Let go of your inner beauty!

I really never thought I would ever write anything about food and diet. Food has always been the last item in my list of priorities. It's something I know my body needs to function but I really never paid much attention to what I ate and when and how often I ate.

Then at one point a few years ago, my self image and appearance took centre-stage. I completely bought into the 'skinny is beautiful' hype and I went on a completely illogical path. Instead of appreciating my body as it was made to be, I started to want to lose a lot of weight in a very short time, and in a manner that proved that I didn't really love myself. In short I had one of those eating disorders that unfortunately are what a lot of young girls and women suffer from today.

Eating disorders are a kind of obsession where the mind holds onto warped images of what it thinks reality is. The funny thing is I couldn't even tell that I was losing bucket loads of weight; in fact I probably thought I was fat. My mind was so powerful that it refused to accept any other messages that it thought was contradictory. My story thankfully does have a very happy ending: I got rid of the obsession through the support of wonderful family and friends for which I am extremely grateful, because looking back now I can see that I was really on the brink of a landslide. Had I continued on that dangerous path I probably would not have lived to write this.

I'm not normally in the habit of sharing such personal stories. And the only reason I'm doing so now is to tell women especially that we need to take care of ourselves. I've changed from someone who used to avoid eating, to someone who enjoys eating and trying new tastes. I still don't eat a lot but I eat as nutritiously as possible. I believe I'm perfect just the way I am.

A well-cared for woman, who is confident with a healthy self-image will always be beautiful. A woman who is happy, and who loves herself is very attractive. Perhaps we should stop reading magazines that emphasize on appearance, and instead read books; anything that nurtures our inner self. Inner beauty shines outward.