Body Image Improves For Women With Support Network

by Linda Franklin

Body image is a huge priority to  women, especially young women.  That’s why it’s no surprise that eating disorders are on the rise.

More than ever the pressure is on to be thin and beautiful.  But now a new study claims that supportive families can help combat social pressures which cause women to live up to unrealistic ideals.

Findings showed that levels of emotional support affected the way participants viewed their bodies.

Those with a strong network of family and friends demonstrated a more positive outlook and were better equipped to deal with stressful situations.

Lead researcher Shannon Snapp of the University of Arizona said: ‘It is particularly important for women to develop a sense of self-worth that is not solely based on appearance, and to build resilience to pressures they may receive from family, friends and the media.’

Researchers gave 301 first-year university students questionnaires, focusing on young women who are likely to be self-conscious.

The outcomes suggested that family support and low levels of pressure to be thin are linked to the rejection of the ‘thin and beautiful’ ideal, positive views of physical appearance, and effective stress-busting strategies. 

To help young people at risk of eating disorders and negative body image, the researchers suggest that prevention programs should include ways to make them become comfortable with the multiple, and often contradictory, expectations placed on them.

Past research has shown between 25 percent and 40 per cent of U.S. students experience negative body image and eating problems.

The NHS reports that around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2,000 men will experience anorexia nervosa at some point, while bulimia is around five times more common.

 

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says,”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream.  All things are possible”.  Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Sex Is Better Than Any Pill

by Linda Franklin – The Real Cougar Woman

Sex is one of our biggest preoccupations, and so it’s natural that it would be the subject of a slew of research projects. Scientists at Rutgers University, are using scans to monitor women’s brains during orgasm and are coming up with some interesting factoids.  

Two minutes before orgasm the brain’s reward centers become active. These are the same areas that are activated when we’re eating and drinking. Then, immediately before we climax,other areas of the brain – the ones that receive ‘touch’ messages from the body - are activated.

The final part of the brain to be activated is the ‘control’ part which regulates temperature, hunger, thirst and tiredness.  So, having sex at the end of the day, has many stress-relieving benefits, especially for men.  Having a powerful orgasm is equal to having a 2-3mg shot of Valium.  Now you know why they have sex and then immediately turn over and start to snore.

What else happens to a woman’s brain when she slips between the sheets?  Is sex mind altering?  The answer is yes. 

The oxytocin, released during sex lowers our defences so we become more trusting. It’s also the key to bonding, because it increases our levels of empathy. Women produce more oxytocin than men and that’s why we are more likely to let down our guard and fall in love with a man after sex. Unfortunately, our body can’t distinguish whether the person we’re with is a casual fling or marriage material — oxytocin is released either way. So while it might help you bond with the love of your life, it’s also the reason you may feel so miserable when a short-term relationship ends.   

Men, on the other hand, don’t get that same surge of bonding hormone, they get a surge of pure pleasure. That’s because the main hormone released for them during sex is dopamine – the pleasure hormone. For women especially – the mind plays a major role in achieving orgasm. The key to female arousal seems to be deep relaxation and a lack of anxiety.  

 

Regular sex – are you ready for this – may actually help us grow new brains cells too.  That’s what researchers at Princeton are finding. So does that mean the more sex you have the smarter you get??? Factors such as stress and depression have been shown to shrink the hippocampus, yet exercise and sex counteract this effect.

 

The benefits of sex are numerous to list on a blog posting, but I’ll leave you with this.  Our lips have 100 times

more nerve endings than our fingertips.  So, if you kiss a lot before intercourse, the sex will be much better.   

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality.  Linda Franklin says,”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Real Cougar Stress Busters

Doesn't it seem that everyone you talk to these days is complaining about an ache, a pain, or a flu that just won't go away. In my opinion, that's because we are compromising our immune system.. After all how much stress can we load on our body before it retaliates? 

When we are stressed our adrenal glands are working overtime.  We pump extra adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones that make our muscles tense up, our digestive tract slow down, our blood vessels constrict and our hearts beat faster.  Is it any wonder we end up with migraine headaches, TMJ, knots in our necks and shoulders and lower back pain?  Think about it. How many of these symptoms are you experiencing?

Here's something else stress does – it kills off our brain cells.  How many of us can afford that? 

Here are a few suggestions on how to reduce your stress levels. 

• Exercise – it releases endorphins and uses up excess adrenaline & cortisol
• Sleep –  that's when our immune system replenishes itself
• Eat healthier - when we are stressed we go right for the comfort food – don't do it
• Healthy Thinking - focus on that what's possible not the what is

I am using all of these stress busters and they do work if used consistently. Another thing that helps is a really good massage at least twice a month. Massage helps get rid of the toxic buildup in your body.  Today massage isn't a luxury it's a necessity.  Go ahead you deserve it.