Using Eating Disorder Videos to Facilitate Discussion

Are you a teacher who is trying to think of unique ways to teach your students about different issues such as anorexia and bulimia? Maybe you are the head of a youth group and you know that some of the teens are dealing with this particular issue and you want to find a subtle way to teach them of the dangers. Whatever the case may be, one of the best ways that you can get your point across is by showing them a few eating disorder videos. The great thing is that you can also incorporate other activities in order to make sure that they are getting the full benefits of the tapes or DVDs.
For instance, before the viewing you can talk to the students and ask them what they know about the topic. You don't necessarily have to expect them to know everything or even to say all of the right things at that point. Just getting them to talk about the subject is enough. After the short discussion you can then show them a few of these films.
During this time, the students will more than likely be very engaged as they will be learning things they may have not known before. They may also be hearing things that they've already heard. That's okay, because that will drive home some of the things they already know.
After viewing each tape, you can ask some of them to talk about some of the things they learned. This doesn't have to be a long discussion. This just helps you to see whether or not they were actually paying attention.
Once you are done showing them all of the eating disorder videos that you want them to see, you can then allow them to have a major group discussion. At this point, you can make a decision as to whether it's best for you to chime in or allow them to talk amongst themselves. Whatever the case may be, this type of discussion will allow them to get some new perspectives from their peers.
So, it's clear to see that eating disorder videos can be extremely helpful to teens. Not only can they learn from viewing them; they can also learn by being able to incorporate important discussions about the topic. You don't have to feel as though you are forced to discuss or present this often-difficult subject on your own. Using these tapes and DVDs can make things much easier for everyone.

If you've been thinking about incorporating eating disorder videos into your classroom, also consider using them as a springboard for further, more in-depth discussion. Find out more about these educational aids by visiting http://www.futurehealth1.com.

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Food Cravings - Good or Bad?

One of my clients last week mentioned to me that she had been struggling for the past week with some food cravings which she was finding very hard to resist. She did not like the challenge of trying to resist chocolate, ice cream or even crisp chips when the attraction for these foods became so great.
So, are food cravings a good thing or a bad thing? Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it and more importantly how you respond to the food cravings.
The human body is very intelligent. It knows exactly what it needs to survive and better still what it needs to thrive.
Food cravings are the body's mechanism to alert us that the body is looking for food and more importantly specific nutrients that are contained in the food.
Therefore food cravings are not necessarily a bad thing as the body is reminding us that it's time to have some nutrients.
It is our job to look at the craving and try to work out what could be the nutrient in the food that I am craving that the body really is looking for.
When a food craving appears we have three options.

• We can try to ignore or resist the craving
• We can satisfy the craving with less than healthy food
• We can respond to the craving with good nutritious food

Let's look at an example.
Lan has just finished dinner and is sitting down reading a book before she prepares herself for bed. Lan ate a lovely healthy green salad with a topping of warm diced peppers with onion, garlic, ginger with a splash of 100% extra virgin olive oil on top with a small piece of Atlantic salmon. The craving for double chocolate cream biscuit is noticed by Lan as she continues reading and digesting her meal.
Lan now has the above 3 options to choose from.

1. Lan uses will power to resist and continues reading.
2. Lan goes to the kitchen and starts to polish off the packet of double chocolate cream biscuits.
3. Lan reflects for a few minutes and understands that her body is craving sugar. She goes to the kitchen and prepares a few pieces of fresh pineapple and eats them.

When the body has a craving for a particular food it becomes our job to work out what nutrients the body maybe looking for and supply those nutrients in the form of good nutritious food.
In the above example the body was looking for sugar and if we chose option 3 we would have given the body a good source of natural sugar. We would have satisfied the craving without consuming unnecessary calories and putting extra pressure on our digestive and elimination systems.
Next time a food craving arises in your body try to work out what nutrient the body is craving and give it a good natural fresh form of food with those particular nutrients in them.
The body is craving chocolate. Sugar is in chocolate. Good natural form of sugar is fruit.
Now you can welcome food cravings as a sign from your body to increase your intake of nutrients through good healthy nutritious food.
Have some fun with this and become an expert food craving, nutrient detective.

Mr Paul Simos is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Yoga Instructor. Paul has transformed his life from a business owner in Australia working long hours with no life and very poor health to traveling Health Coach now living in Vietnam.
Paul completely turned his health around and now teaches other business executives who have stressful lives how to do the same.

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