Sexual Assault and Obesity

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Livliga asked one of our affiliate partners to share her insights on the link between sexual assault and obesity.  In a recent article posted on the Obesity Action Coalition website this was stated: “The CDC reports that approximately one in six boys and one in four girls are sexually abused before the age of 18. In 2005, the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that 83,600 children were sexually abused. Sadly, children and young adults with extreme obesity, who have histories of sexual abuse, may be more common than we think.”

He Said-“It’s OK, I’m Catholic, too.” 

My client choked out these words, tears streaming down her face. It had been over 30 years and she had never been able to forget the shock of the experience. This was the afternoon in her freshman year that the formerly polite exchange student from Spain had pinned her down on his bed and attempted to rape her saying, “It’s OK, I’m Catholic, too.” It happened in a flash! She was helpless; she could not move under his weight. She could not believe it was happening! She was saved when his roommate unexpectedly came in. She took that millisecond to escape and run back to her dorm room and lock herself in, where she sat for hours, heart pounding in her chest. How could he???!!!! And Catholic??? Hell would be too good for him, she thought, as she sobbed.

For years she blamed herself for believing that he really only wanted to show her something in his room. She shamed herself for believing that his intentions were honorable. After all, they were not even dating. For years, she was “jumpy” and hated herself… even contemplated suicide. For years, totally humiliated and ashamed, she told no one. She felt so STUPID! Even worse, her body gained weight…adding to her shame and feelings of helplessness. No matter how hard she tried, the weight always returned.

I find that many women have been completely manipulated and duped into tolerating unwanted or unsought sexual advances...or like my client, ambushed! … and then BLAMED for it! Worse, they blame themselves!  This is nothing new. Mozart’s 1790 opera Cosi Fan Tutte (which translates roughly to “All women are like that”) asserts that women are, by nature, fickle, untrustworthy, and there to be seduced. If you don’t know the story, two soldiers accept a bet that they will be able to seduce each other’s fiancées. They tell the girls that they are going away on military orders. They return in disguise and start seducing in earnest. The girls, who fully intended to be faithful, are further manipulated by a maid, who stands to gain financially if the guys can pull off this deceit…which they ultimately do. In the end, the true identities are revealed, and the girls are blamed for their infidelity. So, now they are at the mercy of the guys who perpetrated this scheme upon them. Never mind the obvious fact that the guys were being unfaithful as well. It is the young women who are shamed and disgraced…after all, that’s how women are. Such was the world in 1790. Sadly, not much has changed.

Just like in Cosi Fan Tutte, much of the sexual coercion is perpetrated by men who are known to their victims. Here are the shocking statistics about sexual assault and date rape:

• Between 20% and 25% of women will experience a completed and/or attempted rape during their college career 
• More than half of raped college women tell no one of their victimization 
• 30% of the college women who said they had been raped contemplated suicide after the incident 
• About 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner 
• College freshmen and sophomore women appear to be at greater risk of being victims of sexual assault than are upperclassmen. 84% of the women who reported sexually coercive experiences experienced the incident during their first four semesters on campus. 
• Students living in sorority houses and on-campus dormitories are 3 times and 1.4 times (respectively) more likely to be raped than students living off-campus 
• 38% of college-aged women who have been sexually victimized while in college had first been victims prior to entering college, making past victimization the best predictor of future victimization 
• 80% of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 30; 44% are under the age of 18 
• 99% of people who rape are men 
• Victims were on a date with the perpetrator in 12.8% of completed rapes and 35% of attempted rapes 
• 43% of the sexual victimization incidents involve alcohol consumption by victims and 69% involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrators (1 in 3 were drunk)
• 90% of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol
• Fraternity men have been identified as being more likely to perpetrate sexual assault or sexual aggression than non-fraternity men 
• College men who participated in aggressive sports (including football, basketball, wrestling and soccer) in high school used more sexual coercion (along with physical and psychological aggression) in their college dating relationships than men who had not. This group also scored higher on attitudinal measures thought to be associated with sexual coercion, such as sexism, acceptance of violence, hostility toward women and rape myth acceptance. Cosi Fan Tutte!
• Only 2% of all sexual assault accusations reported to police turn out to be false. This is the same rate of false reporting as other types of violent crimes. 

I have found, over and over, that sexual trauma is often at the root of persistent obesity. The underlying unconscious belief is that it is simply not safe to be thin or attractive. Fortunately, my program addresses this very effectively and clients are finally able to lose the weight (and the shame and guilt) for good.

To get immediate HELP after an assault- Call 800 656 HOPE (4673) The National Sexual Assault Hotline. Or contact your local organization, like MOCSA in Metropolitan Kansas City, for immediate support, counseling services, and other programs.

Liz Bull helps women (and brave men!) who are fed up with weight loss programs that don’t work to finally get a body and a life they love. A Medical Intuitive, Master Theta Healer, and Certified Virtual Gastric Band Practitioner, Liz  has long been fascinated by the important role mind, body, and beliefs play in our lives. Her other studies and certifications include EFT, Psych-K, Matrix Energetics, Access Consciousness, QiGong, NLP and Transcendental Meditation. You can visit her website at www.LizBull.com

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Emotional Barriers to Sustained Weight Loss Success

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Beat Cancer by Eating Healthy and Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Most of us are aware of how important it is to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle. We know it makes us feel better, have extra energy and enjoy life more. Commonly known is our need to manage our weight in order to lower our risk for heart disease and diabetes. What is less known is the impact our diet has on our risk for cancer, particularly those cancers that are categorized as obesity-related cancers. Woman who are obese, for example, have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, particularly post-menopause. Not only does a healthy diet help prevent breast cancer, it can also improve our survival rate once diagnosed.

Additionally, recent studies indicate that a healthy diet and weight management not only prevent incidence of breast cancer, improve our survival rate once diagnosed, but will also lower the risk of its recurrence. It is amazing to think how much power what we eat and how much we eat can have on our health. Looked at another way, we have the ability to make what we eat a positive tool for our health.

So the question is, beyond eating a balanced diet in right-sized portions, are there foods that are specifically beneficial for those who want to lower their risk of breast cancer? There are. Research shows that eating a plant-based diet and limiting alcohol consumption does reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. There are specific foods that have been shown to have a positive effect, too.

Eating foods rich in carotenoids is an example of a specific category of foods that has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence. Carotenoids are the natural pigments found in yellow and orange foods (such as carrots, sweet potatoes and squash) and dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard.

Many of us are aware that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids has been linked to improving heart health yet how many of us are also aware it can improve breast cancer prognosis? Salmon, haddock, cod, halibut and sardines are the best sources for omega-3.

A high-fiber diet is associated with lower overall mortality in breast cancer patients. Beans and whole grains are an ideal source of fiber. You can’t beat a bowl of oatmeal at breakfast for a great source of fiber and to help you feel full through out your morning which helps us with weight management.

Omega-3 fatty acids, high-fiber diets and carotenoids can all help prevent breast cancer.

The more we learn about disease the more it has become apparent that it is primarily linked to what we eat and our overall lifestyle. The good news is we have the power to do something about it. It is possible to eat healthier and live a healthier life. Every time we make one change, like adopting a meatless Monday meal or eating whole grain cereal for breakfast we are significantly reducing our risk for disease. And, as I have found, I really love the foods and variety I have tried because of wanting to be as healthy as I can be. Have to’s can definitely become want to’s…we just have to give ourselves a chance to make that discovery.

And remember, the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of health!

More about LivSpoons.

Searching for healthy recipes? Check out the recipes on this Livliga Live Vibrant blog.

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Book Review: Back in the Swing Cookbook

Most all of us can look back on our lives and see times when dramatic events have occurred that have felt like a punch to the stomach or have “knocked our socks off." During those times we endure, take each day one at a time and long for what is “normal” and when we can feel “back in the swing” of our lives. This is particularly true for those who face major illness, like breast cancer.



Two wonderful women, Barbara C. Unell and Judith Fertig, who understand personally the longing and challenge of getting “back in the swing” of things, put together a cookbook to help breast cancer survivors with the process of embracing life after treatment in order to find their new “normal." Their cookbook is The Back in the Swing Cookbook: Recipes for Eating and Living Well Every Day After Breast Cancer.


I had the pleasure of working with these women when we launched our healthy lifestyle tableware company, Livliga®, in Kansas City three years ago. One of the weekend-long events we had as part of the launch was a luncheon. The food was served on Livliga® dinnerware and the recipes came from the Back in the Swing Cookbook. Judith Fertig is the chef who designed the recipes to be healthy and with ingredients particularly supportive of the health of breast cancer survivors. The food served at the lunch from this cookbook was delicious and perhaps as important, visually appealing. I experienced first hand the benefits of this thoughtful cookbook. 





Livliga® dinnerware can make a recipe shine, by adding some extra visual appeal to healthy meals.

The cookbook is packed full of goodness. And it is not all about recipes. It is about how to live and embrace a healthy life, including the foods to eat, insights from survivors, health news, and ways we can help ourselves live a healthier and happier life. For instance, throughout the book there are sections called “Treat of the Day”. Each of these sections highlights a specific way you can help yourself feel better and be happier and the scientific reason behind it.  One section gives you “Scientific Reasons to Watch a Funny Movie” and then shares some of the American Film Institutes top 100 funniest American films.  A few from the list are Tootsie, Singin’ in the Rain, A Fish Called Wanda and When Harry Met Sally.


The core of the cookbook is its recipes. The recipes highlight ingredients that are proven to be good for our health, healing, our immune system and for preventing disease and the re-occurrence of disease. Although the focus is clearly for the breast cancer survivor the approach and recipes are relevant and good for us all.


There is a real flare to this cookbook. It entices us with internationally based recipes imbued with herbs and spices that wake up our senses (Asian Chicken Salad with Fresh Ginger Vinaigrette). Back in the Swing also takes classics and adds an upgrade of healthier ingredients that satisfy our taste buds while warming our hearts (Celebration Chocolate Cake includes a filling with pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg).


In this era when we are busy and find it hard to spend time in the kitchen, this cookbook makes it easy to cook. The recipes are made up of accessible ingredients and are simple to assemble. The best part is how the recipes taste and look.  If you want to embrace a healthier lifestyle this cookbook is a great place to start.


My personally adage is: The greatest gift we can give ourselves and the ones we love is the gift of health. The Back in the Swing Cookbook is a perfect way to give this gift.








#breastcancerawareness

#womenshealth

#healthyeating

#backintheswing 



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Finding Inspiration and Sharing it

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is not a person among us who has not been personally affected by breast cancer or knows someone close to them who has battled this all too prevalent disease. Many of us know a number of women who have faced this disease. Some lost their lives. Thinking about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings back a whole host of memories.

The first person I ever knew to have breast cancer was my best friend’s mother. That was some 55 years ago. It was hush-hush. No one was supposed to know. She faced a mastectomy, chemotherapy and recovery in silence and alone. She survived and is still alive today.  Her life is an inspiring story, but only to the few of us who know about it.

Thank goodness the world has become much more open about acknowledging and sharing the reality of breast cancer. We can talk about it now and name it. We follow the very public stories of famous people like Angelina Jolie and Amy Robach who have faced the disease and shared their journeys. We can openly give our love and support to those who are diagnosed and on the journey of life with breast cancer and celebrate the good news offered by survivors.   

What is evident to me is how we all cherish the life lessons we are given from the ones we know who have been diagnosed and live with cancer. We learn how precious life is and how it is to be celebrated. We understand that we all thrive on inspiration whether it be from observing the lives of the ones with cancer, from the stories they share, the poetry they write or is written as a result of their inspiration.

There is such an amazing sisterhood surrounding the community of breast cancer survivors thanks in big part to organizations like Susan G. Komen focused on saving lives and finding the cure for breast cancer.

It doesn’t mean it is easy or that you don’t feel alone when you first find out you have the disease. What is important is to know there are a whole host of resources, a community of support and so many people who get it and are willing to help others on the journey.

Some days, though, we don’t want to be the inspiring story or to be the big support for others. We’re the ones who need to be inspired and gain renewed energy from it. We need to find the inspiration and then share it.

As someone who lost a mom to cancer I personally know the need for renewing the spirit and finding inspiration. Words can have such a profound affect on us. Seeing words of comfort, motivation and aspiration can truly help us to feel good and keep going. I so believe in this I did a crazy thing and created a whole line of dishware to help people feel better, eat well and savor every moment of life. It is called Celebrate: The Poetry of Life.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all of us who share in the reality of this disease let me share a cup of tea and a little Celebrate inspiration.

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