Binge Eating

For the past couple of years i have found myself seeking sugary foods and literally anything bad for me for comfort and stress relief. I am constantly battling the urge to eat cakes, chocolate, crisps etc when i'm stressed, upset or angry even though i know i will feel incredibly shit about myself afterwards but at the time of eating these goods my endorphins kick in and i can feel that sugar rush relieving me from the stress. This only lasts as long as i'm eating. By binging out on sugary treats no matter how much i eat i will still be craving more and getting greedier considering how stressed i am. Sugar gives you that initial high that is dangerously addictive and leans to many others binge eating or over indulging after only promising themselves they would only have one or two biscuits and end up eating the entire packet in one sitting. I'm sure this is a common thing and why many of us have such a sweet tooth.

This is called mindless eating because i do not take the time to enjoy these treats which i must emphasis should be eaten in moderation not all at once. This causes the mind to think i haven't actually eaten and the brain takes longer to realise you have eaten something because i'm eating so quickly and not letting my body digest it properly before moving onto something else just as unhealthy. No matter how shit i feel after succumbing to my urges of sugar i will always end up in the same situation when I am feeling particularly stressed or seeking out comfort.Sometimes there isn't even a reason for my over indulging just the simple fact i love sweet treats and there is something eyeing me up in the cupboard.

I have gained weight in the last year or so due to relying on food to feel happy and content. I know there are a lot more dangerous relationships we can have with food however this is what i know about and that's why i want to write about it, for my own benefit as well as some of you. By gaining this weight it was made me more aware of what i am eating but this does not stop me caving in when things get a little tough and i feel i can't take much more stress or pressures of life. Being concious of what i'm eating if anything has made me worse because i'm constantly thinking about food and the more i try and restrict myself from caving in the more obsessed i get with calories and sugary treats.

It all starts when i enter the kitchen and am surrounded by foods that are screaming my name to eat them all, foods filled with sugar but my main problem is milk chocolate. If i know there is chocolate in the house it will always be in the back of my mind because i am incredibly addicted to chocolate and this probably is the reason we never have milk chocolate of any kind in our house because i only end up managing to stay away from it a day or two before having to eat it. I remember one easter managing to stay away from a decent size Oreo easter egg before getting a real urge to eat the whole thing in one. I did eat it all and felt so fill it generally hurt to move and thought to myself was it really worth it? Why couldn't i have just eaten half of the egg and saved the rest? I have never felt so shit and for the rest of the day i felt moody, irritable and upset that temptation took over. I know it isn't anything as bad as some people's binge eating however it does get me down a lot knowing that when i get these urges i feel as if i lose total control over what i'm putting into my mouth especially when i try so hard to be healthy the majority of the time.

I think one thing that has stopped me putting on too much weight is exercising which controls my urges as well because it's another better more sufficient way of dealing with stress. Exercise brings out endorphins as well that help you feel good about yourself which always improves your health. By exercising i feel that it encourages me to be healthier because fruit has appealed a lot more to me since i have been exercising on a regular basis.

Other ways that help me when I get urges to react the junk food cupboard include eating fruit, nuts and yoghurt because fruit contains natural sugars to help with your sweet tooth plus yoghurt and nuts are very filling. I mainly get these urges just before i go to bed or at night time and i find it hard to sleep so i always think eating lots of sugar things before bed will keep me up and i will feel incredibly bloated and horrible when lying in bed. Plus i've heard eating something light before bed can help you sleep so if i get these urges i normally eat a banana before i go to bed. I also think to myself will i feel great the next day when i am still bloated because this food hasn't digested properly from the evening before and have to carry it around all day? I don't think i will ever grow out of this bad habit and it will always be in the back of my mind even if i don't act upon it when i'm stressed because sugar is addictive and is an addiction to many people. Some people would say it is worse than being addicted to alcohol or drugs because it gives off the same endorphins and is more accessible. It's about really getting to know your body and what benefits and what damages it because we need our bodies to be healthy to live. So why not pick the healthiest way possible? 

Porn - Good Or Bad?

With porn being incredibly easy to access for anyone at any age in just a variety of genres we have to question whether this is a good or bad thing. You don't have to be 18 to get hold of porn as it's so easy to fins on the interest without any restrictions. I don't believe the concept of porn is a bad thing because sex is a natural thing however i believe there are so many negative things within the porn industry and that is what i'm going to talk about in this blog post.

With such a high rating of teenager viewers on porn sites it is already evident that it's going to have a big influence on their future or already existing sex lives
 and how they view gender roles. This is why it's so important see how it affects people. With a lack of sex education in schools this could be the only 'sex education' and information they are going to get to do with sex. There are many aspects porn could affect in a negative way such as relationships, sex lives, the way teenagers view sex, how both genders view each other and so many other aspects.

With porn being a very unrealistic way in which sexual intercourse happens for example no communication beforehand to seek consent and talk about each others needs, sexual positions that are extremely uncomfortable and not realistic, no communication during sex only abuse that is glamourized and the female looking extremely uncomfortable and mute. This is extremely sexist, dominant, even abusive and could be seen as rape. Without any of the people taking part in sex in porn asking for consent or checking with their body language that they are comfortable with it this will bring a shocking amount of influence on how to approach sex to people so young.

Porn romanticises and glamorizes violence towards women e.g. gagging, whipping, strangling and hair pulling which only encourages guys who watch porn to rein act these actions on their other half assuming this is something they will enjoy. If you are a woman and into these types of things then fair enough however most of us are not so it's very insulting to assume we enjoy such horrible behaviour. It's extremely disrespectful and hurtful to the victim in this situation, sex should not involve violence in any way. If both people are not enjoying the experience then something isn't right because it shouldn't be that way.

Men will develop unrealistic expectations not just on how they think women should act in the bedroom but how they look physically. Women in porn are totally hairless showing no sign of body hair apart from eyebrows and hair, pubic hair is no where to be seen on women and men are often hairless on their chests and showing little body hair as well. This can make women especially with dark hair extremely insecure. It is impossible that a women naturally has no body hair as we are all human. Women in porn also show no sign of love handles, cellulite, roles of fat and are normally women with big breasts which are often implants and flat stomachs. Making men have higher expectations of women than is realistic.

Not only are their looks unrealistic but their behaviour as well, Men in porn are usually very dominating and controlling and sex is seen as something to satisfy men only by having the lady in positions that are uncomfortable and not stopping when the woman is evidentially in pain or shows no sign of pleasure or satisfaction. This is a seriously dangerous message to portray and emphasises and encourages the use of victim blaming within rape and glamorising it as porn,

I believe porn is not something we should aspire to within our own sex lives, no contact such as touching, kissing, foreplay or genuine chemistry is used within porn, you are simply just shown what sex is like after all the foreplay etc however foreplay is extremely important and some would even say the best part of sex so why should it be totally dismissed in our own sex lives. Having an emotional connection to your sexual partner makes it a lot easier and enjoyable plus you'll feel more comfortable saying no when you aren't ready or in the mood. Sex in itself isn't always the main pleasure but being with someone you know is worth it. Porn does not portray any connection at all and in my opinion makes it awkward and not enjoyable to watch.

I am not saying every single thing about porn is bad and you should never watch it however acts within sex and their attitude towards it in porn should not be demonstrated within your own sex life. Yes it could be great to spice up things in the bedroom but if your partner isn't keen then you should find something else that you both agree on. There isn't anything bad with watching porn as long as you know this is incredibly glamorized and staged that you shouldn't let it influence your own sex life at all.