PMS Factor

Today’s pop culture is obsessed with weight. Television shows focus on radical body makeovers and weight loss challenges and tabloids are teeming with photographs that glamorize emaciated celebrities. At the same time, however, headlines pose the question, “Are They Too Skinny?”

What’s more baffling is that the advertisements within these same tabloid and beauty magazines include models with equally “skinny” physiques, which are scrutinized by the articles within.

So, what is an ideal body weight? How can we attain what seems to be an impossible balance?

Mixed messages regarding body image have created a dichotomy. Americans are obsessed with being “Hollywood” thin and beautiful, but intrigued by criticism of the models and celebrities they aim to resemble. The result—a country that is consumed with “looking good” and less concerned with overall health and wellbeing.

Warped perceptions of our physical appearance are created from the Barbie-type, airbrushed images that surround us everyday. With these unrealistic expectations, it is no wonder so many people are dissatisfied with their bodies, self-conscious and incapable of appreciating basic good health. This goes especially for women—4 out of 5 are unhappy with their bodies. The consequences: teenage girls plagued with self-scrutiny, pregnant women depriving themselves of essential nourishment in order to limit weight gain and the new prevalence of eating disorders among women in midlife.

Even pre-teen girls in America grow up with Barbie dolls, playing out scenes for what their adult lives could be. According to Marie Claire magazine, if Barbie were a real woman, she would be 7-foot-2 and possess these unlikely measurements: 40-inch bust, 22-inch waist and 36-inch hips.

On the flip side, obese individuals are viewed so negatively by the public that they are denied the peer encouragement that is necessary for them to make behavioral or lifestyle improvements. The common notion that obese individuals are both lazy and responsible for their situation has resulted in grave social repercussions—discrimination in the workplace, biased attitudes from health care professionals, barriers in interpersonal relationships, negative portrayals in the media and compromised quality of life.

The media has an essential role in ending the “thin-is-better” epidemic and cultivating a culture that is confident and health-conscious. It is highly unlikely, however, that the television, magazines and news outlets will shift their focus to highlight people with healthy and balanced lifestyles. The sad reality is that the current unrealistic and unhealthy images attract more attention and translate into financial gain.

Taken from Revival Soy - The #1 Doctor-Recommended Soy Protein Supplement Weighing In Blog

I saw this product the other day when I was a CVS (a local pharmacy). It is called PMS Escape. Here is what the web site says about it:

“PMS Escape is a dietary supplement developed for women with normal PMS-related disturbances in mood and appetite. PMS Escape is a patented, clinically proven combination of specially formulated simple and complex carbohydrates plus vitamins and minerals, prepared specifically to manage some of the normal mood and appetite-related disturbances women experience during the premenstrual period.

“PMS Escape is currently available in the following flavors, raspberry lime and strawberry kiwi.

“PMS Escape is a safe and clinically proven effective way of managing PMS disturbances. In two well-controlled double-blind clinical studies conducted at leading universities and hospitals- including Harvard University, MIT, and Massachusetts General-Hospital women with PMS who drank PMS Escape showed a greater degree of improvement in mood, especially anger and irritability, than when they drank placebo beverages that looked and tasted like PMS Escape but contained different combinations of carbohydrates and/or protein.”

I am wondering if you have tried this. I’ll probably give it a try the next go around for about $10, and I’ll let you know how it goes… especially the Rasberry lime…. Mmmm

On January 22, 1973, a monumental decision was passed down by the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize abortion in America. In my opinion, this stands as one of the top 5 dates in history. Bigger than Pearl Harbor. Bigger than Emancipation Proclamation.

In addition, one of the greatest messages on the 33rd anniversary was delivered in Arlington, TX. Until the link expires, you can check out the message at:

The Only Answer On Abortion

If the link is already expired, you can download the mp3 file HERE.

I won’t hide it… while what seems like such a victory for women is one of the greatest defeats that women in America have ever had. While I’m not asking anyone to agree with me here, this PMS Chick believes that this audio is worth listening to.

Gynaecologist Says Poor Diet Affects Health of Female North Korean Defectors

Female defectors from North Korea experience their first menstruation several years later than average South Korean women due to insufficient nutrition earlier in life.

The research by a team led by Koo Seung-yup, a gynaecology professor at Seoul National University, showed that the female refugees menstruated for the first time at an average age of 16.

The team surveyed the first menstruation and diet habits of 411 female defectors currently residing in defectors’ facilities in the South. The average age of the surveyed women was 31.

The defectors’ average age of menstruation is approximately two to four years later than those of South Korean women, according to the study.

Menstruation occurred earliest among the defectors who had meat- based diets, followed by those whose diets were based on grain and vegetables. The defectors who had fewer sleeping hours also had later menstruation, according to the study.

The team attributed the late menstruation to insufficient nutrition and overall living conditions as well as genetic factors.

“While the survey cannot represent the entire female population of the North, it holds great significance as the first medical data collected from women who have grown up there,” said Koo.

Nearly 6,700 North Koreans have defected to the South since the end of the Korean War, including 1,894 last year alone. Seoul expects the number of defectors to exceed 10,000 in a few years.

Source: http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=2896&Section=NUTRITION