and yet so many women (and some men) are trying to do their eating / exercise perfectly at huge costs to their mental and physical health and well being. Life is full of ups and downs, and our eating and exercise can peacefully come along for the road, or they can be an extra pressure. (At this hectic time, a gentle reminder that if you feel trapped by the demands of eating better, or moving more and want to find an easier way, then check out UNTRAPPED as a new way forward. Go to http://untrapped.teachable.com/?affcode=133432_dee-jsfo and join a growing community who are working on being the healthiest they can be in all areas without the pressure of the should.) If you have someone coming up to exam times be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself and forgive yourself if things dont go according to plan! Go gently, Julie

01.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS I dont think I really need to say much about this Mondays reflection. The poem from Nikita Gill says it all really. No matter how successfully we manage our own self-talk, lets teach our daughters (and sons!) to love their bodies and what theyre capable of!... Go gently, Julie

01.01.2022 MONDAY REFLECTIONS I cant believe it is a month since I have written any reflections it just shows that my head has been elsewhere! In actual fact, it has been (and still is) in a period of transition busy working out the next step in my life. We all go through transition periods whether it is throughout our school life, our working life, family changes or just our own personal growth where we are different than we were before but are not quite there yet (whatever ...that means). When we are in these periods, we often try and move through them as quickly as possible, or find a way to fix the disquiet we feel. A lot of people dont even recognise that they are in a transition period but then suddenly they are looking around for that something that will help them feel better in our society this often presents as the next diet, or the next thing we need to do to fix our body. This feels much easier. The world tells us it is something we can control, especially when we dont feel we can control anything else. A lot of my work with clients is helping them sit with feelings of discomfort first, and then looking at if there are any areas of their life they want to improve, not the other way around. Sometimes we just need to acknowledge that we are in an uncomfortable period of life and give ourselves permission to not have the answers. If this period is lasting a long time, or is distressing you, then certainly seek personal or professional support. However, if you feel a strong urge to change your body, try and look below this. Ask yourself if there is there something else actually worrying you. Are you in another of lifes transitions? Go gently (something I have been telling myself a lot recently), Julie