Nutrition Tip of the Month - Words of Wisdom

Nutrition Tip
	July 2010
Words of Wisdom from Someone in Recovery from an Eating Disorder
Honestly Lisa, I really think it started when my meds kicked in and I was able to think a little more clearly. I just do not want to be controlled by something as stupid and pitiful as ED. I want to live worry-free (at least for the most part) and have fun. My friend lost her Mother way too soon recently and it made me realize that every day is a gift, and we should be thankful we are here to share that gift with our family and friends. ED took a good year and a half out of my life, and I know he will never be gone for good. But I can push his thoughts and harsh words away because I will not allow something that hurts so many of us take my gift away. It is so hard to explain and I know ED strikes and affects each one of us in different ways. I want to tell these people who are still really in a fight with that bastard that they deserve better. DON'T LET ED WIN!!!! People love and want to be around me because of my great personality. I lost that when ED had control. They need to know that they are strong enough to take that control back. Life is so much better and they will feel like Superstars once their footprint is a permanent mark on ED's face. I am very hesitant to write this, because I feel like I am setting up myself for a set back. But I am going to keep my head up and stay confident. As long as I believe in myself and remember how enjoyable life is, everything will be ok! It also helps to have such a wonderful Angel in my life name Lisa!!! Love you!! I am not sure if that will help. I know my thoughts are all over the place, but I would do anything AT ALL to help this person and anyone who suffers from this disease. I just really hope they will listen to these and all of the words you have shared with them. I know I use to close mine off when someone was telling me I was going to be ok and I can fight this. So hopefully something will stick! If you need anything else, just let me know. ALSO SEE ARCHIVED nutrition tip from OCT 08. This is a wonderful letter that one of my recovered clients wrote to her ED.

Nutrition Tip

July 2010

Words of Wisdom from Someone in Recovery from an Eating Disorder

Honestly Lisa, I really think it started when my meds kicked in and I was able to think a little more clearly. I just do not want to be controlled by something as stupid and pitiful as ED. I want to live worry-free (at least for the most part) and have fun. My friend lost her Mother way too soon recently and it made me realize that every day is a gift, and we should be thankful we are here to share that gift with our family and friends. ED took a good year and a half out of my life, and I know he will never be gone for good. But I can push his thoughts and harsh words away because I will not allow something that hurts so many of us take my gift away. It is so hard to explain and I know ED strikes and affects each one of us in different ways. I want to tell these people who are still really in a fight with that bastard that they deserve better. DON'T LET ED WIN!!!! People love and want to be around me because of my great personality. I lost that when ED had control. They need to know that they are strong enough to take that control back. Life is so much better and they will feel like Superstars once their footprint is a permanent mark on ED's face. I am very hesitant to write this, because I feel like I am setting up myself for a set back. But I am going to keep my head up and stay confident. As long as I believe in myself and remember how enjoyable life is, everything will be ok!

It also helps to have such a wonderful Angel in my life name Lisa!!! Love you!!

I am not sure if that will help. I know my thoughts are all over the place, but I would do anything AT ALL to help this person and anyone who suffers from this disease. I just really hope they will listen to these and all of the words you have shared with them. I know I use to close mine off when someone was telling me I was going to be ok and I can fight this. So hopefully something will stick!

If you need anything else, just let me know.

ALSO SEE ARCHIVED nutrition tip from OCT 08. This is a wonderful letter that one of my recovered clients wrote to her ED.

Nutrition Tip Archives

Lisa Checking In:

July 2010

I AM HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE WITH MY FAX LINE. (I CHANGED SERVERS). IF YOU CAN’T SEND A FAX USE MY BACK UP FAX FROM MY WOODHAVEN OFFICE. 734-362-7501. PLEASE PUT A COVER SHEET ON IT BECAUSE IT IS A SHARED FAX, UNLIKE MY ONE AT HOME.

NO VACATIONS FOR JULY. I’LL BE HERE.

I hope everyone has been safe with the CRAZY weather going on in the US lately. Michigan has turned into tornado alley too. My gardens are taking a beating and we spent 3 hours in the bathrooms taking shelter during our last camping trip but other than that we’ve been ok. The destruction is everywhere!

I don’t have any “formal dietetic student interns” at the moment but I meet with different ones on regular basis and they help me with projects. Thanks ahead of time to Tony and Gino. You guys are going to be GREAT dietitians .

Thank you Katie and Elise. I loved having you around and miss you two already.

I finally updated my PHOTO!!!! Yes my hair does grow like a weed.

I am teaching a nutrition class at OCC (Oakland Community College- Royal Oak campus) I am teaching from 9:00 -12:00 and 1:00-4:00 every Thursday for the spring/summer semester, so this is a day for students and I won’t have as much cell phone or email availability. Thanks for your patience and understanding ahead of time.

I am still blown away that the text book is the same one we used at Madonna College for dietitian school!! I loved the book and its updates are very good. It’s a 3 credit required class for all nursing students and allied health fields. I have a lot of stories and situations I’m able to share with them it is going very well. I have wanted to teach college for a while now, so it’s a dream come true. I hope my students feel the same way. Thank you for your love notes on the back of the final exams.

The HEA 151 Summer 2010 ICON on my website is for my students. I will be posting their study guides and info there.

Topics this month:

Recipe: Chickpea Curry for Two (submitted by a client, thank you!)
Exercise: 1 on 1 Fitness studio at my Woodhaven office. GREAT, attentive trainers!!!! And nice new CLEAN equipment
Nutrition Tip: Letter from one of my recovering anorexics to other people struggling. Also see archived tip Oct 08

The questionnaire I use for my new OA and OA/HOW members is under the icon especially for you. Let me know if you can’t pull it up, l email it to you. SICK DAY MEAL PLANS ARE AVAILABLE THERE TOO.

I’d like to use my OA and OA/HOW site for sponsors and sponsee’s to potentially hook up or just as a way to link members who have unique or unusual health or life issues. I’m also looking for recipes from members to post in this section. If you have good ones, send them on! I try to pick recipes of the month that are safe for most.
My email is: lisa@lisamerrill.com (note…2 R’s and 2 L’s in merrill)

Continuous hello’s to all my new Local, Out-Of-State, Canadian, Alaskan, Korean, Puerto Rican OA and OA/HOW members! I’ve worked with over 740 of you now!!!!! (I’ve kind of lost count now)
I’m enjoying all the accents and learning about your interesting “local” foods.
By the way, I’m in the Detroit Area…and on EASTERN Time Zone.
Your before and after pictures are inspirations too!!! Keep em coming!

Note from Aug 08 Nutrition Tip (just go to the archives)
This is a very powerful letter a recovering anorexic wrote to her eating disorder (ED). It’s beautifully done and painfully honest. It will make you understand how this terrible disease gets a grip on people and how hard they have to work to kick it in the butt. I am also posting it as encouragement for others who are struggling with eating disorders. This letter is used with permission but kept anonymous. JULY 2010 is another letter from someone else.

How to access my archived tips:
For each tip of the month, scroll down to the bottom of that page…you’ll see the bold line then the word Nutrition, Exercise or Recipe Archives…Just click on that and the titles of all my topics for that category will show up. You can then click on the title you’re interested in and my archived tip will come up. Some months may be missing because I updated topics or redid some handouts and they were re-posted. For the archives BEFORE June 09 tips scroll to the bottom of the latest tip of the month and there will be PAST ARCHIVE TIPS and you can click on that.

Remember, I’m always looking for ideas for my site!!!

If you’ve sent me emails and I didn’t respond (I ALWAYS respond), call me and let me know 734-502-8264.

We’re all a work in progress. Fitness and being healthy is a journey, not just an event.

Health and Happiness for 2010!!!!! Time to dig in the dirt and enjoy my gardens.

XOXO Lisa

PS. Check out my beautiful “boys” in the About Lisa Section.
I finally got the updated photo thing done. I hate sitting for photo shoots. Growing the hair out by the way (to donate again).