Dietism

Who is the latest to jump on the diet bandwagon? Michelle Obama. Only she isn't doing it for herself, it's for her kids. Normally I am quite a fan of Michelle, but this, if true, takes the cake.
Children nowadays have too many body issues already, do they need more? The Obama kids are beautiful and entering a stage of life where a little body fat is necessary for the development of estrogen. It is actually healthy.
Now I understand a mother saying to her kids,"Lets eat a little bit healthier, lets have more veggies and fruit and less of the cheeseburgers and fries". But the word "diet" conjures up body image issues which just should not be the problem of normal sized children. I agree wit the television host who recently said,"The word "diet" shouldn't be used until you are at least 35, because by then you should know that diets don't work, only lifestyle changes keep weight off."

Futurism

Due to my increasing fascination for the genre of the paranormal, I have encountered a variety of futuristic ideas. The latest book in my library bag, "Hidden", by Eve Kenin, has a scenario describing a world where a virus has been purposefully released into the general population in order to cut down the population of a certain type of human. People all over the world have become paranoid about viruses since the population was hit by a big one, and the world is divided into three large super dominions. There are scientists who have perfected genetic research to the point where it is possible to breed people who heal themselves from wounds in the time it takes to tie a shoelace. Of course they are few far between, and are being chased by the ones with power so that they can be controlled.
It was this sort of post apocalyptic scenario which sparked off a thought. Why do so many authors believe that there will be a dire future for the world?
There is a sort of fear that is sprung from all of the predictions made by the scientific community about the effect that global warming will have on the future. It all makes one feel a little bit powerless, especially when combined with the feeling that one gets after seeing world leaders bargaining with each other over who has to cut down the most carbon production.
What sort of future can we have when there is no agreement on the important things?
I, like a lot of people, sublimate my fear by looking for ways to to control my own carbon production, cutting down on beef products consumed, being a fanatical recycler, buying local produce etc. If I am the only one ding this, it doesn't really matter, because in the end, I can only control my own actions, and that's my strategy for controlling my fear.

Escapism

I have always been an avid reader, but during the 10 years I spent breastfeeding, reading took on new meaning for me. I had around four to six hours a day that I spent nurturing and nourishing my little ones and much of that I spent with a book in hand.
I learned early in my journey of parenthood that I needed to find space in my head where I could allow myself to escape from the pressures of life even if only for 1 hour or less. I found an escape in reading.
As a busy mom who wanted to do my best for my children, attachment parenting being my model, I felt quite guilty for even the thought that I should want to spend time for my self, but I just felt compelled to find some balance in my life. Reading helped me to achieve that along with my daily practice of yoga and meditation.
I learned to read fast also. As most breastfeeding mommas know, the baby doesn't always feed for long, so early on I would find it frustrating to sit down and read for just fifteen minutes, because I would be just getting into it when the baby would be finishing up.
I now find time to read at least one book a week even though I am no longer breastfeeding. In fact I often have simultaneous reading projects going on.
For example, at the moment I am working on "The Celtic Heroic Age", which is a scholarly work, as well as books of my latest favourite genre which is paranormal romance.
Peace out!