Do you ever wonder about how the fitness industry works?
Have you ever thought about gyms, health clubs, and gyms as an industry?
I love movement. I love that it's always been part of me. Over my life, I’ve been a dancer, cheerleader, fitness class teacher, personal trainer, kickboxer, runner, yogi, yoga instructor, and collegiate rower.
I believe that movement is sacred. I know it in my bones.
In my last blog (SoullessCycle: The Pack and The Pact), I wrote about my mixed experiences at a SoulCycle fitness studio. Over the last two years, I’ve done lots of embodied/somatic research for the book I’m writing about exercise addiction and the fitness industry.
Today’s blog describes my latest SoulCycle visit.
Ten years ago, I tried SoulCycle in New York City. In a dark studio with loud music, I got lost in the crowd for a rhythmic, freeing, and sweaty workout.
I liked the no metrics/no screens method and choreographed workouts, but was less fond of the cliques. I didn't like how SoulCycle promoted their instructors like products–or used celebrities to manufacture a reputation as the newest and coolest place to “trendercise.” Turned off after a few classes, I didn’t go back.
In our past blogs we have voiced our clinical opinions regarding the need for increased screening for disordered eating. Who should be screening? Primary providers such as pediatricians, therapists and dietitians come to mind. In the news this past week it was reported that there is no clear evidence at this time to recommend specific guidelines for or against screening for eating disorders (HealthDay, 2022).
“New Year, New Me”. The start of a new year usually brings sayings such as this- especially as we eagerly await 2021 to begin. This unassuming quote brings significant pressure to change who we are overnight. We envision that at the stroke of midnight, all our habits that we endeavor to change - will change. We’ll take up that streaming yoga class, start a juice cleanse, or give up sugar. Not only do internal forces drive that desire, but external pressures are abundant via social media, news articles, and influencers touting all the things one should do on January 1st.
Cooking for one is an important skill, especially in the year of 2020. As we have made adjustments to our lives due to the pandemic, many of us have spent more time alone at home than ever...and more time in our kitchens feeding ourselves. If you live alone or have different food preferences than those you live with, it can be challenging to navigate making food for only yourself.
Although it may feel different from previous years, the holiday season is upon us. The holidays have the potential to bring warmth and the sense of normalcy we are all craving. However, it can also bring on overwhelming emotions. Given this year’s atypical cocktail of COVID mixed with a bit of food and family it may be an even more challenging time for those recovering from disordered eating.
Translation:a Sanskrit term and compound composed of two words: Isvara (or Ishvara) (ईवर) and pranidhana (णधान). Ishvara translates to “owner of best, beautiful”, ruler of choices and blessings and “chief of suitor”. Pranidhana is used in sanskrit to mean applying or giving attention to by way of meditation, prayer or desire. Together they encompass the last niyama which embodies the theme of surrender to the divine. Another term used to describe Ishvara Pranidhana is “the special self”.
Eating Disorders are complex - this we know. How or whey they start or get triggered is also complex. What we do know is that disordered eating emerges as a way to cope and manage things like emotions, stress and the environment. We must then acknowledge that those dealing with disordered eating often have experienced some level of trauma.
There has been significant controversy over the past month about fiber; what it is, how it has been used, and what constitutes excess. Tanya Zuckerbrot, founder of the F-Factor Diet, has recently made headlines for the negative consequences imposed by too much fiber in diets. While fiber intake is an integral part of good nutrition, fiber also can cause a body major distress when over-consumed. Fiber - is it friend or foe?
This story starts centuries ago, driven by racist attitudes about body size as the slave trade brought African people into Europe. Beauty standards started to shift as African women, who were naturally more full-figured, were stigmatized. White European women were encouraged to lose weight in order to show their superiority and “self control” which they believed their African slaves lacked as evidenced by their larger bodies.
An increasingly common refrain with respect to diet is that sugar in all forms is bad for you. The topic of fruit or “overfruiting” arises with increasing frequency in all circles: patients, friends, family. It usually starts with “I think I eat too much fruit...” or “portion size matters with fruit because of how much sugar fruit has”. Fruit has recently developed a bad reputation with concern largely stemming from the amount of sugar fruit contains.
There is beauty in simplicity. The smell of fresh herbs, the juiciness of a perfectly ripe peach, the crunchy satisfaction of a warm piece of bread with butter. Food does not have to be complex to be delicious. In fact, when we strip away the bells and whistles, food becomes a lot more approachable.
Translation: Tapas is based on the root Tap (तप्) meaning "to heat, to give out warmth, to shine, to burn. Tapas, the third Niyama widely translates into the concept of self-discipline, inner energy or austerity. Tapas reminds us that to stay on a path towards wholeness we need self-discipline, self-accountability and the desire to keep going.
Vegan diets and Veganism are diet styles made up of only plant-based foods. The core foundation is to abstain from eating animal products. This is also sometimes accompanied by the refusal to use animal products in any way (think leather bags) and is associated with a philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.
